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2 Samuel 3:6–21
So Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him (v. 20).
Seeing that the house of Saul is growing weaker and that David must soon prevail, Abner now begins to consider how he might preserve some measure of power for himself. Up to this point, he has been “strengthening his hold on the house of Saul,” possibly even scheming to seat himself on Saul’s throne. One way for him to establish a claim to the crown would be to take one of Saul’s concubines as his own, and Ishbosheth now accuses him of doing just that. It is not at all clear whether Abner is indeed guilty of this deed, but when Ishbosheth makes the accusation, Abner responds angrily. He may be truly aggrieved, he may be upset to be questioned by his puppet king, or he may simply be feigning injury. In any case, he uses this disagreement as the grounds for a transfer of his loyalties from Ishbosheth to David. He angrily informs Ishbosheth that he has supported Saul’s house of his own free will, and Ishbosheth ought to be more grateful to him for it. But since Ishbosheth is so insulting as to question his actions, Abner vows to transfer his support to David, so that David will be established as king over all Israel, ” ‘from Dan to Beersheba.’ ” He seems to understand that it is God’s will that David come to the throne, but he improperly views himself as the kingmaker, not God.
Abner is as good as his word. He sends messengers to David, offering to help him secure the throne in exchange for a covenant of peace. David agrees, upon condition that Abner bring him Saul’s daughter Michal, David’s first wife, whom Saul gave to another man. David then makes his request to Ishbosheth, who meekly complies. He takes Michal from her current husband, who is heartbroken to lose her, and gives her to Abner, who in turn takes her to David.
Before going to meet David, Abner uses his influence with the elders of the northern tribes, reminding them that David has been their choice and God’s choice as king. He especially appeals to the men of Benjamin, Saul’s tribe. Finally, he goes to David with messages from the tribes, and David hosts a great feast in his honor. Afterward, Abner departs again, promising to win all Israel to David’s side. Clearly he is working to secure a position of influence for himself. Still, he is a help to David’s cause. “While Abner serves his own lusts, God by him serves His own purposes,” Matthew Henry writes.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Why would God use the scheming, prideful Abner to bolster David’s cause? Who can say? He establishes His purposes as He sees fit, and can use even the rebellious acts of His enemies for His own ends. If His ways seem incomprehensible, our only proper response is to lay our hands on our mouths and say nothing, but only to marvel.
For Further Study
- Ps. 76:10
- Isa. 10:6–12; 45:1–4
- Acts 2:23