2 Samuel 2:1-4 – Moving in God’s timing

David was once the commander of Israel’s fighting force. He had led them into many victories over the Philistines. Besides, he was the one who had killed Goliath and was greatly admired over Saul. It was this that caused him to fall out of favor with Saul. Naturally, one would have thought that with Saul and his sons dead, David could easily take over the throne of Israel. But this was not the case. Second Samuel 2:1 seems to suggest that the dust had somewhat settled, and David had time to think about what he had to do next. Remember, he was already anointed privately by Samuel to be king of Israel. Any lesser person would have just taken the liberty and proclaimed himself as a king.  But not for David. He moved gingerly and bid God's time.

Timing is critical. Knowing God’s calendar for one’s life is important. It will ensure that we do not move ahead or hold-up God’s agenda for us. Here David did the right thing, he consulted the LORD. He not only inquired whether he should move to one of the cities of Judah but also asked where the LORD wanted him to move to. The indication of the LORD was for him to move to Hebron. This place had many precious memories. In Genesis 13:18 we are told that Abraham, the patriarch settled at the oak of Mamre in Hebron and there he built an altar to the LORD. It was also here that Genesis 23 tells us Sarah died and was buried in the cave of Machpelah. In Joshua 14:13, this city was given by Joshua to Caleb for an inheritance. So this was the place that the LORD told David to move to. Therefore David with his wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, and the families of his men moved there and dwelt in that city. It was here that the men of Judah came and anointed him as king over the house of Judah. Meanwhile, in 1 Chronicles 12, we are told that more people came to Hebron and joined David.  Here the stage was set for him to begin the next phase of his journey.  

These four verses tell us how needful it is to move in tandem with God’s timing. Knowing God’s purpose for one’s life is important, but acting according to His timing is equally important. David knew God’s purpose for his life, so he took the time to seek His direction so that he could move at the right moment to the right station. Like David, we need to be wrapped up in God’s purpose and to move according to His time. Know also that before we can arrive at where we should be, there will be a period of preparation. While waiting for the moment to arrive, we must seize every opportunity to hone our skills and be equipped. And to remain in the centre of God’s will at all times.