“In his accession to the throne of Israel, David illustrates the career of Jesus Christ, the Son of David. Like David the shepherd, Jesus came first as a humble servant and was anointed king privately. Like David the exile, Jesus is King today but doesn’t yet reign on the throne of David. Like Saul in David’s day, Satan is still free to obstruct God’s work and oppose God’s people. One day, Jesus will return in glory, Satan will be imprisoned, and Jesus will reign in His glorious kingdom (Revelation 19:11—20:6). God’s people today faithfully pray, “Your Kingdom come soon” (Matthew 6:10) and eagerly await the return of their King.” Warren Wiersbe, Wiersbe Study Bible Commentary

Every time there is a changing of the guard in leadership; we humans are challenged to adjust to “new rules and standards.” A former pastor leaves and a new pastor comes to our church.  What do we do?  We welcome with him/her with a delicious potluck but we also stand in judgement until the new pastor proves worthy of our attention and loyalty.  As a former teacher, I observed all the staff watching every move made and word said from a new principal. Becoming a new member of a church staff a few years ago, I felt all eyes on me—judging me to see if I was up to the task of their expectations.

Some of us live for change. Most of us do not like change, especially if comfort is our goal and our current position is one we prefer to keep.

Abner, best friend and “right-hand man of King Saul, grieves for him.  As former second in command, he precedes as Saul would—on his own, without inquiring of God. Abner decides who the next king will be!  Let’s see how this works out for him. 

David, on the other hand, after mourning Saul and Jonathan, inquired of the Lord of his next steps to take.

Two men with two separate agendas.

2 Samuel 2

David Anointed King Over Judah

2 In the course of time, David inquired of the Lord. “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked.

The Lord said, “Go up.”

David asked, “Where shall I go?”

“To Hebron,” the Lord answered.

² So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. ³ David also took the men who were with him, each with his family, and they settled in Hebron and its towns. ⁴ Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the tribe of Judah.

When David was told that it was the men from Jabesh Gilead who had buried Saul, ⁵ he sent messengers to them to say to them, “The Lord bless you for showing this kindness to Saul your master by burying him. ⁶ May the Lord now show you kindness and faithfulness, and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this. ⁷ Now then, be strong and brave, for Saul your master is dead, and the people of Judah have anointed me king over them.”

War Between the Houses of David and Saul

⁸ Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-Bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. ⁹ He made him king over Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel.

¹⁰ Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The tribe of Judah, however, remained loyal to David. ¹¹ The length of time David was king in Hebron over Judah was seven years and six months.

¹² Abner son of Ner, together with the men of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon. ¹³ Joab son of Zeruiah and David’s men went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool and one group on the other side.

¹⁴ Then Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have some of the young men get up and fight hand to hand in front of us.”

“All right, let them do it,” Joab said.

¹⁵ So they stood up and were counted off—twelve men for Benjamin and Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David. ¹⁶ Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his dagger into his opponent’s side, and they fell down together. So that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim.

¹⁷ The battle that day was very fierce, and Abner and the Israelites were defeated by David’s men.

¹⁸ The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai and Asahel. Now Asahel was as fleet-footed as a wild gazelle. ¹⁹ He chased Abner, turning neither to the right nor to the left as he pursued him. ²⁰ Abner looked behind him and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?”

“It is,” he answered.

²¹ Then Abner said to him, “Turn aside to the right or to the left; take on one of the young men and strip him of his weapons.” But Asahel would not stop chasing him.

²² Again Abner warned Asahel, “Stop chasing me! Why should I strike you down? How could I look your brother Joab in the face?”

²³ But Asahel refused to give up the pursuit; so Abner thrust the butt of his spear into Asahel’s stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He fell there and died on the spot. And every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.

²⁴ But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and as the sun was setting, they came to the hill of Ammah, near Giah on the way to the wasteland of Gibeon. ²⁵ Then the men of Benjamin rallied behind Abner. They formed themselves into a group and took their stand on top of a hill.

²⁶ Abner called out to Joab, “Must the sword devour forever? Don’t you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their fellow Israelites?”

²⁷ Joab answered, “As surely as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would have continued pursuing them until morning.”

²⁸ So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the troops came to a halt; they no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore.

²⁹ All that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, continued through the morning hours and came to Mahanaim.

³⁰ Then Joab stopped pursuing Abner and assembled the whole army. Besides Asahel, nineteen of David’s men were found missing. ³¹ But David’s men had killed three hundred and sixty Benjamites who were with Abner. ³² They took Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and arrived at Hebron by daybreak.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

The people of Jabesh Gilead didn’t choose to submit to David but instead followed Abner and Saul’s weak son Ishbosheth. They allowed their affection for Saul to blind them to God’s plan for the nation. They had a good motive, but they made a bad choice.

How often in the history of the church have God’s people allowed human affection and appreciation to overrule the will of God! Jesus Christ is King, and He deserves our submission, loyalty, and obedience. To put human leaders ahead of God’s anointed King is to create division and weakness in the ranks of the Lord’s followers and invite multiplied problems for the Lord’s people.

Remember when God commanded Samuel all those years ago to go to Jesse’s house for the king to follow Saul resided there? God led him there to anoint a new king for Israel.  After passing over all the other older sons of Jesse, God’s Spirit fell upon Samuel with these words from God: “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16) Samuel, faithful servant, priest, and prophet of God was told to anoint the youngest of Jesse’s sons—David, a shepherd boy, who sought the heart of God daily.

Two men.  Two separate agendas.  Who would you follow? Saul’s Abner or God’s David?  I have seen so many choose an Abner by popular opinion so that the comfort of “this is the way we’ve always done it” would not be changed as opposed to someone God has chosen to stir our hearts to transform to His will.  Choosing an Abner never goes as well when it is not God’s will.   

However, choosing a David whose heart seeks the heart of God and His direction fills other hearts for God with joyful expectations for what God will do in our midst!  I’m currently attending and serving in a church led by godly men and women seeking the heart of God. God is responding to their faith with great power, not normally seen or heard of in the church community! God is moving in mighty ways that is not common but miraculous! Hundreds are coming to Jesus, repenting of their sins, seeking His will, and being baptized—and we are allowed to see God’s glory at work!  To God be the glory!

But some attenders are complaining of a crowded parking lot or waiting in line to check in their kids to a ministry that reaches over 400 kids weekly while souls who walked in darkness are now walking in the Light of God’s love. It’s all about perspective and reveling in growing pains to be solved!

Two agendas are presented to us daily, my dear friends.  Which agenda will we choose? 

Will we choose the comfort of sameness, self-acquired power, and current position, demanding that our self-perceived needs are met as we hold what we have tightly with both fists?

OR do we completely surrender to God’s will be done in His time, in His way, for His glory, so others will know and follow Jesus, His Son, who died for all, once and for all, so no one perishes in the darkness?  Is God’s will and desire the NO ONE perish but have eternal life!  (2 Peter 3:9)

Choose this day whom you will serve.  It’s a matter of life or death. Choose wisely.  Read Romans 12 for specific ways to be and do the will of God. God’s Holy Spirit lives in us to help us be all that God created us to be with His love in our hearts.

Lord,

Thank you for this lesson that stirs our hearts to repentance of self.  I choose You. I love you because you first loved me and died and rose again to give me redemption with hope of eternal life with you! There is no one like you—why choose anything or anyone else but you?  I do not know.  I’m yours. I’m listening for your answer as I inquire of your agenda for me today.

In Jesus Name, Amen