Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20020804.htm

1 AND 2 SAMUEL: GOD'S SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS IN OVERSIGHT
Part XXXIX: Blessing By Putting Righteousness Over Even Personal Rights In Oversight
(2 Samuel 2:8-5:3)
  1. Introduction
    1. When God wants a party to be an overseer of a family, marriage, church, business or government, but when subordinates are not ready to accept him there, he is tempted to pressure subordinates to submit.
    2. David exemplified great self-control in putting what was right ahead of such personal ambition even for his God-given role as king, teaching us the value of doing the same (as follows):
  2. Blessing By Putting Righteousness Over Even Personal Rights In Oversight, 2 Samuel 2:8-5:3.
    1. Though God had many years before chosen David to replace Saul as Israel's king (1 Samuel 16:1, 13), we learned from 2 Samuel 2:1-7 that he rightfully followed God's lead in slowly assuming oversight.
    2. However, when Saul's commander, Abner heard of David's rise, he crowned Saul's son, Ish-bosheth king of the northern tribes and the transjordan, Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to 2 Sam. 2:8-9. (2 Sam. 2:8-11)
    3. This led to a conflict between David's men and Saul's soldiers as follows: (2 Samuel 2:12-3:27):
      1. Since the Ancient Near East culture never tolerated rival dynasties in a nation, it was inevitable that Saul's commander, Abner and David's commander, Joab, would meet to decide which house would rule in Israel. They met to decide by a proxy contest which house would rule, 2 Samuel 2:12-14.
      2. However, the warriors in the proxy contest slew each other, widening the conflict into a battle, 2:15-17.
      3. In the battle, Joab's younger brother, Asahel, pursued Abner until Abner had to kill him, 2:18-23.
      4. This led to hard feelings on Joab's part against Abner: even though Abner persuaded Joab to end the battle lest everyone be slain to the nation's demise (2 Samuel 2:24-32), we know from 2 Samuel 3:22-39 that Joab wanted avenge his brother's death by Abner, and eventually murdered Abner.
      5. Meanwhile, there rose a division between Abner and Saul's son, Ish-boseth as Abner cohabited with Saul's concubine, a traitorous act, 2 Sam. 3:1, 6-7; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to 2 Samuel 3:7.
      6. When Ish-bosheth complained to Abner about this cohabitation, Abner became very angry with him, and promised to transfer the kingdom from Saul's house to David's rule, 2 Samuel 3:7b-11.
      7. At this point, when Abner made contact with David, David honored Abner and agreed for a peaceful transfer of the kingdom from Saul's house to David's, 2 Samuel 3:12-21.
      8. When Joab who was absent from the meeting between David and Abner heard about this plan, he intercepted Abner on his own and murdered him in revenge for slaying his brother, Asahel, 3:22-27.
    4. However, David had no part of this conflict, and did his best to counter the wrongs even of his own men that were done against Saul's forces, 2 Samuel 3:28-4:12:
      1. When he discovered what Joab had done to Abner, David did his best to counter that wrong:
        1. David announced his innocence in the slaying of Abner by Joab, 2 Samuel 3:28.
        2. He put a curse on Joab and his household for the murder of Abner, 2 Samuel 3:29-30.
        3. David made all his men, including Joab, Abner's murderer, tear their clothes in mourning and participate in the funeral services in honor of Abner, 2 Samuel 3:31a,b.
        4. At the funeral, David himself publicly followed Abner's bier and mourned for him, expressing his lamentation at the godless way Abner had been slain by Joab, 2 Samuel 3:31c, 32-34.
        5. Also, David refused to eat food out of mourning for Abner, a move that gained him deep respect among all the people for the fact he put righteousness above selfish interests, 2 Sam. 3:35-39.
      2. When evil men assassinated Saul's son, Ish-bosheth, instead of honoring them, David executed them for the deed, demonstrating he put righteousness above personal interests to rule Israel, 2 Sam. 4:1-12.
    5. Thus, all Israel, including Saul's people, came to trust David, and made him their king, 2 Samuel 5:1-3.
Lesson: By putting what was RIGHTEOUS above even his OWN RIGHT to be KING of Israel, and that by HONORING the wrongfully slain LEADERS of SAUL'S competing people, David won the respect of ALL Israel, let alone of his own people, and gained a UNITED following to his benefit.

Application: As overseers, we must put RIGHTEOUSNESS above even matters of our own RIGHTS before GOD in that ROLE if we would gain God's blessing and man's trust in that oversight.