The Story of Patriarchs and Prophets
by Ellen G. White
Chapter 69: David Called to the Throne
The death of Saul removed the dangers that had made David
an exile. The way was now open for him to return to his own
land. When the days of mourning for Saul and Jonathan were
ended, "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."
Hebron was twenty miles north from Beersheba, and about
midway between that city and the future site of Jerusalem. It
was originally called Kirjath-arba, the city of Arba, the father of
Anak. Later it was called Mamre, and here was the burial place
of the patriarchs, "the cave of Machpelah." Hebron had been
the possession of Caleb and was now the chief city of Judah. It
lies in a valley surrounded by fertile hill country and fruitful
lands. The most beautiful vineyards of Palestine were on its
borders, together with numerous plantations of olive and other
fruit trees.
David and his followers immediately prepared to obey the
instruction which they had received from God. The six hundred
armed men, with their wives and children, their flocks and herds,
were soon on the way to Hebron. As the caravan entered the city
the men of Judah were waiting to welcome David as the future
king of Israel. Arrangements were at once made for his coronation.
"And there they anointed David king over the house of
Judah." But no effort was made to establish his authority by
force over the other tribes.
One of the first acts of the new-crowned monarch was to
express his tender regard for the memory of Saul and Jonathan.
Upon learning of the brave deed of the men of Jabesh-gilead in
rescuing the bodies of the fallen leaders and giving them honorable
burial, David sent an embassy to Jabesh with the message, [p. 698] "Blessed be ye of the Lord, that ye have showed this kindness
unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him. And now
the Lord show kindness and truth unto you: and I also will
requite you this kindness." And he announced his own accession to
the throne of Judah and invited the allegiance of those who had
proved themselves so truehearted.
The Philistines did not oppose the action of Judah in making
David king. They had befriended him in his exile, in order to
harass and weaken the kingdom of Saul, and now they hoped
that because of their former kindness to David the extension of
his power would, in the end, work to their advantage. But
David's reign was not to be free from trouble. With his coronation
began the dark record of conspiracy and rebellion. David
did not sit upon a traitor's throne; God had chosen him to be
king of Israel, and there had been no occasion for distrust or
opposition. Yet hardly had his authority been acknowledged by the
men of Judah, when through the influence of Abner, Ishbosheth,
the son of Saul, was proclaimed king, and set upon a rival throne
in Israel.
Ishbosheth was but a weak and incompetent representative of
the house of Saul, while David was pre-eminently qualified to
bear the responsibilities of the kingdom. Abner, the chief agent
in raising Ishbosheth to kingly power, had been commander-in-chief
of Saul's army, and was the most distinguished man in
Israel. Abner knew that David had been appointed by the Lord
to the throne of Israel, but having so long hunted and pursued
him, he was not now willing that the son of Jesse should succeed
to the kingdom over which Saul had reigned.
The circumstances under which Abner was placed served to
develop his real character and showed him to be ambitious and
unprincipled. He had been intimately associated with Saul and
had been influenced by the spirit of the king to despise the man
whom God had chosen to reign over Israel. His hatred had been
increased by the cutting rebuke that David had given him at the
time when the cruse of water and the spear of the king had been
taken from the side of Saul as he slept in the camp. He remembered
how David had cried in the hearing of the king and the
people of Israel, "Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to
thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the
king? . . . This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the [p. 699] Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your
master, the Lord's anointed." This reproof had rankled in his
breast, and he determined to carry out his revengeful purpose
and create division in Israel, whereby he himself might be
exalted. He employed the representative of departed royalty to
advance his own selfish ambitions and purposes. He knew that the
people loved Jonathan. His memory was cherished, and Saul's
first successful campaigns had not been forgotten by the army.
With determination worthy a better cause, this rebellious leader
went forward to carry out his plans.
Mahanaim, on the farther side of Jordan, was chosen as the
royal residence, since it offered the greatest security against
attack, either from David or from the Philistines. Here the
coronation of Ishbosheth took place. His reign was first accepted
by the tribes east of Jordan, and was finally extended over all
Israel except Judah. For two years the son of Saul enjoyed his honors
in his secluded capital. But Abner, intent upon extending his
power over all Israel, prepared for aggressive warfare. And
"there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of
David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house
of Saul waxed weaker and weaker."
At last treachery overthrew the throne that malice and ambition
had established. Abner, becoming incensed against the weak and
incompetent Ishbosheth, deserted to David, with the offer to bring
over to him all the tribes of Israel. His proposals were accepted
by the king, and he was dismissed with honor to accomplish
his purpose. But the favorable reception of so valiant and famed
a warrior excited the jealousy of Joab, the commander-in-chief
of David's army. There was a blood feud between Abner and
Joab, the former having slain Asahel, Joab's brother, during the
war between Israel and Judah. Now Joab, seeing an opportunity
to avenge his brother's death and rid himself of a prospective
rival, basely took occasion to waylay and murder Abner.
David, upon hearing of this treacherous assault, exclaimed,
"I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord forever from
the blood of Abner the son of Ner. Let it rest on the head of
Joab; and on all his father's house." In view of the unsettled state
of the kingdom, and the power and position of the murderers—
for Joab's brother Abishai had been united with him—David
could not visit the crime with just retribution, yet he publicly [p. 700] manifested his abhorrence of the bloody deed. The burial of
Abner was attended with public honors. The army, with Joab
at their head, were required to take part in the services of
mourning, with rent garments and clothed in sackcloth. The king
manifested his grief by keeping a fast upon the day of burial; he
followed the bier as chief mourner; and at the grave he pronounced
an elegy which was a cutting rebuke of the murderers.
"The king lamented over Abner, and said:
"Died Abner as a fool dieth?
Thy hands were not bound,
Nor thy feet put into fetters:
As a man falleth before wicked men,
So fellest thou."
David's magnanimous recognition of one who had been his
bitter enemy won the confidence and admiration of all Israel.
"All the people took notice of it, and it pleased them: as
whatsoever the king did pleased all the people. For all the people and
all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to slay
Abner the son of Ner." In the private circle of his trusted counselors
and attendants the king spoke of the crime, and recognizing
his own inability to punish the murderers as he desired, he
left them to the justice of God: "Know ye not that there is a
prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel? And I am this
day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of
Zeruiah be too hard for me: the Lord shall reward the doer of
evil according to his wickedness."
Abner had been sincere in his offers and representations to
David, yet his motives were base and selfish. He had persistently
opposed the king of God's appointment, in the expectation of
securing honor to himself. It was resentment, wounded pride,
and passion that led him to forsake the cause he had so long
served; and in deserting to David he hoped to receive the highest
position of honor in his service. Had he succeeded in his purpose,
his talents and ambition, his great influence and want of
godliness, would have endangered the throne of David and the
peace and prosperity of the nation.
"When Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his
hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled." It was [p. 701] evident that the kingdom could not long be maintained. Soon
another act of treachery completed the downfall of the waning
power. Ishbosheth was foully murdered by two of his captains,
who, cutting off his head, hastened with it to the king of Judah,
hoping thus to ingratiate themselves in his favor.
They appeared before David with the gory witness to their
crime, saying, "Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul
thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the Lord hath avenged
my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed." But David,
whose throne God Himself had established, and whom God had
delivered from his adversaries, did not desire the aid of treachery
to establish his power. He told these murderers of the doom
visited upon him who boasted of slaying Saul. "How much
more," he added, "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? And David commanded his young men, and they slew
them. . . . But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in
the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron."
After the death of Ishbosheth there was a general desire
among the leading men of Israel that David should become king
of all the tribes. "Then came all the tribes of Israel to David
unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and
thy flesh." They declared, "Thou wast he that leddest out and
broughtest in Israel: and the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed
My people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel. 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." Thus
through the providence of God the way had been opened for him
to come to the throne. He had no personal ambition to gratify,
for he had not sought the honor to which he had been brought.
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More than eight thousand of the descendants of Aaron and of
the Levites waited upon David. The change in the sentiments of
the people was marked and decisive. The revolution was quiet
and dignified, befitting the great work they were doing. Nearly
half a million souls, the former subjects of Saul, thronged Hebron
and its environs. The very hills and valleys were alive with
the multitudes. The hour for the coronation was appointed; the
man who had been expelled from the court of Saul, who had fled [p. 702] to the mountains and hills and to the caves of the earth to preserve
his life, was about to receive the highest honor that can be
conferred upon man by his fellow man. Priests and elders, clothed
in the garments of their sacred office, officers and soldiers with
glittering spear and helmet, and strangers from long distances,
stood to witness the coronation of the chosen king. David was arrayed
in the royal robe. The sacred oil was put upon his brow by
the high priest, for the anointing by Samuel had been prophetic
of what would take place at the inauguration of the king. The
time had come, and David, by solemn rite, was consecrated to his
office as God's vicegerent. The scepter was placed in his hands.
The covenant of his righteous sovereignty was written, and the
people gave their pledges of loyalty. The diadem was placed
upon his brow, and the coronation ceremony was over. Israel
had a king by divine appointment. He who had waited patiently
for the Lord, beheld the promise of God fulfilled. "And David
went on, and grew great, and the Lord God of hosts was with
him." 2 Samuel 5:10.
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"The Reign of David"
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