Q1. Spiritual Blindness

[blezed]

Why does Joab slay Abner?

1. Joab slay's Abner because he killed his brother Asahel

Is he justified in doing so?

2. No he was not justified. Abner did not intentionally kill Asahel. Abner had diplomatic status and was under the protection of David.

How does this affect his king’s unification plans?

3. It could have affected the king's unification plans of peace among the two nations if David had not disassociated himself from the killing.

Why do you think Joab is so blind?

4. That's how wanting to get revenge works. It makes you crazy and you just don't think straight. You have only one goal and that's to get revenge.

How can our spiritual blindness get in the way of God working out His plan in our lives?

5. Our spiritual blindness get in the way of God working out His plan in our lives because we are not hearing what God is saying to us. Therefore, we are subject to do things our way and not God's way.

[Commissioned]

Q1. (2 Samuel 3:22-39) Why does Joab slay Abner? Is he justified in doing so? How does this affect his king’s unification plans? Why do you think Joab is so blind? How can our spiritual blindness get in the way of God working out His plan in our lives?

Joab slays Abner in revenge for his brother's death. Joab is not justified in this slaying as the death of his brother was not an intentional nor pr-meditated act by Abner. Joab's selfish act interrupted the plans which were being made to united both Judah and Israel under the kingship of David. In this matter of revenful killing Joab is blind to the most important matters that concern the kingdom because he was more concern about his personal feelings and his hatred toward Abner. When we are spiritually blind and allow personal motives to take center stage and upset the program or plans for the wider community we get in the way of God's plans being effective in all of our lives.

[Lorraine Overstreet]

Q1. (2 Samuel 3:22-39)

Why does Joab slay Abner?

Is he justified in doing so?

How does this affect his king’s unification plans?

Why do you think Joab is so blind?

How can our spiritual blindness get in the way of God working out

His plan in our lives?

a. Revenge for his brother Asahel's death. this was murder

b. No and David pronounced a curse on Joab and his decendants.

c. David displayed public remorse at Abner's death. He lead the

funeral procession to Abner's tomb. David wept publically following

Abner's procession and he composed a special song for the

occasion, an lament. By these actions all the people of Israel

knew the King had no part in Abner's murder.

d. Joab was more concerned with revenge instead of the Lord's

plans. Joab did not ask God for help or guidance or think about

the crowning of David and fulfilling God's prophecy, he was

"spiritually blind." To avoid Spiritual Blindness we should turn to

God first for His help and guidence. We should not let our anger

rule us to the point of forgetting to ask God for help.

[tammie7]

Joab slayed Ab ner because he wanted to revenge for his brother.

It hurt the king plan because there was no war at that time.

he was blind because of hate and angry.

it can get in the way because we see only hate and hate is in our hearts

and God cannot work in that kind of heart.

[royk]

Q1. (2 Samuel 3:22-39) Why does Joab slay Abner? Is he justified in doing so? How does this affect his king’s unification plans? Why do you think Joab is so blind? How can our spiritual blindness get in the way of God working out His plan in our lives?

Revenge is the motive. And this holding of revenge in his heart ruined Joab and his way of thinking and acting. Holding on to the past, it sound so familiar to all of us. What good is it? Jesus taught us to forgive our trespasses from others if we want to be forgiven. Despite what one might think it is all God's will that this happened this way. God is in control always; this is no exception. David united the kingdom in God's time.

Why is Joab so blind? Why are we all so blind most of the time regarding God's will vs. our own? We are stubborn, holding on to old habits, false things we don't want the Holy Spirit to teach us. We learn by error or we keep doing the same thing wrong until.... Heaven help us; let us be still and hear God, let us tremble for we are just dust and will return to dust. Oh what a joy divine leaning on the everlasting arms.

[wifee]

7a)Joab slays Abner in revenge because Abner has killed his younger brother Asahel.

b)No,absolutely not.This was a selfish murderous act.

c)David disassociates himself with what Joab has done.Joab wasn’t thinking about the unification plans, focused on revenge This tainted a perfect plan.

d)Joab would have harboured bitterness since Asahel’s death. This bitterness could have blinded him,allowing temptation for revenge to act.

e) If we move our focus away from God &allow our plans feelings to rule, God’s will cannot manifest in my life.because the way ahead is clouded & prevents us from seeing&hearing God’s voice guiding us in His plan for us, through his small voice in our prayers, the Word&teaching.

[srwbibleman]

Q1. (2 Samuel 3:22-39)
Why does Joab slay Abner?
To avenge his brother's death
 
Is he justified in doing so?
In this case no because it contradicts god's plan and King David's pledge to God
 
How does this affect his king's unification plans?
It doesn't
 
 Why do you think Joab is so blind?
Joab is acting in his own will and has turned away from The Lord.
 
How can our spiritual blindness get in the way of God working out His plan in our lives?
We fail to see and acknowledge people and events that God has laid in our path and, thus, miss God's will for that part of our life.
 

 

 

[cjenkins1388]

Joab slays Abner to get revenge for him killing his brother even though Abner was only defending himself.

 

Joab is not justified in this because it is considered treachery.

 

So because of Joabs hardened heart against Abner for killing his brother he now has brought a curse upon himself and his descendants.

 

Forgivness is hard when it affects people we love but without it we can't move on and live the blessed life God has promised for us.

[karynjg]

 (2 Samuel 3:22-39) Why does Joab slay Abner? Is he justified in doing so? How does this affect his king's unification plans? Why do you think Joab is so blind? How can our spiritual blindness get in the way of God working out His plan in our lives?

 

Joab still harbored anger at Abner for killing his brother, but the way he got revenge in killing Abner was not justified.  He then endangered David's future plans for bringing Israel and Judah together.   Joab's resentment caused him to look only at his own circumstances and pain, so he was unable to see how his actions would affect others.  When we focus only on ourselves and seek to solve problems without God's help, we fail to see the bigger, better plan that God has for us and miss out on His blessings.

[WinstonY]

Q1. (2 Samuel 3:22-39) Why does Joab slay Abner? Is he justified in doing so? How does this affect his king’s unification plans? Why do you think Joab is so blind? How can our spiritual blindness get in the way of God working out His plan in our lives?

 

Joab kills Abner for revenge. No, he is not justified. In this rash action by Joab cause of certain amount of antagonism with the ten tribes David as king of Judah was able to overcome this antagonism. Spiritual blindness is probably the cause of sin.

 

[crissy464]

Joab killed Abner for revenge of his borther Asahel’s death

Abner had diplomatic status and the promise of peaceful transit from David
He was not justified, he should just let God do the work

Could have caused conflicts, war

He wanted revenge

[Irmela]

Q1. (2 Samuel 3:22-39)

Why does Joab slay Abner?

Is he justified in doing so?

How does this affect his king's unification plans?

Why do you think Joab is so blind?

How can our spiritual blindness get in the way of God working out His plan in our lives?

I personally think these questions are not so easily answered with a "this is the right answer", kind of thing.

Abner was the general of Saul's army.  He was also of Saul's family.   Abner had initiated and stood behind the fact that Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was made king, even though he was aware that David was God's chosen candidate.  Only when Ish-bosheth approached him, rightfully, for having slept with his father's concubine, did he decide to go over to David and help initiate the process of making him king.  .....   Can his motives really be trustworthy.     ......      By this time the brother of Joab had already been killed.

Joab was the general  of David's army.  He was David's sister's son.   His brother had been killed by Joab, who had not wanted to do this but was almost forced into it as a means self defense. Joab was hurting and bent on revenge.  When he saw his opportunity, he took it.   It was devious, very much so.  Hebron was a city of refuge.  He calls Joab back to the city where he could have been safe.  ......    but calls him outside   ......    he kills him the same way that his brother was killed.  This time it was murder.  Joab had foolishly ventured out of the city's protection to meet the one who was out and out to avenge his brother's death.

From the scenes "painted" above, it seems as if Joab had more than one reason to kill Abner.  Three stand out.

• First and foremost it was to avenge his brother's death. 
• Then also to prevent a possibility for Abner usurping the position of general of David's army.  (jealousy)   
• Then also he did not trust Abner's motivations to be honest towards David.  If he can turn traitor to the one who he put on the throne in the first place, he sure could turn to be traitor to the one he had previously tried to kill, by pursuing him with Saul.  

I do not think that the way he went about performing his deed , was right,  but I do understand the way he thought was ultimately to protect David, and the country from  further civil war.

Fortunately David was wise enough to show his grief openly about this deed and could prove that it was not his intent to perform it.  Throughout the years of his hiding in the wilderness and moving around seeking shelter away from Saul, David had shown that his intent was not evil towards Saul's "house".  

It is easy to point a finger and say that Joab was blind.  Abner's past deeds did not reflect him to be very trustworthy when he was not favoured.  

Spiritual blindness can come in the way of God's plans, in that one tends to steer away from where He is leading, or balk from his directions.  His ways are so much better to follow.

[Krissi]

I feel I must put myself in the shoes of Joab to understand his behavior.

IN Joab's eyes, his brother had been murdered. Presumably Joab came from a close family so the death of a sibling caused grief and anger. The fact that this death occurred during battle  -- yes, I know war ethics are different and the distinction between murder and killing applies here -- meant that Joab had no legal claim to avenge his brother's war-death. But there was enough personal animosity between the two sides of the civil war for Joab to conclude that his brother had been murdered, not killed.  Note that Joab didn't avenge his brother's death alone. He took another brother with him to kill Abner. Thus, his family was avenged (according to the prevailing ethic of that time).

We don't resonate to Joab's desire for vengeance because we mostly still trust the government to avenge wrongs through the court system. This trust is quickly eroding, however. As past trust in the system of "justice" disappears , Western court systems are increasingly regarded as both corrupt and biased. Many feel that little true justice remains because the government uses the "justice" system as a cudgel to punish those who challenge their power. Increasingly, bureaucrats use torture and death to coerce conformity and subservience. (For example, just yesterday, a sickly and dying J Assange was finally released after years of illegitimate confinement; lawfare against Trump and non-globalists continues unabated and even non-Trump supporters regard judicial decisions against him as despicable and unjust; the regular and inexplicable disappearance and murder of government-foes while in prison hasn't been explained; the extrajudicial murder of international political opponents such as the recent attempted murder of the Slovak PM, was instigated by Western intelligence agents who work outside the law.)

In this sort of situation, Joab found himself. He was trapped in unjust circumstances. He didn't trust the government/David to do "the right." He believed the system had crushed and killed his brother. He saw no possibility of justice being served. So he struck out ... he murdered the murderer, in his mind. He exacted justice in a situation in which justice would never be given.

So yes, Joab judged rather than let the system mete out justice, and, more importantly, he wrongly didn't trust God to avenge him, to set things right, to square the warped social and political system. He thought he could right wrongs, but merely added more wrongs to those that already existed. 

--

Ultimately, this act had no impact on David's unification plans, though it did delay them. From a geopolitical point of view, it was a waste of time. I rather doubt Joab was motivated by geopolitics, however, as this was a personal act of extracting justice, the avenging of a brother's death. 

If Joab was blind, it was because his family had suffered greatly from the death of his brother which they believed to be unjust. The rage a person feels when helpless in the face of injustice is something that many on this site have not felt, apparently. Joab felt this. I dare say that the fighters on both sides of the Western war against Russia currently taking place in the Ukraine also feel this. The injustice of what has happened to the dead soldiers and their remaining families will not be forgotten. Not for decades. Generations. Centuries. Whether you disagree or agree with their conclusions, those who feel righteous anger are not easily be pushed aside. That anger will erupt in a demand for justice. For vengeance. For rightness to be restored. 

--

Ultimately, in our lives, we have to believe two things about justice.  First, we must believe that God will restore to us what has been wrongly stolen, that what has been unjustly taken will be given back including time, money and reputation. Secondly, we must believe those who have harmed us unjustly will not "get away with it." This second aspect of justice is the most potent -- it may not feel good enough to have restitution without punishment. We may be given a financial award by the courts or government, for example, but the fact that a loved one has been murdered by an untested vaccine, or in a fake-pretense war, or has had his career and livelihood destroyed by an unjust verdict or rogue bureaucrat ... this burns in our hearts. We want God to punish our enemies as well as restore our own fortunes, time and reputation.

Are we to let go of this desire? Yes.

But we are NOT asked, however, to give up our demand for justice, but only to put the onus on God both to restore and avenge. And this Joab didn't do. 

In my reading of these biblical passages, Joab didn't trust God to punish the evildoers who murdered his brother. This was wrong, of course. Joab SHOULD have trusted God for both restitution and punishment, but didn't. He took the punishment aspect of justice on himself -- he acted God's part. 

[Nicolaas A.P. Mostert]

Q1. (2 Samuel 3:22-39)

Why does Joab slay Abner?

In revenge for his brother Asahel's death

Is he justified in doing so?

No. This is not a righteous avenging, this was in peace time. This is the equivalent of stabbing a person in the back without warning.

How does this affect his king's unification plans?

David publicly disassociates himself from it, and pronounces a terrible curse upon Joab and his descendants.

Why do you think Joab is so blind?

But all Joab is able to see is that Abner has killed his brother, and seeks revenge when he gets a chance.

How can our spiritual blindness get in the way of God working out His plan in our lives?

When your mind is set on things, not concerning GOD.

[LadyT]

Q1. (2 Samuel 3:22-39) Why does Joab slay Abner? Revenge

Is he justified in doing so? No

How does this affect his king's unification plans? Slows them down. It could've cost David the kingdom transfer.

Why do you think Joab is so blind? Rage over his brother's death that he never got over

How can our spiritual blindness get in the way of God working out His plan in our lives? We take matters into our own hands without knowing what God's plan is for the person who may have faulted us. We don't trust God to heal us.