April 21 - 2 Samuel 3:6-4:3 | 2 Samuel 4:5-4:12

Good morning everyone,

Today as we begin our reading, the war between the house of Saul and the house of David had gone on and on. Abner, who had become a powerful force, has a bit of a run in with king Ish-Bosheth and will be making a “power play” to turn his entire kingdom over to David. When Abner contacts David with the proposal, David says “I’m down with that only I want my first wife, Michal, back.” Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, “Give me my wife Michal”, and Ish-Bosheth did have her taken from her husband, and sent to David. Deuteronomy 17:17 says “He (the king) must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray.” David knew this, and this will not bode well for his house.

Meanwhile, Abner secretly conferred with the elders of Israel and of Benjamin and then takes twenty men down to have a chat with David, who genuinely glad to see Abner, prepares a feast for them. Feeling good about the way things went Abner heads home. 

Shortly after, Joab returns from a raid he and his troop had been on and is livid when he finds out that Abner, the guy who, albeit accidental, had killed his brother was in the house and sends a messenger out after him to bring him back. Abner clearly thought nothing about it because he did return, met with Joab and Joab killed him in retaliation.

When David found out about this he proclaimed his innocence of an knowledge of the entrapment or the murder, making it known to all the people Joab did this all on his own. Like Saul, David I believe respected and maybe even loved Abner. He had spent half his life being chased by him and now David would walk behind him at his funeral procession. 

Back at the house of Saul, Ish-Bosheth’s captains enter into his bed chamber and murder him and in an effort to find favor with David, deliver the dead king’s head to him. However David could not tolerate the death of an innocent man, you see Ish-Bosheth’s only crime was in being weak. He was not wicked, he just didn’t have the courage to stand against injustice, and so David gave him a decent burial. 

2 Thessalonians 3:13 says “And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.” David, though sometimes got sideways, was a guy who never tired of trying to do what was good. I like that.

I pray you have a good day, to God be the glory.

God bless you all …