Avoiding Needless Conflict

2 Samuel 2:8-32
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Pastor Colin explains the story from 2 Samuel chapter 2, where David unites the twelve isolated tribes into one nation, though initially only one tribe accepts his rule. David reaches out to his enemies, particularly the people of Jabesh-gilead, with a message of grace and goodwill, highlighting the likeness to King Jesus who sends messengers to all people, including his enemies, saying, “I will do you good.”

He addresses a conflict arising among David’s supporters who do not understand grace. 2 Samuel 2 recounts a tragic conflict where nearly 400 people die, instigated by hotheads and hardliners who misunderstand grace. Central to this story is Abner, Saul’s cousin, who defies God’s chosen king, David, by appointing Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, as an alternative king, highlighting his opposition to God’s will.

The narrative escalates as Abner moves his army south, prompting Joab, David’s army commander, to defend Hebron. The tension results in a disastrous confrontation. Abner suggests a competition between twelve men from both sides, which quickly devolves into violence with all 24 men killed. Subsequently, the conflict intensifies, leading to further unnecessary bloodshed. Asahel, Joab’s brother, relentlessly pursues Abner and is ultimately killed due to his own obsessive pursuit.

Abner’s appeal to Joab highlights the futility and bitterness of continued conflict among brothers, urging the cessation of further violence. Joab heeds Abner’s wisdom, and the conflict momentarily halts. However, the strife between the house of Saul and the house of David continues.

Pastor Colin concludes with four observations: never judge a king by his worst followers, remember the king’s mission of grace, use one’s gifts for the best purposes, and live in anticipation of the coming of Jesus Christ, the perfect King

1 00:00:00,240 –> 00:00:06,800 Now, if you would open your Bible at 2nd Samuel chapter two. 2nd Samuel chapter two. 2 00:00:07,760 –> 00:00:12,000 And we’re following this remarkable story of how David brought together 3 00:00:12,000 –> 00:00:18,719 people from these twelve very isolated tribes and brought them together as one people. 4 00:00:18,719 –> 00:00:23,280 God had anointed him, you remember, as King. And yet at the beginning there 5 00:00:23,280 –> 00:00:28,559 was only one tribe out of the twelve that was ready to welcome King David’s rule. 6 00:00:29,280 –> 00:00:33,680 You remember we saw last week that David’s first move, very striking, 7 00:00:34,480 –> 00:00:41,680 was to reach out to the people least likely to receive him. The people of Jabesh-gilead. 8 00:00:41,680 –> 00:00:47,360 They hated David, but David certainly did not hate them. He sent messengers to them 9 00:00:47,360 –> 00:00:53,119 with the word of grace, and he said to them, I will do you good. And we saw how wonderfully 10 00:00:53,119 –> 00:01:01,119 this points us to our king Jesus as David does time and time again. Our King Jesus sends messengers 11 00:01:01,680 –> 00:01:07,120 to people of every tribe and nation including the least likely to respond, and those who 12 00:01:07,120 –> 00:01:12,320 hate him the most. And as messengers of grace, we are called to go with the message 13 00:01:12,320 –> 00:01:19,599 that our king says even to his enemies, I will do you good. I will do you good. 14 00:01:20,239 –> 00:01:24,720 That is where we began with this wonderful message of grace that 15 00:01:24,720 –> 00:01:34,639 comes from God’s Anointed King. What we’re going to see today is that some of David’s 16 00:01:34,639 –> 00:01:44,239 strongest supporters just didn’t get the grace that he offered. 2 Samuel chapter 2 tells 17 00:01:44,320 –> 00:01:52,720 the sad story of a needless conflict in which nearly 400 people lost their lives in a single 18 00:01:52,720 –> 00:02:00,959 day. It is a story of hotheads and hardliners. In fact, that would be probably a better title 19 00:02:00,959 –> 00:02:09,520 for the message, Hotheads and Hardliners. It’s a story of how divisions that were already there 20 00:02:09,520 –> 00:02:15,679 among the people got worse. How people who thought that they were helping David actually 21 00:02:15,679 –> 00:02:22,240 hindered the work of grace that he was really about and that they clearly did not understand. 22 00:02:23,839 –> 00:02:28,559 It’s the story of a tragic day in a divided kingdom. 23 00:02:30,240 –> 00:02:36,240 At the very centre of this story is a man by the name of Abner. Abner was a man of action 24 00:02:36,320 –> 00:02:39,360 throughout this story. He keeps taking the initiative. 25 00:02:40,320 –> 00:02:44,000 He was Saul’s cousin, we know that from the first book of Samuel, 26 00:02:44,000 –> 00:02:49,919 and he was the commander of Saul’s army, had been for a long time throughout Saul’s years. 27 00:02:49,919 –> 00:02:55,759 That meant of course that Abner was the one who, over many years, had led the hunt for 28 00:02:55,759 –> 00:03:02,639 David during Saul’s lifetime. And so here was a man who rather like the folks in Jabesh Giliat 29 00:03:03,600 –> 00:03:10,639 was the most antagonistic towards David, least likely ever to be responsive to God’s anointed 30 00:03:10,639 –> 00:03:19,199 king. Well as an antagonist toward David, Abner’s first move was to set up an alternative king. 31 00:03:20,479 –> 00:03:28,080 He brought Ishbosheth, one of Saul’s sons, to a place called Mahanaim, well to the north 32 00:03:28,080 –> 00:03:36,160 of where David was situated in Hebron in the south. And verse 9 of 2 Samuel chapter two, 33 00:03:36,160 –> 00:03:44,240 you will see there that he anointed Ishbosheth, this son of Saul, as the king over all Israel. 34 00:03:44,240 –> 00:03:51,600 So now there’s two kings, one in the south who has been anointed by God, and one in the north 35 00:03:51,600 –> 00:03:57,919 who has been anointed by Abner. Now what’s significant at this point in the story 36 00:03:57,919 –> 00:04:02,240 is that if you just glance ahead, I don’t want to do the spoiler alert here, but 37 00:04:02,240 –> 00:04:10,399 2 Samuel chapter three and verse nine quite clearly indicates that Abner knew that God had anointed 38 00:04:10,399 –> 00:04:16,320 David as the next king. He speaks in chapter three and verse nine about what the Lord has 39 00:04:16,320 –> 00:04:22,399 sworn to David to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to set up the throne of David 40 00:04:22,399 –> 00:04:31,119 over Israel and over Judah from Dan to Beersheba. In other words, Abner knew that God had anointed 41 00:04:31,119 –> 00:04:39,200 David. And therefore what he did in anointing Isphoseth, Saul’s son, was clearly a direct 42 00:04:39,279 –> 00:04:47,440 and knowing act of defiance against God Himself. Abner very simply opposed God’s king. 43 00:04:48,559 –> 00:04:55,600 He wanted his own king, he wanted a king he could control. And so he crowned Saul’s 44 00:04:55,600 –> 00:05:04,559 son Isphoseth in Mahanim. Now, this name Isphoseth just by the way means 45 00:05:05,519 –> 00:05:10,559 man of shame. Imagine having the man of shame as your king. 46 00:05:11,119 –> 00:05:18,079 Imagine crowning the man of shame as your king, but that’s what his name means. He was a hapless 47 00:05:18,079 –> 00:05:25,519 fellow, a figurehead really, which is probably part of what Abner was thinking when he anointed 48 00:05:25,519 –> 00:05:32,000 him. He was Abner’s puppet, and he was only strong as long as he had Abner’s support. 49 00:05:32,959 –> 00:05:37,440 But you see the situation now. There are two kings, one in the north, one in the south, 50 00:05:37,440 –> 00:05:44,160 one anointed by God, one who is propped up by Abner, who objects to God’s will and to God’s 51 00:05:44,160 –> 00:05:52,399 king. There’s God’s anointed king in Hebron, and there’s man’s alternative in this town called 52 00:05:53,279 –> 00:06:03,119 Now, Abner, who appointed the Man of Shain, ended up being responsible in the story we’re going 53 00:06:03,119 –> 00:06:09,839 to look at today, for what we could only describe as a Day of Shain, that cast a shadow over God’s 54 00:06:09,839 –> 00:06:18,000 people for years, and years, and years to come. The story is in three scenes. Let me try and 55 00:06:18,000 –> 00:06:26,640 describe it to you in this way. The three scenes are tension, escalation, and then resolution. 56 00:06:26,640 –> 00:06:32,799 It’s really the pattern of almost any conflict, and, as we look at this needless conflict 57 00:06:33,600 –> 00:06:39,920 that’s spiraled out of all control, I want you to ask this question. I want you to search your 58 00:06:39,920 –> 00:06:47,440 heart and ask, is there any area of tension in your life that could escalate 59 00:06:48,399 –> 00:06:54,880 to become a greater conflict? Well, that’s one of the ways in which this story speaks to us today. 60 00:06:54,880 –> 00:06:58,320 Well, let’s launch into it, then scene one I’ve called Tension, 61 00:06:58,320 –> 00:07:05,359 and here we see the King that is David opposed. Abner moves his army. Remember he was the 62 00:07:05,359 –> 00:07:11,359 commander of Saul’s army, so he has a force at his disposal and having set up Ish-bosheth 63 00:07:11,359 –> 00:07:18,160 in this northern town of Mahanaim, he moves his army south to Gibeon. In other words, 64 00:07:18,160 –> 00:07:27,679 he moves in the direction of where David is in Hebron to the south. Abner marches his army south 65 00:07:27,679 –> 00:07:37,920 and there is a clear threat, there is a clear provocation, as this man takes this military 66 00:07:37,920 –> 00:07:46,480 action and maneuver. Now at this point we meet the second character in the story, main character, 67 00:07:46,480 –> 00:07:53,279 and this is a man by the name of Joab. Now Joab was the commander of David’s army, 68 00:07:54,160 –> 00:08:00,160 and Joab of course when this movement was being made, this aggression was being brought about 69 00:08:00,160 –> 00:08:08,000 by the army coming south towards David’s base in Hebron. Joab has the responsibility to defend 70 00:08:08,000 –> 00:08:13,200 King David and so he does the natural thing. He moves north and there is a line in the sand 71 00:08:13,200 –> 00:08:19,119 between the two armies at the point where they meet, at a place by the name of Gibeon. 72 00:08:19,839 –> 00:08:26,720 Look at verse 12. Abner the son of Nir and the servants of Ash-bosheth, the son of Saul, 73 00:08:26,720 –> 00:08:34,559 went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. They’re coming south. And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the 74 00:08:34,559 –> 00:08:41,359 servants of David went out to meet them at the pool of Gibbsion and they sat down one on one 75 00:08:41,359 –> 00:08:48,400 side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool. So get the picture. There are two 76 00:08:48,400 –> 00:08:57,039 armies. One has taken an act of aggression. The other has responded by coming out in a defensive 77 00:08:57,039 –> 00:09:09,200 posture to meet them. And they’re sitting either side of a pool in a place called Gibeon. Joab 78 00:09:09,200 –> 00:09:16,320 has drawn a line in the sand, the aggressor will be allowed to come no further. Now, I understand 79 00:09:16,320 –> 00:09:23,280 very clearly from this story that with Abner’s aggression, Joab’s mission is simply to defend 80 00:09:23,280 –> 00:09:32,640 David, God’s anointed king. Joab has no interest in moving further north. Nor does he have any 81 00:09:32,640 –> 00:09:40,559 commission to go further north. David is sending messengers of grace to the north, he’s not 82 00:09:40,559 –> 00:09:48,159 interested in sending any army to the north. Joab is there merely in a defensive posture 83 00:09:48,159 –> 00:09:54,400 because of the act of aggression that has been taken. And so here, the two armies sit. 84 00:09:55,520 –> 00:10:00,320 One does not want to go further north, the other is not allowed to come further south, 85 00:10:00,320 –> 00:10:06,640 and there they sit, and it’s an absolute stalemate. And again it’s Abner who takes 86 00:10:06,640 –> 00:10:14,719 the initiative, verse 14. And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men arise and compete 87 00:10:15,840 –> 00:10:21,840 before us. Now this is a very simple idea that comes from Abner. You know, two armies, 88 00:10:21,840 –> 00:10:24,960 we’re just sitting here. We’ve been sitting here for ages already. Nothing’s happening. 89 00:10:24,960 –> 00:10:29,119 It’s an absolute stalemate. We’re all bored. Let’s have some sports and some entertainment. 90 00:10:30,640 –> 00:10:34,000 Let’s have two teams compete. You pick twelve from your side, 91 00:10:34,000 –> 00:10:38,320 I’ll pick twelve from my side. Let’s have a little twelve on twelve here and see what happens. 92 00:10:40,479 –> 00:10:47,599 So each side picks their twelve men for this competition. Now I want you to imagine 93 00:10:47,599 –> 00:10:52,479 what happens next. I can only assume that this is something like what takes place. I 94 00:10:52,479 –> 00:11:00,239 want you to picture Abner’s twelve men in the huddle. And so they’re here and one of them 95 00:11:00,239 –> 00:11:05,280 says to the rest, okay now we’ll get in a line each one take one and here’s what we do—grab 96 00:11:06,880 –> 00:11:09,599 him round the neck, stab him in the side. 97 00:11:11,760 –> 00:11:16,559 The problem is that over here, Joab’s twelve are in a huddle as well. 98 00:11:18,080 –> 00:11:21,760 And they’re saying, okay here’s what we do. We’re not going to let them get any advantage. 99 00:11:21,760 –> 00:11:27,200 We’ve got to get in first. Here’s what we do—grab him round the neck stab him in the side. 100 00:11:27,280 –> 00:11:33,679 And so you see exactly what happens. Can you imagine these two lines, twelve 101 00:11:33,679 –> 00:11:41,119 and twelve, each one with an eye locked on the one who is his opponent in this competition, 102 00:11:41,119 –> 00:11:47,440 and with their knives hidden behind their backs. And they move towards each other. 103 00:11:47,440 –> 00:11:50,159 And verse sixteen it says there, —and each 104 00:11:50,159 –> 00:11:55,919 caught his opponent by the head, and thrust his sword into his opponent’s 105 00:11:56,640 –> 00:12:05,280 and they fell down together. Twenty-four men died in an instant, 106 00:12:07,200 –> 00:12:16,080 twelve killing twelve at the same time, in a senseless outbreak of violence for which 107 00:12:16,080 –> 00:12:23,359 both sides shared equal blame.” And of course that was just the beginning. 108 00:12:25,919 –> 00:12:32,159 Scene two is the escalation. Scene one, tension. Scene two is escalation because it gets worse 109 00:12:32,159 –> 00:12:36,479 and here we have not so much the king opposed, which is what Abner was all about, 110 00:12:36,479 –> 00:12:40,960 but the king misrepresented and that’s what I want you to see here clearly. 111 00:12:41,760 –> 00:12:42,960 Look at verse 18, 112 00:12:44,239 –> 00:12:55,520 the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. And we’re told about 113 00:12:55,520 –> 00:13:03,599 Asahel the youngest that Asahel was as swift off foot as a wild gazelle. 114 00:13:04,479 –> 00:13:11,359 Now the three sons of Zeruiah, Zeruiah a woman’s name, their mother’s name, 115 00:13:11,359 –> 00:13:21,599 and Zeruiah was the sister of David. So these three Joab, Abishai, and Asahel were David’s 116 00:13:21,599 –> 00:13:34,320 nephews. Now let me put it this way. Family members who are eager to defend you are a blessing 117 00:13:35,200 –> 00:13:45,840 sometimes. But family members who are eager to help you can sometimes make matters in a conflict 118 00:13:45,840 –> 00:13:52,479 worse. And that is exactly what happened here because these three nephews are hotheads and 119 00:13:52,479 –> 00:14:01,280 hardliners. They misrepresented the King that they professed to serve and as you follow through the 120 00:14:01,280 –> 00:14:06,400 story you will find actually that for years especially, Joab was a thorn in David’s side. 121 00:14:06,479 –> 00:14:16,000 Joab had set out in fairness on a mission to defend David. But you see when Abner fled as 122 00:14:16,000 –> 00:14:20,960 he did immediately after the catastrophe that happened with the Twelve on Twelve, 123 00:14:20,960 –> 00:14:24,400 Joab’s mission when Abner fled back to the north from which he had come 124 00:14:24,400 –> 00:14:28,719 his mission was accomplished. It was merely defensive and now the threat was gone. 125 00:14:29,679 –> 00:14:35,520 It was time for Joab’s army to say mission accomplished and to return home 126 00:14:35,520 –> 00:14:42,320 to Hebron and to let David resume his mission of diplomacy, send out more messengers of grace. 127 00:14:44,700 –> 00:14:49,460 But you see once violence erupts it rarely stays where it is. 128 00:14:49,460 –> 00:14:54,719 And after the carnage of the Twelve on Twelve, to which Joab himself had agreed 129 00:14:54,719 –> 00:15:03,619 and therefore for which he was partly responsible, Joab lost sight of his mission. 130 00:15:03,619 –> 00:15:09,440 And he began to chase Abner’s men, who were fleeing to the north. 131 00:15:09,440 –> 00:15:15,760 And the result was a much, much greater loss of life not twenty-four, but four hundred 132 00:15:15,760 –> 00:15:18,940 who died in a single day. 133 00:15:19,940 –> 00:15:26,140 Now here is one of the lessons of the story and it operates at every kind of level 134 00:15:26,140 –> 00:15:29,159 from the personal to the global. 135 00:15:29,159 –> 00:15:32,440 When conflict breaks out, 136 00:15:32,580 –> 00:15:38,979 the original mission is so easily forgotten, so easily forgotten. 137 00:15:38,979 –> 00:15:42,280 At the start of the day, it had all been about defending David. 138 00:15:42,280 –> 00:15:48,859 We’ve got to have a line in the sand, we better draw it at Gibeon and they can’t come any further south. 139 00:15:49,239 –> 00:15:57,159 But now what had started out being about defending David had become about destroying Abner. 140 00:15:57,200 –> 00:16:04,940 Abner being among the very people that David, by his grace, was seeking to win. 141 00:16:04,940 –> 00:16:14,239 For all their professed loyalty to David, these sons of Zeruah were actually harming his cause. 142 00:16:14,679 –> 00:16:22,440 How in the world can David’s mission of grace be accomplished if the hardliners wipe out 143 00:16:22,679 –> 00:16:27,859 all of these forces from the north that David is seeking to win? 144 00:16:29,260 –> 00:16:34,140 Now at this point in the story the spotlight shifts again and we’re introduced to a third 145 00:16:34,140 –> 00:16:39,840 character, this youngest of David’s nephews, a man by the name of Asahel. 146 00:16:40,179 –> 00:16:45,940 And he’s the one in verse 18 who we’re told was a good runner, he was really fast. 147 00:16:45,940 –> 00:16:51,780 The Bible says he was a swift of foot as a wild gazelle. 148 00:16:53,080 –> 00:16:58,500 And we’re told in verse 19 that this man who was very fast decided that he 149 00:16:58,659 –> 00:17:02,919 was going to lock onto Abner and go after him. 150 00:17:03,919 –> 00:17:05,339 So, verse 19. 151 00:17:05,339 –> 00:17:11,619 Asahel pursued Abner and as he went he turned neither to the right hand nor to 152 00:17:11,619 –> 00:17:14,880 the left from following Abner. 153 00:17:15,160 –> 00:17:17,680 Now, you have to pause at this point in the story and say, 154 00:17:17,680 –> 00:17:23,540 Now wait a minute, why is Asahel pursuing Abner? 155 00:17:23,540 –> 00:17:27,239 David wants to win Abner. 156 00:17:27,239 –> 00:17:31,819 The only function of this army was to be defensive. 157 00:17:32,239 –> 00:17:38,079 But now Asahel has lost the plot and he’s out to try and destroy Abner. 158 00:17:38,079 –> 00:17:41,859 The very opposite of what David’s mission is all about. 159 00:17:41,859 –> 00:17:46,400 David’s mission is to bring tribes together. 160 00:17:46,400 –> 00:17:49,719 To win these key figures, like people in Jabesh. 161 00:17:49,719 –> 00:17:54,359 And Abner would be another one of them, reaching out with Grace. 162 00:17:54,359 –> 00:17:59,800 But Asahel just doesn’t get it and he completely misrepresents his king 163 00:17:59,900 –> 00:18:06,239 and takes upon himself the mission of seeking to destroy Abner. 164 00:18:06,239 –> 00:18:10,839 While being a gifted runner, it was sure that no matter how far he was behind at the 165 00:18:10,839 –> 00:18:19,140 beginning, Asahel was gonna catch Abner, the commander of Saul’s forces. 166 00:18:19,140 –> 00:18:24,400 The real question, of course, was what would happen when he did? 167 00:18:24,400 –> 00:18:28,359 Because Abner was a long experienced military commander. 168 00:18:28,359 –> 00:18:30,900 I mean, he knew what he was about on the field of battle. 169 00:18:30,900 –> 00:18:33,260 He’d survived many, many a war. 170 00:18:33,260 –> 00:18:37,400 I don’t think Asahel thought about that too much. 171 00:18:37,400 –> 00:18:41,119 He just knew that he was very gifted and that he could catch him. 172 00:18:41,119 –> 00:18:45,599 Well, this was a long chase. 173 00:18:45,599 –> 00:18:48,839 And picture these two men. 174 00:18:48,839 –> 00:18:51,479 Abner must have had a long start on this run. 175 00:18:51,479 –> 00:18:55,520 And then gradually, gradually Asahel is catching up on him. 176 00:18:55,599 –> 00:18:59,560 From time to time over this long chase, there must have been moments where both of them 177 00:18:59,560 –> 00:19:02,160 stopped and just took a breather, as it were. 178 00:19:02,160 –> 00:19:08,979 And at one of these moments it seems, verse 21, Abner turns back towards Asahel. 179 00:19:08,979 –> 00:19:15,920 And no doubt as the two of them are catching their breath, Abner says, turn aside to your 180 00:19:15,920 –> 00:19:18,520 right, or to your left, verse 21. 181 00:19:18,520 –> 00:19:21,920 And seize one of the young men, and take his spoil. 182 00:19:22,900 –> 00:19:30,319 In other words, Abner’s saying, go after someone else, please, please, verse 21. 183 00:19:30,319 –> 00:19:37,359 But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. 184 00:19:37,359 –> 00:19:42,920 Verse 22, no doubt a little later, there’s another pause in the running, and Abner turns 185 00:19:42,920 –> 00:19:46,020 back towards Asahel. 186 00:19:46,060 –> 00:19:52,359 He said again, verse 22 to Asahel, turn aside from following me. 187 00:19:52,359 –> 00:19:56,239 Why should I strike you to the ground? 188 00:19:57,619 –> 00:19:59,319 You see what he’s saying? 189 00:19:59,319 –> 00:20:02,319 Asahel, please, go after someone else. 190 00:20:02,319 –> 00:20:09,300 Please, don’t put me in the position of having to kill you in self-defense. 191 00:20:09,300 –> 00:20:14,000 Don’t make me do something I don’t want to do. 192 00:20:14,060 –> 00:20:22,239 Verse 23, but Asahel refused to turn aside. 193 00:20:22,239 –> 00:20:30,359 Picture this – when Asahel finally caught up with the wily old warrior. 194 00:20:30,359 –> 00:20:35,099 What Abner did, having been running, he stopped dead in his tracks, pushed back the butt of 195 00:20:35,099 –> 00:20:40,660 his spear, and the sheer speed of Asahel, swift as a gazelle… 196 00:20:40,699 –> 00:20:46,619 He ran on to the end of the spear and his own greatest gift killed him – killed by 197 00:20:46,619 –> 00:20:56,280 his own speed in this relentless pursuit – obsessive pursuit. 198 00:20:56,280 –> 00:21:03,439 Asahel just couldn’t let Abner go. 199 00:21:03,459 –> 00:21:08,380 He felt he had to destroy him. 200 00:21:08,380 –> 00:21:17,339 Pursuing Abner became an obsession with him, and in his attempt to destroy Abner, Asahel 201 00:21:17,339 –> 00:21:19,260 destroyed himself. 202 00:21:19,260 –> 00:21:25,540 You know, there’s a principle here, those who get obsessed with trying to destroy another 203 00:21:25,540 –> 00:21:30,459 person invariably destroy themselves. 204 00:21:30,599 –> 00:21:34,099 Invariably destroy themselves. 205 00:21:34,280 –> 00:21:41,900 And we’re told here in verse 23 that Asahel fell and died where he was, and all who came 206 00:21:41,900 –> 00:21:47,280 to the place – this is the rest of Joab’s force that is loyal to David – they come 207 00:21:47,280 –> 00:21:52,420 to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, and they stood still, and they’re looking, 208 00:21:52,420 –> 00:21:55,719 and they’re saying, What in the world happened here? 209 00:21:56,459 –> 00:21:59,020 This is the king’s nephew. 210 00:22:00,680 –> 00:22:06,119 Now the conflict has escalated to a whole new level. 211 00:22:07,140 –> 00:22:11,140 Before this, David was making great progress in bringing people together. 212 00:22:11,140 –> 00:22:14,540 What hope for the work of grace now? 213 00:22:15,579 –> 00:22:23,579 For Joab and Abishai, the hotheads and the hardliners – boy, this was now even more 214 00:22:23,579 –> 00:22:27,420 personal – they’ve got a vendetta. 215 00:22:27,439 –> 00:22:34,280 It fuels their anger, and so verse 24, now we have Joab, and he’s going out after 216 00:22:34,280 –> 00:22:35,280 Abner. 217 00:22:35,280 –> 00:22:37,660 Where is this going to end? 218 00:22:38,560 –> 00:22:39,859 Tension. 219 00:22:40,979 –> 00:22:42,380 Escalation. 220 00:22:43,459 –> 00:22:52,739 Scene 3, resolution, and here we see just how much the king is needed. 221 00:22:52,800 –> 00:22:58,479 Abner’s forces have been on the run, and we’re told that they regrouped, and took 222 00:22:58,479 –> 00:23:04,099 a stand together at the top of a hill, a good strategic position, a hill called Amma, verse 223 00:23:04,099 –> 00:23:05,099 24. 224 00:23:05,099 –> 00:23:10,359 The sun was going down, so this is now the end of the day, that had begun with this dreadful 225 00:23:10,359 –> 00:23:14,380 destruction in the Twelve on Twelve that Abner had proposed. 226 00:23:15,699 –> 00:23:20,939 And standing at the top of the hill with Joab and David’s forces now coming after him, 227 00:23:20,939 –> 00:23:26,619 Abner calls out to Joab, verse 26, shall the sword devour forever. 228 00:23:26,680 –> 00:23:32,119 Do you not know that the end will be bitter? 229 00:23:32,119 –> 00:23:35,520 You think, how bitter this day was already. 230 00:23:35,520 –> 00:23:38,439 Where’s it going to end? 231 00:23:38,439 –> 00:23:45,660 How long will it be before you tell your people to turn from the pursuit of their brothers? 232 00:23:46,560 –> 00:23:50,160 Now Abner was not a good man. 233 00:23:50,180 –> 00:23:55,599 But you know what, even bad people sometimes do good things. 234 00:23:55,599 –> 00:24:01,060 And we call that common grace, that is, the kindness of God, by which bad people sometimes 235 00:24:01,060 –> 00:24:03,699 do good things. 236 00:24:03,699 –> 00:24:06,739 And here Abner does a very good thing. 237 00:24:06,739 –> 00:24:13,079 He focuses on two questions that should always be our focus when conflict is escalating. 238 00:24:13,280 –> 00:24:15,760 Number one, who am I fighting? 239 00:24:15,760 –> 00:24:18,979 Who am I fighting here? 240 00:24:18,979 –> 00:24:23,420 How long will it be, he says, before you tell your people to turn from the pursuit of their 241 00:24:23,420 –> 00:24:25,859 brothers? 242 00:24:25,859 –> 00:24:29,760 Think about who you’re fighting. 243 00:24:29,760 –> 00:24:31,459 Your brothers. 244 00:24:31,459 –> 00:24:35,239 And then the other question that everyone needs to ask in a situation of tension and 245 00:24:35,239 –> 00:24:36,579 escalating conflict. 246 00:24:36,579 –> 00:24:39,439 Where will this lead? 247 00:24:39,479 –> 00:24:44,060 Do you not know that the end will be bitter. 248 00:24:44,060 –> 00:24:48,579 You hear Abner saying this, and of course it was in his interest in saying at this point 249 00:24:48,579 –> 00:24:53,680 because he was in a very hopeless position with all of these losses. 250 00:24:53,680 –> 00:24:57,140 You just wish he’d thought like this in the morning before he had proposed the Twelve 251 00:24:57,140 –> 00:25:01,199 on Twelve that had started it all off. 252 00:25:01,199 –> 00:25:07,500 But to his credits while he was foolish in the morning he spoke with wisdom in the evening 253 00:25:07,760 –> 00:25:11,839 and to Joab’s credit he stopped and listened. 254 00:25:11,839 –> 00:25:18,839 Now let me apply this if someone has hurt you, wounded you, perhaps even more if someone 255 00:25:20,239 –> 00:25:27,239 has offended, hurt and wounded someone you love you may feel that you have every reason 256 00:25:27,699 –> 00:25:29,500 to take them down. 257 00:25:29,500 –> 00:25:34,040 Joab would have said if you’d asked him, why are you going after Abner? 258 00:25:34,040 –> 00:25:35,839 He’d say, I’ll give you ten how many reasons do you want? 259 00:25:35,900 –> 00:25:42,359 He’s a hypocrite, he’s a bully, he murdered my brother, he’s a manipulator, he’s an opponent 260 00:25:42,359 –> 00:25:43,859 of King David, he’s godless. 261 00:25:43,859 –> 00:25:46,619 I mean how many reasons do you need? 262 00:25:47,920 –> 00:25:55,780 All of them were true, but what Abner says here is, I’m also your brother. 263 00:25:57,140 –> 00:25:59,839 I’m also your brother. 264 00:25:59,839 –> 00:26:06,380 We both belong to the family that God has promised to bless. 265 00:26:06,380 –> 00:26:14,099 Now, this speaks, by the way, very, very profoundly into every conflict that takes place in a 266 00:26:14,099 –> 00:26:15,339 marriage, a family, or a church. 267 00:26:15,339 –> 00:26:21,239 It has other applications, but let me just make this one. 268 00:26:21,239 –> 00:26:24,359 Conflict with your father or your mother, your brother, your sister, your son, or your 269 00:26:24,359 –> 00:26:27,339 daughter, conflict with a husband and a wife. 270 00:26:28,300 –> 00:26:32,300 have a legitimate grievance. 271 00:26:32,300 –> 00:26:35,839 You may have good reason for the bitterness that you feel. 272 00:26:35,839 –> 00:26:39,579 Surely Joab had good reason for the bitterness that he felt. 273 00:26:39,579 –> 00:26:43,260 But you see the point that Abner is making. 274 00:26:43,260 –> 00:26:48,219 This is your own flesh. 275 00:26:48,219 –> 00:26:52,920 Scripture says, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies, for he who loves 276 00:26:52,920 –> 00:26:56,819 his wife loves himself. 277 00:26:56,819 –> 00:27:04,699 And no one, notice these words, no one ever hated his own flesh. 278 00:27:04,699 –> 00:27:13,939 If you hate a person God has made you one with, you hate yourself. 279 00:27:13,939 –> 00:27:18,760 If you despise someone that God has made you one with, you despise yourself. 280 00:27:18,760 –> 00:27:24,859 If you hurt someone that God has made you one with, you hurt yourself. 281 00:27:24,859 –> 00:27:32,319 And if you destroy someone who God has made you one with, you will destroy yourself. 282 00:27:32,319 –> 00:27:38,199 And that applies not only to the sacred gift of marriage in which God makes people one, 283 00:27:38,199 –> 00:27:43,579 not only to the sacred gift of family in which you are actually relating and often it’s with 284 00:27:43,579 –> 00:27:49,339 some tensions, and often with many difficulties, but you’re relating to those who are bone 285 00:27:49,339 –> 00:27:53,380 off your bone and flesh off your flesh. 286 00:27:53,380 –> 00:27:54,380 And guess what? 287 00:27:54,380 –> 00:28:01,300 It relates to tensions and conflicts that may flare up within the body of Christ with 288 00:28:01,300 –> 00:28:06,479 those who in the Holy Spirit, through death and resurrection with Jesus, God has made 289 00:28:06,479 –> 00:28:13,380 you one with your brothers and sisters in Christ. 290 00:28:13,380 –> 00:28:24,099 I fear for any Christian who tries to take a Christian brother or sister down on social 291 00:28:24,099 –> 00:28:25,119 media. 292 00:28:25,119 –> 00:28:30,739 I tremble for those who do this. 293 00:28:30,739 –> 00:28:36,119 This is your brother and your sister in Christ. 294 00:28:36,119 –> 00:28:40,180 And if you try to destroy them, you should learn from this story, the great danger that 295 00:28:40,239 –> 00:28:42,640 you might actually bring about your own destruction. 296 00:28:42,640 –> 00:28:51,040 That’s what we learn from Asahel and his obsession with destroying Abner. 297 00:28:51,040 –> 00:28:58,420 That’s the lesson of this tragic day that’s recorded for our good in 2 Samuel in Chapter 298 00:28:58,420 –> 00:29:00,599 2. 299 00:29:00,599 –> 00:29:10,800 Now, thankfully Abner’s two questions brought a cessation of the violence. 300 00:29:10,800 –> 00:29:12,439 It was not a resolution. 301 00:29:12,439 –> 00:29:16,219 We need to wait later for that. 302 00:29:16,219 –> 00:29:21,839 But at least the senseless violence of that awful day was brought to an end because of 303 00:29:21,839 –> 00:29:29,920 the two wise questions that Abner asked and Joab’s ability to listen and to respond. 304 00:29:29,920 –> 00:29:34,119 We’re told in verse 28 that Joab blew the trumpet. 305 00:29:34,119 –> 00:29:42,920 And all the men stopped and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight any more. 306 00:29:42,920 –> 00:29:50,199 You see, thank God for the ending of this awful day and this awful conflict. 307 00:29:50,199 –> 00:29:52,319 Of course, it was only a fragile peace. 308 00:29:52,319 –> 00:29:57,560 It was not a resolution, and that is why, when we get to chapter three next week, you’ll 309 00:29:57,560 –> 00:30:02,839 see right at the beginning of chapter three what followed was a long war between the house 310 00:30:02,839 –> 00:30:06,319 of Saul and the house of David, chapter three in verse one. 311 00:30:06,319 –> 00:30:08,500 A long war, think about this. 312 00:30:08,500 –> 00:30:16,000 A long war between two parties, one who opposed God’s anointed king, and the other who misrepresented 313 00:30:16,000 –> 00:30:17,400 him. 314 00:30:17,400 –> 00:30:21,060 And it went on for years. 315 00:30:21,060 –> 00:30:25,040 And it leaves you saying, when you come to the end of this chapter, and even more when 316 00:30:25,040 –> 00:30:30,560 you read chapter three and chapter four, it leaves you saying, how does this ever get 317 00:30:30,560 –> 00:30:32,839 resolved? 318 00:30:32,839 –> 00:30:36,560 This fighting between two parties? 319 00:30:36,560 –> 00:30:41,839 One that opposes the King, one that misrepresents the King, and where’s grace in all of this? 320 00:30:41,839 –> 00:30:44,300 It doesn’t seem to be anywhere at all. 321 00:30:44,800 –> 00:30:50,300 In fact, isn’t that the most striking thing about this chapter, who’s missing from this 322 00:30:50,300 –> 00:30:51,699 chapter? 323 00:30:51,699 –> 00:31:00,359 David, the anointed king, the King of grace, who at the beginning of the chapter was reaching 324 00:31:00,359 –> 00:31:07,000 out to those who were implacably opposed to him with the message of grace and saying, 325 00:31:07,000 –> 00:31:13,739 I will do you good to the least likely, and welcoming them into His great kingdom. 326 00:31:13,760 –> 00:31:20,160 This chapter begins with David bringing people together through the word of Grace, and it 327 00:31:20,160 –> 00:31:25,619 ends with the hotheads and the hardliners dividing people and scattering them apart. 328 00:31:25,619 –> 00:31:33,140 And what’s so striking about this entire story is the absence of David. 329 00:31:33,140 –> 00:31:42,719 It’s all about Abner and Joab, the hotheads, the hardliners who don’t understand grace. 330 00:31:43,199 –> 00:31:52,979 It’s about what happens when God’s anointed king is opposed on the one hand and misrepresented 331 00:31:52,979 –> 00:31:56,140 in the world on the other. 332 00:31:56,140 –> 00:32:00,180 And so you come to the end of this story, and it just leaves you longing for the king, 333 00:32:00,180 –> 00:32:01,180 doesn’t it? 334 00:32:01,180 –> 00:32:05,619 When will the king of grace come and deal with those who oppose him? 335 00:32:05,619 –> 00:32:10,619 When will the king of grace come and deal with those who misrepresent him? 336 00:32:10,719 –> 00:32:14,780 When will the king of grace come and do what the hotheads and the hardliners don’t have 337 00:32:14,780 –> 00:32:21,000 a chance of doing, which is bringing people together from every tribe and nation and language 338 00:32:21,000 –> 00:32:25,479 and bringing them under the blessing of the rule of God’s anointed king? 339 00:32:25,479 –> 00:32:31,880 Well, of course you know that the whole Bible story is pointing us to the wonderful truth 340 00:32:31,880 –> 00:32:34,599 that that day will come. 341 00:32:34,640 –> 00:32:40,920 But Jesus Christ, to whom David continually points in this story, really will take his 342 00:32:40,920 –> 00:32:46,680 power and reign and the day will come when Jesus Christ will deal with all who oppose 343 00:32:46,680 –> 00:32:49,699 him and with all who misrepresent him. 344 00:32:49,699 –> 00:32:53,079 He spoke about this in the Sermon on the Mount. 345 00:32:53,079 –> 00:32:58,180 Not everybody who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the 346 00:32:58,420 –> 00:33:03,260 who does the will of my Father in heaven. 347 00:33:03,260 –> 00:33:09,339 Because on that day will there not be many Joab-like who will say, Did we not do many 348 00:33:09,339 –> 00:33:12,119 mighty works in your name? 349 00:33:12,119 –> 00:33:15,339 And I will say to them, Christ says, Depart from me, I never knew you. 350 00:33:15,339 –> 00:33:17,979 You were a worker of lawlessness. 351 00:33:17,979 –> 00:33:25,439 Lord Jesus, come quickly and deal with those who oppose you and with those who misrepresent 352 00:33:25,439 –> 00:33:27,660 you. 353 00:33:27,660 –> 00:33:31,000 I end with four very brief observations. 354 00:33:31,000 –> 00:33:37,520 Number one, never judge a king by the worst of his people. 355 00:33:37,520 –> 00:33:41,520 The sons of Zeruiah misrepresented David. 356 00:33:41,520 –> 00:33:43,000 They were loyal to his cause. 357 00:33:43,000 –> 00:33:46,199 They were strangers to his grace. 358 00:33:46,199 –> 00:33:55,060 It would have been a great mistake to judge David by looking at Joab, Abishai or Asahel. 359 00:33:56,000 –> 00:33:59,599 I have no doubt that many people who have professed to be Christians have done terrible 360 00:33:59,599 –> 00:34:04,579 things and there may be some in the congregation who are struggling to ever come to faith 361 00:34:04,579 –> 00:34:09,699 in Jesus because a Christian did a terrible thing to you. 362 00:34:09,699 –> 00:34:14,540 And I am wanting to say to you today, never judge a king by the worst of the people who 363 00:34:14,540 –> 00:34:16,780 profess to take his name. 364 00:34:16,780 –> 00:34:21,300 Jesus will deal with those who misrepresent him. 365 00:34:21,300 –> 00:34:26,260 What matters today is that Jesus Christ offers grace and mercy to every person who will come 366 00:34:26,260 –> 00:34:31,739 to him including those who have opposed him, including those who feel far from him and 367 00:34:31,739 –> 00:34:34,100 including those who have misrepresented him. 368 00:34:34,100 –> 00:34:42,199 It would be a great mistake for any person in this congregation to misjudge King Jesus 369 00:34:42,199 –> 00:34:44,520 by those who misrepresent him. 370 00:34:44,520 –> 00:34:48,739 Second, never forget the mission of our King. 371 00:34:48,739 –> 00:34:51,179 Never forget the mission of our King. 372 00:34:51,260 –> 00:34:52,419 The mission of our King is what? 373 00:34:52,419 –> 00:34:55,820 It’s to win people by his grace. 374 00:34:55,820 –> 00:35:02,699 Joab sets out to defend his king but he ends up misrepresenting his King. 375 00:35:02,699 –> 00:35:09,459 How could anyone looking at Joab have figured out that David really was the King of Grace? 376 00:35:09,459 –> 00:35:13,199 Well friend, if you’re a Christian what are people going to figure out about Jesus by 377 00:35:13,199 –> 00:35:14,199 looking at you? 378 00:35:14,199 –> 00:35:16,820 That’s the question. 379 00:35:17,000 –> 00:35:22,580 History is littered with devastation that has been done to the work of the Gospel by 380 00:35:22,580 –> 00:35:25,659 hot heads and hard-liners. 381 00:35:25,659 –> 00:35:33,120 Like Joab who professed loyalty to David or like James and John who said to Jesus on one 382 00:35:33,120 –> 00:35:39,159 occasion, would you like us to call down fire from heaven on a Samaritan village that rejected 383 00:35:39,159 –> 00:35:41,659 you, almost relishing it. 384 00:35:41,659 –> 00:35:45,979 Or Peter who drew his sword, do you remember, in the Garden of Gethsemane and cut off the 385 00:35:46,080 –> 00:35:49,280 ear of the high priest’s servant? 386 00:35:49,280 –> 00:35:56,699 Or the tragedy of armies marching east in what was called crusades underneath the banner 387 00:35:56,699 –> 00:36:04,199 of the cross of Jesus Christ and bringing destruction to people that Christ seeks to 388 00:36:04,199 –> 00:36:06,860 win by his grace. 389 00:36:06,860 –> 00:36:13,100 That’s more than a thousand years ago and we’re still living with the effects of it. 390 00:36:13,520 –> 00:36:18,280 o it comes when the church forgets what we are called to do. 391 00:36:18,280 –> 00:36:21,919 Our mission is the mission of grace. 392 00:36:21,919 –> 00:36:23,360 Never forget the mission of the King. 393 00:36:23,360 –> 00:36:28,719 Number three, always use your greatest gifts for the best purpose. 394 00:36:28,959 –> 00:36:32,320 Asahel was an amazing runner. 395 00:36:32,320 –> 00:36:36,060 What a waste of a marvelous gift. 396 00:36:36,060 –> 00:36:41,300 Think what he could have done with that gift of his swiftness, as swift as a gazelle. 397 00:36:41,300 –> 00:36:47,060 He could have been King David’s swiftest messenger of grace. 398 00:36:47,060 –> 00:36:49,659 Wouldn’t that be a great thing to devote his gift to? 399 00:36:49,659 –> 00:36:52,419 It could have gone all over the country. 400 00:36:52,419 –> 00:36:54,379 The swiftest messenger of grace. 401 00:36:54,379 –> 00:36:55,979 But what did he do with his gift? 402 00:36:55,979 –> 00:37:05,120 He wasted it on the wrong Mission, with an obsession with destroying Abner. 403 00:37:05,120 –> 00:37:11,239 Ask yourself, am I using my greatest gifts to the best purpose? 404 00:37:11,280 –> 00:37:13,879 Can you sell? 405 00:37:13,879 –> 00:37:15,379 Can you lead? 406 00:37:15,379 –> 00:37:16,919 Can you teach? 407 00:37:16,919 –> 00:37:18,419 Can you build? 408 00:37:18,419 –> 00:37:27,639 Offer your best gifts to Christ, and use them for his glory and for the highest purpose. 409 00:37:27,639 –> 00:37:33,840 And lastly, always live in the light of our coming King. 410 00:37:33,840 –> 00:37:39,300 See, these chapters, don’t they leave us longing for the day when the King will 411 00:37:39,459 –> 00:37:41,379 actually show up on the scene? 412 00:37:41,379 –> 00:37:44,399 We’re missing David in this story. 413 00:37:44,399 –> 00:37:51,120 We’re longing for the day when God’s anointed King will take his power and reign. 414 00:37:51,120 –> 00:37:58,800 Lord, hasten the day when there will be no more Abner’s who defy you. 415 00:37:58,800 –> 00:38:05,419 Hasten the day when there will be no more Joab’s who misrepresent you. 416 00:38:05,659 –> 00:38:11,120 Hasten the day when the long wars of history will be over and people 417 00:38:11,120 –> 00:38:16,239 from every tribe and nation and language will be brought together under the blessing of 418 00:38:16,239 –> 00:38:19,620 the rule of Jesus Christ. 419 00:38:19,620 –> 00:38:21,820 Lord, hasten the day. 420 00:38:21,820 –> 00:38:27,139 Christ is already gathering his people from every tribe and nation. 421 00:38:27,139 –> 00:38:34,020 And when you know this, it will help you, Christian brother and sister, to reach across 422 00:38:34,120 –> 00:38:40,399 the hatred that so often divides us, even here in our beloved country, with the grace 423 00:38:40,399 –> 00:38:42,739 that reflects our King. 424 00:38:42,739 –> 00:38:55,399 Lord, Jesus, come quickly and until that day, help us to live and to serve as messengers 425 00:38:55,399 –> 00:38:56,399 of your grace. 426 00:38:56,399 –> 00:38:58,439 Will you pray with me? 427 00:38:58,439 –> 00:39:07,239 Father, we lift our hearts to you and pray that you will help us to learn from the foolishness 428 00:39:07,239 –> 00:39:17,439 of others that we might more wisely invest our lives in ways that befit the servants 429 00:39:17,439 –> 00:39:19,540 of the King. 430 00:39:19,540 –> 00:39:24,040 And these things we ask together in Jesus’ name and God’s people said, amen.

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Colin Smith

Trustee / Founder and Teaching Pastor

Colin Smith is the Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He has authored a number of books, including Heaven, How I Got Here and Heaven, So Near – So Far. Colin is the Founder and Teaching Pastor for Open the Bible. Follow him on X formerly Twitter.

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