King of Judah
2 Sam 2:1 And it came to pass after this, that David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.
David was not rushing in to claim his kingdom. He inquired of the Lord and the Lord gave him direction. This was walking in God's will. We may know God's will, but not His timing. The Lord should be inquired of for all decisions, as Jesus sought the will of the Father.
2 Sam 2:2 So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal's wife the Carmelite.
David went up unto Judah, from Ziklag, in Philistine territory. A big step from backslider in the world to king of Judah. God is merciful, he had selected him earlier, his calling would be fulfilled. There was no doubt that he was called, as Moses was called and had to wait for God's timing. Do not rush into a position until God appoints you into it. There is no power for service without His anointing and His timing.
2 Sam 2:3 And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
2 Sam 2:4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah...
The men of Judah anointed him king, he did not take it by force. God had picked David as king and Samuel anointed him privately, perhaps twenty years before.
1 Sam 16:11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
1 Sam 16:12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
1 Sam 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
David began his reign as king. From his lineage would come the eternal king, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Men of Jabesh
2 Sam 2:4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.
These were brave men who went into the enemies stronghold to rescue the body of Saul and to bury him in respect. Jabesh was the city that Saul rescued from the Philistines at the beginning of his kingdom rule. they never forgot that he had gathered up an army to save them.
2 Sam 2:5 And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have showed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.
2 Sam 2:6 And now the LORD show kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.
2 Sam 2:7 Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.
Judah has a new king, David's first act as king was to bless the brave men of Jabesh and ask them to join him as valiant men in his kingdom. Jabesh was in Saul's tribe of Benjamin. David's kindness reassured them that he had no bad feelings towards Saul or his tribal family. David was showing grace, his reliance on the LORD would make him a great king over his people. Goodness makes for a great leader, woe unto a people who have a wicked leader.
Isa 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Isa 5:21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
Judah had blessings because David was after God's own heart.
Ishbosheth, King of Israel
2 Sam 2:8 But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
2 Sam 2:9 And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
2 Sam 2:10 Ishbosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.
Abner, Saul's cousin was captain of Saul's armies in Israel, a man of power. Saul's three son's were killed with him in battle.
1 Sam 31:6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.
Saul finds another son, Ishbosheth, which was not mentioned in the Bible, maybe he was a son of another woman out of wedlock, or perhaps he had some defect that kept him from battle. Abner sets him up as king and probably was his adviser. Always obstacles come to delay the fulfillment of God's purpose. David was anointed to be king of all Israel and Judah, but he allows Ishbosheth to rule over Israel for two years. The nation was divided, having two kings.
2 Sam 2:11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
He ruled in Hebron, as his headquarters for seven and a half years. Who was king of Israel after the two year reign of Ishbosheth? Perhaps it was General Abner, of the armies. For apparently he was the true power in Israel. Men seek power, it takes a great man to wait on the LORD, and to do things his way, in His time.
Asahel
2 Sam 2:18 And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.
Joab's brother Asahel was fast on his feet.
2 Sam 2:19 And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.
Asahel was determined to catch up with Abner, it was his focus, nothing else mattered.
2 Sam 2:20 Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am.
2 Sam 2:21 And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him.
Abner thought that Asahel was looking for armour to keep as a show of victory. Asahel was only interested in Abner. Abner told him to turn aside, he would not.
2 Sam 2:22 And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?
Turn aside unless I be forced to kill you. This would not bring peace between me and your brother Joab.
2 Sam 2:23 Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.
Asahel had tried to overtake Abner, but Abner was a man of war knowing how to kill another with the spear. This death was to remembered, and this place, for years to come.
2 Sam 2:24 Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.
The brothers of Asahel also pursued Abner until sundown.
2 Sam 2:25 And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an hill.
In the last light of the day Abner stands on the hilltop and the children of the tribe of Benjamin, Sauls tribe gathered around him in his defense. These may have included those from Jabeshgilead that King David had commended for being valiant men, having rescued Sauls body from the Philistines.
2 Sam 2:26 Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?
Abner calls out to Joab to bring an end to the fighting, it would only bring bitterness, because of unforgiveness. How long will you continue to fight, brother killing brother?
2 Sam 2:27 And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.
Joab accepted the offer of peace. If he had not spoken, surely they would have gone up in battle the next morning and many would have been killed. Unfrtunately this would not be the end of hostilities.
2 Sam 2:28 So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.
The trumpet blew to cease fighting. They fought no more that night.
2 Sam 2:29 And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim.
2 Sam 2:30 And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's servants nineteen men and Asahel.
Those from Judah lost twenty men.
2 Sam 2:31 But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, so that three hundred and threescore men died.
The people of Israel lost three hundred and sixty men. Abner's foolish playing had resulted in many lives being lost. The devils games always make you a loser.
2 Sam 2:32 And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.
The war with Israel would continue.
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