DAILY BYTE
This week our devotions continue to follow the story of David and his remarkable journey from a humble shepherd boy to becoming king. Last week we looked at aspects of David’s story prior to him taking the throne. Now we skip forward in the story. King Saul has fallen on his sword in battle with the Philistines (1 Sam 31) and David has been anointed king.
This part of the story can get a little tricky, and can be difficult to understand. So today we’ll have a brief history lesson to help get things straight in our heads before we proceed with the rest of the devotions this week.
It’s important to understand that at this point in the biblical story there were two distinct tribal groupings in the land. In the south were the tribes of Judah, in the north were the tribes of Israel. These two tribal groupings shared much in common in terms of their faith and family heritage. But there were also significant political fault lines between them. (In later years, after the reign of King Solomon, Israel and Judah would divide into two distinct kingdoms, each having its own king and its own capital.)
David was initially anointed as king over Judah (2 Sam 2) and was based in Hebron. It was only seven years later that he was anointed king over Israel (2 Sam 5) as well, effectively uniting these two tribal groupings into one united kingdom. In seeking to consolidate his power and further meld the kingdom into one, David made a shrewd political move. He seized the Jebusite city of Jerusalem and made it his capital.
There were a few compelling reasons for his choice – Jerusalem was centrally located between the two regions and was in neutral territory that belonged to none of the tribes. Jerusalem therefore represented an excellent compromise for a capital that was acceptable to the tribes of both the north and the south. (There were also other strategic military reasons for capturing Jerusalem, but we cannot get into that here.)
David’s next act of consolidation was equally significant. He transferred the Ark of the Covenant (which contained the two tablets of the Ten Commandments) from Kiriath-Jearim, where it had lain neglected for more than a generation, to Jerusalem, his new capital. The Ark represented a special connection to God and the covenant God had made with the Israelites at Sinai many generations before. It was a powerful symbol of rich religious significance to all of the tribes.
The biblical historian John Bright writes, “It was David’s aim to make Jerusalem the religious as well as the political capital of the realm. Through the Ark he sought to link the newly created state to Israel’s ancient order as its legitimate successor, and to advertise the state as the patron and protector of the sacral institutions of the past. David showed himself far wiser than Saul. Where Saul had neglected the Ark and driven its priesthood from him, David established both the Ark and priesthood in the official national shrine. It was a masterstroke. It must have done more to bind the feelings of the tribes to Jerusalem than we can possibly imagine.”
In case you’re wondering what on earth all this has to do with your life today, over the next couple of days we will explore some of the faith connections arising out of this political history, as we look at how God enters the picture of David’s kingship.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Gracious God, thank you that in the very down-to-earth processes of political history, your hand can be discerned to be at work. Thank you that this is true not just of the ancient Israelites, but is true of our lives as well. Help us, in the everyday things that happen to discern your presence and influence, as you use the events of our existence to shape your unfolding purposes for our lives. Amen
FOCUS SCRIPTURE
2 Samuel 5:4-5
David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty three years.
