2 Samuel 4 & 5 - June 5, 2025

When two Benjaminite captains assassinate Ishbosheth and bring his head to David expecting reward, they meet the same fate as the Amalekite who claimed to kill Saul—execution for killing "a righteous man." With this obstacle removed, all Israel's elders come to Hebron and anoint David as king over the united kingdom. David then captures Jerusalem from the Jebusites, establishing it as his capital—"the City of David." After building a cedar palace with help from King Hiram of Tyre, David twice defeats the Philistines through explicit divine guidance. These chapters highlight David's consistent refusal to gain power through violence against legitimate authorities while showing his military prowess against Israel's enemies—establishing principles of legitimate authority that would inform messianic expectations fulfilled in Jesus.