Bible Tuesday - David Part 9

David has the opportunity to kill Saul again and he doesn't.  He runs off (with his 600 men and their families) to live among the Philistines.  Apparently the Philistines have forgotten the deal where David gave 100 of them a forced circumcision.  They must be a forgiving people.

David tries to fight as a part of the Philistine army but that's where they draw the line.  So he basically hangs out for a while and begins amassing an ever bigger army.

Then Saul finally dies.  David's best bud Jonathan, Saul's son, dies too.  David is so bummed that he kills the messenger.  (Is that where the phrase actually comes from?) Then he writes a song because that's how he deals with stuff.

If you think everything is gonna be good now, then you are new here.  But that's ok. 

David does get crowned King of Judah.  This would be akin to becoming President of California and Texas.  Saul's son. Ishbosheth is crowned King of Israel.

David rules from Judah for 7 1/2 years.  Not really sure what he did for those years but he definitely spent a lot of time at home because he fathered at least 6 sons.  The Bible doesn't  mention any daughters but I bet there were a few of those too.

He also begins to put together his elite fighting force.  And a super elite group called 'The Three". "The Three" are involved in an exploit that gives us another big insight into David's character.

And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.  David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem.  And David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!”  Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the Lord  and said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it.

2 Samuel 23:13-17

I'm not sure how I feel about this.  I mean if your church raised a ton of money for someone in need and they gave it somewhere else as an offering to the Lord, I could see being simultaneously awed and annoyed.  I'm not sure how "The Three" felt about David pouring out their water but David was clearly trying to honor their service.  David is not a king who sees his subjects as disposable.  Remember this later when it looks like he may have forgotten this.

David eventually ends up with a group of 37 'Mighty Men' leading his army.  The bible lists the names of each of these men.  And as you read through it, you might begin to wonder why you need to know all of these names.  But then you get to the last name.

 Uriah the Hittite

2 Samuel 23:39

Ya'll...it's about to get interesting.  Trust me.