The Lion of Judah

2 Samuel 2-3:1

Immanuel – 7/23/23

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone…For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. -Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

Purpose

1. Unpack the high drama of the passage.

2. David did not grasp at the throne, but desired to receive it from God.

3. God gave it to him through a process.

4. David prefigures Jesus.

Last week we heard the heavy news of Saul and Jonathan’s death in battle, and we were washed with David’s words of mourning. He tearfully led all of Judah, all of Israel, in grieving the loss of Yahweh’s anointed.

But David is also Yahweh’s anointed; anointed after Yahweh had rejected wayward Saul. David was a man after God’s own heart. With Saul dead, David can now actively step into the role that God had anointed him for. Even still, David will not grasp at the throne. He is a man of action; but he patiently, resolutely waits for Yahweh to give Him what is promised.

And chapter 2 of 2 Samuel is David seeking God’s council on how he should proceed into the promised kingdom.

Read vs 1

King of Judah

The chapter opens with David still in Ziklag, in Philistine territory. Some time has passed – we’re not sure how much – but David knows it’s time for action. He knows he must be obedient to God’s promise and begin moving towards the throne. This is the basis for why he inquires of the Lord.

David is from the tribe of Judah. He understands that it is to them he must first go. But he wants to hear from Yahweh where he should start within Judah. He will not move until Yahweh speaks.

The Lord says go up to Hebron. Indeed, David must go up; for Hebron sits atop 3,000’ of mountains: the highest of all Israel’s cities.

Hebron is also the place that Abraham called home for so long: where he met with God, where the sign of circumcision was given, where he first possessed a small portion of the Promised Land: blessed Hebron. The bones of the patriarchs were buried there. Hebron was allotted to Caleb, the first prince of Judah and one of two faithful spies that scouted the Promised Land.

It was to Hebron that Yahweh was sending David. For it was in Hebron that David’s throne would first be established.

Read vs 2-4a

David’s family, his 600+ soldiers and their families, all move up to Hebron and the surrounding towns. David’s days sojourning with the Philistines is officially over.

While in Hebron, notice what verse 4 states: people from all over Judah also come to Hebron. David does not claim the throne and he does not exercise his divine rights; no, the people of Judah joyfully anoint David as their king. Their anointing is affirmation of when Yahweh anointed a teenager. Now the man is king of Judah, the lion of Judah.

It is a first fulfillment of a prophecy spoken centuries before by one of the patriarchs.

Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. -Genesis 49:9-10

For the first time, a king has come to Judah. And this first king prefigures the ultimate and last King of all kings.

Read vs 4b-7

Jabesh-gilead has long been a city loyal to Saul; ever since he rescued them from the Ammonites (1 Samuel 11:1-11). It is no surprise that the men of Jabesh-gilaed have then rescued Saul’s body, from the grip of the Philistines, in order to honor their fallen king.

In return, David pays them great honor. In a public message he prays that Yahweh would love them and bless them. He promises that he will do good to the people of Jabesh-gilead. And he encourages them to be strong and courageous though their king lay dead.

David is king now, and he’s not ashamed to say it. Already, David is showing his tact and strategic wisdom as he essentially invites the people of Jabesh-gilead to join him. He knows he will need the support of the north, of Saul-country.

David does not threaten, or coerce, or demand. He invites. He beckons. And the implicit promise is that if they give their loyalty to him, if they trust in him, the blessings of Yahweh will come upon them. This is so much like Christ, the King of heaven and earth.

But before we learn if this Saul-loving city commits to David, we learn of other troubles brewing in the north.

Read vs 8-11

We’ve met Abner once before in this sermon series. He was the one who brought young David before Saul after the slaying of Goliath (1 Samuel 17:57). He was Saul’s deeply loyal top military commander. Now, since the death of Saul, Abner has become something of a Hebrew warlord in the north, and he fancies himself a kingmaker.

We’re not told how, but Saul’s second oldest son, Ish-bosheth, has survived the Philistine invasion. But now that most of the northern cities are overrun and occupied by Philistine hostiles, Abner finds this surviving heir apparent, and takes him across the Jordan river to Mahanaim: far from the Philistines and far from David.

Abner alone appoints Ish-bosheth as king of Israel. Unlike the men of Judah crowning David, the support of the northern tribes do not appear to be behind Ish-bosheth, just Abner. But Abner is a powerful man and very many Israelites would certainly follow him. Yet Ish-bosheth’s power seems to always have been limited, mostly restrained to the tribe of Benjamin – Saul’s tribe.

Based on the timelines in verses 10 and 11, and others elsewhere, it would seem that Ish-bosheth was not immediately installed after Saul’s death. Perhaps because of Philistine complications, Ish-bosheth is only made king after David had been reigning over Judah for several years. The passage makes it sound immediate, but all of this is happening over a span of years.

But what is clear is that a divide has formed between north and south: the illegitimate decisions in the north and the God-fearing south. It’s a fracture that will heal under David, but foreshadows the coming chasm that will burgeon after the days of Solomon.

Only in the days of David and Solomon does Israel truly experience unity. But when David’s reign begins, there is no unity. In fact, his reign begins with a brief civil war that touches off in the city of Gibeon.

Read vs 12-13

Battle of Gibeon

Abner and Joab are the primary players in the battle of Gibeon. But it’s really about the house of Saul (represented by Abner) and the house of David (represented by Joab). It’s the ongoing saga of conflict between Saul and David.

Here we are introduced to a major character in the story of David: Joab. Joab was David’s top military commander. He was a hard-man, a bulldog, and a bit of a loose cannon. He was not to be trifled with, as we see Abner essentially admit in verse 22. Joab was also David’s nephew (1 Chronicles 2:13-16).

The text does not tell us why the armies of the north and the armies of the south met at Gibeon, but we can take a reasonable stab at why.

Gibeon belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, but was essentially a border town, a stone’s throw from Judah’s allotment. It’s very likely that Abner wanted to strengthen his southern border from the perceived Davidic threat in Judah. Of course, in times of aggression, every move must be met by a counter move. This is likely why David sent Joab north: to counter Abner’s move into Gibeon.

Abner and Joab, and their respective armies, meet on either side of a large pool of water.

Read vs 14-17

Remember David and Goliath. It was an example of single combat; David representing Israel and Goliath representing the Philistines. The single individuals fought on behalf of their nations. The scene by the pool of Gibeon is similar; except that it’s not single combat, but another form of representative combat. 12 men from each side fight to the death.

But the outcome is unclear, for all 24 fall either wounded or dead. With no definitive victory, verse 17 suggests that a fierce battle then erupted. David’s men gain the upper hand and rout Abner and his men. Already, Ish-bosheth is failing. His army flees before David’s. God’s hand is with David.

In all the chaos of battle, regardless of the head start Abner may have had, and however swift he was, there was a man in Joab’s ranks that could catch him with ease.

Read vs 18-23

Another of David’s nephews, and Joab’s youngest brother, Asahel runs down Abner with apparent ease. It’s clear that Asahel is courageous, for he outruns his own army to catch up to Abner. But Asahel is not very bright, for he just outran all of his support. He’s isolated himself with one of the most fearsome warriors from the north. His hunger for glory and youthful naivety will be his doom.

This is like a scene from any Hollywood action flick, except it’s not a car chase, but a foot chase. Apparently, Joab and his brothers have attained some level of fame. For as Abner doesn’t seem to recognize Asahel, but he knows him by his speed; and he knows Asahel is the youngest brother of Joab.

So he essentially says, “Go after someone else or I’ll have to kill you, but I don’t want to kill you because I don’t want a blood feud with Joab.” Twice Asahel ignores Abner’s warnings. With incredible force, and evidently while they were still running, Abner thrusts the butt end of his spear behind him and it gores Asahel clean through, bursting out of his back, and he falls dead to the ground.

The text does not fault Abner for Asahel’s death, but attributes it to a necessity of battle. It frames it look more like Asahel’s own foolish fault. But when Joab’s forces come upon the gruesome scene, it stops them in their tracks. Joab will not forget what Abner has done: A blood feud has indeed begun.

Read vs 24-28

Joab, his other brother Abishai, and the rest of their troop finally catch up to Saul and the men of Benjamin, but they are now circled up on Mount Ammah. Though Joab has the numbers, Abner has the high ground and advantage. It certainly appears like victory will only come with the spilling of much blood.

Thus Abner’s appeal, “Shall the sword devour forever?” Additionally, Abner cleverly reminds them that they are brothers – fellow Israelites and sons of Abraham. Should they really be killing one another?

Joab is smart enough to know Abner is right. He has his men stand down. But he will not forget. In fact, in the next chapter, Abner defects to David and David receives his loyalty. But even despite knowing that, Joab tricks Abner to meet him and then he murders Abner in cold blood. Without a doubt, Abner’s fears about killing Asahel were justified. He knew Joab was a loose cannon.

But for now, and to spare the lives of his men, Joab will let Abner be. This is an agreement that will tarnish the reputations of neither Abner nor Joab. They can both save face. Both armies turn and head home, living to fight another day, and neither claiming the strategic city of Gibeon.

Read vs 2:29-3:1

In the battle of Gibeon, Ish-bosheth lost nearly 20 times more men than David. It’s a clear sign that the house of Saul was diminishing while David’s was ascendant.

There are two main points I want you to see from 2 Samuel 2.

1. David did not grasp at the throne. He invited people’s loyalty rather than force it. He waited for God’s will rather than impose his own.

2. God gave the throne to David through a process. God had David anointed as a teenager. Now, all these years later, when he is first crowned, he is crowned only over Judah. The rest will come through a long and painful process.

I want you to now see how this so perfectly prefigures Jesus and His kingdom.

Shadows of Christ

I hope it is clear to you that Jesus did not grasp at the throne. He was a man with God’s own heart who lived in perfect obedience to the Father, even to the point of death. He could have claimed the kingdoms of earth. He could have used His power to force every knee bow down. But…

Though He was in the form of God, [He] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name. -Philippians 2:6-9

Christ did not impose His own will, rather He submitted to the will of the Father. A reality so viscerally demonstrated in the Garden of Gethsemane; anguished under the shadow of the cross. And for His humility and obedience, the Father resurrected His Son and gave Him the name that is above every name and the highest throne in all existence.

This is why, right before He ascends to that throne, Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples.”

-Matthew 28:18-19

These words couldn’t be more clear. From the moment of the resurrection, Jesus was the King of kings and Lord of lords. He reigns right now. And he does not force or manipulate or coerce people’s loyalty. No! He beckons. He invites. He calls to us. How many times in the New Testament does Jesus cry out, “Come to me!”

David clearly proved why his kingship deserved the loyalty of a nation. Why then should we give Christ our loyalty? Why should we come to Him?

Because He loved us and gave Himself for us. Because He came to heal the broken-hearted, free the captive, and give sight to the blind. Because He took the punishment for sins, which we deserved, so that by His blood we could be forgiven. Because He defeated our death and secured our life eternally. And because in all of this, He is gentle and lowly of heart. This is the news of the gospel!

Christ is the King our hearts long for. He has more than proven that He is the only Lord who deserves our devotion.

And when we do come to Jesus, bowing our knees before Him, He then sends us out as His ambassadors. He uses our mouths to extend the invitation, our hands to beckon to others.

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. -2 Corinthians 5:17-20

You see, there is a process underway. Christ is King, already crowned, already seated upon the throne. But just as David was first king over a portion of Israel – though God anointed him as king of Israel – so is Christ first king over a small portion of earth – only a few disciples in the beginning. Christ’s is a kingdom God brings to earth through a process, not an all-at-once-and-done.

The will of the Father is that the kingdom of His Son expand through the faithful work of the church. This is why Jesus told us to go and make disciples. This is why He gave us the ministry of reconciliation and calls us His ambassadors. There is a process happening right before our eyes where heaven and earth are uniting as the kingdom of Christ is expanding.

According to [the Father’s] purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth. -Ephesians 1:9-10

When is the fullness of time? Jesus told us:

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” -Mark 1:15

You hear that same Gospel call, that same invitation: The same invitation we are to proclaim to the ends of the earth. But since He uttered those words, Christ has ascended to the right hand of the Father where He reigns with all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, the kingdom of God is here; repent and believe in the gospel!

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone…For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. -Isaiah 9:2, 6-7