II Samuel 2-3
I don’t know about you, but I tend to think of Israel’s “United Monarchy” as passing from Saul to David and on to Solomon fairly smoothly, and that it is only with Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, that the kingdom divides. I tend to forget this relatively brief period after Saul’s death when David rules over Judah but not yet over the whole house of Israel. Here also we have a divided kingdom, with the tribe of Judah by itself under David and the rest of Israel under Saul’s son, Ish-bosheth. The real power behind Ish-bosheth, though, is the military leader, Abner, who remains loyal to Saul’s house — until a rift develops between Abner and Ish-bosheth. But you don’t need me to retell the details; you have them all right there in Scripture. Let’s just say it isn’t all pretty.
Yet David is the LORD’s anointed king, right? (See I Samuel 16:1-13.) David, aware of his anointing (of course), has already been waiting to step into the fullness of that position as King of Israel for years and years, most of that time hounded by Saul. And now that Saul is out of the way, one might easily think that the throne would simply be handed to David straightaway. But it isn’t. It’s a mess. There’s conflict. It’s bloody. It’s brutal. And in the process a very capable and honorable leader, Abner, is murdered by David’s nephew, Joab.
Where is God in all of that? That’s a bit hard to say as we are not explicitly told. Yet — somehow — God is working out His purposes, not just for David, but for everyone.
And so it is for us today. We may face circumstances that are confusing, disappointing, painful, or otherwise difficult, but that does not mean that God’s plans are failing or going awry. God is still on His “Plan A.” There is no “Plan B.” He does not need one.
See also: April 2 (2023) / II Samuel 2-4.