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David Reading | Week 4 | Day 2

Prayer

Allow some silence for your soul to catch up with your body. Thank God for time to spend with Him and ask Him to meet with you.

Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 5:6-12

Read these verses three times slowly.

The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” They thought, “David cannot get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David.

On that day David had said, “Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those ‘lame and blind’ who are David’s enemies.” That is why they say, “The ‘blind and lame’ will not enter the palace.”

David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the terraces inward. And he became more and more powerful, because the Lord God Almighty was with him.

Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

Reflection & Questions

Yesterday, we read that finally at the age of 30, David is made king. Today, in the next section 2 Samuel 5, we read that God establishes Jerusalem as the place of David’s throne. This story is where the name “The City of David” comes from.

The enemies in this battle were the Jebusites, and they considered their city impregnable. Their city was considered so well protected, that they boasted that even “the blind and the lame” could defend it. They obviously didn’t know Yahweh. David easily conquered the city, “because the Lord God Almighty was with him.”

Having established his city, a palace was then constructed. People from the kingdom of Tyre, who wanted to establish friend relationships with the newly installed king, built David a palace. This foreign attention to David didn’t go to his head though. “David knew that the Lord had established him as king…for the sake of his people.” How does absolute power not corrupt? David remembered that it wasn’t in his power that he was made king, but simply because God installed him. And he remembered that it wasn’t for his own sake he was made king, but for the sake of God’s people. In other words, he was to be a servant of the people.

Whatever form of leadership and influence we have, we can learn so much from these verses. Firstly, the “battles” we face in leadership shouldn’t be faced on our own. We need to bring them to God and bring God with us. He will provide the way forward. Secondly, we need to remember that any leadership role we have is a gift of God, and is not a place of privilege, but a place of service.

1. Where are you facing battles today? Are you bringing those to God and with faith expecting God to be with you, guiding you in them?
2. What can you apply in your life from realizing that leadership is a gift of God and for the service of his people?

Prayer

Talk to God in response to today’s reading.

Worship Song

You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:

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Questions?