2 Samuel 3:31-39
31 Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David walked behind the bier.
32 And they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king raised his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.
33 And the king sang a song of mourning for Abner and said,
“Should Abner die as a fool dies?
34 “Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in bronze shackles;
As one falls before the wicked, you have fallen.”
And all the people wept over him again.
35 Then all the people came to provide food for David in his distress while it was still day; but David vowed, saying, “May God do so to me, and more so, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down.”
36 Now all the people took note of David’s vow, and it pleased them, just as everything that the king did pleased all the people.
37 So all the people and all Israel understood on that day that it had not been the desire of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death.
38 Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a leader and a great man has fallen in Israel this day?
39 And I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too difficult for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer in proportion to his evil.”
David’s Grief
Three actions
David held Abner in high regard. He mourned deeply that this great warrior (general) had been killed by such a cowardly method. He expressed his grief through three actions. (1) David tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned Abner’s death. (2) David composed a lament (a three-line poem) to mourn Abner and sang it aloud. He also took the lead in giving Abner an honorable burial in Hebron. He had Joab and his men participate in the funeral procession. This was, in a way, a form of punishment for Joab. (3) David fasted until sunset. David’s actions served to make it clear to all Israel that the assassination of Abner did not come from him. All Israel saw this and were satisfied. Here we see David’s wisdom. Those who stand in positions of leadership must always possess both a righteous anger toward injustice and a deep respect for life.
David’s limit
(1) David had Joab perform a punitive act but did nothing beyond that. Ideally, Joab should have been removed from his position as commander, but David was unable to do so. This would later leave behind seeds of trouble. (2) David was aware of his own lack of strength. He was unable to stand up against his nephew, General Joab, and his family. (3) David prayed that the Lord Himself would intervene in this matter. Ironically, Hebron was one of the six “cities of refuge.” These cities were originally given to the people of Israel to prevent such tragedies from occurring. Yet, an assassination took place there. The cities of refuge are a foreshadowing of Christ. Earthly cities of refuge could not guarantee perfect safety. But our Savior Jesus protects us with His sure and mighty hand. Let us place our trust in Him now.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, please protect me from the enemies of God who come seeking to destroy me. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.