Morning Light – June 17th, 2015
Today: [2 Samuel Chapter Five]: The Third Anointing of David. In this chapter David receives his third and final anointing. He was anointed by Samuel, anointed by the tribe of Judah and now anointed by the remaining tribes of Israel. In your life there are progressive levels of fulfillment of the promises of God in your life. Each will be accompanied by a particular anointing. Each level will bring it’s own challenges. David still has to fight the Philistines. However even as king David still inquires of the Lord about each battle and challenge before him. This was the key to his success because he remains small in his own eyes and never forgets that he is totally dependent upon God for every victory.
[2Sa 5:1-25 KJV] 1 Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we [are] thy bone and thy flesh. 2 Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel. 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David [was] thirty years old when he began to reign, [and] he reigned forty years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.
In this chapter David’s kingdom is secured unto him. He was anointed as a young boy by Samuel and his life changed forever. He was anointed at age 23 by the tribe of Judah while he was still on the run from Saul. Now Saul’s son Ishbosheth is dead and the remaining tribes of Israel acknowledge David as the rightful and God ordained king. At this age David might have wondered just how long the years of war and flight from Saul would last. He despaired many times even selling himself into mercenary service to Achish, king of the Philistines because he said to himself “there was nothing better for him than to die at the hands of Saul.” Everything changes. When it seems like nothing is moving or changing suddenly the entire landscape of life adjusts to a new paradigm of victory and destiny fulfilled.
6 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither. 7 Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same [is] the city of David. 8 And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, [that are] hated of David’s soul, [he shall be chief and captain]. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house. 9 So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.
During Saul’s time the Jebusites had retaken the stronghold of Zion. Zion means the “parched place”. It relates to the experience many of us allude to when we say we are in a “dry place” spiritually. The name Jebusite describes one who “treads down”. When we go through dry seasons in our life we often become down trodden and discouraged to the point it becomes a part of our personality. This will not last forever. The people in David’s time had accepted the Jebusites on Zion as a normal part of their daily lives. David however would not accept this – he determined that this enemy would be removed from his life and it was so. Your life will not always be about being downtrodden and denied. God wants you to occupy your personal mount Zion and defeat the spirit of being downtrodden in your emotions and your circumstance.
The Jebusites taunted David by describing his ranks as being filled with the blind and the lame. Perhaps the Jebusites are the people David had in mind when he said in Psalm 1 not to “sit in the seat of the mocker…” Nevertheless he unseated the Jebusites and built fortifications on Zion calling it the “city of David”.
10 And David went on, and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts [was] with him. 11 And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons: and they built David an house. 12 And David perceived that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel’s sake. 13 And David took [him] more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron: and there were yet sons and daughters born to David. 14 And these [be] the names of those that were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, 15 Ibhar also, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia, 16 And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet.
As word of David’s victories spread, Hiram king of Tyre builds David a house on Zion as well. Hiram was a Phonecian king over a large trading empire. He is reaching out to David to establish trading relationships. He friendship spanned David’s lifetime and into Solomon’s as well. He supplied building materials for David’s house and also for the Temple of Solomon. During his relationship with Solomon he jointly opened trade routes all the way to Africa. Hiram is the example of what God told Abraham “I will bless those that bless you …” Hiram was greatly enriched by his trade relations with David and Solomon.
17 But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and David heard [of it], and went down to the hold. 18 The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. 19 And David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand. 20 And David came to Baalperazim, and David smote them there, and said, The LORD hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baalperazim. 21 And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them. 22 And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. 23 And when David enquired of the LORD, he said, Thou shalt not go up; [but] fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees. 24 And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the LORD go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines. 25 And David did so, as the LORD had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer.
With David’s third and final anointing he occupied the territory that no one before him could conquer. He was blessed and prospered by the king Tyre. He built his house on Mount Zion and fostered many sons and daughters. All of this by the age of thirty. There was also continued warfare with the Philistines. Notice when the Philistines came that David pauses to actually ASK God if he should proceed against them. When Saul became king he became great in his own eyes and didn’t always bother to inquire of the Lord. David’s habit of waiting to ask God about what to do next is a great hallmark of his character.
At this time when David inquires of the Lord it is evident that this was not about consulting the Urim. The Urim and Thummim gave “yes” or “no” answers. David no doubt was inquiring of the Prophet Gad because the instructs were more involved than this and included waiting for an outward sign. Just as Gideon put fleece on the ground waiting upon a sign David is told to expect a stirring in the Mulberry trees nearby as a sign that God was with him and that it was time to attack. What is the significance of the Mulberry tree? In India it was discovered that the leaves of the Mulberry tree are totally effective to treat a certain snakebite. They render the venom completely harmless. Jewish sources believe that the rustling in the Mulberry trees was a sign of angels moving forward in advance of David’s army. Nonetheless when David waited on this sign from God he was victorious.
We must not only learn to inquire and wait on God we must be willing to look for outward signs and indicators of God’s timing. Modern thinking rejects this as superstition but God does move in signs and in wonders as part of His guiding indicators in our lives. As Kitty often says – anything that makes you do a double take – pray to interpret.
David is a type of Christ and also for us an example of seeking the kingdom. David received the word from Samuel and spent 15 years aligning himself with the implications of the prophetic word that he would one day be king. He did not as is taught today sit back and just wait for it to come to pass. If this had been his approach then at age 30 we would have found him tending a few sheep rather than sitting on the throne of Israel. If you expect to see God’s promises come to pass in your life you must receive, pray over and act upon the words from the prophets in your life. You must further inquire of God inwardly and look for indicators outwardly of His timing and planning for you at any given point. The prophetic promises over David required absolute and full engagement and commitment. If you will do likewise you will as well come into your destiny and promised fulfillment in due season.
