2 Samuel 2:1-32 - Wars and Fighting Within

2 Samuel 2:1-32

David Anointed King of Judah

1 It happened after this that David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?”

And the LORD said to him, “Go up.”
David said, “Where shall I go up?”
And He said, “To Hebron.”

2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 3 And David brought up the men who were with him, every man with his household. So they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

4 Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, “The men of Jabesh Gilead were the ones who buried Saul.” 5 So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, “You are blessed of the LORD, for you have shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him. 6 And now may the LORD show kindness and truth to you. I also will repay you this kindness, because you have done this thing. 7 Now therefore, let your hands be strengthened, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

Ishbosheth Made King of Israel

8 But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim; 9 and he made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over all Israel. 10 Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. Only the house of Judah followed David. 11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

Israel and Judah at War

12 Now Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. So they sat down, one on one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool. 14 Then Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men now arise and compete before us.”

And Joab said, “Let them arise.”

15 So they arose and went over by number, twelve from Benjamin, followers of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David. 16 And each one grasped his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called the Field of Sharp Swords, which is in Gibeon. 17 So there was a very fierce battle that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

18 Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab and Abishai and Asahel. And Asahel was as fleet of foot as a wild gazelle. 19 So Asahel pursued Abner, and in going he did not turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.

20 Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Are you Asahel?”
He answered, “I am.”

21 And Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and lay hold on one of the young men and take his armor for yourself.” But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. 22 So Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I face your brother Joab?” 23 However, he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the blunt end of the spear, so that the spear came out of his back; and he fell down there and died on the spot. So it was that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still.

24 Joab and Abishai also pursued Abner. And the sun was going down when they came to the hill of Ammah, which is before Giah by the road to the Wilderness of Gibeon. 25 Now the children of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became a unit, and took their stand on top of a hill. 26 Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the latter end? How long will it be then until you tell the people to return from pursuing their brethren?”

27 And Joab said, “As God lives, unless you had spoken, surely then by morning all the people would have given up pursuing their brethren.” 28 So Joab blew a trumpet; and all the people stood still and did not pursue Israel anymore, nor did they fight anymore. 29 Then Abner and his men went on all that night through the plain, crossed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron; and they came to Mahanaim.

30 So Joab returned from pursuing Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing of David’s servants nineteen men and Asahel. 31 But the servants of David had struck down, of Benjamin and Abner’s men, three hundred and sixty men who died. 32 Then they took up Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at daybreak.

David sought direction from the LORD where to set down roots, asking if it was to be somewhere in Judah.  God told him to go to Hebron there.  It was about 20 miles south of Jerusalem and 20 miles (30 km) north of Beersheba where Abraham built an altar to the LORD (Genesis 13:18, 21:33, 35:27) in his journey to the promised land.  There the men of Hebron crowned David, the man who would be king as Saul’s replacement by God’s will and word of promise, as their king at last over the house of Judah.  David’s first official act was to reward the men of Jabesh Gilead who buried Saul in honor as the anointed leader before he went astray from the LORD.  He told them to find strength and be valiant for their honorable service in this matter for God’s people as the successor anointed by Gods to rule in Judah, where he continued to reign for seven and a half years.  Peace was short lived as Abner and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, met with Joab and the servants of David, and violence ensued between them in an attempt to put Saul’s heir back on the throne in opposition to God’s command for David to reign instead.  This skirmish began a long war between the split kingdoms of Israel and Judah as the rebellion against God’s king and command incited further bloodshed.  This conflict of wars and fighting within the people of the Lord is still seen by the pursuit of personal power and control in the church still among God’s people as doctrine divides into personal attacks instead of seeking to all fall as one body (Ephesians 4:12-13, 15-16) under the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only head of the Church and King of all kings ruling us all (1 Timothy 6:15-16).  No political or denominational power or national authority is higher than Him.  Whose rule do we submit to?  Do we divide the people of our Lord against God’s authority for territorial control of our own desires (James 4:1-2) like Israel and Judah of old, or do we seek to unite (Psalm 133:1, Ephesians 4:3) under His rule in spirit and truth as our Lord and Savior-King?