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 4:1-12 1 When Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. 2 Now Saul’s son had two men who were captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon a man of Benjamin from Beeroth (for Beeroth also is counted part of Benjamin; 3 the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there to this day).
David’s kingdom was shaken by the murder of Abner, with David taking charge, openly declaring a curse on Joab, openly mourning over Abner’s death, and personally fasting over the circumstances that caused this injustice. In all his actions, the Word speaks of the people of Hebron, nay, all the people and all Israel recognizing the actions of the king, and being pleased.
2 Samuel 3:36 And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as everything that the king did pleased all the people. 2 Samuel 3:37 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.
As a study in contrasts, the writer of 2 Samuel provides Ish-bosheth’s mighty acts of leading his people. Doh – not so mighty, for Ish-bosheth crawled up into a fetal position (metaphorically speaking of course!) and waited.
Now I don’t suppose I would venture a guess as to what he was waiting for, but in times of numbing fear, it is fair to say that nothing else enters the mind. Fear is a controlling, all powerful emotion that consumes the one living in it.
Ish-bosheth waited. And his people were dismayed, even terrified at the outcomes of his leadership, at the condition of their nation. Meanwhile, these same subjects of Ish-bosheth were looking south. That David sure was a leader!
Ish-bosheth’s days were numbered, for David will surely come into his decapitated, weak nation, take it militarily and rid the united nation of Israel of any future threat of the lineage of king Saul. Ish-bosheth would have to die!
Enter Rachab and Baanah, two brothers that had a past. During the conquest of Canaan, under the leadership of Joshua, those of Beeroth, along with three other Hivite towns deceived Joshua with a ruse, entered into a treaty with Israel that caused dissension in the ranks of the Israeli army, and was a blot on Joshua’s leadership. Read about this deception and the result of it in Joshua 9
They were a people that were to be conquered, not assimilated into the covenant nation!
Joshua made sure that this deception would be noted in the annals of Israel’s history, for he pronounced a curse on them, stating they would be restricted to areas of service to the nation of Israel only.
Joshua 9:23 Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.”
Over three centuries later, the Beerothites were still a presence in the nation, with these two men serving as men leading raiding bands for Saul, and Saul’s son.
The term for “raiding bands” has a wide definition, ranging from a formal division of an army, to describing a marauding band of robbers, effectively mercenaries, guns for hire, men who had no allegiance but to the mighty buck!
Yes Ish-bosheth’s days were numbered, but not from the armies of David, but of his own, from treachery within his own ranks.
Ish-bosheth was a man used by Abner, who trusted Abner, obeyed Abner and was abandoned by Abner. Is it any wonder that the Word constantly instructs us to trust the Lord and not man?
Trust Him today for whatever challenges you may be facing. He is good to those of a pure heart and a humble spirit.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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 3:26-30 26 When Joab came out from David’s presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah. But David did not know about it. 27 And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the stomach, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. 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. 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!” 30 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.
Joab shows himself to be the treacherous man that we spoke on in our earlier post. The treachery is multifaceted and for a moment, I would like to consider Joab’s act in relation to his king.
First off, though the text does not reveal David’s acceptance of Joab’s claim that Abner was a spy, there was no order from Joab’s king to perform this act of murder. As a matter of fact, David decried this treachery and the passage describes David as not knowing of Joab’s plans to bring Abner back to Hebron.
Secondly, why bring Abner back to Hebron? Hebron was a city of refuge per Joshua 20:7, a city that protected those who accidentally killed a man from the “avenger of death”, any man who may seek to kill in revenge. It is not clear why Joab would request Abner’s return instead of simply pursuing him, other than deceiving Abner into thinking David called him back. Let’s remember the situation Abner was in. Abner had previously killed Joab’s brother, in a defensive battle, and it could be argued that Abner could flee to a city of refuge. Of course as a man of war, this was not strictly required or expected, but the tidbit about Joab taking Abner to the gate offers an interesting twist to the story.
Joab, in taking Abner to the gate, could claim his righteousness of killing Abner outside of the city of refuge. Never mind that he lured Abner back in deception, and with cunning forethought, planned the murder of Abner, executing the murder in similar manner as his brothers death.
2 Samuel 2:23 …. Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. …
Yes Joab was not guilty of executing Abner in the city of refuge, but that seems be of little consequence in David’s mind. This act of Joab brings to mind the condition Jesus found Himself in in relation to the Jewish leadership in His day.
In the midst of one of Jesus most scathing rebukes to the Jewish leadership of His day, He pronounced the famous “swallowing a camel” hyperbole, describing how the Jews worried about a specific minor command in the midst of forgetting the major emphasis of the Word.
Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Matthew 23:24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
Is not Joab an early Pharisee in this manner!? Are we all not a little bit like Joab, that in the middle of sin, we find some act we can boast about that calms a raging conscience! How diabolical we can be!
Our passage continues with David’s response to such an act. Let’s remember that David is establishing his kingdom, seeking to bring in the tribes to the north, and for this murder to be seen as sanctioned, or at least approved by the king may provide a perception of his kingdom as being vengeful, even brutal.
So what should David do? Exodus gives some direction in relation to premeditated murder, a sin Abner was obviously guilty of.
Exodus 21:14 But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.
David declares a curse on Joab and all his father’s house. Where is the judgement? Why did not David simply put Joab to death? It was early in his kingdom, so in providing this expansive curse on Joab and his family may have been an act of mercy somewhat. It may also have been an admission of weakness on David’s part since condemning Joab at this point might have turned Joab’s entire army against the king. I will let my readers come to a conclusion on this matter!
The curse on Joab and his family falls into five categories
One who has a discharge
David is laying a curse of uncleanness on Joab and his family, which would require the one with the discharge to be ostracized from the community of Israel. Many associate this discharge with the modern disease of gonorrhoea. See Leviticus 15:2 and 15:31
One who is leprous
David repeats a judgement of uncleanness on Joab’s family, this time calling out leprosy as the judgement. This would also require removal from the community of Israel. See Leviticus 13:45
One who holds a spindle
This particular curse may involve a disability requiring a crutch. One other possibility may be the one cursed would work a spindle, implying a man so poor he can only perform menial labor such as spinning on a spindle. Worse yet, one or more of Joab’s family may be inclined to be unwarriorlike, or so opposed to the military life, that they seek a “domestic” life instead. Consider Proverbs 31:19
One who falls by the sword
A “deep cut” for a man of war is to have a family member killed in the line of action. Warriors mourn those who have fallen in war, yet there may also be other emotions associated the death of a family member in war
One who lacks bread
Poverty. At this point in Joab’s life, he is riding the gravy train, with more and more potential wealth and influence on the way. To have a family member experience poverty implies much misfortune or poor decision making, or simply a non-disciplined life. All are painful conditions for Joab to associate with in his family.
David does in the future seek to have Joab pay accordingly for this treachery, but for now, David’s principle intent is to separate his kingdom from this act.
The curse is laid on Joab and David instead of killing Joab as per Exodus, allows Joab to continue through as lead general for over 3 decades under his reign.
But judgement would come upon Joab, even by the son of David. It may be deferred, but it wasn’t dismissed.
Likewise, we can all agree that judgement is deserved by all, but we often think that since judgement hasn’t fallen yet, we need not worry. King David had his son execute Joab, even as David lies on his death bed.
1 Kings 2:5 “Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet. 1 Kings 2:6 ESV – Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace.
David made sure the judgement required was the judgement exercised. Joab was to die!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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 3:20-25
20 When Abner came with twenty men to David at Hebron, David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. 21 And Abner said to David, “I will arise and go and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace. 22 Just then the servants of David arrived with Joab from a raid, bringing much spoil with them. But Abner was not with David at Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23 When Joab and all the army that was with him came, it was told Joab, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has let him go, and he has gone in peace.” 24 Then Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why is it that you have sent him away, so that he is gone? 25 You know that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you are doing.”
Three powerful men converge on a day that ends with a reckoning for Abner.
But I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s consider these three men on that monumental day.
David
David received King Ish-Bosheth’s head general, General Abner in peace. He not only received him in peace, but he also made a feast for Abner and his men.
Now remember, this is the same general that hunted David while under King Saul’s leadership. He is the same general that set up Ish-Bosheth as a king over the northern tribes, in direct rebellion against the will of God for a united kingdom under God. Abner is the same general that led an army against Joab, David’s general only a short while back.
Would it not be best – humanly speaking – for David to take Abner, imprison him and make a showing of how David would rule so that al the nation might fear? It would be my first instinct, but let’s recall two points to consider.
First, in our previous study, remember that Abner has previously communicated with David in this effort of unifying the nation, that he was seeking to restore the kingdom under one king and that king was to be David! In our last study, Abner was working with the northern tribes elders to consolidate them under David, and as we may suspect, word of this activity may have gotten back to David.
Secondly, David was not the type of king I relate to commonly. He made decisions that seemed to be counterproductive. Such is the case here as he had the perfect opportunity to treat Abner according to his “sins”, to pass judgement upon him and to exact a vengeance on Abner for all the pain David may have experienced.
But David was not the kind of leader that I am accustomed to. Surely David had his spies in the nation and I assume David realized that it was to Abner’s advantage to allow him to lead a delegation for peace with the northern tribes. This effort on the part of his former enemy Abner, though selfish and somewhat exposing him as a trustless leader in relation to Ish-bosheths, would prove to be fruitful towards David total reign over Israel.
So David received Abner, made a feast for Abner, heard Abner’s plan of reconciling the nation to the true king, and then sent Abner away “in peace”
Abner
If you have been following this series, you know that I have a certain attitude with this fellow Abner. A man of convenience, one who looks for advantage over faithfulness, and soldier of fortune that will jump ship when necessary. I realize this may be harsh, but to understand that upon Saul’s death, Abner elevated Ish-bosheth onto the throne of Saul, attempting to thwart the known plan of God to unite Israel under David. I suppose that may have looked like allegiance to his former employer, and that may be true, but shortly after, he turned on his master, abandoning Ish-bosheth in favor of David. Fickle, advantageous and unlikable.
In this encounter with David, Abner spoke of his efforts to join all Israel under David. He was working his diplomatic skills, positioning himself as a king maker, a nation healer and potentially a leader within the new kingdom.
Joab
We haven’t spent as much time on Joab as Abner, but for a bit of history on David’s general, he was David’s nephew, and was David’s general throughout most of his reign. He won some amazing victories over the Philistines, Ammonites and Edomites. A skilled warrior and an asset to David’s war machine.
But with this skill set of military leadership came a treachery that seemed to define this man. Lets remember earlier on when Abner fled from the battlefield of Gibeah, and as he fled, he turned on Joab’s brother Asahel, killing him. Joab broke pursuit, but he didn’t forget the death of his brother.
We shall see in the next post that Joab took matters into his own hands in relation to executing justice upon Abner. For now, and relating to this text, let us consider Joab’s possible mindset.
He sees that Abner has been with David, that Abner is an accomplished warrior, and that David’s kingdom will suddenly expand greatly due to Abner’s influence. David must certainly be considering a place for Abner in his administration. A perfect place might be as general of the united armed forces of Israel.
On top of that concern of a possible demotion, or even job loss, Joab still has the matter of his brother’s death to contend with. This additional threat of Abner sliding into Joab’s position may have set in stone the decision to take care of the problem immediately.
Joab was certainly a man of action, a man of military might, but also, as with most men of power, self willed, even to the point of being treacherous. As we venture into David’s reign, we shall encounter Joab many times.
These three men played important parts in the life of the nation. Each had their weaknesses and strengths, and with some honest introspection, we may possess some of these very qualities within ourselves.
Thankfully, the Lord Jesus is the One who can save us from ourselves, transforming even the worst of men, (even I), into saints before the Lord, as we stare intently at His glory!
2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
May we all look to Him, gaze upon Him and in the gazing become a bit like Him!
What a promise! What a Savior!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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 3:17-19
17 And Abner conferred with the elders of Israel, saying, “For some time past you have been seeking David as king over you. 18 Now then bring it about, for the LORD has promised David, saying, ‘By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and from the hand of all their enemies.’” 19 Abner also spoke to Benjamin. And then Abner went to tell David at Hebron all that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin thought good to do.
Abner is a busy bee in this little passage! Can you imagine the appointments, the scheduling, the conference calls and the backroom discussions?
Of course I am being a bit sarcastic, but it goes without saying that Abner, the chief of staff and lead general for Ish-bosheth, the king of the northern tribes, is focusing on the dissolution of his masters authority over the northern kingdom in this passage.
To think of Abner as a traitor, as a Benedict Arnold, seems fitting in my thinking. He was a man who sought his own desires first and foremost, and this activity only reinforces what we know of him.
He realizes he was on a loosing team, and now that his feelings have been hurt because Ish-bosheth tried to put his foot down in relation to Saul’s concubine Rizpah, he convinces himself he has a reason to turn on his master. To be honest about this whole scene, it appears he simply was using the interaction with Ish-bosheth concerning Rizpah as a smokescreen to betray his master.
He saw the writing on the wall, and was looking for a reason to figuratively stab ol Ish-bosheth in the back. And what is even worse, if this scenario can become worse, is that Abner set Ish-bosheth on the throne. Now he is going to abandon him.
Kind of a scummy guy if you ask me.
I have a disdain for this man, even though he was used by God to bring the nation together under the anointed king David.
In the end, Abner presented himself in front of David to provide the kingdom to him. Abner took it upon himself to be in charge of David’s team of negotiators, while he was taking a paycheck from Ish-bosheth.
It really astounds me that this man was trusted by anyone in the land.
Beyond the scummy aspect already described, one additional layer of despicableness that seems to top of this man’s character is in verse 18, where he seems to associate himself with the Lord’s plans for David and all of Israel.
Now then bring it about, for the LORD has promised David, saying, ‘By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and from the hand of all their enemies.’”
He refers to the promise of the LORD to David as a reason to bring about his own plans to present before David. It is one thing to waver from one position to another for convenience sake, or for self advantage, or even for his own survival. But now he is all righteous and holy, bringing about God’s plan for the nation.
I can just imagine that as he lays his head down at night, he has dreams of his victory parade, with him in the most prominent spot, all the people cheering him and thanking him for being so instrumental in delivering Israel from it’s enemies. By golly, he may even allow David in the parade, just to show how magnanimous of a fellow that he is.
As you can tell, I am struggling to find a positive thing to say about this man.
Nevertheless, in the end, David is one step closer to reigning over the nation, and the nation is on the brink of entering a golden age.
And Abner will be taken care of.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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 3:12-16
12 And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring over all Israel to you.” 13 And he said, “Good; I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you; that is, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.” 14 Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, for whom I paid the bridal price of a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” 15 And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish. 16 But her husband went with her, weeping after her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return.” And he returned.
So the negotiations begin. Abner, the power broker has initiated his intent to the new king David, with an open question.
To whom does the land belong?
We must remember the promise of God for this nation was a land that the tribes of Israel could possess. Although it was never in the will of God to have a man rule over the people as a king, (although it seems it was in the permissive will), for Abner to speak of the land as belonging to someone implies it belongs to the king.
In this assumption, or this request as to who owned the land, I feel Abner may have been appealing to David’s desire to rule/own all of Israel. Some translations read the Hebrew to reflect this
Then Abner sent messengers to David, saying, “Doesn’t the entire land belong to you? Make a solemn pact with me, and I will help turn over all of Israel to you.”
When David receives this message, I imagine his thoughts go to the land being God’s, and that as the anointed ruler, he desires it to be unified. Abner appealed on the level of David’s thirst for power. David received the offer understanding the importance of a unified nation for the sake of the Lord.
Given my assumptions of altruism with David, we should also understand that David was a strategist, and sought to take advantage of the position of power he was in.
Having had his wife taken by Saul was an act of shame and a show of power by Saul. David wanted his wife back. Not only because of their relationship being torn apart by Saul, but also to strengthen his position as king. Remember he was ascending to Saul’s throne, and as Saul’s son-in-law, the reestablishment of his marriage to Saul’s daughter would strengthen his position before the nation.
I love the fact that David responded to Ish-bosheth, taking the message from Abner but responding to the king instead. Not only was this the proper channels to follow, it did not allow any claim of deception on the part of David. Abner was lurking behind the scenes under Ish-bosheth’s rule, but David was having no part of it!
David simply made a demand to Ish-bosheth. Give me my wife. I paid for her and she is mine.
By now, Ish-bosheth must be quaking in his boots. Abner, his general is a threatening force in his kingdom, and the opposing forces were making legitimate demands that would weaken his own position. And what was Ish-bosheth to do? He stood up to Abner and was put in his place. David was no less a man of war.
Ish-bosheth was done. He sent Michal, his sister back to David, reestablishing David as a rightful heir through Saul’s daughter.
The final portion of this passage continues to reveal the type of man Abner was. Seemingly at the drop of a hat, Paltiel, Michal’s second husband, has his wife is taken from him. His devotion to this woman is admirable, and yet in his weakness and loss, Abner observes the man’s devotion and simply tells him to “Go return”. Although there was no other option for this poor man, Abner’s command seems to sum up his general hardness!
In summary, three men are considered in this passage.
Abner, a man seeking advantage wherever he may find it. It doesn’t seem Abner considers fidelity an important aspect of life. He simply seeks advantage. How can he control a situation, and find dominance. He is always clawing to the top of the heap!
Ish-bosheth, a man who has no hope. It turns out that his greatest fear of Abner’s mutiny will be realized, and yet in the near future, he finds Abner’s death only to increase his fears. It is as if his only hope was Abner, and Abner was his greatest threat. What a terrible position to be in!
David is the man ascending to the throne. He is being given a path without bloodshed that will establish his kingdom and bring Israel to it’s greatest physical glory!
It is amazing that varied objectives from these three men all come together to bring about a purpose that will provide good to the nation, power to the king, and glory to the God of Israel.
God was on the march, taking a young man through suffering, and sitting him on throne of Israel.
Does this remind you of anyone?
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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 3:6-11
6 While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. 7 Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?” 8 Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, “Am I a dog’s head of Judah? To this day I keep showing steadfast love to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not given you into the hand of David. And yet you charge me today with a fault concerning a woman. 9 God do so to Abner and more also, if I do not accomplish for David what the LORD has sworn to him, 10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.” 11 And Ish-bosheth could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.
Rizpah, at my first reading of this text, seemed to be the trigger for Abner to abandon Ish-bosheth. I assumed that Ish-bosheth was becoming overly sensitive to Abner’s personal life, or that he wanted to lord it over Abner, trying to control the man that controlled him.
Let’s back up a bit. Rizpah was the mother of two of Saul’s sons, and effectively Saul’s wife, though specifically described as a concubine in this passage. Her two sons, Armoni and Mephibosheth were of the royal lineage of the house of Saul. This positions Rizpah in a powerful position, and for Abner to be connected with her, only amplifies his position of power within the northern tribes.
We understand Ish-bosheth as a man of a weak temperament, one that was placed into the position of a king by Abner, not that he had taken the throne by force, or even by assumption. It did not appear that Ish-bosheth had any inner motivation to aspire to be king. Abner placed him on the throne.
Now Ish-bosheth is in a sticky wicket. His life is dependent on remaining on the throne, for any successor will need to eliminate him to secure their own kingship. With this unsettling understanding creeping up into Ish-bosheth’s mind, every suspicious action flared into a threat.
Abner and Rizpah? Definite threat in Ish-bosheth’s mind! Was it a real threat? No one knows the mind of Abner, but for Ish-bosheth, this had to be dealt with, which is a surprising show of strength from a man who seemed to be so sheepish. But Ish-bosheth’s accusation became his very downfall! Abner was the power behind the throne, and for Ish-bosheth to slur him, turned out to be worse than the current situation!
Rizpah became a fulcrum that was used to bring Ish-bosheth’s kingdom to it’s knees. Later in the story of David, we shall find Rizpah to be quite the woman of conviction and of commitment to her family, but for now, we see that she was a passive participant in the expansion of David’s kingdom.
Abner also makes note that Ish-bosheth charges him with a fault concerning Rizpah. What might that fault be? It seems Ish-bosheth accused Abner was seeking to acquire the kingdom of Saul through a relation with Rizpah.
And I love how Abner, though seeming to be insulted, claims his own goodness, and uses this charge of Ish-bosheth’s as the reason for his abandoning the very man he set up as king! He speaks of his steadfast love to the house of Saul, even as he intends to abandon Ish-bosheth. He speaks of how he has not given Ish-bosheth into the hands of David, even as he plans to give him up. Abner goes so far as to say he will accomplish for David what the Lord has sworn for him, as though Abner was the key to the will of God.
Abner was quite the self righteous pompous blowhard!
And Ish-bosheth had set his future in motion, realizing his days were numbered, and completely controlled by the man who he tried to control.
Abner, as we shall see in the next post, started immediately to work his “magic” in transferring the kingdom over to David. Though full of hypocrisy and pride, Abner was in a very specific way, used of God to bring the kingdom back together again. Of course the country was split in two due primarily to his actions of setting up a competitive kingdom to the north, even as he knew David would be the rightful king!
No matter the situation, Abner sought to find advantage for his own position in life. He was the center of the universe, and all things, and actions needed to surrender to his will.
He is a stunning picture of the one who has not identified with Jesus, who has not accepted “not my will but thine” as a life commitment before God.
Galatians 5:24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Abner knew of God’s promise, yet he sought his own will, even though Abner’s desires used and abused a helpless man that was unlucky enough to be a son of Saul. For the immediate future, Abner was the power broker, the most influential man in the land. Nothing could stop him!
Nothing at all!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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 3:2-5
2 And sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel; 3 and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; 4 and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; 5 and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron.
It is of note that this short, seemingly insignificant passage has in it a listing of some of David’s greatest challenges, battles that many may feel he was unsuccessful in. A listing a future sons, some that cost him much pain!
Let’s take a few moments to consider each of these men.
Amnon
Amon was David’s firstborn, and as such was destined for the throne. He was born while David was King of Judah, and was always living in an environment of privilege and entitlement.
The attitude David had towards Amnon is somewhat disturbing, for though he had an emotional love towards the young man, it seems he was reluctant to discipline him. His actions belied him, and in support of this general attitude towards Amnon, a variant reading in the dead sea scrolls provides a commentary to David’s anger towards Amnon raping his daughter.
2 Samuel 13:21 When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry.
Dead Sea Scrolls add – But he did not punish his son Amnon, because he loved him, for he was his firstborn.
Remember what is going on here! Amnon raped David’s daughter, and then rejected her, dumping even greater shame on Tamar after the crime. She was an Israelite princess! David’s daughter. What was going on in his head?
This was the beginning of the fruits of rebellion that took over David’s household. Soon, it would spread, and the devastation would be greater than he could have expected!
Chileab
Chileab, an unknown character to myself is relatively quiet in relation to the family of David. Born of Abigail, the former wife of Nabal, Chileab’s name means “like his father” and may reflect the emphasis David intended, to distance his child from Abigail’s former husband. Hebrew mythology and tradition speak of Chileab highly, even suggesting he was a righteous and holy man. Otherwise, the Scriptures are relatively quiet concerning him other than he also went by the name Daniel.
1 Chronicles 3:1 These are the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn, Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelite; the second, Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelite,
Absalom
Absalom will be the subject of many studies in future posts covering chapters 14 through 17. Suffice to say, Absalom was a man would exercises revenge on Amnon, and exercised a treachery on his own father, seeking to take the kingdom.
And he had hair!
Adonijah
Earlier we spoke of David’s attitude to discipline in relation to Amnon. Again, the Word describes David’s attitude towards his son Adonijah in relation to discipline.
1 Kings 1:6 His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom.
This general truth speaks volumes to the permissive parenting so prevalent in todays world. Please understand I am not advocating any type of parental abuse for that also is a reaction that is ungodly. But discipline is a requirement in parenting, especially in the very young years. We are to parent the child, not be his friend!
Nevertheless, Adonijah also was a son who rejected his father’s rule, though in this case, it was in relation to his fathers wishes for Solomon to be on the throne.
He was cunning and gathered an army to frustrate his fathers wishes and steal the kingdom away. Even after his defeat, he sought to scheme away the kingdom by requesting David’s nurse as a wife. Solomon saw this as a continuing threat and dealt with his half brother!
Shephatiah
Shephatiah is another son of David that does not show up in the Biblical narrative other than in the genealogies of David. What is interesting, at least in my mind, is that another man was called Shephatiah, a Haruphite that joined David in Ziklag, while he was on the run. He became one of David’s mighty men. Coincidence or was there a relationship in David’s mind between this mighty man and David’s wishes for his fifth son?
1 Chronicles 12:5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite;
Ithream
Ithream is Davids sixth son, and again is mentioned only in two genealogies within the Old Testament. He was of the offspring of the great king David, and his name speaks of “profit of the people” or “excellence of the people” This may reflect the coming abundance of the nation that was becoming evident as David’s rule grew in influence and power.
Ithream otherwise was a man that does not appear to be influential in the kingdom.
In many of these son’s of David, there appears to be a general disregard for discipline and a fallout of rebellion by the young men. Much, if not all of these difficult situations may be the result of David’s preoccupation with kingdom affairs, with his own understanding of the duties of a father, or simply his having no flesh and blood example to live by.
Remember Samuel as a father figure? He also struggled with his own sons, seeing them rebel and be consumed by the anger of the Lord due to rebellion. Of course, we could say the same for Samuel, as his example Eli also had rebellious sons.
How critical for today’s men of God to have godly examples to follow in fathering the next generation! May those who are in the position of fathering children take heart, for the calling is high, and it’s success or failure is consequential.
May God have mercy on us fathers, and give us strength to relate to those who look to us as examples to live by!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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 3:1 1 There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.
We discussed this civil war erupting in the previous post, with Abner and Joab butting heads, and blood flowing from both armies. Even in the battle that followed the mutual kilkings of ten soldiers from both armies, it became apparent for the casual observer that the seeds of weakness were fully displayed in the northern kingdom.
Scripture simply states the fact. The house of Saul would continue but grow weaker each day. Saul’s kingdom had reached it pinnacle and was now crumbling before it’s very leadership, due to the foolishness and sin of a madman posing as the king.
Yes, Saul’s kingdom, led by Ish-boseth (at least in name) was doomed to disappear. But it wasn’t immediate. The last battle indicated the trajectory of the kingdom, and for those with sense, it seemed obvious the kingdom would succumb to the forces of David, but as it is with many in power, they will allow for much pain and suffering in order to maintain power in the face of imminent failure.
Why is that? Why can we not see the facts of a matter, admit we have no promising future, that hanging on to current circumstances and conditions, though painful for some, will only drag out the inevitable outcome. For Ish-boseth, David was inevitable. David had the promise of God, he had the experience of a ruthless fighter, he had the love of the people and he had an experienced devoted army, filled with skilled fighters, willing to follow God’s leading. What did Ish-boseth have? He had a name, and was thrust into this position by Abner. He had no experience in leadership, was not expected to take the throne – everyone expected Jonathon to succeed Saul!
Ish-boseth had a name, and he had Abner.
As for his name, Ish-boseth actually translates to “man of shame”. What would possess Saul to call his son this? How could this be understood?
1 Chronicles 8:33 may give us a hint as to what is going on with his name.
1 Chronicles 8:33 Ner was the father of Kish, Kish of Saul, Saul of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab and Eshbaal;
Ish-bosheth was also called Eshbaal according to the chronicler. This is somewhat enlightening, for as you can see, his name included the term Baal, a god of fertility, weather, rain, wind, lightning, seasons, war, sailors. He was a common god the Israelites fell prostrate to in their denial of the true God, and it seems that Saul was in full blown idol worship by the time Ish-bosheth came around. Eshbaal is understood to mean “man of baal, and it seems Saul had committed his son to idol worship even from the womb.
Now tell me – What chance does the “man of baal” have against King David, a man after God’s heart, a man tested and tried by the living God, approved for the throne and on course to take it.
Nevertheless, for the one with sense, it is obvious that Ish-bosheth should just abdicate. Is should be obvious there was no hope. But this is not the nature of one who is inexperienced, self seeking, power hungry and without the wisdom available from the God of heaven. He would hang on out of pride, letting others suffer, dragging out the inevitable. And then die
His life was a picture of inevitable failure and eventual death. The king was on the path, and Ish-bosheth was in the way.
A wise man might have at least gotten out of the way of the coming king. But he didn’t.
Let Ish-bosheth provide counsel to the one who may only see disappointments, grueling hopelessness and inevitable death in his future. Fighting against the King is a fools errand, and will impact those you love and care for.
A wise man today would certainly bow to the King, admit his weakness and confess his rebellion.
Psalm 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Surely the King is coming. Don’t let your pride sweep you away from the blessing of knowing the Risen Monarch – King Jesus.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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 2:29 – 32
29 And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, and marching the whole morning, they came to Mahanaim. 30 Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing from David’s servants nineteen men besides Asahel. 31 But the servants of David had struck down of Benjamin 360 of Abner’s men. 32 And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was at Bethlehem. And Joab and his men marched all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron.
Two generals having fought and come to a truce, trudge back to their respective bases. One of the generals, Abner, was “limping home” due to a massive relative loss of soldiers. Compared to Joab’s forces, the loss was an 18:1 casualty rate.
For every man Joab lost, Abner lost 18.
No wonder Abner took to flight. He couldn’t stay in the fight with this type of attrition, so off he retreats, only to be defeated by Joab’s brother Asahel. Yes I know, the defeat was not immediate, but the seeds had been sown for Abner’s death as he plunged the spear into Asahel. It was just a matter of time.
For Joab, his turning from the fight is somewhat difficult for me to understand, since he had such a dominant situation. I understand the motivation for David’s army was high, especially after the killing of Asahel, but his men had been in the fight too long. Pulling back would provide a chance for his army to recover. It would also provide an opportunity to mourn his brothers death, provide him a time of burial, and a time for him to plan out the revenge brewing in his heart. Abner had to die!
This battle spoke of the eventuality of the nation becoming the united kingdom under King David, of a time when all 12 tribes would experience a golden age of ascendency for this nation.
The unifying of the nation would take years, for Ish boseth (read Abner) would not give up without a fight. Eventually it came down to a power hungry general, wanting more than the king would allow before this conflict would be resolved.
But I am getting ahead of myself. Abner went back to Manahaim, with Joab returning to Hebron. Both kings would soon enough hear of the results of this battle!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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 2:24-32
24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. And as the sun was going down they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. 25 And the people of Benjamin gathered themselves together behind Abner and became one group and took their stand on the top of a hill. 26 Then Abner called to Joab, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you tell your people to turn from the pursuit of their brothers?” 27 And Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until the morning.” 28 So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men stopped and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight anymore.
Three brothers became two brothers. Asahel was dead, and Abner was the man who killed him. Yes he sought to deter Asahel from the conflict. Yes he knew the outcome of any attack on Asahel. Abner was an experienced warrior, whereas Asahel’s “claim to fame” was that he was “swift of foot as a wild gazelle” He could run!
Experienced warrior against a sprinter, or even a long distance runner. Seemed like the result of any conflict would be obvious. And it was. Asahel lay on the ground, bloodied and defeated.
And two brothers found focus! Abner was the man to be dealt with, and Joab with his brother Abishai were in the chase. Vengeance became the motivating force in these two men’s lives, and this death of Asahel became a unifying event for the men of Benjamin following Joab. This had all the earmarks of getting very bloody, with much death and destruction on the battlefield.
There isn’t many motivators that are more powerful than vengeance. To get even, to take vengeance, especially in such an unjust and cruel act such as Abner’s killing of Asahel, blinds the most common man to any logic, and reason against completing this bloodthirst.
Joab and Abishai appear to be the exception, at least for the time being!
Abner was on the run, and as he had mentioned to Asahel, he knew the outcome of his killing Joab’s brother.
2 Samuel 2:22 …Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?
To “lift up my face” is an interesting phrase, and worth considering for a moment. What was Abner trying to say to Asahel as he was being chased?
This phrase speaks of a confidence before another. This phrase speaks of the honor / shame culture these people were immersed in, and the importance of the clear conscience in relationships. Consider two verses in Job, as some of his counsellors try to help the suffering saint.
Job 11:15 Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be secure and will not fear.
Job 22:26 For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.
Yes, Abner and Joab were competing generals, but prior to this killing, their seemed to be a mutual respect.
A confidence and assurance in relationships between two successful warriors. A clarity between men that resulted in a respect, and a showing of honor, even though of different opinions! (What are we missing out on in our current society as this mutual respect for others of a different opinion is sorely lacking!)
Abner knew this mutual respect would evaporate if the conflict with Asahel resulted in his death, and sure enough, it did.
What was Abner’s next ploy. Somewhat genius, for he played the nation card, speaking of senseless death of Israeli brothers. We must remember that Israel is in the midst of a civil war at this time, an internal fighting has the potential to consume the nation.
Abner, to rescue his own skin, showed concern for the nation. Convenient. Of a pure motive? You decide, but it certainly was a convenient argument to provide relief from the pursuit of the motivated men chasing him and his crew!
Why Joab gave up the chase, when he had a united army and motivated leadership to take Abner, and his men down? Let’s remember that Joab has been running his men hard during this battle, and he may admit to the truth of the nation consuming itself. What would be left for him to have power over if decimated?
No, Joab and Abishai, relented the chase, at least in appearance for the sake of the nation. Other opportunities may arise for Joab to take care of “concerns” his brother and he harbored. But for now, hostilities ceased.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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 2:18-23
18 And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle. 19 And Asahel pursued Abner, and as he went, he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. 20 Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is it you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.” 21 Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and seize one of the young men and take his spoil.” But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. 22 And Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?” 23 But he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died where he was. And all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.
Do you see the Lord in Asahel. A man determined to face the leader of the enemy camp, a man seeking to honor his sovereign and in the pursuit, experiencing death!
But I get ahead of myself, for this passage also speaks of Abner and as such continues to describe the type of man we will bump into occasionally as we follow David’s life through these studies.
Let’s remember Abner in this story, a man who led Saul’s army against David and was essentially running the northern kingdom. He was Saul’s cousin, and had power for many years. He was not about to give that up.
At the pool of Gibeon, he sought to find victory over Joab and David’s forces, but death took all 24 soldiers. Now the full battle broke out, with the nation of Israel in full civil war. Joab’s forces were dominating and Abner was on the run. Although he was on the run, he was not an easy adversary, for Abner had been a warrior his entire life and had shed much blood. To kill a man meant nothing for Abner and yet in this altercation, he sought to pause, to distract Asahel from the chase. All with good intentions? You be the judge.
Nevertheless, he warned off Asahel, sought to redirect, all without success. Eventually, after expressing the fallout that would result in his killing Asahel, it became apparent the death was necessary in Abner’s mind. And Abner continued in his flight.
But let’s also return to Asahel. I realize I began this blog with a short bit on how Asahel may picture the Messiah in his actions, but let me reconsider.
At some convenient point, Asahel determined within himself that it was his calling to take on a challenge for David. The actual circumstances may have simply provided an opportunity for a young man who sought to prove himself. His brother Joab was the Kings general, and his other brother Abishai, had proved his muster back when David entered the camp of Saul and took his spear and water jug. For a quick review, my reader may want to check out the story of Abishai in Life of David – 20.02. To say the least Abishai was honored in his mighty acts for David.
And then there is Asahel. A man who sought to attain to the glories of his brothers, and by all accounts of Abner not worthy of any glory yet.
But Asahel was “I” centered, and I fear his ego delivered him to an early death.
I suppose I see a bit more of me in Asahel, for the only thing he says in this passage is “I”, and it seems that he may have been out of his depth in the confrontation. For though he died for a noble cause, for his king and country, it was a method that seemed destined to failure, and that seemed fueled by his own desire for glory.
Asahel was a brave, but rash young man, seeking his own glory. This is a severe parting of the ways in his representing a picture of the Christ as a willing servant and sacrifice, a Son who sought His Father’s will above his own life. Asahel’s impacted the lives of the army of David, and especially Joab, for we shall return to this killing in future posts, but for now, two lessons may be gleaned from this passage.
Rash decisions
Asahel made a rash decision to make a name for himself in the heat of battle. This most assuredly was not a planned effort with, making a decision based on possible outcomes, times of prayer and considered dangers. Of course it was in the heat of battle, but it was not a requirement for Asahel to chase Abner, an order Joab had directed to Asahel to be obeyed. No it seemed to be nothing but a decision Asahel made on the spot, and locked Asahel into the chase with no the freedom to pull away. And that brings us to the second lesson.
Self glory
In Asahel’s decision to follow after Abner, a greater adversary, Asahel locked himself into a inescapable condition of either killing Abner or dyeing, No other option was available for Asahel, for that would require a humility, a realization that he was out of his depth, and a certain self abnegation.
Self glory has often placed me in similar circumstances. Thankfully none that required my death, as I am obviously still punching keyboard keys! But the desire for self glory, and the forgetfulness of the glory of God in any circumstance often leads me in to a false dichotomy. Either one result or the other will be required as I seek my own glory.
It isn’t so if we allow God to be in the mix, for though I sometimes invite Him into my mess, He has remained faithful in working through my self glory mess for His eventual sake.
It is the “eventual” aspect that bothers me. I have wasted much time in my walk with Him.
As I close, consider decisions that are made in your life, and let’s seek to ask for God’s guidance in those decisions. Let us not be driven by self glory, but to raise up the glory of God in all our actions!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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 2:12-17 12 Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. And they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool. 14 And Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” 15 Then they arose and passed over by number, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. 16 And each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side, so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is at Gibeon. 17 And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.
Pool of Gibeon
Abner is on the march. He made Ish-boseth the king of what remained of Saul’s kingdom and the first order of business was to confront David.
Now let’s remember that Abner and David had history, that Abner “discovered” David for Saul, he knew of David’s prowess on the battle field, he had been loyal to Saul during the hunting of David, and he had been publicly shamed by David, in front of all his troops. You remember when David crept into the camp and took Saul’s spear? Abner took a serious shaming then.
Abner may still be licking his wounds!
It seems that Abner and Joab had communicated and coordinated a place and time for confrontation. Initially it seemed the two men decided to be “civil” about the terms of battle. The setting appeared to be a polite meeting of national leaders, a diplomatic conference amongst warriors. But these men were warriors, battle hardened soldiers that knew the fate of the kingdom was to be decided on the battlefield.
Why then suggest the battle of the 24 soldiers?
Was it suggested in order to save the lives of fellow countrymen? The nation had just split with the anointing of David and the crowning of Ish-boseth. Up till then, the men were all united as the nation of Israel.
Or was it that both generals understood the weakness the nation would suffer if both armies fought to the death? After all, it may have been only a few weeks previously that the Philistines rampaged through the nation, showing their dominance and striking a serious blow on the nations army.
I want to think the generals were thinking of the nation as a whole at this time, but the end result was simply a bloodbath with no desired outcome. Even if some of one group of 12 survived this fight, would not the armies take up arms again, if not that day, soon enough.
No, twenty-four soldiers fell that day, with much blood spilling out. As an act of honor for these men, the field was named the Field of Sharp Swords. Instead of risking all the soldiers, 12 of each side would battle, and die. A futile act that accomplished nothing. 12 men sacrificed to no end. And a bloody civil war broke out. Israel was at war with itself, consuming itself and becoming weaker and weaker militarily with every man falling.
How foolish for a nation to war against itself. For the sake of the pride of two generals, a nation was on fire.
At this point, what could David do? He was being guided by God onto the throne of Israel, and because of loyalty to Saul and a desire to maintain position, Abner forced his hand. Did not Abner know of the promise of God, the anointing of David to rule over all Israel? I suggest he knew, but was not concerned about the peace of the people of Israel, just the power of his position.
My friends, may I remind you we have Abner’s in the church. We must recognize that strong, self willed men often fight to get into leadership positions within the church body, thinking they are great gifts to the kingdom of God. But as Abner was destroying the kingdom he publicly pledged allegiance to, so these men and women who seek power also, with a feigned humility, seek control over the flock, no matter the cost.
When I think of this condition within the church, I ponder on what it means to lead. How is it to best impact those we love without shoving our opinions sometimes violently down their throat.
May I suggest the written/spoken word, fitly spoken, with a quiet humble spirit is powerful for the one who has ears to hear.
Also, any attempt to force our will on another believer seems to be beyond the scope of our calling. Now of course if I see a brother walking into a busy street, I will not quietly mention John 3:16 and hope for the best. I will force my will on him, knocking him back to the sidewalk, away from the traffic.
That should be obvious, but in relation to counselling our brothers, I often think of Paul in his relationship with Apollos. Paul, the great apostle of the Gentiles, requested (strongly urged) Apollos to travel to Corinth. Apollos decided not to.
1 Corinthians 16:12 Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity.
Paul didn’t seem threatened by the decision Apollos made, though it was against his wishes! How could Apollos reject the counsel the great apostle provided?
For myself, I reconcile this conflict understanding that both men answered to Jesus. Apollos related to Paul as a man who was his brother, and not his Lord.
May we sit under leaders in the church who understand the importance of believers following Jesus directly as opposed to interjecting their opinion into the relationship between the believer and his Lord.
With that said, I would like to emphasize to all who read this that this is a call to obedience to Jesus, not a call to disobedience to a Christian leader. There is a difference! May we have the wisdom, grace and humility to understand the ways of God for our lives!
And watchout for those Abners! They seem to be multiplying, tearing the church apart and letting many die on the field of battle for the sake of their wants!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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 2:8-11 8 But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim, 9 and he made him king over Gilead and the Ashurites and Jezreel and Ephraim and Benjamin and all Israel. 10 Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
One new character is introduced in this passage, along with Abner. Now before we ventured into a short discussion on Ish-boseth, it might be good to consider Abner for a moment.
Abner is the son of Ner, who was Kings Saul’s uncle, making Abner and Saul cousins. Abner rose to power as Saul’s general through his time on the throne, and was the man responsible for bringing David to King Saul during the time of Goliath.
Abner was no shrinking violet, for he proved himself in many ways a man of action. Upon the death of his cousin and sovereign, he travelled back to the family of Saul, took Ish-boseth to Mahanaim, and made him king.
Notice all the action verbs are related to Abner. Abner took Ish-boseth. Abner brought Ish-boseth to Mahanaim. Abner made Ish-boseth king.
In many ways, Abner stemmed the tide of David’s rule over the remaining portion of Israel by taking charge and setting up a competitive kingdom. From Abner’s point of view, David was setting up a competitive kingdom, a threat to the monarchy of Saul. David was a direct challenge to the authority granted to Saul through God. At least that is how it appeared to Abner, and it certainly made sense to Abner. After all, monarchies continued through bloodlines – all the nations knew this! This must be the same for Israel, for they truly wanted to be like the nations.
This is an assumption that the Israelites often fell into. The assumption I refer to is that blood lines trump the promise of God. Let me explain.
By now, it was common knowledge throughout Israel that David had been anointed by Samuel as a young boy to be the next king. David was worthy, and prior to his anointing, Saul suffered the rejection by God of his reign over God’s people. This loss of kingdom was not done in a secret meeting, but before all the elders of Israel. Samuel clearly informed Saul and the nation through it’s leadership that Saul was now dethroned by God.
1 Samuel 15:28, 30
28 And Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 30 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may bow before the LORD your God.”
For the remining time of Saul’s life, he would be ruling against God, and not with God. For up to 15 years, the nation continued with Saul over them, though dethroned, persecuting the anointed king of Israel.
This era of a false king over Israel speaks of the same condition we find ourselves in currently. Is not the ruler of this world dethroned? Is not Jesus the anointed King over all? And yet a usurper, an adversary who has (limited) control over the lives of so many, continues to persecute the rightful King. Though the adversary has been publicly dethroned, he still reigns in rebellion for a period.
Even as Jesus was on earth, the majority of the nation preferred the ruling class as opposed to the anointed Son of God. The rejection and persecution of the Son of God, along with the persecution of His followers became evidence of this very condition. They assumed bloodlines from Abraham trumped the promise of God.
Abner made this assumption also. He knew of the promise given to David by God, and yet forced the continuation of a monarchy over Israel that had been rejected by God. He was a man of action, basing his actions on false assumptions, seeking to maintain his own position within the now threatened government of Saul’s rejected monarchy!
We will see Abner often in the next few passages and was certainly a force to be reckoned with! But as mentioned in the introduction, let us now consider Saul’s son Ish-boseth.
Ish-boseth was a puppet of Abner, a weak man that held little promise as a leader, and that was used by Abner to extend a kingdom doomed from the start.
He is known commonly among believers as Ish-boseth, and the name means “man of shame”, or per Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon, a man who shames himself.
This is an amazing name for anyone born into a culture where the ruling principal of the culture is elevation of honor as the highest goal. To be shamed is the ultimate insult. What was Saul thinking when this child was born?
Later in the Old Testament records provides an alternate name for this son of Saul. Eshbaal.
1 Chronicles 8:33 Ner was the father of Kish, Kish of Saul, Saul of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab and Eshbaal;
This name may provide us the mindset of Saul at his birth. He was named Eshbaal, or “a man of Baal”. Saul was in full rebellion against the God of Israel, and his son bore the name showing of his allegiance to Baal, as opposed to the God who made him!
Ish-boseth became a ruler over Israel, God’s people. He would rule for a short time, but the anointed king was on a path of victory. The anointed king would become dominant over the people of God. The anointed king would be preeminent. The anointed king would unite the kingdom under His leadership.
God’s kingdom is not like the nations. We are not to depend on bloodlines to determine the rightful ruler, but on the blood of One! It was His blood shed on Calvary that opened the kingdom of God for all! Let us look to the promise of God instead of any bloodline that may appeal to our senses, for the anointed One has proven to be the True King of kings through the resurrection from the dead, and ascension to the throne of God.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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 2:1-7 1 After this David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the LORD said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.” 2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 3 And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. 4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. When they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,” 5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the LORD, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him. 6 Now may the LORD show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing. 7 Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”
A bit of a recap is in order.
David, as a young man and an increasingly important soldier for the nation of Israel, became in the kings eyes a competition to the throne. The rumor spread through Israel that he had been anointed by the prophet Samuel and tensions rose in the royal family. Eventually David became an outcast, literally running for his life from the man he had just eulogized in the previous passage.
For the young man David, his initial anointing from the Lord by Samuel to become the next king may have occurred as early as age 15. 2 Samuel speaks of David being 30 years old when he began to reign.
2 Samuel 5:4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.
I understand that David was 30 years old in this passage when he was anointed the second time by the men of Judah in verse 4, creating a split kingdom. David ruled over Judah, while the remaining tribes assumed the royal lineage, under Saul’s son Ish-boseth.
With all of this background, what jumps out to me is the extended period of time David was “on-hold” for the throne. Not only on hold, but under pressure, experiencing disappointment, despair and a threat of death at the hand of his father-in-law.
In all of his waiting, there must have been times when he looked back on the day Samuel anointed him, and longed for the realization of his ascension. Up to 15 years of waiting, and now the door is open. Obviously David was meant to simply take the throne, for he had been promised it, and this is the opportunity to take it.
Yet he asked the Lord. He saw opportunity, and we know David was a man of action, yet he asked of the Lord for guidance on timing and location. Note that he was very specific in his request to the Lord, even to which city would be best to return home to. He brought his family, and his faithful men, and resided in Hebron.
Now what happened between verse 3 and 4? David is in Israel, and suddenly the men of Judah anointed David. Was this a spontaneous action on the part of the men of Judah, or did David run a political campaign to arouse the locals to his availability to lead?
If David was reluctant to enter Israel without the Lord’s direction, it seems obvious to me that he trusted God to bring to fruition the promise he made to David. To begin a political ad campaign seems out of character for David at this point of his life, even having the appearance of him trying to influence the situation for selfish gain.
He arrived in Hebron, and the promise was realized by the actions of the men of Judah. To think David interjected his will on the men of Judah to attain the throne seems to be without justification from the text and out of character for a man who sought God for such specific direction.
In this second anointing of David by the men of Judah, the nation was split in two, with Saul’s son Ish-boseth taking the throne to the north.
And then David acts. It may be considered his first official act as king over Judah. He praises Jabesh Gilead for their mercies to King Saul.
Let’s remember that Jabesh Gilead is not in Judah, but within the land of Gad originally, and as such was under the leadership of Ish-boseth. This doesn’t stop David for he has the temerity to send men to Jabesh Gilead, and to speak a blessing on them, repaying their kindness and encouraging them. No mention is made of Saul’s son reaching out to the only ones who showed his father respect.
David was astute in the healing of the nation, and as he grew in power within the tribe of Judah, he sought good relations with those outside of his authority.
This is instructive, for I sometimes think with an “us / them” attitude. My little kingdom needs my attention and those outside of it can find encouragement elsewhere. This is not David’s stance, for he sought to bring all of Israel into a united kingdom.
So is the Greater David, as He is constantly looking beyond the borders of His kingdom, inviting those into the kingdom of God, seeking to enlarge His tents.
As Isaiah once prophesied of the expansion of the Kingdom of God.
Isaiah 54:2 “Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.
The place of His tent has been enlarged, even to include the entire earth. Let us look to those who may be on the outside as those we need to encourage to enter the Kingdom, to meet the Savior and to enjoy eternal life in the Son, the Greater David.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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.
David has executed the Amalekite who he understands killed his king and best friend. Now, after completing judgement on the Amalekite. David now turns to mourning, to writing a lament regarding Saul his king, and Jonathon his friend. For this passage I would like to consider the two subjects in separate posts.
This post will consider David and his expression of mourning for Saul, his father in law, his friend, his adversary, and his king. A much more complicated relationship, yet the expression of sorrow from David is an honest and deep expression of David’s respect for Saul, and the throne he occupied. He saw Saul as representing God’s man for the nation of Israel.
Let’s read the lamentation once more, considering David’s relation to Saul.
2 Samuel 1:17-27 17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18 and he said it should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar. He said: 19 “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen! 20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult. 21 “You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fields of offerings! For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil. 22 “From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. 23 “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles; they were stronger than lions. 24 “You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. 25 “How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! “Jonathan lies slain on your high places. 26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women. 27 “How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!”
David’s relationship with Saul, to say the least, was fraught with conflict, tension, confusion, madness and abandonment. No telling of the naked truth would suffice in this funeral dirge for Saul, and as we see David speak of the departure of his king, we see into the heart of David a deep commitment to honor the one man who caused him such terror and trial!
David’s relationship with Saul is expressed in this passage from the point of view of a honorable man, as David sought to honor the king with his accomplishments, and not with the kings efforts as they impacted David. This time of mourning was not about David, but about the first king of Israel, and as a man of character, David would focus on that.
sword of Saul returned not empty
Saul was first and foremost an effective warrior. His sword accomplished that which it set out to perform. This statement, true as it was, honored Saul, and was intended to dull the memory of his body taken from the battle field and shamed by the Philistines.
It is an extension of David’s desire not to have the news of the fall of the mighty ones (Saul and Jonathon) spread through out the Gath and Ashkelon, the land of the Philistines.
Right from the start, Saul knew how to muster his army, how to execute effective combat, and won many battles to the benefit of his kingdom. David remined the nation of this characteristic of their first king.
beloved and lovely
David is being, at least in my opinion, incredibly gracious in this description of Saul, for as we discussed in the previous post, these terms refer to love and agreeableness.
David, in his experience, must have felt betrayed in any love Saul had for him, as he was rejected many times by the king, even in his efforts to bring the king success.
As for agreeableness, this also seems to be difficult to associate with David, for Saul seemed to be against many requests David brought before the king. Many times Saul would not consider any benefit David requested.
As David recounts these characteristics, he may be thinking of Saul in the beginning of his relation with Saul, as he ascended in his kingdom as an effective soldier for Saul, and as a family member eventually. As an example, David won the hand of two of Saul’s daughters. Two of Saul’s daughters? Saul’s eldest daughter Merab was a reward for taking out Goliath. David eventually rescinded the offer due to his humble origins. Yes, Saul finally agreed to the provision of his second daughter to David, but if I recall, it was grudgingly, and with ulterior motives.
After David married Michal, and was forced to begin running from Saul, Saul took Michal from David and married her off to another man, named Paltiel.
Agreeable? David is so gracious! As mentioned in the first post, this funeral dirge, as it related to Saul, is a difficult discussion, yet it shows the heart of David as he relates to the dead, his forgiving spirit, and of his desire to speak well of his departed king.
swifter than eagles, stronger than lions
Again, David refers the the effectiveness Saul exhibited in battle. He was swifter that eagles. David had first hand experience of Saul’s swiftness, as he was often barely ahead of Saul and his army as they pursued him.
Yet we cannot claim this phrase is only for Saul, for David declares this characteristic was of both Saul and Jonathon, that they were swifter than eagles and stronger than lions as a team, in unity on the battlefield.
Both Saul and Jonathon were effective in battle, exercising a swiftness and courage that often overwhelmed the enemy. As a military tactician and strategist, David honored both men in this statement, emphasizing their strength together.
daughters of Israel, weep over Saul
Finally, as a fruit of the military wins over their national enemies, the populace experienced prosperity. During Saul’s reign, in our study on David, we have focused on how Saul impacted David. This obviously was only a part of Saul’s efforts in the throne, and it is apparent that Saul brought much good to the nation. He provided an environment that elevated the living conditions of this upstart monarchy.
All of that is gone now. The nation has been overwhelmed, with the victorious Philistines marauding through the country without a leader to defend it. For some, it may appear the nation was over before it ever had a chance. A one king nation and now it has been vanquished. A flash in the pan, an utter failure of a nation, soon to be absorbed into the surrounding cultures.
Yes it was a very dark day for Israel. Prosperity was gone, along with a potential loss of identity, becoming at best a puppet state for Philistine, or simply to fade away as a people. No other country has experienced the lows that Israel has, and as an early national defeat, the people would mourn, the survivors would mourn, the rebels would mourn.
And God would provide a man who had been through the wringer, who had been under God’s preparatory hand for years.
David would ascend to the throne.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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.
David has executed the Amalekite who he understands killed his king and best friend. Now, after completing judgement on the Amalekite. David now turns to mourning, to writing a lament regarding Saul his king, and Jonathon his friend. For this passage I would like to consider the two subjects in separate posts.
For this post, lets consider David and his expression of mourning for his best friend Jonathon. I wanted to discuss Jonathon, for his feeling toward Jonathon definitely seem less complicated.
2 Samuel 1:17-18 17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18 and he said it should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar. He said:
David wrote out his heart, and intended the entire nation to be taught of his feelings of the downfall of the ruling family of Israel. He was not seeking to sling mud, create division or push some agenda on the nation. He spoke of them as mighty ones, Israel’s glory, beloved and lovely, united in death. But I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s read the passage.
2 Samuel 1:19-27 19 “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen! 20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult. 21 “You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fields of offerings! For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil. 22 “From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. 23 “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles; they were stronger than lions. 24 “You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. 25 “How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! “Jonathan lies slain on your high places. 26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women. 27 “How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!”
David refers to Jonathon specifically in verse 22, 23 and 26. Now of course, as David speaks of the mighty ones having fallen, he is including Jonathon, but for the sake of this post, let us consider David’s specific references to Jonathon
bow turned not back
David starts out with the bravery of Jonathon. Any reader of the Old Testament, and of the exploits of Jonathon can readily recall when he took on a battalion of Philistines with his sheild bearer. And he attacked based on outside circumstances, believing God could direct. Amazing courage.
Also, to be in the kings house and yet to be faithful to David, the rightful king, must have strained at Jonathon’s senses of right and wrong, but we must consider the courage it took to be faithful to one in the house of his very enemy.
This condition should be easily recognized by the believer in Jesus, for as we believers walk this earth, we are essentially in the house of the enemy of our King. As Jonathon, we also are to realize our allegiance is with the King not in the land, and that a rebel king is seeking our obedience.
May we be faithful in walking with the only True King!
beloved and lovely
Beloved – simply expressing love for family, a neighbor or for God. David knew his friend and that he was of the right spirit, not vengeful, but with the right spirit.
This word is used of Saul in the same passage, and it will be mush harder to understand when we discuss David speaking thus of him!
Lovely – to be pleasant, agreeable. Sometimes this term refers to singing. This is the spirit of seeking unity, to be at peace. This should not be confused with the spirit of giving up, or of appeasement, for they are two different spirits. To be agreeable is to seek a way for finding similar ground to stand on with those you differ.
Truly, to be agreeable is as much an attitude as an action, and in the attitude of being agreeable, much can be accomplished. To be flexible in finding righteousness is a skill that comes from the Lord, and exhibits a gracious character, a character that draws people to us.
lies slain on your high places
David did not shy away from hard truths. Jonathon had been massacred on the hills, even on the high places.
High places sometimes refers to areas of cultic worship. For our passage this morning, it is likely David is referring to the battlefield of Mount Gilboa. Even as Israel had the advantage in location, for the word speaks of the Philistines chasing the Israelites on Mount Gilboa, Jonathon was slain.
love was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women
This is a magnet verse for a certain group within the church that carry an agenda. It is as if the term “love” (אַהֲבָה ʼahăbâh) describes love in a restricted physical sense only.
When coupled with the following verse, this group within the established church claim David and Jonathon were lovers sexually.
1 Samuel 20:17 And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
Regarding the term “love”, it is true that the term is used once in reference to sexual desire.
2 Samuel 13:15 Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up! Go!”
And it may be understood to speak of the sexual act between a man and woman, but many times, even in the most sexually active book of the Bible (the book of Songs), the term may also speak of the emotional spiritual desire and not only that which is of the physical act. I have added a few verses to consider for my reader.
Song 2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
Song 2:5 Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love.
Song 5:8 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him I am sick with love.
Song 8:6 Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love.
Song 8:7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house,
Proverbs has a reference that leans towards the sexual act between a man and a woman
Proverbs 5:19 a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love. he would be utterly despised.
The point is that the term does not have to identify sexual activity, and may refer to love generically, that is in the sense of care, bonding and commitment.
My goodness, this term is also used in God’s care towards His people.
Hosea 11:4 I led them with cords of kindness,with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.
Jeremiah 31:3 the LORD appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you
So what is David speaking of in this verse then?
I would suggest we remember David’s experience with women, even at the time these passages were written.
David entered into multiple marriages, and at times, his wives tried to shame him, or were used to provide advantage for king Saul.
As he was not faithful to one woman, it can be understood that this reflected into his own opinion of women and their importance in a man’s life.
David had found a soul he could trust, that his soul had bonded with and that he related to deep in his heart. His attachment to Jonathon was soulish, of the inner man and related to the higher ideals of friendship, trust and honor between men.
For those men in my audience, think back to your closest male friend, and honestly consider your feelings toward him. A close friend, a trusting relationship, a bonding of experiences between men, does not require the introduction of any sexual act between them. But there are some in the established church with an agenda.
For the believer, the man or woman who has a living experience with the Risen Savior, it is wise to consider those introducing this heinous picture of David and Jonathon as worthy of rejection. David had enough sin on his plate. We need not consider his relation with Jonathon to also be sinful!
Leave a comment to discuss!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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 1:11-16
11 Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. 12 And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 13 And David said to the young man who told him, “Where do you come from?” And he answered, “I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.” 14 David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?” 15 Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” And he struck him down so that he died. 16 And David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD’s anointed.’”
First off, let’s consider the extent of impact the news this Amalekite provided had on David. But not only did it affect David, but all that were with him. At first I assumed it would be all his soldiers, but that is not stated, simply that all who were with him took hold of their clothes and ripped them.
When I read “all who were with him”, I thought of the army, then considered those men who were within earshot of the Amalekite as he spoke the news that brought him his death. After a second read though, I am inclined to think the text may not only be speaking of geographical nearness to David, but of the spirit of the men that heard the news. They had the same spirit of allegiance to King Saul, and to the nation that rejected them that David had.
The power of influence on our friends and acquaintances is inferred in this passage, for the spirit of David, his heart for God and his desire for the best for Saul lasted to the end, and when all hope was extinguished, sorrow came. Such was the spirit of David and of those who were with him.
No celebration, no rejoicing, no seeking an opportunity for the future king, no planning meetings or strategy sessions. Mourning and sorrow was the natural (spiritual?) reaction to the death of Israel’s first monarch.
As for the Amelakite, that was a different story. Thinking he would acquire rewards in removing David’s (assumed) enemy, he stepped into an environment that brought his own demise. How often have we sought to gain advantage, only to recieve defeat, to not only be disappointed, but to take a serious hit in life, a correction.
Thankfully, as believers, even as we slip into the attitude of gaining advantage over another, (and let’s be honest – we to often do), we have a loving Father that will teach us and instruct us (if we are open to Him) even during the discipline that needs to be experienced.
For the Amalekite, he fell by the sword. He killed by the sword (per David’s perception) and he died by the sword.
A fatal judgement, quickly executed fell on this Amalekite due to his act of lying. He killed no man, yet suffered the death penalty.
In this instance, the passage in James speaks loudly to me.
James 2:10-11
10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
Don’t get me wrong in thinking this Amalekite was a believer, and that as James spoke to believers in this passage, I am assuming this man as a believer. No no no. The passage is offered to remind us that sin is sin, and the category of sin we fall into does not provide us any safety.
That is, I may be a liar, and think I don’t deserve death, much like this Amalekite, but the Word says I am mistaken. It is in our rebellion against the person of God, against the character of God found in the law of God, whether by “white” lie or murderous actions that we fall. The law perfectly reflects the character of God, and any deviation from the law proves us the rebel.
There is One who perfectly represented God, fulfilled the righteousness of God and suffered a rebels death for those He loved.
Even for that Amalekite, He died.
And for me.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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 1:1-10 1 After the death of Saul, when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. 2 And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage. 3 David said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” 4 And David said to him, “How did it go? Tell me.” And he answered, “The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.” 5 Then David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” 6 And the young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. 7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9 And he said to me, ‘Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.’ 10 So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”
In this passage, we have a story of an Amalekite telling a story. A fabrication to ingratiate himself to the future king of Israel.
So many questions.
Was this one of the Amalekites that escaped from David’s attack, when David came to rescue those taken from Ziklag?
If so, this poor Amalekite escaped from David to simply fall into the hands of Saul, just as he was being defeated. What luck!
Much more likely, this Amalekite was not of the armies that David decimated, but simply a prisoner of war that was being held by the camp of Israel.
Earlier on in 1 Samuel, the text tells us that Saul died before the armor bearer committed suicide.
How did this Amalekite kill Saul without mentioning the killing of the armor bearer, who was sworn to defend the king against all threats?
It is interesting that this Amalekite mentions Saul and his son Jonathon, but not the other sons.
Might he have known of the bond David had with Jonathon?
Why would Saul call to his arch enemy, an Amalekite, to kill him? He had plenty of Philistines surrounding him if Saul sought death.
I could go on, but suffice to say, this Amalekite, in the aftermath of the battle, may have tripped over the body of king Saul, and simply took the crown and armlet of the king. Simply taking advantage of the death of soldiers in the battle field. Kind of a sad picture in my mind, that a foreigner was just waiting to pick from the dead, but somehow it may fit with this fellow. Not of the highest moral fiber, as he is obviously a liar. A liar and a story-teller!
As for David, let’s remember he just got back from a battle, rescuing his family from the Amalekites, and on the third day, was told information that would propel him into the position of king! Saul was the only man who stood in his way, and God had promised him this position. It was David’s time to rise to the throne!
But unlike this Amalekite, he refrained from looking first to his advantage, but sought news of his nation’s state of affairs, and of King Saul.
Here was a man who had nearly entered into battle against his own people, allying himself with the Philistines. David had a busy time this last few days, seeing God consistently working in his life. He had seen the hand of God rescue him from a very sticky situation with the Philistines. He had seen the hand of God deliver him from his own army moving to mutiny him as they entered the plundered Ziklag. He had seen the hand of God provide guidance to the Amalekites camp. He had seen the hand of God provide victory over the Amalekites. He had seen the hand of God in protecting his loved ones, recovering every kidnapped victim of Ziklag.
Now the hand of God was providing news of David’s opportunity to claim the kingdom as promised, and he asked about Saul and Jonathon. The kingdom could wait, for David was of a different spirit than this Amalekite.
Whereas the Amalekite would weave a story to get something, David would put off advantage for the sake of information. He knew the importance of data over dollars!
Much can be gleaned from this passage, but for this writer, these two men reveal a difference that is stark, that is important and for the believer, should be heeded. We, as believers should prioritize facts, data, information, knowledge and the wisdom of God as He works amongst us.
And He is working! Even when a liar comes to tell you a story! God is at work, if you have eyes to see!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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.
For this post, we will not see David, but it will focus of his father-in-law, his king, and his arch enemy describes a turning point in David’s life, and his future as the king.
Lets consider the outfall of Saul’s death.
1 Samuel 31:8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 1 Samuel 31:9 So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. 1 Samuel 31:10 They put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. 1 Samuel 31:11 But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 1 Samuel 31:12 all the valiant men arose and went all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. 1 Samuel 31:13 And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days.
The Philistines won the battle, and on the very next day, they came back to the battle ground, after all the Israelites had run away, to strip off the fallen. Spoils of war!
This is a common act of the victorious, for the winning soldiers would often come back to pick the dead clean. Now of course, this act of recovering goods from dead soldiers sometimes brought our the worst in the soldiers. There were some who could not resist humiliating King Saul, along with the entire nation of Israel, in the decapitation of the defeated king, and the exhibition of his headless corpse on the wall at Beth-shan. Why at Beth Shan? It was deep in the defeated regions of Israel, where the Philistines could shame the king and his people. Perfect psychological warfare, even after the killing was over!
For a body to be hung on the city walls was a great shame, an insult to those of his family. This act of defilement was more than a show of victory over the nation, it was an exhibition of gloating by the Philistines, and heaped disgrace on the royal family, and nation of Israel.
Early on in King Saul’s reign, the town of Jabesh Gilead was the sighting of Saul’s first challenge in defending his people. An Ammonite army descended on Jabesh, placed the town under siege, and then forced the citizen’s of Jabesh into an agreement prior to attacking. The Ammonites would kill them by sword, or have their right eyes gouged out. What a choice!
But for some reason, the Ammonites allowed them to reach out for help, giving them seven days to bring reinforcements. Were they hoping to find more success by defeating greater numbers of Israelites? Or simply heaping additional shame on this town when no-one came?
But the newly crowned King Saul did come, and he was large and in charge. He rallied an army, though through threatening, and marched onto Jabesh. With his army, he defeated the Ammonites fully, and it became a fantastic victory for this newly ascended king.
The people of Jabesh did not forget, and they made efforts to retrieve the kings body. For reasons unknown, the people of Jabesh burned the body of King Saul. This was not common practice in the days of Israel. Possibly they burned the bodies due to the extent of dismemberment, or the deterioration from the daily heat. Personally, I think the Jabesh people sought to give Saul peace from being dug up again and put on display, continuing the shameful treatment of their first king.
Either way, the people of Jabesh, those valiant men, provided King Saul relief from the shame of defeat, the shame of exposure and the shame of defilement. They honored their king, their rescuing hero in a way only they could.
This was a very sad day for the nation, for their first king had been conquered. Depending on your point of view, he had been conquered much earlier than his physical death, but nevertheless, he had been conquered, and the valiant men of Jabesh Gilead went into enemy territory to retrieve what was left of their king.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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.
For our next couple of posts, we will not see David directly, but will consider his father-in-law, his king, and his arch enemy. The following recounting of Saul’s last days describes a turning point in David’s life, and his future as the king.
Lets consider Saul’s last day.
1 Samuel 31:1 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 1 Samuel 31:2 And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. 1 Samuel 31:3 The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. 1 Samuel 31:4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 1 Samuel 31:5 And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. 1 Samuel 31:6 Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together. 1 Samuel 31:7 And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them.
We have the death of Saul in this passage, along with the complete collapse of the Israeli army.
First, let’s consider the general situation prior to thinking about Saul. His army, as noted previously was far outnumbered and his reaction when he realized the size of the Philistine encampment was that of utter fear.
1 Samuel 28:4 The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa.
In this fear, Saul ventured off to a medium, who only reinforced every fear he had and informed Saul of his death the next day. That day came quickly, and the Philistines were brutal, in that the Philistines entered into the base camp of Israeli army at Gilboa, decimating their forces and killing Saul’s three sons. Although Abinadab and Malchi-shua were possible hires to the throne, it would have been Jonathon that would most likely have reigned in Saul’s place in the event of Saul’s passing.
This possibility would have caused a testing of the friendship between David and Jonathon, for who should reign if Jonathon would ascend to the throne. Not only a testing their freindship, but a testing of the very covenant Jonathon made with David.
1 Samuel 20:16 And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD take vengeance on David’s enemies.”
Would he abide by his word of being faithful to David? Could Jonathon justify his ascension in light of this curse? Might he seek the throne as David’s “friend”, and thus avert the very curse he uttered?
My friends, I want to think the best of Jonathon, yet we all know that power can corrupt. Even if there was such a situation that Jonathon could reign without incurring this curse, the nation would not be blessed, for God had determined David to reign.
In a very harsh way, Jonathon’s death was necessary, and in his death, he found honor in staying beside his king, defending his nation and fighting for God till the very end.
This potential competitor for the throne fell to one of Saul’s other son’s, but we will consider the wisdom of God’s plan in allowing that in future installments. For now, a complicated situation has been removed from David’s future.
Let us not forget that this solution brought great pain to David. Some of the Lord’s best plans allow for great pain in our lives. Jonathon and David were the closest of allies and the best of friends, exhibiting a loyalty that continued beyond Jonathon’s life. Yet Jonathon passed on the battlefield.
Saul also passed on the battlefield. But let me ask my reader – Did he die due to the battle? He was certainly wounded by the archers of the Philistines, but the fatal blow did not come from the Philistines. Saul sought his own armor bearer to kill him, in order to avoid the humiliation of capture and mistreatment by the Philistines.
Now consider the armor bearer’s conundrum. He was to protect the king, as this honor was not passed to one lightly, for it was a great responsibility, and carried with it great status. Not only was Saul asking this armor bearer to sacrifice the very person he lived to protect, but also to bring shame upon his own name and family, in killing the very anointed king of Israel.
Saul was fully consumed with his own needs at this time, and I get it, that he is on the very precipice of his grave, looking down into the pit. What else was the king to do? He had lost all honor and status, his kingdom was being run over and he knew he was to die that day. His only choice was how he would fall in battle, and he would not wait for God’s will in even that!
As we know, the armor bearer refused, and Saul fell on his own sword, capping off the self destructive behavior of a man seeking his own will throughout his life.
How sad. A day of tremendous loss for the nation. They lost much of the western territory to the enemy. They lost their army on the hills of Mount Gilboa. They lost their king. They lost the best hope of a successor king in Jonathon’s death. They lost cities to the Philistines due to abandonment. They lost national reputation in the sight of their neighboring countries.
What a terrible defeat. Israel was in tatters. But the shame of the defeat was to be worse as we will find in the next portion of the Word.
For now, let us be thankful for the opportunity to give up our own self will for the Lord’s will, to accept pain and sorrow as it comes from the hand of the Lord, and know that in everything that occurs in our lives, the Lord is in control, the Lord is a merciful God, and that God is good.
Yes, cling to the fact that God is good, even when things might seem very bad. He is on the throne, and He will never be removed from it, for His reign is is forever and ever.
Hebrews 1:8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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.
1 Samuel 30:26-31
26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD.” 27 It was for those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in Jattir, 28 in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa, 29 in Racal, in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, in the cities of the Kenites, 30 in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach, 31 in Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed.
In our last post, we see David healing a very real split amongst his men. Those vocal “wicked and worthless” men of David were on the edge of dividing David’s men, diminishing greatly the unity and camaraderie developed through all the strain and struggle they had experienced together.
David wisely reacted to the threat within his army!
In our post here, we find David doing the exact same thing, that of healing relations, but in this passage he is seeking to heal relations with his nation. Surely they thought of him as a traitor, for had he not “abandoned” them as he lived and pillaged in Philistia? Surely this sentiment is at least part of David’s motivation for distributing spoils to the elders of Judah.
Now before I go on, there is an assumption that I think we need to make in this short passage.
This assumption is that the spoil sent to his friends, those of the elders of Judah was of the Amalekites and not of the recovered spoils of his men.
If the cities of Judah were to receive of the spoils of his men, this would have only aggravated relations between David and his men. I can hear the rumors flying throughout the ranks that he was seeking to buy others favor at the expense of his own army! We know this is a common action of some in power, even in todays political world, but I believe David is in the healing business in this passage.
This decision to send to the elders of Judah also effectively addresses the greed of those wicked and worthless men among his soldiers.
Can you imagine those wicked and worthless men returning from their victory, just “licking their chops”, thinking they could gain from not only their brothers at the Brook Besor, but all the spoils of the Amalekites. This was to be a great bounty for those wicked and worthless men. Wow, so much stuff!
David is in this action, providing the soldiers an opportunity to consider their future. This action laid the groundwork for the long term goals of the future king of Israel. They who had been faithful throughout all of David’s trials, temptations and threats, are on the cusp of becoming the future king of Israel’s core fighting men, as the ascension of David to the throne is on the horizon!
As David ascends, the soldiers will benefit in their association with the king. The spoils are a distraction, a short term gain with a long term loss for these soldiers!
David was the rightful king from the day of his anointing. Though estranged from his people, David had a small group of Israeli men who had developed into a rag tag fighting force that stuck with him. Through trial and trouble, these men had developed into David’s men, saw God work miracles and followed David’s leadership into numerous battles they humanly shouldn’t have won, little lone survived.
Jesus also is the rightful King, and though His fighting force is but a fraction of the population of his potential Kingdom, those of us who have followed Him while He has been defamed and ridiculed by the world, need to look long term also.
David was about to become king, at least of Judah, but he is on his way to find the recognition he richly deserved by the people he was intended to reign over. The soldiers needed to see this future and not be driven by the immediate acquistion of booty and spoils.
Jesus will be recognized by all as the King soon. As those who have followed Jesus before His revelation to the world, we also need to look long term.
My friend, if you are beginning to fall into the wicked and worthless mindset, seeking good for yourself, even at the expense of your brothers things, repent and think long term!
More importantly, think of Him who lived His life as an example for us, to think of others and not ourselves only. He is coming, and our hearts are to be for Him and not of others possessions.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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.
1 Samuel 30:21-25
30:21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them. 30:22 Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart.” 30:23 But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. 30:25 And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day.
This passage delves into a popular passage that many missionaries use to speak of believers not moving on into foreign fields, staying behind on the home front and not continuing on in global evangelism. I have heard a few messages on this topic, but I don’t recall being taught of the extent of exhaustion these soldiers may have experienced.
Let’s try to understand the setting.
We have two groups being referred to in this passage. Our topic group are those “lazy good for nothings” that stayed behind at the brook, with the second group, those “wicked and worthless fellows” claiming they should not receive any of the spoils from the victory.
Those Lazy Good for Nothings
The text states that those soldiers of David that were exhausted stayed at the Brook Besor. After the battle to retrieve the wives, children and livestock, the army reunited with these exhausted remaining at the Brook Besor. Given that this battle took a full day per 1 Samuel 30:17, and that some additional travel to the battlefield was required, we can assume those at the Brook Besor may have had two days of recuperation available.
1 Samuel 30:17 And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day,
In my mind, I imagined these soldiers laying by the beach, with umbrella’s shading them from the harsh sun, being attended to by beach waiters bringing them drinks and snacks. Now this is surely ludicrous, for I am implying that they claimed exhaustion to avoid responsibility. I think I may be thinking like that other group, those wicked and worthless fellows.
Now before we come down hard on these “lazy good for nothings” as the wicked and worthless fellows in verse 22 seem to do, let us consider these soldier’s claim.
The army had been in Philistia, prepping for war with Israel, when they were told to stand down. David led them back to their base, back to Ziklag where they found it burnt and smoldering. Could some of these “lazy good for nothings” have been impacted by the raid on Ziklag? Might they have lost family and possessions? Even the wicked and worthless admit these “lazy good for nothings” had lost wives and children.
Let me ask of these “lazy good for nothings”, regarding their past fighting with David. Had this “excuse” been used before? Was there a portion of David’s men that typically tired earlier than the rest? If so, why were they still with David and his men?
But the biggest indicator that something non-typical was occurring in this story is the strangeness of soldiers not seeking revenge for this kidnapping and destruction of their homes. When was the last time a man, a soldier at that, would not seek to rescue his family. These “lazy good for nothings” had lost family and possessions, and because they wanted a nap, they stayed behind? That does not ring right.
Those wicked and worthless fellows
I also came away from many messages, thinking those who rescued the wives were the heroes, spotless in their allegiance to God and David. They gave what was required to take down the Amalekites, and proved victorious.
And for many in that group, they fought bravely, successfully and experienced the salvation of God. But those few vocal soldiers coming back from the battle, they tried to take advantage of a situation. They spoke out against those exhausted soldiers – I refuse to call them “lazy good for nothings” after considering the situation – those wicked and worthless fellows tried to split the group and get more of the spoils.
Wicked and worthless? These are winning soldiers, who have suffered the long march, fought for David, and returned with the victory. Is it fair to call them wicked and worthless? For those few that were vocal, I think it is very fair to consider them wicked and worthless.
Consider
First off, they sought to create an “us vs them”. How many armies can be successful divided against itself? This effort was divisive and against the will of God.
Secondly, they sought their brothers livestock. This would definitely leave a lasting social and economic impact between this fledgling group of Israeli’s who were to become the greatest army in the region under God. There would be a group within the army that would be left destitute of all livestock. Thankfully the wicked and worthless were going to provide the women and children back to their husbands/fathers. Mighty kind of them!
Thirdly, this request/demand exposes a dark side in some of David’s men, a dark side that seems to be ruled by greed, and not God. Now I am not so naive to think these men were praying three times a day as David may have, but the greed of these vocal soldiers comes into clear view in this passage.
Those vocal soldiers are aptly described as wicked and worthless, and David sees through this logic, for it did have a sense of logic upon it, and instructed his army in a manner that would continue to solidify their team/group dynamic.
In all of this story, When I heard the preaching based on this story as an appeal to go forth into the very ends of the earth, it rocked my world. It appealed to my wicked and worthless side, for the implication was that to be a missionary, a foreign missionary at that, was to be able to acquire others possessions since they didn’t work the harvest fields. I realize somewhat better now that the only reason to enter into service for the Master is strictly and only out of a love for Him.
Self interest and a desire to acquire booty, though it be “spiritual”, is not a holy motivation, could not maintain a faithful service and would only cause heartache and pain in the end. My wife and I sought to enter the mission field at one point, and was refused the honor to serve. When I read this passage, I think the roadblocks we faced may have been placed in front of us due to my impure motivation to serve Him.
In this vein of thought, I often hear Jeremiah’s advise to Baruch in the 45th chapter of Jeremiah, where he admonishes
Jeremiah 45:5 ….do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not….
Jeremiah and Baruch were undergoing massive upheaval in their lives and this admonition to Baruch involved many issues not directly related to my life, but the admonition is sound.
Seeking the spoils, whether those spoils be possessions that rightly belong to your brother in arms, as these wicked and worthless fellows were seeking, or the desire for self elevation as Baruch may have been desiring, is never the proper way to behave in the Body of Christ.
May we find peace in our desires to serve the Risen Lord, whether in prosperity or poverty, whether in fame or obscurity.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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.
1 Samuel 30:16-20
1 Samuel 30:16 And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 1 Samuel 30:17 And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled. 1 Samuel 30:18 David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. 1 Samuel 30:19 Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all. 1 Samuel 30:20 David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”
In our last post on David, we found him taking the time to show mercy to a rejected Egyptian. Turns out this Egyptian, this stranger was a slave of the very army that had ravaged Ziklag and taken all of David’s men’s wives, children and livestock. David also lost his two wives!
David showed mercy to this unknown person, exemplifying the character of God residing in him, and of his return to the God of Israel.
In this passage, this Egyptian slave turned out to be the real deal, the one who led David and his men right to the camp of the Amalekites. How coincidental!
Now as a quick reminder, the Amalekites were a real thorn in the side of Israel, for they were the nation group that God had instructed Saul to completely annihilate, and yet Saul hadn’t. Saul eventually succumbed to great suffering due to his treatment of the Amalekites, for he did not obey God in the destruction of this nation when he was commanded to.
Now, David was on the edge of the Amalekite camp, knowing God’s desire for this nation, and of his own motivation to rescue his people. The passage speaks of David striking those in the camp down.
He literally slaughtered them!
David knew what he was doing, for he had practice in the wholesale slaughter of a people in an area. Prior to David’s return to the Lord, he had a practice of decimating small populations. Under King Achish, David would enter a land area, and kill all he encountered to get the spoil of the area and to keep his actions secret!
1 Samuel 27:9 ESV – And David would strike the land and would leave neither man nor woman alive, but would take away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the garments, and come back to Achish.
Imagine the fervor David had in striking the Amalekites, for they were sworn enemies of Israel, and had kidnapped his loved ones. What he learned in the south of Philistia, he practiced with passion in this instance! He took them on for a full day, fighting through the night, and the following day, after having marched from Philistia to Ziklag and then chasing the Amalekites. Where did this endurance come from?
Four hundred Amalekites fled, but the mission was successful, for the wives and children were rescued with all the livestock. An amazing feat for a man who just a chapter previous was on the edge of mutiny by his men!
It is truly an amazing story and a great tale to reflect on. David took a skill set he developed as he was away from God, the ability to effectively slaughter a people group, and when he returned to God, was able to use this skill set under the hand of God.
For years, David had been trained under the harsh mercy of God, even in his rebellion, and became an tried and true leader, one who was able to do the bidding of the Master. He was now on the precipice of leading the nation of Israel into world domination under the Headship of God!
As we follow God, we may consider some of the skill sets we have acquired to be of no use to the God we serve. Let this thought be banished from our thinking, for our God is not One who only has His servants in sanctuaries, but also in service throughout the nations, as doctors, wives, accountants, bakers and factory workers. He is able to take what we may consider worldly skills and use those skills for those both inside and outside the church.
He is so much bigger than we let on!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Considering the Bible 