2 Samuel
Lesson Two
A Seven Year Civil War Begins in Israel
2 Samuel 2:1-3:39
Civil Wars have taken place around the world and across the centuries. Some are occurring as I write these notes. But – at least for us living in the United States of America – when the phrase “The Civil War” is used, the term is almost automatically used in reference to the war that broke out nearly 166 years ago between the northern and southern parts of our country. To say that the war was fought over the issue of slavery would be an understatement. (Actually, Abraham Lincoln made the matter of the slavery the pivotal issue in the war after two years of fighting, through his “Emancipation Proclamation” on January 1, 1863. And Lincoln did so, in large part, to keep Great Britain from entering the conflict on the side of the South, with which it was in sympathy…..even though Great Britain had abolished slavery within its boundaries nearly 30 years earlier. Lincoln, by the way, only emancipated slaves in territory still controlled by the Confederacy…..and not in territory that was occupied by the Union.) The American Civil War, as most of you know from your studies of American History, spanned “5 Aprils”….from 1861 through 1865. Over those four years there were a total of 620,000 combined military casualties, while combined civilian casualties have been estimated at 50,000….making it our country’s costliest war in terms of lives lost during the conflict. The war – initially fought over the rights of individual states to regulate their government, in opposition to the overall control of the federal government over all the states (and yes, slavery from the outset was a major issue….) – forever changed the way this nation governed itself…..with the federal government (which “won” the war) becoming dominant over the various states from that point in time up to today. It also generated some particular regional (north vs south) animosities and social differences (notably racial segregation) that only began to disappear in the 1960’s. Consequently, the Civil War had a profound, positive, but also devastating, effect on our United States of America….ushering in changes to our culture, form of government and overall way of life that remain to this very day.
Many of the same things can also be said about a Civil War that occurred – not a century and a half, but – nearly 30 centuries ago, half way around the world from our United States. That Civil War took place around 1010 BC, and would last three years longer than our American Civil War (7 years, all told). In a sense, it was also a south-versus-north conflict, with the southern tribe of Judah supporting David as king, while the remainder of Israel’s tribes to the north supported Saul’s fourth son, Ishbosheth, as their monarch. Many lives were lost in the conflict, and while national reconciliation was more immediate….it was not as long-lasting, since just over 70 years later another Civil War would break out in Israel that would permanently divide God’s chosen people into two competing, and Spiritually-divergent countries.
Eventually David would defeat Isbosheth (sort of), and he finally would be enthroned as king over all Israel. But that only occurs in chapter five of 2 Samuel. Today’s lesson, based on chapters two and three, will focus on two generals, each fighting for their respective kings…..Joab, who supported David; and Abner, who supported Ishbosheth. Both Abner and Joab had significant impacts on David’s life and his reign as Israel’s king….hence the purpose of this lesson in the eyes of the inspired writer of Samuel. Eventually Abner will lose his life tragically and nefariously, while Joab will survive and insulate himself into the permanent role of David’s chief military officer.
Let’s Begin with a Brief Biography of Abner….
When some of the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father ran off, Saul was sent to find them and bring them back, with the help of a servant (9:3 ff.). During their search for those donkeys Saul and the servant encountered Samuel, who secretly anointed Saul, designating him as Israel’s first king. When Saul and his servant returned home, Saul’s unnamed uncle was there to meet them and to probe Saul with questions: 14 Now Saul’s uncle said to him and his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, “To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they could not be found, we went to Samuel.” 15 Saul’s uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.” 16 So Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell him about the matter of the kingdom which Samuel had mentioned (1 Samuel 10:14-16).
It’s quite likely that this “uncle” was Ner, the brother of Kish, Saul’s father. And it’s easy to see why uncle Ner might have been interested in whatever happened during Saul’s encounter with Samuel. That’s because he had to have known that Israel had just demanded they be allowed to have a king, just like the rest of the neighboring nations. He would also have known that God had granted their request through Samuel (1 Samuel 8), and that Samuel was going to be the one who would designate the new king (at God’s direction, of course). But that hadn’t happened yet. And so it’s reasonable to assume that Ner would not have taken an encounter between his nephew Saul and Samuel lightly…especially given Saul’s handsome, powerful appearance (he looked like a king). Saul’s success (should he become king) would certainly mean his extended family would be blessed as well…..including Ner and his family. As proof, Ner’s son, Abner, was Saul’s cousin, and later he became the commander of Saul’s armed forces.
Now, Abner doesn’t appear in the Biblical record until David does battle with Goliath, as that story recorded in 1 Samuel 17. It was king Saul who should have stood up to Goliath and fought with him. But he was afraid. The
“next man up” for Israel would have been the commander of Saul’s army. But Abner also sat on the sidelines with his cousin Saul. Apparently both of them watched from a safe distance as David defeated the giant (1 Samuel 17:55-57). Though it might seem unduly harsh, as I read this story, it says to me that cousin Abner, commander of Israel’s military, was just as frightened by Goliath as the rest of his men, including Saul: When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid (1 Samuel 17:11)…..When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid (1 Samuel 17:24).
Abner must have known David well, and vice versa. Abner was the chief commander of Israel’s army, while David was a war hero who was appointed the commander of a thousand men (1 Samuel 18:13). No doubt they interacted routinely as superior and subordinate. We know that, through his military victories, David won the respect of his fellow-commanders (18:30)….Abner, included. In addition, Abner (like David) was a regular guest at Saul’s table (20:25).
But when Saul turned against David, Abner supported his cousin-king. And since Saul used his army to search for David in order to kill him, Abner had to have been involved (I Samuel 26:3-5, 13-16).
Not only was Abner the commander of Saul’s army, he was also Saul’s chief of security. When out in the field leading his army, king Saul would have slept at the center of his troops, with Abner very near to him to protect Saul. If anyone attempted to harm Saul, they had to get past all of the troops surrounding Saul, and finally had to get past Abner, who had stationed himself beside Saul. On one occasion, Saul, Abner, and their troops were “divinely anesthetized” (I Samuel 26:12) so that they remained asleep while David and Abishai snuck into their camp. After taking Saul’s spear and water jug, and moving to a place of safety, David specifically called out Abner and accused him of dereliction of duty, and thus that he deserved to die (I Samuel 26:14-16). Abner must have felt publicly humiliated.
Of course, how could Abner have been guilty of failing to carry out his duties as Saul’s security chief, if God had miraculously put everyone in Israel’s army to sleep? That being the case, why did David directly point the finger of blame at Abner? An answer to that question might be found in I Samuel 26: 8-11, where David asked Saul why he was pursuing him. David inquired of Saul, has God instructed you to pursue me, or did someone close to you incite you against me….falsely accusing me of being a threat to your throne? Then David pronounced a curse against whomever is lying about him. Perhaps that person was Abner?
After all, who in Israel had the most to lose if Saul and David reconciled, and David – along with Jonathan – became Saul’s right- and left-hand men? Since David was such a great warrior, isn’t it likely that Saul – and later Jonathan (assuming he succeeds his father as king) – would have appointed David as the commander of Israel’s army…..in place of Abner? As Abner had much to gain from Saul’s appointment as Israel’s king, he also had much to lose if David and Saul reconciled……or if David replaced Saul as king (which was God’s plan…..as Saul knew all too well). In fact, once Saul did die, Abner was the one person in Israel – more than anyone else, even Ish-bosheth – who aggressively resisted David’s becoming King of all Israel. In many ways he was the power behind Ish-bosheth’s throne.
One other thought……whether or not you have thought this, I’ve wondered why Abner was not mentioned anywhere from 1 Samuel 26 through 2 Samuel 2. After all, he was the commander of the armed forces of Israel. Where was Abner when the Israelites fought the Philistines and suffered a massive defeat? Since he was supposed to be Saul’s body-guard/security chief, why wasn’t Abner alongside Saul and his three sons as they fought for their lives and died on Mount Gilboah? Many of Israel’s soldiers fled the battlefield. Was Abner among them? Once the dust of the battle settled, Abner was still alive, and so was Ish-bosheth, Saul’s remaining son. That’s where today’s lesson will begin……right after David had sung his psalm, morning the deaths of Saul and Jonathan as Israel’s heroes. But before going there, we are also going to consider….
a Brief Biography of Joab….David’s Nephew, and the Commander of His troops
The first time in the Bible Joab is specifically mentioned is in 1 Samuel 26:6. This passage actually talks about about Joab’s older brother, Abishai, who accompanied David on his silent sortie into Saul’s camp (where Abner was sleeping beside Saul in order to protect him). Abishai was one of David’s most loyal soldiers (and one of his greatest “mighty men of valor” – 2 Samuel 23:8-39). He had volunteered to accompany David on what seemed like a suicide mission – two men sneaking into Saul’s camp of 3000 select troops). Abishai was ready to put Saul to death with one blow (1 Samuel 26:8), and no doubt he would have done so had David not forbidden him to take the life of the Lord’s anointed. The point here, though, is that Abishai, the oldest son of David’s sister Zeruiah (at least, that’s the way it seems – see 1 Chronicles 2:16), is referred to as “Joab’s brother” (1 Samuel 26:6). That would indicate that Joab was the best known of the three sons of Zeruiah (the other being Asahel….also one of David’s “mighty men.”)
Joab doesn’t “officially” step into David’s Biblical story until today’s story transpires (2 Samuel 2:13 ff.). Undoubtedly, David and Joab knew each other since David’s older sister, Zeruiah, was Joab’s mother. (Incidentally, David has another older sister, Abigail [1 Chronicles 2:12-17], whose son happens to be Amasa [he first appears in Scripture in 2 Samuel 19-20]). We also know Asahel eventually would be buried in the tomb of his father in Bethlehem (2 Samuel 2:32). Abishai, Joab, and Asahel were very likely around the same age as David. All three, along with other family members, had probably joined David at the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1-2). Many of the people in this group, in time with training and under his leadership, became a part of David’s elite fighting force, with with Abishai, Asahel and Joab becoming prominent as warriors and leaders because of their loyalty, courage and fighting abilities.
Joab served as one of David’s unit commanders for a number of years before David became king of all Israel. At that point the Bible informs us that Joab became the commander of Israel’s army. He won the position due to his courage and success in attacking Jebus (Jerusalem) and conquering it for David (1 Chronicles 11:6).
At this point we’ll skip past the events of 2 Samuel 2 and 3 (we’ll return to them in just a bit), in order to consider some of the later events in Joab’s life. It’s undeniable that Joab was a great and courageous military leader. We can see this in the battle he wages against the Ammonites, the Syrians, and others in 2 Samuel 10 (especially verses 9-14). Not only was Joab a brave warrior and a great military mind, he was both humble and wise. For example, when Joab had all but conquered the Ammonite royal city of Rabbah in 2 Samuel 12:26-31, rather than take credit for the victory personally, he urged David to come to Rabbah so that he could have the glory for the conquest all to himself. What’s more, when David arrogantly and foolishly ordered Joab to count all of his people of Israel, Joab strongly protested that it was a very unwise, sinful thing for David to so (since the people of Israel belonged to God….not to David). Tragically, David refused to listen to Joab’s wise counsel in that matter (2 Samuel 24:2-4).
Joab also showed great discernment and strength of character in his dealings with David and Absalom. It was Joab who served as the mediator between David and his exiled son, Absalom. Joab recognized that David wanted to be reconciled to Absalom (2 Samuel 13:39). And so he arranged for a wise woman from Tekoa to approach David with a fabricated story about a conflict between her two sons, which resulted in the death of one of her boys (2 Samuel 14:1-24.). When David passed judgment that called for mercy, the woman urged David to deal in the same manner with his son, Absalom. David got the message and also immediately realized that Joab was the one behind he woman and her story (2 Samuel 14:19). Rather than being self-serving, Joab’s plan seemed to be to reconcile David with his wayward son. Joab was trying to get David to deal with his son in the same way that he would have dealt with anyone else. And Joab seemed genuinely pleased when David responded to the woman as he did….urging mercy and reconciliation.
However, after Absalom rebelled against his father and tried to usurp David’s throne, Joab dealt much more severely with Absalom, even though David still wanted to be merciful to his boy. David instructed Joab and his soldiers to be gentle with Absalom, which was certainly foolish given all that Absalom already had done to harm David (and he would probably do it – or worse – again…..if he were given the opportunity to cause more trouble). On the battlefield Joab seized the opportunity to put Absalom to death, assisted by some of his men (2 Samuel 18:14-15). Afterward, when David was consumed with sorrow over Absalom’s death….instead of being grateful to his defenders who had saved his throne from the rebels…..Joab strongly rebuked him (2 Samuel 19:1-8), and David followed Joab’s sage advice (2 Samuel 19:8).
There are a number of ways that we can see Joab as an extraordinary individual, and one of David’s most loyal friends. However, there was a very dark side to Joab too. He was a violent man who sometimes acted foolishly and selfishly. Take, for instance, the time when David committed adultery with Bathsheba and eventually decided her husband, Uriah, had to die….but it had to look innocent. Joab was a willing accomplice to David’s deceit and act of murder (2 Samuel 11:6). Instead of objecting to David’s evil directive, Joab simply obeyed. In addition, when Absalom temporarily took control of David’s kingdom, he replaced Joab as the commander of Israel’s army with Amasa. Later, when Absalom was defeated and David returned to his throne, David also (foolishly ?) appointed Amasa as the commander of his army, rather than loyal Joab (2 Samuel 19:13). When Sheba, another Benjamite (like Saul, Ish-bosheth, and Abner), rebelled against David, Amasa was ordered by David to muster the troops of Judah in order to fight Sheba’s forces. When Amasa didn’t appear within the allotted time, David ordered Abishai (Joab’s older brother) to go out and capture Sheba (2 Samuel 20:4-7). Abishai set out to do that, accompanied by Joab and his men. Along the way, Joab met Amasa and killed him (2 Damuel 20:8-10) in a way similar to how he murdered Abner in 2 Samuel 3, displaying friendship initially, until he stabbed Amasa to death.. Afterward, Joab and Abishai pursed Sheba to the city of Abel Beth Maakah and laid siege against it (2 Samuel 20:10). Joab, in communicating with one of the city’s residents who pleaded for peace, offered that city safety in exchange for the head of Sheba. It was promptly thrown over the city wall. Following this incident, Joab – once again – became the chief commander of Israel’s army (2 Samuel 20:23).
Finally, when David was in his latter years, and was no longer able to rule effectively, he seems to have dragged his feet about designating and installing Solomon as his successor. Another of David’s sons, Adonijah, tried to take advantage of the situation and beat Solomon to the throne by having himself proclaimed his father’s successor as Israel’s next king (1 Kings 1:5 ff). Like Absalom was, Adonijah was handsome and rather charismatic. Apparently his father also never told him “no” (1 Kings 1:6). Both Joab and David’s previously loyal high priest, Abiathar, joined Adonijah’s side. Unfortunately, the “bet on the wrong horse” in choosing Adonijah. In the nick of time Bathsheba and Nathan the prophet persuaded David to publicly appoint Solomon as the successor to his throne. After Solomon assumed the kingship, he graciously allowed his older half-brother, Adonijah, to live (for a time). But when Adonijah made a subtle attempt to oust Solomon and take over Israel’s throne by asking that he be given Abishag, David’s concubine-wife, to be his wife…..(in that culture and time, taking over the former king’s harem was a way of establishing yourself as his successor)….along with his leaving the confines of Jerusalem (where he had been ordered to remain – or else….) Solomon had him but to death. Joab was also executed….not only for his role in this conspiracy against Solomon, but also because he had violently assassinated both Abner and Amasa (1 Kings 2:5-6, 28-35).
“My Three Sons. . . and Abner” (2 Samuel chapters 2-3)
David sought the Lord’s guidance and was directed to go to the city of Hebron. Once David, his family and dall of his followers reached Hebron, the people of Judah anointed him as their king…..but only as the king of Judah (2:1-4a). David’s graciousness toward the men of Jabesh-Gilead (2:4b-7) gave the people of Israel an excellent opportunity to make David their king as well….but that didn’t happen.
Instead (from what we learn in 2 Samuel 3:17-19), while the people of Israel all understood that the LORD had designated David to be Saul’s replacement, and while they actually wanted David to be their king, Abner intervened to keep that from happening. He orchestrated events so that Ish-bosheth, a surviving son of Saul, became king over the rest of Israel before David could assume the throne. It would take seven long, difficult years of civil war before David would reign over all of Israel (2 Samuel 2:8-11).
Gang violence is a major problem in many of our cities today. Retaliation killings (after one member of a gang is killed by a member of a rival gang) are all too common. But gangs are not a unique phenomenon of our twenty-first century. The “tribal conflict” in verses 12-17 of chapter 2, between the 12 men who supported Ish-bosheth and the 12 men who supported David, is hardly any different from the gang disputes of our day. With the opposing groups confronting each other at the pool of Gibeon, Abner and Joab (the “gang leaders”) each picked twelve men to fight it out there in order to see which “gang” was best. All 24 men selected died, and that immediately led to an all-out fight between the two sides, resulting in the deaths of many more men. It was all so needless and fruitless…and it only served to further intensify the rivalry and animosity that already existed between the tribe of Judah (David’s people) and the rest of Israel (supporting Ish-both as the representative of Saul’s house).
While David’s side won that conflict at the pool of Gibeon, Ish-bosheth’s people would regroup and continue to carry on the civil war (2 Samuel 2:25; 3:1, 6). Before the fighting was all done, matters would become especially personal for Abner and Joab….which, no doubt, was a major motivator for Joab’s eventual assassination of Abner.
After Joab and his men defeated Abner and his men, the latter retreated…..but with Asahel (Joab’s younger brother) in hot pursuit. Perhaps Asahel wanted to prove that, as a warrior, he was every bit the equal of his brothers Abishai and Joab. We don’t know. But as Asahel got closer and closer to him, Abner realized that either he would survive, or Asahel. Someone was going to die. Abner tried to talk Asahel into backing off and ending his pursuit. However, he wouldn’t be persuaded to quit, which left Abner with no choice but to kill Asahel in order to save his own life. Abner didn’t want to do that, knowing he would have to eventually face Joab (not to mention Abishai). Unfortunately, left with no other recourse but either to die himself at Asahel’s hand or take the latter’s life, Abner ran his pursuer through….not with the point of his spear but with the butt of his spear. That must have taken incredible strength and ability on Abner’s part, and it must have been incredibly painful for Asahel to die by being bludgeoned to death (2 Samuel 2:21-23)!
Joab and Abishai, were not about to let the death of their brother pass without what they considered the only appropriate response — their vengefully killing Abner – so they pursued him and the rest of his soldiers until Abner reached an adequately defensible position on a hill (2 Samuel 2:25). Assaulting that advantageous position would result in more unnecessary deaths between the two warring sides…..who were actually all brothers, since they were all part of the children of Israel. Finally, reason prevailed. Abner recommended that they agree to a cease fire, which Joab also supported (2 Samuel 2:26-28). Everyone went to their respective homes, with Joab’s troops suffering 20 deaths, while Abner’s forces lost 360 men.
In spite of that rout, the civil war continued through seven, long years (2 Samuel 3:1), with David’s side continually gaining strength, while Ish-bosheth’s side became weaker. Finally, the civil war was close to its end. If Joab or Abishai could still get their hands on Abner in battle, they could legitimately kill him. But Abner about to switch sides and bring about the war’s end and the consolidation of the nation for David.
Even though the house of Saul (Ish-bosheth) was losing strength and support, compared to the house of David, Abner’s influence and power were increasing. Abner, in fact, openly demonstrated his power by taking one of Saul’s concubines, Rizpah, for himself. What he did wasn’t motivated by love or passion, and even lust likely wasn’t his motivation. Symbolically, what Abner did in taking Rizpah was to publicly declare that he felt he had the right to rule in Saul’s place (and in Ish-bosheth’s place, too [see 2 Samuel 16:20-23; 1 Kings 2:19-25]). That, obviously, insulted and upset Ish-bosheth. He challenged Abner to give him an explanation for his disrespectful and threatening behavior. Rather than admit his guilt, Abner was furious with his “puppet king.” Abner reminded Ish-bosheth that he had made him king and had protected him from David. How dare Ish-bosheth question Abner’s actions. Ish-bosheth was sufficiently intimidated by Abner’s forceful personality, that he became terrified of Abner. For all intents and purposes, Abner is now in control in Israel….not Ish-bosheth.
But Abner, instead of putting Israel’s (and Ish-bosheth’s) crown on his own head, decided the time was right to change sides. After all, everyone (including him) knew that God’s will was for David to rule over the entire kingdom of Israel. It was inevitable. But if he were to change sides….and hand the rest of the tribes over to David….he (Abner) would be responsible for David finally becoming king of the entire nation. Surely David would be grateful. So, Abner approached David with an offer to end the civil war, so that he could become king over all Israel. David accepted Abner’s offer with one condition (2 Samuel 3:13)….that Saul’s daughter (and David’s first wife) Michal be returned to him (Saul had given her to a man named Paltiel after David fled for his life in 1 Samuel 25:44). Abner agreed, and demanded Ish-bosheth take her from her new husband, and immediately give her to David. A powerless, fearful Ish-bosheth weakly complied. Abner then met with the leaders of both factions and negotiated an agreement to end the war and unify the nation. It seemed that, finally, David was about to become the king of all Israel.
Put yourself in Joab’s shoes (or sandals) when he returned from a raid only to learn that David had just met with Abner and his delegation, and that David had allowed (as far as Joab and Abishai were concerned) the “murder” of his brother to leave in peace. It didn’t take a “chariot scientist” to figure out that the war was going to be over soon. But for Joab and Abishai, the war wasn’t going to end until Abner was dead. Joab scolded David for letting Abner escape, insisting that the latter’s intentions could not be honorable (3:24-25)….but apparently David didn’t agree with Joab. So, rather than argue any further, Joab secretly ordered some of his trusted messengers to pursue Abner and bring him back to Hebron, under whatever pretense would work. Once Joab was able to meet Abner face to face, using a fraudulent display of friendship, Joab embraced Abner and stabbed him to death in his abdomen. It was murder. And David, when he learned about it, was absolutely appalled. He was quick to make it publically clear that he had no knowledge of what Joab had done, and that he definitely did not approve of Joab’s killing Abner (2 Samuel 3:28 ff).
So, What Lessons Can We Learn from the Stories of Abner and Joab?
First, we can remind ourselves again that, while there are “saints” in heaven (believers who are now living in glory and perfection), saints don’t exist here on earth. While, generally-speaking, there are “good people” and “bad people,” the reality is that nobody’s perfect….or even close it. Depending on the situation, most of us – even on our best days – are a mixture of good and bad…..and sometimes that “bad” seems to overshadow the good by quite a bit.
That’s definitely true when it comes to assessing the sometimes good, sometimes seriously flawed character of the two chief individuals before us in this story: Abner and Joab.
Undoubtedly, Joab is a very violent individual. He murdered both Amasa and Abner in cold blood, and under the guise of friendship. There’s also every reason to believe that, over his many years fighting on the battlefield for David, that he killed many men. And, at the very least, Joab was an “accessory” to the murder of Uriah the Hittite. What’s more, Joab was one of three violent siblings. His brother, Abishai, killed 300 men single-handedly in one battle (2 Samuel 23:18-19), and Abishai was also more than willing to kill King Saul (1 Samuel 26:6-12). Had he succeeded in his intent, little brother Asahel would have killed Abner as well. But….getting back to Joab…..violent man though he was, the Bible speaks about a number of Joab’s commendable qualities and actions. The bottom line is that Joab sometimes was a good person, and at other times he was very bad.
When you stop to think about it, there’s more than enough Joab (and Abner) in each of us. The reality is that there has only been one person EVER who never sinned…..our Lord Jesus Christ. He alone was sinless….(or, on the opposite side of the coin, He was the only man ever who was perfectly righteous in everything all His life)….and He lived that sinless life for our benefit. For Jesus’ sake, God the Father regards us all – sinners though we are in deed, word and thought – as sinless and able to enter heaven one day. In addition, what made Jesus’ death on the cross of Calvary so beneficial for us was that, as the holy Son of God, He offered His sinless life into death as the supreme payment/sacrifice for all our sins. Because of Him we are fully, freely forgiven, and through Holy Spirit-given faith in Jesus and all that He accomplished for our redemption, we believe that our eternal salvation in heaven is certain.
But since, Jesus is the only truly good (perfect) person who has ever lived here on earth, we have to recognize that on this side of heaven God accomplishes His purposes through people like us (and others) who are less than perfect….sometimes MUCH less than perfect. Think, for example, of what the LORD accomplished through Joseph’s brothers (Genesis 50:20). While never responsible for the evil sinners commit, God – in His sovereign power and His grace – bends the evil….in addition to good things that people also do…..so that ultimately, in all things, His gracious blessings are worked for all those believers who love Him (Romans 8:28; Ephesians 1:11). And we thank God for that!
Both Joab and Abner were deeply flawed in some respects, and extraordinary individuals in other respects. In every case, God used them to accomplish His blessed purposes. That’s also true as God uses us to bring about His will throughout the course of our sometimes faithful, and at other times quite unfaithful lives. And what’s true for us is also true in God’s dealings with and His use of others.
At the same time, let’s be careful not to idolize sinful human beings…..attractive and appealing though they might be, at times. There’s a lot that’s impressive about powerful and talented people today like Abner and Joab, but in the end, they were sinners who needed a Savior every bit as much as you and I do. Consequently, Psalm 146:3 sagely and faithfully advises us: “Do not trust in human helpers, in a mortal man who cannot save you.” Instead, let’s heed the counsel of Proverbs 3:5,6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Second, there’s something we can learn about the fifth commandment and the subject of murder from this story. In the Scriptures, God clearly distinguishes between murder, manslaughter, and the taking of human life for the purpose of self-defense or public service. In our story, Abner was not a murder because he took Asahel’s life, nor would Asahel have been guilty of murder had he killed Abner in battle. Joab also would not have been guilty of murder had he killed Abner on the field of battle in mixed combat. But Joab’s taking Abner’s life during a period of peace, and under the guise of friendship…..as well as his underhanded killing of Amasa later on…..are undeniable instances of murder. In fact, what Joab did was evident to nearly everyone….including himself because of the deceptive way he approached Abner…..and so David publicly disavowed any knowledge of, or involvement in Abner’s death. In addition, all Israel mourned Abner’s murder by Joab.
And if it was an act of murder when Joab took Abner’s life…..even though Abner had killed his brother, Asahel, on the battlefield…..then it has to be sinful and an act of murder for a mother to take the life of her unborn child in her womb. That child (with a very few, rare exceptions) does not threaten her life (in which case an abortion may be justified). What’s typically affected is the woman’s freedom to do what she wants when and where she wants to do it. Consequently, if God took the murder of Abner seriously (and both he and his murderer were violent, self-serving men), then how much more seriously does God take the murder of a helpless child, who looks to its mother to protect its life, not to end it? Finally, if David was righteous in his indignation concerning the death of Abner, how much more indignant should you and I be when a helpless (and innocent….not in the sense that it’s not sinful, but that it has committed no crime against its mother) child is murdered in its mother’s womb?
And, third…..any division between people is damaging and often brings long-term, negative ramifications…. whether that division occurs within a family unit, in the work place, at church, in society, and particularly in the political arena. This story reminds us – as do many others in the Bible – of the damaging consequences of divisions among people.
First, keep in mind that the book(s) of Samuel was most likely written during the reign of Solomon, or shortly afterward – when the kingdom that had been mostly united under Saul, David and Solomon was fractured in the days of Rehoboam and Jeroboam (see 1 Kings 12). Samuel’s first readers must have wondered, “How could it be that we, who were once a united people, have allowed ourselves to be divided into two competing countries at war with one another?” Some of the blame, obviously can be placed on the oppressive rule of Solomon and the arrogant, selfish attitude of his successor-son, Rehoboam. But the roots of the division went back much farther, to the days following Saul’s death, and the story we’ve studied to day of the seven year first Israelite Civil War.
Abner had paved the way for a divided kingdom by selfishly setting up Ish-bosheth as king of Israel, in Saul’s place. Both Abner and Joab further paved the way for Israel’s future division by supervising the contest at the pool of Gibeon. And, when that quickly evolved into an all-out war, the rift between the two sides (Judah and the rest of Israel) became a chasm that lasted long after the swords were put down and a peace, of sorts, emerged.
You can’t discount the way our sinful, selfish human natures are at the bottom of most divisions….wherever and however they manifest themselves. All the way back in Eden, Adam and Eve’s “all about me/us” attitude deliberately fractured their relationship with God….and adversely effected their relationship with each other and the human race that would come from them.
At the same time, in the story that we’re studying, the fault for the division of the nation can be squarely placed on the shoulders of the two leading men in Israel who are each committed to his own agenda….rather than God’s plan.
Abner and Joab had self-serving goals that were not in any way admirable…..even if they could be used by David to advance his goals (which weren’t always pure either…..as our goals also aren’t always godly). It almost seems like both Joab and Abner were trying to show how tough and manly they each were….and their joint approval of an ungodly, fight-to-the-death contest between some of their finest young warriors provided them with the opportunity to satisfy their egos. Of course, that contest, with its resulting deaths, didn’t prove anything. It just set in motion a full-scale war that irreparably damaged the nation and delayed David’s reign over all Israel.
That “contest,” with its resulting conflict and division, is a kind of paradigm for much of the division and strife we experience (and are too often directly involved in) at home, in society and in the church today. Those divisions occur in marriages, for example, because often husbands and wives are more concerned with their sinful egos than with serving their spouses and the LORD Who united them. Too often petty “contests” that arise within some marriages, eventually escalate to full-scale war. Sometimes God’s people in church are more concerned about furthering their own interests than they are about doing what God wants….including forgiving others, deferring to others and living in peace and harmony. Often those self-interests force people to choose sides, and then quarrels, fights and division result.
How many relationships in your past did you see shattered because of egos and competition? How many marriages have you watched be ruined because of a self-serving spirit? And how many churches have you known that have split because God’s will was subordinated to sinful human wants and desires? Most sin starts out in things that appear harmless, even innocent, or at least rather insignificant. That’s the way sin starts….with a little piece of harmless fruit. But its consequences can be devastating. That’s what happened in Israel…..and Abner and Joab had a large part to play in the nation’s eventual division….and destruction both physically and Spiritually.