This chapter begins by setting the tone with the long war with the house of Saul and the house of David. Even though David was loyal to Saul, Saul’s descendants cannot accept David’s rule despite it being known that David was God’s anointed king over Israel.
After a quick review of David’s sons by his six wives (polygamy was not endorsed by God, and was in fact warned against in Deuteronomy 17:17), we come to the story of Abner and Saul’s son Ishbosheth. Abner was the commander of Saul’s army and had made Ishbosheth king over the majority of Israel in chapter two. But trouble starts when Ishbosheth learns of Abner having a relationship with one of his father Saul’s concubines named Rizpah. For Abner to take Rizpah was a great insult as it can be seen as Abner taking part in what was due the king. For this reason, Ishbosheth asks Abner about it, but it really only irritates Abner because he feels like he was deserved Rizpah due to the part he played in establishing Ishbosheth as king.
Abner takes offense, leaves, and goes to David to forge an alliance, thinking he will be appreciated more appropriately there. Even though Abner’s loyalty is flexible, he is right in that David will appreciate him and take him in. Abner must have represented to David an advantage over Ishbosheth as Abner was the commander of Saul’s army.
Everything seems like it will progress nicely in David’s favor until Joab murders Abner over the murder of Joab’s brother Asahel in chapter two. This is very troubling to David, and David mourns Abner greatly as David follows Abner’s coffin and vows not to eat while it was still the day of the funeral. David’s public mourning had the advantage of convincing his subjects that he did not kill Abner as any part of retribution against Ishbosheth. David’s integrity among his people and among his enemies remains intact, as does his exemplary loyalty to Almighty God in verses 38-39: “Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? 39 And I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too harsh for me. The Lord shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.”
What we have with David and Abner in this chapter are two pictures of loyalty. Abner had flexible and subjective loyalty, as his carnal desires and sense of self-seeking played a part in where his loyalty lay. David, on the other hand, had objective loyalty. He was dedicated to serving God no matter what happened or who showed up. David’s objective loyalty placed him in a position of power, able to take advantage and use those with subjective loyalty (Abner). It is a shame that Joab’s vendetta prevented David from consolidating more military power, but such is the nature of God’s great plan. God’s plan is oftentimes incomprehensible, but if we retain our loyalty to Him, the manifested plan of God will more often than not work in our good favor and in the best interest of our futures both here and in heaven.
Monday Night Bible Study 