Central tribes
In our last study we witnessed a totally useless show of strength at Gibeon between the armies of Israel (northern tribes) and the army of David (Judah and Benjamin). Following this the Israelite army had quickly retreated back across the River Jordan to their new king Ish-Bosheth at Mahanaim, and David’s men also marched all night to regain the safety of Hebron – but it left unfinished business.
Should either side attempt again to decide who would ultimately rule Israel?
The Bible speaks of war between the two opposing forces, but it seemed to be only a cold war, and all the time David was becoming more popular.
Read 2 Samuel 3:1a
1 The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time.
The Bible speaks of a long time, But in 2 Samuel 2:10 we were told that Saul’s remaining son Ish-Bosheth succeeded his father as king – but only for two years.
Read 2 Samuel 3:1b-5
David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.
2 Sons were born to David in Hebron:
his firstborn was Amnon the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel;
3 his second, Kileab the son of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel;
the third, Absalom the son of Maakah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
4 the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith;
the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
5 and the sixth, Ithream the son of David’s wife Eglah.
These were born to David in Hebron.
Where did all these extra wives come from? Most likely given to David to cement relations with other powerful leaders , a common practise (eg verse 3 'daughter of Talmai king of Geshur').
To distinguish between wives and concubines seems irrelevant. David seemed to accumulate women and the Bible made no comment. And I can’t believe that there were no daughters born during this period too. At best it simply reflects the culture at the time, but it still leaves me uneasy.
Meanwhile, with King Saul and three of his sons killed fighting the Philistines, Abner, commander-in-chief of the Israelite army tried to strengthen the position of Ish-Bosheth, Saul’s remaining son. But of course, at the same time, he also made sure that his own position was also enhanced.
Read 2 Samuel 3:6-7
6 During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had been strengthening his own position in the house of Saul. 7 Now Saul had had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, ‘Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?’
It seems there was tension between Crown and Army. It appears that Ish-Bosheth attempted to start an argument with Abner. We don’t know if there was any truth in the accusation, but it was all Abner needed.
Read 2 Samuel 3:8-11
8 Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth said. So he answered, ‘Am I a dog’s head – on Judah’s side? This very day I am loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his family and friends. I haven’t handed you over to David. Yet now you accuse me of an offence involving this woman! 9 May God deal with Abner, be it ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the Lord promised him on oath 10 and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David’s throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.’ 11 Ish-Bosheth did not dare to say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.
It was obvious to Abner that Ish-Bosheth was too weak to remain king, and that actually David should rightfully be king of all Israel. Having fallen out with Saul’s remaining son perhaps if he made a deal with David his own position would be strengthened.
Read 2 Samuel 3:12-16
12 Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, ‘Whose land is it? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you.’
13 ‘Good,’ said David. ‘I will make an agreement with you. But I demand one thing of you: do not come into my presence unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me.’ 14 Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, ‘Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.’
15 So Ish-Bosheth gave orders and had her taken away from her husband Paltiel son of Laish. 16 Her husband, however, went with her, weeping behind her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, ‘Go back home!’ So he went back.
David was quick to agree with Abner’s proposal (v13) but what are we to make of his strange stipulation?
Did David still love Michal, who had once saved his life? (1 Samuel 19) Or was this a political move – taking Saul’s daughter to be his wife? I don’t know, but we have seen that David was quite free with his love.
It’s interesting that David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth with his demand, and that the king obeyed without hesitation. But how sad to read the personal tragedy for Paltiel who had his wife taken from him seemingly just to satisfy the whim of someone more powerful.
Read 2 Samuel 3:17-19
17 Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, ‘For some time you have wanted to make David your king. 18 Now do it! For the Lord promised David, “By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.”’
19 Abner also spoke to the Benjaminites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole tribe of Benjamin wanted to do. 20 When Abner, who had twenty men with him, came to David at Hebron, David prepared a feast for him and his men. 21 Then Abner said to David, ‘Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.’ So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.
Why did he speak specifically to the Benjamites?
What tribe did Saul come from?
Now the way was open for David and his confirmation of King of Israel can soon take place.
But unfortunately . . .
Read 2 Samuel 3:22-27
22 Just then David’s men and Joab returned from a raid and brought with them a great deal of plunder. But Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23 When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, he was told that Abner son of Ner had come to the king and that the king had sent him away and that he had gone in peace.
24 So Joab went to the king and said, ‘What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you let him go? Now he is gone! 25 You know Abner son of Ner; he came to deceive you and observe your movements and find out everything you are doing.’
26 Joab then left David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern at Sirah. But David did not know it. 27 Now when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into an inner chamber, as if to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and he died.
Joab was a soldier, not a politician. All he saw was that the man who had killed his brother had been allowed to go home in peace. He’d obviously deceived David about his true reason to visit; besides that, Abner was a brilliant leader of Israel’s armies and if he had truly changed sides, he would be vying for Joab’s own position. He was dangerous and must be killed.
But Abner had killed Joab’s brother Asahel fairly, even reluctantly in battle; (2 Samuel 2:17-23) here, Joab had murdered Abner in cold blood.
If you were David, how would you react when you heard what Joab had done?
Read 2 Samuel 3:28-30
28 Later, when David heard about this, he said, ‘I and my kingdom are for ever innocent before the Lord concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner. 29 May his blood fall on the head of Joab and on his whole family! May Joab’s family never be without someone who has a running sore or leprosy or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food.’
30 (Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle of Gibeon.)
David could legitimately have had Joab killed as a murderer. Instead, he calls on God to punish him, and to repair the damage to his kingdom’s reputation. He also required Joab and his officers to publicly demonstrate their remorse for the death of Abner.
Read 2 Samuel 3:31-37
31 Then David said to Joab and all the people with him, ‘Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and walk in mourning in front of Abner.’ King David himself walked behind the bier. 32 They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb. All the people wept also.
33 The king sang this lament for Abner:
‘Should Abner have died as the lawless die?
34 Your hands were not bound,
your feet were not fettered.
You fell as one falls before the wicked.’
And all the people wept over him again.
35 Then they all came and urged David to eat something while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, ‘May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!’
36 All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them. 37 So on that day all the people there and all Israel knew that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner.
All David’s people realised how desperately sad he was that Abner had been killed, and that obviously he himself had no part in it.
That was all well and good, but David now had the political consequences to deal with.
Read 2 Samuel 3:38-39
38 Then the king said to his men, ‘Do you not realise that a commander and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? 39 And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!’
Joab, Abishai and Asahel the sons of Zeruiah, were powerful commanders of an army of rebel soldiers. David was well aware that the people looked up to them and depended on them for their supplies (look back at verse 22). He recognised that personally he would be unable to censure them – he could only ask that the Lord would deal with them and the situation they had caused.
Meanwhile, Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth , the new king of Israel had no idea that Abner had approached David with a view to his replacement.
Read 2 Samuel 4:1
1 When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed.
The news that Abner had been killed rapidly spread through the whole of Israel. When it first reached the king, still holed up at Mahanaim, as far east across the Jordan as you could get, the rumour was that it must have been the result of an uprising of David and his men.
Abner was not the only one who believed David would succeed as King – perhaps those who helped him attain this goal might be rewarded?
Read 2 Samuel 4:2-3, 5-12 (We will look at verse 4 later) perhaps several could share the reading.
2 Now Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Rekab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin – Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin, 3 because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim and have resided there as foreigners to this day.
5 Now Rekab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out for the house of Ish-Bosheth, and they arrived there in the heat of the day while he was taking his noonday rest. 6 They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rekab and his brother Baanah slipped away.
7 They had gone into the house while he was lying on the bed in his bedroom. After they stabbed and killed him, they cut off his head. Taking it with them, they travelled all night by way of the Arabah. 8 They brought the head of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, ‘Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who tried to kill you. This day the Lord has avenged my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.’
9 David answered Rekab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, 10 when someone told me, “Saul is dead,” and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news! 11 How much more – when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed – should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!’
12 So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb at Hebron.
It was God’s purpose to make David King; but it was not his plan that others should be murdered to achieve that end. David understood that and reacted honourably to the murderer’s admission of guilt. David had always waited for the Lord’s timing and would continue to do so, but now it seemed inevitable that the whole country would accept him as king.
But before we start the next chapter we need to go back to the verse we skipped:
Read 2 Samuel 4:4
4 (Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became disabled. His name was Mephibosheth.)
Why was this verse inserted here? Probably to point out that he was the only remaining male in the line of Saul who might be considered as Saul’s successor, but his youth and physical disability effectively ruled him out. But we will hear more about Mephibosheth in chapter 9.
