David’s tribe of Judah anointed him king and set up his headquarters in Hebron. But Abner, Saul’s cousin (1 Sam. 14:50) and commander of his army, made Saul’s son king in open defiance of God’s will. Whenever we fail to submit to God’s will, we cause division and bring destruction (James 3:13–4:1).
Three murders will occur before David becomes king of all the people: Asahel’s (chap. 2), Abner’s (chap. 3) and Ishbosheth’s (chap. 4). All of that blood would not have been shed if the leaders had only submitted to God’s chosen king instead of seeking their own advantage. Joab and Asahel were related to David (1 Chron. 2:16), so there were both family and national considerations. Had everybody put the glory of God and the good of the nation first, tragedies would have been avoided.
