2 Samuel 3:26-27 Murder

 ”And when Joab had gone from David’s presence, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David did not know it. Now when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him privately, and there stabbed him in the stomach, so that he died for the blood of Asahel his brother.“ ‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭3‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Joab took him aside in the gate: Joab carefully engineered this murder so that the killing was done outside the gate of Hebron. This was because Hebron was a city of refuge (Joshua 20:7), and it was against the law for Joab, as Asahel’s blood avenger, to kill Abner inside the city.

b. He died for the blood of Asahel his brother: The careful plot to murder Abner outside the city of refuge made the murder all the darker. It showed Joab knew that Abner had a rightful claim of self-defense and was protected inside the city of Hebron, yet he killed him anyway.

i. Joab may have justified this by the thought, “I’m doing this to defend and honor my king.” But our sin and treachery never honor our King. We must avoid the trap Spurgeon spoke of: “We may even deceive ourselves into the belief that we are honoring our Lord and Master when we are, all the while, bringing disgrace upon his name.” (Guzik)

Murder

Jesus took murder to a different level when He said, 

”“You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.“ Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Have you ever murdered someone with your thoughts or words?

I’m guilty!

Blessings