War waged a long time against those still loyal to Saul. Over time, David became stronger and the dynasty of Saul was slowly withering away. No longer on the run, David settled into being king over Judah and started his family in Hebron. His first born was a son named Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel. Then Daniel was born, whose mother was Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel. Third was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur. Fourth was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith. Fifth was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital and sixth was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah, David’s wife. These were David’s sons, all born in Hebron.
Then a significant event happened; King Ishbosheth accused his highest and number one adviser, Abner, of sleeping with one of Saul’s concubines, Rizpah, daughter of Aiah. This absolutely infuriated Abner. After all without him Ishbosheth never would have been king. In anger he shouted, “Am I the dog’s head of Judah to be kicked around? I was loyal to your father Saul and to his brothers and all of his family; and now this is my reward? I am going to take Saul’s kingdom and give it to David! Now, let all that the LORD promised David come true!”
Ishbosheth was weak and afraid of Abner, he didn’t say a word. Then Abner sent messengers to David saying, “Were you not anointed king over all of Israel? Make a solemn pact with me and I will turn over the entire kingdom of Israel to you!” David agreed as long as his wife Michal was returned to him. Ishbosheth took Michal away from her second husband Palti and he followed after her crying many tears, until Abner told him to go home.
Abner had been negotiating with the elders of Israel for some time before this and they had wanted to follow David and be one nation. They knew that the blessings of the LORD were with David, that he alone was the anointed king. Even the tribe of Benjamin agreed, so Abner went to David to tell him that all of Israel was in agreement with the union. Abner took twenty men with him and went to Hebron and David entertained them with a great feast.
2 Samuel 3:17-21 ESV And Abner conferred with the elders of Israel, saying, "For some time past you have been seeking David as king over you. (18) Now then bring it about, for the LORD has promised David, saying, 'By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and from the hand of all their enemies.'" (19) Abner also spoke to Benjamin. And then Abner went to tell David at Hebron all that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin thought good to do. (20) When Abner came with twenty men to David at Hebron, David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. (21) And Abner said to David, "I will arise and go and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your heart desires." So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.
Just after Abner was sent away in safety to bring all of Israel together, David’s general Joab was returning to Hebron. When he found out that Abner had been with the king, he immediately left to pursue him. He didn’t believe that Abner was there to make peace. He captured him and executed him in revenge for Abner killing his brother. David was distraught. He made a solemn vow that his kingdom was innocent, that Joab and his brother Abishai were the guilty parties. David pronounced a curse that all of the house of Joab would be cursed in every generation with a man of open sores or leprosy or crippled on crutches.
2 Samuel 3:27-29 ESV And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the stomach, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. (28) Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, "I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the LORD for the blood of Abner the son of Ner. (29) May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father's house, and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or who is leprous or who holds a spindle or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread!"
David mourned the death of Abner and he fasted. He also walked in solemn respect following the funeral procession. The people truly respected King David and they were in agreement with the king and were very pleased. Everyone in Judah and in Israel realized that David was innocent in the blood of Abner.
2 Samuel 3:36-39 ESV And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as everything that the king did pleased all the people. (37) So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king's will to put to death Abner the son of Ner. (38) And the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? (39) And I was gentle today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I. The LORD repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!"
Ishbosheth, upon hearing of the death of Abner became paralyzed with fear. There were two brothers Baanah and Recab, who were leaders of Ishbosheth’s raiding parties. They went into Ishbosheth’s bedroom while he was resting in the afternoon and cut off his head. They then took the head to David. This did not please the king at all. David then told the brothers that when the man who killed Saul came bearing news of his death; David had the man executed and that is exactly what he did to Baanah and Recab. Then he buried the head of Ishbosheth with Abner.
2 Samuel 4:9-12 ESV But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, "As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, (10) when one told me, 'Behold, Saul is dead,' and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. (11) How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?" (12) And David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.
Then all of the tribes of Israel went up to Hebron to unite as one nation and to anoint David king over all of Israel. He was thirty seven and had already reigned over Judah for seven years. In all, David would rule as a king for forty years; reigning over All of Israel for thirty three years.
2 Samuel 5:3-5 ESV 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. (4) David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. (5) At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.
David then led his men against Jerusalem and captured it from its original inhabitants, the Jebusites. The Jebusites thought that they were invincible behind their walled city, but David led his men into the city through the water tunnel. The fortress called Zion was renamed the City of David and he made it his home. David became more and more powerful as the LORD was with him.
2 Samuel 5:9-12 ESV And David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built the city all around from the Millo inward. (10) And David became greater and greater, for the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him. (11) And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also carpenters and masons who built David a house. (12) 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.
The LORD is an on time God! All things happen in order on His time table. Sometimes we get impatient and we miss out of the many joys that come with the process. Living in chaos and confusion is not God’s way. Our modern fast paced techno lifestyle is of the devil. There are distractions ready to steal every second away from God, our spouse, our family and the Family of God. But if we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, then all things will be added unto us!
Matthew 6:31-34 KJV Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (32) (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. (33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (34) Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
We fight for time as humans, trying to grab all of the gusto we can; instead of building our relationship with God; the one who came to us in the flesh; our relationship with Jesus Christ, Emanuel which is to say, God with us.
Isaiah 9:6-7 KJV For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (7) Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
We forget Jesus and trade Him in for Nintendo, Xbox and wii; dining out, the theater, sports events and recreational activities have become our gods. We rather worship things, just like Israel did; following pagan customs; pagan Roman gladiator sporting events and watching torture, murder and mayhem in the arena of our living room in front of our 60 inch, LCD, LED televisions that bring all of this corruption into our lives in bigger than life size reality! Jesus says, come out from her my people!
Revelation 18:4 KJV And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
This human life is not for our personal amusement. We will have a timeless eternity to enjoy every good thing; beyond our wildest imaginations. Now it is all about Jesus. His life and ministry passed on down to us. It is the Gospel; the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ; our hope and starting point for all eternity. We enter that Gospel which is eternal life by entering with Christ into his death. We must first die to sin and REPENT! Then we must be BAPTIZED IN JESUS’ NAME for the remission of our sins; followed by the BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST; being filled with the SPIRIT as evidenced by the SPEAKING IN TONGUES. It was not a one time outpouring! The promise is for all of every age; it is current; it is for this generation too!
Acts 2:38-39 KJV Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (39) For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
All Christians have sung the song Amazing Grace. One of the verses says; “When we’ve been there ten thousand years…” People sing it, but they don’t believe it. Jesus Christ will forever be King of kings. It is going to be a vibrant kingdom forever. Hollywood has poisoned us into believing that eternal life will be in some heaven light years away, where God lives in stark white nothingness; depriving himself of the beauty of His creation.
Friends, heaven is going to be on earth. New Jerusalem will be on earth. We will reign with Jesus Christ on His throne on earth!
Revelation 21:1-3 KJV And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (2) And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (3) And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Jesus Christ, God Himself is coming to live with us, with men on earth. Yes, the saints, both dead and alive will meet Christ in the air, but He is coming back and we will be with Him! Life will not only be real, it will be real exciting and we will never get tired! It will be a Holy Ghost party 24/7. We will be working together in joyous creation projects, because God is in the creation business. Look into the heavens! There are trillions of stars. Each star is an undeveloped solar system with multiple planets; waiting there as blank canvasses for our imaginations. The heirs of the Kingdom will refurbish the universe. There will be no end to the species of animals, birds, fish, plants and planetary design. I pray that God would open your minds to see and to taste the greatness of your calling! Taste and see the LORD!
Psalms 34:8 KJV O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Friends I pray that none of us would neglect so great a salvation, that none of us would trade an eternal crown, to rule and reign with Jesus forever; let no one trade that in for this temporal few short years of flesh!
Prayer: Father in Heaven, our inheritance must come alive. We must seek you first. Help me to build a personal relationship with you, because it is all that I will take out of this life, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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