How Do You Treat Your Enemies? (2 Samuel & 1 Chronicles)
Do you ever feel like some people are against you no matter what? Even after Saul died, David still faced tension and division from those loyal to Saul.
2 Samuel 1-4; 1 Chronicles 11-12
Today's Scripture Passage
A Few Thoughts to Consider
Do you ever struggle with enemies who would love to see you fail?
Even after Saul’s death, there was a period of civil war between those who were loyal to Saul and those who were loyal to David. “As characterized by the writer, the conflict was fundamentally between two families vying for undisputed control over one nation,” Robert Bergen writes, “not two nations at war with each other.”[1] And 2 Samuel 1-4 and 1 Chronicles 11-12 collectively narrate a pivotal transition in Israel's leadership and the establishment of David as king.
Following the death of Saul and Jonathan, David mourns their loss and is anointed king over Judah, while Ish-Bosheth, Saul's son, becomes king of Israel, leading to a power struggle between the House of David and the House of Saul. This period is marked by political intrigue, battles, and the eventual weakening of Ish-Bosheth’s reign. David's position strengthens as he gains support, culminating in his anointing as king over all of Israel.
In this reading, we see two assassinations—one of Ish-Bosheth and the other of Abner. Ish-Bosheth, the son of Saul, was murdered by two of his own captains, Baanah and Rechab, who sought favor with David by presenting him the head of his rival. They believed this act would please David and secure their positions or rewards. Abner was killed by Joab as an act of revenge for the death of Joab's brother, Asahel. Although Abner's killing of Asahel could be seen as self-defense during a battle, Joab viewed it as a personal vendetta. He murdered Abner without David's knowledge or approval, violating the norms of justice prescribed by the Torah.
In both cases, David is angry. In the first case, he has Ish-Bosheth’s murderers put to death. While David doesn’t put Joab to death, in 2 Samuel 3:28-29, he makes this statement: 28 “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.” Berget notes, “Joab’s actions against Abner were not only unwarranted but a flagrant violation of God’s law.”[2] And eventually, Joab would be put to death by David’s son, Solomon.
So what is going on here? On the one hand, we know that David killed his “tens of thousands” and see various imprecatory psalms in which David asks for his enemies to be brought to justice—sometimes through violent means. But then we see instances where David grows angry or sad when his enemies, like King Saul, Ish-Bosheth, Abner, or later, his son Absalom, are put to death. Does David have a split personality? Is he holding his men to a standard that he does not keep?
While this does seem to be the case, when we take a step back and look at David’s life in context, we see that his real reason for sorrow, in this case, isn’t simply the loss of human life. It’s that these lives were taken in a way that was out of alignment with what Yahweh intended. His sadness and anger over the death of individuals like Abner and Ish-bosheth were expressions of personal grief and respect for God's anointed, while his psalms calling for the destruction of enemies were pleas for divine justice and deliverance, reflecting his role as a king responsible for the well-being of his nation and his reliance on God for protection and judgment.
This teaches us an invaluable lesson. While it can be proper to ask that God bring justice to those who oppress others, we must submit our wills to his. This means we don’t get ahead of God and try to administer the justice we think others deserve. Instead, we are to wait on his timing and trust that he will make every wrong right.
A Meditation to PRAY
Praise | Lord, you are sovereign, and your justice reigns over all the earth. Your ways are perfect, and your wisdom is beyond measure. Your steadfast love endures in every season, and your mercy flows like a mighty river.
Release | I confess that I am troubled by the brokenness of this world, where life is often met with untimely ends, and ambition can lead to ruin. I let go of my own understanding and the temptation to seek retribution, trusting in your ways and your timing.
