Several years ago the war movie Dunkirk came out. It tells the story of the evacuation of British troops from France in 1940, from the land, sea, and air perspective. True to form, the director of the film plays with your perception of time, as the three stories interrelate but on different time scales.
As much as we enjoy reading or viewing stories told in “traditional” time, sometimes a point can be made by collecting tales together out of chronological order. 2 Samuel 5 plays with time. The passage provides a series of separate events, presented out of order, demonstrating how God’s promises were being fulfilled in David. Kinda. There is enough hinted in the passage to direct us to another fulfiller of God’s promises.
After the deaths of Abner and Ish-bosheth in chapters 3 and 4 of 2 Samuel, there was a power vacuum in the northern tribes. In this vacuum, “all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron” to swear allegiance (v.1).
They gave three reasons for doing so. Firstly, relationship (“bone and flesh”, v.1). Secondly, past generalship under Saul (v.2). Thirdly, covenantal – God himself had said “You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel” (v.2).
Therefore David covenanted with all Israel to lead them, was anointed king, and reigned forty years (vv.3-5).
This story shows that God had fulfilled his promises to David despite the opposition of Saul, of Abner (and Ish-bosheth), and others along the way. Nobody, no matter how powerful or influential, was able to stop God fulfilling his promises.
After this, the author tells the story of Jerusalem’s capture. Jerusalem was occupied by the Jebusites, despite previous attempts at driving them out (Josh. 15:63, Judges 1:8, 21). Not surprisingly, the Jebusites were cocky, thinking even their lame and blind could beat Israel (v.6). David took this trash talk and turned it into motivation for his troops, who found an accessway through Jerusalem’s secret water supply (essential for withstanding siege) and captured the city (vv.7-8).
David turned it into Israel’s capital, and Israel’s strength grew because God was with them, fulfilling his promises (vv.9-10). This time, not even a millennia could stop God (cf. Gen. 15:18-21). Time is no valiant opponent.
David’s power became so great that later in time (towards the end of his reign), the foreign king of Tyre sent Lebanese Cedar and skilled builders to make David a fitting palace (vv.11-12). This demonstrated God fulfilling his promise to ensure the proper leadership of God’s people.
Kinda. It is not all rosy in Israel. On the plus side, David has many sons born to him (vv.14-16). Children are a blessing from the LORD (Ps. 127:4-5). Clearly God is strengthening his house.
On the downside, David added more wives and concubines in Jerusalem (v.13). He already had several. This is a problem; the covenant king must not gather wives lest they lead him away from worship of God (Deut. 17:17).
Yet despite this, God still fulfilled his promise to protect his people through David. Chronologically earlier in David’s reign, the Philistines attack again since the Israelites are a now united front (vv.17-18). David succeeded where Saul failed, inquiring of God whether to attack the Philistines and receiving encouragement to go (vv.19-20).
David recognised that God was with them and had caused the defeat of the Philistines, and so named the place for God’s “breaking through” the enemy (v.20). The Philistines, meanwhile, left their useless house gods in place so David and his men took out the trash (v.21).
This was not a one-off. Up the Philistines came again, but David did not presume (v.22). He again inquired of God, who told him to attack from the rear (v.23). When David heard “the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees” he was to attack, because God was going first as Warrior to defeat the Philistines (v.24). David and Israel were the mop up crew, to strike down the remnants of God’s attack (v.25).
God fulfilled his promises for protection, as the leveller of Philistine’s might and the warrior who defeated the enemies of his people.
All of these snippets from David’s kingship showed God fulfilling his promises to his people. They remind us that the same God is the God of Promise, who fulfils his promises for us today as well.
Opposition from the great powers of this world cannot stop God. Time is no barrier to God fulfilling his promises. It may take longer than we like, but God fulfils in his good time. God protects his people. God levels our opponents and fights for us. God does so in various ways; we should always go to him in prayer.
Yet God did not complete his promise-keeping when it came to David. There was still one better to come. Only Jesus ticked all the promise-fulfilment boxes (2 Cor. 1:20).
In Jesus, there is no “kinda” promise fulfilment.
