Friday, February 21, 2014

Abner Kills David's Nephew (2 Samuel 2:18-24)

8/23/2010 8:37:55 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Abner kills David’s nephew

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  2Samuel 2:18-24

            Message of the verses:  “18 ¶  Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel; and Asahel was as swift-footed as one of the gazelles which is in the field. 19  Asahel pursued Abner and did not turn to the right or to the left from following Abner. 20  Then Abner looked behind him and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" And he answered, "It is I." 21  So Abner said to him, "Turn to your right or to your left, and take hold of one of the young men for yourself, and take for yourself his spoil." But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him. 22  Abner repeated again to Asahel, "Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?" 23  However, he refused to turn aside; therefore Abner struck him in the belly with the butt end of the spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died on the spot. And it came about that all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still. 24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and when the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is in front of Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.”

            For all of the bad things that Abner did as seen in the Scriptures this was something that he did not want to do.  He did not want to kill Asahel for he knew that if he did kill him there would be a feud that would be going on for a long time because Joab was the commander of David’s army and he was the commander of the army of Israel and so this would go on until one of them was dead.  It turns out that Joab would slay Abner in cold blooded murder because he had killed his brother even though Abner did not want to kill him. 
            It is kind of hard to put the family tree together for David as not all of the pieces seem to fit together, but Dr. Wiersbe does show that Joab and Abishai and also Asahel were sons of a woman called Zeruiah who was David’s sister or half sister.  Asahel had a son who became a commander in David’s army and had 24,000 men under him and this is mentioned in 1Chronicles 27:7.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I don’t like to read about the death of Asahel when I am reading through the Bible and now that I am studying it that too makes me sad to see this young man die.  It seems to me that the physical strength of men back in this time was more than it is today, for the Bible at times talks about how fast these men could run and when reading about how many men the soldiers of David had killed makes me think that they were much stronger and faster than men of today.
            It seems to me that there was much unneeded bloodshed during these times and this still seems to go on today.  Hatred is what starts these killings and the Lord Jesus said that if one looks at a person with hate in his heart then he is guilty in his heart of murder and this is something that I must not do for it will take me down the wrong path in life.

My Steps of Faith for Today:

1.      Trust the Lord to guide my path today.
2.      Trust the Lord to protect me with his spiritual armor today.
3.      Trust the Lord to continue to teach me and for me to learn contentment.
4.      Trust the Holy Spirit to search my heart for unconfessed sin in my life.
5.      Trust the Lord with my life today as I give myself to Him for worship and service.



8/23/2010 9:05:31 AM 

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