Lesson 3: Waiting on the Lord (2 Samuel 2:1-5:5) Introduction
The longest and most difficult delay of my life was waiting to drive . . . legally. My problem was that I started driving when I was about 12. Now before any of you that age get too excited, I must tell you that I grew up in the country where I could drive a great deal without ever getting on the highway. Even so, I could not enjoy the thrill of cruising down Shelton’s main streets, a town of about 6,000 people. I found waiting for this great moment in my life most difficult. When preachers spoke about the rapture and the “soon return of our Lord,” I was terrified -- not because I was a lost sinner -- but because I, as a believer, would be taken before I could legally drive.
I must confess I have not gotten a lot better about waiting. I am writing this sermon on a reasonably fast computer (though not as fast as I would like -- I can hardly wait to get a faster one). Because the main processor chip runs so fast, some of the other components cannot keep up; thus a certain number of so-called “wait states” are used. A “wait state” (in my limited grasp of the inner workings of the computer) is like having to “pass” in a card game when you have no card to play. When I buy ram (random access memory) for my computer, I will not accept 70 nanosecond memory; it must be 60 nanosecond memory. If not, it costs me a “wait state,” meaning a delay of a very small portion of a second.
Having admitted to you that I do not like to wait, I may now remind each of you that you don't like waiting either. Why do we have so many “fast food” chains? Why are microwave dinners so popular? It is all because we don't like to wait. Several years ago, someone had the bright idea of how congestion on North Central Expressway could be improved. They installed a computer system to monitor traffic flow, and then metered the entrances to the expressway. At the beginning of the entrance ramp was a little traffic light, which would turn green when you were allowed to enter the road. This had nothing to do with whether there was room to get on the expressway, only that the computer now thought the expressway could handle you. Those lights are not there today. There may be other reasons, like road construction, but I believe one reason was that people simply refused to wait. If the way was clear and the light was red, people entered the expressway anyway. How foolish to wait! We must all confess that we are not a nation of waiters.
As I study the life of David, I find he spent a great deal of his time waiting. David had to wait something like 15 years from the time he was first anointed by Samuel to the time he became king over Judah (as recorded in our text). It was another seven years before David was anointed king over all Israel. This means David waited over 20 years of his life to be made king. How David handled this more than two decade delay is the subject of this message. David's life during the days we have been studying can teach us a great deal about “waiting on the Lord.”
Our first two messages on this text focused on two prominent leaders: (1) Abner, cousin of Saul and commander of the armies of Saul, of his son Ish-bosheth, and thus of Israel; and (2) Joab, nephew of David, brother of Abishai and Asahel, and eventually commander of David's army, the army of Judah. This message will focus upon David, upon the lengthy, often twisting, path to becoming king of all Israel, and upon his character and conduct as he awaited his time to rule as king of all Israel. Our previous lesson covered chapters 2 and 3 of 2 Samuel. This message covers these same chapters once again, but now with a focus on David. I have added one more chapter -- chapter 4 -- plus the first 5 verses of chapter 5, for it is in these additional chapters that David actually becomes king of all Israel.
From the Sheepfolds of Bethlehem to the City of Hebron:
A Brief Review of 1 Samuel 15:1--2 Samuel 1:27
God is finished with Saul. He has disobeyed for the last time. His kingdom is doomed. And so Samuel is dispatched by God to Bethlehem to anoint Saul's replacement. When Samuel arrives, David is not even present, because no one ever dreamed David was a contender for king. He was doing what young lads his age do -- tending a small flock of his father's sheep (1 Samuel 16:11; 17:28). When Samuel has David summoned and then anoints him, David must wonder how long it will be before he becomes king. The answer is that it is much longer than he imagines, and much more difficult, too.
We are still in 1 Samuel 16 when we read of David's selection as Saul's private musician and armor bearer (16:14-23). There he is in the king's palace. Surely he can't be far from ruling over Israel now. David is still too young to go to the front lines and fight Philistines, it seems, and so he continues to tend his father's sheep, as well as comfort Saul with his music. When the Philistines attack Israel, Goliath, their champion, dares any to fight him. He promises that the winner of this one-on-one contest will take all. So it is that David comes to stand up to Goliath and to kill him. This makes David an instant national hero. The people love David, and so does the king (16:21; 19:5). If it is David's music that calms Saul’s troubled spirit, it is other music, about David, which pushes Saul over the edge. After David's victory over Goliath, the women begin to sing this song:
“Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7).
At first Saul keeps his jealous rage to himself. He seeks to bring about David's death in a way that will make it look like an accident. He throws his spear at David, but people probably write this off to “temporary insanity.” Then Saul seeks to be rid of David by having him killed in battle.1 He appoints him commander of a thousand (18:13), thinking that the same zeal which prompts David to take on Goliath will cause him to engage in a military effort that is “over his head,” thus getting him (not to mention his men) killed. Everything Saul does to destroy David serves to elevate him in power and in popularity. Saul also offers David one of his daughters for a mere 100 Philistine foreskins. Instead of getting himself killed, David kills 200 Philistines, gains a wife who loves him (more than her father), and further admiration and respect from all but Saul.
Then Saul's jealousy becomes public. He gives orders to Jonathan and all his servants that David is to be put to death (19:1). Jonathan appeals to Saul and receives a short-term reprieve for David (19:2-7), but when another conflict with the Philistines arises and David once again finds great success in battle, Saul attempts to pin David to the wall with his spear (19:8-10). Then Saul sends men to arrest David in his own home, but his efforts are foiled, largely by his own daughter (19:11-17). From this point on, David keeps his distance from Saul, turning first to Samuel (19:18-24), and then to Jonathan (20:1-42).
It becomes evident to David that he must no longer attempt to get along with Saul, living and working beside him. He must flee and become a fugitive, until God brings about some remedy. And so David flees first to Nob, where he is given assistance by Ahimelech the priest (21:1-9). This act of kindness costs Ahimelech his life, along with the other priests and their families at Nob (22:6-19). David flees next to Gath, and then to the cave of Adullam, where family, friends, and other people out of favor with Saul join with him (22:1-5). David has a number of close calls, but God always delivers him from the hand of Saul. During these times, David twice puts himself at risk by attempting to reconcile with Saul. In spite of momentary repentance, Saul persists in pursuing David as an enemy. While Saul makes promises to David on these occasions that he does not keep, David makes a commitment to Saul that he will keep:
16 When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” Then Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17 He said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you. 18 “You have declared today that you have done good to me, that the LORD delivered me into your hand and yet you did not kill me. 19 “For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safely? May the LORD therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day. 20 “Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. 21 “So now swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not destroy my name from my father's household.” 22 David swore to Saul. And Saul went to his home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold (1 Samuel 24:16-22).
One might think that while fleeing from Saul, David is unable to serve his people, but this is not the case. David delivers the people of Keilah from the Philistines (23:1-5). During the days David spends at Ziklag, he continually carries out raids against the enemies of Israel. And David shares a portion of the spoils with the people of the cities of Judah (27:1-12; 30:26-31). It is no wonder that the people of Judah are the first to receive David as their king.
While it appears David may end up fighting for the Philistines and against his own people, God takes him out of the picture at the last moment (29:1-11). David returns to Ziklag to discover the city has been sacked by a band of raiders, their wives and families kidnapped, and their goods plundered. This takes David on a mission to the south, where he defeats the Amalekites and recovers all that is lost. It puts David and his men far to the South, while the Philistines wage war with Saul and the army of Israel far to the North. It is in this battle that Israel is defeated, and Saul and three of his sons are killed (30:1--31:13).
David and his men have been back in Ziklag for two days when a young Amalekite arrives, breathless from his journey from the camp of Israel, where he manages to escape the Philistines. He tells David the sad news of the defeat of Israel and of the death of Saul and Jonathan. When David presses this young man for more details, he claims he was the one who “mercifully” put Saul out of his misery. He presents David with Saul's crown and bracelet, expecting David to be most grateful and generous. After David and his men mourn over the defeat and death of their countrymen, David has this young man executed for raising his hand against the Lord's anointed (2 Samuel 1:1-16). David then composes a psalm of mourning, which memorializes Saul and Jonathan as heroes. It is a song which all the sons of Judah are to be taught, and which they are to sing in honor of their king and his son Jonathan (1:17-27).
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