Mon’s Devo - David is Established King Over All Israel

Read: 2 Samuel 4:1-6:23; John 13:31-14:14; Psalm 119:17-32; Proverbs 15:31-32 When Ishbosheth heard that Abner, his army commander had died ,he was paralyzed with fear. Abner had been the strength of his campaign. All of Israel knew it and they were also afraid. Abner had two men who were brothers who led his raiding parties and they saw an opportunity for advancement in David’s army. They went into Ishbosheth’s bedroom at noon when he was napping and killed him. They took his head to David for a reward and advancement. Instead, David killed them like he had done to the man who bragged about killing Saul. Israel met at Hebron and established David as their king. He was 30 years old when he began to reign and reigned 40 years: 7 in Hebron and 33 in Jerusalem. Jesus was 30 years old when he began his ministry and died at 33. God was with David and he took Jerusalem from the Jebsuits and built a palace there. King Hiram from Tyre sent cedar and workers to help David build his palace. David married more wives and concubines and had 11 more sons. God helped David defeat the Philistines and confiscated their idols. David wanted to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem but didn’t look in the law to know how to transport it. They put it on a cart and when the oxen stumbled, the cart almost capsized. Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark of God and was struck down dead. David was mad at God and afraid to continue moving the Ark so he left it at the house of Obededom of Gath. It stayed there for three months. During those three months, the house of Obed-edom was blessed. When David heard of the blessings Obed was receiving because of the Ark, he went there to get the Ark. This time he had the priest carry the Ark on their shoulders using the poles on the Ark and sacrificed a bull every six steps. David danced before the Lord wearing a priestly garment and the people celebrated with him. As the Ark entered the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter looked out of her window at the celebration. She saw David, not in his royal kingly clothes and was disgusted with him for being so humble before the people. When he got home, she told him how undistinguished he had looked in front of all the common people. David told her that he was glad to be humiliated by praising God. God closed Michal’s womb and she was unfruitful till she died. Jesus entered into his glory through humility also. Before he left he gave them a new commandment to love each other as he had loved them. This love would be a testimony to the world that we are his disciples. Peter couldn’t understand that Jesus was going somewhere he couldn’t go yet. Jesus told him Peter that he wasn’t ready but Peter replied that he was ready to die for him. Peter had to go through a humbling process to see for himself that he was not ready, yet. Jesus told him that he would deny him three times before the rooster crowed in the morning. Then Jesus assured them that he was going ahead of them to prepare a place for them. The disciples were still so confused. Jesus told them that all they had to do was to trust in him because he was the way to the Father. When Phillip asked to see the Father, Jesus despaired that he had been with them for so long and they still didn’t understand that to see Him was to see the Father. Jesus told them that they would do greater works than he had done because he was going to be with the Father. He told them to ask anything in his name and he would do it. Lord, we long to do the greater works you promised and to show your glory to the world. May they know us by our love.