“Avner said again to ‘Asah’el, ‘Turn aside and stop following me! Why should I kill you? If I did, how could I look your brother Yo’av in the eye?’ But he still refused to turn aside; so Avner stabbed him in the groin with the back end of the spear, so that the shaft protruded behind him. He fell down and died on the spot. Everyone who came to the place where ‘Asah’el lay dead stopped there.”-2 Samuel 2:22-23
So Asahel is bearing down upon Avner at full speed, confident that when he catches up, he’ll end his life instantly.
Ah, the folly of dumb, youthful exuberance.
Avner, knowing full well he could easily end the boy’s life in a face-to-face skirmish, warns the boy twice to turn aside and stop chasing him.
Unfortunately, Asahel won’t listen.
He accelerates his pace…
And lunges toward Avner.
The result?
The zestful Asahel, who was full of life moments earlier…
Now lay dead, impaled by Avner’s spear.
What in the world happened?
Avner had employed an old trick only the most experienced warriors could pull off.
He had sharpened the wooden handle of his spear so that it was as sharp as the opposite metal tip.
While Asahel was sprinting toward Avner at breakneck speed, the grizzled old warrior suddenly stopped and thrust the handle of his spear backward into Asahel’s groin area without turning.
The spear ran right through Asahel’s body.
I can’t imagine how painful that must’ve been.
Asahel died instantly.
It would take some time for the rest of the group to catch up…
But when they did, they were shocked when they arrived at Asahel’s lifeless body.
So what’s the takeaway for today?
Well, one lesson is to never underestimate older warriors with years of battle experience.
What Asahel did was reckless, given his young age and lack of wisdom.
However, that’s not the main takeaway coming to me.
The lesson I feel the Lord placed upon my heart is that when you study God’s Word diligently…
You will gain wisdom that far surpasses even the most experienced or oldest person on Earth.
Ya feel me?
You will be wiser beyond your years.
So when you’re at a crossroads, deciding between advice from your earthly dad or your Father in Heaven, remember who your papa should be in this case.
There is no better mentor you could have than your Father in heaven.
Done.
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