Village Church Annandale (Sydney) sermons

David is made king of Israel and comes to take the city of Jersualem from the Jebusites.

We long for the day when we can join David and the ultimate king of Jersualem in the heavenly city, the new Jersualem, when there will be no more pain, morning, crying or disablity. But rather we all will be made whole.

Ishbothesh is murdered in his sleep. His assassins think they have done King David a favour. But God's kingdom is a kingdom of righteousness and the ends never justify the means.

4 When Saul’s son Ish-bosheth heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he gave up,[a] and all Israel was dismayed. 2 Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding parties: one named Baanah and the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of the Benjaminites. Beeroth is also considered part of Benjamin, 3 and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and still reside there as aliens today.

4 Saul’s son Jonathan had a son whose feet were crippled. He was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nanny picked him up and fled, but as she was hurrying to flee, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.

5 Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out and arrived at Ish-bosheth’s house during the heat of the day while the king was taking his midday nap. 6 They entered the interior of the house as if to get wheat and stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped. 7 They had entered the house while Ish-bosheth was lying on his bed in his bedroom and stabbed and killed him. They removed his head, took it, and traveled by way of the Arabah all night. 8 They brought Ish-bosheth’s head to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here’s the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who intended to take your life. Today the Lord has granted vengeance to my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”

9 But David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As the Lord lives, the one who has redeemed my life from every distress, 10 when the person told me, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ he thought he was a bearer of good news, but I seized him and put him to death at Ziklag. That was my reward to him for his news! 11 How much more when wicked men kill a righteous man in his own house on his own bed! So now, should I not require his blood from you and purge you from the earth?”

12 So David gave orders to the young men, and they killed Rechab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron, but they took Ish-bosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.

Here we see a model in King David on how God's person might respond to wickedness.

The most significant thing in this section is David's gentle response to his general Joab's wickedness. David does clearly say that what Joab does is terribly wrong, even evil, however he leaves final retribution to the Lord.

2 Samuel 3:17-39  Abner conferred with the elders of Israel: “In the past you wanted David to be king over you. 18 Now take action, because the Lord has spoken concerning David: ‘Through my servant David I will save my people Israel from the power of the Philistines and the power of all Israel’s enemies.’”

19 Abner also informed the Benjaminites and went to Hebron to inform David about all that was agreed on by Israel and the whole house of Benjamin. 20 When Abner and twenty men came to David at Hebron, David held a banquet for him and his men.

21 Abner said to David, “Let me now go and I will gather all Israel to my lord the king. They will make a covenant with you, and you will reign over all you desire.” So David dismissed Abner, and he went in peace.

22 Just then David’s soldiers and Joab returned from a raid and brought a large amount of plundered goods with them. Abner was not with David in Hebron because David had dismissed him, and he had gone in peace. 23 When Joab and his whole army arrived, Joab was informed, “Abner son of Ner came to see the king, the king dismissed him, and he went in peace.”

24 Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Look here, Abner came to you. Why did you dismiss him? Now he’s getting away. 25 You know that Abner son of Ner came to deceive you and to find out about your military activities and everything you’re doing.” 26 Then Joab left David and sent messengers after Abner. They brought him back from the well[c] of Sirah, but David was unaware of it. 27 When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside to the middle of the city gate, as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner died in revenge for the death of Asahel, Joab’s brother.

28 David heard about it later and said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner. 29 May it hang over Joab’s head and his father’s whole family, and may the house of Joab never be without someone who has a discharge or a skin disease, or a man who can only work a spindle, or someone who falls by the sword or starves.” 30 Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.

31 David then ordered Joab and all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn over Abner.” And King David walked behind the coffin.

32 When they buried Abner in Hebron, the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb. All the people wept, 33 and the king sang a lament for Abner:

Should Abner die as a fool dies?

34 Your hands were not bound,
your feet not placed in bronze shackles.
You fell like one who falls victim to criminals.

And all the people wept over him even more.

35 Then they came to urge David to eat food while it was still day, but David took an oath: “May God punish me and do so severely if I taste bread or anything else before sunset!” 36 All the people took note of this, and it pleased them. In fact, everything the king did pleased them. 37 On that day all the troops and all Israel were convinced that the king had no part in the killing of Abner son of Ner.

38 Then the king said to his soldiers, “You must know that a great leader has fallen in Israel today. 39 As for me, even though I am the anointed king, I have little power today. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too fierce for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil!” (CSB)

We see here in Abner's angry reply to Ishbosheth an oath that he will take the kingdom of Israel from the house of Saul and transfer it to David.

Three points can be made.

1. It is astonishing that Abner knows God's promise to give the kingdom to David.

2. If Abner knows, then why hasn't he acted on this?

3. Abner's arrogance and hubris are breathtaking.
   
   2 Samuel 3:9 May God punish Abner and do so severely if I don’t do for David what the Lord swore to him: 10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beer-sheba.” 11 Ish-bosheth did not dare respond to Abner because he was afraid of him. 12 Abner sent messengers as his representatives to say to David, “Whose land is it? Make your covenant with me, and you can be certain I am on your side to turn all Israel over to you.” 13 David replied, “Good, I will make a covenant with you. However, there’s one thing I require of you: You will not see my face unless you first bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see me.” 14 Then David sent messengers to say to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, “Give me back my wife Michal. I was engaged to her for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.” 15 So Ish-bosheth sent someone to take her away from her husband, Paltiel son of Laish. 16 Her husband followed her, weeping all the way to Bahurim. Abner said to him, “Go back.” So he went back.

It's a story of Sex and Power in 2 Samuel 3. Abner’s disappointment in Saul’s son had driven him to do what he thought was necessary if the kingdom was to be kept in the hands of those who were loyal to Saul.  And taking Saul’s concubine was a first step to taking Saul’s throne

But note that Abner says to Ishboth that the Lord is working to give the Kingdom to David. This is enormously significant.

2Samuel 3:6 During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner kept acquiring more power in the house of Saul. 7 Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah daughter of Aiah, and Ish-bosheth questioned Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?” 8 Abner was very angry about Ish-bosheth’s accusation. “Am I a dog’s head who belongs to Judah?” he asked. “All this time I’ve been loyal to the family of your father Saul, to his brothers, and to his friends and haven’t betrayed you to David, but now you accuse me of wrongdoing with this woman! 9 May God punish Abner and do so severely if I don’t do for David what the Lord swore to him: 10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beer-sheba.” 11 Ish-bosheth did not dare respond to Abner because he was afraid of him.

Do you ever wonder if you've backed the right side? Could be in sport, finance, work, study, relationships... What about when it comes to being a Christian? How can Christians have such confidence they are on the right side, when our culture keeps telling us we're wrong?

2 Samuel 2:1-3:5, speaks about running fast, a battle to the death and a civil war. But it also helps give God's answer to why Christians can have such confidence they're on the right side. And it has a lot to do with who is your king.

Join us today, as Jon Kwan takes us through this part of God's Word and be encouraged by God's comforting answer.

Israel has spent twenty years pushing God to the side. Samuel challenges the nation:

1 Samuel 7:3 Samuel told them, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, get rid of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths that are among you, 

It's the same challenge for us today. If we will truly return to the Lord, there are things we need to get rid of, only they are not likely to be Ashtoreth poles, more likely they will be prioritising the various inner west idols, like being seen to be successful or children's education or children's sport over God.

It's a super challenging Daily Bible Time today!