I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Samuel 4-7.

    After telling how David gained kingship over all of Israel, the passage gives us examples of David’s tactical brilliance. First, he conquered heavily fortified Jerusalem by sneaking troops into the city through their water supply (a vulnerability which does not get addressed until Hezekiah is king). This seems to us like an obvious attack, yet the Jebusites had been able to hold Jerusalem against the Israelites since the time of Joshua. So, this was probably less obvious than it seems to us today, and probably more difficult than the passage makes it appear. When the Philistines learned that David had united the Israelites and taken Jerusalem, they mustered their armies to break his fledgling kingdom. The first time the Philistines attacked, David marched out against them and attacked them head on, driving them from the field of battle. The second time they attacked, David realized they would have a plan to deal with a frontal assault, so he marched around behind them and attacked them from the rear. In both cases, David sought God’s guidance before formulating a plan and launching an attack.