David: King of Judah
When David was still just a young person, Samuel travelled to Bethlehem to anoint him to be the next king of Israel. David never tried to usurp the throne from Saul, even though Saul had "gone mad". While David was waiting for the crown he proved himself to be a mighty warrior and a ruthless conqueror. Still, his followers respected him and obeyed his commands.
When Saul died the people of Israel were politically divided into two camps. The Northern tribes stood firm with "The house of Saul". Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, ... made him king ... over all Israel. 2 Sam. 2:8-9. He was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years.
But the house of Judah followed David. The people of the tribe of Judah wanted David to be the king of Israel, in part because Samuel had anointed him to be king. And the men of Judah came, and they anointed David king over the house of Judah there. Sam. 2:4. After all, David was from the tribe of Judah, born in Bethlehem. Before he received the king's crown he proved himself to be a mighty man of war, fighting for the freedom of his people. David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah ... seven years and six months. 2 Sam. 2:11.
A situation such as this could not but culminate in a civil war. So Abner, the captain of the army under king Ishbosheth, marched south to make sure that his king would also be the ruler of Judah.
King David, however, believed that the people of his area had installed him as king, and therefore he, with Joab as the army's leader, defended the territory of Judah. And there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David became stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul became weaker and weaker. 2 Sam. 3:1.
As the dust of the war was settling, king Ishbosheth confronted Abner, his army leader, stating, as fact, that Abner had a sexual affair with the late king Saul's concubine. And Abner was very angry over the words of Ishbosheth and he said, Am I some kind of worthless dog from Judah? 2 Sam. 3:8 CEV.
By which he meant, After all I have done for Israel, and against Judah, how dare you accuse me of something so trivial? He is not denying that he is guilty of that depravity (depravity is the word used in the Hebrew text). He insists, though, that it is inconsequential.
Because of this accusation, he said to his king, I ask God to punish me if I don't help David get what the LORD promised him! God said that he wouldn't let anyone in Saul's family ever be king again and that David would be king instead. He also said that David would rule both Israel and Judah, all the way from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south.
What could the king say, he had just turned his army leader against him. Ishbosheth was so afraid of Abner that he could not even answer. 2 Sam. 3:9-11 CEV.
After David had ruled in Judah for seven years he became king over all of Judah and Israel, and he ruled another 33 years. David's life, as a citizen and as a king, was marked by bloodshed and atrocious wars. He was involved in many battles, wars and bloodbaths which have not even been touched on in these posts.
Later in life, he decided that he would build a temple; a permanent, very magnificent place where the people could worship Jehovah. David said ... the house to be built for Jehovah is to be highly magnificent, for a name and for beauty to all the lands. 1 Ch. 22:5.
By express command, David was forbidden to build that temple. David said to Solomon, "My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build a house to the name of Jehovah my God." But the Word of Jehovah came to me, saying, "You have shed much blood and have made great wars. You shall not build a house to My name because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight." 1 Ch. 22:7-8.
Throughout the story of David, often we are told that Jehovah told David to go to war against other people. Here, however, it sounds as if the Lord was not at all pleased with all the bloodshed that David was guilty of. You shall not build a house to My name because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight.
One lesson we can learn from this story is that the things we do in our early life are going to have an effect on how our latter life will turn out.
For example, young people who get caught breaking the law and incur a criminal record will, their whole lifelong, be hampered as to what vocations are open to them or even in which other countries they may travel.
A situation such as this could not but culminate in a civil war. So Abner, the captain of the army under king Ishbosheth, marched south to make sure that his king would also be the ruler of Judah.
King David, however, believed that the people of his area had installed him as king, and therefore he, with Joab as the army's leader, defended the territory of Judah. And there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David became stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul became weaker and weaker. 2 Sam. 3:1.
As the dust of the war was settling, king Ishbosheth confronted Abner, his army leader, stating, as fact, that Abner had a sexual affair with the late king Saul's concubine. And Abner was very angry over the words of Ishbosheth and he said, Am I some kind of worthless dog from Judah? 2 Sam. 3:8 CEV.
By which he meant, After all I have done for Israel, and against Judah, how dare you accuse me of something so trivial? He is not denying that he is guilty of that depravity (depravity is the word used in the Hebrew text). He insists, though, that it is inconsequential.
Because of this accusation, he said to his king, I ask God to punish me if I don't help David get what the LORD promised him! God said that he wouldn't let anyone in Saul's family ever be king again and that David would be king instead. He also said that David would rule both Israel and Judah, all the way from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south.
What could the king say, he had just turned his army leader against him. Ishbosheth was so afraid of Abner that he could not even answer. 2 Sam. 3:9-11 CEV.
David: King of Judah and Israel
After David had ruled in Judah for seven years he became king over all of Judah and Israel, and he ruled another 33 years. David's life, as a citizen and as a king, was marked by bloodshed and atrocious wars. He was involved in many battles, wars and bloodbaths which have not even been touched on in these posts.
By express command, David was forbidden to build that temple. David said to Solomon, "My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build a house to the name of Jehovah my God." But the Word of Jehovah came to me, saying, "You have shed much blood and have made great wars. You shall not build a house to My name because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight." 1 Ch. 22:7-8.
Throughout the story of David, often we are told that Jehovah told David to go to war against other people. Here, however, it sounds as if the Lord was not at all pleased with all the bloodshed that David was guilty of. You shall not build a house to My name because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight.
One lesson we can learn from this story is that the things we do in our early life are going to have an effect on how our latter life will turn out.
For example, young people who get caught breaking the law and incur a criminal record will, their whole lifelong, be hampered as to what vocations are open to them or even in which other countries they may travel.
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