Monday, October 12, 2015

II Samuel 2: The Interlude Of Ishbaal

After the death of Saul, David did not become king over Israel immediately.  The first thing that happened is that David felt led of the Lord to move his forces from the Philistine city of Ziklag to Hebron in Judah.  While Judah quickly anointed David as their king, Saul's son Ishbaal reigned over the other tribes of Israel for another two years (vs. 10).

Thus were the dynamics of a cold civil war set up between David's men representing Judah and Ishbaal's forces from Israel.  This was most clearly personified in the struggle between the leading military generals of each side.  For Judah, Joab was the leader of the army while Abner (Saul's uncle) was the commander of Israel's army.

During one time when the cold war broke out in a hot fight, one particular skirmish raged all day.  The men of Judah began to win and pursued Israel's retreating forces.  In the heat of the battle, Abner speared through a man who was chasing him named Asahel.  Asahel was Joab's brother.  The rivalry between the two men became even more bitter and personal because of this episode.  The "bad blood" between Joab and Abner will culminate in an ugly scene in chapter 3.

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