Key Verse: "And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon" (2 Samuel 2:16).The battle recorded in this passage is one of several others in the Bible which benefited neither of the warring parties. The reason was the carnal motive behind it. It arose as a result of what Bible scholars have attributed ton"self-imposed duty". Israel was divided after the death of Saul and Jonathan with David the son of Jesse ascending the throne.
There was murderous tension between the house of David and that of Saul. David ruled from Hebron in the south and he had Abner, Saul's army commander and cousin, as his rival. An issue needed to be resolved: who was greater militarily, David's house led by Joab or Saul's led by Abner? Abner suggested a traditional method. Twelve champions were picked from each side to engage each other in a "dagger match". The side with more survivors would be declared the winner.
All the twenty-four warriors died. No strategic victory was claimed by either side in this destructive war. Indeed it later led to the avoidable death of the fleet-footed Asahel, brother of Joab. He met his end during a stubborn pursuit of Abner who repeatedly warned him to back off. The contests in this passage were all undertaken by the protagonists without a recourse to the counsel of God. It explains why there is no mention of God in the text. The actors were on purely selfish missions.
Man cannot do without God. The lesson we learn is that the Christian must not go into battle without God. This is confirmed by Jesus Christ in John 15:5: "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing". n
Thought for the day: A walk without God is a walk without sound judgment.
Bible Reading in one Year: Job 16-18
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
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