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The Best of Friends Fight - The Books of 2 Samuel & 1 Chronicles · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And there was a very sore battle
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  Speaker 1: that day, and Abner was beaten, and the men of
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  Speaker 1: Israel before the servants of David. 2 Samuel 2.17 Lord,
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  Speaker 1: I know you value relationships, and because I desire to
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  Speaker 1: walk in your footsteps, relationships will be a focal point
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  Speaker 1: for my life. In moments of strife and contention with friends,
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  Speaker 1: My heart will seek to do what's right rather than
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  Speaker 1: to be right. Mercy and kindness will be the companions
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  Speaker 1: of my words. Love and understanding will be the chaperones
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  Speaker 1: of my heart, for I now realize that two are
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  Speaker 1: better than one. I realize that I can accomplish more
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  Speaker 1: united with like-minded relationships than by myself. Pride will not
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  Speaker 1: cloud my judgment. Anger will not drive my emotions. For
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  Speaker 1: I decree and declare that I am not run by emotions,
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  Speaker 1: but by your Spirit, God. Like Joab in today's reading,
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  Speaker 1: I will stop future relationship casualties because I realize we
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  Speaker 1: are all your children, God, and that we are on
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  Speaker 1: the same team. With this truth, I say, in Jesus' name, Amen.
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  Speaker 1: Listening to these daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God.
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  Speaker 1: Continue hearing from the Lord by listening to today's Bible
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  Speaker 1: in a Year. Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: The best of friends fight. In our last story, we
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  Speaker 2: learned about the fall of Saul and Jonathan. Their deaths
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  Speaker 2: signified an ending to David's exile, and now a new
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  Speaker 2: era of Israel can emerge to the glory of God.
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  Speaker 2: Now we learn about David's messy ascension to the throne,
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  Speaker 2: as he is crowned king of Judah, while Ish-bosheth, the
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  Speaker 2: son of Saul, is made king of Israel. David is
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  Speaker 2: forced to rule within a divided nation, and his trusted
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  Speaker 2: commander Joab displays an incredible act of mercy, as inspired
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  Speaker 2: by the book of 2 Samuel.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. In yesterday's story, we heard
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  Speaker 3: about the deaths of Saul and three of his sons,
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  Speaker 3: including Jonathan, on the battlefield. Their deaths fulfilled what God
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  Speaker 3: had told Saul would happen, and it meant that David
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  Speaker 3: would no longer live in exile. He would no longer
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  Speaker 3: be fearful of Saul. He could return to Israel and
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  Speaker 3: begin his kingship to lead God's people. But We'll learn
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  Speaker 3: today that Israel is now a divided nation, with Saul's
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  Speaker 3: son Ish-bosheth thrust onto the throne of Israel and David
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  Speaker 3: ruling in Judah. We'll also hear how Joab, one of
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  Speaker 3: the mighty men who had served alongside of David, will
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  Speaker 3: be chosen as commander of Judah's army. And like David
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  Speaker 3: did so many times with Saul, Joab will display incredible
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  Speaker 3: mercy towards his enemies. So, let's listen to today's word.
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  Speaker 2: Israel was in ruin. War and turmoil with the Philistines
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  Speaker 2: had scarred the Hebrew nation, and peace seemed like a
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  Speaker 2: distant memory. Their time under King Saul was marked by
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  Speaker 2: constant battle and captivity. The Philistines now occupied many territories
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  Speaker 2: within Israel and Judah. Now that Saul and Jonathan had
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  Speaker 2: been slain in battle, it was time for Israel to
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  Speaker 2: have their new king. However, Israel had become divided as
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  Speaker 2: a nation. Civil discourses and disagreements over territory had led
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  Speaker 2: to a split among the country. Now the nation of
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  Speaker 2: Israel had split into two kingdoms, Judah and Israel, both
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  Speaker 2: in desperate need of a king to lead them. Still
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  Speaker 2: hidden away in Ziklag, David sat with the Lord in silence.
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  Speaker 2: It had been years since he called Israel his home.
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  Speaker 2: Now that Saul was no longer pursuing him, he was
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  Speaker 2: free to return. But how would they receive him? Would
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  Speaker 2: they sing his praises as before? Would they cast him
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  Speaker 2: out for dwelling with the Philistines? David looked at the
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  Speaker 2: stars and asked himself these questions. He drew a deep
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  Speaker 2: breath and prayed, Lord, should I go back to the
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  Speaker 2: land of Judah? God met him in the quiet as
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  Speaker 2: he used to in the wilderness. He strengthened David's heart
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  Speaker 2: and sent him forth to return to his homeland. That
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  Speaker 2: next morning, David ventured forth with his family and mighty
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  Speaker 2: men towards Hebron in the territory of Judah. As Joshua
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  Speaker 2: had once led the Hebrews out of the wilderness and
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  Speaker 2: into the promised land, David led his band of misfit
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  Speaker 2: warriors and their families back to the land of Judah.
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  Speaker 2: It was midday when David and his people walked through
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  Speaker 2: the gates of Judah. David's eyes widened as he saw
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  Speaker 2: a parade of people awaiting him. Women were dancing in
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  Speaker 2: the streets, and music was being played in every alley
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  Speaker 2: of the city. Men, women, and children cheered as David
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  Speaker 2: walked through the streets. Never had David felt such a
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  Speaker 2: rush of love and affection. They led him to the
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  Speaker 2: great courts and anointed him their king before the entire nation.
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  Speaker 2: David crumbled before them and the Lord. With tears streaming
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  Speaker 2: down his cheeks and a smile beaming from his face,
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  Speaker 2: David was finally crowned king. Meanwhile, Abner, the commander of
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  Speaker 2: Saul's army, took Ish-bosheth, the illegitimate son of Saul, and
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  Speaker 2: thrust him onto the throne of Israel. Abner ruled through
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  Speaker 2: him and used his position to leverage rule over Israel.
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  Speaker 2: David would not seize the mantle of king by force.
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  Speaker 2: He had waited for years in the wilderness in Ziklag.
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  Speaker 2: He trusted that God would hand him the entire kingdom
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  Speaker 2: in due time. For now, David ruled Judah as well
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  Speaker 2: and helped restore them to stability and safety. One of
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  Speaker 2: his mighty men, Joab, was elected as his commander. Together,
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  Speaker 2: Joab and David drove out the enemies of Judah and
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  Speaker 2: Philistines were driven out and peace was slowly being won
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  Speaker 2: day by day. However, conflict was still lurking within the
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  Speaker 2: country as Abner plotted his takeover. Abner rose up to
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  Speaker 2: meet Joab at the Pool of Gibeon. The two commanders
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  Speaker 2: stood on opposite ends of the water with their armies
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  Speaker 2: behind them. Abner's brows furrowed as he looked at Joab.
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  Speaker 2: Abner was a decorated soldier. He was grisly and battle-hardened.
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  Speaker 2: He was right hand to the king and used to
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  Speaker 2: governing a nation on his own. Joab was the nephew
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  Speaker 2: of David, younger and used to being on the run.
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  Speaker 2: He looked at Abner, knowing full well he was stronger
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  Speaker 2: and able to crush him. Yet he did not want to.
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  Speaker 2: Being with David for so long had taught him mercy.
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  Speaker 2: He saw killing as a last resort. Abner shouted to Joab, saying,
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  Speaker 2: Send twelve of your best men forward, and they shall
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  Speaker 2: fight between us. Joab paused and looked back at his men.
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  Speaker 2: They nodded, understanding that the unity of Israel was at stake.
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  Speaker 2: Joab looked back at Abner and said, Let them rise.
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  Speaker 2: So twelve men from each army came forth. Each team
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  Speaker 2: rushed into battle beside the water. They were equals, blow
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  Speaker 2: for blow. Each swipe of their sword was blocked, and
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  Speaker 2: every attempt at a stab was thwarted. The twenty-four men
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  Speaker 2: were so evenly matched that each of them fell by
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  Speaker 2: each other's swords. Each man grabbed the other's head and
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  Speaker 2: thrust their blades into the other, causing both to fall.
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  Speaker 2: Abner watched as his men fell, so he sent his
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  Speaker 2: army after Joab's. The battle was fierce. Israel's army led
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  Speaker 2: by Abner was organized, tactful, and tested. Judah's army led
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  Speaker 2: by Joab was raw, scrappy, and trained by years in
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  Speaker 2: the wilderness with David. Abner and the men of Israel
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  Speaker 2: were succumbing to the weight of David's men. Though their
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  Speaker 2: armor and swords were more polished, they lacked the direction
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  Speaker 2: and heart that David imparted. Joab's brother Abishai and Asahel
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  Speaker 2: were fighting alongside him. Together they chopped through the enemy,
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  Speaker 2: gliding with precision and ferocity. Asahel was swift and was
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  Speaker 2: well known for his speed. While the battle was raging,
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  Speaker 2: Asahel honed in on Abner and began to pursue him.
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  Speaker 2: Frightened at the sight of him, Abner fled the battle
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  Speaker 2: towards the canyons. Abner knew Asahel and did not want
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  Speaker 2: to fight him. Abner shouted, Do not follow me, Asahel.
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  Speaker 2: I do not want to kill you. Yet Ashahel kept
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  Speaker 2: on running towards him. Abner was a hardened man, but
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  Speaker 2: he did not want to kill Ashahel needlessly. As Ashahel
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  Speaker 2: leapt forward to strike down Abner, he lifted up his
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  Speaker 2: spear and thrust it straight through his stomach. Ashahel fell
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  Speaker 2: to the ground and choked on his blood. Joab and
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  Speaker 2: Abishai stood still as they watched their brother.
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  Speaker 3: Bleed below Abner.
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  Speaker 2: Abishail was first to yell, He picked up his spear
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  Speaker 2: and ran towards Abner. Joab pursued behind him. As the
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  Speaker 2: sun was setting over the canyon, Joab and Abishel worked
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  Speaker 2: their way through the sea of men between them and Abner.
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  Speaker 2: One by one they fell as Abner was backed into
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  Speaker 2: a corner with many of his men behind him. The
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  Speaker 2: armies of Judah advanced and Joab and Abishel were closer
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  Speaker 2: to taking Abner's life. It was growing dark and the
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  Speaker 2: battle became sloppy and gory. Abner yanked to Joab, Shall
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  Speaker 2: we do this forever? How long will we devour one another?
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  Speaker 2: Are we not brothers of Israel? Joab stopped his men.
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  Speaker 2: The army of Judah had backed Israel into the hills.
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  Speaker 2: It was almost over. Judah looked back at his men
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  Speaker 2: and said, If you had not spoken, my men would
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  Speaker 2: have continued to kill you throughout the night. Joab paused again.
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  Speaker 2: He took the trumpet off his belt and blew it
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  Speaker 2: for the entire valley to hear. The battle was over,
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  Speaker 2: and Joab showed Abner's army mercy. Joab's army had killed
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  Speaker 2: 360 of Israel's men, while only 19 of Judah's men
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  Speaker 2: had fallen. Joab picked up his brother's body and walked
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  Speaker 2: away from the battle. This first act of mercy would
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  Speaker 2: make a ripple in the entire country of Israel. Joab
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  Speaker 2: spared the lives of hundreds of men. Mercy gives birth
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  Speaker 2: to peace.
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  Speaker 3: As we begin today's story, Israel is in trouble. The
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  Speaker 3: Philistines have occupied large amounts of territory in Israel and Judah.
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  Speaker 3: King Saul is dead, along with three of his sons,
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  Speaker 3: and the nation is deeply divided, split into two kingdoms,
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  Speaker 3: Judah and Israel. They both desperately wanted a king, but
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  Speaker 3: more than anything, they needed a godly ruler to lead them. David,
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  Speaker 3: still at Ziklag, got word that Saul and his sons
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  Speaker 3: had died. And after confirming that the news was true,
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  Speaker 3: David tore his clothes and mourned the death of his
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  Speaker 3: loved ones. But when the crying was over, David turned
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  Speaker 3: his attention towards his home, to Judah, He sought God's counsel,
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  Speaker 3: asking if he should return to Judah, and God answered,
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  Speaker 3: telling him to go. Seeking God's will has been and
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  Speaker 3: will continue to be a marker in David's life. Though
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  Speaker 3: he would fail and fall at times, David's heart always
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  Speaker 3: returns to the Lord to seek his wisdom, his guidance,
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  Speaker 3: his governance. And so, with God's blessing, David gathers his
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  Speaker 3: people and crosses back into Judah, his home. The men
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  Speaker 3: of Judah quickly came to David's side and anointed him
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  Speaker 3: king of Judah. But to the north in the kingdom
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  Speaker 3: of Israel, Abner, the commander of Saul's army, was scheming
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  Speaker 3: for power. He took the illegitimate son of Saul, Ish-bosheth,
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  Speaker 3: and placed him on the throne of Israel. There would
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  Speaker 3: be no peace or unity in the divided nation. David
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  Speaker 3: would one day rule a unified Israel, but he would
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  Speaker 3: not do so by force. So for the moment, He
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  Speaker 3: ruled Judah and ruled well and took back more and
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  Speaker 3: more territory from the Philistines, driving them out of the land.
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  Speaker 3: At his side was a man named Joab, who had
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  Speaker 3: fought with David for many years and witnessed David's courage
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  Speaker 3: in battle, but also his mercy. Meanwhile, Abner was still
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  Speaker 3: scheming for power, and he would resort to force and
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  Speaker 3: violence in order to get his way. He met Joab
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  Speaker 3: at the Pool of Gibeon, ready to go to battle.
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  Speaker 3: Abner challenged Joab to send his 12 best men to
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  Speaker 3: fight against Abner's 12, and so he did. And so
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  Speaker 3: the two armies clashed in battle. David's army, led by Joab,
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  Speaker 3: was much more powerful, and Abner's men were defeated. Abner
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  Speaker 3: fled in fear, but Joab's brother, Ashiel, pursued him. Ashiel
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  Speaker 3: was fast, but Abner was a better fighter, and he
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  Speaker 3: didn't want to kill the young man. He knew this
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  Speaker 3: would anger Joab and would surely be his death. He
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  Speaker 3: urged Ashiel to relent, but he didn't, so Abner killed
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  Speaker 3: Ashiel with his spear. And just as he had feared,
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  Speaker 3: Joab and his other brother Abishai gave chase. They closed
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  Speaker 3: in on Abner, ready to strike him down. Abner cried
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  Speaker 3: out to Joab, appealing to their brotherhood as men of Israel.
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  Speaker 3: Would they continue to kill each other until none were left?
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  Speaker 3: Joab took mercy on his enemy, who was one of
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  Speaker 3: his own countrymen. And in 2 Samuel 2, 28, we
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  Speaker 3: read this. So Joab blew the trumpet and all the
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  Speaker 3: men stopped and pursued Israel no more, nor did they
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  Speaker 3: fight anymore. Just like David, when given a chance to
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  Speaker 3: wipe out his enemy, one who had done him great wrong,
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  Speaker 3: Joab chose the path of mercy. Rather than take many lives,
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  Speaker 3: he spared them. It was an act that would resonate
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  Speaker 3: throughout both kingdoms and begin to pave the way for
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  Speaker 3: unity and peace under the rule of King David. Let's pray.
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  Speaker 3: Dear God, thank you for today's story and how it
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  Speaker 3: shows us the path of mercy and of your justice.
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  Speaker 3: Help us not to be quick to anger or to
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  Speaker 3: seek revenge, but always, always in you, Lord, to extend
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  Speaker 3: grace and mercy to those who have wronged us. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Please download the
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  Speaker 3: Pray.com app and make Bible study and prayer, a priority
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  Speaker 3: in your life. And if you enjoyed this podcast, share
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  Speaker 3: it with someone you love. And if you want more
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  Speaker 3: resources as to how to live abundantly in Jesus Christ,
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  Speaker 3: be sure to visit jackgram.org. God bless you.