2Samuel 2:1-4
What Kind of A Fool?
Last week, I mentioned that God fulfilled His promise to David. David was made
king over Judah \\#2Sam 2:4\\. That is not the complete fulfillment of God’s
promise to David for God had promised David that he would be king over all of
Israel, but it was the beginning of a fulfillment made to David perhaps as long
as ten to fifteen years ago.
What is a fool? The Bible definition that we most often think of is the one
where God calls the atheist a fool.
Psalm 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God…. \\#Psalm 53:1\\
While that is certainly true, the Bible names other kinds of fools as well.
\\#Pro 10:18\\ A liar and a slanderer is a fool.
\\#Pro 10:23\\ One who treats mischief like a sport is a fool.
\\#Pro 12:16\\ One who loses his temper is a fool. \\#Pro 14:16, 18:6-7\\
\\#Pro 28:26\\ One who follows his heart is a fool.
In this 2 Samuel, chapters 1-4, we will find another kind of fool. Let me give
you several thoughts as I introduce tonight’s message.
1. While these chapters are about King David, David himself does not do much
in them. The attention in these chapters shifts to those AROUND King
David. David’s part in these chapters will be to REACT and to DEAL with
those who are doing most of the action.
Why does the Bible shift from David to those around him? Perhaps because
David is now the king and as the king, he is not only responsible for what
he does, but he is responsible for what those around him do as well. We
often look at those with power and wealth, wishing we could be like them;
but we do not notice the heavy responsibilities that come with these
positions. David is having to shoulder some heavy responsibility.
2. A lot of what we will be doing tonight is giving background.
a. Chapters 1-4 cover a time period of 7 1/2 years, these were the years
when David is just king over one tribe and ruled from Hebron.
b. Hebron is a city in Judah, about 20 miles north of Jerusalem.
Geographically, Hebron is more in the center of Judah than Jerusalem.
c. During those 7 1/2 years, God was bringing the remainder of Israel to
David.
(1) This was a key issue both for David and Israel.
(a) Israel needed to be unified.
(b) Judah will actually be at war with the other eleven tribes
of Israel during this time.
(2) We often think of Israel’s divided kingdom starting in the days
of Solomon, but they were actually divided pretty much along the
same lines during the early reign of David.
(3) Sadly, there had been some tension and division among the tribes
of Israel ever since they first came into the land.
I. The Characters
A. David - We all know David, but it was his life story so he would be a
key figure in whatever happened.
B. Joab
1. \\#1Chronicles 2:11-17\\ Joab was David’s nephew.
a. This text makes their kinship certain because of the added
information concerning Amasa.
b. Amasa was Joab and David’s kin, but Joab will kill Amasa
without any remorse when David promotes Amasa to Joab’s
position.
2. Of course, that makes Joab’s brothers, Abishai and Asahel, David’s
nephews too.
3. Joab will be David’s military captain most all of the time that
David is king.
a. On the one hand, we will see Joab to be a capable and loyal
servant of David.
b. On the other hand, Joab is a cold-blooded killer who either
cared for his position more than anything else or he cared
for his country and king more than anything else and felt he
was the best one to protect them.
c. I think Joab was the former.
C. Asahel
1. As already mentioned, Asahel was a nephew to David and brother to
Joab.
2. He was one of David’s loyal and able soldiers, being listed as one
of David’s thirty mighty men \\#2Sam 23:24\\.
D. Abner
1. Abner was the military captain of Saul’s army.
2. He was first mentioned \\#1Sam 14:50\\.
a. This was the early days of Saul’s kingship, 30 or more years
prior.
b. Abner was already the captain of Israel’s army at that time,
so he must be getting on up in years.
c. We are told there that Abner was Saul’s uncle.
E. Ishbosheth
1. Ishbosheth is a son of King Saul, born to a concubine
\\#2Sam 21:8\\.
2. Somehow he survived the Philistine attack.
II. Series of Events
A. A Rebellion Against God
2Sam 2:8 But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ishbosheth the
son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
9 And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and
over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
10 Ishbosheth Saul’s son was forty years old when he began to reign over
Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.
1. I call this a rebellion against God because it was!
2. Everyone knew that God had given the kingdom to David.
a. King Saul knew it. He admitted it to David when David spared
his life for the second time.
1 Samuel 24:20 And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and
that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.
b. Abner himself knew it. When Abner gets turned crossways with
Ishbosheth, he admits it.
2Sam 3:9 So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the LORD hath sworn to
David, even so I do to him;
10 To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne
of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.
3. It appears that Abner had Ishbosheth anointed king so that
Ishbosheth could be a figure-head monarch while Abner was the real
power behind the throne.
a. Donald Trump might see, "Abner was just making a market for
himself."
b. However, what Abner was doing was rebelling against God.
4. We need to comprehend that whenever we are doing anything that is
contrary to God’s will or Word, that is rebellion.
a. You can be rebelling against God and not even know it.
b. Yet, the degree of the rebellion is greater when you are
knowing doing something that is against the will of God!
B. \\#2Samuel 2:12-24\\ A War and Blood Feud Begun
1. These details appear to be given, in part, because up to this
event, there were two kingdoms of Israel but no war existed
between them.
a. The Philistines had come in and were occupying a good portion
of Israel.
b. David was in the south and had been anointed King of Judah,
ruling in Hebron.
c. Ishbosheth’s capital was in Mahanaim, on the east side of the
River Jordan.
2. \\#2Sam 2:13-17\\ The two armies of Israel met at Gibeon.
a. Gibeon had underground water springs. To make it easier to
access the water, a hole had been cut through the stone, 37
feet in diameter and 82 feet deep, with spiraling steps carved
into the rock part of the way down to a cistern, where two
tunnels lead further downward to the underground spring.
b. It is uncertain whether the two armies met on purpose or just
happened upon each other.
c. \\#14\\ Abner challenges Joab to what looks like military
games, probably the best twelve verses the best twelve.
d. \\#16\\ But the competition gets out of hand and it appears
all twenty-four contestants somehow kill each other.
e. \\#17\\ Thus a war began.
3. Isn’t it sad what pride can do?
a. No doubt, tensions were already high in both camps of Israel.
b. In the midst of that tension, Abner and Joab wanted to see whose
soldiers were the best!
(1) That was just man’s carnal pride!
(2) What did they think was going to happen?
(a) These contestants weren’t using wooden swords.
(b) They were soldier who were already engaged in fighting
the Philistines.
(c) Was there any chance that the losing team was just
going to walk away?
c. Do you remember one of the definitions of a fool that I gave
you earlier?
(1) A fool is one who treats mischief like a sport.
Proverbs 10:23 It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of
understanding hath wisdom.
(2) For military captains, neither of these men were very wise.
4. \\#2Sam 2:18-24\\ During this battle, Asahel was killed by Abner.
a. Asahel set his sights on Abner and would not cease his attempt
to take him.
b. Abner, realizing this would put a permanent wedge between the
two kingdoms, did not want to kill Asahel, but was eventually
forced to do so.
C. Two Men Seeking Their Own
1. Abner
a. \\#2Sam 3:1\\ The war grew worse and worse for Abner and
Ishbosheth.
b. \\#2Sam 3:7-12\\ When Abner and Ishbosheth had a
disagreement, Abner decided to throw his support to King
David.
(1) \\#11\\ You can see here where the true power lay.
(2) I think you can also see that Abner only wanted what was
best for himself.
c. \\#2Sam 3:17-21\\ Abner worked to bring Israel under David’s
rule.
2. \\#2Sam 3:22-27\\ Joab
a. Joab was unaware of David’s alliance with Abner. That would
indicate that it came to pass quickly, while Joab was out on
a military conquest. (David and Abner probably saw the need
to make the alliance quickly, while Joab was occupied.)
b. Joab worked, without David’s knowledge, to set a trap and
murder Abner.
c. The Bible makes it clear that Joab did this in revenge for his
brother, Asahel.
2Sam 3:27 And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate
to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died,
for the blood of Asahel his brother.
2Sam 3:30 So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their
brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
d. Joab showed what kind of man he was here.
(1) Joab was a man who sought his own.
(2) He would allow a nation to remain at war so that he could
have what suited him.
(3) Abner and Joab were actually very much alike.
(4) David could have killed Joab for what he had done.
3. Anytime a man puts his wants and desires above those he is charged
to lead, he is no longer qualified to lead.
a. Once a husband believes his wife is there to serve him instead
of being a God-given help to him, he has disqualified himself
from leading the home.
b. Once an employer or supervisor starts thinking he is the
superior and those he leads are his inferiors, he has
disqualified himself from being their leader.
c. Once a policeman, a judge, or a politician puts his welfare or
interests above those he/she serves, they have disqualified
themselves from holding that position.
d. God never gives authority, power, fame, or wealth to anyone
for their own selfish enjoyments. God gives them so that they
might do others good.
III. Another Kind of Fool
A. Notice how David lamented Abner.
2Sam 3:32 And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and
wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.
33 And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth?
34 Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man falleth
before wicked men, so fellest thou. And all the people wept again
over him.
B. What kind of fool was Abner?
1. He was one who trusted an enemy.
a. David points out that the man was not bound with chains when
he was killed.
b. The truth is, Abner probably had his weapon strapped to his
hip and had twenty capable soldiers only a few feet away.
c. Abner’s only mistake here was that he trusted a deceitful man.
2. I hate to be too political when preaching, but the Bible gives
us many warnings to which we should heed.
a. Some want to teach that Christians must be good-hearted to the
place of being naive.
b. God teaches us many things about being a good Christian.
(1) We must be forgiving, kind, helpful, gracious, and many
other things.
(2) However, God never tells us to be foolish!
3. Trust is not given. Trust is earned.
a. I don’t just say that in the political world.
b. In rearing our children, I tried to teach them that if they
violate our trust in them, they destroy something that cannot
be replaced.
c. It must be rebuilt.
d. If that is true among family, it is especially true among
an enemy.
(1) Meet and talk about peace. There will never be a peace
without dialog.
(2) Sign treaties. I have been surprised at the power a
piece of paper can have.
(3) However, verify and re-verify that what was promised is done.
What we are seeing here is that once David became king, his troubles did not end.
They were just getting started. Now, not only was he responsible for his own
actions, but he was responsible for the actions of others. If the Lord will allow
us, next we see some lessons on how to deal with the people around us.
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