Gospel Reflections #1038: The Declaration of Grief

2 Samuel 3:33, 34 “The king composed a lament for Abner: ‘Must Abner die as a fool dies? Though your hands were not bound, nor your feet fettered, must you fall before the wicked?’”

This is a lament (song of sorrow) sung by King David in mourning for the general Abner, who had been assassinated.

This passage publicly proves that David had no involvement whatsoever in Abner’s death, and holds extremely significant meaning in overcoming a political crisis.

At that time, Israel was divided into the camp of Ish-Bosheth (the north), a descendant of the house of Saul, and the camp of David (the south).

Abner was the supreme commander of Saul’s camp, but having fallen out with Ish-Bosheth, he defected to David’s side and was pursuing peace negotiations to unify the nation.

However, General Joab, David’s right-hand man, whose younger brother Asahel had been killed by Abner in a previous battle, assassinated Abner in a treacherous ambush out of a desire for revenge.

This expresses the deep regret that Abner, a renowned and valiant general, met a dishonourable end not through a lapse on the battlefield, but through a treacherous trap.

It points to the injustice of Abner—who was not in a defenceless state like a prisoner, but would normally have had the means to protect himself—being killed by such underhanded means as a treacherous ambush.

It embodies David’s determination to publicly condemn the assassin Joab’s despicable act and denounce him as a ‘doer of evil’.

Proving David’s Innocence Through this lament, David demonstrated to the people that Abner’s assassination was not his own doing and was an unacceptable crime, thereby averting a political crisis.

David’s display of grief instilled trust in the people and was a major factor in facilitating the smooth unification of the whole of Israel following the collapse of the House of Saul.

In today’s world, it is commonplace for people of diverse political and personal backgrounds, each harbouring their own motives, to reach a human conclusion; yet David, rather than seeking revenge or giving vent to his anger, expressed his grief, thereby uniting the hearts of the people.

We too would do well to have the composure to consider towards whom we direct our emotions and the extent of their impact.

I feel that this depends not on time or mental strength, but on whether we are always connected to God and entrusting everything to Him.

We must reap what we have sown, but God uses these experiences to help us grow.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.