I read the bible. Not as often or intense as I would like but I do read it. If I catch the bug, I will visit a story and reread it from the beginning. One of the stories I have caught the bug for multiple times is the story of David! I suppose it is an underdog story that keeps me amazed by Yahweh but to be transparent, I also consider the influence of Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath on my interest in this story. Today, however, I am not reflecting on David’s fighting might, or the circumstances of his anointing (all of which you can read in 1 Sam 16 – 17). Today, my focus is on what David does after the deaths of King Saul, Abner (the commander of Saul’s army), and Ishbosheth (Saul’s son) are reported to him.
When the death of Saul is reported to David, he asks the messenger how he came about this news and the messenger says he saw Saul had fallen on his own sword in battle and Saul asked him to kill him and he saw no harm in it because Saul was as good as dead (I am paraphrasing of course). David then orders that the man be killed and his blood be on the man’s own head because he had the temerity to touch the Lord’s anointed (2 Sam 1:1-16). For those who do not know the story, Saul had been trying to kill David for years, chasing him all over the place. David had the chance to kill him twice but didn’t and when Saul’s death is reported, as opposed to rejoicing, he has the messenger killed. Just Wow – Robert Greene must be shaking where he is because, in his laws of power, he suggests that when an enemy is down, you must crush them completely.
After Saul’s death, Abner his commander is protecting his “house” i.e., family and lineage. In one battle between Saul’s camp and David’s a certain man Asahel (brother to Joab – a commander in David’s army) is killed by Abner while pursuing Abner. Abner later has a falling out with Ishbosheth and he leaves Saul’s camp to go help David get the support of all Israel and be crowned King. After visiting with David, David lets him go on his way, when Joab hears of this, he brings Abner back and murders him (2 Sam 3:22 – 39). Hearing this, David ensures his camp mourns Abner (including Joab and his family). He then proceeds to curse Joab’s family for this act of wickedness. Again, shocking because Abner was one of the key opponents of David and truly, if I was Joab, I would feel hurt and betrayed because I had been loyal all this while to David but I couldn’t even avenge my brother without being cursed. It was like David expected Joab to break bread with the one who killed his brother.
Anyway, hearing of Abner’s death, Ishbosheth was scared of what would happen but one day, while he was sleeping, two of his closest men went into his room and murdered him. They slit his guts, and cut his head (2 Sam 4). They took his head to David to say his enemy had been slain. David instead called them wicked men for having killed an innocent man in his own bed. He took Ishbosheth’s head and had it buried where Abner had been buried.
Of course, this is a summary of the gist but every now and again I see why David is referred to as the ‘man after God’s own heart’. It is not easy to look beyond evil that people do to you but to not only look past it but to penalize those who seem to be working to avenge your hurt and pride is another thing. Perhaps it teaches us something, that we should be instigators of good at all times, choose our battles wisely and avoid the urge to hold people in contempt by repaying their evil with evil.
