Through the Bible – Day 107

₁Israel's leaders met with David at Hebron and said, “We are your relatives. ₂Even when Saul was king, you led our nation in battle. And the LORD promised that some day you would rule Israel and take care of us like a shepherd.”

₃During the meeting, David made an agreement with the leaders and asked the LORD to be their witness. Then the leaders poured olive oil on David's head to show that he was now the king of Israel.

₄David was thirty years old when he became king, and he ruled for forty years. ₅He lived in Hebron for the first seven and a half years and ruled only Judah. Then he moved to Jerusalem, where he ruled both Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.

₆The Jebusites lived in Jerusalem, and David led his army there to attack them. The Jebusites did not think he could get in, so they told him, “You can't get in here! We could drive you away, even if we couldn't see or walk!”

_7-9David told his troops, “You will have to go up through the water tunnel to get those Jebusites. I hate people like them who can't walk or see.”

That's why there is still a rule that says, “Only people who can walk and see are allowed in the temple.”

David captured the fortress on Mount Zion, then he moved there and named it David's City. He had the city rebuilt, starting with the landfill to the east. ₁₀David became a great and strong ruler, because the LORD All-Powerful was on his side.

₁₁King Hiram of Tyre sent some officials to David. Carpenters and stone workers came with them, and they brought cedar logs so they could build David a palace.

₁₂David knew that the LORD had made him king of Israel and that he had made him a powerful ruler for the good of his people.

₁₃After David left Hebron and moved to Jerusalem, he married many women from Jerusalem, and he had a lot of children. ₁₄His sons who were born there were Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ₁₅Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ₁₆Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

₁₇The Philistines heard that David was now king of Israel, and they came into the hill country to try and capture him. But David found out and went into his fortress. ₁₈So the Philistines camped in Rephaim Valley.

₁₉David asked the LORD, “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you let me win?”

The LORD told David, “Attack! I will let you win.”

₂₀David attacked the Philistines and defeated them. Then he said, “I watched the LORD break through my enemies like a mighty flood.” So he named the place “The Lord Broke Through”. ₂₁David and his troops also carried away the idols that the Philistines had left behind.

₂₂Some time later, the Philistines came back into the hill country and camped in Rephaim Valley. ₂₃David asked the LORD what he should do, and the LORD answered:

₂₅David obeyed the LORD and defeated the Philistines. He even chased them all the way from Geba to the entrance to Gezer.

₁David brought together thirty thousand of Israel's best soldiers and ₂led them to Baalah in Judah, which was also called Kiriath-Jearim. They were going there to get the sacred chest and bring it back to Jerusalem. The throne of the LORD All-Powerful is above the winged creatures on top of this chest, and he is worshipped there.

₃They put the sacred chest on a new ox cart and started bringing it down the hill from Abinadab's house. Abinadab's sons Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the ox cart, ₄with Ahio walking in front of it. ₅Some of the people of Israel were playing music on small harps and other stringed instruments, and on tambourines, castanets, and cymbals. David and the others were happy, and they danced for the LORD with all their might.

₆But when they came to Nacon's threshing floor, the oxen stumbled, so Uzzah reached out and took hold of the sacred chest. ₇The LORD God was very angry with Uzzah for doing this, and he killed Uzzah there beside the chest.

₈David got angry with God for killing Uzzah. He named that place “Bursting Out Against Uzzah”, and that's what it's still called.

₉David was afraid of the LORD and thought, “Should I really take the sacred chest to my city?” ₁₀He decided not to take it there. Instead, he turned off the road and took it to the home of Obed-Edom, who was from Gath.

_11-12The chest stayed there for three months, and the LORD greatly blessed Obed-Edom, his family, and everything he owned. Then someone told King David, “The LORD has done this because the sacred chest is in Obed-Edom's house.”

Straight away, David went to Obed-Edom's house to get the chest and bring it to David's City. Everyone was celebrating. ₁₃The people carrying the chest walked six steps, then David sacrificed an ox and a choice cow. ₁₄He was dancing for the LORD with all his might, but he wore only a linen cloth. ₁₅He and everyone else were celebrating by shouting and blowing horns while the chest was being carried along.

₁₆Saul's daughter Michal looked out of her window and watched the chest being brought into David's City. But when she saw David jumping and dancing for the LORD, she was disgusted.

₁₇They put the chest inside a tent that David had set up for it. David worshipped the LORD by sacrificing animals and burning them on an altar, ₁₈then he blessed the people in the name of the LORD All-Powerful. ₁₉He gave all the men and women in the crowd a small loaf of bread, some meat, and a handful of raisins, and everyone went home.

₂₀David went home so he could ask the LORD to bless his family. But Saul's daughter Michal went out and started yelling at him. “You were really great today!” she said. “You acted like a dirty old man, dancing around half-naked in front of your servants' slave-girls.”

₂₁David told her, “The LORD didn't choose your father or anyone else in your family to be the leader of his people. The LORD chose me, and I was celebrating in honour of him. ₂₂I'll show you just how great I can be! I'll even be disgusting to myself. But those slave-girls you talked about will still honour me!”

₂₃Michal never had any children.

₂₂Jesus said to his disciples:

₄₁Peter asked Jesus, “Did you say this just for us or for everyone?”

₄₂The Lord answered: