This is Part One of this two-part teaching series. Continue to Part Two on transitioning to the Zion position.
David’s rise from shepherd to king did not happen in a single moment. He received three distinct anointings, but each anointing was joined to a process of service, testing, relationship and increasing responsibility. Bethlehem declared God’s choice. Adullam formed the man. Hebron brought covenantal recognition and enlarged government. Zion became the place from which that government was established and administered.
This journey gives us a biblical framework for understanding the elevation of a Setman. The word Setman is ministry terminology rather than a word used in Scripture. It describes the person whom God sets in primary leadership and governmental stewardship within a household or sphere. David’s life shows that such authority is never self-created, never independent of covenant, and never given merely for the honour of the leader.
“And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.”
— 2 Samuel 5:12, BSB
This verse gives the governing conclusion of the entire study: God established David, but He did so for the sake of His people.
The Three Anointings at a Glance
| Anointing | Location | Recognition | Governmental Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Bethlehem | God through Samuel | Divine selection personal calling and empowerment |
| Second | Hebron | The men of Judah | Covenantal recognition and rule over Judah |
| Third | Hebron | The elders of all Israel | National recognition and rule over united Israel |
Zion was not a fourth anointing. It was the stronghold David captured after the third anointing and the governmental centre from which his established kingdom could function.
The First Anointing at Bethlehem
Anointed for Divine Destiny
“Rise and anoint him, for he is the one. So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward.”
— 1 Samuel 16:12–13, BSB
David’s first anointing began with God’s selection. Jesse and Samuel naturally looked at the older brothers, but the Lord looked at the heart rather than outward appearance (1 Samuel 16:6–7). David was not chosen by family seniority, public popularity or personal ambition. God said, “He is the one.”
This is the first Setman principle: the grace begins with divine initiative. Before a people recognize the leader, God calls and equips him. Yet divine selection does not give a person permission to demand immediate position. Samuel anointed David as king, but David did not immediately occupy the throne.
The first anointing therefore speaks of calling, identity, empowerment and destiny. It announces what God intends, but it does not bypass the formation required to carry that intention responsibly.
The Anointed Man Returns to Service
After the oil came upon him, David continued to serve. He tended sheep, ministered to Saul with the harp, confronted Goliath and carried military responsibility. He learned to carry anointing without demanding status.
David also refused to manufacture his own promotion. When Saul pursued him, David had more than one opportunity to kill the king. He would not use an illegitimate means to obtain a legitimate promise (1 Samuel 24:4–7; 26:8–11). He understood that Samuel could anoint him, but only God could establish him.
A true Setman does not manipulate his way into authority. He serves faithfully and allows God to confirm the grace, prepare the people and determine the time.
Adullam The Formation of the Man
“So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and all his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. And all those who were in distress or debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander.”
— 1 Samuel 22:1–2, BSB
David entered Adullam as a fugitive, but he emerged as the leader of a functioning company. At Bethlehem he received oil. At Adullam he received people. Those who gathered to him were distressed, indebted and discontented. They did not arrive as polished leaders, yet many were transformed into the mighty men who later helped establish the kingdom.
Adullam as a Leadership Laboratory
Adullam tested and developed David in the areas that public anointing alone could never produce:
- Responsibility for wounded and difficult people
- Patience under pressure and delay
- Loyalty and covenant relationship
- Discernment in danger and conflict
- Mercy toward those who opposed him
- The ability to protect provide and lead
- Freedom from revenge entitlement and premature ambition
Adullam was not merely a hiding place. It was God’s workshop. David could not govern a nation until he had learned to govern his own reactions and care for those entrusted to him. The cave dealt with the man before the city was entrusted to the king.
Governmental leadership is not proved only by attracting strong people. It is also proved by developing people and creating an environment in which grace can mature them.
Adullam Deals with Ambition
The wilderness repeatedly confronted David with a choice: would he trust God’s timing or seize what had been promised? He would not assassinate the existing order in order to establish his own. He honoured the fact that Saul had been anointed, while refusing to participate in Saul’s disobedience and destructive behaviour.
This does not mean that abusive leadership should be enabled or that people must remain within unsafe environments. David created distance from Saul and acted wisely. His example shows that honour does not require passivity, and separation does not require vengeance.
Adullam therefore asks a searching question: can God trust the man before He entrusts him with the city?
The Second Anointing at Hebron
Anointed as King over Judah
“Some time later, David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” “Go up,” the LORD answered. “Where should I go?” asked David. “To Hebron,” replied the LORD.”
— 2 Samuel 2:1, BSB
Saul’s death did not cause David to assume that he could now act independently. He inquired of the Lord both about movement and location. God directed him to Hebron. There the men of Judah anointed David king over the house of Judah (2 Samuel 2:4).
The second anointing joined divine calling to relational recognition. Bethlehem declared, “God has chosen the man.” Hebron declared, “A people recognize the grace and enter into government with him.” David was not merely self-appointed. The people among whom he would serve acknowledged the grace they had observed.
Hebron The Place of Covenant and Governmental Maturity
Hebron carried a long history of covenant. Abraham built an altar in the region, and the patriarchal burial place at Machpelah was located there (Genesis 13:18; 23:17–20). For David, Hebron became the place where personal calling matured into covenantal government.
David reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months (2 Samuel 2:11; 5:5). This was not an insignificant waiting period. Adullam had developed the man; Hebron now developed the king. At Adullam he led a company. At Hebron he governed a tribe and a territory. His capacity increased with his responsibility.
Hebron therefore represents covenant, relational alignment, accountability, recognition and the gradual enlargement of governmental stewardship.
The Third Anointing at Hebron
Anointed as King over All Israel
“So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where King David made a covenant with them before the LORD. And they anointed him king over Israel.”
— 2 Samuel 5:3, BSB
All the tribes came to David and gave three reasons for their recognition. First, they acknowledged relationship: “We are your own flesh and blood.” Second, they recognized his proven function: even while Saul was king, David had led Israel in its campaigns. Third, they acknowledged the word of the Lord: David was called to shepherd and rule God’s people (2 Samuel 5:1–2; 1 Chronicles 11:1–3).
The elders did not merely attend a coronation. David made covenant with them before the Lord, and they anointed him king. Legitimate governmental authority brought together divine calling, demonstrated fruit, relational recognition, covenant and public accountability.
The third anointing enlarged David’s sphere from Judah to united Israel. It did not simply give him greater honour. It gave him greater responsibility. Spiritual promotion must therefore be understood as enlarged stewardship rather than elevated status.
From Hebron to Zion
“Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David).”
— 2 Samuel 5:7, BSB
After all Israel recognized David, he moved against the Jebusite stronghold at Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:6–10). He captured Zion, took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. The anointed and covenantally recognized king now possessed a governmental centre.
Zion represents more than David’s personal maturity. It represents established kingdom administration: a place of throne, order, worship, presence, corporate identity and government. David later brought the ark to the city, joining governmental order to the honouring of God’s presence (2 Samuel 6:12–17).
The goal was never merely to gather people around an anointed personality. The goal was to form a covenantal people through whom God’s righteous rule could be represented.
The Journey from Cave to City
| Stage | Dominant Emphasis | What God Develops | Governmental Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adullam | Formation | Character capacity and a shepherding heart | The man can lead and develop a company |
| Hebron | Covenant | Relationship recognition and accountability | The king can govern a people and territory |
| Zion | Administration | Order representation and corporate purpose | The kingdom functions from an established centre |
In summary: Adullam forms the leader. Hebron forms the covenantal company. Zion establishes governmental order.
David as a Setman
David provides a strong biblical pattern for what is often called Setman ministry. He was chosen by God, anointed by Samuel, tested through adversity, recognized by Judah, recognized by all Israel, joined covenantally to the elders and established by God.
A Shepherd before a Ruler
“You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ruler over them.”
— 2 Samuel 5:2, BSB
The order is important. David was called to shepherd before he was called to rule. Biblical government cannot be separated from care, protection, feeding and sacrificial responsibility. A leader who seeks submission, recognition or control without carrying a shepherd’s heart has misunderstood the nature of spiritual authority.
David was prepared for the throne while protecting sheep, serving people and risking himself for those under his care.
Established for the Sake of the People
Second Samuel 5:12 protects the Setman principle from becoming personality-centred. God established David and exalted the kingdom for Israel’s sake. The Setman is not elevated for private prominence. He is entrusted with grace so that the people may be protected, matured, equipped and brought into corporate purpose.
This authority must remain under the headship of Christ and within covenantal accountability. A Setman is not the head of the universal Church, does not replace the Holy Spirit, and is not above correction. Christ alone is the Head of His Body (Ephesians 1:22–23; Colossians 1:18). Governmental stewardship is therefore neither autocracy nor personal ownership; it is accountable service under the Lordship of Jesus.
Marks of Legitimate Setman Government
- Divine initiative. The call begins with God rather than personal ambition.
- Tested character. The leader is formed in hidden places before carrying public authority.
- Faithful service. He functions in grace before demanding title or recognition.
- Respect for God’s timing. He refuses manipulation revenge and premature self-promotion.
- A shepherding heart. He protects develops and serves the people entrusted to him.
- Relational recognition. People acknowledge demonstrated grace rather than being coerced into submission.
- Covenant accountability. Government is exercised within truthful committed relationships before the Lord.
- Increasing capacity. Every enlargement of sphere is matched by greater responsibility and stewardship.
- Corporate purpose. The leader builds mature people households and governmental order rather than dependence upon himself.
- Christ-centred authority. All leadership remains submitted to Jesus Christ the Head of the Church.
Warnings from the Journey
Do Not Seek Zion without Adullam
Leadership fails when people seek Zion’s authority without Adullam’s formation. They want government without character, recognition without service, sons without fathering and a throne without a wilderness. God’s pattern develops the man before entrusting him with greater government.
Do Not Remain at Hebron
Hebron is essential, but it is not the final destination. Covenant relationships must eventually produce kingdom representation and administration. A household should not exist merely to enjoy its internal relationships. Mature covenant must serve God’s wider purpose in the city and beyond.
Do Not Turn Zion into a Personal Throne
Zion must express God’s government, not the leader’s ego. David’s elevation was for the people. Mature Setman ministry equips others, develops sons, releases functional leaders and builds a corporate expression of Christ.
The Complete Pattern
David’s governmental journey may be summarized as follows:
- Bethlehem — God chooses and anoints the man.
- Adullam — God forms the man and develops a company around him.
- Hebron — God joins the man and a people in covenantal government.
- The third anointing — God enlarges the sphere through corporate recognition.
- Zion — God establishes a governmental centre for kingdom administration.
The movement is therefore from anointed man, to covenantal household, to governmental city. The mature Setman does not make people dependent upon himself. He uses his grace to build mature sons, functioning households, covenant relationships and leaders who can represent Christ faithfully.
Conclusion
David’s three anointings reveal that God’s calling unfolds through process. Bethlehem gave him prophetic designation. Adullam produced tested character and a loyal company. Hebron brought covenantal recognition first from Judah and then from all Israel. Zion became the place of established kingdom administration.
His elevation as Setman was therefore not a journey toward personal prominence. It was a journey from formation to covenant, from covenant to government and from government to the corporate representation of God’s purpose. The clearest measure of legitimate authority is not how high the leader is elevated, but how faithfully the people are served and brought into maturity.
David’s kingdom ultimately points beyond David to Jesus Christ, the Son of David and the eternal King. In Christ, believers have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God (Hebrews 12:22–24). Every earthly expression of leadership must therefore remain submitted to Him and must serve the building of His people.
Continue to Part Two: Transitioning to the Zion Position as a Setman.