The Assassinations of Abner and Ish-Bosheth

INTRO

In 2 Samuel 1—2, David was anointed king over the tribe of Judah. The first time David was anointed as king, he was a young boy, and Samuel anointed him as God’s chosen king of Israel. This was his second anointing as king of a portion of Israel.

TEACHING

2 Samuel 3:1–5: A long war took place between the house of Saul and the house of David. Saul’s house grew weaker while David’s grew stronger (v. 1). In 2 Samuel 2:8, Abner made Saul’s son Ish-bosheth king over the lands of Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin—identified as “all Israel.” The war was over who would rule over Israel—Saul’s family or David. This battle for the throne will continue through the next six chapters of 2 Samuel.

Why was David’s house growing stronger while Saul’s house grew weaker? At this point, David had added more wives and children to his household (vv. 2–5). God’s hand was on David. In Saul’s house was confusion and chaos (1 Samuel 13:14). David was a man after God’s own heart and sought God’s will, and he walked with courage and integrity. Saul, however, acted out of fear and control. It comes down to who was the wisest in how they led.

Solomon is considered to be the wisest of all Israel’s kings. Where did his wisdom come from (James 3:13–18)? From his father, David. Solomon saw wisdom walked out through his father. That’s why Solomon asked God for wisdom in understanding.

2 Samuel 3:6–11: As the war between Saul’s house and David continued, Saul’s uncle and his army commander Abner continued to grow in strength (v. 6). Ish-bosheth accused Abner of sleeping with one of Saul’s concubines (v. 7). Abner took great offense and asked if he was a dog’s head who belonged to Judah. In the Old Testament, dogs always were mentioned in a bad connotation. Possibly, Abner was asking if it was thought he was a male prostitute working for Israel. Abner took offense because he had been the one who’d been looking after Ish-bosheth’s kingdom (v. 8). Abner knew what God had promised David and had been fighting against David’s rule. But, as a result of this accusation, Abner’s allegiance swung to David (vv. 9–10). And Ish-bosheth became afraid of Abner (v. 11).

2 Samuel 3:12–16: Abner let David know he now supported David’s claim to the throne (v. 12). David agreed to Abner’s plan with one exception—Abner had to bring Saul’s daughter, Michal, with him (v. 13). David sent word to Ish-bosheth (son of Saul) to give him back Michal, whom he was engaged to marry when Saul “sold her” to the first person who brought him 100 Philistine foreskins (v. 14). Ish-bosheth responded, taking Michal from her husband, Paltiel, son of Laish. (vv. 15–16).

2 Samuel 3:17–21: Abner then met with the elders of Israel, presenting David to them as the one God had anointed to be their king (vv. 17–18). Abner also met with the Benjaminites, Saul’s tribe, and told them that the rest of Israel had agreed upon David as their next king (v. 19). Abner brought 20 men to David, and David held a banquet for them and for his men (v. 20). Abner promised to gather all Israel before David, and David sent Abner away in peace (v. 21). These former enemies were now at peace.

2 Samuel 3:22–27: After Abner left, Joab and David’s soldiers returned with the spoils from a raid (v. 22). Joab was David’s nephew, and Abner had killed one of Joab’s brothers (2 Samuel 2). When Joab found out that Abner and David had found peace, Joab questioned David’s decision with Abner. Joab assumed Abner had come to spy on David (vv. 23–25). Without David’s knowledge, Joab sent messengers out to bring Abner back from the well of Sirah (v. 26). Joab pulled Abner aside and stabbed him in the stomach to avenge his brother’s death (v. 27). Joab’s actions were not done out of wisdom but retaliation and selfishness.

2 Samuel 3:28–39: David responded to Joab differently than he had to others who had spilled blood. David made sure all Israel knew he had nothing to do with Abner’s murder (vv. 28–29). David ordered Joab and those with him to publicly mourn Abner’s death, and David walked in the funeral procession (v. 30–31). David mourned Abner’s death.

2 Samuel 4:1–12: After Abner’s death, Ish-bosheth lost his courage and all of Israel was dismayed (v. 1). Yet Saul’s son was still caught up in selfish ambition (v. 2). Two men who worked for Saul’s son assassinated Ish-bosheth in his own home while he napped (vv. 5–7). The men cut off Ish-bosheth’s head and took it to David (v. 8). David had these men killed and hung their bodies by the pool of Hebron for all to see. Ish-bosheth’s head was buried in Abner’s tomb (vv. 9–12).

CLOSING

The question that rises from this is why David had these men executed but let Joab go. Interestingly, Solomon would have to deal with Joab later. Throughout David’s story, Joab plays a big role, selfish ambitions got in the way, and his taking of lives did not stop with Abner. Joab did not walk with the same heart David did. David walked with God’s own heart.

What does this mean to us? We have to be careful as we walk out our calling and as we intersect with people who would lead us away from that calling. God has given us wisdom, but if we’re in the wrong posture like Joab was, that wisdom will not save us. May we have a heart like David’s that responded like God would—in peace and in truth. We are seeing God’s Eternal Throne established through one who had God’s heart.