Chapter Summary

David received as King of Judah. Abner makes Ish-bosheth king over eleven tribes. Civil war.

Discussion Questions for 2 Samuel, Chapter 2

1. In verse1, David inquires of the Lord about whether he should go up to any of the cities of Judah. Why is it significant that David seeks God’s guidance before making this decision? Do you seek out the Lord's guidance with every decision, even the small ones? Why or why not?
2. David, "a man after God's own heart" (1Samuel 13:14), had two wives at the beginning of 2 Samuel (and would have more by the end of the book). Did God condone this? Why do you think the Lord never rebuked David for this?
3. Where else is Jabesh-Gilead (verses 4-7) mentioned in Scripture? Why is knowing the history of this town important for this story?
4. Reflecting on David’s kindness to the men of Jabesh-gilead in verses 5-7, how can we show appreciation and respect to others, even those who may have opposed us in the past? When have you shown grace to a person that opposed you?
5. Abner makes Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, king over Israel in verse 8. What implications does this have for the unity of Israel and David’s kingship? The 12 tribes would soon be reunited, but how do you think this effected the relationship between the north and the south long-term?
6. Why do you think Abner did this despite knowing that David was annointed by Samuel as king of Israel? When was a time when you knowingly disobeyed the Lord like Abner?
7. In the prelude to the battle taking place in verses 14-16, the men were seemingly so focused on killing their opponents that they neglected to protect themselves from attack. How does anger lead to sin and destruction? When was a time where you were so focused on success that you allowed satan to attack you?
8. How does Abner show himself to be a coward just like Saul? If he was such a coward, why do you think he was so ready to have his army spill blood?
9. Abner's plea in verse 26 is pathetic considering that just a few verses before, he was urging 24 young men kill each other before him as a "warm up" to the battle (verse 14). Why did he suddenly have a change of heart? When have you had to come face-to-face with your consequences like this? How did the Lord change your heart through this?
10. Only 20 of David's men were killed, but 360 of Abner's men were killed. Beyond the loss of 360 men, why would this have been a devestating blow to the Benjaminites? What other events in Benjamin's history make this even more devastating than usual?

Key Words/Phrase

Annointed, v. 4.

Characters

God, David, Abner, Ish-bosheth, Joab, Abishai, Asahel.

Strong Verse(s)

1