KING DAVID.

173

CXXTII.

finc Pavip.

 

AVID was to be king after

g Saul’s death. God had
C | said this many years
LAs! before; and David had

been long waiting quietly
till the time came, for he was not
impatient to be king. Butnow that
Saul and Jonathan were both dead,
David asked God if he should go up
to Judah. God told David to go to
Hebron in Judah; and he obeyed
and went, and all his family and his
soldiers with him. Then the men
of Judah came, and anointed David
king.

Was David glad that Saul was
dead, and that he could now reign
in peace? No, he still remembered,
and mourned for Saul; and honored
him very much. The first thing
David did, was to call the good
people of Jabesh-gilead, and to thank
and bless them, because they had
been kind to Saul, and buried him.
David said to the men of Jabesh-
gilead, “I will requite you this
kindness, because you have done
this thing.” David was not re-
vengeful to his enemies. God had
punished Saul, but David did not
wish to feel angry and unkind to-
wards his poor fallen enemy: he
pitied and honored Saul still.

Was David now king of all Israel ?
No; seven years he reigned only over
Judah; Saul had left a son, named
Ish-bosheth; and Abner, the cap-
tain, took Ish-bosheth, and made
him king over Israel. There was a
long war between the party of Ish-
bosheth, and the party of David.
Abner was captain of ish-bosheth’s

   
 

 

 

soldiers, and Joab was captain of
David’s soldiers.

David wanted peace in his king-
dom; but he knew that all his
enemies must first be conquered,
because God had told him this, and
promised to fight for him, and give
him the victory. David grew
stronger and stronger every day:
and Ish-bosheth grew weaker and
weaker. Abner knew that David
was God’s chosen king; and he sent
to him, and promised to help him
to reign over the whole kingdom,
Israel as well as Judah. So David
and Abner made peace, and feasted
together at Hebron. But Joab,
David’s captain, hated Abner, and
did not like David to make peace
with him. Why? Because Abner
had killed Asahel, Joab’s brother,
in a quarrel, some time before; and
Joab had not forgiven Abner. So
when Abner went away, Joab fol-
lowed, and called him, and _ pre-
tended to speak kindly to him; but
Joab had a sword, and he drew it
out, and thrust it into Abner’s side.
Abner fell down dead directly; and
the people came and told David.
David was angry with Joab, and
sorry for Abner. All the people
mourned; and, when Abner was
buried, David himself followed the
dead body to the grave. Did David
punish Joab for the murder? No,
he was afraid: he thought he had
not enough power to do so; but he
never forgot Joab’s wickedness; he
said, God would punish him, though
he could not.

God always punishes the wicked