Village Schools of the Bible

A Devotional Study of 2 Samuel 5
by Max Frazier, Jr.

Second Samuel and its account of the life of King David has always fascinated me. It is a wonderful book from which to study leadership principles. I trust you are finding that to be so in your own study of this great book. Chapter 5 describes the coronation of David and his first acts as king of Israel:

I. David becomes king over Israel (vs. 1-5)

II. David conquers Jerusalem (vs. 6-12)

III. David's family (vs. 13-16)

IV. Victories over the Philistines (vs. 17-25)

Although David was the king, he knew that he also was under the authority of God. It is easy when we are placed in positions of importance, where we have the sense of power at our fingertips, and when everything seems to be going in a right direction, to have the feeling that we are in charge. David was now king over all of Israel. All the armies were now united behind him. He had received recognition from other world leaders as being the ruler of all Israel. And God has prospered him. For many, with all these things in their favor, when those arrogant Philistines reared their ugly heads once again and threatened the stability of the nation, it would have been simple just to march out to battle with their armies. But not David. He might be king over Israel, but he also had a king - God. As leaders it is always wise to remember that we are just servants, that we are accountable to another. We must not strategize according to the flesh but seek wisdom and guidance from God. And not just once, but every time the enemy strikes as did David. Then God will make our way successful. So, let us not forget that we are to be servant-leaders.

An interesting statement is made in verse 21. Reading it reminded me of another scene recorded in First Samuel 5. There the Philistines had captured the ark of God and had brought it into the temple of their god. The next morning the mighty god Dagon was fallen on his face before the ark of God. In the verse here in Second Samuel 5, David and his men captured the idols of the Philistines. What was their impact upon Israel's God? Absolutely nothing! God remained powerful. He still was the mighty God. No other gods stood before Him. All other gods were impotent when compared to Him. The Philistines suffered disastrous consequences after capturing the ark of God; the Israelites won an incredible victory after capturing the gods of the Philistines. Whose god would you rather serve?

2Samuel 4 Return to the Table of Contents 2Samuel 6