The Agenda

When David killed Goliath, he was 17 years old, the consequence of his action took him away from The Household of Jesse and the Tribe of Judah immediately. He began to sit with Saul at The Palace of Saul located at Gibeah, within the Territory of the tribe of Benjamin. David met with Jonathan here and their souls cleaved together as one.

David thrived as one of the King's most fearsome warriors during his early years with King Saul, he was a leader in the King's Guard while Abner was the overall head of the army of Israel. King Saul especially gave David covert assignments and the young man triumphed in them all.

His fame grew quickly and this led to the song the women of Israel sang in the book of 1 Samuel 18 which aroused Saul's jealousy and fear of the young man. Saul decided to kill David but he had to do it by proxy. The young David survived all the dangerous assignments given to him and even ended up marrying Saul's daughter as a result of Saul's machinations.

The anointing on David simply preserved him from every evil plot and scheme. At a point Saul got tired of playing games and launched a spear at David directly. David knew he was in a dilemma. He wouldn't dare strike the king, that would be treason and if a king desired to kill a subject, the subject should best write his will because a king would always find a way and nobody would be able to question him. So, David started avoiding King Saul.

The King noticed this and got alarmed. He knew it was wiser to keep his enemies closer so as to monitor him. An enemy one cannot see, is an enemy one cannot predict. Eventually, Saul sent assassins to kill David in his house.

David's wife told him of her father's plot.
David escaped. He escaped with some of his most trusted men from the tribe of Judah.

Israel had 12 tribes and like any other nation with different tribes, the nature of affiliations is thus; self, family, house, tribe and nation. Members of the same tribe always flock together; a wise man does not surround himself with strangers.

This was why Saul surrounded himself with Benjamites and built his capital in Gibeah among the Benjamites.
Tribesmen and women share a common history, ancestry, blood and understanding that binds them as one (This is not to be mistaken for tribalism, a situation where some people are overtly loyal to their own group at the expense of members of other groups leading to prejudice, discrimination, atrocity and genocide).

The opposite of tribalism is perpetual solitude. It is natural for mankind to flock together in tribes.)
When David left Saul's palace in Gibeah, he went straight to Nob. He was confused as to what he was meant to do with his life. He had been anointed king at the age of 17 and it seemed he was on track under Saul until he had to flee.

His entire life was upside down. Nob was a town of priests. Priests had the ability to help inquire of God what to do when one is confused. Saul also did this early in his life in 1 Samuel 9 when he was searching for his father's lost donkeys.

Ahimelech was the priest presiding over the tabernacle in Nob, he knew how to use the Urim and Thummim. David lied when he got to Nob that he was on King's business and he was given the shewbread to eat and Goliath's sword. He was seen by Doeg the Edomite who later told Saul about his visit leading to the massacre of all the priests in the land of Nob.

David at this point fled to the land of the Philistines for asylum. He also got his parents and relatives out of Israel knowing the King would kill them or hold them as ransom for his life. David attracted to himself men of the tribe of Judah and other Israelites who were described as distressed, discontented and indebted.

David's supporters grew quickly (The anointing always attracts the right people).

Within ten years, David had a community of his own in Ziklag under the patronage of King Achish of Gath in the land of Philistine. Then King Saul died in the Battle of Mount Gilboa. Saul's only surviving son, Ishbaal became his successor but his throne had become weak.

David asked the Lord if he could return home and God said Yes! He had no other place to go than his tribe. But David returned home with an army of 600 battle tested men, their wives, children, slaves and domestic animals.

They settled at Hebron, in the outskirts of Judah. The place became a sort of military barracks. The sheer strength of David's group made him the leader of Judah.

A position the men of Issachar's vision later came to confirm as he was anointed king over Judah a few months later. The moment David was anointed King, Israel was divided into two. The north, where Ishbaal ruled with the capital in Gibeah and The south where David ruled with the capital in Hebron.

Ishbaal and the tribe of Benjamin saw David as an usurper and traitor (This is how most of us would feel too) but he was too powerless to do anything about it. All the power he had was given to him by Abner, his late father's army general and one day Abner took all the power away because Ishbaal challenged him for sleeping with King Saul's concubine.

Ishbaal was killed by two crooks once the protection of Abner was removed and David went on to become King over the whole of Israel. David however needed to win the trust and cooperation of the tribe of Benjamin and their sympathizers. This was why he brought Mephibosheth to the palace as a noble man.

Many said it was because of David's love for Jonathan, this is true but it was also a political masterstroke.
(Just like in Game of Thrones, The Lannisters kept Sansa Stark in King's Landing in order to keep the North in check, and the Starks kept Theon Greyjoy in the North to keep the iron born in check).

David's rule was the best in Israel until he made serious errors in judgment by sleeping with Bathsheba and killing Uriah. His problem was not external, he simply imploded but God found a way to put Humpty-Dumpty together again! 

As I prayed for Nigeria this morning, I reflected upon the journey of David and Israel.
Nigeria and Israel (of the Bible) have a lot in common, especially the politics, human behaviour and the history. Israel had agitators too, Sheba son of Bicri and the likes. The nation had civil war too and it was divided along ethnic/tribal lines but God remains in control of her affairs till today.

God has a plan for Nigeria. God's plan is what is best for Nigeria. Not my sentiment or your sentiment, but God's plan. That's all I desire to see.

Though the fig tree may not blossom nor fruits in the vines, though the labour of the Olives fail and the fields be barren, though the flock be cut off from the fold and no herd in the stalls; Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength, He has blessed me.

-GSW-