April 20 - 2 Samuel 2:1-3:5 | 1 Chronicles 3:1-4 | 2 SamuelL 23:8-17 | 1 Chronicles11:10-19 | 2 Samuel 23:18-39 | 1 Chronicles 11:20-47 

Good Easter morning everyone ….. He is risen indeed!!

We continue our reading this morning with David, having learned Saul was dead, going to God and asking him if now was the right time to go up to Judah. You see, David knew he would become king but rather than rush ahead of God, going about his own plans and in his own strength, he took the time to see what God had in mind, David wanted to go with God. Make sense? And so when God said, “Go.” David asked, “To where?” to which the Lord answered, “Hebron”. 

Hebron, located high in the Judaean Moutains, about nineteen miles south of Jerusalem and was the largest city in Judah at the time. It was originally under Canaanite control, a royal city actually, until Joshua came along and conquered it when claiming the Promised Land. It was also the same area, if you will remember from Genesis, where Abraham purchased a cave to bury Sara in. Now, it is where David takes his two wives along with all of his men and their families, and where David will be anointed king of Judah. 

Meanwhile, Abner, you remember him, right? the general of Saul’s army? well, with the king dead he is probably thinking he is out of a job and scrambles to get another king on the throne of Israel, one who will allow him to continue his role as leader of the troops. He runs to get Saul’s forty year old son, Ish-Bosheth, who had stayed at home doing who knows what (I’m guessing not video games) while his dad and brothers were out fighting for the country, and says to him “Hey, guess what? You are now king.” That will not end well.

Next we read about a confrontation at a pool in Gibeon. I am not going to say a whole lot about that, other than, I have read three different commentaries and each had a little different slant as to how and what actually happened. God has not encouraged me in it so I will leave it alone for now. There’s just some things God doesn’t feel has to be crystal clear, you know?

Finally, our reading today directed us to take a look at David’s mighty warriors. There were two elite groups, “The Thirty” and “The Three”. The members of these teams were men with outstanding leadership skills and had showed exceptional, selfless courage in battle. They were the “creme de la creme” (good French … right?) They had sought David out while he was in the caves and though wavering a bit when their families were kidnapped, had proven to be devoted to David for more than a decade. When we read about these men we can see that over the years, motivated by greatness, David inspired them to be all that they could be (to coin a phrase), not only as soldiers but as men of God as well. It begs the question; Do you know who the people you hang out with? The people you spend the most time talking to? What God they look to? 1Corinthians 15:33 says “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” and Proverbs 13:20 “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” I would encourage you to look to the Davids of the world to follow. Though not a perfect kind of guy, (but really who is?) he had a heart for God and to do God’s will. Amen?

Happy Easter my dear friends, to God be the glory!!