2Sa 5:1-3 | KingComments | STEP | After seven and a half years David becomes king of all the people. It has taken that long. All the time Saul ruled over them, all the tribes knew who really led Israel. Although they knew it, they never openly chose David’s side. There can be knowledge, but when faith is lacking, one does nothing with it. The chapter begins with the word “then”, i.e. after the events described in the previous chapter. The ten tribes have seen that David is innocent of Ish-bosheth’s death and that he has punished the murderers. Then the time has come for all the tribes of Israel to declare openly that they are his family. They can say this because they all descend from Jacob (cf. ). At the end of we see a remarkable sequence. First there is talk about “will shepherd” and then about “will be a ruler”. This means that the first task is to care for God’s people and then the government comes. Be shepherd first, then become king. We also see this with the Lord Jesus. He is already the good Shepherd and will soon openly accept His kingship. For our personal lives, it is clear from this that we will submit to His dominion over our lives, precisely because He takes care of us every day. There is also a lot to learn here for the attitude of the husband toward his wife and for the attitude of parents toward their children. It is also important for the authority in the church of God. If God has given persons a place of authority, whether in the church or in the family, that authority can only be properly exercised by those who know what it is to serve, to be the least and to care for fellow believers. Such persons show the picture of the Lord Jesus. Subservience is much easier to put into practice toward someone who cares about you, who cares for you with love, than toward someone who only wants to control you and abuses his position of authority in this way. With God, authority is never separated from care and love, and this has become perfectly visible in and through the Lord Jesus. Then David is anointed king for the third time, now over all Israel. The first time he was anointed by Samuel in the midst of his brothers ( ). The second time he was anointed by the men of Judah over the house of Judah ( ). Here the third anointing of David takes place. This third anointing speaks of the coming of the Lord Jesus on earth, when He is accepted as Messiah by all the people, who are all twelve tribes returned to the land.

‏ 2 Samuel 5:1-3

David King over Israel

After seven and a half years David becomes king of all the people. It has taken that long. All the time Saul ruled over them, all the tribes knew who really led Israel. Although they knew it, they never openly chose David’s side. There can be knowledge, but when faith is lacking, one does nothing with it.

The chapter begins with the word “then”, i.e. after the events described in the previous chapter. The ten tribes have seen that David is innocent of Ish-bosheth’s death and that he has punished the murderers. Then the time has come for all the tribes of Israel to declare openly that they are his family. They can say this because they all descend from Jacob (cf. Jdg 9:2).

At the end of 2Sam 5:2 we see a remarkable sequence. First there is talk about “will shepherd” and then about “will be a ruler”. This means that the first task is to care for God’s people and then the government comes. Be shepherd first, then become king. We also see this with the Lord Jesus. He is already the good Shepherd and will soon openly accept His kingship.

For our personal lives, it is clear from this that we will submit to His dominion over our lives, precisely because He takes care of us every day. There is also a lot to learn here for the attitude of the husband toward his wife and for the attitude of parents toward their children. It is also important for the authority in the church of God.

If God has given persons a place of authority, whether in the church or in the family, that authority can only be properly exercised by those who know what it is to serve, to be the least and to care for fellow believers. Such persons show the picture of the Lord Jesus. Subservience is much easier to put into practice toward someone who cares about you, who cares for you with love, than toward someone who only wants to control you and abuses his position of authority in this way. With God, authority is never separated from care and love, and this has become perfectly visible in and through the Lord Jesus.

Then David is anointed king for the third time, now over all Israel. The first time he was anointed by Samuel in the midst of his brothers (1Sam 16:13a). The second time he was anointed by the men of Judah over the house of Judah (2Sam 2:4a). Here the third anointing of David takes place. This third anointing speaks of the coming of the Lord Jesus on earth, when He is accepted as Messiah by all the people, who are all twelve tribes returned to the land.