We continue with our review of the key events leading up to the Book of Kings.
So Saul, Israel’s first king, is now dead, having been slaughtered on the battlefield against the Philistines.
Soon after, David is crowned king by his followers and the southern tribe of Judah at Hebron.
In the meantime, Abner, Saul’s military general, gathers the support of the northern tribes and appoints Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth to be the king of Israel (Israel meaning only the northern tribes in this context).
However, Ish-Bosheth is just a palace puppet with no real authority.
Nevertheless, a war breaks out between the northern and southern regimes.
The conflict begins small, starting with a hand-to-hand scuffle between the men of Abner and David’s chief general, Joab.
In that fight, Asahel, Joab’s younger brother, ends up getting killed by Abner.
Upon realizing that David is destined to be king, the cold and self-serving Abner soon defects to David’s court.
Abner’s support of David then convinces the northern tribes to accept David as king.
However, Abner’s arrival is a threat to Joab.
As far as Joab was concerned, the kingdom only has room for one chief military commander.
So Abner has to go.
Using the fact that Abner had killed his younger brother Asahel as justification, Joab assassinates Abner.
Sensing political disaster, David publicly mourns Abner.
What happens afterward is momentous.
All twelve tribes (Kol Y’srael) unite and declare David king over both northern and southern Israel.
For the first time since Joshua crossed the Jordan River with the children of Israel, the holy nation is now under one ruler.
Sure, internal scuffles would break out among the clans.
But Israel had now come together under one king.
So what takeaway can we extract from this?
Here’s what’s coming to me.
Though the journey may be filled with perilous ups and downs, at the end of the day, God’s Will will be done.
Ya feel me?
David’s life was the epitome of a roller coaster about to go off the tracks at anytime.
Saul tried to kill David, forcing him to go on the run.
And things got so bad that David even ended up seeking refuge with Israel’s arch-enemy, the Philistines.
Yet, none of this could prevent the Lord from working out His purposes and will for David.
At the end of the day, David became king of all Israel.
So it may be with your life.
Like David’s, your life may seem like a series of ups and downs, causing you more stress than you’d like to deal with.
Yet, despite the adversities, if you remain faithful, keep trusting, and submit to Him, you will arrive at the Promised Land.
Ya feel me?
Done.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“And we know that in all things
God works for the good of those
who love him, who have been
called according to his purpose.”
-Romans 8:28
This reminds me of an answer I heard about how Jews deal with both Predestination and Free Will, which (by defintion) negate each other.
And I think this analogy fits in with your message (I can’t give this story exactly as I heard it so long ago, so this is my rendering):
God is the captain of a boat that is going from creation to eternity (predestination) and we all have the opportunity to either get on it or to get off it (Free Will).
It stops often at ports along the way, and sometimes it swerves to port and other times it swerves to starboard, but no matter which direction it goes, and no matter how many times people get on or off, the boat WILL reach it’s destination, and those who are on it will be (as we say today) “saved”.
We can get on and off as many times as we want to, those called can join the crew or refuse to join, but no matter what happens on the seas, the Captain will make sure that the boat will reach it’s destination.
The one thing that Christians do not like to acknowledge is that this ain’t no cruise ship and if they join the crew they are expected to obey the Captain!
Good analogy.
True.
Too many Christian folks think their journey, once they’re on board the ship, will be like a stormless, 1st class luxury cruise without any trials and tribulations.
Sometimes I wish that were true, but alas, experience has taught me that your faith journey can sometimes be one of the most challenging things in your life.
Why else does the Scripture exhort us to persevere?!