A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns

elieved Joab could be trusted. He pled with Asahel to stop pursuing him, claiming he did not
want to kill him in self-defense as it would hinder relations between Joab and himself. But
Asahel did not listen and finally Abner was forced to defend himself. Taking the butt end of his
spear, Abner hit Asahel, probably intending to wind him so that he could escape. But the spear
penetrated Asahel’s chest cavity and Joab’s brother died.
Despite the severe defeat Israel had that day, it marked the beginning rather than the end
of the long war between the two kings. During that period, there was a gradual strengthening of
David’s men and weakening of Abner’s men. At times it seemed as though the war would
continue without end. Then something happened between Ishbosheth and Abner that resulted in
events which led to a quick end to the conflict.
Ishbosheth accused Abner of being involved with Rizpah, one of the concubines of Saul.
In the context of those times, the charge amounted to that of treason and sedition. When a rebel
wanted to usurp a throne, he would most often engage in relations with the wives and concubines
of the king to demonstrate his authority over the throne. Abner had become increasingly stronger
in the kingdom, and Ishbosheth, like his father before him, was becoming suspicious of a
potential rival to the throne. There is no indication that there was any foundation for the charge
against Abner.
Abner was understandably upset with Ishbosheth’s accusation. He reminded the king of
his loyalty to the dynasty of Saul and pointed out that he had not betrayed Ishbosheth to David
despite apparent opportunities to do so. In his rage, Abner declared God would transfer the
kingdom to David from Saul. Ishbosheth was stunned and scared into silence, “because he feared
him” (3:11).
For over seven years, Abner had been loyal to Ishbosheth, not only establishing him on
the throne but also fighting on his king’s behalf and defending him from Joab. But the false
charge of Ishbosheth against him turned his loyalty from the dynasty of Saul to a new dynasty of
David. Abner sent a message to David requesting a treaty of peace be made between them. David
agreed on the condition that his first wife, Michal, the daughter of Saul, be brought to him.
Though David was a man after God’s own heart and followed the commandments of the
Lord in most areas of his life, his greatest failures in life related to his family relations. This was
in part due to his failure to apply biblical principles to this area of his life. Rather than adopt the
biblical pattern of monogamy, David acquired at least eight wives and eleven concubines during
his lifetime. In requesting here to be reunited with his first wife, he was also violating a biblical
principle. Under the law, if a wife acquired another husband after a period of separation from her
husband, it was viewed as an “abomination before the Lord” if she went back to the first husband
(Dent. 24:4). Later, Michal would become a source of irritation to David.
David made his league with Abner, in effect uniting the kingdom under his leadership.
After establishing a peace with Abner, David sent him away to gather Israel in peace. But not
everyone was happy with David’s actions. Joab was still bitter over the fact that Abner had killed
his brother Asahel. Joab went into a tirade over David’s decision to make peace with Abner.
After expressing his opinion to David, Joab left the king’s presence to take matters into his own
hands. Without consulting David, “he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him back from
the well of Sirah” (2 Sam. 3:26).
When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab was there to meet him. “Joab took him aside in the
gate to speak with him privately, and there stabbed him in the stomach, so that he died for the
blood of Asahel his brother” (v. 27). When David later learned of the death of Abner at the hand
of Joab, he strangely lamented, “Should Abner die as a fool dies?” (v. 33) Despite the strange