THE SONS OF THUNDER
2 Samuel 19-20

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2 Samuel 3:38-39

"And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!"

The Sons of Zeruiah

Asahel

• Pursues Abner without mercy (2 Samuel 2)
• Killed by Abner (2 Samuel 2)
• Avenged by his brothers (2 Samuel 3)
• Counted among David’s heroes (2 Samuel 23)

Abishai

• Wants to kill Saul (1 Samuel 26)
• Kills Abner - revenge (2 Samuel 2)
• Wants to kill Shimei for cursing David (2 Samuel 16)
• Killed to get David water (2 Samuel 23)

Joab

• Commander of David’s Army (8)
• Kills Abner - revenge (2 Samuel 2)
• Involved in Uriah’s murder (11)
• Woman from Tekoa (14)
• Executes Abasalom (18)
• Chastises David in grief (19)
• Kills rival Amasa (20)
• Executed by Solomon (1 Kings 2)

2 Samuel 20:11-12

One of Joab's men stood beside Amasa and said, "Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!" Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that all the troops came to a halt there. When he realized that everyone who came up to Amasa stopped, he dragged him from the road into a field and threw a garment over him.

Sons of Zeruiah

1. Commited to God and David
2. Not committed to God’s ways
3. Devoted but unjust

David to Solomon (1 Kings 1)

• He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle, and with that blood stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.

1. Eager to do God’s work, but not in God’s ways
2. On God’s side, but do not have God’s heart
3. Willing to do harm for the sake of “good”
4. Being Right vs Being Gracious

Chris Benjamin

West-Ark Church of Christ, Fort Smith, AR
Evening Sermon, 18 October 2009

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