Day 95 – 2 Samuel 2:18-32
Scripture Review
2 Samuel 2:18-32
"And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe." (2 Samuel 2:18)
Now the Spirit of God names the three sons of Zeruiah which are Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. They are brave, useful, dangerous men. Asahel is singled out, "as light of foot as a wild roe." His speed is his distinction.
"And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner." (2 Samuel 2:19)
Asahel locks onto Abner. He will not turn right or left. He is chasing the seasoned captain of Saul's host.
"Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am." (2 Samuel 2:20)
Abner looks back and recognizes him. "Art thou Asahel?" That question shows Abner knows exactly who is following him. Asahel is not anonymous. He is Joab's brother. He is one of Zeruiah's sons. Asahel answers, "I am." It is a short answer, but it seals the danger. He is close enough to speak. He is close enough to be warned. He is also close enough to die. There are moments when God lets a warning come before the wound. Asahel gets that warning.
"And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him." (2 Samuel 2:21)
Abner tells Asahel to turn aside. He even offers him another way to gain spoil, take the armour of one of the young men. In other words, do not mess with me. "But Asahel would not turn aside." He has been told. He refuses.
How many times has God put a warning in our path, and we would not turn aside? Pride says, "I can handle this." Wisdom says, "Do not keep chasing what God is warning you about."
"And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?" (2 Samuel 2:22)
Abner warns him again. This is not a sudden strike without a word. Abner knows that killing Asahel will create a bitter wound with Joab. "How then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?" Abner did not want to kill the young hero, especially because of Joab.
"Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still." (2 Samuel 2:23)
"Howbeit he refused to turn aside." Asahel dies not because he was slow, but because he would not stop. His strength carried him to the place his wisdom could not bring him back from.
"Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon." (2 Samuel 2:24)
Now Joab and Abishai pursue. The death of Asahel has turned the battle into something more personal. This is no longer only David's house against Saul's house. Now family blood is crying in the hearts of Zeruiah's sons.
The sun goes down. The day is ending, but the heat of revenge is not. This is the danger of bloodshed. Once it begins, it creates reasons for more bloodshed. Asahel chased Abner. Now Joab and Abishai chase Abner because Asahel is dead.
"And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an hill." (2 Samuel 2:25)
Benjamin gathers behind Abner. The scattered become "one troop." They stand on the top of a hill. The pursuit is no longer simple. Abner has a defensive position now.
"Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?" (2 Samuel 2:26)
"Shall the sword devour for ever?" Abner started this bloody contest, but now he speaks like a man who can see the monster he helped unleash. "Knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end?" That is true of more than battle. Bitterness is what remains after pride has had its feast. Bitterness is the aftertaste of needless conflict.
Then Abner says, "their brethren." Those words should have been remembered before the first twelve men rose up. They were brethren before the blood ran. They are brethren now. Sin has a way of making us remember brotherhood only after the wounds are deep.
"And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother." (2 Samuel 2:27)
Joab answers with an oath: "As God liveth." He throws blame back on Abner. If Abner had not spoken, the people would have gone away in the morning. Joab is saying, in effect, "You started this." This is where many conflicts remain alive, one man says, "You started it," and the other says, "You kept it going." Somewhere someone has to blow the trumpet.
"So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more." (2 Samuel 2:28)
Joab blows the trumpet. At last, the people stand still. The chase stops. The fighting stops. The sword is not allowed to devour forever that day.
"And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim." (2 Samuel 2:29)
Abner walks all night. The man who came out from Mahanaim now returns to Mahanaim, but not as he came. He returns beaten, bloodied, and reduced.
"And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's servants nineteen men and Asahel." (2 Samuel 2:30)
Joab counts his men. Nineteen are missing, and Asahel. The numbers are small compared to Abner's losses, but grief does not measure pain only by totals. "And Asahel" carries its own weight. That name would be heavy in Joab's mouth. Asahel was not merely a casualty. He was his brother. The war has now entered the family.
"But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, so that three hundred and threescore men died." (2 Samuel 2:31)
Three hundred and sixty men die on Abner's side. That is a heavy defeat. David's servants clearly prevail. The numbers show David's side was stronger in the battle, but they also show the waste that came from resisting God's chosen king. When men fight against the LORD's purpose, they may drag many others into the cost.
"And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day." (2 Samuel 2:32)
They take up Asahel. Earlier, men stood still where he fell. Now his own side carries him home. He is buried in Bethlehem, in the sepulchre of his father. Bethlehem is David's town too. The place of beginnings now receives one of David's fallen men. Asahel had run hard at Gibeon, but he rests in Bethlehem.
Then Joab and his men travel all night and reach Hebron at break of day. Hebron is still David's place. The men return to the place where God had put David.
I have learned several lessons here, wait in Hebron. Do not build what God has not blessed. Do not call deadly things "play." Do not chase danger after God has warned you. Do not let the sword devour forever. And when the night has been long, return to the place God gave me, trusting that the LORD can bring the kingdom together in His own time.