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| Treacherous Abners in the kingdom 2 Samuel 2-3 |
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Treacherous
Abners in the kingdom
2 Samuel 2-3.
1.
Abner opposing the kingdom through defiance
a.
Look at Abner’s action! Abner knew very well that the Lord had promised the
kingship to David. Saul his master had also declared, 1 Sam 24:10, and Abner
being Saul’s captain would have heard the truth with his own ears. But he had
great self-interest to safeguard, and instead of giving up and bowing to the Lord’s anointed king, he opposed David’s kingship.
-
Abner’s defiance of installing Ishbosheth as king was an open act of rebellion
against the Lord's anointed, who had plainly rejected Saul and chosen David
king over Israel. Even Saul himself was fully aware and admitted to it in the
presence of his own army, and Abner had heard with his own ears.
-
In opposing the Lord’s anointed king, Abner was opposing the Lord’s kingship
and will. He knew the Lord's will but chose to fly in the face of it. Beware of
enthroning your own Ishbosheths… to maintain your own interest in defiance of
the Lord’s king!
b.
In 2Sam 2, the kingdom of the Lord’s chosen king has met with rebellion and
opposition. And this kingdom conflict will continue in one form or another until Jesus comes in power and great glory… when all shall be put under His
feet. And please note that this conflict comes or arises from WITHIN the nation
of Israel!
-
Opposition to God's truth comes from within the church! Who are the champions
of the false gospel? Who advocates the lies of free will? Who pushes the lies of
sola fideism, justification before God by man’s faith alone? Calvinists and
Arminians alike. Who spread the lies of gospel regeneration – that a man must
hear the gospel to be regenerated? Calvinists and Arminians alike! Enemies are
from within! Not the godless heathen.
-
If we are among God’s faithful, we must not allow or tolerate the present-day
Abners to deter or depress or discourage us. We would remain loyal and faithful
to Christ even if we are among the minority. Our allegiance is to Christ, even
if His kingdom appears small and insignificant. Let us remain steadfast.
- Abners’ defiance can certainly deter and
discourage the faint-hearted. Let us be found loyal to Christ and His truth,
let us resist them, and fight the good fight of faith. Don’t walk away from the
good fight of faith. Let us not become or behave like Abners. His
self-interests are high – captain of Saul’s army and all the prestige and power
and privileges that come with it. So Abners would not give up nor submit to
Christ
c.
Let us be among those who loyally follow the Son of David, the Lord’s anointed…
even if the rest of Israel rebel against the Lord’s anointed king. That’s our
place and calling, no matter what the circumstances may be.
-
Let us not surrender or compromise the crown right of Jesus Christ for some
conveniences or selfish consideration. There is every reason to insist upon it
and fight against those who would oppose it.
-
Any opposition to the Lord’s anointed will eventually be crushed… see Ps 2!
2.
Abner resisting the kingdom by force
(v12-32)
a.
Please note that Abner is the aggressor in the whole affair. We read his
aggressor’s move in verse 12. They were
marching to Hebron, but was intercepted at Gibeon by Joab and his soldiers.
-
The conflict we see in Gibeon was not a chance encounter and civil conflict
between Saul’s and David’s armies, but Abner’s deliberate attempt to assert
Saul’s rule on David’s kingdom! Abner was on the attack!
-
He came on the offensive, and as an aggressor… he instigated the fight –
v14,27. He resisted the kingdom by force!
We must not be diverted by his civility, i.e. warning to Asahel. He came
to resist and to kill!
-
And Abner’s action is all that more condemnable because Abner was clearly aware
that the Lord Jehovah had promised the kingship to David. Even his own words
condemned him, 3:9-10, 17-18.
b.
How often many in the church behave like Abner – trying to impose their own
will and their own ways… despite God’s plain words, despite their own testimony
of God’s words, despite the testimony and exhortation of others.
-
Like Abner, it is possible to know the truth but reject the truth, to quote the
truth but not embrace the truth, to claim to hold the truth but yet attack the
truth! Abners are everywhere, and that same spirit is found right within each
one of us too. Let us banish any trace
of the spirit of Abner within us.
3.
Abner seeking the kingdom for self-interest (3:1-12)
a.
These verses highlight a contrast. Both verses 1 & 6 note the ongoing
war between the house of David and the
house of Saul. V1 indicates that David waxed stronger and stronger, and Saul’s
house weaker and weaker. Verses 2-5 give
an example of the progress of David’s house during the Hebron days.
Abner too was making himself strong in the house of Saul, manifested in his taking one of Saul's concubines as his own! In the culture of those days, the man who took over the concubines of the deceased king thereby asserted his claim to succeed to the throne. We don’t how far Abner intended to go in usurping Ishbosheth for the kingdom.
Ishbosheth may have been a puppet and a weakling, but he was not stupid. He raised a big fuss over Abner’s ploy (v7) that Abner’s purpose was frustrated and hindered. Abner was made to appear treasonous! Being frustrated in his ambition, Abner out of spite and logic decided to switch allegiance and pull the army under his charge into the kingdom of David… read his own words in 3:9-10. And there was nothing Ishbosheth could do about it.
b.
What explains Abner’s move or turnaround?
Abner
was not driven to this act by the truth of God but by selfish motive. He did
not seek to expand David’s kingdom because he believed the truth and submit to
the authority of the Lord’s promise BUT because he sought his own advantage and
advancement.
If
Ishbosheth was not going to toe his line and dance to his tune, then his next
best option was to swing his support to David and use his powerful influence
over Saul’s army as a bargaining chip with David, and thus securing for himself
a powerful spot in David’s kingdom. Ah, how very self-serving!
-
Abner quotes Scriptures only when it promotes and support pro-Abner’s move.
Abner seeks the kingdom not because it is a matter of obedience to God but
because it is a political move that is advantageous to him. It is not love for
the Lord who redeemed him, but concern over his own benefits is all that
matters to him!
c.
And there are Abners in the church in every age. Abner’s syndrome is ever lurking
within each one of us. Even faithful preachers, for example, who desire to
proclaim and make plain God’s truth, know the temptation when they seem more
concerned with whether God’s people will be impressed with them, like them,
congratulate and praise them. The self-serving spirit of Abner is lurking
within each one of us. Do we seek God’s kingdom for self-interest? To make a
name for yourself? Or to elevate Christ?
===========
Comments
Charles
Page
Sing
F Lau, I have had a lot of association with the US Military in a civilian capacity
with all branches of service. And the war-like elements of Saul and David and
their captains are in the military. Even in the best of military men, I seemed
to sense almost a demonic spirit disguised as loyalty. Military people think
differently than civilians. I remained a civilian in my work with the military and
I saw things differently than most. Military loyalty is I suppose a necessary
evil but in the final analysis, has to be disbanded. That is IMO why God choose
Solomon over David to build His temple.
Uniformity and loyalty are a volatile mix! LOL, I am a barbaric Baptist soldier...what am I talking about!
Sing
F Lau
Captain
Charles, loyalty to Christ. Nothing more and nothing less. It is the spiritual
warfare that we are engaged in.
It
is the GOOD fight of faith. Shun all other fights!
Sing
F Lau
By
God's grace, I was instrumental in gathering the Ipoh East Church. The church
was covenanted in Nov 2001, with the 1689 BCoF as its Doctrinal Standard. I
ministered to the church for several years and taught the church the gospel of
FREE grace. Towards the end of 2006, the church invited a certain RB Rev. from
Sydney to minister for a month. After that, I was informed that the church had
decided to reject my pastoral oversight because of doctrinal differences. I
respected their choice.
The
IEC called the pastor of another RB church to provide spiritual oversight.
I
heard today that not long after he introduced the Ipoh East Church to the
oversight of an Anglican pastor. The Anglican pastor advised the church to
close shop and join with the Anglicans. And those RBs agreed!!!
3
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after
their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto
fables.
5
But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist,
make full proof of thy ministry
Charles
Page
treacherous
indeed - we all have a warlike spirit within us (James 4) and it can be for
the regenerate good or the bad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ujBjUriUjI
from a PB to a RB to Anglaking to a toe kisser how high can you go?
Sing
F Lau
Actually,
many RBs are only baptized Presbies.... they drink deeply from Hodges, Berkhof,
Murray, etc.
They
are ignorant of the far richer heritage of the great old Baptists.
Sing
F Lau
PB
- Particular Baptist >>>>
Charles
Page
Sing,
aren't Hodges, Berkhof, and Murray moderated Calvinist - free moral offer to all instead of a particular atonement?
Charles
Page
BTW
what about Joab's treachery?
Sing
F Lau
Joab
has his own problems... and is dealt with accordingly.
Sing
F Lau
Yes,
they are new school Presbies... and RBs love them so.
The
RBs slander the old-school Baptists as hyper... how convenient!
Charles
Page
Sing,
give me some names of old-school non-Calvinist Baptist preachers prior to Gill.
Is there a historical continuity of Sovereign Grace Baptist preachers from the
first century?
Is Augustine a part of that lineage?
Charles
Page
Do
you subscribe to the London confessions of the Particular Baptist? Some of the
RBs believe they support their new school thought.
Sing
F Lau
I
do, and the new school are entirely deceived.
I have conclusively proven that the RBs are bastards, that is, they are not the true offspring of the Particular Baptists who framed that Confession.
Charles
Page
Abner’s
syndrome is ever lurking within each one of us. Sing, your post makes me feel
sorry for Abner because I see myself in him. Zealous pride and loyalty, always
subservient to greater personalities, torn between powers. He is a lot like
the Saul of Tarsus concerned about being the greater of Pharisees than his own
peers.
Sing
F Lau
Triple
like your comment above... Abner is ever lurking within this heart - this
DECEITFUL heart.
Charles
Page
Are
you familiar with the Philadelphia Confession and in your opinion is it
different than the 1689 London Confession?
Charles
Page
looking
forward to what you have to say about Joab. Joab is the regenerate person who
will kill you thinking he is doing God a service.
Sing
F Lau
I
have heard of PC... but have never seen one.
I
am quite familiar with the 1689 BCoF... having gone through it several times
with the church on Wednesday evenings in the last 18 years.
Saul
of Tarsus is the regenerate person who will kill you thinking he is doing God a
service!
Charles
Page
What
about the games men play to demonstrate domination?
I've
seen this in the ministry. dominion!!!
Sing
F Lau
@ What
about the games men play to demonstrate domination?
=======
SICKOS
games... and ANTI Christ too!
It
is a natural instinct to dominate.
It
takes divine grace for this rotten heart to serve the saints!
Matt
23:
8
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are
brethren.
9 And
call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in
heaven.
10
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 11 But he
that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
In
Christ's kingdom, true greatness is measured by one's servanthood to His
redeemed.
I
have personally known two men who practice ecclesiastical domination, whose
empire now has collapsed! I am an eyewitness! Known them personally... cross
swords with them two... their dream empire has collapsed.
God's meek children know how to rebel and fight to be Christ's free men too. Let the sickos be reminded!
Charles
Page
"In
Christ's kingdom, true greatness is measured by one's servanthood to His
redeemed." ...his precious redeemed!
Sing
F Lau
Seven Amen to "...his precious redeemed!"
