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Class-Book of Old Testament History

<hr class="sect_35" /> <h3> CHAPTER <abbr title="2">II.</abbr> DAVID’S REIGN AT JERUSALEM. <abbr title="Second Samuel">2 Sam.</abbr> <abbr title="chapters 5 through 7">v.–vii.</abbr>   B.C. 1048<abbr title="through">–</abbr>1042.</h3> EVERY obstacle was thus removed that had hitherto prevented David’s assuming the royal power over all the tribes. Ishbosheth was dead, Abner was dead, Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s only surviving son, was barely 12 years of age. The son of Jesse had long waited for his hour, and at length it was come. A deputation from all the tribes of Israel (<abbr title="Second Samuel">2 Sam.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 5">v.</abbr> 1) repaired to Hebron, and formally offered him the crown. A solemn league was then entered into, and for the third time David was anointed amidst great rejoicings. At Hebron he had reigned for 7½ years over Judah; he was now king of all Israel. His band of six hundred faithful followers had rapidly swelled into a great host, like the host of God (<abbr title="First Chronicles">1 Ch.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 12">xii.</abbr> 22). And now not only Dan and Judah and Simeon, not only Benjamin and Ephraim, not only the tribes beyond the Jordan, Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, flocked around his standard, but Issachar sent men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do (<abbr title="First Chronicles">1 Ch.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 12">xii.</abbr> 32), and Zebulun and Naphtali sent not only men, but the peculiar products of their rich territory279 (<abbr title="First Chronicles">1 Ch.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 12">xii.</abbr> 40), while a still more important accession consisted of 4,600 warriors of the Levitical tribe, and 3,700 of the house of Aaron, headed by Jehoiada, and the youthful but valiant Zadok (<abbr title="First Chronicles">1 Ch.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 12">xii.</abbr> 25<abbr title="through">–</abbr>28). Upwards of 300,000 choice warriors of the flower of Israel were thus gathered together to turn the kingdom of Saul to David, and join in celebrating the three days’ festival which greeted his accession to the throne (<abbr title="First Chronicles">1 Ch.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 12">xii.</abbr> 39). His first act after his coronation was significant. Saul had been always content with the obscurity of his native Gibeah, and had cared little for any central point of union for the tribes. As sovereign over all Israel, both north and south, David resolved to move the seat of government from Hebron nearer to the centre of the country. No spot seemed to present so many advantages as the rocky mass on which rose the city of the Jebusites280. It was neutral ground, on the very meeting-point of his own tribe and that of Benjamin281. The lower city had been once taken by the warriors of Judah (<abbr title="Judges">Judg.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 1">i.</abbr> 8)282, but the fortress of the Jebusites, strong in its seemingly impregnable position, had never been reduced. The presence of so many warriors from all the tribes was favourable for making an attempt on so renowned a citadel, and at the head of all his forces David advanced against it, probably from the south. As before, the lower city appears to have been easily captured, but again the fortress held out against every attack283. Moreover, so convinced were the Jebusites of the strength of their castle and of the ancient “everlasting gates” of its rocky ravines, that they merely manned its walls with the lame and blind (<abbr title="Second Samuel">2 Sam.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 5">v.</abbr> 6), deeming them amply sufficient for the defence. Their taunts roused the wrath of David, and he promised that whoso first scaled the rocky sides of the citadel and smote the Jebusite garrison, should have the post of captain-general of the forces. Thereupon the agile Joab climbed up first, and as the conqueror of the fastness of Jebus was rewarded with the post of commander-in-chief, the same office that Abner had held under Saul. Then, without loss of time, David took measures for securing his new possession. He enclosed the whole city with a wall, and connected it with the newly-captured fortress, and there took up his abode, and thus the Jebusite stronghold became the City of David. The effect of the conquest of this celebrated fortress was very great. The news no sooner reached the court of Hiram, king of Phœnicia284, than he despatched messengers to David with offers of artificers and materials for constructing a palace, which was accordingly built, and hither David removed his wives from Hebron, and increased his already numerous household (<abbr title="Second Samuel">2 Sam.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 5">v.</abbr> 13<abbr title="through">–</abbr>16). In other quarters the news was very differently received. The Philistines made two distinct attempts to crush the new king, of whose powers they were well aware. On the first occasion they came and encamped their numerous forces in the valley of Rephaim, or the Valley of Giants, south-west of Jerusalem, and stretching thence half-way to Bethlehem. After duly enquiring of the Lord, David marched out against them, and swept them away, as though with a “burst of waters,” whence he named the spot Baal-perazim, the Plain of Bursts or Destruction (<abbr title="Second Samuel">2 Sam.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 5">v.</abbr> 17<abbr title="through">–</abbr>20). A second attempt of the same pertinacious foe met with no better success; they were entirely routed, and the fame of David went out into all lands, and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations (<abbr title="First Chronicles">1 Chr.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 14">xiv.</abbr> 17). His next care was to consecrate his new capital with religious associations. After consultation with the chiefs of the nation, he assembled 30,000 from all Israel (<abbr title="Second Samuel">2 Sam.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 6">vi.</abbr> 1; <abbr title="First Chronicles">1 Chr.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 13">xiii.</abbr> 1), and went to Kirjath-jearim, the Village of Forests, where the Ark seems to have remained all through the reign of Saul in the custody of the Levite Abinadab (<abbr title="First Samuel">1 Sam.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 7">vii.</abbr> 1, 2). The sacred coffer was placed in a new cart drawn by oxen, and with Uzzah and Ahio the sons of Abinadab preceding it, was escorted towards Jerusalem amidst great rejoicings, and the sound of psalteries, cornets, timbrels, and cymbals. On reaching the threshing-floor of Chidon or Nachon (<abbr title="First Chronicles">1 Chr.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 13">xiii.</abbr> 9, margin), the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah put forth his hand to hold the ark. In a moment he fell dead (<abbr title="Second Samuel">2 Sam.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 6">vi.</abbr> 7). This untoward event filled David with alarm; the spot itself was henceforth known as Perez-uzzah, the breaking or disaster of Uzzah (<abbr title="First Chronicles">1 Chr.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 13">xiii.</abbr> 11), and it was resolved to desist from any further attempt at present to remove the sacred coffer. Accordingly it was carried aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite, that is, probably, a native of Gath-Rimmon, a town of Dan, allotted to the Kohathite Levites, of whom Obed-Edom was one, where it remained three months (<abbr title="Second Samuel">2 Sam.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 6">vi.</abbr> 10, 11; <abbr title="First Chronicles">1 Chr.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 13">xiii.</abbr> 13). Meanwhile David prepared a new Tabernacle at Jerusalem, and hearing that the presence of the Ark had brought a blessing to the house of Obed-Edom, he assembled the Levites, and Zadok and Abiathar the two representatives of the Aaronic family, and bade them prepare for the duty of removing the sacred symbol. Solemn purifications, neglected on the previous occasion (<abbr title="First Chronicles">1 Chr.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 15">xv.</abbr> 12<abbr title="through">–</abbr>14), were now performed, and the Levites, arranged in orderly divisions with singers and musicians, the elders of Israel, and captains of the host, set out for the house of Obed-Edom. On this occasion the Levites, as enjoined in the Law, lifted it with the long staves passing through the rings of the ark285, and raising it upon their shoulders, commenced the joyous procession (<abbr title="First Chronicles">1 Chr.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 15">xv.</abbr> 15). When they had advanced six paces (<abbr title="Second Samuel">2 Sam.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 7">vii.</abbr> 13), it was clear that the Lord was this time helping them, and the procession paused to offer a sacrifice of seven bullocks and seven rams in token of thankfulness for this proof of the Divine favour. Then the march was resumed amidst shouting and the joyful sounds of all kinds of music, headed by David himself in an ephod of linen, and by the singers and Levites arrayed in white vestments. As they ascended the path leading upwards to the ancient fortress of the Jebusites, the king, carried away by the associations of this great day, not only played on a stringed instrument, but accompanied the music with leaping and dancing. At length the city was reached, and the gates of the ancient fortress lifted up their heads, as the symbol of the presence of Jehovah, the King of Glory, the Lord strong and mighty, entered in (<abbr title="Psalm 24">Ps. xxiv.</abbr> 8, 9), and was placed within the awnings of the new Pavilion-Tent that had been prepared for it. A series of burnt-offerings and peace-offerings were then celebrated, and the king blessed the people, and dismissed them to their homes with ample presents. A single untoward incident marred this the greatest day in David’s life. As the procession passed under the windows of her apartments, Michal, the daughter of Saul, deeming David’s dance undignified, despised him in her heart (<abbr title="Second Samuel">2 Sam.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 6">vi.</abbr> 16), and when at the conclusion of all the gorgeous ceremonial he entered his house to bless his family (<abbr title="Second Samuel">2 Sam.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 6">vi.</abbr> 20), she came out to meet him, but in place of congratulations taunted him with his indecorous appearance that day. David replied with great bitterness to this untimely scoffing, and Michal had no child unto the day of her death (<abbr title="First Samuel">1 Sam.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 6">vi.</abbr> 23). The construction of his own palace and the reception of the Ark within the folds of a new Tabernacle in Zion, now awoke in the king the desire to build a more ample and permanent Temple for Jehovah. The design received the Divine approval, but it was intimated to him by Nathan the prophet, that as he was a man of war and blood (<abbr title="First Chronicles">1 Chr.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 28">xxviii.</abbr> 3), so peaceful a work would be better reserved for another. The refusal, however, was accompanied by a promise of the permanence of his dynasty; the mercy of Jehovah should not be taken from him as it had been from Saul; a son of his own should carry on the work, and his throne should be established for ever (<abbr title="Second Samuel">2 Sam.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 7">vii.</abbr> 12<abbr title="through">–</abbr>17; <abbr title="First Chronicles">1 Chr.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 17">xvii.</abbr> 3<abbr title="through">–</abbr>15). <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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