After waiting for so long for God to bring him to the throne of Israel, and having resisted the temptation on a couple of occasions to take it by force, the last thing that David wanted was to gain the throne over the northern tribes by an act of dishonourable butchery. It shows how much David’s faith separated him from certain of his other countrymen who did not hesitate to use violence against their brothers for self-promotion. The fact that the two assassins of Ish-Bosheth expected David to be happy about their killing shows how acceptable their means seemed to them. David did not want to be promoted in this way. Either God raised him up or his position would put him in conflict with God. We should not wish to be promoted amongst our peers until God is pleased to entrust us with such a position. If we grasp on to promotion and try to win respect and renown by our own means and in our own time, then we will certainly find ourselves in conflict with God. A position of influence can either become a means of self-glorification or it can become an opportunity to humbly represent God to others. It can only be the latter when it is given by God. If it is taken by ambition, it will certainly become the former. If you are to be promoted in any way let it be God who promotes you. Never push yourself into a position of influence for you might just be pushing yourself right into the devil’s agenda.
Ask God to lead you in his time in ways that he knows are best for you.
Read 2 Samuel 4
