Today’s readings reflect a turning point in the narrative of Israel as a nation:

• The 2 Samuel 5 passage notes the moment when David becomes king over all the tribes of Israel and Judah.
• The transfer of the ark of Yahweh in 2 Samuel 6 prompts reflection on God’s place in this new political landscape.

2 Samuel 5:3 marks the culmination of David’s rise from shepherd boy to shepherd-king. It also completes Israel’s transition from a federation of tribes to a united monarchy with a capital city. That transition began in 1 Samuel 8, when the elders of Israel demanded a king to lead the nation. The LORD acquiesced and had the prophet Samuel appoint Saul as the first king (1 Samuel 10:1). David enters the story in two ways: 1) as a harpist whose music relieved Saul’s torment when an evil spirit from God came upon him (1 Samuel 16:14-23); and 2) as a young lad who fearlessly slew the Philistine warrior Goliath (1 Samuel 17:20-51), and was subsequently appointed to a high rank in the army by Saul. Though David became Saul’s son-in-law, and was ...