Is it worth DYING like a FOOL?
March 30 Bible
Reading: 2 Samuel Chapters 1-3
Is it worth DYING like a FOOL?
And the king sang a lament over Abner and said: "Should Abner die as a fool dies? Your hands were not bound
nor your feet put into fetters; as a man falls before wicked men, so you
fell." Then all the people wept over him again. (2 Sam 3:33-34)
This brief eulogy
from King David was an outpouring of indignation as much as of sorrow. David
was willing to make a covenant with Abner (2 Sam 3:13), having already feasted
with him (v. 20) and had sent him away in peace (v. 21) so that he could gather
all the Israelites in order to make a covenant and make David the king of
Israel. David’s army commander Joab was not happy with this arrangement, and
had an old score to settle with Abner for killing his brother Asahel. Through
deceit, Joab called Abner back to Hebron and cunningly stabbed him in the
stomach while making pretense of speaking with him privately (v. 26-27).
The question
is – how did Abner die like a fool? The
answer lies in the context of how Abner was killed. 1 Sam 3:37 clarifies that
Abner died at the gate of the city called Hebron. Hebron was a city of the tribe of Judah, south of Jerusalem, and was designated as a city of refuge for the
Israelites in Canaan (Josh 20:7; 21:11, 13). If Abner had stayed within the
gates of Hebron, Joab would not have been able to kill Abner by Israelite law
until Abner was tried and convicted publicly. Abner ventured out of the gates
of the city of refuge, and was murdered in cold blood by his enemy in deceit. If only Abner had stayed within Hebron!
That is why King David laments about Abner - why he died as a fool since his
hands were not bound nor his feet put into fetters! Just a few steps inside the city of refuge and Abner would have been
safe!
There is a
spiritual lesson for us through this incident. Hebron, the city of refuge
symbolizes our Lord Jesus Christ. If we believe in Christ and accept Him as our
Lord and Savior, we have eternal life. The fool has said in his heart, "There
is no God." (Psalms 14:1). If our life is only focused in amassing
riches and achieving worldly success, we will die a fool’s death like the rich
fool mentioned in Luke 12:16-20. But God
said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul
will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have
provided?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich
toward God." (Luke 12:20-21). For
what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
(Matt 16:26).
Tillotson has made the following statement that is so relevant even today- “He who provides for this life, but takes no care for eternity is wise for a moment, but a fool forever”. Let us focus on eternal values and live a life hidden in Jesus Christ who is our City of Refuge! It is not worth dying like a FOOL…!!!
