Question 1

Why was Abner so angry when Ish-bosheth accused him about Rizpah?

Accepted Answer

Abner had been the main strength behind Ish-bosheth’s rule, keeping Saul’s house alive in the war against David. When Ish-bosheth accused him of going in to Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, Abner took it as an insult and a denial of his loyalty. Sleeping with a king’s concubine could be seen as reaching for the throne, so the charge was serious. Abner felt unfairly treated after showing kindness to Saul’s family and not handing Ish-bosheth over to David. His anger pushed him to leave Ish-bosheth and support David instead.

Question 2

What is the significance of Abner deciding to support David’s kingdom?

Accepted Answer

Abner’s decision marks a turning point in the struggle between Saul’s house and David’s house. He openly admits that the Lord has sworn to give the kingdom to David and commits himself to help bring this about. By talking to the elders of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, he uses his influence to move the nation toward David. This shows how God can use even hurt feelings and power struggles to carry out his promise, and how the kingdom is being moved from Saul’s line to David’s as God had said.

Question 3

Why did David demand the return of Michal before making a covenant with Abner?

Accepted Answer

David asked for Michal back because she was his wife, given to him as a reward when he risked his life against the Philistines. By asking Ish-bosheth to send her, David was standing on his rightful claim, both as a husband and as someone joined to Saul’s family. Bringing Michal back also linked David again to Saul’s house in the eyes of the people. This was personal, but it also had public meaning, helping to heal the break between the two houses as the kingdom moved toward unity under David.

Question 4

Why was Phaltiel weeping when Michal was taken from him?

Accepted Answer

Phaltiel had been living with Michal as his wife, so when she was taken from him and brought back to David, it tore apart a home. The passage shows him walking behind her, weeping all the way to Bahurim, until Abner tells him to go back. This scene reminds us that political decisions and power shifts can bring real pain to ordinary people. The text does not explain his heart in detail, but his tears show personal loss in the middle of a larger story about kings and kingdoms.

Question 5

What does Abner’s speech to the elders of Israel tell us about God’s promise to David?

Accepted Answer

Abner reminds the elders that they had wanted David as king before, and he urges them to act because the Lord had spoken about David. He says that by David’s hand God would save Israel from the Philistines and from all their enemies. This shows that David’s kingship was not just a human choice but tied to God’s word and God’s plan to protect his people. Abner’s words admit that resisting David was resisting what God had already said, and now it was time to line up with that promise.

Question 6

What does this passage show about God’s control over human conflict and ambition?

Accepted Answer

In this story, people act for mixed reasons: Abner is angry and likely thinking about his own position, Ish-bosheth is fearful and weak, David is careful and also wise in politics. Yet through all of this, God’s earlier promise about David becoming king keeps moving forward. Even a quarrel about a concubine becomes the spark that shifts power toward David. This shows that God can work through messy situations, strained relationships, and even sin and folly to bring about what he has said will happen for his people.

Question 7

How does the long war between Saul’s house and David’s house relate to a believer’s life?

Accepted Answer

The long struggle between the two houses pictures how there can be a long struggle inside a believer between old ways of sin and the new life God gives. Saul’s house is fading, while David’s house grows stronger. In a similar way, the old nature loses ground over time while God’s grace grows. The wait is not easy, and the conflict is real, but God’s purpose is to bring his chosen king, and in the believer’s heart to let what is from him become stronger as what is against him weakens.

Question 8

Why is this passage important for understanding David’s path to the throne?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that David’s rise to rule all Israel did not happen in a moment. There was a long war, divided loyalties, and painful steps. Abner’s switch, the return of Michal, and the talks with the elders all show how the kingdom slowly moves from Saul’s line to David’s. It highlights David’s patience, his refusal to seize the throne by force, and his trust that God would keep his promise in due time. It also shows how God brings unity out of division through his chosen king.

2 Samuel 3:6

¶ And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul.

Abner Joins David

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2 Samuel 3:6

¶ And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul.

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Abner Joins David

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