You will shepherd my people Israel

You will shepherd my people Israel

2 Sam 4-5

Key Verse: 2

1. How did the death of Abner affect to Ish-Bosheth and the people of Israel [1]? Why? Find two reasons, one internal[4] and the other external. Who and what were Baanah and Recab[2-3]? What did they do to Ish-Bosheth[5-7]? How much were they convinced of what they were doing [7b-8]? In view of such a presentation to David, what has driven them to do such a thing? What respect might the people of Israel share the same feeling with these two? What was the overwhelming fear that came upon the people of Israel at the death of Abner?
2. How did David view their action [11]? What incident did David remind them of? Compare what David believed about Ish-Bosheth with what these two believed about Ish-Bosheth. Why and what did David swear by the God of his deliverance? By killing these two men, what belief was upheld and what belief was disdained? Compare the context that the people of Israel lived and believed with the context that David believed and lived through the two events[10-12]
3. Read 5:1-2. How did the mind of all the tribes of Israel change[4:1; 5:1]? How did the context of their understanding change [4:8; 5:1]? Think about what might be the impact of David's belief in bringing such changes in them.
4. What did they remember about what David did [2]? Why wasn't this sufficient enough for them to join with David from the outset of his kingship and now it becomes a compelling belief [3:18]? Discuss the basic tenets of the kingdom of the world in which they believed and lived. How and why did people’s view of kingship change? Compare what Abner said about David in 3:17-18 and what the leaders of Israel said in their appeal[5:2; This is the first use of such word ‘shepherd my people Israel’ in the relationship to the king].
5. How long did David reign over Judah and over all Israel? Discuss the significance of his kingship in Hebron for 6.5 years, particularly breeding a new understanding about ‘shepherd-king’ in the minds of the people of Israel.
6. Where was Jerusalem located? Who lived there and how well was it fortified [6]? What did David do to Jebusites and the city that he conquered? How did he secure his place [9]? Why was this possible [10]? How did the king of Tyre help David build his palace [11]? What did David come to realize about his kingship and his kingdom [12]? In what context did such truth come to his mind[6-12]? How was this in line with what people came to see in the life of David[2b, 12]?
7. Describe details of how David defeat the Philistines twice. In this process how did God reveal his will to use David to defeat Philistines [20]? In the second attack, how far did David drive away Philistines [25]? Who is God that demonstrated his power in such a way? Discuss this in terms of his relationship with David and Israel.

Introduction: In today’s passage for the first time, the wording ‘shepherd my people’ appears from the mouth of the leaders of Israel. This concept has been there all along from the beginning of his anointing as the king of Israel [ he was tending sheep when he was called] This was an alien idea, or rather such concept was absent in the minds of the people of Israel. But this was displayed by David when he was running away from Saul. The fullness of ‘shepherding’ was crystallized as he dealt with the families of Saul and those who were associated with his family. It was very meaningful because the word came out from the mouth of the leaders of 11 tribes. This meant that there was a great shift in the understanding of David. The basic tenets of their belief about king and kingship are the authority by power and rule by force as any nations in the world. But David ruled in a totally different principle that they never imagined and expected. This was revealed as he dealt with the Amalekite who claimed to have killed Saul and these two sons of Benjamite who killed Ish-Bosheth. The misconstrued idea of the Amalekite and the two sons of Benjamite was the same one as the world had and the whole Israelite had. So the way how David dealt with them was a kind of a signature that represents ‘king as shepherd’ that upholds God’s righteousness instead of personal power and authority. The maturing of this idea came to David when the kingship and the kingdom were solidly established by God’s grace and power. This is said in v 12 as the conclusion, “¹² And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.” The meaning and significance of David as the king of Israel and the glory of his kingdom are not for him or his family but for the sake of God’s people Israel. In one word, the king is all for God’s chosen people!

Like this novelty of shepherd-king was hatched in and through David. It started from David’s true fear in reverence to God and His authority and His righteousness.