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SERIES K --- ISRAEL’S GOLDEN AGE --- LESSON 14

DAVID RETURNS

KING DAVID RETURNS TO JERUSALEM

From 2 Samuel 19:8-43

Throughout the land, people began to argue and quarrel about the king. ‘King David saved us from our enemies, the Philistines,’ many of them said. ‘But now he has left his palace because of Absalom’s rebellion. We anointed Absalom king, but he is dead. What are we waiting for? Let’s bring David back as king.’ Then David sent word to the two priests, Zadok and Abiathar, to talk with the elders of Israel. This is what he instructed them to say, ‘what are you waiting for? All over Israel people are urging the king to return to his palace. But you are the king’s relatives, from his tribe and yet you are the last ones to invite the king to return.’ David also told the priests to say to Amasa, the man who had led Absalom’s warriors against David, ‘You are one of my own relatives, just as Joab is. I vow to YHVH that I will make you commander of my army instead of Joab.’ When Amasa heard that, he persuaded the elders of Judah to welcome back David as king. They sent this word to David, ‘You and your followers must all return.’ David gathered his followers together and they all headed back toward Jerusalem. When he reached the Jordan River, great crowds of people from Judah met him to escort him across the river. Shimei, the man from Bahurim who had cursed David and threw stones at him when he left Jerusalem, was there, with a thousand of his fellow tribesmen from Benjamin. Ziba, Saul’s steward and Mephibosheth’s servant, was there with his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed into the Jordan River and went back and forth, bringing the king’s household and warriors across, helping David do everything he needed done. Shimei bowed to the king just before David crossed the Jordan River, begging his forgiveness. ‘O my master, please forgive me and erase from your memory my wickedness when you left Jerusalem,’ he pleaded. ‘I have come today as the first of the house of Joseph to meet my master the king.’ Abishai interrupted. ‘Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for cursing you, Adonai’s anointed king?’ he demanded. ‘You must not say that!’ said David to Abishai. ‘Why are you trying to work against me? Today we celebrate, not kill, for I am king of Israel once more.’ Then David vowed to Shimei, ‘You will not die.’ Before long Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, arrived from Jerusalem to meet King David. He had not cared for his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes since the day King David had fled. ‘Why did you stay in Jerusalem instead of going with me?’ David asked Mephibosheth. ‘O my king, my steward Ziba deceived me,’ Mephibosheth replied. ‘I told him to saddle a donkey for me so that I could go with you, for as you know, I am lame. Instead, he ran to you and lied, saying that I did not want to go with you. But I realize that your wisdom is like that of an angel of YHVH, so please do whatever you think is best. My family and I were condemned to death when you became king, but you spared me and let me eat at your table. What more can I ask of you now?’ ‘Well, let’s not talk about this any longer,’ King David answered. ‘I have already decided what I will do. You and Ziba will divide the land into two equal shares.’ ‘That’s fine with me!’ Mephibosheth answered. ‘I’m so happy to have you back that I would gladly give all my land to Ziba.’ Barzillai had come down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan River with King David. It was he who fed and cared for David and his followers while they were hiding in Mahanaim. He was about eighty years old and was a wealthy man. ‘Come back to live with me in the palace in Jerusalem,’ King David offered. ‘I’m much too old to do that,’ Barzillai answered. ‘I’m too old to appreciate the king’s rich food or to enjoy your singing men and women. So why should I burden you? I want to cross the Jordan River with you, but then let me go home to die in my own city and be buried where my mother and father are buried. Here is my son Chimham, why not take him and do what you think is best for him?’ ‘I will take Chimham with me,’ David answered. ‘I will do all the things for him that you would have enjoyed letting me do for you.’ After all the people had crossed the Jordan River, including the king, David kissed Barzillai, blessed him and sent him home. Then the king moved on to Gilgal with Chimham, the people of Judah and many of the other people of Israel. The leaders of Israel however, were angry because the people of Judah had brought the king and his followers across the Jordan River. ‘Why have they done this by themselves, instead of sharing the honour with all Israel?’ they demanded. ‘Because we are the king’s relatives,’ the leaders of Judah answered. ‘Why be so upset? We have not received anything for doing it.’ ‘But Israel is ten tribes and you are only one,’ the leaders of Israel answered. ‘We have ten times as much right to the king as you have. Weren’t we the first to say that we should bring the king back?’ Israel and Judah quarrelled for some time, with the people of Judah saying violent things to the people of Israel.

COMMENTARY

GIFTS FOR KING DAVID

The most important gifts David received were given to him during two critical periods of his life; while he was fleeing from Saul, and while he was fleeing from Absalom. The gifts were particularly important because he had no government to provide him with income and day-to-day necessities. Before he became king, he lived on what sympathizers gave him and what he could get by plundering. Although he was wealthy when he fled from Absalom, David’s brief period of exile took him away from Jerusalem where all his wealth was concentrated. Barzillai’s gift of food was therefore particularly welcome. The gifts reveal things about life in Bible times. The diet of David and his warriors was made up largely of bread, grain and fruit. The five dressed sheep sent by Abigail would have made little difference; they were hardly enough for six hundred men. The gifts also show how far loyal people would go for their heroes and leaders. The high priest Abimelech offered David holy bread, which only priests were allowed to eat. And three of David’s warriors risked their lives to break through the Philistine lines just to get David a drink of water from the Bethlehem well.

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