Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of II Samuel Chapter 5
Metaphysically Interpreting II Samuel 5:1-5
5:1Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. 5:2In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was thou that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and Jehovah said to thee, Thou shalt be shepherd of my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over Israel. 5:3So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah: and they anointed David king over Israel. 5:4David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 5:5In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.
September 13, 1908: II Sam. 5:1-5
Where there is a conscious subjective unity of head and heart victory is assured. Man can overcome every enemy, and establish a great kingdom, like David, by uniting and harmonizing the spiritual forces of his being.
August 13, 1918: II Sam. 5:1-5
What step in individual unfoldment is typified by the gathering of the “tribes of Israel and Judah” at “Hebron”? The gathering of the tribes of “Israel” and “Judah” at “Hebron” represents the conscious recognition that Love (David) has become the Supreme Ruler in consciousness. “Love is the fulfilling of the law.”
July 25, 1920: II Sam. 5:1-5
What is one of the important offices of love in spiritual unfoldment? Individually, love draws and holds together all the other faculties of being; in a universal sense, love is the power which works incessantly to bring into manifestation in men and in nations the altruistic spirit of oneness, which proves that in reality the Father has “made of one [blood] every nation.”
August 14, 1927: II Sam. 5:1-3
What is represented by David's assembling the people of Judah at Hebron? Hebron means “union.” The people of Hebron represent the thoughts working through the faculties that are located in the front brain, where man consciously makes union with the love of God (David).
All the tribes of Israel acknowledged that they were the bone and flesh of David and that through him they gained their victories. How do we interpret this Scripture metaphysically? God is love and God is all; therefore, all real ideas are directly related to love and all real victories over error are gained through the exercise of loving thoughts. Our recognition and our affirmation of these facts make love (David) king in our consciousness. The kingship of love is symbolized by the anointing of David.
May 6, 1951: II Sam. 5:1-5
Why did all Israel come to anoint David king over them? David represents love, and love makes contact with and rules all the realities of life. These realities are represented by Israel.
David was a man of war. How then does he represent love? As love unfolds in our consciousness, it passes through different stages or degrees of expression. When it is expressed in personal consciousness, it resorts to warfare and conflict in seeking to possess and hold fast the object of its expression. David the warrior also loved peace, justice, and righteousness.
In our exercise of self-control is the will more powerful than love? No, love is more powerful than the will. “When Saul was king over us, it was thou that leddest out and broughtest in Israel.” Love is the supreme faculty.
Of what importance is a covenant with Jehovah? It keeps us conscious of Truth and aids us in conforming to the divine law.
Metaphysically Interpreting II Samuel 5:6-16
5:6And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither; thinking, David cannot come in hither. 5:7Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David. 5:8And David said on that day, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites, let him get up to the watercourse, and smite the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul. Wherefore they say, There are the blind and the lame; he cannot come into the house. 5:9And David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward. 5:10And David waxed greater and greater; for Jehovah, the God of hosts, was with him.
5:11And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar-trees, and carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house. 5:12And David perceived that Jehovah had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake.
5:13And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron; and there were yet sons and daughters born to David. 5:14And these are the names of those that were born unto him in Jerusalem: Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, 5:15and Ibhar, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia, 5:16and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet.
July 12, 1896: II Sam. 5:1-12
1. All Israel assemble at Hebron (place of the covenant), and there recognize the kinship of Love (“we are thy bone and thy flesh”), and its superior fitness for full dominion;
2. And recalling that in the past it was Love that was the real motive power of all action, and therefore foreordained “to feed my people, Israel,” and “to be captain over them.”
3. The chief thoughts (“elders”) of the whole realm of Israel come, and make a league with Love, voluntarily pledging their allegiance; and they “anoint David (Love) king over Judah and Israel,” the whole realm of Spiritual thought. This is the establishment of Love as a consciousness.
4-5. Love on its throne is never less than the fullness of mature manhood (“30 years old” – Jesus was 30 years old when he began to preach) and the duration of its reign is through the fullness of time (“40 years” 4x10).
6. The” Jebusites” were one of the native Canaanite Tribes, which Judah and Benjamin, in the allotment, did not succeed in driving out. These “Jebusites” represent certain seemingly unconquerable race beliefs, such as heredity, which have entrenched themselves in the very citadel of the mind (“Jerusalem”), where they say to the new consciousness, You cannot dominate us, except by this test: “Except ye take away the blind and the lame,” which are always to be found on mortal mind's premises: “Except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe.”
7. But Love has omnipotent power to “take away” even the strongest race beliefs, to “take away the blind and the lame;” and by this means to carry the impregnable stronghold of the “Jebusites.” Thus the unsubdued enemies' country of race beliefs becomes “Zion the city of David,” through the demonstration of healing.
8. Love cannot tolerate imperfection; it sees only perfection of being: “the blind and the lame” are inimical to Love (“hated of David's soul”), therefore Love “smites” mortal man's false claims with the irresistable word of Truth – “sword of the Spirit” – which is Love's only offensive weapon; “God shall smite Egypt and shall heal it” – Is.19:22.
9-10. When through the power of Love and Truth we “smite” and destroy some great claim of mortal mind, we find this place of victory is a new center of activity, affording opportunity for larger growth and fuller dominion in the realization that “the Lord of Hosts is with us.”
11. Love builds her “house” of the “cedars” furnished by noble thoughts (“Hiram”), which she is delightfully environed. “Wisdom hath builded her house” – Prov. 9:1.
12. Having attained to the Love consciousness, we “perceive” that this attainment is a Divine establishment, and that the exaltation of our Love Kingdom is for “Israel's sake”. In the “Kingdom of Heaven” – the consciousness of Love dominant – there is no arbitrary authority; all thoughts choose to be subject to Love; for the ideal King “derives his just powers from the consent of the governed.”
– UNITY magazine
September 17, 1944: II Sam. 5:1-10
Why was David anointed to be “shepherd” of Israel and prince over Israel? One meaning of the name Israel is “rulership with God.” The name represents the thoughts that are wrought in truth and righteousness, in other words, the spiritual consciousness. To shepherd these thoughts is to guard and nurture them, keeping the flock safe and undisturbed. To be prince over such thoughts is to control them and make of them what we will. Our authority over our thoughts is absolute, and we are responsible for both attitudes.
What in us is represented by the “stronghold of Zion”? It represents love's abode in the place of the subjective consciousness, where high, holy thoughts and ideals abide. But before love can abide in this exalted place, it must win the right to exercise it. This is done by overcoming the sense or carnal thoughts (Jebusites) that are in possession of the peace center in consciousness (Jerusalem).
Why did David build “from Millo and inward”? Millo means “fortress,” “castle,” and implies a building in of substance into consciousness, or a strengthening and fortifying of oneself in the consciousness of substance.
In what respect was Jehovah, the God of hosts, with David? The God of hosts or spiritual counterpart of each of the myriad thoughts of the mind is held in consciousness by love in its pure state. David kept God as the background of all his thoughts, and by so doing he increased constantly in greatness and power.
How can we most easily remain conscious always of God? By claiming love as the background of our thought at all times through the I AM. We may affirm, “I am in love with goodness,” “I am in love with justice and mercy,” “I am in love with humility and unselfishness,” and so on through an endless list of spiritual qualities (the “hosts” of good).
April 20, 1947: Sam 5:6-10
By what are love and peace represented in this lesson? David represents love individualized in human consciousness. Jerusalem represents peace.
The name of Jerusalem was originally Jebus. Does Jebus also mean peace? The name Jebus means “trampled under foot.” It signifies the higher impulses and inspirations trampled under foot and scorned by those who have not yet experienced a change of heart.
How is peace developed out of such conditions? As love (David) makes a way for the higher impulses to express themselves, peace is established in the heart.
Is the change made without effort? No, love makes a supreme effort before the higher impulses become dominant. “David took the stronghold of Zion.” Love does not make work unnecessary, but it makes it easier and pleasanter.
How can we enlighten blind faith? By affirming that divine wisdom is now operative in our mind, life, and affairs, and proceeding to act as if it were.
What does acting on our affirmations accomplish for us? It builds up in us an increasing consciousness of substance. “David built round about from Millo and inward.”
How are all our undertakings prospered? By our aligning ourselves with the divine law through the love faculty. “David waxed greater and greater; Jehovah, the God of hosts, was with him.”
Metaphysically Interpreting II Samuel 5:17-25
5:17And when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the stronghold. 5:18Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. 5:19And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into my hand? And Jehovah said unto David, Go up; for I will certainly deliver the Philistines into thy hand. 5:20And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there; and he said, Jehovah hath broken mine enemies before me, like the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baal-perazim. 5:21And they left their images there; and David and his men took them away.
5:22And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. 5:23And when David inquired of Jehovah, he said, Thou shalt not go up: make a circuit behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry-trees. 5:24And it shall be, when thou hearest the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself; for then is Jehovah gone out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines. 5:25And David did so, as Jehovah commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gezer.
April 20, 1947: II Sam. 5:17-25
What do the Philistines represent in our life? They represent forces foreign to Spirit, or inimical to it; for example, materialism. The Philistines were always opposed to the Israelites, who represent the religious instincts.
What is represented by the “valley of the Rephaim”? The Rephaim were giants, supposed, who have dwelt in the land in prehistoric times along with the mammoth animals. The valley of the Rephaim represents the low state of mind induced in us by our surrender to fears that appear too great for us to overcome. By using the I AM to affirm our [thoughts, we do overcome.]
Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 11-05-2013
