It really is the second book of Kings, but was named
after Samuel in the Catholic Vulgate – to avoid confusion with the books of
Kings.
The books were written in
about 650BC, assembled from various texts and manuscripts.
The resulting work comprehensively captured the full historic account. Samuel was long dead when the
books were written.
The news of Saul’s fall reached David (2 Samuel 1 & 1 Chronicles 12)
A young man raced to
share the news with David. He was not a Philistine, just a vagrant Amalekite.
However, the land he walked through had been subsumed by the Philistines.
The Greek rendition of
Philistine was Palestinei and indeed the Gaza strip along the Southern Coast of
Israel, is part of the traditional stomping ground of the Philistines.
Gaza was one of the
original 5 cities of the Philistines: Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath.
The cities of Gaza,
Ashkelon and Ashdod are still on the map, but what once reached to Joppa (Jeffa
or Tel Aviv), is now limited to a much smaller area that only really
includes Gaza city.
Evidently they were a
good looking people and they were certainly smart and fearless, a constant
bother to Israel to this day.
Their women were
attractive and that helped to seduce many a Jew after David first exposed his
people to them during his period of exile.
That was the gateway to the worship of Philistine deities, which slowly undermined Israel's spiritual foundations: the true enemy of God's people.
Their enemies knew that to beat Israel they dared not face the God of the Ark. They had to dethrone him from their hearts. It is still Satan's best angle of attack against us.
If he can dislodge your faith in God or your spiritual center, a domino effect will result. So Gath was right: it doesn't need an army to invoke the simple precedents that enslave us to the enemy.
Indeed, whenever the center of Israel was compromised, the displacement of God was as evident to their enemies as a compromised immune system is to a virus.
David received
the news but when he asked the messenger how Saul had died, the young man, hoping for some reward, claimed to have delivered the death blow.
David saw right
through him, but allowed his own witness to condemn him. He was angry and despised
the spirit of his report, so had him killed to atone for Saul’s
death.
David wept for his
brother Jonathon and for Saul, whose memory was lovely and pleasant to him. “How
the might have fallen”, was his cry.
David was made king of Judah (2 Samuel 2 & 1 Chronicles 11)
David, directed by
God, went to Hebron. There he was anointed king over
Judah.
But Abner, fearing the
implications of his past loyalty to Saul, against David, anointed Ishbosheth, the last remaining, 40 year old son of Saul - he made him king over the rest of Israel.
He reigned for two
years.
After a few months, civil conflict erupted between Abner, Saul’s chief of staff, and Joab, who was
loyal to David. The conflict routed Abner’s forces and Asahel. Joab's swift-footed brother, pursued Abner,
but he succumbed o Abner's able sword.
On a hilltop the two
forces entered a truce to end the conflict, but where Abner lost a few hundred
men, David only lost 19 souls.
The fall of Abner (2 Samuel 3)
Abner, a mighty
warrior and, to David, a man synonymous with Saul, realized that the
two factions could not keep tearing the nation apart.
They did contend for
the crown, but Saul’s residue was in decline and David’s on the rise. Abner knew it
and accepted that he could not back Ishbosheth any longer.
It came to a head when
Ishbosheth accused Abner of sleeping with Saul’s concubine. That so incensed
Abner that he severed his loyalty to Saul’s son, who then feared for his life.
Abner then sent a
message to David at Hebron, that he would unite Israel behind him. Then he went
to David with twenty men and the two men entered a formal truce.
However, Joab didn’t
trust Abner. After all, he had not exactly honored their earlier truce.
Like a pride lion, Joab felt he had to cut off the remnant of Saul.
He was thinking clearly and knew that Abner was deceptive and a risk to his charge: David.
Thus he slew Abner and
avenged the death of his brother Asahel.
David wept openly and
bitterly, disclaiming Joab’s acts. However Joab was never punished, probably
because David’s counsel confirmed the value of his action.
The weeping for the fall
of Abner was significant. A mighty man had fallen and David saw the tragedy of
it all, but also revealed his blind-spot.
As much as he was a
man of action and of great honor, he was also emotionally centered, willing to
let sentiment cloud his judgment. It would always weaken his rule.
They say that every
leader has a blind spot. Moses had an impulsive streak, so did the New
Testament Paul, but David’s problem would cause many to perceive weakness in
him and so take advantage against him to undermine his throne - notably his own son.
What a powerful lesson
in leadership. No wonder that God set his realm on three complementary pillars
to ensure a stable government. No wonder too that a healthy state rests on a healthy, God-ordained center and not on the shoulders of a man.
(c) Peter Missing @ bethelstone.com
