https://esv.literalword.com/?q=2+samuel+5
Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Tuesday, 19 August 2025:
2 Samuel 5:1 – 2 — Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the LORD said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’”
After years of division, Israel recognized what God had long before declared: David was chosen to shepherd His people. Their words reveal both kinship and calling — “bone and flesh” speaks to unity, while the LORD’s promise points to divine appointment. David’s kingship was not seized by ambition but granted by God’s decree. This passage foreshadows Christ, the true Shepherd and Prince, who unites Jew and Gentile into one body (John 10:16; Ephesians 2:14–16). Where Israel once resisted David’s rule, now they submit; likewise, many resist Christ’s authority until by grace they are brought to confess Him as Lord.
2 Samuel 5:3 — So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel.
David’s kingship was ratified with a covenant before the LORD, marking it as sacred and binding. Israel’s unity came not merely by political necessity but by covenant faithfulness under God’s witness. This anticipates the new covenant in Christ, where God unites His people under the reign of His Son through His blood (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 8:6). David’s anointing prefigures the eternal reign of Christ, the true Anointed One, who rules not for His own sake but for the salvation and sanctification of His people.
2 Samuel 5:4-5 — David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.
The timing of David’s reign points us toward patterns of God’s providence. At thirty, David steps into kingship, the same age at which Joseph began to serve Pharaoh (Genesis 41:46) and Christ began His public ministry (Luke 3:23). David’s divided and then unified reign reflects the gradual unfolding of God’s promises, partial at first, then fully realized. So also in Christ’s kingdom: He reigns now in the hearts of His people, but one day His reign will be made visible over all creation when every knee bows (Philippians 2:10–11).
2 Samuel 5:6-7 — And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off”, thinking, “David cannot come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.
The Jebusites mocked David, confident in their defenses, but their arrogance proved false. What man deems impregnable is nothing before the power of God. David’s conquest of Jerusalem established the city as the political and spiritual center of Israel, preparing it to be the place of the temple and the focal point of God’s presence among His people. This victory anticipates Christ’s triumph over the strongholds of sin and death. What the world considers foolish or weak is the very means by which God conquers (1 Corinthians 1:27–29).
2 Samuel 5:8-10 — And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack ‘the lame and the blind,’ who are hated by David’s soul.” Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.” And David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built the city all around from the Millo inward. And David became greater and greater, for the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him.
David’s military strategy succeeded, and his fame and influence grew, but the text reminds us of the true reason: “the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him.” Success in God’s kingdom is never credited to human brilliance or strength but to God’s faithful presence. The transformation of Jerusalem from a pagan fortress into the city of David shows how God reclaims places of opposition for His glory. In the same way, Christ transforms human hearts, once strongholds of sin, into temples of His Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).
2 Samuel 5:11-12 — And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also carpenters and masons who built David a house. And David knew that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
When David received recognition and resources from Gentile rulers, he rightly discerned God’s hand in it. He saw that his exaltation was not for his own glory but “for the sake of his people.” This is the mark of godly leadership: to understand that promotion and power are for service, not self. Christ Himself, the greater David, declared that He came not to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Any authority entrusted by God must be stewarded for the good of others and the honor of His name.
It’s not about you. Success is glorifying God in service to others. Jesus said that His disciples, those who are truly connected to Him as a branch is connected to a vine (the same body), would bear fruit. A branch gets nothing from the fruit it produces other than the opportunity to fulfill its purpose. Fruitfulness is a complete sacrifice which produces life in abundance to the world.
2 Samuel 5:13-16 — And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David. And these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
Even in David’s triumphs, the seeds of future sorrow were being sown. By multiplying wives, David disobeyed God’s clear command for kings not to do so (Deuteronomy 17:17). Though this did not immediately disrupt his reign, the consequences would later bring strife and tragedy to his house. This reminds us that success and blessing do not excuse disobedience; compromise tolerated in seasons of prosperity will bear bitter fruit in time. Holiness, not achievement, secures lasting blessing.
2 Samuel 5:17-19 — When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. And David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the LORD said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.”
David faced immediate opposition, yet his response was not presumption but prayer. Unlike Saul, who acted rashly, David inquired of the LORD. His dependence on God, even in the confidence of kingship, shows why he was a man after God’s own heart. Victory comes not from human power but from seeking God’s will. This models Christ, who in His earthly ministry continually sought the Father’s direction (John 5:19).
2 Samuel 5:20-21 — And David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, “The LORD has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.” Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim. And the Philistines left their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.
David acknowledged that the victory was the LORD’s doing, describing it as a divine breakthrough. The Philistines’ idols proved powerless, abandoned in defeat. God alone is the one who breaks strongholds and shatters false gods. In Christ, the same truth stands: “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). What seems immovable to man crumbles before the living God.
David was successful while he was going to the LORD for instruction and following God’s lead. God even gave David specific details as to how to be successful. (2 Samuel 5:17:25) During that time, David publicly gave God the credit for his successes. Remain in God’s word; obey God’s word; proclaim God’s word; and give God all the Glory.
2 Samuel 5:22-25 — And the Philistines came up yet again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. And when David inquired of the LORD, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the LORD has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” And David did as the LORD commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.
The second battle highlights David’s obedience and God’s sovereignty. The LORD gave different instructions this time, showing that dependence on Him requires continual seeking, not reliance on past methods. The sound in the trees symbolized God’s presence leading the charge. David’s success was not in military brilliance but in following God’s command precisely. In our own lives, victories of faith are never won by formula but by ongoing obedience to God’s living direction through His Spirit and Word.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 19 August 2025: Live with a heart that seeks God’s direction in every season, whether in apparent success or in facing opposition. True victory is found not in strength, strategy, or status but in obedience to the living God who goes before His people.
Pray: “Lord God, You are the One who establishes kingdoms, breaks through strongholds, and leads Your people in triumph. Keep me from pride in times of success and from despair in times of trial. Teach me to inquire of You daily, to walk in obedience to Your Word, and to trust that true victory is found only in Your presence and power. Guard me from compromise, even in seasons of blessing, and shape me into a servant who lives not for myself but for the glory of Your kingdom. May my life point others to Christ, the true Shepherd and King. In His name I pray, Amen.”
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 