2 Samuel 5

2 Samuel 5

Finally, after all the turmoil that David faced in his life, and possibly after more than 20 years of waiting, David was anointed as king of Israel. The dust had settled from all the lies, betrayals, and murders, and Israel once again came together as one, all declaring David as their king. David was 30 years old when he became king of Israel, and he had only been a kid when God had first chosen him for this job. David waited patiently, and God came through for him, just as He had promised. David was able to capture Jerusalem from the Jebusites early on in his reign, and he chose that city to live in. Jerusalem would later become the capital city of Jerusalem, and under the reign of Solomon, a temple would be built to God in that city. Speaking of Solomon, 2 Samuel 5 mentions his birth (one of many of David’s children that were born during his reign).


After settling down in Jerusalem, the Philistines heard that David had been given the throne of Israel. Now remember that when David had been running from Saul, the Philistines came to his aid. They protected him and ultimately helped him defeat Saul, although David actually had nothing to do with that battle. The Philistines may have helped David in the past, but that had been because they had a common enemy. Just because David was on the throne of Israel did not make the Philistines Israel’s closest ally. They once again came against Israel, as they had done on multiple occasions, and David had to figure out how to handle the situation. Part of me wonders if David wanted to go easy on them. While this pure speculation on my part, I think that if I were in his shoes, I would almost want to help out the Philistines because of how they had helped me in the past.

David, however, did not hesitate to go to God for guidance. Now while I was only speculating before, David may or may not have been conflicted on what he was to do. He asked God straight out if he would win in a battle against the Philistines. That tells me that maybe David was not thinking anything about working with them. He now saw them as a threat, knew what their true intentions were, and knew that the only way he could overcome them would be through God. David was faced with another problem, a threat from the Philistines, and the first thing he thought of was God. How many times do we find ourselves in a tough situation and the first thing we think of is going to God? Sadly, I know that God is not always my first option (although He should always be). I have moments where I turn to my own strength, my own thoughts, guidance from close friends or family members first. While these can all be helpful resources, our first inclination should always be God.

For David, God assured him that he would have victory over the Philistines, and David went out to battle. He was given the victory as he had been promised, and he was even able to strip away all the idols of the Philistines. A little while later, the Philistines returned for a second attack on Israel. Just like before, David went to God for help, and God told him that he would have victory again. This second attack, however, was different. God gave David specific instructions on how and when to attack the Philistines, and the only way David would find victory was to follow those instructions exactly. David did so, and once again he struck down the Philistines. David shows us what it means to trust God, looking to Him for guidance, and to obey God, even in the details. These two truths have been some of the main themes of David’s life, and they are two great lessons that we can learn from him today.

Matt