II Samuel 3:1-39 – Abner Joins David
The Living Word With Chuck Davis
II Samuel 3:1-39 – Abner Joins David
Welcome to "The Living Word" with Chuck Davis. 2 Samuel 3, 1-39 Abner joins David. 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. And the sons were born to David at Hebron. His firstborn was Abnon of Ahinoem of Jezreel. His second Chilab of Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. The third Absalom, the son of Mach, the daughter of Talmai, king of Gesh Ur. And the fourth Adjonai, the son of Hagith, the fifth Sheftaya, the son of Abital, and the sixth ethereum of Eglah, David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron. While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. Now Saul had a concubine. His name was Rispa, the daughter of Ayah, and Ishmaath said to Abner, "Why have you gone into my father's concubine?" Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ishmaath 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 hands of David, and yet you charge me today with a fault concerning a woman?" God, God, do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not accomplish for David what the Lord has sworn to him, to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel, and over Judah, from Dan to Bathsheba. And Ishmaath could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him. 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." 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 Michael, Saul's daughter, when you come to see my face." Then David sent messengers to Ishmaath, Saul's son, saying, "Give me my wife, Michael, for whom I paid the bridal price of 104 skins of the Philistines." And Ishmaath sent and took her from her husband, Patiel, the son of Lish, but her husband went with her, weeping after her, all the way to Baharium. Then Abner said to him, "Go return, and you return." And Abner conferred with the elders of Israel, saying, "For some time past, you have been seeking David as your king over you. Now then, bring it about, for the Lord has promised David, saying, "My hand, 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." Abner also spoke to Benjamin, and then Abner went to tell David at Hebron and all the Israel and the whole house of Benjamin thought good to do so. When Abner came and 20 men at Hebron, David made a feast for Abner, and the men who were with him, and Abner said to David, "I will rise and go, and will gather all of Israel to my Lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all of your heart's desires." So David sent Abner away and went in peace. 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. When Joab and all the army that was with him came, it was told Joab, "Abner the son of Nair came to the king, and he has let him go, and he has gone in peace." 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?" You know that Abner, the son of Nair, came to deceive you, and to know you're going out and you're coming in, and to know all that you are doing. When Joab came from David's presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Cyrus. But David did not know about it, 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 Aseo, his brother. 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 Nair. May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all of his father's house, and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge, or who is leopress, or who holds a spindle, who falls by the sword who lacks bread." So Joab and Abishai, his brother, killed Abner because he had put their brother Aseo to death in the battle of Gibeon. 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 the king David followed the beer. They buried Abner at Hebron, and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept, and the king lamented for Abner saying, "Should Abner die as a full dies? 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. Then all the people came to persuade David to eat the bread while it was yet day, and David swore saying, "God do so to me, and we're all so if I taste bread or anything till the sun goes down." And all the people took notice of this, and it pleased them, as everything that the king did pleased all the people. So all the people and all Israel understood that day that had not been the king's will to put to death Abner, the son of Nair. And the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?" And I was gentle today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zaria, are more severe than I, the Lord repay the evil doer according to his wickedness. David's household gets stronger and stronger, and saws weaker and weaker. Abner defects to David, delivers the northern tribes. He suggests it's not treason, because this is already the declared will of God. Joab questions David about, "Will this be something of true loyalty, or is he just checking in on you?" And out of revenge, Abner kills him. David declares his own guiltlessness in this. There's an extended repeating of it over and over by the narrator. It's the point that in the midst of war, David is not defined by war. It's trying to guard the character of the king. And then to top it off, David mourns for Abner. Here we see the character of David. The so what of this is that the narrator is showing us that David is a king worth following. There comes an event after event of David doing the right thing. The now what of this passage then is to remind myself that in the influence and leadership that I have been given is to take the best pictures of the leaders that I have in scripture, my heroes of faith and walk in their ways and allow the things of evil that they do and how they slip to be warnings not to go that way in my own life. So Lord today, once again we would ask that you would make us people of valor, people of character, people of loyalty, people that pronounce has said more than more, that we would be people that are a reflection of you in this world so that people would be drawn to you. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.