2 Samuel 3:1-21

1 The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

2 Sons were born to David in Hebron:

His firstborn was Amnon the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel;

3 his second, Kileab the son of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel;

the third, Absalom the son of Maakah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;

4 the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith;

the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

5 and the sixth, Ithream the son of David’s wife Eglah.

These were born to David in Hebron.

6 During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had been strengthening his own position in the house of Saul. 7 Now Saul had had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”

8 Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth said. So he answered, “Am I a dog’s head—on Judah’s side? This very day I am loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his family and friends. I haven’t handed you over to David. Yet now you accuse me of an offense involving this woman! 9 May God deal with Abner, be it ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD promised him on oath 10 and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David’s throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.” 11 Ish-Bosheth did not dare to say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.

12 Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, “Whose land is it? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you.”

13 “Good,” said David. “I will make an agreement with you. But I demand one thing of you: Do not come into my presence unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me.” 14 Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.”

15 So Ish-Bosheth gave orders and had her taken away from her husband Paltiel son of Laish. 16 Her husband, however, went with her, weeping behind her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go back home!” So he went back.

17 Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, “For some time you have wanted to make David your king. 18Now do it! For the LORD promised David, ‘By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.’”

19 Abner also spoke to the Benjamites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin wanted to do. 20 When Abner, who had twenty men with him, came to David at Hebron, David prepared a feast for him and his men. 21 Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

Points of Interest

• ‘The war between the house of Saul and the house of David’--they may have avoided a battle to the bitter end in yesterday’s passage, but they never restore peace.
• ‘Sons were born to David in Hebron’--once again, we learn in retrospect of several marriages. David has six sons with six different wives.
• ‘Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?’--a concubine is basically a second-class wife. To replace a king in bed is seen as a move toward replacing him on the throne as well. The author leaves it ambiguous whether or not the accusation is true. On the one hand, we are told that Abner is indeed strengthening his own position. On the other hand, he is indignant at Ish-Bosheth’s accusation. One possible interpretation of the events is that Abner has been consolidating his position relative to Ish-Bosheth’s other counselors, but not relative to Ish-Bosheth himself. He remains loyal to Ish-Bosheth, but is competing for influence in a divided court.
• ‘This very day I am loyal to the house of your father’--one way or the other, Ish-Bosheth badly misplays here. If Abner has been plotting against him, his accusation gives Abner the perfect excuse to execute his scheme. If Abner is innocent, Ish-Bosheth’s false accusation ends up provoking the very abandonment he fears. I personally tend to believe Abner’s protestations of loyalty to Ish-Bosheth. If he were indeed plotting against Ish-Bosheth and sleeping with Saul’s concubine, I would expect Abner to claim the throne himself; but instead he switches to David’s side. I see Abner’s change of loyalties as one part peevishness and one part self-preservation. On the peevish end of things, Abner is basically saying, ‘If, after all I’ve done for you, all I get is accusations of treachery, I may as well get something for that alleged treachery.’ On the self-preservation side, now that Ish-Bosheth suspects him, he can never feel safe in the Saulite court. He’s a prime candidate for assassination or arrest and execution. He is basically in the same position David was in with Saul; and Abner is less tolerant of having spears thrown at him.
• ‘Whose land is it?'--I think Abner is saying here that he has the real power in Ish-Bosheth’s regime. If he decides to give it all to David, no one can stop him.
• ‘Her husband, however, went with her, weeping behind her’--I wish we knew more about Michal. All we have are tantalizing glimpses of someone who must have been quite a fascinating woman. David and she clearly have a strong, genuine attachment to one another: she puts her own life in peril to help David escape; and now, despite the fact that he has at least six other wives, David’s only condition in his negotiations with Abner is that Michal be returned to him. And now, in an age when marriages tended to be business relationships more than anything else and when the men clearly have the upper hand, we have Michal’s distraught second husband pitiably pursuing her, unable to let her go.
• ‘For some time you have wanted to make David your king’--opinion has been swinging in David’s direction for a while now. Maybe Abner himself has been the one holding them back from changing sides, until now.

Taking it home

• For you: It’s not entirely clear if the accusations made against Abner are true or not, but it seems that the power is in the fact that an accusation has been made at all. As we see in this scenario, accusations can provoke some pretty drastic decisions. Are there any situations where you feel accused or have a fear of being accused of something? It might not even be someone else doing the accusing; often, we’re really good at accusing ourselves, or reacting as if someone has accused us. Consider that any feelings of accusation you are feeling aren’t from God. Ask God for the truth that he is saying. Ask God to set you free from situations in which you might be reacting to accusations, whether real or supposed.
• For your six: It’s striking how deep the need is to have a secure sense of belonging. Abner, Ish-Bosheth, and Michal all strongly react to situations that would in any way confirm or threaten their sense of belonging. The need to belong is just as strong now as ever; Lady Gaga’s odd, meteoric rise to fame, for instance, can at least in part be explained by her ability to create a sense of belonging for those who don’t feel like they have one. Pray that God would be the one to give your six a sense of belonging. Ask that God would fulfill all of their needs to feel close and connected to a community of people.
• For our church: Just like David remained faithful while the war ‘lasted a long time,’ ask God to give our church the stamina to last a long time--to endure through changing seasons and cultural and economic realities. Pray that through it all we would constantly be a vibrant place of spiritual connection for New Haven.
• For families: Talk together about a time when you felt like someone said something about you that was not true. How did you feel? Are there any situations in your life in which you are feeling like that now? Often, God has something different to say to us than what others might be saying. Together, pray for God to speak truth and encouragement into the situation. Also, pray for forgiveness where it’s needed.