David the Comeback King
Second Samuel 19:8b to 24:25;
First Chronicles 11:10-47 and 20:4 to 29:30;
First Kings 1:1-53 and 2:10-11

When David finally arrived in Jerusalem, it was a signal to the nation that the rebellion had ended and their true king was back on the throne. But en route to the Holy City, David had to make some royal decisions that sent out other important messages to the people (see Ed David Returns to Yerushalayim). These chapters also tell of another rather short-lived rebellion against David led by a Benjamite named Sheba.

The last chapters of Second Samuel serve as an appendix to David’s career. These chapters are not chronological, yet they tied the whole book together. Several events recorded or referred to in these chapters occur earlier in David’s life but are presented here to show the other kinds of problems that David had to face – famine as a result of the slaughter of the Gibeonites and plague because of David’s ordering a census of his troops (Second Samuel 21:1-14 and 24:1-17), wars against the Philistines (Second Samuel 21:15-22) – and how David learned to praise YHVH through his trials (Second Samuel 22, Psalm 18 and Psalm 22). The section concludes with David’s purchase of the site upon which Solomon would later build the Temple and his last prayer and words.450

In addition, these chapters reveal the transfer of power from David to his son Solomon. Adoniyah briefly tried to usurp the throne and set himself up as king, but was quickly put down when David sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and put Solomon on the royal throne, his rule firmly established. Then David made the preparations for the Temple, made arrangements for the Temple services, prayed, said his last words, and was gathered to his people. He is Isra’el’s greatest king and will rule the Jewish branch of government during the Messianic Kingdom (see the commentary on Revelation FiThe Government of the Messianic Kingdom).