David, even after becoming king over entire Israel, refused to be complacent. He decided to take on one of the most difficult missions – driving out the Jebusites from the stronghold of Jerusalem. Empowered by his audacity and faith in God, he succeeded. In response, a foreigner, Hiram King of Tyre, sent his skilled men to build a palace for David. Although he showed himself to be a great king and military leader, he may not have been a great husband or father in his household. David took many wives and concubines, going directly against the command of God given through Moses (Deuteronomy 17).

Summary

After the death of Ishbosheth, all the tribes of Israel and their elders came to anoint David as king over all Israel. David made a covenant with them before the LORD at Hebron. 

In the first mission as king of Israel, David led his men to capture Jerusalem through the water channel by defeating the Jebusites, who were very confident that they could fend off David and his men. David lived in the stronghold and became greater and great because the Lord God was with him. 

While he was becoming greater and greater, Hiram king of Tyre sent cedar trees and carpenters and stonemason to build a house for David. David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel. Meanwhile, David took many concubines and wives.

The Philistines mobilized to attack David when they heard the news that David had been anointed King over Israel. However, David defeated the Philistines twice by inquiring of the LORD and following His direction. In the first battle, David experienced the LORD breaking through the Philistines, and then he burned their abandoned idols. In the second battle, David circled around the Philistines to attack to repel them from Geba as far as Gezar. 

Three Anointing Ceremonies – Steadfastness of God 

David went through three anointing ceremonies before becoming king of the entire Israel. The first one was a private event by Samuel when David was just a teenaged, shepherd boy. The second one was a tribal-level ceremony by the people of Judah after the death of Saul. This was the third one by the elders from the entire Israel (2 Sam 5:3). 

Although David was anointed to be king and that promise was made by the LORD God, who alone is sovereign, it still took many years. Why did it take so many years and three ceremonies? Many years might have been necessary in order to mold David into a person after God’s heart suitable to be king over God’s people. Although the fulfillment of God’s promise may look slow in our perception of time, the fulfillment of His promise is certain.  

King like Shepherd under Covenant before the LORD God

Covenant is one of the crucial differences between the Israel kingdom and other kingdom – especially the covenant made between the king and the people, which was made before the LORD God. In other words, David was to know that he was the representative of the LORD (before the LORD)  and to implement fair, righteous rules and laws for governing God’s people (establishment of covenant). In many other nations, the king considered himself/herself a deity to be above the rule of law. Partly as a result, pagan kings developed a governance in which a small minority tended to dominate and oppress the rest of the population. However, David subjected himself to the rule and desire of the LORD God by making a covenant before the LORD and with the Israel people. 

Shepherding is a great example of how God’s king is to rule His people. A good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep, said Jesus (John 10:11). Likewise, David was to be a ruler like a good shepherd, willing to lay down his life for the sake of God’s people. 

A Major Breakthrough based on Faithful Audacity and Intelligence: Jerusalem 

After many years of running away and hiding from King Saul, becoming king over the entire Israel was a great feat for David. David could have taken some time to bask in and enjoy this glory given from the LORD God. Yet, he refused to be complacent with the status quo, especially regarding the inheritance that was given to the Judah tribe by God – all the way back to Joshua’s time. He was hungry – not for self-gain or self-elevation – to fulfill and walk out God’s promise given to Moses and Joshua that the LORD God would drive out seven nations, including the Jebusites (Deut 7:1-2). 

There was a portion – a stronghold – of Jerusalem still occupied by the Jebusites. David identified this as his first mission as king. The stronghold portion of Jerusalem had been a perennially remaining major conquest task for the Israelites, especially the Judah tribe – for at least more than 500 years. Not even Caleb, a great past leader of the Judah tribe, and his men were able to drive the Jebusites out (Joshua 15:63). The sons of Benjamin failed to drive out the Jebusites (Jdg 1:21). God’s promise given to Moses and Joshua that He would give the entire land by driving out seven nations, including Jebusites, had not been fulfilled. This must have been a burden that bothered David, and David resolved to fulfill this task once and for all. 

Jerusalem was a formidable fortress. The stronghold, surrounded by sturdy walls, was constructed on a steep hill. Therefore, the Jebusites were very confident that they could fend off any attack from David, mocking that even lame and blind would turn him away (2 Sam 5:6). The Jebusites were right – only until the day when David (with Joab) made a breakthrough by capturing this stronghold (2 Sam 5:7; 1 Chron 11:5-7). 

The success was a combination of his audacity based on his faith in God and of, also, possibly all the intelligence gathered from his forefathers, including Caleb and various leaders of Judah and Benjamin after their numerous failed attempts. With his faith plus all the accumulated intelligence from his forefathers, he was able to locate the water shaft through which Joab was able to make a sneak attack. 

Then, how did the Israelites actually defeat the Jebusites? Joab probably infiltrated into the stronghold of Jerusalem by climbing through the water shaft covertly (picture below). Once Joab was inside the stronghold, he opened the gate for David’s army to come within the stronghold and defeated the Jebusites. It was like a Trojan horse, which was brought into Troy after they thought the entire Greek army retreated. The hidden Greek within the Trojan horse opened the gates at night to let their comrades in, and together they destroyed Troy. 

David pulls out an incredible breakthrough with the help of his God, finally fulfilling the last remaining mission from the days of Joshua, at least regarding the inheritance given to the Judah tribe. This breakthrough was crucial. Not only did this allow David to establish the capital of Israel in the middle part of the country, but also a motivation and home to bring the ark of God (1 Samuel 6) to establish a national worship system around the ark of God 

Acknowledged by a Foreign King

After defeating the Jebusites and capturing the stronghold of Jerusalem, we see a “strange” action by Hiram king of Tyre. He suddenly sent messengers to David with the best materials and expert labors to build a cedar house for David (2 Sam 6:11). Why did Hiram king of Tyre decide to build a house for David? 

His decision might have been prompted by David’s defeat of the Jebusites and capturing their stronghold, which had been known as “the impregnable fortress” in that region. So shocking and so swift was the victory by David over Jerusalem, his fame seemed to have reverberated throughout the region, including Hiram. Being impressed, Hiram might have realized that a powerful deity must have been with David. As one of the responses, Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with materials and labor to build a house for David – voluntarily.  

Then, it is said “David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel (2 Sam 6:12).” Interestingly, the text does not indicate that David realized that he was king when he was anointed by the Israel elders. It was when a foreigner, a king of a different nation, sent a messenger and other material to build a house for David, David realized that he was established as king over Israel and his kingdom had been exalted for the sake of God’s people. 

We see a virtuous cycle. David became king of Israel. David, in his faith and action, captured the stronghold of Jerusalem. In response, Hiram King of Tyre sent a messenger to build a house (palace) for David. Then, David realized that he was established as king.  

However… too Many Wives and Concubines

So far so good. David became king under the covenant relation before the LORD and His people. David defeated the Jebusites to establish Jerusalem as the new capital of Israel. 

However, David “took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem (2 Sam 5:13).” Although this was a normal practice of the kings of other nations, this was not to be done by kings before the LORD God. God clearly said through Moses that the king “must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray (Deut 17:17).” 

We see that David was an excellent king and military leader. However, he may not have been a great husband/father within his household, possibly due to taking many wives and concubines. David’s many wives and many sons eventually caused him a few major griefs in his later life – to be seen in later chapters of 2 Samuel.