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Third Presbyterian Church
Tuesday Bible Study
Old Testament Tour - Samuel
Lesson65–David Conquerors Jerusalem

2 Samuel 5:6-25 (NIV)
6 The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, "You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off." They thought, "David cannot get in here." 7 Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David. 8 On that day, David said, "Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those 'lame and blind' who are David's enemies." That is why they say, "The 'blind and lame' will not enter the palace." 9 David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the supporting terraces inward. 10 And he became more and more powerful, because the LORD God Almighty was with him. 11 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. 12 And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. 13 After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. 14 These are the names of the children born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,
16 Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet. 17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 19 so David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD answered him, "Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you." 20 So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, "As waters break out, the LORD has broken out against my enemies before me." So that place was called Baal Perazim. 21 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off. 22 Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 23 so David inquired of the LORD, and he answered, "Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. 24 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army." 25 So David did as the LORD commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

Questions

  1. Do you consider yourself mainly a "leader" or a "follower"? Why?
  2. If you are a leader, who is following you and why are they following you?
  3. If you are following, who are you following and why
  4. What are the requirements that must be established for you to following someone?
  5. Jerusalem was considered an “unconquerable fortress”, an impenetrable safe haven for the enemy to dwell in the very heart of Israel. Jerusalem, in the hands of the Jebusites, represents for every child of God, those “unconquerable things” that has taken up residence in our lives. They have a history of defeating us. They mock us. (The lame was lined on the walls and David’s army was mocked)

They are central to our effectiveness. (We cannot be all that God intended until these areas of difficulty is dealt with)

a.What is(are) those thing(s) in your life?

b.What are those things in the lives of others?

c.How are you overcoming and dealing with this difficulty?

d.How have you been a help to someone else in their overcoming their difficulty?

  1. Our faith is exposed when there is a task that seems impossible. How does the enemy try to distract us with the difficulty of the task? How does God want us to respond to a difficult task?
  2. For the enemy who lived inside the mighty walls of Jerusalem, they felt the security of this fortress that was surrounded by three valleys and would challenge some the world’s greatest empires.But David understood that this “city of Peace” was intended by God for his people, but the enemy had taken their residence there. David also understood that sometimes this “Place of Peace” would only come as a result of struggling with the enemy and the thieves of our peace.
  3. What is your response to the fact that sometimes for us to achieve this place of peace will only come as a result of struggling/fighting and defeating the thieves of our peace?
  4. What are some of the thieves of peace you are battling right now and describe what tactics you are using to ensure victory?
  5. What are the potential pitfalls of success in the life of the believer?
  6. When is God more concerned with our attitudes than our outcomes?
  7. What could serve as a concrete reminder that your successes are an indication of God’s grace?
  8. How can you develop the habit of asking for God’s help instead of taking it for granted?

The Crowning of David As King over All Israel, His Conquest of Jerusalem, and His Defeat of the Philistines: The Lord Provides a Shepherd, a Leader, 5:1-25

(5:1-25) Introduction: the image of a shepherd looking after his sheep is a strong picture of a leader looking after the people under his care. Any leader—no matter who he or she is—can be compared to a shepherd. A shepherd guides, protects, and provides for his sheep. So it is with leaders: leaders are to give direction, make provision, and protect the welfare of those under his care.

In the present passage, David became king over all Israel, conquered Jerusalem, and defeated the Philistines. But before any of this happened, David had to be appointed by God. For only those truly chosen and appointed by God are empowered by God to shepherd His people. So it was with David. As the person appointed by God, David had the right to become the ruler or shepherd over the entire nation. And this he did, just as the present passage shows. As the ruler of the nation, he was being given the duties of a shepherd, that of guiding, protecting, and providing for the people. This is: David Became King over All Israel, Conquered Jerusalem, and Defeated the Philistines: The Lord Provides a Shepherd,5:1-25.

1. (5:1-5) Anointing, of Kings, David— Leader, Appointed, David— King, Appointed, David— Shepherd, Title of, David— Rulers, Duty, To Shepherd— Jesus Christ, Types of, David— Shepherd, Type of, Christ: David was anointed king by all Israel. When Saul was killed seven years earlier, the tribe of Judah had rallied behind David and crowned him king. But the tribes of northern Israel had rallied behind and crowned the son of Saul, Ish-bosheth. Now, since the death of the rival king Ish-bosheth and his commander Abner, the leaders of the northern tribes reached a unanimous agreement: to acknowledge David as their king and to make an appeal for him to reunite the nation under his leadership. To show their desire for a united nation and a united monarchy, they mobilized their armies and marched them to Hebron to make their appeal for David to become the king over all Israel. Over 300,000 troops were mobilized and marched to show their support for David (1Chron. 12:23-40). This scene is briefly but dramatically presented by Scripture.

1.The leaders of the northern tribes approached David for one reason and one reason only: to make a strong appeal to him to become their ruler (2Samuel 5:1-2). A threefold appeal was made.

a.They—both Judah and the northern tribes—were all one family, tribes of one nation. If for no other reason than this, the monarchy and nation should be reunited. After all, they were David's own flesh and bone, of the very same family as he, the family of Israel.

b.David was a proven military leader (2Samuel 5:2). By far, he was the leading military strategist among the commanders of Israel. Indeed, during Saul's reign, David had been the very commander who had led Israel on their military campaigns and been victorious over so many enemies. No doubt, this was the strongest reason for the northern tribes' submitting to David's rule. For this had been the primary reason why the elders had originally requested the prophet Samuel to appoint a king over them. In desperation, they had demanded a king to build a standing army that could protect and bring security to the nation (1Samuel 8:20).

c.Finally, the leaders acknowledged David as God's choice, that he had been appointed to shepherd or to feed God's people and to rule over them (2Samuel 5:2). Note, this is the first time that the word "shepherd" is used to refer to a person or ruler in the Scripture; although Moses, in facing death, had asked the Lord to raise up a man to replace him, a leader who would tend and care for Israel just as a shepherd would tend and care for his sheep (Numbers 27:15-17). A ruler's duty is the same as that of a shepherd: to lead, protect, and provide for God's people just as a shepherd leads, protects, and provides for his sheep.

2.Accepting the appeal of the northern tribes, David was publicly crowned king of all Israel (2Samuel 5:3-5). When the leaders and troops of the northern tribes arrived at Hebron, David first made a covenant with their official representatives. Then in a public ceremony, no doubt before hundreds of thousands of troops, the tribal representatives installed David as king of all Israel. The Israelites now had a united nation and a united monarchy. Note that the service had been conducted "before the Lord." It was both a religious and a political service.

David was thirty years old when he was crowned king, and he ruled for forty years. He reigned over the tribe of Judah for seven years and six months, and he reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for thirty-three years (2Samuel 5:4-5).

Thought 1. By being appointed the shepherd and ruler over God's people, David became a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. For Jesus Christ is the Ideal, the Supreme Shepherd and Ruler of God's people.

1)Jesus Christ is the shepherd of God's people. Just as a shepherd leads, protects, and provides for his sheep, so Christ leads the people of God, making sure they are nourished and protected and given the very best care possible. This is the clear declaration of God's Holy Word:

a)Jesus Christ feeds the sheep, the people of God, even if He has to gather them in His arms and carry them to the pasture.

"He shall feed the flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young" (Isaiah 40:11).

b)Jesus Christ guides the sheep to the pasture and away from the rough places and precipices of this life.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me" (Psalm 23:1-4).

c)Jesus Christ seeks and saves the sheep who become lost.

"For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?" (Matthew 18:11-12).

"I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick" (Ezekiel 34:16).

d)Jesus Christ protects the sheep. He even sacrifices His life for the sheep.

"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep" (John 10:11).

"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant" (Hebrews 13:20).

e)Jesus Christ restores the sheep who go astray and returns them to the sheepfold.

"For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls" (1Peter 2:25).

2)Jesus Christ is the Ruler over God's people. He is the Sovereign Lord and Majesty of the universe. It is He who looks after and takes care of His followers, working all things out for their good. As the Ruler, He guides, protects, and provides for God's people.

"He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all" (John 3:31).

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).

"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword…. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:34-35, 37-39).

2. (5:6-16) Conquest, of Jerusalem, by David— Conquest, of Enemies— Jerusalem, Capital of Israel— David, Conquest, Jerusalem: David conquered Jerusalem and made the decision to establish the city as the capital of Israel. Right after being crowned king by the northern tribes of Israel, a formidable task confronted David: How could he maintain unity between the tribes? If he had kept Hebron as the capital, there was the possibility that some northern leaders would always feel that he showed favoritism, some bias toward Judah. By choosing Jerusalem (meaning "city of peace") to be the capital, he was choosing a neutral city. Because Jerusalem was located near the border of Judah and Benjamin and belonged to neither Judah nor the northern tribes, it was a city that would be acceptable to all the parties or tribes of Israel. Choosing this site, the "city of peace," as the capital of the nation was one of the most significant decisions made by David, an act of political genius.

For centuries Jerusalem had been under the control of the Jebusites. The city had an ancient history reaching all the way back to the time of Abraham, when it was a royal city under the rule of King Melchizedek and was known as Salem (Genesis 14:18-20). Eventually the city became known as Jebus and its citizens as Jebusites (Joshua 15:63; Judges 19:10; 1Cor. 11:4). After Israel conquered the promised land, Joshua assigned the area to the tribe of Judah and then to Benjamin, and both tribes attacked the Jebusites but were unable to conquer and drive them out (Joshua 15:63; Judges 1:21).

As the capital of Israel, Jerusalem was to be the location where Solomon would later build the temple. Because of this, Jerusalem was to become the most important city throughout the history of the Israelites. Future history would even destine Jerusalem to become the most important city in the minds of Christian believers, for it was to be the very place where God's own son, the Lord Jesus Christ, would die and be resurrected for the salvation of the world. Scripture graphically describes David's conquest of the city.

1.Soon after being crowned king, David launched his attack against Jerusalem in order to secure a neutral capital (2Samuel 5:6-8). But in conquering Jerusalem, David and his men faced a difficult situation, for the city was almost impregnable. It was a fortress, completely surrounded by a wall. In addition, the city sat upon a high hill that was surrounded on three sides by valleys. It also had a permanent supply of water from a spring that ran right by the city, some of which was diverted inside the city walls by a large water pipe or shaft. From the earliest days, the city was so well protected that no nation had been able to conquer it, not even the Israelites.