IV. =The Reign of Da'vid.= This was a brilliant period; for it was led
by a great man, in nearly every respect the greatest, after Mo'ses, in
Is'ra-el-ite history.
1. Notice the =condition of Is'ra-el at his accession=. This will throw
into relief the greatness of his character and his achievements.
1.) It was a _subject people_. Under Phi-lis'tine yoke; its warriors
slain, many of its cities deserted; Da'vid himself probably at first
tributary to the king of Gath.
2.) It was a _disorganized people_. The tribes were divided; national
unity was lost; and two thrones were set up, one at He'bron, the other
at Ma-ha-na'-im (2 Sam. 2. 4-9).
[Illustration: EMPIRE OF =DAVID=]
3.) It was a _people without religion_. The tabernacle was gone; the ark
was in neglect; there was no altar and no sacrifice; the priests had
been slain.
We can scarcely imagine Is'ra-el at a lower ebb than when Da'vid was
called to the throne.
2. We ascertain =Da'vid's achievements=, the results of his reign. 1.)
_He united the tribes._ At first crowned king by Ju'dah only, later he
was made king over all the tribes, by the desire of all (2 Sam. 5. 1-5).
During his reign we find but little trace of the old feud between
E'phra-im and Ju'dah, though it was not dead, and destined yet to rend
the kingdom asunder.
2.) _He subjugated the land._ The conquest of Pal'es-tine, left
incomplete by Josh'u-a, and delayed for nearly three hundred years, was
finished at last by Da'vid in the capture of Je'bus, or Je-ru'sa-lem (2
Sam. 5. 6, 7), in the overthrow of the Phi-lis'tines (2 Sam. 5. 17-25),
and in the final capture of their capital city (1 Chron. 18. 1). At last
Is'ra-el was possessor of its own land.
3.) _He organized the government._ He established a capital (2 Sam. 5.
9). He built a palace (2 Sam. 5. 11); notice that the builders were from
Tyre, showing that the Is'ra-el-ites were not advanced in the arts. He
established a system of government, with officers in the court and
throughout the realm (1 Chron. 27. 25-34). Contrast all this with Saul,
who ruled from his tent, like a Bed'ou-in sheik.
4.) _He established an army._ There was a royal bodyguard, probably of
foreigners, like that of many European kings in modern times (2 Sam. 8.
18; 15. 18). There was a band of heroes, like Arthur's Round Table (2
Sam. 23. 8-39). There was "the host," the available military force,
divided into twelve divisions, one on duty each month (1 Chron. 27.
1-15).
5.) _He established religion._ No sooner was Da'vid on the throne than
he brought the ark out of its hiding place, and gave it a new home in
his capital (1 Chron. 16. 1). The priesthood was organized, and divided
into courses for the service of the tabernacle (1 Chron. 23. 27-32; 24.
1-19). He wrote many psalms, and caused others to be written, for the
worship of God. Two prophets stood by his throne (1 Chron. 29. 29), and
two high priests stood by the altar (1 Chron. 24. 3). This organization
and uplifting of the public worship had a great effect upon the kingdom.
6.) _He conquered all the surrounding nations._ These wars were largely
forced upon Da'vid by the jealousy of the neighboring kingdoms. In turn
his armies conquered and annexed to his dominions the land of the
Phi-lis'tines (1 Chron. 18. 1), Mo'ab (2 Sam. 8. 2), Syr'i-a, even to
the great river Eu-phra'tes (2 Sam. 8. 3-6); E'dom (2 Sam. 8. 14),
Am'mon, and the country east of Pal'es-tine (2 Sam. 10. 1-14; 12.
26-31). The empire of Da'vid thus extended from the frontier of E'gypt
to the Eu-phra'tes River, fulfilling the promise of Josh. 1. 4. It was
at least six times the area of the twelve tribes.
7.) We may add that _he reigned as a theocratic king_. He realized more
than any other monarch the divine ideal of a ruler, and so was "the man
after God's own heart" (1 Sam. 13. 14); if not altogether in personal
character, yet in the principles of his government. He respected the
rights of his subjects, had a sympathy for all people, obeyed the voice
of the prophets, and sought the interests of God's cause.[12]