Reading: 2 Samuel 5:1-3. The first reading on this Sunday records the third anointing of David to recognize him as king over all the tribes of Israel. The first anointing occurred when Samuel was led by the Lord to figure out the youngest son of Jesse who was shepherding his father’s flock (1 Sam 16:13). His private anointing at that time recognized David’s prospective steps towards the kingship under divine directions. Later, Samuel anointed David as king of the Judahites (2 Sam 2:4). He ruled over Judah for seven and a half years. The third anointing of David in this Sunday’s reading was probably done by the priest Abiathar, though his name is not mentioned in the text.

The northern tribes waited seven and a half years before they finally made the right move and came to David to seek him to rule over them. It was well known among the Israelites that David was divinely called and designated to be Israel’s ruler. It was also well known that David had achieved great accomplishments on behalf of Israel in the past. Hence, the northern tribes were vindicated that David was the one they should acknowledge as king. He had both the divine calling and divine capability to rule. But for some seven and a half years, these tribes simply refused to walk in the light God gave them. They were so self-willed and wrong-headed to give in to David. Because of their deferment, many Israelites died in battle fighting Judah. Also, it kept the northern tribes under the domination of the Philistines. If David had been their king, they would have been delivered from the Philistines.

It is an example of how stubborn people can often be regarding the will of God. Because sin clings tenaciously to self-will, it is then not easy to surrender our will to God’s will. We are resolute in doing our own will regardless of the obvious folly we are pursuing. God would give us something so much better if we would only yield to his will. But we stubbornly turn away his will. There is no good future in stubbornly refusing to obey God. Therefore, we should pray daily that we will be quick to do his will.

When the representatives of all the tribes gathered to ask David to be their king, they had three cogent reasons. First, they said, “Here we are, your bone and your flesh” (v. 1). That means, they indicated to David that they were family altogether. In the larger sense, they were all children of Jacob. In a more specific sense, David was Saul’s son-in-law. This requirement of close relation reminds us that one of the reasons why Christ, in order to be our redeemer, is one of us. That is, he became incarnate, taking a form of human flesh, like us in all things but sins, so that he could take our place and die for our sins.

Second, David was already a proven leader of Israel. The people remembered the times when David had led Saul’s army into battle and defeated their enemies. This plea admitted that David was superior to Saul. For in this plea, they said that when Saul was king, it was David, not Saul, who was the one leading Israel to victory. The superiority of David over Saul had also been recognized many years before when David killed Goliath, the giant Philistine soldier and competitor. For then the women sang in celebration of victory, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Sam 18:7). This plea really condemned the Israelites who refused to come under David’s rule for those seven and a half years. David had proven his worthiness, and they were well aware of it, but they still refused to seek him as king. This same condemnation occurs in the rejection of Jesus Christ in every times and ages. Christ has proven his worthiness; he is the Messiah, the Son of God, yet people still refuse him.

Third, because they felt that the Lord had chosen David through previous twice anoints, they said, “The Lord said to you, ‘You shall shepherd my people Israel and shall be commander of Israel’” (v. 2). This is the strongest and most conclusive reason why David should be their king. If God had ordered it, that was reason enough. However, we notice that in their threefold plea, they put God’s orders at the bottom of the list. Thus, it was an indictment against them, because it made God’s orders look weak in comparison with other reasons. We need to give God’s will first place at all times.

And so, David stood before all the tribes. His blood ties, military prowess, and divine designation were warranted his selection as king. David’s agreement was literally a covenant made with the leaders of the country. This was followed by his being anointed king over all the tribes of Israel. His reign was to last for more than three decades. David was not only anointed to be king, but he was also the deliver and shepherd of his people.

Then King David made an agreement with his people. This agreement of David with the people was virtually a constitution. It would consist of laws which would guide David in his ruling the people and also laws which would guide the people in their conduct as citizens of David’s kingdom. It was a reciprocal agreement of responsibilities for both parties. In the life of the church, people sometimes want to emphasize the responsibilities of their leaders. But the people also have responsibilities to help their leaders to fulfill their established visions.

We also notice that David’s covenant with the elderly was made “before the Lord” (v. 3). That means they made a religious ceremony out of the agreement. It was not a mere secular thing. It was done as God wanted it done. It was done in accordance with God’s orders. This underscored the seriousness with which they made their commitment. It acknowledged God’s part in bringing them together. It sought God’s continued leadership in the affairs of Israel. In our Christian life, this type of consecration is needed if one expects to have God’s blessings upon any arrangement.

After we received our baptism, we entered into a sacred covenant with God – the covenant we make to keep faithful to God. It is a relationship with obligations on God’s part and on ours. Therefore, all of us need to learn to see the covenants that we make as “before God” and to find resources in God for keeping those covenants.

The third anointing of David made him king when he was at the age of thirty-five. But his first anointing done by Samuel took place when David was just a lad. There would probably have been fifteen to twenty years between the first and the third anoints. This fact should serve as a reminder to us that there is often a great distance between the beginning of a dream and its fulfillment. In those fifteen to twenty years, David went through all types of trial as a fugitive and an exile. There must have been times when David seriously doubted that he was God’s anointed. But God himself eventually made David to be king to his people in keeping with his promises through sacred anointing.

We live in a society that is obsessed with instant everything. This mentality has also affected how we look on the Christian life. We often want now what it takes God time to create. In the course of his ministry, Jesus promised to his disciples that he would send the Holy Spirit to them to be their Guider and Counselor. But it took a period of time including his life, his trial, crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension before he sent the Holy Spirit to them on Pentecost. The fruits of the spirit often do not become ours from split-second course on Christian living. Examining the life of Joseph, son of Jacob in the Old Testament, we see that the dream that Joseph had as a youth took almost twenty years to fulfill and included abuse, slavery, temptation, prison, and betrayal.

In all probability, we are able to tell how God has taken time to do things for us in our life. Nonetheless, it always holds true that when we beseech God to do something for us, we often expect God to grant them to us in an instant, but forget focusing the fruitions on our long-term journey of life.

Rev. Linh N. Nguyen