What kind of image does your mind
conjure up when you hear the word peace? Do you see, and feel, tranquility? Do
you think it’s a state of being calm in the midst of chaos, or living without
any chaos in your life at all? Do you think it means living happily ever after
with everyone in the world? Just doing your own thing, living on your own terms,
going your own way, and blazing your own path?
This week at Broken Hearts, Redeemed,
we’re returning to our study of peace, specifically shalom type of peace, a state of rest, peace, prosperity.
Our studies before the summer hiatus
taught us much about peace: it’s sometimes imparted to us by others; it often
involves dealing with and putting water on fiery relationships; often it means
putting others’ interests ahead of our own, or turning and walking away from a
fight; giving instead of receiving; keeping our mouths zipped shut rather than
retorting; and trusting God implicitly in situations where we feel we’ve been
slighted, knowing He’s telling us to walk away.
Sometimes it means being shrewd and watching
your back, and today’s passage reinforces that teaching. We need to remember
that when one person blesses us with shalom, and tells us “everything is okay,”
another person involved in the situation—one holding a grudge and looking
for an opportunity to exact vengeance—may actually set out to undo, or even kill
you. Sometimes peace means being as cunning as a serpent while being harmless
as a dove.
The Scripture passage(s) we’re
exploring today are found in 2 Samuel, Chapters 2 and 3. Once again I will set the stage
for you.
David is gaining in strength and
moving toward solidifying support and finally taking over the thrown from Saul’s
family, which is becoming weaker. Saul and his son Jonathan (David’s best
friend) have been killed in battle, and another of Saul’s sons ascends to the
thrown. A guy named Abner is the commander of Saul’s army and still supports
Saul’s family, even though David has recently been anointed as king over Judah.
Abner actually
selects Saul's son and makes him king after Saul’s death. For two years, Saul's son reigns over Israel, and David is considered king over Judah. But that’s all
about to change.
One day Abner gathers together
Saul’s son’s military supporters and meets Joab, David’s military leader, and
David’s supporters. They sit down on either side of a pool in Gibeon (called
the pool of Gibeon) and stare at each other. Then Abner suggests that his young
men and Joab’s young men arise and compete before them.
Bad idea, because it starts a royal
war between them, which Abner and the men of Israel lose. After the loss, Abner
takes off running. And Joab’s brother, Asahel, takes off after him, full of
determination and ambition to bring Abner down and retrieve Abner’s armor as
the great military trophy.
As fleet of foot that Asahel is,
Abner cannot be overtaken. Twice Abner gives Asahel an opportunity to save
face—and save his life—by suggesting that Asahel turn aside from trying to kill
him to get the coveted armor trophy, and, instead, take the armor of one of
Abner’s young warriors. Asahel won’t do it. Wrong choice. Abner, who is
obviously by far the stronger and smarter warrior, stops running, turns around,
and plunges his spear blunt end first into, and through, Asahel’s stomach and
body. Asahel dies on the spot.
From my reading, this looks like a
case of self-defense in battle. Twice Abner had given Asahel a way out of what
was sure to be a losing proposition for him. It almost sounds as though Abner doesn’t
want to kill Asahel, maybe due to his respect for Joab as the general of the
opposing army. Maybe he just doesn’t want another young warrior to die and has
decided that there’s been enough bloodshed. Who knows what he was thinking. The
text doesn’t say.
And Joab and another one of his
brothers pursue Abner, who Abner eventually calls for a truce between Israel
and Judah. Joab takes him up on the suggestions, so they separate. But it
becomes clear later that Joab does not trust Abner and harbors hate in his
heart toward his brother’s killer. (Not murderer. The killing happened in war,
and it happened not premeditatedly, but in self-defense.)
Through a turn of events (really the
result of Abner’s bad behavior, pride and arrogance, and inability to humble
himself under correction), Abner changes his allegiances and joins forces with
David. David—without Joab’s knowledge or support—accepts Abner’s declaration of
support and sends him away in shalom,
after Abner first performs David’s request to prove his allegiance. So Abner
departs from David thinking everything is peachy and peaceful. David has, after
all, given him his blessing. It seems to be enough for Abner.
But when Joab hears about it, he
confronts David and tells David that Abner has deceived him. Joab claims that the
only reason Abner showed up declaring his allegiance was to actually spy on
David.
In a nutshell: Joab has not
forgotten about Abner killing his brother. And he won’t. Although the text
doesn’t say this either, I can imagine that one successful, faithful commanding
general (Joab) loathes the idea of another strong general (Abner) hoarding in
on his military territory. Joab may also be a little possessive of David and David’s
trust, friendship, and confidence. At this point, Joab seems to decide to take
matters into his own hands.
Abner has gone to Hebron, a City of
Refuge. That’s a smart place to go, because a city of refuge was a place that a
person who committed manslaughter could flee to for protection or asylum. If
you could make it to a City of Refuge, then you were under the protection of
that city. If you left its city gates, blood vengeance taken by the offended party was
allowed by law.
Angry Joab heads off to Hebron, and
when he gets there, he calls Abner to meet him outside the gate for a commander-to-commander
chat. Abner obviously doesn’t think anything’s up, because he meets Joab
outside the gate, where Joab kills him in retribution for the death of his
brother Asahel.
When word gets back to David, he
makes sure everyone knows that it’s not because of him, or because of his
decree, that Abner has been killed. He also pronounces a judgment on Joab and
his family, and seeks God’s vengeance upon Joab for doing such a thing. Then he makes Joab and all of the
people mourn for Abner.
And then David says a strange thing.
He says, “Should Abner die as a fool dies?”
Why did he say that? Because Abner
had been safe in the city. If he had stayed there, he would remain protected, and alive. Abner
never should have left the city gates. He should have told Joab to come inside
the city to talk to him.
Abner might have made a dangerous
assumption: That David’s declaration and blessing of shalom meant that others
would acknowledge that shalom, and keep it with him, too. But maybe Abner just
foolishly let his guard down and trusted too much. He wasn’t as shrewd as a
serpent.
He had the promise from David that
between the two of them there would be shalom. He had protection in the City of
Refuge. He threw it all away, and forfeited his life, when he left that refuge.
David publicly pronounced that Abner
died like a fool.
How very sad.
Points to Ponder
1. As we’ve
learned before in our studies, we must not assume that a declaration and treaty
of peace between you and another person automatically extends to the other person’s
family, friends, confidants, or supporters. They may resent that newly formed
peace. They may feel threatened by it and plot retaliation against you. They
may harbor hate in their heart for you. So when a declaration of peace is made
between you and someone else, consider it a peace treaty only between you and that
other person, not everyone on the periphery.
2. In going to
Hebron, a City of Refuge, Abner made the right, wise decision. While it may
have seemed like he had lost some of his freedom, he was safe and protected
there, indefinitely. And he foolishly threw it away and paid the ultimate price
for leaving its sanctuary.
Paul, in his
epistle to the Ephesian church, repeatedly warns those believers to stand firm
and put on their spiritual armor. Something we should all do daily. Doing that
means we should always have an attitude of being prepared for battle. Of always
being shrewd, and harmless, as Jesus instructed. Abner lost his shrewdness,
something he obviously had possessed as a commander. We don’t often think of
being shrewd, putting on our armor, and standing firm as recipes for having
shalom, but they are. When someone you’re not sure about, or someone you used
to call an enemy asks you to come out from your safe haven to chat with him,
remember Abner. Make that person meet with you in a safe place, with another
person. Be shrewd. Stand firm.
What, or Who, is
your Hebron? As a Christian, it is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is your City of
Refuge. He is your protection. In Him alone you have, and enjoy, perfect
shalom. Hang onto Him, and you’ll hang onto Peace. Don’t foolishly wander
outside the protection of the city, past the gates, into the world, that lies
in wait to destroy you. Don’t let temptation draw you out and into. Stand firm,
and rest peacefully in Him.
______________________________________
Until next Monday, may your week be
full of blessings that you receive and give, your heart be full of joy and
thankfulness, and your days be filled with laughter. Build a little heaven in
your life right now, and watch your heavenly garden grow!
Blessings,
Andrea
When the eyes of
the soul looking out meet the eyes of God looking in, heaven has begun right
here on earth. ~ A. W. Tozer
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