David was starting anew when crowned king of Israel in Hebron. He had lived in the remote desert city of Ziklag. When Saul died, he moved to Hebron, where Judah made him their king. Seven years and six months later, all Israel made him king. The Lord was enabling David to slowly improve his life (9).
David, the new king of Israel, needed a new capital city to rule from. Partly being a successful military man for many years, David decided to take the fortress city of Jebus. When the Lord enabled him to achieve it, he renamed it Jerusalem (4).
Partly being a man of faith, David may have known that Mt. Zion and Mt. Moriah, the mountains this city was on, were the location where Abraham, in faith, offered his son Jacob as a sacrifice to the Lord (though the Lord stopped Abraham). Also, Melchizedek, the priest of the Most High God, was from the city, then called Salem (Genesis 14:18). (Archaeological evidence has been found.)
Partly being an administrator, David chose Jebus because it was centrally located. David made it easy for the people to come to him and for him to quickly go to any border to defend the nation. Most likely, he also intended to build the temple in Jerusalem and move the ark from the beginning as well. Being centrally located would make going to the temple easier.
As the Lord enables me to make small improvements in my life, I need to ask and answer questions. Will this decision make my life and my family’s life safer? Is this decision good for my relationship with God? Does this decision make practical administrative sense?
Taking the city was not easy (5-6). Yet it was well worth it. This is where God wanted Israel’s capital city to be. This is where the Lord wanted his king to rule from. Most importantly, this is where the Lord would rule his people from.
