1-12 Ishbaal Assassinated
- Ishbaal hears of Abner's death, and loses courage.
- He has two captains -- Benjamites -- Baanah and Rechab.
- Side story: Jonathan's son, Mephibosheth is crippled in his feet because his nurse dropped him in her haste to flee when she heard of Jonathan's death. (Is this put here to explain why Mephibosheth is not in Ishbaal's household and is therefore spared from being killed? We'll hear more of Mephibosheth later.)
- Baanah and Rechab murder Ishbaal in his own bedroom, behead him and bring the head to David, thinking David will be pleased.
- He is not. Citing the death of the one who claimed to have killed Saul, he also punishes Baanah and Rechab, ordering their execution, including cutting off their hands and feet and hanging their bodies beside the pool at Hebron.
- They bury the head of Ishbaal in Abner's tomb. (There's certainly a significance in this; I'm not sure how to express it, though.)
1-5 David Anointed King of Israel. Same as 1 Chronicles 11 plus this:
- David was 30 years old when he began to reign.
- He reigned 40 years - 7-1/2 years at Hebron, and 33 years over Israel and Judah.
- David and his army attack the Jebusites in Jerusalem, and take it.
- This seems particularly cold-blooded: David orders soldiers to go up the water shaft and attack the lame and the blind, "those whom David hates."
- Jerusalem becomes the City of David (why do I think that refers to Bethlehem?).
- He becomes greater and greater, for the LORD, the God of hosts, is with him. (In 1 Chronicles, it calls his army the "LORD's army.")
- King Hiram of Tyre sends cedars, carpenters and masons to build David a house, after which David "perceives" God has established him king over Israel. Interesting that this would be what helps him come to that realization and not the defeat of Jerusalem.
- In Jerusalem, David takes more concubines, and fathers 11 more sons, among them Solomon.
- Philistines hunt for David, and he goes to the stronghold (the city of David mentioned before?), inquiring of God whether or not he should go up against them.
- God tells him to go up, and he defeats the Philistines at Baalperazim, where the Philistines leave their idols as they flee. David and his men carry away the idols.
- The Philistines come up in the valley of Rephaim. This time God tells David to strike them from the rear. He does so, and strikes them down "from Geba to Gezer."
1-23 David Brings Ark to Jerusalem
- David gathers 30,000 men and travels to Baale-judah to bring back the ark to Jerusalem.
- They put the ark on a new cart, out of the house of Abinadab (see 1 Samuel 6).
- Abinadab's sons, Ahio and Uzzah, drive the cart, with David and "all the house of Israel" celebrating with dancing and music.
- When the cart comes to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen shake, and Uzzah reaches out to steady the cart.
- This makes God angry, who strikes Uzzah dead on the spot for touching the ark.
- And this angers and frightens David, who names the place "Perez-uzzah," or "bursting out against Uzzah."
- Now afraid to have the ark in his care, David leaves it in the care of Obed-edom the Gittite, where it remains 3 months; and God blesses the household of Obed-edom. Apparently David doesn't mind Obed-edom taking the risk.
- When David hears God is blessing Obed-edom's house, he brings the ark to Jerusalem, sacrificing along the way. And "David danced before the LORD with all his might."
- Michal sees his dancing from a window, and despises him "with all her heart." I wonder if this is a residual effect of his having taken her from her previous husband.
- They bring the ark into a tent that David has pitched for it. He offers sacrifices and distributes cakes, meats, and raisins to all the people.
- When David returns home, Michal confronts him with her opinion that his actions have been vulgar.
- David defends his behavior, saying he is not ashamed to abase himself before God.
- "And Michael the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death." Was she barren only with David? Was this a punishment by God or by David?
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