October 25, 2015: David Anointed King

2 Samuel 5:1-5; 6:1-5

5 All the Israelite tribes came to David at Hebron and said, “Listen: We are your very own flesh and bone. ² In the past, when Saul ruled over us, you were the one who led Israel out to war and back. What’s more, the Lord told you, You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will be Israel’s leader.

³ So all the Israelite elders came to the king at Hebron. King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.

⁴ David was 30 years old when he became king, and he ruled for forty years. ⁵ He ruled over Judah for seven and a half years in Hebron. He ruled thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah in Jerusalem.

6 Once again David assembled the select warriors of Israel, thirty thousand strong. ² David and all the troops who were with him set out for Baalah, which is Kiriath-jearim of Judah,^[a] to bring God’s chest up from there—the chest that is called by the name^[b] of the Lord of heavenly forces, who sits enthroned on the winged creatures. ³ They loaded God’s chest on a new cart and carried it from Abinadab’s house, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were driving the new cart. ^4 [c] Uzzah was beside God’s chest while Ahio was walking in front of it. ⁵ Meanwhile, David and the entire house of Israel celebrated in the Lord’s presence with all their strength, with songs,^[d] zithers, harps, tambourines, rattles, and cymbals.

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Introduction

Movies and TV shows about historical intrigue and power-struggles have been all the rage lately: the immensely popular HBO show Game of Thrones has inspired plenty of “knock-offs” including Vikings, Marco Polo, and others.  We just seem to love the machinations of people who are striving for power.  Perhaps we enjoy living vicariously through these dangerous plotlines, or perhaps we see slight parallels with our own, more mundane, power struggles at the office, in our school, or around town.

Of course this is nothing new: before Game of Thrones PBS audiences in the 1970s loved watching Romans behaving badly in I, Claudius, but even that was not the beginning. All you have to do is do a quick survey of Shakespeare.  You’ll find murder, mayhem, treachery, plotting and bloody battles galore in Macbeth, Richard II, Henry IV parts 1 and 2, Henry V, and especially Richard III (plus many more). People have also enjoyed movies and TV shows about the mafia or politics which display many of the same themes.

But in many ways, the Bible has these all beat: the stories found in 1 and 2 Samuel are filled with the kind of intrigue that makes Game of Thrones or mafia movie aficionados salivate. In our story today, the rags-to-riches, bottom-to-top story of “golden boy” David reaches its climax as he officially takes power over the people of Israel.  All of the tribes come to him and ask him to be king and then he moves the Ark of the Covenant to his new capital of Jerusalem. To reach this point he’s fought battles, knocked off rivals, and consolidated power.

David will begin a dynasty that will last for four hundred years in Judah, and his legacy is still felt today.  He was a complex, emotional man who could fly into immediate and tremendous rages, but also inspired extreme devotion in his followers. He is remembered as a gifted poet who wrote many of the Scripture’s psalms, while also leading Israel’s armies into bloody battles and violent conquests.

The Technical Stuff:

After the people of Israel entered the “Promised Land” of Canaan under Joshua, they had no central ruler and lived as a loose confederation of twelve tribes. From time to time they were attacked by outside enemies and the LORD raised a leader, or “Judge” to protect or save them. They also fought amongst themselves in fractious tribal squabbles and open warfare.  Eventually the people cried out for a king, like the other nations. The prophet Samuel, who was serving as a judge at the time, warned them that having a king would also lead to oppression, taxation and a loss of freedom.  Nevertheless the people insisted and Saul was anointed king.

Despite his good start, Saul eventually fell afoul of the LORD and Samuel for unfaithful actions.  In his place, Samuel anointed a young boy named David under the LORD’s direction (1 Samuel 16).  This young shepherd boy would soon win renown for defeating the giant Goliath in single combat (1 Samuel 17) and become a beloved friend of Saul’s family (1 Samuel 18). David’s success produced deadly envy in Saul and soon David was on the run, gathering up a band of masterless men and outlaws.  Eventually Saul was killed in battle and David ultimately prevailed in the civil war over the throne.

In our story today, David and his men bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. This Ark had immense important in Israelite history. It held the two stone tablets with the law of God (Deut. 10:2,5) and, even more importantly, was considered the manifestation or symbol of God’s presence. The LORD actually sat enthroned on the wings of the cherubim on the top of the Ark. When the Ark was captured by the Philistines earlier in Israel’s history, it brought so much destruction on them that they sent it back to the Israelites.  David moved this Ark to Jerusalem and thus brought God’s presence to his new capital.

Opinions of David have fluctuated over the years.  Many see him as the best king and leader in Israel’s history, and the bible itself says that he was “a man after God’s own heart.” (Acts 13:22).  At the same time, many people have seen David as all too human: a political opportunist who could be a violent, unscrupulous deserter (he allies himself with the Philistines for some time in 1 Samuel 27) and who misuses his royal power once he’s king (2 Samuel 11).  Rather than holding David up as a hero, they see him as a villain.

There is a third way to see David: as a flawed but faithful leader whose relationship with God gives him strength, purpose and guidance.  David will commit terrible sins (murder and adultery for instance), but he will also turn from those sins and ask for forgiveness. His love of the LORD is central to his character. 

What Does This Say to Us?

We are all flawed characters in need of forgiveness.  We incomplete individuals in need of a relationship with God.  When we worship God, we can be filled with joy that surpasses our circumstances. Like David, our experience of God can help and guide us.  Like David, we make mistakes but we can turn to God, who will not abandon us.  Like David, we also have the opportunity to use our power and influence to honor the LORD. David became king and could “call the shots.” He used this opportunity to worship God and encourage similar worship among the people.

In the end, David’s life was marked by continued squabbling and violence among his children and wives. He was not able to build the Temple in Jerusalem due to a life filled with violence: this task was left to his son Solomon. While David dies as an old man in bed, he is surrounded by a fractured family.  Over nine hundred years later a descendant of David will come to Jerusalem, worshipping God with great emotion. This descendant will also inspire others while creating great enemies. While David dies as an old man in bed, his descendant will die a violent death on a cross. While David is surrounded by a fractured family, his descendant will draw his followers close him after his resurrection, sending them out to change the world.  Our Lord Jesus comes from David’s line, and is a king, but a very different kind of monarch.  We might have parallel experiences with David, but we love and worship Jesus.