Friday, March 29
Read 2 Samuel 3
Think About It:
Abner was a pragmatic politician as well as a shrewd general, and his basic principle was, “Always join the winning side”. When he perceived that the throne of Ishbosheth had no future, he decided to switch loyalties and thereby guarantee his own security and possibly save lives. David had a reputation for kindness, and he had shown remarkable patience with the house of Saul. This is the first time in scripture that the term “throne of David” was used (verse 10). As time passes, it will take on Messianic significance.
David heard the news of Abner’s death and immediately disclaimed any part of what his two nephews had done. In fact, he went so far as to call them a curse on the house of Joab, naming some of the plagues that Moses had warned about in the covenant. David honored Abner by burying him in the royal city of Hebron and not taking him back to Benjamin.
In his last comments using the word “weak” does not suggest that he was not strong enough to be king, but rather he was “restrained and gentle” in contrast to the “hard” approach of his nephews.
- When we feel that we’ve been wronged, it is hard to let go and not let evil thoughts cloud our judgment. Possibly there’s been a time in your life when you have wronged someone. Take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to show you if that is the case. Ask for forgiveness—the Lord is willing to give it to you.
Family Time:
- What lessons can we learn from the life of Abner?
- How can we serve others out of a pure motive for honoring God?
- When we look to God rather than human efforts to deal with our “enemies,” and when we honor those who have opposed us, our good character will be recognized. Do you have any “enemies” in your life that you need to look to God to help you deal with?
