May the mumbling commence!
How do we seek peace in the midst
of trouble and strife? Everyone must
pitch in for the effort to be successful.
Personal vendettas need to be set aside so that compromise can be sought. David could very well have looked at Abner as
enemy number one. Abner crowned a son of
Saul as king over all Israel minus Judah.
Abner was loyal to Saul who had relentlessly pursued David to kill him.
Yet, when Abner came to talk peace
with David, what was David’s response?
Read from Second Samuel chapter three:
When Abner came to Hebron with his twenty men, David entertained them with a great feast. Then Abner said to David, "Let me go and call all the people of Israel to your side.
They will make a covenant with you to make you their king. Then you will be
able to rule over everything your heart desires." So David sent Abner safely on his way.
(Verses 20-21)
What extravagance! David entertained Abner and his contingent of
men with a great feast… BEFORE he knew the manner of their
coming. Perhaps this warm welcome solidified
Abner’s position of favor toward David.
It makes me think of Christ’s story of the Prodigal Sons or the Faithful
Father.
David sent Abner safely away. But that safety melted away when the personal
vendetta of Joab and bother Abishai toward Abner for killing their brother
Asahel in battle. Read later from Second
Samuel chapter three:
So Joab and his
brother Abishai killed Abner because Abner had killed their brother Asahel at
the battle of Gibeon.
Then David said to Joab and all those who were
with him, "Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth. Go into
deep mourning for Abner." And King David himself walked behind the
procession to the grave. They buried
Abner in Hebron, and the king and all
the people wept at his graveside.
Then the king sang this funeral song for Abner:
"Should Abner have died as fools die?
Your hands were not bound; your feet were not chained.
No, you were murdered – the victim of a wicked
plot."
All the people
wept again for Abner.
David had refused to eat anything the day of the
funeral, and now everyone begged him to eat. But David had made a vow,
saying, "May God kill me if I eat anything before sundown." This pleased the
people very much. In fact, everything the king did pleased them! So everyone in Judah and Israel knew that
David was not responsible for Abner's death.
Then King David said to the people, "Do
you not realize that a great leader and a great man has fallen today in
Israel? And even though I am the
anointed king, these two sons of Zeruiah – Joab and Abishai – are too strong
for me to control. So may the Lord
repay these wicked men for their wicked deeds." (Verses
30-39)
Pursuing peace calls us to deal with our grievances and
not sweep them under the rug. Look at
how the early church dealt with conflict.
Read from Acts chapter six:
But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings
of discontent. Those who spoke Greek
complained against those who spoke Hebrew, saying that their widows were being
discriminated against in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers.
"We apostles should spend our time preaching
and teaching the word of God, not administering a food program,"
they said. "Now look around among yourselves, brothers, and select seven men who
are well respected and are full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. We will put them
in charge of this business. Then we can
spend our time in prayer and preaching and teaching the word."
This idea pleased
the whole group, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and
the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of
Antioch (a Gentile convert to the Jewish faith, who had now become a
Christian). These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as
they laid their hands on them. (Verses 1-6)
Think about it! Rumblings of discontent brought them together
to find a solution that was beneficial to all parties. Would that we would pursue peace in the same
fashion!
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace
Out
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