When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David; but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the valley of Rephaim. David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?"
The Lord said to David, "Go up; for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand."
So David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. He said, "The Lord has burst forth against my enemies before me, like a bursting flood." Therefore that place is called Baal-perazim. The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.
Once again the Philistines came up, and were spread out in the valley of Rephaim. When David inquired of the Lord, he said, "You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come upon them opposite the balsam trees. When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then be on the alert; for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines."
David did just as the Lord had commanded him; and he struck down the Philistines from Geba all the way to Gezer.
2 Samuel 5:17-25 – NRSV
When good things come into our lives, there are some things that we should expect. The first expectation is that we will be tempted to believe that the blessings we received were only for our benefit. This is the temptation that David resisted successfully after being anointed by the Israelites (see yesterday’s devotional).
If we resist being our own worst enemies, then we can count on resistance from outsiders. For David, success attracts enemies. Surprise, surprise, here come the Philistines. Remember the kings whom David treated like his friends just a little while back? Now they’ve figured out that David took them for a bunch of fools. They are not happy about this. Now the Philistines believe that whatever they did to Saul, they can do to David. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t ask God whether they could or couldn't. They can’t.
David, on the other hand, is successful and yet still in conversation with God. David doesn’t just pray in emergencies; he maintains an ongoing dialogue with God, especially about matters of leadership. David doesn’t make a decision on his own authority; he gathers a community of informed judgment that includes God, and then acts on the word of God. God brings the first victory, and David glorifies him for it.
Defeated once, the Philistines return to repeat their assault on David. Again, David resists the impulse to make assumptions based on past decisions, or to operate on his own authority. He consults God, who gives him advice which he would not have anticipated on his own. Attack from the rear? Who would have guessed? As David follows God's instructions, God is already moving out in front, dealing with the enemies of the Israelites before God’s people are in the position to strike a single blow. David’s army cleans up the remnant of the enemy as they catch up with the Philistines.
Like David, we need to be in constant conversation with God. If we glorify God for our successes, then we avoid so many pitfalls. If we keep talking with God even when the blessings are there, they will seem to keep on coming to us again and again. If we listen to God as much as we talk to God, then we have the opportunity to behave wisely and lead wisely.
May God help us to keep our conversation with him constant and transparent.
Blessings,
Ron
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
For the sake of his people ...
Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, "Look, we are your bone and flesh. For some time, while Saul was king over us, it was you who led out Israel and brought it in. The Lord said to you: It is you who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you who shall be ruler over Israel." So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.
The king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, "You will not come in here, even the blind and the lame will turn you back" — thinking, "David cannot come in here." Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion, which is now the city of David. David had said on that day, "Whoever would strike down the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack the lame and the blind, those whom David hates." Therefore it is said, "The blind and the lame shall not come into the house." David occupied the stronghold, and named it the city of David. David built the city all around from the Millo inward. And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.
King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar trees, and carpenters and masons who built David a house. David then perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
2 Samuel 5:1-12 – NRSV
After so many years of difficulty, this course of events had to be so affirming to David. First, the civil war ends when the people of Israel come and say, “We are your people. We have always loved you and always longed to have been your people.” This is more than polite politics; remember that the people so loved David, and so sang his praises that it drove Saul insane with jealousy. Literally.
Peace is confirmed with covenant. King David, both people and scriptures call him. That respect had to compensate in some real ways for the years of disrespect spent in the wilderness. Now David is anointed by God and anointed by all of his people to lead.
And lead he does. He attacks a gentile stronghold set in the central highlands of his country, a city that had resisted capture since the days of Joshua, and claims it for his own. Even today, people call Jerusalem the “city of David.” God confirms David’s leadership with victory, victory unparalleled in many years of Israel’s history.
Then there is the palace. King Hiram wishes for peace with his neighbor, this new and aggressive young king. So, as a proactive gesture of goodwill, Hiram helps David feel like a king. The palace is good. Life is good. Being king is good.
Then comes the most interesting statement: “David then perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.” David well understands, as do we, that he is king. From that fact, he makes the most extraordinary leap of logic: God did this for his people.
Somehow David understands that “it’s not all about David.” God doesn’t decide one day that David has won the royal lottery; God has deeper purpose. The people have asked for a king (1 Sam 8), and even though the first king was not an unqualified success, God gives the experiment another chance. God makes David king for the sake of the people.
The people hope for safety. The people seek some unifying symbol, some mark of God’s presence with them. The people need a leader who understands this nation’s unique relationship with one, and only one, God. For the people, David becomes king.
Just as God uniquely gifted and prepared David for his time and place, so, I believe, God has uniquely gifted and prepared us for our time and place in his kingdom. Here’s the good news: it’s not all about us either. We have a king, the son of David, but better than David. The good news is about that king, Immanuel, “God is with us.”
Just as David respected all whom God chose to anoint, so ought we. Just as David respected his gift and calling so ought we. Will what we perceive to be our calling always be consistent with how others perceive their calling? Probably not. When that happens, we have to live in the tension of the moment. We do that through an abiding trust in the providence and purpose of God. God will take care of his people. So ought we.
May God give us the strength and wisdom to make it so.
Blessings,
Ron
The king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, "You will not come in here, even the blind and the lame will turn you back" — thinking, "David cannot come in here." Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion, which is now the city of David. David had said on that day, "Whoever would strike down the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack the lame and the blind, those whom David hates." Therefore it is said, "The blind and the lame shall not come into the house." David occupied the stronghold, and named it the city of David. David built the city all around from the Millo inward. And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.
King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar trees, and carpenters and masons who built David a house. David then perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
2 Samuel 5:1-12 – NRSV
After so many years of difficulty, this course of events had to be so affirming to David. First, the civil war ends when the people of Israel come and say, “We are your people. We have always loved you and always longed to have been your people.” This is more than polite politics; remember that the people so loved David, and so sang his praises that it drove Saul insane with jealousy. Literally.
Peace is confirmed with covenant. King David, both people and scriptures call him. That respect had to compensate in some real ways for the years of disrespect spent in the wilderness. Now David is anointed by God and anointed by all of his people to lead.
And lead he does. He attacks a gentile stronghold set in the central highlands of his country, a city that had resisted capture since the days of Joshua, and claims it for his own. Even today, people call Jerusalem the “city of David.” God confirms David’s leadership with victory, victory unparalleled in many years of Israel’s history.
Then there is the palace. King Hiram wishes for peace with his neighbor, this new and aggressive young king. So, as a proactive gesture of goodwill, Hiram helps David feel like a king. The palace is good. Life is good. Being king is good.
Then comes the most interesting statement: “David then perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.” David well understands, as do we, that he is king. From that fact, he makes the most extraordinary leap of logic: God did this for his people.
Somehow David understands that “it’s not all about David.” God doesn’t decide one day that David has won the royal lottery; God has deeper purpose. The people have asked for a king (1 Sam 8), and even though the first king was not an unqualified success, God gives the experiment another chance. God makes David king for the sake of the people.
The people hope for safety. The people seek some unifying symbol, some mark of God’s presence with them. The people need a leader who understands this nation’s unique relationship with one, and only one, God. For the people, David becomes king.
Just as God uniquely gifted and prepared David for his time and place, so, I believe, God has uniquely gifted and prepared us for our time and place in his kingdom. Here’s the good news: it’s not all about us either. We have a king, the son of David, but better than David. The good news is about that king, Immanuel, “God is with us.”
Just as David respected all whom God chose to anoint, so ought we. Just as David respected his gift and calling so ought we. Will what we perceive to be our calling always be consistent with how others perceive their calling? Probably not. When that happens, we have to live in the tension of the moment. We do that through an abiding trust in the providence and purpose of God. God will take care of his people. So ought we.
May God give us the strength and wisdom to make it so.
Blessings,
Ron
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Kingdoms rage ...
Today, a prayer:
Kingdoms rage … and we are called
Kingdoms rage;
Empires tremble;
Cities totter.
You speak assurance;
You designate human agents;
You say, “This is my beloved son”;
You say, “This is my anointed.”
Right in the middle of chaos,
you designate human agents who do your will.
And we are not sure;
We would rather it were you,
directly,
straight on and visible.
But you stay hidden in your holy splendor,
and we are left with human agents
about whom we are never sure.
So we name Jesus, “son of David”;
so human and frail, even if kicked upstairs;
so vulnerable, even if transformed in song and creed.
And then, in a flash, it may dawn on us:
You call and designate people like us, your agents.
Kingdoms rage … and we are called.
Empires tremble … and we are designated.
Cities totter … and we are summoned …
like the first David, like the second David …
us, vulnerable, frail, anxious, your people,
And we are dazzled.
Amen.
Walter Brueggemann
Kingdoms rage … and we are called
Kingdoms rage;
Empires tremble;
Cities totter.
You speak assurance;
You designate human agents;
You say, “This is my beloved son”;
You say, “This is my anointed.”
Right in the middle of chaos,
you designate human agents who do your will.
And we are not sure;
We would rather it were you,
directly,
straight on and visible.
But you stay hidden in your holy splendor,
and we are left with human agents
about whom we are never sure.
So we name Jesus, “son of David”;
so human and frail, even if kicked upstairs;
so vulnerable, even if transformed in song and creed.
And then, in a flash, it may dawn on us:
You call and designate people like us, your agents.
Kingdoms rage … and we are called.
Empires tremble … and we are designated.
Cities totter … and we are summoned …
like the first David, like the second David …
us, vulnerable, frail, anxious, your people,
And we are dazzled.
Amen.
Walter Brueggemann
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Blood at your hand ...
When Saul's son Ishbaal heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. Saul's son had two captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab. They were sons of Rimmon a Benjaminite from Beeroth — for Beeroth is considered to belong to Benjamin ….
Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ishbaal, while he was taking his noonday rest. They came inside the house as though to take wheat, and they struck him in the stomach; then Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped. Now they had come into the house while he was lying on his couch in his bedchamber; they attacked him, killed him, and beheaded him. Then they took his head and traveled by way of the Arabah all night long. They brought the head of Ishbaal to David at Hebron and said to the king, "Here is the head of Ishbaal, son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; the Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring."
David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, "As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, when the one who told me, 'See, Saul is dead,' thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag — this was the reward I gave him for his news. How much more then, when wicked men have killed a righteous man on his bed in his own house! And now shall I not require his blood at your hand, and destroy you from the earth?" So David commanded the young men, and they killed them; they cut off their hands and feet, and hung their bodies beside the pool at Hebron. But the head of Ishbaal they took and buried in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.
2 Samuel 4 – NRSV
The Israelites made a promise to the Gibeonites. True, the Gibeonites tricked them into it, but nonetheless the Israelites agreed not to wipe them out (Josh 9). “Although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had tried to wipe them out in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah” (2 Samuel 21:2-3 – NRSV). So, when Baanah and Recab, two Gibeonites from Beeroth have the opportunity to get back at the house of Saul, they take it. They think that they will be heroes to their people and favorites of the new king who will benefit from their action.
Except, once again, David does not reward the assassins. Essentially, David says, “When God is on your side, why would you need to resort to killing a righteous man, even if he opposes you, even if he makes himself your enemy?” David didn’t do this to anyone in the house of Saul, despite his many opportunities. He doesn’t plan to reward anyone who does. Instead the punishment is swift and final.
Racial and ethnic hatred are horrible; eventually hatred and its consequences oppress both peoples involved in it. These kill those, and those kill these, and the growing hate fuels the deadly people-killing machine. The verdict of David has not settled the score between the Benjaminites and Gibeonites; we have not heard the last of this ethnic conflict.
Unfortunately this kind of conflict surrounds us in our world today, too. Do we believe that killing the people who hate us will stop people from hating us? Or will the killing only create even more people who hate us, only justly so?
Doesn’t David give an amazing and godly clue to the path to peace? Doesn’t he show the people of his time and ours the way through our conflict? “When God is on your side, why would you need to resort to killing a righteous man, even if he opposes you, even if he makes himself your enemy?” God is our security, not the sword. God raises up and takes down governments, not us.
Love others. Trust God.
If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." No, "if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:18-21 - NRSV
Grace, and peace,
Ron
Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ishbaal, while he was taking his noonday rest. They came inside the house as though to take wheat, and they struck him in the stomach; then Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped. Now they had come into the house while he was lying on his couch in his bedchamber; they attacked him, killed him, and beheaded him. Then they took his head and traveled by way of the Arabah all night long. They brought the head of Ishbaal to David at Hebron and said to the king, "Here is the head of Ishbaal, son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; the Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring."
David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, "As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, when the one who told me, 'See, Saul is dead,' thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag — this was the reward I gave him for his news. How much more then, when wicked men have killed a righteous man on his bed in his own house! And now shall I not require his blood at your hand, and destroy you from the earth?" So David commanded the young men, and they killed them; they cut off their hands and feet, and hung their bodies beside the pool at Hebron. But the head of Ishbaal they took and buried in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.
2 Samuel 4 – NRSV
The Israelites made a promise to the Gibeonites. True, the Gibeonites tricked them into it, but nonetheless the Israelites agreed not to wipe them out (Josh 9). “Although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had tried to wipe them out in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah” (2 Samuel 21:2-3 – NRSV). So, when Baanah and Recab, two Gibeonites from Beeroth have the opportunity to get back at the house of Saul, they take it. They think that they will be heroes to their people and favorites of the new king who will benefit from their action.
Except, once again, David does not reward the assassins. Essentially, David says, “When God is on your side, why would you need to resort to killing a righteous man, even if he opposes you, even if he makes himself your enemy?” David didn’t do this to anyone in the house of Saul, despite his many opportunities. He doesn’t plan to reward anyone who does. Instead the punishment is swift and final.
Racial and ethnic hatred are horrible; eventually hatred and its consequences oppress both peoples involved in it. These kill those, and those kill these, and the growing hate fuels the deadly people-killing machine. The verdict of David has not settled the score between the Benjaminites and Gibeonites; we have not heard the last of this ethnic conflict.
Unfortunately this kind of conflict surrounds us in our world today, too. Do we believe that killing the people who hate us will stop people from hating us? Or will the killing only create even more people who hate us, only justly so?
Doesn’t David give an amazing and godly clue to the path to peace? Doesn’t he show the people of his time and ours the way through our conflict? “When God is on your side, why would you need to resort to killing a righteous man, even if he opposes you, even if he makes himself your enemy?” God is our security, not the sword. God raises up and takes down governments, not us.
Love others. Trust God.
If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." No, "if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:18-21 - NRSV
Grace, and peace,
Ron
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Discerning motives ...
Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes, and put on sackcloth, and mourn over Abner." And King David followed the bier. They buried Abner at Hebron. The king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. The king lamented for Abner, saying,
"Should Abner die as a fool dies?
Your hands were not bound,
your feet were not fettered;
as one falls before the wicked
you have fallen."
And all the people wept over him again. Then all the people came to persuade David to eat something while it was still day; but David swore, saying, "So may God do to me, and more, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down!" All the people took notice of it, and it pleased them; just as everything the king did pleased all the people.
So all the people and all Israel understood that day that the king had no part in the killing of Abner son of Ner. And the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? Today I am powerless, even though anointed king; these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too violent for me. The Lord pay back the one who does wickedly in accordance with his wickedness!"
2 Sa 3:31-39 – NRSV
In times of great injustice, in times of unspeakable tragedy, leaders must send clear messages. There is no room for ambiguity. There is no place for misunderstanding. Sentences must be simple. Words must be clear. Actions must be both. Words and actions must agree.
David gives simple and clear instructions to his people, and specifically to Joab, the cause of all of this trouble. There are symbols: sackcloth, a bier, a tomb. There is ritual: tearing clothes, mourning, marching, burying. Words are spoken and tears are shed. Not only is there grief, but also there is a sincerity in that grief, at least for David. Sincerity that distances David from Joab. David can wrap Joab in sackcloth, but not sorrow.
Then there is lament. David lifts Abner up as one who is wise, not a fool. David tells the people that this valiant warrior deserved to die in battle, or as a captive of his enemies, but not as a helpless victim of the wicked. The unnamed, but not unknown, wicked one, Joab. David creates more distance from Joab. And then there are more tears.
Meals are common to funerals in many cultures, and it is no different here. Yet David will not eat. He will fast; he will not let go of his mourning until the evening comes. The people are satisfied that David is sincere. This sincerity makes the idea that he had anything to do with plotting the death of Abner seem unlikely, perhaps even unbelievable.
After David retires to be with his personal staff, David’s complaints are more pointed. Those sons of my sister: Joab and Abishai. They are the problem. David, as king, does not have to take revenge on Joab for killing Abner; he could apply law and justice. Instead, he decides to put Joab into the hands of God.
Up until this point in the narrative, David’s sorrow seems real. Yet the notion that Joab could continue to serve as general of the king’s armies sounds a note that seems out of tune with the chords of David’s grief. Is David really that weak? Is Joab really that strong? Is David really that concerned that revenge belongs to the Lord?
I don’t know if David was innocent or guilty. To me, Abner’s death appears to have set David back a considerable length of time. Some, though, make a strong case that Abner was more predictable as an enemy than as an ally. He could have been trouble for David’s young dynasty. In reality, it may be that only God, David, and Joab know the truth.
Do we understand the dilemma here? Human beings gauge the motives, the actions, and the character of other human beings from such small clues, many of which can be taken more than one way. From this person’s perspective, David is innocent. From another person’s perspective, David is guilty.
Humans make these judgments about each other’s behaviors every day. What did Ron mean by that devotional? Was it really a coincidence that he talked about that text today? Why did he choose that word? Why did he not use this obvious idea? Did he think that …
On and on we go every day. The best of us, communicating in the clearest of terms, have the best of our actions misunderstood. Even God is misunderstood. “Because the residents of Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize [Jesus] or understand the words of the prophets that are read every sabbath, they fulfilled those words by condemning him (Acts 13:27-28). A part of human and divine suffering is being misunderstood, even by those who love us.
This pain ought to warn us of the dangers of being quick to judge. This is especially true with children. It is so easy to misread the clues, to misstep in our interpretations, and to misjudge guilt or innocence. It is frighteningly easy to bring trauma instead of justice. This difficulty in knowing how we know what we know (epistemology) is a good reason to be careful in assigning consequences and to avoid exacting revenge altogether. This difficulty in knowing with absolute certainty is a compelling reason to prayerfully discern these situations in community, thus gaining the power of multiple perspectives.
May God give us the wisdom to discern wisely, and together.
Ron
"Should Abner die as a fool dies?
Your hands were not bound,
your feet were not fettered;
as one falls before the wicked
you have fallen."
And all the people wept over him again. Then all the people came to persuade David to eat something while it was still day; but David swore, saying, "So may God do to me, and more, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down!" All the people took notice of it, and it pleased them; just as everything the king did pleased all the people.
So all the people and all Israel understood that day that the king had no part in the killing of Abner son of Ner. And the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? Today I am powerless, even though anointed king; these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too violent for me. The Lord pay back the one who does wickedly in accordance with his wickedness!"
2 Sa 3:31-39 – NRSV
In times of great injustice, in times of unspeakable tragedy, leaders must send clear messages. There is no room for ambiguity. There is no place for misunderstanding. Sentences must be simple. Words must be clear. Actions must be both. Words and actions must agree.
David gives simple and clear instructions to his people, and specifically to Joab, the cause of all of this trouble. There are symbols: sackcloth, a bier, a tomb. There is ritual: tearing clothes, mourning, marching, burying. Words are spoken and tears are shed. Not only is there grief, but also there is a sincerity in that grief, at least for David. Sincerity that distances David from Joab. David can wrap Joab in sackcloth, but not sorrow.
Then there is lament. David lifts Abner up as one who is wise, not a fool. David tells the people that this valiant warrior deserved to die in battle, or as a captive of his enemies, but not as a helpless victim of the wicked. The unnamed, but not unknown, wicked one, Joab. David creates more distance from Joab. And then there are more tears.
Meals are common to funerals in many cultures, and it is no different here. Yet David will not eat. He will fast; he will not let go of his mourning until the evening comes. The people are satisfied that David is sincere. This sincerity makes the idea that he had anything to do with plotting the death of Abner seem unlikely, perhaps even unbelievable.
After David retires to be with his personal staff, David’s complaints are more pointed. Those sons of my sister: Joab and Abishai. They are the problem. David, as king, does not have to take revenge on Joab for killing Abner; he could apply law and justice. Instead, he decides to put Joab into the hands of God.
Up until this point in the narrative, David’s sorrow seems real. Yet the notion that Joab could continue to serve as general of the king’s armies sounds a note that seems out of tune with the chords of David’s grief. Is David really that weak? Is Joab really that strong? Is David really that concerned that revenge belongs to the Lord?
I don’t know if David was innocent or guilty. To me, Abner’s death appears to have set David back a considerable length of time. Some, though, make a strong case that Abner was more predictable as an enemy than as an ally. He could have been trouble for David’s young dynasty. In reality, it may be that only God, David, and Joab know the truth.
Do we understand the dilemma here? Human beings gauge the motives, the actions, and the character of other human beings from such small clues, many of which can be taken more than one way. From this person’s perspective, David is innocent. From another person’s perspective, David is guilty.
Humans make these judgments about each other’s behaviors every day. What did Ron mean by that devotional? Was it really a coincidence that he talked about that text today? Why did he choose that word? Why did he not use this obvious idea? Did he think that …
On and on we go every day. The best of us, communicating in the clearest of terms, have the best of our actions misunderstood. Even God is misunderstood. “Because the residents of Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize [Jesus] or understand the words of the prophets that are read every sabbath, they fulfilled those words by condemning him (Acts 13:27-28). A part of human and divine suffering is being misunderstood, even by those who love us.
This pain ought to warn us of the dangers of being quick to judge. This is especially true with children. It is so easy to misread the clues, to misstep in our interpretations, and to misjudge guilt or innocence. It is frighteningly easy to bring trauma instead of justice. This difficulty in knowing how we know what we know (epistemology) is a good reason to be careful in assigning consequences and to avoid exacting revenge altogether. This difficulty in knowing with absolute certainty is a compelling reason to prayerfully discern these situations in community, thus gaining the power of multiple perspectives.
May God give us the wisdom to discern wisely, and together.
Ron
Monday, April 27, 2009
A dish served up cold ...
David has carefully negotiated peace with Abner and the various tribes associated with Israel. In peace, he sends Abner back to finish the detail work that will bring an end to the civil war and unite Israel and Judah under David as king.
Just then the servants of David arrived with Joab from a raid, bringing much spoil with them. But Abner was not with David at Hebron, for David had dismissed him, and he had gone away in peace. When Joab and all the army that was with him came, it was told Joab, "Abner son of Ner came to the king, and he has dismissed him, and he has gone away in peace."
Then Joab went to the king and said, "What have you done? Abner came to you; why did you dismiss him, so that he got away? You know that Abner son of Ner came to deceive you, and to learn your comings and goings and to learn all that you are doing."
When Joab came out from David's presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah; but David did not know about it. When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gateway to speak with him privately, and there he stabbed him in the stomach. So he died for shedding the blood of Asahel, Joab's brother.
Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, "I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the Lord for the blood of Abner son of Ner. May the guilt fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge, or who is leprous, or who holds a spindle, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks food!" So Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.
2 Samuel 3:22-30 – NRSV
Did David send Joab out on a raid knowing that Joab would be opposed to negotiating a peace with Abner? Perhaps. It could be that David’s concerns were simpler: fear that Joab would kill Abner if they met face to face. If that is what David worried about, he turned out to be right. Yet in Joab’s absence, Abner and David negotiate a peace, negotiate power, and, some think, negotiate a position for Abner within David’s cabinet.
Joab just misses Abner. Joab rants at David as if he were some sort of political simpleton. David is not a fool, Abner is not a spy. The problem is that Joab desires what David does not.
But Abner can only get a couple of miles away from Hebron before Joab’s messengers catch up. The messengers claim to have been sent by David, not Joab. They lie. They claim to have peaceful purposes. They do not. So Abner comes to Joab believing that Joab delivers an important message of peace from David. He does not. Joab delivers a knife.
In the stomach. As Abner strikes Asahel, so Joab strikes Abner. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life. Yet Asahel had warning; Asahel was a casualty of battle. Abner had no warning; Abner was a victim of cold-blooded murder, of revenge served up cold.
Joab wins his revenge, but loses his king’s carefully-negotiated peace. Joab adds to his reputation, but gives his lord a bad name that some still believe to this day: he is a dangerous manipulator who assassinates his enemies. Joab keeps his job as general of the armies safe from Abner, but he nearly costs David his rightful title of king over all the children of Israel.
Is David angry? I believe so. David calls down upon the house of Joab every nasty consequence that he can contemplate for a warrior: venereal disease, leprosy, effeminacy, failure in battle, and poverty. David separates himself from Joab’s actions and calls for the blood of Abner to be “a storm” over the head of Joab.
We might be ready to applaud David’s justice until we consider one simple question. Have we ever chosen our own purposes over the purposes of our Lord? His purposes for unity, for inclusion, for peace. His purposes for our actions, our speech, our thought.
We can choose to ignore the purposes of our Lord, but if we do, we need to remember that it can bring about two consequences: (1) separation from him and from his ongoing mission in this world, and (2) abandonment to the natural consequences of our disobedience.
Instead, let the same mind be in you that was in Jesus Christ (Php 2:5).
Dear Lord, and Father of mankind,
Forgive our foolish ways;
Reclothe us in our rightful mind,
In purer lives, thy service find,
In deeper reverence, praise.
In simple trust, like those who heard,
Beside the Syrian Sea,
The gracious calling of Lord,
Let us, like them, without a word,
Rise up and follow thee.
Drop thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease,
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of thy peace.
- John G. Whittier
Grace, and peace,
Ron
Just then the servants of David arrived with Joab from a raid, bringing much spoil with them. But Abner was not with David at Hebron, for David had dismissed him, and he had gone away in peace. When Joab and all the army that was with him came, it was told Joab, "Abner son of Ner came to the king, and he has dismissed him, and he has gone away in peace."
Then Joab went to the king and said, "What have you done? Abner came to you; why did you dismiss him, so that he got away? You know that Abner son of Ner came to deceive you, and to learn your comings and goings and to learn all that you are doing."
When Joab came out from David's presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah; but David did not know about it. When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gateway to speak with him privately, and there he stabbed him in the stomach. So he died for shedding the blood of Asahel, Joab's brother.
Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, "I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the Lord for the blood of Abner son of Ner. May the guilt fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge, or who is leprous, or who holds a spindle, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks food!" So Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.
2 Samuel 3:22-30 – NRSV
Did David send Joab out on a raid knowing that Joab would be opposed to negotiating a peace with Abner? Perhaps. It could be that David’s concerns were simpler: fear that Joab would kill Abner if they met face to face. If that is what David worried about, he turned out to be right. Yet in Joab’s absence, Abner and David negotiate a peace, negotiate power, and, some think, negotiate a position for Abner within David’s cabinet.
Joab just misses Abner. Joab rants at David as if he were some sort of political simpleton. David is not a fool, Abner is not a spy. The problem is that Joab desires what David does not.
But Abner can only get a couple of miles away from Hebron before Joab’s messengers catch up. The messengers claim to have been sent by David, not Joab. They lie. They claim to have peaceful purposes. They do not. So Abner comes to Joab believing that Joab delivers an important message of peace from David. He does not. Joab delivers a knife.
In the stomach. As Abner strikes Asahel, so Joab strikes Abner. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life. Yet Asahel had warning; Asahel was a casualty of battle. Abner had no warning; Abner was a victim of cold-blooded murder, of revenge served up cold.
Joab wins his revenge, but loses his king’s carefully-negotiated peace. Joab adds to his reputation, but gives his lord a bad name that some still believe to this day: he is a dangerous manipulator who assassinates his enemies. Joab keeps his job as general of the armies safe from Abner, but he nearly costs David his rightful title of king over all the children of Israel.
Is David angry? I believe so. David calls down upon the house of Joab every nasty consequence that he can contemplate for a warrior: venereal disease, leprosy, effeminacy, failure in battle, and poverty. David separates himself from Joab’s actions and calls for the blood of Abner to be “a storm” over the head of Joab.
We might be ready to applaud David’s justice until we consider one simple question. Have we ever chosen our own purposes over the purposes of our Lord? His purposes for unity, for inclusion, for peace. His purposes for our actions, our speech, our thought.
We can choose to ignore the purposes of our Lord, but if we do, we need to remember that it can bring about two consequences: (1) separation from him and from his ongoing mission in this world, and (2) abandonment to the natural consequences of our disobedience.
Instead, let the same mind be in you that was in Jesus Christ (Php 2:5).
Dear Lord, and Father of mankind,
Forgive our foolish ways;
Reclothe us in our rightful mind,
In purer lives, thy service find,
In deeper reverence, praise.
In simple trust, like those who heard,
Beside the Syrian Sea,
The gracious calling of Lord,
Let us, like them, without a word,
Rise up and follow thee.
Drop thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease,
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of thy peace.
- John G. Whittier
Grace, and peace,
Ron
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