Scripture Daily

Context No. 4070 of 4322 · 2 Samuel

Context · Reflection

2 Samuel 3:6-10: in context

6While there was war between Saul’s house and David’s house, Abner made himself strong in Saul’s house. 7Now Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and Ishbosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?” 8Then Abner was very angry about Ishbosheth’s words, and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to your father Saul’s house, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and yet you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman! 9God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as the LORD has sworn to David, I don’t do even so to him: 10to transfer the kingdom from Saul’s house, and to set up David’s throne over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.”

This passage shows a piece of raw palace politics. Abner, the commander who had propped up the house of Saul against David, is accused by the weak king Ishbosheth of impropriety, and in a fit of wounded pride and anger, Abner announces that he will now switch his allegiance to David and hand the whole kingdom over to him. His motive is not devotion to God or to David; it is offended pride and self-interest.

And yet, notice what Abner says in his anger: he will do for David what the LORD had sworn to him, to transfer the kingdom from Saul's house and establish David's throne over all Israel. Even Abner's self-serving defection, driven by wounded ego, ends up advancing exactly what God had already promised. There is a striking truth here about God's sovereignty. God had sworn to give David the kingdom, and he was bringing it to pass, but the means included the offended pride of a self-interested man. God is able to accomplish his purposes even through the flawed, mixed, and self-serving motives of people who are not seeking his will at all. This does not excuse Abner's motives, but it displays a God who weaves even human pride and politics into the fulfillment of his good purposes.

Do I trust that God is able to accomplish his good purposes even through the flawed and self-serving motives of others, weaving human pride and politics into the fulfillment of his promises, so that his word will come to pass by means I would never have chosen?

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