2 Samuel 2:3
“And David brought up his men who were with him, each with his household; and they settled in the cities of Hebron.”
These were the ones who had fled to David who became his army. He is rewarding their loyalty. David's a good guy. He doesn't forget what they did for him.
Some may have deserted them. They didn't have the best reputations. I Samuel 22:2 says this of them, "And all who were distressed or indebted or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him." This speaks even more of David's character.
The rich and the powerful would have looked down on the company David kept. They could jeopardize his taking the thrown. The thought probably went through his mind. He may have had friends say this to him. Those in Jesus' day said the same to Him. Matthew 9:11 says, 'When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”'
I love this about God. He went out of His way to connect with those that were lesser. He allowed His Son to be born in a barn in an unimportant town. Joseph was a blue collar person. The Lord always referrences the poor and the downcast.
The whole lot came with David to Hebron. It was hundreds of people. It had an impact on that town. More houses and neighborhoods has to be built. That can be difficult on a town.
David was a man of God who trusted Him. He doesn't appear to be swayed by the opinions of others. All of the things that people worry about, David knows to put those worries on God. He probably knows God's heart, that He cares for the downtrodden. The talk of class and status doesn't bother him.
There is more than not rejecting the unloveable, but a choosing to side with. Loyalty is a wonderful trait in a friend. This is going the extra mile, above and beyond what is expected. This is definitely a God thing. His love for us to so far out there. Cory Asbury wrote a song, Reckless Love that got him into a little trouble, as people say God isn't reckless. True, but I get where Cory is coming from. From a human perspective, leaving the 99 secure sheep to look for the one lost sheep feels risky. God is so loving in the face of rejection and cruelty, we don't get it.
Peter tried to use human reasoning with Jesus when he asked if forgiving a person seven times was a limit. Jesus blew this away by saying seventy times seven.
Lord, thank You for the example of David and how You also modeled loving everyone. There doesn't seem to be status concerns. Help us to just as loving and accepting.