Dr Paul Allen

David and the tomb of Abner (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) 1 Sam. 26:5-16 : 5 David then arose and came to the place where Saul had camped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army; and Saul was lying in the circle of the camp, and the people were camped around him. 6 Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah , Joab ’s brother, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.” 7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping inside the circle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people were lying around him. 8 Then Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand; now therefore, please let me strike him with the spear to the ground with one stroke, and I will not strike him the second time.” 9 But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who ca

"David and Jonathan," by Rembrandt. Jonathan is the figure in the turban. Hermitage News (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron , the king made a compact with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel ( 2 Samuel 5:3). David had a good legal claim to be Saul’s successor. Saul had repeatedly called him “my son” (1 Samuel 18:2; 24:11, 16; 26:17). Jonathan had adopted him by covenant as a brother equal to himself, and Jonathan was crown prince (18:3–4). Jonathan had yielded the throne to David by covenant (23:17–18). In addition David was Saul’s son-in-law (18:27). Yet, David was only 30 years old (2 Samuel 5:4), and there still lived an older son of Saul, Ishbosheth , who was about 40 years old (2 Samuel 2:10). While there was no precedent, inheritance to the throne was not automatic in Israel. The people had to vote and elect a man to be king, though the first candidate put forward