Useful Bible Studies > 2 Samuel Commentary > chapter 2
In 1 Samuel 16:1-13, God sent Samuel to appoint David as the king of Israel. However, David was only a youth then, he did not begin to rule until several years afterwards. God wanted David to wait until Saul’s rule had ended (1 Samuel 26:9-11).
Even after Saul’s death, the people in most of Israel were not ready to accept David as their king (2:8-9). However, it was different in Judah, the southern part of Israel, from which David’s own family came. David and his men had been protecting the people in that region from their enemies (1 Samuel 27:8). He was friendly with the leaders of Judah’s towns (1 Samuel 30:26-31). They wanted him to be their king.
God had directed David to live in Hebron, together with the men who supported him. So the leaders of the towns and families of Judah met there, to appoint David as their king. As Samuel had done, they too anointed him. This was the special ceremony to appoint a king - in that ceremony, they poured oil on his head. The meaning was that, like the oil, God’s Holy Spirit would come upon David. So, by his Holy Spirit, God would give David the power to do this special work for him (for God).
For several years, the actions of Saul, the previous king, had made life very difficult for David. However, David had no bitter feelings towards Saul. In fact, David’s first act as king of Judah showed how much he respected Saul.
Next part: David's message to the people in Jabesh Gilead (2 Samuel 2:5-7)
Please use the links at the top of the page to find our other articles in this series. You can download all our articles if you go to the download page for our free 1000+ page course book.
© 2023, Keith Simons.