The Grands Letter (II Sam/GLJ)
Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D. on May 10, 2025 6:12 am (CST)
Dear Grands,
II Samuel 3:30-34, “So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon. 31 Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, ‘Tear your clothes and gird on sackcloth and lament before Abner.’ And King David walked behind the bier. 32 Thus they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. 33 And the king chanted a lament for Abner and said, ‘Should Abner die as a fool dies? 34 Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters; as one falls before the wicked, you have fallen.’ And all the people wept again over him.”
Things were not always smooth in Israel. In some ways, ancient times were virtually as difficult as they are today. Of course, if someone were to intentionally kill a member of my family, I would undoubtedly want to take revenge for the killing, too. But laws in David’s era were different from what they are today. Furthermore, David obeyed the laws of his God.
Tearing one’s clothes and putting on sackcloth were early Jewish rituals for showing love for the one who had died. There was always sufficient time for avenging a death. It is easy to see that the Israelites were not simply “bloodthirsty,” for they dealt with the suffering family before effecting vengeance on the one who killed their brother.
As believers in our LORD Jesus Christ, we should never plan or execute vengeance on others, regardless of what they do against us. We live under the mandates of the New Testament. Our chief responsibility is to confess our sins and heinous thoughts to the LORD and seek His forgiveness for even our thoughts of retribution. We must remember that our primary responsibility in such situations is to “show forth to the praise of His glory.”
Heartily in Christ Jesus,
(Dado III)
Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas,
United States of America
“We will never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.”
– Corrie ten Boom
