David is made King of Judah

2 Samuel Chapter 2

After Saul's death, David asked the Lord if he should move back to Judah and the Lord said yes and the town the Lord picked was Hebron. So David took his wives, his men and all their families and
settled in Hebron and Judah's leaders came and crowned David king over the tribe of Judah. When David heard how the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul, he sent them a message thanking them for being loyal to Saul and giving him a decent burial. And he said he would reward them for what they did, and asked for their allegiance to him as the new king.

But Abner,son of Ner, commander of Saul's army had gone to be with Saul's son Ishbosheth and proclaimed him king over Gilead, Jezreel, Ephrain, Benjamin and the rest of Israel. Ishbosheth ruled from Mahanaim for two years. David ruled as King of Judah for seven and a half years.

One day Abner led some of Ishbosheth's troops to Gibeon about the same time Joab led David's troops from Hebron and the two groups sat facing each other from opposite sides of the pool. Abner suggested an exhibition of hand to hand combat with their warriors. Twelve men on each side fought with swords and by the end of the day, Abner and the men of Israel had been defeated by David's men. It seems that Joab, Abishai and Asahel were three sons of Zeruiah and Asahel could run like a deer. He chased Abner and was relentless in his pursuit. Abner called to him to go away. Abner did not want to kill him, but Asahel would not give up and finally Asahel was killed by Abner's sword.

When Joab and Abishai found out, they set out after Abner. Near the wilderness of Gibeon, Abner shouted to Joab that they only gained bitterness toward each other by settling difference with swords and asked Joab to call off his men. Joab blew his trumpet and his men stopped chasing the troops of Israel. All night Abner and his men retreated through the Jordan Valley and crossed the river and did not stop until they reached Mahanaim. Meanwhile Joab and his men returned home, but when he counted his casualties, he discovered nineteen men missing in addition to Asahel.So he took Asahel's body to Bethelehem and buried him beside his father and then he and his men traveled all night to reach Hebron at daybreak.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: God chose the city of Hebron for David because it was the largest city in Judah, it was located near the center of the territory and many trade routes converged there, making it difficult to cut off supply lines in wartime. Only this part of Judah accepted David as king, it took seven and a half years for the rest of Israel to do so.

With Isreal divided, there was constant tension between north and south. David's true rival in the north was Abner. Abner suggesting the hand to hand combat was alot like the strategy used between David and Goliah. Remember David had served under Abner at one time. Killing Asahel was not Abner's plan, but Asahel was persistent and stubborn. His death caused disunity in David's army for years.

HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? I will pick the stubborn quality of Asahel as an example in this chapter of what not to do in pursuing a goal. Make sure your goal is worthy of your devotion. Asahel's stubbornnes cost him his life. Examine your goal and make sure it bears your persistence. Is your goal only for personal honor? Then perhaps you need to re-think your path. Perhaps you need to stop and ask God for guidance. Weren't you proud of David that he stopped to ask God where to live in Israel? He starts his reign on a good note- with prayer to the Lord. Every endeavor needs God, don't forget to ask for his help.

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH: Gabe, Wanda, Janice Long’s parents, and Arlene’s nephew David. Update on Lori: she sheds her back brace soon and can drive. She thanks God for healing her. Please continue to pray for her during recovery. Pray for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life. UPDATE on Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, she has 90 percent of her speech back and is home from the hospital and having rehab for the paralysis on one side of her body. Continue to pray for her recovery. Pray for Robert Sargent with lung cancer and Marthaline Sargent with serious health issues. Update on Stella: A photo of her shows a chubby, alert baby who is breathing on her own. Her eyesight problems seem to be no longer a problem. But she must learn to eat and drink normally. She continues to have a long road, so prayers are still needed. Update on Mark: He has some paralysis on one side from the stroke, his eyesight has been impaired too. But he has gone home and his wife cares for him. Soon he will begin therapy. Continue to pray for his healing. Pray also for my aged friend Elaine who underwent surgery and is home healing slowly. Update on Craig: he ended up having a stent put in and is back to work. Keep him and his family on your list for prayers. Pray for Carolyn’s friend Margaret and her husband who were in a car accident. As elderly drivers they may face a life change which may cost them their independence. Let’s all raise our voices to God to hear our prayers.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, those who need jobs, those who are about to lose or have lost their homes. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.