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.