Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

The book of 2 Samuel is the book of the kingship of the new kid, David. It is the record of him becoming the new king, his rule, his triumphs, his sorrows, and it closes with the foundation of the new place of worship. Saul had died in battle with the Philistines. The protective anointing of Samuel had ceased with his death and the king (Saul) was not following God. It made them vulnerable because they were NOT seeking God. If they (like ourselves) wouldn’t seek and worship God, they (like ourselves) put themselves at the mercy of their foes. David (who sought God) had rescued his wife and his men’s wives and children from the Amalekites (making a minimum of 1800 people following David). He returned to Ziklag and had been there two days when the book opens. David had been anointed when he was ten to fifteen years old (1 Samuel 16:13), killed Goliath when he was about seventeen years old (1 Samuel 17), and was now thirty (1 Samuel 5:4). He had been on the run from Saul for thirteen years.

On the third day (since returning to Ziklag) a battered and dirty soldier arrives. I presume he was wearing the livery of Saul in order to be taken seriously as one in the battle with the Philistines. He gained audience with David. He claimed to be a survivor of the battle. That he had come across Saul leaning on his spear, mortally wounded. And that as a mercy killing AT SAUL’s REQUEST had killed Saul and brought his crown and bracelet as proof to David. He also let it be known he was not an Israelite, but an Amalekite.

His account contradicts the account in 1 Samuel 31 – Saul has no spear near him. It also contradicts the account in 1 Chronicles 10. And David later specifically states that this man brought this news only because he was hoping for a reward (2 Samuel 4:10). Also, unknown to this messenger, the Amalekites had just sacked David’s city. It makes this man’s story VERY suspect. But David doesn’t deal with him based on any of that. David deals with him only in regard to Saul’s status as God’s Anointed. No one has the right to raise a hand against God’s Anointed. David sentences this man to death for his killing of God’s Anointed.

David then sincerely grieves for Saul and Jonathan, writing and singing a great lament for them. Throughout it, David looks at their best qualities. As God saw them, and never according to whatever faults they may have had or wrongdoing they may have done. He speaks only of their love of God, loyalty, bravery, and upstandingness. It is a GREAT tribute and became widely known.

“How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war have perished.” (2 Samuel 1:27)

Between twenty and fifteen years ago, David had been anointed king over all Israel. It was certainly his God-given right to go up and seize the throne. But he doesn’t. He does what we all should do. He consults God about it. It was NOT a question of God’s CALLING, but of God’s TIMING. He asked whether he should stay in Philistine country, or go up to one of the towns of Judah (which were quite near him). God told him to go to Hebron. David obeyed and took his two wives on up with him and his men and their families (a minimum of 1800 persons); and they lived in the cities of Hebron.

David didn’t push himself. He didn’t aggrandize himself. He just lived there. After this – no timeline given – the people of Judah came and anointed him king over them. Just over Judah, not the eleven other tribes. They told David what the men of Jabesh Gilead had done in burying Saul. David sent them word of how glad he was that they did that. He thanked them and blessed them for it – and offered them his protection should the Philistines try and retaliate. He really honoured them for their loyalty to their king.

Abner, commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s youngest son and made him king over the other eleven tribes (collectively called Israel). Ishbosheth was forty years old, born the year Saul became king, ten years younger than David. He had not been in the fighting, perhaps a reserve in case the king fell to continue the kingdom. Perhaps not a fighting man. It doesn’t give the whys. It says Ishbosheth reigned for two years, but David ruled in Judah for seven and a half years. No real explanation is given, but there are only two possibilities. Either David reigned for five and a half years before Ishbosheth was anointed king over Israel OR Ishbosheth reigned for two years in peace and then a five and a half year civil war started. There are teachings both ways in a variety of sources. These aren’t contradictions, they’re giving times only and not context.

Abner seems to have seen himself as the real power in the kingdom. I think that because of this, Abner might have been trying to keep the kingdom together or get himself elected ruler for five and a half years. I think he ultimately failed, and then took Ishbosheth and made him a puppet king so that he could rule from behind the throne. This is my OPINION, but I think it suits the facts EXCEPT the stated age of Ishbosheth when he began to reign, so I don’t know if I’m right. The books are not always chronological, but thematic, so it is anyone’s guess which way it went.

In any case, Abner takes some men (at least seven hundred), leaves their main base and goes to Gibeon. Gibeon was in Judah’s territory. This was a political incursion. A snubbing of David’s nose. An enticement to fight. Joab, David’s nephew and commander of David’s armies, meets Abner there. They aren’t (yet) at war. There’s no need for hundreds of them to die. They’re all brothers. They met at the pool of Gibeon and Abner suggests champion warfare. Twelve from Abner’s side for Ishbosheth, and twelve from Joab’s side for David. They were equally matched and all twenty-four men died.

War broke out. The two sides, not having a clear champion victory, attacked each other. They fought bitterly, and Abner lost. Joab’s brother Asahel (Joab and two brothers were there in the fight) chased Abner. Abner noticed and told him to wave off. To find someone else to fight. It seems clear that Abner realised he was better in a fight and was begging Asahel to pick someone easier. Abner clearly doesn’t want to kill Joab’s brother. As commanders of their respective armies it is guaranteed that they would run into each other again and again. Abner didn’t want this stain on an already strained relationship. Asahel wouldn’t stop, wouldn’t desist, and forced Abner’s hand. He killed Asahel. It was clean and he died where he fell.

Abner had been running along with his forces. Routed before Judah. But the Benjamites hooked up with him as night fell and they took the high ground of a hill. They were prepared to fight to the last man, but Abner (who started this fight, if you recall) called out to Joab and pleaded for peace. He said it wasn’t good for brothers to fight. That nothing would come of it but bitterness. Joab calls back that his plan was to end at daybreak, but he would end early for Abner’s sake. The trumpets were sounded and the fighting stopped. Abner took off with his men and force-marched all night until they made it back home.

Joab gathered all his men together and they did a roll call. In all, Asahel and nineteen others had died, plus the twelve men at the pool. Abner had lost twelve men at the pool and three hundred and sixty others. That’s an 18 to 1 casualty rate. What a difference it is to have God on your side. Abner was not the rightful king nor was Ishbosheth, David was. Abner started the fight and had not consulted God about it. Therefore, Abner was in the wrong.

Joab buried his brother in their father’s tomb in Bethlehem, and then travelled all night to get back to their homes in Hebron.

Summary

Key Players: God, David, Abner, Joab

Key Themes: Respect, Succession, Kingship

Key Verse(s): 2 Samuel 1:11-12, 14-15; 2:1, 4-7, 8-11, 22-23, 30-32