David's Troubles Continue

Click here to read II Samuel 3.

Chapter 3 records the continued struggle by David to consolidate the throne. The conflict between the followers of Saul and the followers of David continued for four years. Why did God drag out this conflict for so long? God was on David's side and evil was on Saul's or Ishbosheth's side. Matthew Henry, in his commentary suggests that there is a parallel here between this conflict and the conflict between the "flesh" and the "spirit", the process that we call Sanctification or "growing in Grace". We, in our spiritual growth, fight a long battle with evil just as David did. This long battle does two things. It lessens the "withdrawal pains" and it makes the victory sweeter. It definitely did this for David. This period of conflict made David a better king. God always knows what He is doing.

David had 6 sons by 6 wives in 7 years. The compiler lists them for us:

  1. Amnon... by Ahinoam
  2. Kileab (Chileab)... by Abigail
  3. Absalom... by Maacah
  4. Adonijah... by Haggith
  5. Shephatiah... by Abitol
  6. Ithream... by Eglah

Here are some interesting facts about the 6 boys:

  1. None of them became famous.
  2. Three of them, Amnon, Absalom and Adonijah brought great trouble to David.
  3. Kileab (Chileab) son of Abigail, who had been the wife of Nabal, according to 1st. Chron. 3:1, was named Daniel but rumors were circulated that this boy was really Nabal's son. God took care of this and when the boy grew up, his features and disposition were more like David's than any of his other sons. So, David renamed him "Kileab" which literly meant, "like his father" or "the fathers picture".
  4. Absalom's mother, Maacah, was a pagan.
  5. The last wife, here called Eglah, is believed to have been Michal, daughter of Saul, David's first wife.

These 6 boys were all born to David while he was at Hebron.

Then the compiler gives us a little story that indicates that all is not well in the camp of Ishbosheth. Abner, Commander-in-Chief of the forces of Israel (the northern tribes), is accused by Ishbosheth of sleeping with one of Saul's concubines. We have been talking about "concubines" sense Gen. 16 when Abraham took concubines to increase the size of his family. A concubine was a "secondary wife". A wife of convenience purchased or acquired as booty during a war. They were protected by the laws of rightful inheritance in Deut. 21. They were subject to the primary wives but protected by law. So Rizpah, the woman that Abner was accused of sleeping with, was one of Saul's secondary wives.

Notice, Abner does not deny it. He becomes outraged and threatens to go to David and deliver the whole kingdom of Israel to him. Ishbosheth pursued the matter no further for he was afraid of Abner. Well Abner was as good as his word; he contacted David and made a deal with him. He would deliver to David the Kingdom of Israel in return David would make him commander-in-chief of the combined armies. David agreed on the promise that Abner would bring back with him, Michal, David's first wife whom Saul had taken from him and given to a man by the name of Palti. David had bought her with the lives of 1,000 Philistines and he wanted her back. So Ishbosheth took her from Palti and Abner brought her back to David.


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