II SAMUEL 2 lesson # 2
THE LORD’S CHOICE/MAN’S CHOICE
I. Introduction:
Chapter two ends with a battle between David’s men and Abner’s men. The battle ends with a night trek. I do not know if you have traveled all night in a car, but these boys traveled all night and did it “on foot”.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 2:29 and 2:32.
Q What is the difference between Joab’s all night trek and Abner’s?
An = Actually, Abner had the greater distance to travel (show on the map) and David’s men or Joab’s had a burial to make about a third of the way home. But except for that, both parties did this amazing feat after they had fought all day long in a tough and physically demanding battle. Neither war party was fleeing the other, neither party had to get back for any reason, neither party achieved anything from accomplishing this astounding feat. Both parties went to war, and they did an all night trek back to their King’s home city.
One of these parties is the anointed party of God, and the other party is of human design. But from watching the physical exploits of the two you could not distinguish them.
Q Have you ever seen how the world’s actions seem so similar to the church’s in physical ability?
Q Can you give some examples? What about acts of charity, or work to repair a destroyed building, etc?
An = After they have given some examples, then let them know that part of the message of this chapter is that God’s Will (some of our brethren call it God’s Sovereignty, which means God’s rule in the world) often looks much like the imagination and planning of humans and will proceed along human lines; but when all is done, then will His Rule or Sovereignty be revealed.
So, let us go back and watch this story unfold. We will not see all of the conclusions but we will see enough to see this message begin its fulfillment.
II. God’s Anointed King: II Samuel 2:1-7.
A. Seeking God’s Will: II Samuel 2:1-3.
>>>> Have someone read I Samuel 16:7, 13.
Note: The great Samuel, the man of God, anointed David some fifteen years before. David had spent most of that time acting bravely in battle or running for his life from the “other” anointed, but rejected king: Saul.
Note: David served Saul faithfully and loyally and though Saul tried numerous times to kill David, David twice spared Saul’s life when he had the chance. When David learned of Saul’s death he showed respect for Saul’s “mixed” accomplishments as king. However, now that Saul was dead he seeks to explore his own future as king.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 2:1-3.
Q What is the first thing David does?
An = David seeks direction from God. He is beginning to see how important it is to do at the beginning of each important enterprise of his life. David not trying to be religious or superstitious like Saul, but to actually give God a chance to direct his life.
Q Is David ambitious or passive?
An = He is aggressive. It is his idea to seek to go up to Hebron. He asks for confirmation, but he starts the agenda.
>>>> Have someone read I Samuel 30:26-31.
Note: Your author has carefully let us know that a few months or years earlier David had indeed been making some friends. This David is an opportunist. The Bible does not comment on this action as bad or as good, but just notes what David did. This David is always thinking.
Q Whose idea then is it to go up to Hebron?
An = It is David’s idea. It is his idea to now collect and cash in on his “friendship” with the tribe of Judah, which is headquartered in the city of Hebron.
Q Is David giving God veto power over his ideas?
An = Yes, he is! This is a hard thing to do for us when we have a great plan that we want to accomplish. David is giving God the right to veto his carefully laid plans.
Q Does the Lord answer him?
An = Yes, He does. Note that David goes up with commitment. He takes his family and the families of his men. It is a move marked by commitment (Hertzberg, p. 248). (James 1:4-8)
Q Is it all right to pray for specific answers?
An = The Bible says yes. See Genesis 24:12-14 for another example.
B. The New King’s First Act: II Samuel 2:4-7.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 2:4-7.
Note: God seems to bless David’s decision to go to Hebron, for the elders of Judah make him their king. He immediately hears of the heroism of the men of Jabesh-gilead in risking their lives to retrieve Saul’s body and give him an honorable burial.
Q Is David sincere?
An = The text shows him to be sincere, though his actions could easily be seen as courting some of Saul’s most loyal subjects to become loyal to David. David wants them to know that he respects their honorable deed. David also wants them to know that he is now willing to help them in the same way Saul did.
Q Would a lessor man have appreciated the honor given to an enemy?
An = Saul had lied about David and tried to kill him several times, but David had forgiven and the forgiveness allowed him to see Saul in a clear light.
Q Was David able to see Saul’s good deeds as well as the bad ones?
An = He saw that Saul had, indeed, been used of the Lord to save Jabesh-gilead and therefore he appreciated their gratitude. Often we will not be “fair” and give our enemies the fair assessment due to them. Note also that the “loyalists” among the tribe of Judah (the Ziphites who keep turning David in, in I Samuel 26) are not harmed or excluded.
Note: David is not only God’s anointed, but a man after God’s own heart.
Note: To the outside world though, the actions of David could be interpreted as totally self-serving. It could be seen that David was trying to court the favor of the former “loyalists” of Saul.
III. The Choice of Men for King: II Samuel 2:8-11.
Note: Even when God is guiding through a godly man, mankind will often mess things up. You have to expect this and not be discouraged when it is done.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 2:8-11.
Q Whose action was behind the making of Ish-bosheth king over the northern part of Israel?
An = Abner, Saul’s former military commander. Abner is the subject of the verbs and so the text is very clear that is was Abner’s action that brought Ish-bosheth to the throne.
Q What is the difference between how David and Ish-bosheth became king?
An = One was anointed by God (I Samuel 16) and directed by God (II Samuel 2:1) and Ish-bosheth was selected by man.
Q Could the average Israelite, say a resident of northern Israel, known the difference that you know?
An = Probably not. They did not know which was the Lord’s selection. After all, Ish-bosheth was Saul’s son, and they knew Saul was anointed. Sometimes the average person does not see until later.
Q Why did Abner make Ish-bosheth king?
An = We do not know. He might have seen the need for order in the defeated nation and sought to help his nation. However, he was following tradition, Ish-bosheth was Saul’s son. He was also a relative of Saul. In addition, if he kept the traditional power structure intact then he remained a man of considerable power. He might lose all influence if David became king. So tradition, family ties, and power motives could be tied into his actions. We shall see more of Abner for there was more to his motives than this. The Bible often portrays, with few words, very complex motives and personalities. We should be careful not to paint people too simply. David is complex, Saul was certainly a mixture, and we saw Eli also contained a mixture of good and bad motives.
IV. The First Encounter of the Kings: II Samuel 2:12-32.
A. The Mock Battle: II Samuel 2:12-16.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 2:12-16.
Note: We do not know if this was a “representative”, much like the David and Goliath affair, or if it was a sporting, mock battle that got out of hand. Whatever the original intent, it seemingly got out of hand and all combatants died. How they died we cannot really tell because of the brevity of the text.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 2:17-23.
Q Did Abner try to persuade Asahel to quit following him?
An = Yes, he did. In verse 21 he tried to give him an honorable out to “save face”. In verse 22 he threatens death and appeals to his relationship with Joab. However, the young warrior was head strong and his lack of sense or his bravado got him killed by the older and more competent warrior: Abner.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 2:24-29.
Q How did the fighting stop?
An = Abner appeals to Joab to stop the infighting before they are all more grieved with the carnage. Joab agrees to end the battle.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 2:30-32.
Q Who won this battle?
An = Abner’s troops lost 18 more men than Joab’s warriors did. Remember the old sign of the anointing? David’s troops were proved to be the victors in this first scrimmage.
>>>> You read in closing II Samuel 3:1.
Note: It is not always clear to the average person where the Lord’s anointing is. But if His anointing is there then steady growth will occur.