[These fighting
men] came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel (1 Chronicles 12:38).
Most casual readers
of the Bible think David became king of Israel immediately upon the tragic
deaths of Saul and Jonathan (as first-born, Jonathan was in line for the
throne). What they fail to realize is that Saul had another son named
Ish-Bosheth, who received the kingdom upon his father’s death.
While Ish-Bosheth
did not enjoy the confidence of the people, he did have the support of Abner,
Saul’s highest ranking general. This was a relationship of convenience.
Ish-Bosheth needed Abner’s strength to secure for him the kingdom, and
politically Abner needed Ish-Bosheth in place until he could seize the kingdom
for himself.
Saul had been
thinking of his sons and future generations when he exiled David, seeing him as
a threat to his throne. He exiled him to erase that threat. But even while
David was running for his life, a growing band of skilled fighters rallied
around him.
In the mean time,
upon hearing of Saul’s death, the men of Judah proclaimed David king and he
reigned in Hebron, Judah’s tribal capital. David had a charisma that
Ish-Bosheth lacked, and today’s reading illustrates the transfer of power as a
steady stream of supporters gathered around him in Hebron.
No one could have
been more loyal to Saul than was David. He knew the first step toward being a
good leader is to be a good follower.
TODAY’S MEDITATION
This week, how can you be a
good follower?
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