But Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ishbaal son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim. He made him king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and over all Israel. Ishbaal, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
Abner son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbaal son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. Joab son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat on one side of the pool, while the other sat on the other side of the pool. Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men come forward and have a contest before us."
Joab said, "Let them come forward."
So they came forward and were counted as they passed by, twelve for Benjamin and Ishbaal son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. Each grasped his opponent by the head, and thrust his sword in his opponent's side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is at Gibeon. The battle was very fierce that day; and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten by the servants of David.
2 Sa 2:8-17 – NRSV
Abner, a close relative of Saul, is the real power behind the throne. Saul may have died in battle, but Abner isn’t done yet. He has been loyal for years to Saul and his family. He has paid his dues too many times just to pick up his cloak and go herd sheep. There are certain people who will not abide a vacuum in power, and Abner is such a one.
Abner is not unaware of the claims of David for the throne, but he also understands that David has his own people and his own loyalties. So, to keep the power that he has, he finds a puppet. It’s interesting how powerful people often have that peculiar sense and skill.
Once Abner hears that David has moved into Hebron, he feels the need to scout out the situation. And when he does, of course, he encounters Joab. Joab is the political mirror image of Abner. Except of course, David doesn’t make as malleable of a puppet as does Ishbaal. Joab is one of the three sons of Zeruiah, David’s sister. Joab is fierce, loyal, single-minded, dangerous, and just as addicted to power as is Abner.
So, in a region where water is not plentiful, they meet at a pool like so many wild animals. Abner and Joab size each other up. Abner is a more experienced negotiator, but today he is spoiling for a fight just as much as Joab. Instead of an all-out battle, they choose to fight the battle by representatives. Each side chooses their twelve warriors, who fight it out on behalf of their side. Both Abner and Joab are readily willing to sacrifice a dozen lives for their purposes: Abner to maintain power, Joab to seize power. Twenty-four lives as toys in the hands of men who are old enough to know better. The word they use for what they do is to “make sport,” to “contest.” But it is never play when life and death are involved. For all practical purposes this is a deadly gladiatorial contest.
Except the fight doesn’t just stay among the twenty-four chosen.
When brother sees brother killed, they are no longer willing to sit silently. Someone from the killer’s family must pay. So these “games” turn into a melee where even more people must die. Did Abner or Joab suspect that this would turn into a civil war? It would be difficult for either of them to defend themselves from such an accusation.
How do we use power? We all have it, you know. Is our use of power really benevolent, really altruistic? Or are we altogether too willing to snatch up power someone else has left laying around and use it to make certain that people know who is boss? It is amazing how people whom you would never see as being very concerned with power become very aggressive when others start to intrude into the boundaries of their power.
Yet the way that Jesus used power was kenotic, or self-emptying. The scriptures say:
Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death —
even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:5-8 – NRSV
Power, used for others. That’s confidence in power.
Think about it.
Blessings,
Ron
