He is challenging David's decision, but not his authority. In his position, he is supposed to voice his concerns. I mean, if you're the head of security and you say to the person that you are subordinate to, listen, you've got a problem, you've got to fix this. What makes you think this is not going to blow up in your face? It doesn't mean he's being insubordinate.
I think if he had been insubordinate, David would have dealt with him. In fact, some of David's men would have dealt with Joab for that. If you don't see it that way, then it creates other problems going forward. This is Cross-Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville.
Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of 2 Samuel. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Cross-Reference Radio. Specifically, how you can get a free copy of this teaching. Big Mistakes is the title of Pastor Rick's message, and today he'll continue teaching in 2 Samuel 3. Verse 20.
So Abner and 20 men with him came to David at Hebron, and David. made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.
So they're spending some time bonding there. It'll take a while to get all the food ready. And I always often picture a luau, though it's not, but I picture, you know, lamps burning and a lot of meat and pineapples, things like that. Verse 21. The brain is such a rascal, is it not?
It just throws things into the picture that just don't belong there, like dreams. Like, oh, that was crazy. I would never buy a car that color. But anyhow, Verse 21. Then Abner said to David, I will arise and go and gather all Israel.
To my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over. All that your heart desires.
So David sent Abner away and he went in peace. You can hear David's hands clapping and rubbing together. Yes, finally, we can do something with the kingdom now. He's been thinking about this for years: what he's gonna do as king. He's not coming onto the throne like as a rookie.
So now he thinks this is it. Hebron, where this is taking place. is a city of refuge. If you accidentally kill somebody, And you know that their family members, they're not going to want to hear it was an accident. They have the right to kill you.
So you run to one of these cities of refuge for refuge. And if you make it... You're safe. They hear you out. If your story meets the requirement, then you get to hide in the city.
If it doesn't, they throw you to the family, and that's it. Abner, he killed David's nephew. We read about that last week. He said, stop chasing me. He didn't stop.
He poked him. He kills the guy in battle. That's going to come back to the story a little bit. I will say Heaven, of course, is the final refuge. Bonuses that belong to having no politicians No lawyers, not one.
I mean, people who are lawyers will make it in, but they will be disbarred. No lobbyists, no journalists, no snooping around trying to find a story to ruin your life. No broke, woke, it's a joke, people. Mm. A lot of sin will be smacked down, all of it.
And looking forward to that.
Well, I don't know how I got onto that. But anyway, verse 22. suppressed vitriol. At that moment the servants of David and Joab came from a raid and brought much spoil with them. But Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.
Again, Abner was not going to be a number three guy. He was too seasoned for that, And Joab was not either.
So you have a problem, and David already doesn't like Joab.
So he's thinking this is going to be a good fit. Where it says they came back from a raid, you know, nowadays we complain about a lot of things because we have a lot of things to complain about. But nowadays Conquest in the time we live in until Antichrist gets into power, mostly in. Western civilization, the raids are launched by giant tech, giant finance. Puppet politicians and their activist flunkies, financial oliarchs, these are the ones that are coming against us.
We don't have hordes coming over the hill and gonna burn down the village. They come against us in different ways. They find out what we like. What we love. And they now are targeting that.
You love your kids? Let's attack the kids. You love your religion? Let's go after that. You love your guns?
Let's go. Whatever you like, that's where the battlefield is. For these people in those days, you had to fear. An army coming and wiping you out, looting you as Joab did, Satan at work. Today, again, these overrule the voting ballots.
Rating into lives. They are the giants in the land.
So when next time you hear the giant tech, Connect that to the Nephilim and the Ghibors of Genesis 6, because those people had to deal with the giant tech of their day, the people that had so much control they enslaved the world.
Okay. Global cabal is what We are facing, though, unlike, well, they did back in Genesis before the flood, everybody was centered in Shinar. Power plotters with unlimited resources. They think they're calling the shots on the earth. And we, the Christians, we understand this.
We see it. We're not phased by it. We will fight. For the faith that we have, and that's it. It's not simplifying it, but I'm not complicating it either.
I guess, you know, when you're young in ministry, you get all these catchy phrases and sayings from pastors, and I can't think of one at the moment. But as you serve, you find out that All those phrases are relatively useless against the indulgences of the flesh. And it's no longer about catchy phrases, standing up in the pulpit telling you, and you, ooh, I love that saying, write it down. I found that it comes down to just a toe-to-toe bare-knuckle fight. The flesh versus spirit.
But You can't jade everybody. Tell them, you know, get rid of those sayings. I'm not saying that. I am saying That It's a long Struggle. And the main things will always be the main things.
And Paul said this to the Colossians. He said, all that stuff is useless against the indulgences of the flesh. You're still going to have to fight your kingdom versus the flesh's kingdom. And if those things help you, continue with them. If you find they're no longer helping, don't lose your faith.
Because many do. They write books with all these catchy things. They find out the flesh is relentless and beating them up. They leave the faith. Because they made demands on God that they weren't entitled to demand.
And so I rather the as honest as we can approach. It's just tough. Because we get plugged into other people. And people we love. And we see them struggle, and the fight is ours.
It should be. Every one of us should have somebody that we're fighting for on our knees. When Lot was stolen from Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham went to get him back. He didn't say, you know, I never liked that kid anyway. He was a hard-headed lad.
He armed himself and went after him. And that's a picture of us not settling for Satan taking captives.
Now, we can't get an army together and retrieve our loved ones. We go on our knees to do these things and we stay strong in our faith. And when we get knocked down, we get back up, which Satan hates. Satan hates. Where sin abounded, grace did much more.
Because he can't shut it up. He can't stop it. He cannot un-publish it. He cannot make us unsee Jesus Christ. And so it attempts to torment us, and we fight back by being the salt of the earth, the light of the world.
It's no longer a romantic journey for me. It's no longer I am the light of the world, the salt of the earth. I'm the light of the world.
Now I'm meeting resistance. And it's a whole nother thing. Anyhow, maybe you're still in that place and you're a Christian woman where it's just beautiful. Enjoy it.
Now that I've sufficiently bummed everybody out. Listen, reality is no fun. We don't want to hear it, please. Verse 23. Then Joab, the A pause there.
I want to make this point. I really do. You can say Think about all the churches you've attended. And where are some of those people now? And that reminds you of how serious Christianity is.
Life is. Where are they now? Many of them, you know, a thousand may fall at my side, ten thousand at my right hand, shall not come near me. Why? Because I'm going to stick with the Lord.
Regardless of what they're doing, I'm sticking with the Lord. That is contagious stuff. And iron sharpens iron when that begins to happen. Verse 23: Then Joab and all the troops that were with him had come. They told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he sent him away.
And he has gone in peace.
Now, the historian repeats that he has gone in peace twice. He has that. luxury, that ability to Put that in the text for us because it struck a note with him. He could have left it out. And Abner has gone.
He says, He has gone in peace because violence is coming. Verse 24, and Joab came to the king and said, What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why is it that you sent him away and he is already gone? Verse 35, surely you realize that Abner, the son of Nur, came to deceive you?
To know you're going out and you're coming in, and to know all that you are doing.
Now David's not accountable to Joab. And My thinking is because Joab is such a violent man, whenever he pulls out his sword, that we tend to think when he speaks, he's as violent. But I don't think we should do that. I think the story says, no, that's not the case. He is challenging David's decision, but not his authority.
In his position, he is supposed to voice his concerns. I mean, if you're the head of security and you say to the person that you are subordinate to, listen, you've got a problem, you've got to fix this. What makes you think this is not going to blow up in your face? It doesn't mean he's being insubordinate. I think if he had been insubordinate, David would have dealt with him.
In fact, some of David's men would have dealt with Joab for that. If you don't see it that way, then it creates other problems going forward. I think Joab knew his place, and David's going to rake him over the coals in a few minutes in front of everybody, which appears to me he's trying to provoke Joab to do something so he can kill him. We'll come to that in a minute.
So, my point is in verse 24 and 25, when Joab is sharing. David, this was a mistake. He's come to spy us out. He is not being insubordinate. At least not outwardly.
He is inwardly. Verse 26. And when Joab had gone from David's presence, He sent messengers after Abner. Who brought him back? from the well of Sirah, but David did not know it.
Joab's not going to say this is insubordination when it is. Joab is saying. This man wants my job. But he killed my brother. And I'm going to kill him.
Two birds with one stone, Abishai, who's loyal to David to his death, He's an accomplice here, but he's not the main one. Joe Abbott is the one. And he is not about to let Abner be over him. He knows what deal was just made. Also, He doesn't want anybody to think you can kill somebody close to him and get away with it.
He's not going to have this. Verse 27.
Now he's got his case ready in his head. Because he has to have legal grounds. Or else he's going to have a problem with the people. And what are the legal grounds? Hebron is a city of refuge.
Abner killed his brother. Joab's the avenger of death. Abner has to get in that city and stay there. And if he doesn't, it's fair game.
Well, that's not all the story, but Joab can make a case for that. We'll come in verse twenty seven. When Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him privately, and there stabbed him in the stomach.
So that he died for the blood of Ashael his brother. That's his main motives. He's not going to admit that, well, I don't want anybody else being number one, but he's going to do it again later. to somebody else. Abner foolishly walked into the trap Joab set for him.
He should just never have let them get that close to me. It says, Joab took them aside in the gate to speak. with him privately. Abner is thinking that, you know, it's water under the bridge. I killed your brother in battle.
That's how it happened, and you have no right to harm me, and he's being a fool, Abner is. Joab is the consummate killer. He just knows how to kill and has no hesitation. Epsilon and Emesa will find out. And he who lives by the sword dies by it.
I think of, you know, remember, Ehud was going to kill Eglon. One of the enemy kings of the Jews, and he makes a dagger, and he was left-handed, but you know, he got his move together so that Eglon would never see it coming. Because you can't. Pull out a sword and you're standing right there with a guy. The Hebrew word for sword and dagger.
Are the same as used here?
Well, Deuteronomy nineteen. Less the avenger of blood if you accidentally kill someone while his anger is hot, pursue the manslayer and overtake him because The way is long. This is why the cities were not too far apart from all the other tribal dwellings. And it said, And kill him, though he was not deserving of death. Since he had not hated the victim in time past.
See, Joab would take a verse like that. And spin it, Numbers 35. Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon, which he did. By which one could die, and he does die. He is a murderer, and the murderer shall surely be put to death.
That's how Joab would say it. He said, Well, this wasn't an accident. He could twist the law. to just make it difficult. With the priesthood in disarray as it was at this time.
He could get away with it, and he did. He does. Joshua 20 verse 4. And when he flees to one of those cities and stands at the entrance of the gate of the city and declares in his case in the hearing of the elders of that city. which Abner did not do.
They shall take him into the city as one of them, and give him a place that he may dwell among them. The gate of the city is the entrance of the city. Where the war plans were made and a court was held, And big deals went on. Abner would never have said, I'm going to live. I mean, he's not going to do that.
He's not going to hide in a city of refuge. He'll fight it out. But he didn't get a chance. Joab knew that. That's why he cowardly.
kills him, murders him. assassinates him, however we want to say it. David doesn't kill Joab for the murder of Abner. David restrains himself. I don't think because Joab's mother was David's sister.
I don't think it's only because Joab was a solid military commander, very useful to David. I think that David knew that this was in a fragile state that the nation was in. It would have been not to their advantage. It was not justice, it was revenge. What He's going to let it slide.
Verse 28.
Well, not in his heart, though. He's going to carry this to his grave. David is. Afterward, verse. 28 afterward When David heard it, he said, My kingdom and I are guiltless before Yahweh forever of the blood of Abner, the son of Nur.
So he immediately disassociates himself with Joab's act of murder, but not with Joab. It would have been viewed in the north as an assassination, and that would have ignited hatred, and it would have just been on and on before the kingdom was united.
So, David is quick to. Get this press release out, verse 29. Let it rest on the head of Joab and on all his father's house, and let there never fail to be in the house of Joab one who has a discharge or is a leper, who leans on a staff, falls by the sword, or lacks bread. He just unleashes on this guy a curse. The first three make them ceremonially unclean, violent deaths.
beggars and poor people.
Now, just because David sends this curse out doesn't mean God says, okay, I'll honor that. There's no evidence that God does. It was Joab's crime, not his. Descendants, Ezekiel 18:20. Anybody who believes in generational curses is not following the Bible example.
Just in a short one: if that were so, none of the generation out of the wilderness could have entered into the promised land until 10 generations later. Just silly. There are people looking for excuses for sin. Or they've gotten hold of bad doctrine, there are consequences. Two.
A generation sinning. But that is not the same thing. As this mystical curse that is on them, and they can't break out of it. Two different things. Jesus Christ cancels the curse.
Galatians 3: Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. I could go on about the generational curses, but why should I give them airtime? Verse 30, so Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner because he had killed their brother Ashael in Gibeon in the battle. Abishai is named an accomplice to Joab in killing Abner. We've got four A's going on here.
Abner, well, no, three, not Joab. Not only is my math messed up with David being 30, but I just can't get the alphabet right now. Anyway, verse 31. Then David said to Joab. And to all the people who were with him.
Tear your clothes, gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn for Abner, and King David followed the coffin. He publicly shames. Joab. almost taunting him again. He demands that he tear his clothes, gird himself with sackcloth.
What would it be like putting coarse material against your skin? Closest I can get is if I put my undershirt on backwards, the label bothers me. All right, maybe not. Bloodthirsty Joab. He's no fool.
Why doesn't he now defy David and say, I'm not doing that? He killed my brother because he knows better. Because you know he can tell he can look in David's face and see David is hot. And David is ready to pounce. He's just looking for the excuse.
And that's why, at the end of David's life, he says to his son Solomon, you need to kill that guy. I could not do it. It would have just been too much of a destabilization of everything that was going on. But you got a fresh start, son. And he is bad news.
And Joab handed it to Solomon in betrayal. And of course, Joab runs to the temple, thinks that he's on base. They won't kill me here. Benaniah takes him out. Verse 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. Versus Thirty-three. And the king sang a lament over Abner and said, Should Abner die as a fool dies?
Well, he did. Abner's death was unbecoming of a man of such stature, the battlefield or old age, but not like an assassination Like this. He wasn't given a fair chance. He was killed by someone who was pretending to be his ally. He had just left a very good meeting.
And again, 1 Kings 2, verse 5, we find out David never lets this. Go out of his mind. Though Abishai, he doesn't have this feeling. Abishai later, when Shemiah is cursing David, Abishai is right there next to David. He said, I can kill this guy.
Will you just let me kill this man? He should not be talking to you that way, David. Verse 34, your hands were not bound, this is still the song. Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters. As a man falls before wicked men, so you fell.
Then all the people wept over him. And so he's calling Joab a wicked man. He's saying, You were no prisoner. You didn't commit a crime, and they bound you and executed you. You weren't even a prisoner of war.
You were just slaughtered by this sneaky guy. And Joab's there listening to all of this. Why isn't he? protesting'cause he knows This is this is very dangerous situation for him right now. And again, I think David felt very strongly he could not justify.
Just executing Joab. I think that's some of what's going on looking at this from Several thousand years later. Verse 35, and when all the people came to persuade David to eat food while it was still day, David took an oath, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else, till the sun goes down.
So he's fasting, heartfelt grief. The people are taking all of this in, and they're going to line up with David. Verse 36.
Now, all the people took note. And it pleased them. since whatever the king did pleased all the people. That's telling us if David snapped his finger and said, kill that guy, that would have been it. And I wrestled with that.
When I was a new Christian and reading the story, why didn't they kill this guy? Since whatever the king did pleased all the people, of course, like we want to do with Christ, the power of influence, it's okay to imitate a hero. In fact, when you're learning, it's a good thing to do until you can find out, you know, where you belong, if you need. Ephesians 5:1, therefore be imitators of God as dear children. David is leading them in mourning.
And the pathos that was on his face and in his eyes. And in his tone, convince the people that this was genuine. And they mourned with him. They felt it. Verse thirty seven, For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king's intent to kill Abner the son of Nur.
Joab's revenge jeopardized the consolidation of the nation. Verse 38. Then the king said to his servants, Do you not know that a prince and great man has fallen this day?
So he's driving home his point. It was a loss to them. And Verse thirty-nine And I am weak today. though anointed king, and these men, the sons of Zariah, are too harsh for me. Yahweh shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.
Again, these are his nephews. And he is laying it out in public. That I can't kill them. I think the conviction is he would be committing a crime. David would feel he's committing a crime.
because of this whole Avenger of Death thing being tossed up like it is. It would have been nice if a priest could step forward and say, David, You know, we can we can win this case kind of a thing. May God keep us from making big mistakes. And many were made in this chapter. David keeps it together, and he's very noble at that.
Let's pray. Yeah. Our Father, may we be able to identify whatever lessons are here for us. either to apply to ourselves or perhaps use to Glorify you. We love you and worship you.
We ask in Jesus' name, amen. And my cute This has been the latest edition of Cross Reference Radio. Pastor Rick Gaston is teaching through the book of 2 Samuel, which details the reign of David as king of Israel. There are so many life lessons to be learned during these years of David's life. We're glad you've tuned in to hear more from God's Word.
This radio ministry comes to you from Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Mechanicsville, Virginia. If you're interested in accessing more messages just like this one, you can listen online or download these messages at crossreferenceradio.com. You can also subscribe to our podcast by going to your favorite podcast app. We can't wait for you to step into the next teaching that Pastor Rick has for us.
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