The third anointing

At last, the day came when David became king over the unified kingdom. After losing Ish-bosheth, all the tribes of Israel sent their elders to David and said the following: (1) “We are your bone and your flesh.” (2) “Previously, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and in.” (3) It was by the Lord’s own prophecy that David was to become king over the unified kingdom. (4) So, David warmly received them and made a covenant with them. They anointed David, and he became their king. This was the third time David was anointed. The first was by Samuel (1 Sam. 16:13), the second by the people of Judah (2 Sam. 2:4), and the third is in today’s passage. David reigned for a total of 40 years. He first ruled in Hebron for 7 and a half years and then 33 years in Jerusalem. He became king at the age of 30 and ruled until he was 70.

The training from the Lord

Those who are called to the Lord’s work always undergo training from the Lord. David was no exception. To become king over the unified kingdom, his faith, discernment, character, and every other aspect of his life needed to be tested and matured. To whom much privilege and gifting is given, much responsibility is also required. When David had become the kind of person worthy to be king, God entrusted him with the rule over the unified kingdom.

Let us now remember this verse:

“It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? … For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Heb. Ch. 12)) Let us become believers who gladly receive the Lord’s discipline.