David anointed King over all Israel - Taking of Fort Zion -Philistine Defeat - The Ark brought to Jerusalem -

Liturgical arrangements and Institutions. (2 SAMUEL 5, 6; 1 CHRONICLES 11-16)

THE cessation of the long-pending rivalry and the prospect of a strong monarchy under David must have

afforded sincere relief and satisfaction to all the well-disposed in Israel. Even during the time when his

fortunes were at the lowest, David had had constant accessions of valiant and true men from all tribes, not

excluding Saul's tribe of Benjamin and the country east of the Jordan. Yet it implied no ordinary coura ge to

face the dangers and difficulties of the life of an outlaw; no common determination to leave home and

country in such a cause. The Book of Chronicles furnishes in this as in other instances most welcome

notices supplemental to the other historical writings of the Old Testament.256

Thus it gives us (1 Chronicles 12:1-22) the names of the leading men who joined David at different periods,

with their tribal connection, and even helps us to guess what motives may have actuated at least some of

their number. From these notices we learn that considerable accessions had taken place on four different

occasions. When David was at Ziklag (vers. 1-7), he was joined by certain tribes -men ("brothers") of Saul

(vers. 1-8), and by some men from Judah (vers. 4, 6, 7). While in the mountain -fastnesses, in the wilderness

of Judah (1 Samuel 22-24), certain of the Gadites separated themselves unto him, "men of the army for war" -

soldiers trained for war (ver. 8), "chief of the host" (not "captains of the host," ver. 14), "one to a hundred

the least, and the greatest one to a thousand," who when breaking away from the army of Saul had not only

crossed Jordan in the dangerous floodtime of early spring, but cut their way through those who would have

barred it (ver. 15). A third contingent from Benjamin and Judah came during the same period (vers. 16-18).

Their names are not mentioned; but they were headed by Amasai, probably another nephew of David - the

son of Abigail, David's younger sister (1 Chronicles 2:16, 17). When challenged by David as to their

intentions, Amasai had, under the influence of the Spirit, broken forth in language which showed the

character of their motives (ver. 18). The last and perhaps most important contingent joined David on his

road back to Ziklag, when dismissed from the armies of the Philistines. It consisted of seven chieftains of

thousands of Manasseh, who gave David most valuable aid against the Amalekites.

If such had been David's position and influence in Israel even during Saul's lifetime , we can readily

understand the rush of enthusiasm at his accession to the throne of a people once more united, now that

there was no longer any rival claimant left. As they afterwards told David at Hebron, they all felt that he was

their own, - just as Israel will feel when at last in repentant faith they will turn to their Messiah King; that in

the past, even in Saul's life -time, he alone had been the victorious leader and chief of all; and that to him had

pointed the express Divine promise as spoken thro ugh Samuel (1 Chronicles 11:3). And while the "elders of

Israel" made a regular "covenant" with David, and anointed him king over Israel, hundreds and thousands

of the men of war marched down to Hebron from the most remote parts of the country (1 Chronicles 12:23-

40). Such enthusiasm had never before been witnessed. Not bidden to the war, but voluntarily they came,

some bringing with them even from the northernmost parts of the land - from Issachar, Zebulun, and

Naphtali - contributions in kind for the thre e days' popular feast which David's former subjects of Judah, and

especially those around Hebron, were preparing in honor of this great and most joyous event. From both

banks of the Jordan they came. Of course, we do not look for a large representation from Judah and Simeon

(the latter being enclosed in the territory of Judah), since they were already David's, nor from the Levites,

many of whom may previously have been in David's territory (1 Chronicles 12:24-26). Issachar was

represented by two hundred of its most prominent public leaders, "knowing (possessing) understanding of

the times, to know what Israel should do."  257 Only the contingents from Ephraim and Benjamin were

comparatively small, the former, owing either to the old tribal jealousy between Ephraim and Judah, or else

from a real diminution in their number, such as had appeared even in the second census taken by Moses,258

while in the case of Benjamin it is sufficiently accounted for by the circumstance that "even till then the

greatest part of them were keeping their allegiance to the house of Saul" (ver. 29).