“So that day, all the people and all Israel understood that the king had had no part in the killing of Avner the son of Ner. The king said to his servants, ‘You realize that a leader, a great man, has fallen today in Israel.'”-2 Samuel 3:37-38
When we last left off, David was in the process of doing damage control to show he was in no way involved in the killing of Avner.
He publicly grieved and ordered others to do the same.
He cursed Avner’s killers even though they were his own sister’s sons.
He mourned by walking behind Avner’s dead body during the funeral parade – something reserved only for royalty.
David did everything he possibly could to distance himself from what had happened.
Unfortunately, we’ll find out later that not everyone in the north believed he was innocent.
Later in chapter 16, we’ll be told a story about a distant relative of Saul named Shimei, who publicly cursed David.
This man, no doubt from the tribe of Benjamin, threw stones at David and blamed him for Saul and Ishbosheth’s deaths.
But having said that, the end of this chapter tells us most of the northern folks believed David.
They believed he was sincere and had shown the utmost respect for a great warrior.
Now, David may have been the King of Judah…
But he was still in a tough spot politically.
The closing verses of this chapter say…
“Even though I have just been anointed king, I feel weak today; and these men, the sons of Tz’ruyah, are too brutal for me. May Adonai repay the criminal as his crime deserves!”
This last verse reminds us that David hadn’t fully secured his power yet.
If he was to be a righteous king who properly obeyed the Torah, he well understood that Yo’av and his accomplices had to be punished for the murder of Avner.
However, these “sons of Zeruiah,” as David called them, were like wild animals bent on violence.
Plus, their high positions in the royal court made it even harder for David to act against them.
So in the end, we see David lamenting his situation and the irony of being a king yet so powerless.
In his hopelessness, David surrenders the situation to God by saying, “May Adonai repay the criminal as his crime deserves!”
The takeaway for today is to realize that even the most powerful men in the world aren’t as powerful and carefree as we might assume.
Like the rest of us, they are beset with common worries, family conflicts, health issues, and all of the problems that have plagued mankind since the beginning of history.
King Solomon said it best in his famous tome titled Ecclesiastes:
“Absolute futility,” says the Teacher.
“Absolute futility. Everything is futile.”
However, his conclusion is even more solemn as it is inspiring.
“Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.”
See ya all next time.
Leave a Reply