2 Samuel 3:12-21
12 Then Abner sent messengers to David at his place, saying, “Whose is the land? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel over to you.”
13 And he said, “Good! I will make a covenant with you, only I require one thing of you, namely, that you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see me.”
14 So David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was betrothed for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.”
15 Ish-bosheth sent men and had her taken from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish.
16 And her husband went with her, weeping as he went, following her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return.” So he returned.
17 Now Abner had a consultation with the elders of Israel, saying, “In times past you were seeking for David to be king over you.
18 Now then, do it! For the Lord has spoken regarding David, saying, ‘By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and from the hands of all their enemies.’ ”
19 Abner also spoke to Benjamin; and in addition Abner went to speak to David in Hebron everything that seemed good to Israel and to the entire house of Benjamin.
20 Then Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David held a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.
21 Abner said to David, “Let me set out and go and gather all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may be king over all that your soul desires.” So David let Abner go, and he went in peace.
A Man of Peace David
Peace Negotiation
Abner sent messengers to David and proposed the establishment of a covenant. (1) He requested a prominent position within David’s kingdom. If that request were granted, he promised to bring all Israel under David’s rule. (2) David presented a condition for the negotiations: that Saul’s daughter Michal be brought to him. Although Saul had forcibly torn David and Michal apart, Michal was still legally David’s wife. If Michal were to bear a child, that child could become the one who reconciles the house of Saul and the house of David. (3) David’s request was carried out through Ish-bosheth, and Michal was returned to David from her husband Paltiel, who parted from her with sorrow. Although it says Paltiel is “her husband,” David had not divorced Michal, so legally, David was her rightful husband.
Feast
(1) Abner met with the elders of Israel and the Benjaminites, the tribe from which Saul came, to lay the groundwork. He secured their promise that it would be acceptable for David to become king over all Israel. (2) Abner then visited David in Hebron, bringing twenty of his men with him, and began direct negotiations. (3) David welcomed Abner and held a feast for him. In other words, he accepted Abner’s proposal. (4) With his safety guaranteed, Abner departed with peace of mind, having a hopeful outlook for the future. David was a man of peace. If the kingdom of Ish-bosheth, which was a coalition of the ten tribes of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, was weakening, he could have used military force. Or he could have assassinated Abner when he came to Hebron. However, David avoided the shedding of blood and chose the path of peace. He offered Abner the highest level of hospitality and treated him with the respect due to a state guest. The meal David shared with Abner was a “covenant meal.” The Lord Jesus also ate the Passover meal in order to establish a covenant of peace with us. The covenant that was established at that time is the “New Covenant.” Those who have entered into a covenant relationship with the Lord Jesus can live with a hopeful outlook for the future.
Today's prayer
Almighty God, I thank You for being brought into a covenant relationship with Jesus, the Prince of Peace. I have been saved from destruction and can now live with hope. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.