David Mourns Abner

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

2 Samuel 3:31-39
31 Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner.” And King David followed the bier.
32 They buried Abner at Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.
33 And the king lamented for Abner, saying, “Should Abner die as a fool dies?
34 Your hands were not bound; your feet were not fettered; as one falls before the wicked you have fallen.” And all the people wept again over him.
35 Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was yet day. But David swore, saying, “God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun goes down!”
36 And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as everything that the king did pleased all the people.
37 So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king’s will to put to death Abner the son of Ner.
38 And the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?
39 And I was gentle today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I. The LORD repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!”

Joab was a loose cannon, and because of Joab’s tendency to allow his desires to overtake any wisdom he may have entertained, this act of murder left a big mess on the doorstep of King David.

Remember, David had at this point only been crowned king of Judah, and was reigning in Hebron. Abner, at least to many of David’s people was considered of the enemy camp. Many may not have known of the back office type of discussions being had between Abner and David in seeking to return the kingdom to one king!

So when Joab killed Abner, it may have been perceived by many of David’s citizens that he gave the order.

For many kings in ancient times, this may have been an appropriate order to give, effectively taking an enemies key military leader out of contention, weakening the opponents and their king. Dominance by force would be much easier by taking advantage of this action!

David would not pursue this action. As a matter of fact, he has indicated multiple times and in multiple ways that his kingdom was not involved in this death.

1. A declaration

Initially David provided a declaration of the kingdoms innocence in this murder.

2 Samuel 3:28 Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the LORD for the blood of Abner the son of Ner.

2. A Cursing

Secondly, he openly placed a curse on his own general! A public curse on Joab was pronounced, and not only on Joab, but on the family of Joab’s father, Zeruiah.

2 Samuel 3:29 May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father’s house, and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or who is leprous or who holds a spindle or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread!”

3. Mourning imposed on Joab

David requires the murderer to mourn over Abner. David calls on all the people to mourn over Abner, but the one to note is Joab, for he is the one who is known to be the murderer, and now is ordered to take part in the mourning ceremony for the man he hated enough to murder.

4. Lamenting for Abner

David participates in the mourning for his enemies general, and leads the time of mourning with a lament for a man struck down by his own general.

He speaks of the injustice acted upon Abner, the shameful death he experienced, all of this reflecting on his own general Joab. David goes so far as to say Abner’s death was as one who fall before the wicked. Of course, the association of the wicked with Joab is obvious.

The tension in the air must have been thick enough to cut with a knife!

5. Personal fasting

In all of this public expressions of distaste for this action, David was acting upon this murder in a personal way. His fasting was only found out when the people came to provide food for him. Up until then, David’s decision to fast had been a personal matter, a decision he had made quietly and before the Lord.

This is a great indication that David was no mere politician, putting on a show for those watching. This death of Abner was a personal blow to David, and in the mind of David represented the wrong way of establishing a righteous throne.

Of course this very personal decision, once exposed, only caused a greater admiration of the people for their future king.

6. Personal communication to his servants

Even after his interactions with the “people and all Israel”, in that they understood David as guiltless in this murder, David makes two further statements to his servants, emphasizing his godly approach in reigning over the Lord’s people.

One positive statement regarding his enemies general, a man that had hunted him under King Saul’s authority. David declared Abner “a prince and a great man”!

Was Abner a saint? No, not by a long shot, but David sought to honor the man in truth and found characteristics in Abner’s life that were positive and relatable to the people.

One negative statement regarding his own general, and his family. These men, the sons of Zeruiah (Joab and his brother Abishai) were more severe than David.

To be severe is to be stubborn, obstinate, stiff necked. As an application for our own lives, it is instructive that stubbornness is not the way of the one born of the spirit, for we are to be a teachable people, a people that are compliant to the Lord’s direction.

To be faithful is not the equivalent of stubbornness.

This last statement of David to his servants reveals a key indication to those in service to David that the king was not going to follow the accepted ways of the neighboring kings. He will seek to make judgements on actions, not personality or celebrity. He will condemn unrighteous acts. Yes, it is true that if he were to condemn this murder per the Law, Joab would be dead. (See Life of David – 31.07, for a discussion on David’s decision regarding Joab)

Nevertheless, David was departing from the accepted methods of gaining power, and seeking to establish a kingdom that was not only different, but that followed after the God who had called them into existence.

A fantastic effort and attitude on David’s part, and one that typifies the unexpected reactions from one who follows God.

May we be of the same spirit, finding even towards our enemies a gracious attitude that will draw them into the kingdom, unite the kingdom and serve the kingdom.

It is the way of the kingdom!

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