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.
There are a few important notes we must understand from this first passage:
1. The house of Saul is really the extension of Saul’s policy and power through Ish-Bosheth. Abner brought this “son” of Saul to power once all of Saul’s legitimate sons had died in battle. This is a pathetic attempt to keep the status quo of a king that was appointed by God but didn’t have the wherewithal to follow God. Regardless of what the world intended to do (continue with Saul’s reign) God still had the plan in motion (to install David as King). 2. David was already in violation to God’s law. David had a lot of sons, but you’ll also notice that he had a lot of wives too. Deuteronomy 17:7 forbids a king to accumulate wives. Why? Because the accumulation of wives takes the heart away from God. It is also in violation to Genesis 2:24, which states that a man and woman are a new cleaved creation once they leave their mother and father. This is the relational pattern God intended from the beginning. 3. David is caught in the culture. Because he does accumulate wives and bears sons, and especially since the bible records it, it doesn’t mean that the bible condones it. How do we know that is true? Because later in the story we’ll see what becomes of the sons especially in relation to David and their relationship. Are these children and relationships blessed by God or do they break down over time to something cruel and deadly? 1. Amnon - Rapes his sister 2. Absalom - Tries to snatch the throne from David 3. Adonijah - Tries to insert himself as king without God’s anointment. 4. The other three are only mentioned in lists as David’s sons.
Abner Goes Over to David 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.
Abner was strengthening his position in the house of Saul. He was doing things behind-the- scenes to gain more power in the administration, perhaps to one day depose Ish-Bosheth and take power for himself. It shows the cunningness of Abner: he intentionally installed a weak king in order to gain power for himself.
But in the midst of this power grab, he is accused of a high crime. The taking of one of Saul’s concubines is tantamount to thievery. The concubine, even though Saul is dead, is regarded as property of the king. So if he did take the concubine as his own, then he is positioning himself as a king, or as a thief to the king and will be killed.
Whether Abner did it or not isn’t plainly said, but the accusation carries a huge weight. The king himself is accusing Abner of the crime. Either Ish-Bosheth is making a power play of his own or this really happened. Regardless, it infuriates Abner.
Now Abner has two choices. Either he can stay inside this kingdom he has created or flee it. But Abner is all about power. So what does he do? He realizes that God has anointed David and vows to come over to his side and make sure David is installed as king over Israel as well.
But what is Abner’s motive? In the last chapter we saw that Abner is a good politician. He saved himself and his remaining men from David’s sword by appealing to Judah’s sense of culture. Now, he is once again choosing to appeal to David by allowing him kingship over Israel. This tells us that Abner knew of David’s anointing before and fought against it for his own greedy power. Now, since the power and prestige are sifting through the hourglass in Israel, he sees a better move.
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.
In 1 Samuel 18:26-28, David married Michal, Sauls daughter. She was quickly taken away though, and given to Paltiel, son of Laish, in order to show David he was as powerful as he was spiteful (1 Samuel 25:44). Michal was then snatched away from her new husband and returned to David.
17 Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, “For some time you have wanted to make David your king. 18 Now 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.’”
This passage also shows us that Abner knew of David’s anointing and still fought against it. It wasn’t until his back was against the wall that he helped David rise to his position of king. 19 Abner also spoke to the Benjamites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole tribe 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.
If nothing else, Abner is a master manipulator. He knows that he only has one play and sides with David and his kingdom when he sees the benefit to himself. He becomes the master negotiator between the tribes, the one David must depend on in order for the tribes to accept him as their king. David also gives Abner a feast, which shows that he is thankful for Abner’s work, regardless of the motive behind it.
22 Just then David’s men and Joab returned from a raid and brought with them a great deal of plunder. But Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23 When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, he was told that Abner son of Ner had come to the king and that the king had sent him away and that he had gone in peace. 24 So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you let him go? Now he is gone! 25 You know Abner son of Ner; he came to deceive you and observe your movements and find out everything you are doing.”
Joab, David’s commanding officer, has a history with Abner. Abner killed his brother Ashael. When he hears that Abner has been involved in helping David, he immediately thinks Abner is playing both sides. He must be gathering information for Israel!
26 Joab then left David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern at Sirah. But David did not know it. 27 Now when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into an inner chamber, as if to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and he died.
Joab and Abner are cut from the same cloth. Joab lures Abner to the cistern at Sirah, which is outside the city gates. This is significant, because Hebron as a city of refuge. In the book of Joshua, a number of cities were set up as cities of refuge, including Hebron (Joshua 20:7). When someone carried out a blood vengeance, they could run to a city of refuge and not be avenged by the family. It was against the law to do so. So Abner, technically, while in Hebron, was safe from that blood vengeance. But once outside the gate, Joab was “legally” able to avenge his brother.
28 Later, when David heard about this, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner. 29 May his blood fall on the head of Joab and on his whole family! May Joab’s family never be without someone who has a running sore or leprosy or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food.” 30 (Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.) 31 Then David said to Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and walk in mourning in front of Abner.” King David himself walked behind the bier. 32 They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb. All the people wept also.
David is correct that he had no hand in Abner’s death. This was important to vindicate himself in the murder but to also show the people that his administration was not in favor of what happened. Joab acted on his own. He pronounces a curse on Joab and his family, but he doesn’t correct the behavior. Joab is not punished in any way except to mourn the man he killed.
33 The king sang this lament for Abner: “Should Abner have died as the lawless die? 34 Your hands were not bound, your feet were not fettered. You fell as one falls before the wicked.” And all the people wept over him again. 35 Then they all came and urged David to eat something while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!” 36 All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them. 37 So on that day all the people there and all Israel knew that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner. 38 Then the king said to his men, “Do you not realize that a commander and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? 39 And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!”
This was the first great test of David’s kingdom. He didn’t want his kingdom to be defined by violence, so he made certain the people knew how deeply he was affected and how important it was to drive a wedge between a kingdom ruled by the sword (as was Saul’s) and a kingdom to be ruled by peace (as David hoped his kingdom would be).