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II SAMUEL CHAPTER 2: A DIVIDED KINGDOM - AN ILLEGITIMATE KING. Verses 1 - 7: David is anointed king over Judah Verse 1: Where was David when he inquired of the Lord? In Ziklag, a Philistine city. Where was he instructed to go? To Hebron. See a map of Judah with Ziklag and Hebron circled by clicking HERE. Verse 2: At this time David had only two wives. (Ahino-am of Jezreel, and Abigail the widow of Nabal) He will reacquire Michal shortly. Verse 3: David went to the city of Hebron, and his men (the 600) settled in the surrounding towns. Why not all in the city of Hebron itself? Probably 2 reasons: 1. Wasn’t prudent to put all his men in one vulnerable place. 2. He needed men outside the town to keep track of potential enemy movements. Verse 4: David is anointed king over Judah. Why not over all Israel? The Jews in all the tribes were not unified, yet. And, as we will see, there was a blood heir to Saul’s throne. Up to this point, has any Israelite king sat on a throne at Jerusalem? No. Saul was king at Gibeah. Verses 5 - 7: What is King David’s first official act as king? He sent messengers to Jabesh-Gilead to commend the men there for their loyalty to Saul. Why? David respected Saul as God’s annointed, and he needed allies in the north if he was to declare himself king over all Israel. Verses 8 - 11: Ishbosheth is made king over the northern tribes of Israel Verse 8: Who was Abner? Saul’s uncle who was commander-in-chief of Saul’s army. See I Sam. 14: 50. Weren’t all Saul’s sons killed at Mt. Gilboa? No. He has a son named Ishbosheth living in Mahanaim. Just who was this Ishbosheth? Ishbosheth - eesh-bo-sheth - (Hebrew: man [ish] of shame). Youngest son of Saul. About 40 at this time. He is not recorded in I Samuel with the other sons of Saul. He is called Eshbaal (Hebrew: man [ish] of Baal) in I Chronicles 8: 33 and 9: 39, where he is listed as the last of Saul’s sons. Why is he not listed with the other sons? Why would a Jew (Saul) give a child a name that meant he belonged to Baal? What is Ishbosheth’s “shame?” It is possible (likely?) that Ishbosheth was the bastard child of Saul and some heathen woman and was not raised as one of Saul’s sons. That could explain why he is not mentioned initially as one of Saul’s sons, why Abner had to go fetch him and put him forward as king, why his name was changed to “man of shame,” and why he situated his capital on the “pagan” side of the Jordan. Contrary to that, David calls him a “righteous person” in II Samuel 4: 11. At the least, he was an unfavored child of some unnamed pagan wife or concubine of Saul. He is mentioned nowhere else in sacred text, except his brief listing in I Chronicles, and this incident in II Samuel. Verse 9: Ishbosheth was made king over all of Israel except the tribe of Judah (and possibly Simeon). Where was his capital city? Apparently Mahanaim. Verses 10, 11: How long was Ishbosheth king over the northern tribes? Two years. Almost all Jewish king seem to have begun their reign when they were about forty years old. Note: this period in Israel’s history (from Saul through Solomon) is called “The United Monarchy,” but we must realize it was far from united at this point. Verses 12 - 17: A curious match between the two sides Verses 12, 13: Who was “captain of Ishbosheth’s forces? Abner. Who was captain of David’s forces? Joab. Where did they meet? The pool of Gibeon. Pool is from the Hebrew bere-kah, which is not a natural pool, but is a reservoir made to hold water through the dry seasons. This is the first mention of such a “pool” in scripture. The most famous pools (historically) are the pools which Solomon made near Bethlehem. These pools have supplied Jerusalem with water for about 3000 years. Verse 14: “Let the young men arise and play . . .” The word translated play, literally means “to laugh,” and has a very broad range of applied meanings. Here it means “to try or test (compete) as in an athletic competition.” They were to spar and see whose boys were the best. Verses 15, 16: The contest turned deadly, and each killed his opponent. Apparently, all 24 fell dead at that place, which was called Helkathhazzurim. This means “a place where the rocks are smooth.” Verse 17: The treachery of the young men incited a fierce battle between the two sides. Verses 18 - 23: Asahel pursues Abner, but loses the race Verses 18, 19: Who was Zeruiah? One of David’s sisters. See I Chron. 2: 16. Of these three champion sons, who went to go get Abner? Asahel. Why him? He was the swiftest. Verses 20, 21: Asahel is hot on Abner’s tail, and Abner suggests what? “Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and seize one of the young men, and take his spoil.” Verse 22: Why did Abner suggest Asahel turn aside? He does not want to have to kill him. What does this tell us about Abner? He was a good man, not a wanton killer. Verse 23: Asahel did not heed Abner’s advise, and what was the result? Abner thrust his spear backward and sent it through Asahel, killing him. Why did the people who came to the site of Asahel’s death “stand still?” They were shocked and saddened that one of their young heroes was slain. Verses 24 - 28: Shall the sword devour forever? Verse 24: The other two brothers pursue Abner. They catch him at the “wilderness of Gideon,” which is probably the desert country east of Jordan, in southern Gad. (See map of ancient Israel by clicking HERE.) Verses 25, 26: Abner, with the Benjaminites behind him, make their stand at the hill of Ammah. There Abner makes his plea, “Shall the sword devour forever?” Verses 27, 28: What is Joab’s reply to Abner’s appeal? He blows the trumpet and stops the fighting. Verses 29 - 32: The two sides go home and bury their dead Verse 29: Abner had a forced night march through the Arabah (“plain” – KJV) and up to Mahanaim by about noon the next day. This was a distance of about 25 or 30 miles. Verse 30: How many casualties did David’s side have? Twenty men. (This most likely also included the 12 slain while “playing” at the pool of Gibeon.) Verse 31: How many casualties were there on Ishbosheth’s side? 360 men. Verse 32: Asahel is buried in the tomb of his father. (Who he was, we are never told.) Joab’s men marched back to Hebron after an all-night march. This was about 30 or 35 miles. As Christians, what can we learn from this episode in Israel’s history? Perhaps that in a “war” against our brethren there can never really be a victor. One side merely dies a little less than the other. Also perhaps that a wise man will ALWAYS take the opportunity for peace when it is offered. |