1 Samuel closes with the collapse of Saul’s kingship following the death of Saul and his sons. 2 Samuel opens with David hearing the news of the death of Saul. The scene is thus set for David to fill the leadership vacuum left behind by Saul. The rise of David as king and the inauguration of the Davidic dynasty have both political and spiritual implications. The biblical narrative here chronicles the establishment of David’s reign, the expansion of David’s reign and the evil during David’s reign due to his personal indiscretion.
A. ESTABLISHMENT OF DAVID'S REIGN (2 SAMUEL 1-5)
The death of Saul and the defeat of Israel at Gilboa left Israel totally vulnerable to the Philistines. It was also at this time that David rose to national prominence. The death of
…show more content…
He knew that the tribe of Benjamin from which Saul came from would feel threatened. He also had to win the support of the other tribes who were still fragmented. David knew that he should first rally the people from his own tribe, the Judahites, behind him. This, he managed to do and he established his base at Hebron. The next step was to gain the trust and support of the other tribes.
1. David’s Reign in Judah (2 Samuel 1-4)
With the death of Saul and Jonathan, the stage was set for David to be the next king. However, David knew that it would take some time before he could get the support of all the tribes of Israel. Through a series of events, the narratives revealed how David patiently and skilfully won the hearts of the tribes of Israel to support his kingship. When David heard about the death of Saul and Jonathan, he openly lamented (2 Samuel 1:17-27). The motive behind his lament was rather difficult to discern. Was it genuine feelings towards Saul and Jonathan or was it a political move to establish a diplomatic bridge with the supporters of Saul? (Hamilton 2008:303). Perhaps, both were intended. The latter intention would be