You
know the story of “Abner, the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.” (1 Samuel 14:50.) You
remember he was captain of Saul’s host (II Samuel 2:8) and fought for Saul’s
family for some years after David was crowned king. David seems always to have
honored and admired Abner, and when at last he came to make peace David
received him and made him a feast. Joab was jealous of Abner and at that time
murdered him in cold blood. It was for this deed, in part, that Joab was later
put to death. David tells us what he thought of Abner, when he said: “Know ye
not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel.”
It
is very refreshing, in view of this sad murder, to find that David made
Jaasiel, Abner’s son, ruler of the tribe of Benjamin. (1 Chronicles 27:21).