In this episode of Add Bible, delve into 2 Samuel 3, exploring the enduring struggles between the house of Saul and the rising reign of David. Discover the pivotal role of Abner as he shifts allegiance and how his decisions influence the balance of power. With deep insights from Alan J. Huth, unravel the intricate web of loyalty, betrayal, and the pursuit of God’s promises.
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. We join Allen J. Huth as he shares Bible passages and comments from over 30 years of his personal Bible reading journals.
SPEAKER 01 :
Today brings us to 2 Samuel chapter 3. And again, we’ll listen in to the reading from Faith Comes By Hearing, all 39 verses of 2 Samuel chapter 3. 2 Samuel 3
SPEAKER 07 :
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 sons were born to David at Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon of Ahinoam of Jezreel, and his second, Kiliab of Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel, and the third, Absalom, the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur. And the fourth, Adonijah, the son of Haggath. And the fifth, Shephatiah, the son of Abital. And the sixth, Ithrium 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 whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ish-bosheth said to Abner, Why have you gone into my father’s concubine? Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, Am I a dog’s head of Judah?
SPEAKER 04 :
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. 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 Beersheba.
SPEAKER 07 :
And Ish-bosheth could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him. And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, To whom does the land belong?
SPEAKER 03 :
Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring over all Israel to you.
SPEAKER 06 :
And he said, Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, saying, Give me my wife, Michael, for whom I paid the bridal price of a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.
SPEAKER 07 :
And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel, the son of Laish. But her husband went with her, weeping after her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, Go, return. And he returned. And Abner conferred with the elders of Israel, saying,
SPEAKER 04 :
For some time past you have been seeking David as king over you. 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.
SPEAKER 07 :
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. When Abner came with twenty men to David at Hebron, David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.
SPEAKER 04 :
And Abner said to David, I will rise 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.
SPEAKER 07 :
So David sent Abner away, and he 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.
SPEAKER 05 :
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. Then Joab went to the king and said,
SPEAKER 03 :
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 Ner came to deceive you, and to know you’re going out and you’re coming in, and to know all that you are doing.
SPEAKER 07 :
When Joab came out from David’s presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Syrah. 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 Asahel his brother.
SPEAKER 06 :
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. 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.
SPEAKER 07 :
So Joab and Abishai, his brother, killed Abner because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon. Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him,
SPEAKER 06 :
Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner.’ And King David followed the buyer.
SPEAKER 07 :
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 fool dies?
SPEAKER 06 :
Your hands were not bound, your feet were not fettered. As one falls before the wicked, you have fallen.’
SPEAKER 07 :
And all the people wept again over him. Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was yet day.
SPEAKER 06 :
But David swore, saying, God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun goes down.
SPEAKER 07 :
And all the people took notice of it, 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 it had not been the king’s will to put to death Abner the son of Ner.
SPEAKER 06 :
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 Zeruiah, are more severe than I. The Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.
SPEAKER 01 :
Chapter 3, verse 1 begins with this statement, And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker. And that’s how I summarized 2 Samuel 3 in my journal in 1983 when I wrote, David’s kingdom is being strengthened while Saul’s kingdom is being weakened, setting the stage for David to become king over all of Israel. So let’s get the characters straight once again in 2 Samuel. Abner was the head of Saul’s army and is now with Saul’s son Ish-bosheth. And Joab is the head of David’s army. And those are the two main characters of this chapter. Abner gets accused of… going into one of Saul’s old girlfriends, concubines, by his son Ish-bosheth. And obviously it doesn’t please Abner very much. Whether it’s true or not, we don’t know. But that’s about the straw that breaks the camel’s back for Abner. And he decides to take off and join David’s army, if David would let him. And because Abner had the power as the military leader of former King Saul’s army, he could probably deliver all of Israel to David if that’s what David wanted him to do. David agrees, but only on one condition, that he gets his first wife back. Back in 1 Samuel, Saul gives Michael, one of his daughters, to David as his wife and then takes her away from him. So now it’s kind of come full circle and David wants his first wife back. And kind of a funny sidebar, it’s not like he needs another wife. Look at all the stuff in the first part of this chapter of all the children being born to various wives of David. So Abner brings his first wife back and they have a little party and celebrate their now unification as together they will reign over Israel. But Joab hears about it. He’s not very happy about it. So he takes out Abner. That’s a little bit of revenge, remember, because Abner killed Joab’s brother. David doesn’t want the reputation that he is trying to take the kingdom, that it appears that he took out Abner, so he makes a big procession, making all of Israel mourn for the death of Abner. And verse 36 summarizes all this when it says, “…and all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as everything that the king did pleased all the people.” So that’s a summary as we started in this chapter when the verse said, and David grew stronger and stronger while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker. In 2007, when I read this chapter, I had a little different take on some of the key events here. I wrote positioning. David waited until his running was over before he had kids. In civil war, he grew stronger while Saul’s descendants grew weaker. And Abner comes to David and David receives him in peace, willing to negotiate. Joab murders Abner, but David leads the burial procession and laments his death. David wanted God to give him the kingdom, not men. So David’s behavior is once again consistent. He doesn’t like to take things into his own hands. He wants to see God work on his behalf. That’s why he’s upset with Joab for the death of Abner. But let’s look at this other thing that we mentioned in this journal entry about David’s kids. All through 1 Samuel, and even in these early chapters of 2 Samuel, David has had wives, but he’s had no children until he settles in Hebron. That may have been God’s sovereignty in David’s life, or it may have been David’s decision while on the run not to have children. We don’t know. And I’m certainly not going to project this as some biblical principle where you need to have your life all in order before you have children. That certainly wasn’t the case for me and Terry. We were married at the tender early age of 19 after a couple of years of college. And before I finished school, we had our firstborn son. So I certainly didn’t model David here and wait till my life was in order before I had children. So the takeaway from 2 Samuel 3 is still watching God’s sovereignty unfold. A few more illustrations of David’s patience in not having children until he was settled in Hebron, and also watching David wait for the kingdom to be consolidated, not by the hands of men, but by the hands of God. Meanwhile, as the king pleasing all the people. Father, help me think about my patience this morning. How patient am I to watch your will unfold in my own life and not take matters into my own hands or not to see the acts of men get ahead of the sovereignty of God. And Lord, while waiting is certainly not one of my strengths, While I wait, might my actions be pleasing to you and to those around me. In Jesus’ name, amen. AdBible is sponsored by the Ezra Project, connecting God’s people to God’s Word. 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