Day 94 – 2 Samuel 2:8-17
Scripture Review
2 Samuel 2:8-17
"But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;" (2 Samuel 2:8)
Here comes Abner. Saul is dead, Jonathan is dead, and David has been anointed king over Judah, but Abner is not ready to yield. He "took Ishbosheth." Ishbosheth does not rise with clear leadership. Abner takes him and moves him. The captain is acting like the power behind the crown.
Mahanaim becomes the place where Saul's house tries to keep breathing. It is away from Hebron, away from David, away from the tribe that has already received God's chosen king. Abner desire a close attachment to Saul's house by both position and relationship, which helps explain why he works so quickly to preserve Saul's line. This is what happens when men try to hold together what God is finished with. David had waited on the LORD.
"And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel." (2 Samuel 2:9)
Abner "made him king." The verse does not say the LORD made him king. It does not say the people sought the LORD. It says Abner made him king. Election integrity was not a thing then either I guess.
Gilead, Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel. On paper, Ishbosheth has more than David. David has Judah. Ishbosheth appears to have the larger following. But the size of the crowd does not decide the will of God.
"Ishbosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David." (2 Samuel 2:10)
Ishbosheth was not a child. He was forty years old. Yet his reign is short, "two years." His age did not give him strength enough to make his throne secure. His father's name gave him a claim in men's eyes, but not in God's purpose.
"But the house of Judah followed David." That "but" separates two loyalties. Israel is divided. Saul's house has a king in name. Judah follows the man God chose. This verse reminds me that following God may put you in the smaller company for a while. Judah was not all Israel, but Judah was right to follow David.
"And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months." (2 Samuel 2:11)
Seven years and six months is a long time to wait in partial fulfillment. David is king, but not over all Israel. He is ruling, but not in Jerusalem. He has the promise, but not the full possession. That is Hebron before Jerusalem.
Two reflecting questions come to mind reading this scripture. Can I serve God faithfully in Hebron when I am still waiting on Jerusalem? Can I remain steady when God's promise is true, but not fully visible?
"And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon." (2 Samuel 2:12)
The same man who took Ishbosheth to Mahanaim now brings Ishbosheth's servants toward Gibeon. Abner took the first step in the war, moving from Mahanaim down to Gibeon, likely seeking advantage for Ishbosheth near the old Saulite center of influence. Abner pressing the claim of Saul's house.
"And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together by the pool of Gibeon: and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool." (2 Samuel 2:13)
Abner on one side. Joab on the other. Saul's house on one side. David's house on the other. The pool of Gibeon sits between them like a line nobody should cross. They "sat down." The armies are charging, they are facing each other, measuring the moment.
This is brother against brother. These are Israelites on both sides of the pool. The tragedy is not only that men are about to die. The tragedy is that the swords are being drawn within the covenant nation.
"And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise." (2 Samuel 2:14)
"Let the young men now arise, and play before us." Play? Joab agrees, "Let them arise." Both commanders allow a contest to begin.
"Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David." (2 Samuel 2:15)
Twelve from Benjamin. Twelve from David. The numbers are even. Benjamin is tied to Saul's house. David's men are tied to the LORD's anointed king. Twenty four young men step forward while older men watch.
"And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon." (2 Samuel 2:16)
Every man catches his fellow by the head. Every man thrusts his sword into his fellow's side. Every man falls. No winner is left standing. The contest produces nothing but death. Kind of reminds me of the movie "Hunger Games." Some people get a kick out of humans hurting one another. I do not treat conflict like entertainment.
What leaders call "play," young men may pay for with blood. That is often how pride works. It sits safely at a distance while others bleed for it. The place receives a name because blood has a memory. Gibeon will carry the mark of what happened there. Both sides may prove courage, and still both sides may lose. Twenty-four men went forward. Twenty-four men fell. That is what Abner's "play" became.
"And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David." (2 Samuel 2:17)
A, "very sore battle." battlefield of pain. Abner is beaten. The men of Israel fall before the servants of David. God's choice of David is being confirmed, but not without grief. The victory still has sorrow in it because these are not Philistines falling. These are Israelites.