The Bitter End of a Fool's Game
Introduction: The Devil's Playground
Men are prone to turning the gravest of matters into a sport. We see it in our politics, where solemn duties are reduced to a game of polls and soundbites. We see it in our culture, where sacred things are mocked for entertainment. This is not a new phenomenon. It is a deep-seated corruption in the heart of man, a desire to trivialize the weighty things of God and to play games on the edge of a cliff. When men are driven by pride, ego, and a lust for glory, they will inevitably propose some kind of contest. They want a spectacle. They want to put on a show. But the ground of history is soaked with the blood of men who forgot that God does not stage contests; He ordains battles. He is not a spectator; He is a sovereign.
Here in 2 Samuel, we find Israel in the midst of a tragic and unnecessary civil war. The kingdom is divided. Saul's house, under the weak pretender Ish-bosheth, is set against the house of David, the man anointed by God. This is a moment of high historical drama, a hinge point in the story of redemption. The throne of the future Messiah is at stake. And what happens when the two armies meet? Their leaders decide to start the proceedings with a game, a ghastly tournament of champions. Abner, full of the bluster that characterizes a dying regime, proposes a contest. And Joab, a man as hard as the stones of Hebron, agrees. What follows is a microcosm of all civil wars: pride initiates, folly escalates, and brothers bleed. This is a story about the bitter fruit that grows from the seed of vainglory.
The Text
Now Abner the son of Ner, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon with the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul. And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, one on the one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool. Then Abner said to Joab, "Now let the young men arise and hold a contest before us." And Joab said, "Let them arise." So they arose and went over by count, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. And each one of them seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon. And that day the battle was very severe, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before the servants of David.
Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel; and Asahel was as swift-footed as one of the gazelles which is in the field. And Asahel pursued Abner and did not turn to the right or to the left from following Abner. Then Abner turned to look behind him and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" And he answered, "It is I." So Abner said to him, "Turn to your right or to your left, and seize one of the young men for yourself, and take for yourself his spoil." But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him. And Abner repeated again to Asahel, "Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?" However, he refused to turn aside; therefore Abner struck him in the belly with the butt end of the spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died on the spot. And it happened that all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.
But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. Now the sun was going down, and they came to the hill of Ammah, which is in front of Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. And the sons of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one band, and they stood on the top of a certain hill. Then Abner called to Joab and said, "Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long will you refrain from telling the people to turn back from following their brothers?" And Joab said, "As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then the people would have only gone away in the morning, each from following his brother." So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people stood still and pursued Israel no longer, nor did they continue to fight anymore. But Abner and his men then went through the Arabah all that night; so they crossed the Jordan, walked all morning, and came to Mahanaim.
Now Joab returned from following Abner. And he had gathered all the people together, and nineteen of David’s servants besides Asahel were missing. But the servants of David had struck down many of Benjamin and Abner’s men, so that 360 men died. And they took up Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb which was in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men went all night until the day dawned at Hebron.
(2 Samuel 2:12-32 LSB)
A Fool's Contest at the Pool (vv. 12-17)
The scene is set. Two armies, representing two kings, sit on opposite sides of the pool of Gibeon. This is a standoff. Something has to give. The initiative is taken by Abner, the commander for the fading house of Saul.
"Then Abner said to Joab, 'Now let the young men arise and hold a contest before us.' And Joab said, 'Let them arise.'" (2 Samuel 2:14)
Abner's proposal is pure swagger. The word for "contest" can mean to play, to sport, or to jest. He is proposing a deadly game to test the mettle of their respective armies. This is the act of a man desperate to project strength, to put on a show of force because he knows, deep down, that his side is weak and his cause is unjust. He is propping up a puppet king against God's anointed. Instead of repenting, he doubles down with bravado. Joab, ever the pragmatist, simply agrees. He will not be intimidated. If Abner wants to play, Joab will play for keeps.
The result is as predictable as it is horrific. Twenty-four young men, twelve from each side, engage in a suicidal death pact. Each man grabs his opponent by the head and runs him through with a sword. They all fall down together. Nothing is gained. Nothing is proven. It is a perfect, bloody stalemate. This is what happens when pride is the referee. The place is given a name to commemorate the folly: Helkath-hazzurim, which means the "Field of Swords" or "Field of Sharp Edges." The land itself now bears witness to the sin that occurred there.
And what does the game accomplish? It settles nothing. Instead, it ignites the very battle it was likely intended to prevent. "And that day the battle was very severe." The fool's contest erupts into a full-scale war. And in that war, God shows His hand. "Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before the servants of David." God is not swayed by shows of strength. He is establishing David's throne, and the pride of Abner only serves to hasten the demise of Saul's house.
The Gazelle and the Veteran (vv. 18-23)
In the midst of the battle, the narrative zooms in on a personal tragedy, born of youthful zeal untempered by wisdom.
"and Asahel was as swift-footed as one of the gazelles which is in the field. And Asahel pursued Abner and did not turn to the right or to the left from following Abner." (2 Samuel 2:18-19 LSB)
Asahel, Joab's younger brother, is a man with a great gift. He is incredibly fast. But a gift without wisdom is a liability. He fixes his eyes on the greatest prize on the battlefield: Abner, the enemy general. His pursuit is single-minded, relentless, and foolish. He is a heat-seeking missile of ambition.
Abner, the seasoned veteran, knows exactly what is happening. He also knows the rules of blood vengeance. Killing Joab's brother, even in battle, will start a personal feud that will follow him to his grave. He twice warns Asahel to turn aside. "Turn to your right or to your left, and seize one of the young men for yourself, and take for yourself his spoil." In other words, "Kid, go fight someone your own size. Take some armor as a trophy and go home happy. You are out of your league." But Asahel refuses. Abner's final plea is stark: "Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?" This is not mercy; it is self-preservation. Abner is trying to avoid the inevitable blood feud.
But Asahel would not listen. "Therefore Abner struck him in the belly with the butt end of the spear, so that the spear came out at his back." This was a defensive move. Abner, likely running, jabbed backward with the blunt, sharpened end of his spear. It was a move of immense skill, but it was forced by Asahel's suicidal persistence. The young gazelle's race was over. His death is so shocking that it stops the pursuit cold. Everyone who comes to the place where he fell stands still. The reality of death has a way of silencing the noise of battle.
Shall the Sword Devour Forever? (vv. 24-29)
The pursuit of Abner continues, led now by a vengeful Joab and Abishai. As the sun sets, Abner and his remaining men make a stand on a hill. It is from this position of relative safety that he calls for a truce.
"Then Abner called to Joab and said, 'Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long will you refrain from telling the people to turn back from following their brothers?'" (2 Samuel 2:26 LSB)
The hypocrisy is breathtaking. The man who started the day's bloodshed with a cavalier "contest" is now delivering a pious lecture on the bitterness of war. The man who was actively fighting against his brothers now appeals to that brotherhood to save his own skin. This is the cry of every bully who, once he starts losing, suddenly wants everyone to remember they are friends. He asks, "Shall the sword devour forever?" as if the sword leaped from its scabbard on its own accord. No, Abner, swords do not devour. Men with swords devour. And you were the one who invited them to the feast.
Joab's reply is laced with cold fury and truth. "As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then the people would have only gone away in the morning." Joab lays the blame exactly where it belongs. He says, in effect, "This is on you, Abner. You started this with your foolish challenge this morning. We are simply finishing it. Had you not opened your proud mouth, we would all be home in bed." Nevertheless, Joab agrees to the truce. He blows the trumpet, and the fighting stops. He is a hard man, but he is not a man who delights in shedding the blood of his countrymen needlessly.
The Reckoning (vv. 30-32)
The armies disengage, and the time comes to count the cost of Abner's game.
"nineteen of David’s servants besides Asahel were missing. But the servants of David had struck down many of Benjamin and Abner’s men, so that 360 men died." (2 Samuel 2:30-31 LSB)
The numbers tell the story. Twenty men lost for David's side. Three hundred and sixty lost for Ish-bosheth's. It was a rout. God's favor was clearly on David. Every drop of blood shed that day was a testament to the folly of resisting God's anointed king. Abner's pride cost his army dearly. The day that began with a contest ends with a funeral. They take up Asahel's body and bury him in his father's tomb. The personal cost of this national sin is brought home.
This entire episode is a bloody, messy, and tragic affair. It is a story of human pride, folly, and the terrible consequences of civil strife. It reveals the character of the key players: Abner's arrogant bluster, Asahel's rash ambition, and Joab's grim, ruthless pragmatism. These are the men building a kingdom. And it shows us that God's purposes advance, not because of the righteousness of men, but often in spite of their sin.
The King Who Fought Differently
We read a story like this and we see the ugliness of how earthly kingdoms are built. They are built with swords and spears, with pride and with blood. Abner tried to build a kingdom with a contest. Asahel tried to win glory by his own speed. Joab sought to secure the kingdom through ruthless force. And in all of it, we see the desperate need for a different kind of king and a different kind of kingdom.
The throne of David was being established here, and that was God's will. But the throne of David was just a shadow, a pointer to the true throne of his greater Son, Jesus Christ. How did Jesus win His kingdom? He was the ultimate champion, but He did not call for a contest. He stood before the powers of darkness, and He did not draw a sword. The world challenged Him to a contest on a hill called Golgotha. They seized him by the head, not with their hands, but with a crown of thorns. They thrust a spear into His side. And like the champions at the pool of Gibeon, He fell down. But His falling was not a stalemate. It was the victory.
Unlike Abner, Christ did not cry out, "Shall the sword devour forever?" He cried out, "It is finished!" He absorbed the full bitterness of the end so that we might have a new beginning. He did not kill His brothers; He died for them. The casualty count of His battle was one. Himself. And by that one death, He defeated sin and death and secured an eternal kingdom.
Therefore, we are called to lay down our pride. We are to have no truck with the foolish contests of this world. We are not to be like Asahel, driven by a reckless zeal for our own glory. We are to be wise servants of the true King. The war has already been won. Our task is not to start new skirmishes out of ego, but to faithfully and wisely live out the victory that Christ has already secured. The end of our foolish games is always bitter. But the end of His finished work is everlasting sweetness.