Reject Revenge; Pursue God's Justice

Hey, good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This morning we are going to continue on.

What happens to Abner? Is he just going to get to switch sides here and nothing's going to happen?

Let's have some coffee, we'll pray, and we'll get into God's Word.

That's right. By the way, this is a fun mug from RPTS. That's where I graduated from seminary.

It gave it to me a couple years ago. Still love it. It's a great mug.

It was a crazy rabbit trail. Sorry. ADHD moment. Let's pray.

Father, thank you so much for this day. Thank you for your Word.

Thank you for the blessing it is that we get to learn from you and to read your Word.

And we pray that your Spirit would please help us to understand it.

That you would apply it to our hearts and lives. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Here we go. 2 Samuel chapter 3, beginning at verse 22.

And we'll read through verse 30.

Look, Abner came to you.

Why is it that you sent him away and he has already gone?

Surely you realize that Abner, the son of Ner, came to deceive you.

To know you're going out and you're coming in.

And to know all that you are doing.

And when Joab had gone from David's presence,

he sent messengers after Abner,

who brought him back from the well of Syrah.

But David did not know it.

Now when Abner had returned to Hebron,

Joab took him aside into the gate to speak with him privately.

And there he stabbed him in the stomach so that he died for the blood of Asael, his brother.

Afterward, when David heard it, he said,

My kingdom and I are guiltless before Yehovah forever of the blood of Abner, the son of Ner.

Let it rest on the head of Joab and on all his father's house and let there never fail to be in the house of Joab,

one who has a discharge or is a leper, who leans on a staff or falls by the sword or who lacks bread.

So Joab and Abishai, his brother killed Abner because he had killed their brother, Asael, at Gibeon in the battle.

What we need to ask ourselves are three questions.

A, what's this about?

B, what's the best verse to summarize this?

And C, what are we called to do?

So what is this about?

Well, this is Joab.

Joab is the commander of Judah's army.

He's been with David for years now.

He's a faithful dude.

Finds out that Abner came and he has ticked off mad.

This guy killed his brother in battle.

Remember Asael, the guy, fleet footage, chasing down Abner.

Abner says, is that you?

He says, yeah, it's me.

He says, you should stop.

He says, no way.

With the whole bloody scene.

Yeah, that's what happens here.

That guy, that guy who killed my brother, you just let him go.

David's been at home.

By the way, why isn't David out with a raiding party?

Well, that's going to become other problems later as we find that becomes somewhat of a pattern in David's life.

But anyways, he's not going out with the guys.

Instead, he's sending them on these raiding parties.

They come back.

Joab's been out with his guys.

And he's ticked.

Dude, he's a spy.

He's a traitor.

He is a sly, slippery snake.

You can't trust that dude.

He's just trying to figure out your movements.

He's going to betray you.

So he goes behind the king's back and he goes and gets him.

Lies saying why he's going to get him, bring him back to the city.

And there at the gate, yeah, I need to talk to you privately over here.

Stabs him in the stomach.

He and his brother killed him in cold blood.

David finds out about it and he is horrified.

Because in David's mind, there's a difference between when you're going to war and when you've come as a political treaty.

When you're going and it's a known battle, right?

Battlesides lined up, guy against guy, chasing, heat of the fight, right?

Abishai died in battle.

What they're doing here is murder.

This is wrong and he pronounces a curse.

He judges Joash and his brother, Joab and his brother.

No.

There's going to be a curse upon you.

May this follow you and your generations on.

Now, I'm not sure how much that curse sticks, right?

But the point being is that David's making a very firm judgment here and separating himself, saying,

no, no, no, I'm not guilty of that bloodshed and neither is the land.

That was you and the guilt's on your head.

Now, we'll find he doesn't take Joab out of the role of being a military officer.

He doesn't defrock him.

He lets him continue to serve.

But it's very clear.

This was not David's plan.

So, what's this about?

Joab killing Abner for his brother's blood.

It's almost like he's acting as the avenger of blood here, but this is murder, not justice.

Well, B, what's the best verse to summarize this?

I would say verse 30.

So, Joab and Abishai, his brother, killed Abner because he killed their brother Ashael at Gibeon in the battle.

That's what I underline in my Bible.

Last C, calling.

What are we called to do?

Here's an easy one.

This is a straight moral calling.

Don't be going out avenging people's blood.

Don't get so hot under the collar that you're going out for vigilante justice.

Stop.

Don't do that.

We don't need the Hatfields and McCoys going around.

Do not murder.

Do not murder.

But why wouldn't you?

Why wouldn't you avenge your brother's honor?

There's something noble about that, that we think, but no, no.

We have morals about these things because it's the way the Lord has ordered the universe.

And so, as people, part of his covenant, he is a just God.

He is a God who is not for vigilante justice, but of judgment and righteousness.

Make no doubt about it.

He is Adonai Tzaba'ot.

He's the Lord of the armies.

But he's also the king of righteousness.

He is a tzaddik.

He is the Lord of righteousness and the Lord of armies.

So, that's the king we follow, a God of law, even in warfare.

It's a God that we can appeal to for his justice and for his mercy.

Let's pray.

Father, we thank you that even as we talk about this way of your righteousness and your

justice, your strength and your power, Lord, we know that none of us are guiltless.

But, Father, we thank you for sending us Jesus, our King of kings, the true Lord of righteousness.

And we pray that you would teach us to follow after him, that we would love others as we

ought to love ourselves.

Lord, you are truly a wonderful God.

Help us walk in your ways in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, may the Lord bless you as you walk in the ways of King Jesus, as you rest in him all

your days.

I'll see you next time.

Bye.