Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of II Samuel Chapter 2
Metaphysically Interpreting II Samuel 2:1-7
2:1And it came to pass after this, that David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And Jehovah said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron. 2:2So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 2:3And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron. 2:4And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.
And they told David, saying, The men of Jabesh-gilead were they that buried Saul. 2:5And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of Jehovah, that ye have showed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him. 2:6And now Jehovah show lovingkindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing. 2:7Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be ye valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.
September 13, 1908: II Sam. 2:1-7
Love does not at once master the whole man. But two tribes, Israel and Judah, are under the rule of David. These represent the highest realms of consciousness. David was told by the Lord to “Go up.” Judah means praise or prayer, and has its center in the top [of the] head.
The union of the head and heart was in the beginning subjective. Ishbosheth, a younger son of Saul, with his general, Abner, ruled the ten tribes and overcame the Philistines. Afterward all were subject to David.
– UNITY magazine
August 13, 1913: II Sam 2:1-7
What, in consciousness, does “Judah” and “Israel” symbolize? “Judah” means praise or prayer. “Israel” represents the ideas of reality in consciousness. Both tribes stand for the highest realms of mind.
Where in body consciousness is “Judah” focalized? “Judah” is focalized in the top [of the] head. It is that place where man touches the highest activities of Divine Mind.
What, in consciousness, does “David” represent, and where in body consciousness is point of contact made with this faculty? “David” represents the quickened and spiritualized thoughts of Love. Man contacts Love at the heart center.
What is the symbolical meaning of “Hebron,” the place to which David was commanded to go? “Hebron” means friendship or fellowship. It is the seat of conscious thought in the front brain, where we make conscious union with our thoughts.
July 25, 1920: II Sam. 2:1-7
What is the spiritual meaning of “Judah”? Judah means praise. Praise keeps the soul fresh and pure and beautiful. It is the power which opens the inner portals of the soul to the full and free inflow of spiritual light and aspiration.
Define the word “Hebron”. Hebron means friendship, spiritual brotherhood. Spiritual unfoldment always causes to flow forth from the heart towards God's children everywhere that kindly feeling which is ever constant, deep, tender. This is one of the indispensable requirements of every successful spiritual leader.
Give the meaning of the words, “Ahinoam” and “Abigail,” David's two wives who accompanied him to Hebron. The meaning of Ahinoam is “gracious” and the meaning of Abigail is “father of joy.” This reveals the important truth that solemnity and sad countenances do not symbolize the marks of reverence for the Deity in those who are spiritually minded, but that gracious and joyful countenances do.
Define “the men of Jabesh-Gilead were they that buried Saul”. The meaning of Jabesh-Gilead is “dryness,” “shame.” When the personal will (Saul) has spent its force, these are the powers which come forward and hide away all that remains of this quality in consciousness. The way is then opened for a higher expression of the executive power to manifest under the banner of love, David.
August 14, 1927: II Sam. 2:3-4
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).
September 17, 1944: II Sam. 2:4-7
David was anointed king by Samuel in Bethlehem. Later in Hebron he was twice anointed king, first over Judah and then over Israel. What is the meaning of the name Hebron, and what does it signify in this connection? The name Hebron means “bound by a common bond,” “friendship,” “brotherhood.” The gathering of the tribes at Hebron to acknowledge David king represents the conscious recognition by all the thoughts that love (David) shall reign supreme in consciousness.
Is the unfolding of love in the heart and soul an easy, spontaneous process; or does it require overcoming? Before love can become established as a principle of life and a permanent asset to character, it must be expressed faithfully under varying circumstances, regardless of personal feeling. David had many struggles before he became king over Judah, and he waged war almost throughout his entire reign, either with the surrounding heathen or with his son Absalom.
The name Judah means “praise Jehovah”. What does David's kingship over Judah symbolize? It means that love commands praise and that praise ministers to love and increases it. Through praise love is established in consciousness.
Metaphysically Interpreting II Samuel 2:8-11
2:8Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim; 2:9and he made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. 2:10Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 2:11And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
September 13, 1903: II Sam. 2:1-10
David is often referred to as a type of Christ. His life was a forerunner of that of the more perfect man, Jesus Christ, who was “of the house of David.” This allegory of Saul and David is then the story of man-consciousness in a certain phase of character building. That consciousness may be yours or mine. When we have had a great defeat in some cherished ambition for which we have worked for years, there is a collapse of mind and body – Saul and his sons and all his people are slain. But a resurrection is possible. Jesus was crucified, and the people said “he is dead.” But he was not at all dead; there was a resurrection after that human sense of life had exhausted itself and given up. It is only after the creature had let go and given up the ghost, which is the apparition corporeal, that a higher aspect of life is possible. David is the controlling faculty in this higher life manifestation.
David represents Divine Love individualized in human consciousness. Love in Being is the idea of Perfection in Unity. When this Divine Idea is focused in man, it is the Christ Love on its inner side and Jesus' love on its outer. When David in his youth and purity daily communed with God, he closely reflected Divine Love. When he developed more character as King in dominion over men, he manifested the limitations of the human in larger degree.
When we first come into this consciousness of Divine Love as the ruling motive of our life we are careful to ask for Divine guidance in every act. David felt that the time had come for him to set up rule in the Kingdom, and he asked of God if he should go up into any of the cities of Judah. The cities of Judah represent the spiritual centres of life in consciousness. The Lord told him to go unto Hebron, which means an association of ideas; metaphysically it represents concentration.
Thus the first step in demonstrating our rule in Divine Love is obedience to the Lord. The second is to go up into our highest spiritual realization and there concentrate all our thoughts.
The wives of David represent the harmonious side of thought which must enter into this demonstration. Ahinoam means beauty of motion, whose ruling idea in mind is activity without discord. Abigail means a father's joy. The idea back of this is that joy comes from God and should go with His Love. This wife is a Carmelite, which means abundance. Thus we see that joy and abundance are closely associated. One of the occult ideas contained in the Hebrew word Judah is praising. It is found that praising and thanksgiving thoughts multiply the brain cells. Gratitude is another name for this state of mind. The brain cells are but the visible precipitations of an ocean of thought-stuff everywhere present. Hence praising and thanksgiving multiplies and increases every thing that we center it upon. Jesus gave thanks before he raised Lazarus. He gave thanks before he multiplied the loaves and fishes. Scientifically he was increasing the thought-stuff until it precipitated into the realm of visibility. Go up into the cities of Judah and use the law as here stated, and you can bring forth whatever you set your heart upon.
Generosity and acknowledgment of good everywhere is a mental attitude necessary to a Divine Love demonstration. David sent messages of thankfulness to the men of Jabesh-Gilead for burying the body of Saul.
Because we have taken possession of the consciousness in the name of Divine Love, does not imply that we are yet supreme in our rule. There is always a remembrance of past errors remaining as a subconscious remorse or shame in mind. This is Ishbosheth, son of Saul, whose name means “son of shame.” He rules part of the consciousness, but he is a weakling and his kingdom is insignificant. We should always be on the' alert, however, to put down this accusing conscience and place Divine Love in its stead.
– UNITY magazine
July 5, 1896: II Sam. 2:1-11
1. David does not with ostentation assume the crown on the death of Saul. He listens for the leading of the inner voice – he “inquired of the Lord, shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” and the Spirit said, “Go up into Hebron.”
2-3. Obeying the voice of the Lord, and not self-will, with his two wives, Ahinoam (brother of grace) and Abigail (father of joy) “and his men” (all thoughts faithful to Love), he went to Hebron, where “they dwelt in the cities.” Thus Love surrounds itself with delightful and valiant thought environments, and becomes a fixed and settled principle in the mind (“cities”).
4. Thus established, qualified and fore-ordained to control all thoughts, Love does not assume authority, but by common consent the spiritual thoughts recognize the fitness of Love to rule (“the people come and anoint him King over the house of Judah”). Judah, our divinest thoughts first recognize the Divine Principle of Love, and its rightful supremacy. Mindful of the great service that obedient Saul had rendered the people of Jabesh-Gilead in overthrowing the Ammonites, who had threatened to “thrust out all their right eyes” – to destroy their discernment of Truth – so making them servile slaves, these people took the bodies of Saul and his two sons from the wall of Bathchan, and gave them honorable interment.
5-7. For this marked respect for the memory of Saul's better life, David commends them and gives them his blessing. Here again we see that Love sees no evil, but beneath the external unreal sees only “the Lord's anointed.”
8-9. Notwithstanding the death of this unholy consciousness, all traces of that consciousness do not disappear at once; there may still linger some kindred thought (Ishbosheth – son of shame), which the strong executive thought of the Saul consciousness (Abner) makes king over all Israel.
10. But Its dominance is of short duration, not being established in principle, For love, with full dominion over “Judah” (the higher Spiritual) must ultimately dominate all “Israel” as well. This complete domination will be shown in the next lesson.
Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 11-05-2013
