During the more than two hundred years that the Hebrews had occupied the promised land after the exodus Jerusalem had remained in Canaanite hands. Thus, not one of the twelve tribes had been able to claim it as its own territory. The old tribal loyalties were still operative when David was anointed King. Saul, the first king in Israel, had only reigned for twenty or so years — not long enough to erase tribal memory. David made the brilliant decision to make Jerusalem his capital so that no tribe could exert any special claim on the king. A reminder that even political decisions have spiritual consequences. The spiritual realm, therefore, must be taken into account even when we make a seemingly political calculus.
