In today's passage we see David going from being a man without a country living among his enemies to king of the nation of Israel. Today there is a great cry among humanity for this type of change. Men are bent upon whatever the world declares to be success at any cost. Believers, however, cannot stoop to worldly and carnal means for success. Nor can the Christian allow the world to define success. We must always see success as no more and no less than God's will for our lives. David demonstrates the way to achieve the success of living in God's will through exposing to us the condition of his heart through his acts.
David had a profound respect for God's will. This is clearly demonstrated by David's description of Saul after his death. Second Samuel 1:19 uses these words to describe Saul in his death, "The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!" Was Saul the beauty and might of Israel because of his treatment of David? No! Was he the beauty and might of Israel because of his great victory over Philistia? No! To David Saul was the beauty and might of Israel because he was the will of God for Israel. David had a pure trust in God's timing. David knows what God's will for his life is and trusts God to bring it to fruition. We see David's trust in God demonstrated in his reaction to the news of Ish-bosheth's murder in chapter four verses nine through twelve. And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, 10 When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings: 11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth? 12 And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron. David demonstrates that he did not place his confidence in human instrumentality to bring about divine purposes. David had waited patiently for seven years as he ruled only in Hebron without taking action to bring about his reign over the whole nation. He patiently waited on the Lord as we should.
David had a perfect confidence in God's guidance. In chapter five, when faced with the overwhelming threat of the Philistine hordes, David relies upon God for his guidance. He does not presume upon God when faced with similar circumstances but seeks God's guidance in each instance. David does not deviate from the guidance he receives from God. We too must learn to seek God's guidance found in the Scriptures and trust in that guidance. David's right heart facilitates his living in the will of God.
2 Samuel 5:3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel.
Daily Devotional: Matthew 3:1-4:11 John the Baptist Prepares the Way
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