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Ring of Truth provides 366 daily ‘proofs’ that the Bible is consistent throughout from Genesis to Revelation, and relevant for our lives today!
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2 Samuel 5:4-5
David was 30 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 40 years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for 33 years.
Saul was dead, so David was king.
Well, not quite. One of the biggest problems in being anointed by God is that not everyone realises it or is prepared to acknowledge it. Samuel had anointed David years ago. David had defeated Goliath and become very popular. In fact, if he had taken the throne then, the people would have been right behind him and who knows, life in Israel might have been a whole lot better. Saul, after all, was hardly a good king.
However, that was neither God’s plan nor His timing. He allowed Saul to outlive his usefulness. Maybe it explains that other Scripture, “God’s call and gifts are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). In other words, they are not so much the rewards of a good life as the demonstration of the power and grace of God.
We need to remember that. We are not “the leader” etc. God still is. But His gifts are manifest through us BY HIS GRACE and that alone. We must never make the same mistake as Saul. As Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes...” (1 Samuel 15:17). Saul changed. He became king in his own eyes. It is a temptation for us all, which must be overcome and not given in to.
David was ‘small’ when he was anointed. He remained ‘small’ through all the challenges of victory, defeat and disaster whilst Saul was trying to kill him. He remained ‘small’ whilst only Judah acknowledged him as king.
Abner, Saul’s army commander, brought Saul’s 40-year-old son, Ish-Bosheth, and made him king over Israel for 2 years. For the remaining five and a half years, Israel had no king but Abner led them until Joab, David’s Commander-in-chief, killed him. That was a tragedy too, because Abner was going to bring the rest of Israel to David. Joab, however, had a personal score to settle with Abner, as he had killed Asahel - Joab’s hotheaded brother - in a kind of duel.
Even after that, or maybe in spite of that, David waited until the elders of Israel came to him. Never ever did he seize his ‘right’. Even when other ruthless men made it ‘possible’, ‘plausible’, or seemingly ‘easier’ for him - he never went ahead of God, but allowed God to bring it to pass. He showed, by the way he dealt with those ruthless men, by having them killed, that he sought righteousness more than position.
Oh, that we had more people like David today, both in our governments and in the Church.
God constantly reinforces His divine principles - “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).
Tell me, who are you more like: Saul or David?
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