2 Samuel 3

Order of Service

• Hymn — O God Beyond All Praising
• Call to Worship — Psalm 105:1-6
• Hymn — O God Beyond All Praising
• Prayer of Invocation
• Confession of Faith (Apostles' Creed)
• Covenant Baptism — Lowry Elizabeth Volama
• Hymn — Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us
• Pastoral Prayer
• Offering
• Prayer of Dedication
• Hymn — I Need Thee Every Hour
• Prayer for Illumination
• Scripture Reading — 2 Samuel 3:6-12, 26-30
• Sermon
• Prayer of Application
• Hymn — Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah, O My Soul
• Benediction

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Sermon Title: Godly Wisdom in a Fallen World

Scripture: 2 Samuel 3:6-12, 26-30

I. Opportunistic Politics — Represented by Abner (2 Samuel 3:6-11)

A. Abner grows stronger while the house of Saul grows weaker

1. He takes Saul's concubine Rizpah — a direct act of rebellion against Ish-bosheth
2. When confronted, he invokes God's promise to David as justification

B. Abner is exposed as a political opportunist, not a true theologian

1. He likely always knew of God's promise to David but suppressed it when it was inconvenient
2. He appeared to hold power through a puppet king; now that power is threatened, he pivots

C. Application: Abner-like behavior tempts all of us

1. We champion evangelical truth when it wins approval from our audience
2. This danger is especially acute for pastors and those fluent in church culture
3. We must ask: is my godliness serving God or serving the applause of others?

II. Foolish Politics — Represented by Joab (2 Samuel 3:12-25)

A. Joab's motive: vengeance for his brother Asahel, killed by Abner in battle (2 Samuel 2)

1. Joab may also have feared being replaced by Abner as commander
2. He murders Abner — an unsuspecting man under David's royal protection

B. Vengeful rage produces tunnel vision and foolishness

1. Bitterness blinds us to God's broader providential purposes
2. It can cause us to unwittingly thwart kingdom purposes and harm others

C. Application: "Vengeance is the Lord's" — this truth liberates us

1. It frees us from the obsessive tunnel vision of bitterness
2. It opens us to peripheral wisdom: seeing God's hand at work around us
3. We are called to seek first the kingdom, not ourselves — contrast Joab with Matthew 6:33

III. Godly Politics — Represented by David

A. David's demand for Michal before meeting Abner (2 Samuel 3:13-16)

1. Politically shrewd: reuniting the house of David with the house of Saul
2. Simultaneously faithful to his covenant with Michal — the tragic scene of Paltiel weeping is due to Saul's sin, not David's

B. David's covenant with Abner

1. David recognizes God's providence even through a scheming opportunist
2. Wisdom in a fallen world sometimes means working with otherwise disingenuous people
3. Illustrated by the WWII Allied partnership with Stalin — cooperation without endorsement

C. David's response to Abner's murder (2 Samuel 3:28-30)

1. He invokes a curse on Joab's household and upholds the sixth commandment
2. He leads public mourning and fasting for Abner — politically savvy yet genuinely just
3. His righteousness is directed toward God, not performed for the eyes of men

IV. The Governing Principle: Ecclesiastes 7:16 and the Way of the Cross

A. Ecclesiastes 7:16 — "Be not overly righteous"

1. This is not a license for moral laxity
2. It warns against a pride-driven, performative righteousness displayed before men
3. The Pharisees are the prime example: righteousness for an audience, not for God

B. Jesus perfectly embodies this principle — wise as a serpent, innocent as a dove

1. The coin of Caesar — Matthew 22:21: give to Caesar what is Caesar's
2. Honor those on the seat of Moses — Matthew 23:2
3. At his arrest: Jesus rebukes Peter's sword and submits to unjust arrest — Matthew 26:52
4. At the cross: tempted to display righteous vengeance, he instead submitted — giving us not the sword but the cross

C. Application for Christians in a season of wickedness

1. We will remain in a season of wickedness until Christ returns, regardless of political outcomes
2. We are called to be wise and shrewd as serpents, innocent as doves — Matthew 10:16
3. Our righteousness must flow from humility before God, not from performance before men
4. Put away the sword; pick up the cross and follow Christ