NOVEMBER 26, 2024
“And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth?” (II Samuel 3:33)
In the book of I Samuel, we meet Abner, son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army. Abner was also Saul’s first cousin, as Kish, the father of Saul, was the brother of Ner. Of course, promoting family members to positions of power was not unusual in Saul’s regime, as many in his family, including his son Johnathan, rose to prominence. This included cousin Abner, who became an important military figure. Saul was first described as a “mighty man of valor” and “a handsome man,” taller than any other. As Saul’s relative, Abner may have had a similar stature, making him a formidable warrior and respected leader.
Even before he stepped forward to slay the giant Goliath, David had a relationship with King Saul. We read how Saul loved David, even making him his armor-bearer. Thus, it’s safe to assume that David would have had many interactions with Abner. This includes when, after killing Goliath, Saul asks Abner to inquire about David’s family and bring him before the king. From that moment, David went where Saul pointed and prospered. As David rose through the military ranks, his role in the army indeed fell under Abner’s command. We do not know how much influence Abner had in David’s life. However, thinking that Abner may have mentored this emerging leader is not out of the question.
During David’s flight from Saul, Abner remained loyal to the king, often leading the chase to apprehend David. God, however, was with David in flight and delivered him from the hands of Saul, Abner, and the army on numerous occasions. Not long after, Saul and his sons were killed in a battle with the Philistines. Abner, however, survived, becoming the de facto leader of the nation until he established Saul’s son as the next king of Israel. Sadly, Abner’s coronation of Ishbosheth only served to divide the country and delay David’s rightful ascension to the throne, sparking a civil war. The commander of Saul’s army then traveled to Gibeon to meet with Joab, David’s nephew, and commander of his army. There, the two leaders engaged in a contest of champions to see whose side won but brought no resolution.
As Abner left the contest, Asahel, the younger brother of Joab, pursued the much older general. Abner warned the ambitious Asahel to turn back, but he refused. As Asahel closed the gap, the more experienced Abner impaled Asahel with the butt end of his spear, killing him on the spot. Shortly after, Abner met with David under a banner of peace, and Joab summoned the elderly commander back to Hebron. Unbeknownst to David, he murdered Abner to avenge Asahel.
When David learned that Abner had been killed in cold blood, especially after he had just made peace with his former mentor, his anger burned against Joab – publicly reprimanding Joab for his violent act of retribution and encouraging the nation to lament for Abner. David’s mourning for him shows that he never regarded Abner as an enemy. Yes, he delayed his ascension to the throne. However, David never treated the Lord’s anointed as his enemy or as someone he had any right to harm; he always chose respect. God alone had the only right to remove him if and when He saw fit. Not David. Unlike Joab, David’s heart was never set on retribution but restoration.
So, why did David eulogize Abner by calling him a fool? A man David had known for decades and, most likely, stationed under directly was labeled a fool. He had never demonstrated animosity toward Abner (let alone Saul) for pursuing him through the wilderness, so why now? It was because of how he died. You see, Abner, after meeting with David, was tricked. Immediately after walking away from him, David (or so he thought) called Abner back. Unbeknownst to the king, Joab had plotted to confront and kill Abner to get revenge for his brother. This was part of the “foolish death.” Abner should have known that David wouldn’t call him back when they had just made peace. The parallel is clear: the voice of the deceiver fools many people, and they will ultimately face their demise.
The other reason this was called a fool’s death was that Abner had every opportunity to enter the city gate and be safe from the avenger by law. He had met with David under a flag of truce, which would have been honored if he had stepped through the gate. Also, there’s no way Joab would have disrespected the King by killing his peace-seeking old mentor in plain view of him. “Just step through the gate, Abner! You’ll be safe!” Saul would have screamed from beyond the grave if he were watching. But no. It was as if you were playing ‘Capture the Flag’ in middle school. The field was divided into half, and on one side, you couldn’t get tagged. It was like Abner got tagged while barely on the wrong side of the field. This is a fool’s death. He was so close to salvation and didn’t grab it.
This is similar to the sinner who hears the word preached yet chooses not to seize the opportunity to take it. In both cases, salvation is right there, but instead, they ignore it. This is a fool’s death. Rescue is above, and instead of shooting a signal flare, many choose to die. Don’t be a fool.
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