2 Samuel 5 brings us to the point where David is made king over all Israel and not just Judah. It’s the moment we have been waiting for since Samuel anointed him in 1 Samuel 16, and we are curious as to what kind of king David will be. Will he prove to be arrogant, like Saul, assuming he knows better than God? Will he prove to be bitter and vindictive like so many other Middle Eastern kings of this time?
His first action is strategic: to find a capital city that can unite both Israel and Judah. In taking the city known as Jebus and transforming it into Jerusalem, the city of peace, the city of David, David shows vision and faith. He sees not only the place as it is – unassailable, hostile, rejecting God’s ways – but as it can be, and this spiritual vision and faith will be key to David’s reign. He is willing to embrace the friendship offered by Hiram, king of Tyre (who offers materials and labourers to establish David’s home in Jerusalem) and to resist the attacks of the Philistines. The phrase ‘David inquired of the Lord’ (2 Sam 5:19, 23) is one we have seen repeatedly through his life (see 1 Sam 23:2, 4; 1 Sam 30:8, 2 Sam 2:1), and it is the defining measure of his greatness. When David seeks God and acts in obedience to His commands, he is assured of victory and greatness; David’s success just cannot be separated from his relationship with God: ‘And he became more and more powerful, because the Lord God Almighty was with him.’ (2 Sam 5:10)
The wilderness years on the run as a fugitive, feigning madness before foreign kings, have not destroyed David’s faith. Instead, he has learnt patience and perseverance; he has learned to trust God and put his hope in Him. Now, with the establishment and growth of his family and his palace in Jerusalem, he ‘knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.’ (2 Sam 5:12) David has learned the principle which Jesus would later reiterate: ‘For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matt 23:12, Luke 14:11) True greatness comes as we humble ourselves before God and allow Him to exalt us.
