Joab Murders Abner
David wanted to unite the whole Israel peacefully without lots of blood shedding. He wanted to be a shepherd over the whole Israel as God anointed him to be. The good opportunity came along with Abner’s visit to David intending to negotiate the term. However, Joab murdered Abner for his personal revenge against David’s wish, and it made David’s effort to be more difficult. David mourned Abner’s death sincerely and demonstrated his true desire complete unity of his country.
2 Samuel 3:22-39
Key Verse: 3:37 “So on that day all the people there and all Israel knew that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner.”
Read 3:22-25. Where do David’s men and Joab return from and what do they bring? (22a) Why is Abner no longer in Hebron with David? (22b) When Joab and all his soldiers arrived, what does he find out? (23) What does Joab ask the king? (24) How does Joab assume about Abner’s visit? (25)
Read 3:22-25.
Just then David’s men and Joab returned from a raid and brought with them a great deal of plunder. But Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23 When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, he was told that Abner son of Ner had come to the king and that the king had sent him away and that he had gone in peace. 24 So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you let him go? Now he is gone! 25 You know Abner son of Ner; he came to deceive you and observe your movements and find out everything you are doing.”
Where do David’s men and Joab return from and what do they bring? (22a)
Just then David’s men and Joab returned from a raid and brought with them a great deal of plunder (22a).
Why is Abner no longer in Hebron with David? (22b)
But Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace (22b).
When Joab and all his soldiers arrived, what does he find out? (23)
23 When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, he was told that Abner son of Ner had come to the king and that the king had sent him away and that he had gone in peace.
What does Joab ask the king? (24)
24 So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you let him go? Now he is gone!
How does Joab assume about Abner’s visit? (25)
25 You know Abner son of Ner; he came to deceive you and observe your movements and find out everything you are doing.”
Joab had a bad blood toward to Abner because Abner killed his brother, Asahel, in the battle (2:23). He did not believe Abner’s genuine intention and he was suspicious that Abner came to deceive David and observe his movements and find out everything he is doing.
As a general under David, Joab should have followed David’s desire and direction despite his personal feeling. He did not accept David’s direction and made an excuse for his revenge. True obedience requires denial of our personal feeling and wishes.
2. Read 3:26-30. How does Joab bring Abner back to Hebron? (26) How does Joab kill Abner and why? (27, 30) When David hears about this, what does he say about his murder? (28) How does David curse on Joab and his household for his crime? (29) What can we learn from David?
2-1) Read 3:26-30.
26 Joab then left David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern at Sirah. But David did not know it. 27 Now when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into an inner chamber, as if to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and he died.28 Later, when David heard about this, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the LORD concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner. 29 May his blood fall on the head of Joab and on his whole family! May Joab’s family never be without someone who has a running sore or leprosy[HYPERLINK "http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20samuel%203&version=NIV" \l "fen-NIV-8111a" \o "See footnote a"a] or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food.” 30 (Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)
2-2) How does Joab bring Abner back to Hebron? (26)
26 Joab then left David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern at Sirah. But David did not know it.
Without David’s knowledge, Joab brought Abner back to Hebron from the cistern at Sirah.
2-3) How does Joab kill Abner and why? (27, 30)
27 Now when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into an inner chamber, as if to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and he died.
30 (Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)
He deceptively took Abner aside into an inner chamber and assassinated him because of his personal vendetta.
2-4) When David hears about this, what does he say about his murder? (28)
28 Later, when David heard about this, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the LORD concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner. He emphasized he and his kingdom innocent for Abner’s blood.
Because of Joab’s cowardly act of revenge, David could be blamed of Abner’s death. His work of unification of Israel became more difficult, so he declared that he and his kingdom are innocent before the Lord concerning the blood of Abner.
2-5) How does David curse on Joab and his household for his crime? (29)
29 May his blood fall on the head of Joab and on his whole family! May Joab’s family never be without someone who has a running sore or leprosy[HYPERLINK "http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20samuel%203&version=NIV" \l "fen-NIV-8111a" \o "See footnote a"a] or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food.”
2-6) What can we learn from David?
David wanted to unite the whole Israel peacefully including Abner and his people, but Joab made a personal vendetta against Abner, which made his effort more difficult. He had to demonstrate his innocence on Abner’s blood to Saul’s people, who would be afraid of repercussion when David becomes a king for the whole Israel.
3. Read 3:31-34. What does David order Joab and all the people with him and what does he himself do? (31) How do David and all the people mourn for Abner’s death? (32) How does David sing a song of lamentation for Abner? (33-34)
3-1) Read 3:31-34.
31 Then David said to Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and walk in mourning in front of Abner.” King David himself walked behind the bier. 32 They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb. All the people wept also.33 The king sang this lament for Abner: “Should Abner have died as the lawless die?
34 Your hands were not bound, your feet were not fettered.
You fell as one falls before the wicked.” And all the people wept over him again.
3-2) What does David order Joab and all the people with him and what does he himself do? (31)
31 Then David said to Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and walk in mourning in front of Abner.” King David himself walked behind the bier.
3-3) How do David and all the people mourn for Abner’s death? (32)
32 They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb. All the people wept also.
3-4) How does David sing a song of lamentation for Abner? (33-34)
33 The king sang this lament for Abner: “Should Abner have died as the lawless die?
34 Your hands were not bound, your feet were not fettered.
You fell as one falls before the wicked.” And all the people wept over him again.
4. Read 3:35-39. When all the people urge David to eat something, how does David respond? (35) How do all the people respond to what David did for Abner’s death? (36-37) What does David say to his men about Abner? (38-39a) What can we learn from David? (39b)
4-1) Read 3:35-39.
35 Then they all came and urged David to eat something while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!”
36 All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them. 37 So on that day all the people there and all Israel knew that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner.
38 Then the king said to his men, “Do you not realize that a commander and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? 39 And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!”
4-2) When all the people urge David to eat something, how does David respond? (35)
35 Then they all came and urged David to eat something while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!”
David had a fasting prayer and mourning for Abner’s death.
4-3) How do all the people respond to what David did for Abner’s death? (36-37)
36 All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them. 37 So on that day all the people there and all Israel knew that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner.
David’s sincere mourning for Abner moved people’s heart and acknowledged his innocence for the blood of Abner.
4-4) What does David say to his men about Abner? (38-39a)
38 Then the king said to his men, “Do you not realize that a commander and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? 39 And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me.
He lamented his weakness for unruly Joab, who did not obey.
4-5) What can we learn from David? (39b)
May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!” David waited for God’s judgment for Joab, who murdered Abner.
David did not act right away in punishing Joab because he needs united action at that time, but he did not forget what he had done.
In conclusion, David wanted unification work peacefully and accepted Abner, his former enemy. However, his general Joab cowardly murdered Abner against David’ wish, which caused a big setback to David for his unification of the kingdom. David handled this setback well by mourning Abner’s death sincerely and demonstrated his sincere intention.
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