The Blood of Abner

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people. Within the throne room, torches hissed as the elders of the eleven other tribes of Israel gathered ish bo Chef, the last son of Saul, now sat on the throne the crown. 00:00:17 Speaker 2: David would be to reward Judah for its show of dominance by anointing a king. They communicated to the other tribes that they viewed themselves as a king of their own. 00:00:29 Speaker 3: I am Soul's sun. Royal blood flows through my veins. Eh. My claim is not for debate. We should have David's heading for his treachery. What threat do you see rising? First? 00:00:44 Speaker 1: Joab didn't hesitate Abner. 00:00:49 Speaker 2: Job and Abner have hated each other as long as I can remember it. 00:00:53 Speaker 3: Civil war Israel against Tudor brother against brother. 00:01:01 Speaker 1: The armies crashed like storm tides. Blades met bone, shields splintered. The field became a butcher's yard. 00:01:10 Speaker 2: Fallback will live to fight another day, scatter and regroup. Abner's getting away leave. 00:01:18 Speaker 4: Him to a shame. 00:01:20 Speaker 3: But I can end this now, Ash I all stop. 00:01:25 Speaker 1: Arsa hel leaped, but the rain had made the rock slick and his footing was unsure. Abner cocked his elbows and thrust The spear met flesh with a sickening crunch. 00:01:40 Speaker 5: No this, Sabner, my brother's blood will not be forgotten. 00:01:45 Speaker 3: The day will come when you answer for it. 00:01:49 Speaker 1: Abner felt the words in his bones. Joe AB's words were no mere threat. They were a prophecy. 00:02:04 Speaker 6: There can be no peace while vengeance still has a voice. Shelloh, my friends, from here in the holy land of Israel, i'm l extein with international Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and welcome to the Chosen People. In today's episode, drawn from Tewod Samuel chapters three and four, we find a story not of kings, but of those who crown them. Abner, the seasoned commander, stands at a crossroads. Once a king maker, now a restless witness to a failing regime. Loyalties shift, secret slip, and under it all questions echo. What makes a man change sides? What does peace cost? And how do we know when a decision is truly godly or when we're just tired of fighting? These are the shadows that we walk through today. 00:03:01 Speaker 1: The morning sun crept through the narrow stone arch of Abner's window. The breeze carried the scent of wild flowers from the fields beyond Gibeah. It stirred the linen sheets that tangled around his legs, stirred his hair, stirred her risper. She lay beside him, bare and golden in the rising light. Her dark hair spilled like ink across the white pillow. Her breath was slow and warm against his shoulder. Abner watched her as one might watch the last leaf on a tree. Fragile, beautiful. He traced the curve of her shoulder with a calloused finger. Her eyes opened like the sun itself. His heart fluttered at the sight of it. 00:03:57 Speaker 2: M good morning, Good morning, my dove. 00:04:02 Speaker 1: Abner kissed her, brief, tender. She rose with the grace of a queen. Sheets wrapped around her like silk robes. At the window, the sunlight caught her face, her skin, her sorrow. 00:04:19 Speaker 7: These are the moments I never want to forget. 00:04:23 Speaker 1: Her eyes closed, her chin tilted to the sun. Abnah came to her, strong arms encircling her waist. 00:04:33 Speaker 2: Moments like these are all we have. 00:04:38 Speaker 7: I hate that these moments have to be savored in secret. I want to be your wife. 00:04:44 Speaker 3: It be my wife, you know. 00:04:46 Speaker 7: I can't, no matter how much I longed to. 00:04:49 Speaker 1: Rispa had once belonged to Soul, his concubine, his possession, and now, by the law of kings, belonged to ishbo Chef. To lie with her was to lay claim to the throne itself, to defy order, to provoke a storm. And yet Abner did not care. He had raised Ishbosheth to his fragile throne with the strength of his sword. 00:05:18 Speaker 2: Arm ruled the kingdom in that boy's name and fought his wars. Why can't I have you? Your only property to him? But you're not a thing to me, Rispah. The only thing why warmth, The only softness left in the world, grown sharp as you are mine Isbashef has no gratitude. Therefore he doesn't feel he owes anything to anyone. It's wise losing people's hearts to David. 00:05:48 Speaker 7: I hear David's name whispered by many. 00:05:52 Speaker 2: The lad had proven to be a capable king. Hebron stands tall with new towers, Trade flows and from allies along the coast and desert Lebanon, Hammin and the mountain nations to the south. 00:06:05 Speaker 7: You almost sound impressed. 00:06:07 Speaker 2: I can respect a man who's able to bring his vision to life. And I wonder what the future holds for Israel. Ishbashef continues to flail like a fish out of water. 00:06:16 Speaker 7: You've held him up for two years now, but he seems determined to sabotage your efforts. All the while, David's claim grows stronger. 00:06:26 Speaker 2: Even worse. David has allied himself through marriage with prominent families, six wives, more children. Ah, while Isbaschef fumbles about drunk, too drunk to provide heirs, too drunk to govern. He has no idea how fragile the throne is. 00:06:42 Speaker 1: There was a silence, then a sigh from Abna. He wanted to retrieve the tender moment again. He drew Risby inclose, taking her in with a breath. 00:06:54 Speaker 2: These moments are reprieve. You are my oasis. 00:07:00 Speaker 7: As you are mine. 00:07:03 Speaker 1: They leaned into each other, longing to steal another kiss before Abna had to leave. Then a knock came, and then the door opened. Before Abner could protest, a servant boy opened the door. My lord, ah, I the boy froze. He took one glance at Risper, still half veiled in the sheets, and then back at Abner. Abna watched the boy's eyes then shift to the disheveled sheets and calculate what he was seeing. His eyes went wide with realization, then back to formality. 00:07:42 Speaker 3: His grace, King ishbusheth, he requests your presents at once. 00:07:48 Speaker 1: The boy bowed and fled as quickly as he could, the door clapping shout behind him. The room fell into stillness. Risba clutched the sheet tighter to her chest, already half way across the chamber, gathering her scattered clothes. Her face was flushed with dread. 00:08:08 Speaker 8: He saw us, He'll tell the king. 00:08:10 Speaker 2: Let him tell I'm not to be scolded like some common servant over the warmth of a woman. 00:08:17 Speaker 8: You forget yourself, you forget the laws. I'm bound to the king by law. What you've done is seen as a claim to the throne. 00:08:26 Speaker 2: Then let him believe it. Let him call at treason, let him summon his guards. I made him king, I can unmake him. 00:08:33 Speaker 1: Risper stepped close and pressed her palm to his chest. 00:08:38 Speaker 8: Don't speak so boldly. If he doesn't do anything to you, he may take it out on me. 00:08:45 Speaker 3: I won't let that happen. 00:08:47 Speaker 1: Abner caught her hand and kissed it, but said no more. When she was gone, he stood in silence, watching the curtains sway in the breeze. A moment passed, then another, and then he dressed leather, linen steel. He fixed his cloak, belted his sword, and left for the palace. Whatever ish Baucheth wished to say, he would hear it with a sword at his side and fury in his bones. Abner walked into the echoing halls of the palace. He pushed open the doors to the King's throne room and stepped inside. Ish bo Sheth sat slouched on the throne, drowning in silk and sulk, a goblet of wine trembling in his soft hand. It wasn't even noon, and he had obviously downed several goblets. You said for me, my lord, the boy king swirled his wine. He let the moment linger, as if testing the strength of the silence. 00:09:57 Speaker 3: A a head cold to speak of yesterday's counsel. Another matter ways heavier now. 00:10:05 Speaker 1: He set the goblet down and looked up with a gaze sharp as broken glass. 00:10:11 Speaker 3: He's not enough that half my kingdom ben Zanni to a heasant shepherd, But now I found my father's concubines taking his horse by his commanders. Risper was mine by right? You shame yourself, Abner, have you no respect for the throne? 00:10:29 Speaker 1: Abner's eyes met the king's what ishbo Sheth expected meekness, apology. He did not find. What he saw instead was rage. Abner stepped forward, no respect. Abner continued to stomp closer to ishbo Chef. Their difference in stature became even more apparent as he approached the throne. 00:10:55 Speaker 2: I asked you, my king, am I a dog's head of Judah, who fought beside your father in the caves and hills of zeph who faced Goliath's kin in the valleys, who kept the Philistines from tearing down your gates when they stormed Gibeah. 00:11:11 Speaker 1: Who made you king? Ishbosheth, The boy shifted in his seat, visibly shrinking with every word. 00:11:21 Speaker 2: I am bled for this realm, glad for you. While you sit on your throne and speak to me of a woman. You have the gal to scold me over a woman you cast aside, when your throne itself sits on foundation's eye built with sword and blood. 00:11:39 Speaker 1: Ishbo Chef opened his mouth, but Abner drew steel before he could find a word. Abnah slammed it into the wooden table that sat before the throne, splinters leaping like startled birds. Ishbo Chef recoiled in his seat. Abnah leaned in his face inches from the kings. 00:12:01 Speaker 2: Listen, Well, boy, may the Lord strike me dead if I do not take this kingdom from your trembling hands and place it into the hands of the ones. 00:12:11 Speaker 1: Who earned it. 00:12:12 Speaker 2: From Dan to Beersheba, David shall Wool. He was chosen, you were placed. 00:12:21 Speaker 1: There was no reply. Ishbosheth said nothing, could say nothing. His silence was all the answer Abner needed. With a scoff, the old war dog ripped his sword free from the table, splinters falling like rain. He turned his back to the king and walked away, without waiting for a command or permission. At the threshold, he paused, spat on the stone, and cast one final word over his shoulder. 00:12:55 Speaker 2: Sniveling coward. If only Saul could see what a miserable little brand you turned out to be. 00:13:02 Speaker 1: The doors grown shud behind him. In the silence that followed, ish Boucheth sad frozen, terrified of the fate. That awaited him. King David sat at the long table with Jashabin, reviewing parchment roles inked with law codes and rulings handed down from the tribal judges. The King's brow was furrowed, not in the grimace of war, but in the quiet burden of governance. 00:13:36 Speaker 3: I want more than victories. I want peace to have rooms here. 00:13:41 Speaker 4: Peace is the reward of kings who ruled with wisdom, not just mife. I fear we've drawn swords too quickly and the promise he may have won us. 00:13:50 Speaker 1: The day before David could reply, the chamber doors swung open, and a dusty, travel worn youth stepped through. 00:13:59 Speaker 9: Thus says my master, Abner, it has been my conviction that the Lord has anointed you, David, to steward his land and his people. Make a covenant with me, and behold, my hands shall be with you to bring all Israel over to your side. 00:14:14 Speaker 1: Jashabeine narrowed his eyes, instinctively suspicious. The two men exchanged wary glances. 00:14:23 Speaker 4: What does he gain by coming to us now, Abner is no fool? Why offer you the crown he wants bled to deny. 00:14:34 Speaker 3: Something must have fractured between him and Ishboshev. 00:14:39 Speaker 4: Perhaps, but I'd still be cautious. If Abner truly wishes to join our cause, let him prove it. 00:14:49 Speaker 1: David gave a slow nod. 00:14:52 Speaker 3: He won't see my face until he brings me Michael. She will be my peace. 00:14:57 Speaker 4: Offering this again, Dad, Please, for the love of God, let it rest. Macall Is with another man. 00:15:08 Speaker 3: She's my wife by right. I paid for her in Philistine blood. Saul gave her away like a trinket. I want her return, not only for love the once I loved her, but because she Soul's daughter. The people will remember her return binds me tighter to the bloodline they once revered. 00:15:34 Speaker 1: Jashabin sighed and rubbed his temples. 00:15:38 Speaker 4: Another wife, then it's a lot to manage, my friend. I'd be cautious. How many strings can a man tie together before he strangles in them? 00:15:50 Speaker 3: I didn't take you for a poet, Josh. 00:15:53 Speaker 4: I'm being earnest. I think taking m Callback would be inviting more chaos. She sold you to Saul. 00:16:01 Speaker 3: David my term stand. Tell Abner he may have my favor. When Michael stands beside me once more. 00:16:11 Speaker 1: The messenger bowed and departed. David sighed then realized something. He had just initiated peace talks with Abner without consulting Joab. True to his word, Abner delivered. Michal was torn from the arms of the man she had come to love. Her cries echoed through the streets as her husband followed her, weeping, until Abner's hand shoved him back. Her place was beside David now by rights of first marriage and by the slow, cruel arithmetic of kingship, And with that offering, trust was bought within the walled courts of his own estate. Abner summoned the elders of the tribes. 00:17:01 Speaker 2: My lords, we are bleeding ourselves dry for a king too weak to command his own shadow. I once believed I can rule in his stead, But no more. Lord's wind turns to David. 00:17:14 Speaker 1: They stirred uneasily, suspicion in their eyes. 00:17:19 Speaker 4: You were ish Bochet's architect at them. Will you now dismantle your own design? 00:17:26 Speaker 2: My loyalty to Saul, I pressed in vain. I was wrong, But repentance is not weakness. When the Lord's hands moves, only a fool stands against it. David is the Lord's anointed. The Lord himself declared by the hand of my servant, David, I will save my people from the Philistines. 00:17:45 Speaker 4: And all their foes. 00:17:46 Speaker 2: We stand now at a crossroads, my brothers, to cling to a fading crown, or to follow the one chosen to wear it. 00:17:54 Speaker 1: For a long moment, no one spoke. Then a single elder rose. 00:18:01 Speaker 4: Let it be so. Let David be king overall Israel. 00:18:08 Speaker 1: The others followed, some with resolve, others with heavy hearts. The tides of Israel had begun to shift, and in Hebron a king waited. David hosted a great feast for Abner and his men. They dined not as enemies or rivals, but as warriors who knew the worth of peace. As the meal waned, Abner leaned forward, his voice low and purposeful. 00:18:40 Speaker 2: I will rise from here and gather the kingdom for you. The elders have bent the knee and spirit that they still need to make public pledges to you. The governors and captains will follow, though some may need convincing. That's where we'll need to be careful. These men are loyal to me and to me alone. Their tires will take some work. 00:19:03 Speaker 1: David studied the man across from him, he saw no deceit, only weariness and conviction. But then he thought of Joe ab His rage still burned for Abna. 00:19:17 Speaker 3: Why the change of heart, Abner, which made your hatred for me and Judah go cold? 00:19:24 Speaker 1: Abner grimaced, not a David, but at whatever memory he was retrieving to answer, David, honestly. 00:19:32 Speaker 2: I love my country, my people. My loyalty is to the good of Israel. I thought, if I could control this Bachef, I could steer this nation in a steady position. But while I build, the boy seems bent on sabotaging everything. 00:19:47 Speaker 3: All the while here. 00:19:48 Speaker 2: You are leading like the king. Jonathan always knew you'd be. 00:19:53 Speaker 3: Joe abb is my commander, and he will remain so once this is all done, can you accept them? 00:20:02 Speaker 2: Once this treaty is complete, my only desire is to retreat into the countryside with Rispah. I've had enough battles. It's time for peace. 00:20:12 Speaker 3: If the Lord wills this union, then let it be done. The bloodshed must end. 00:20:19 Speaker 1: Abner nodded and rose, bowing before the king he now served. He took his leave, riding into the fading light with fire in his chest, bearing a dream of unity. Moments After Abner had left, the gates thundered open again. Joe ab entered, hebrewn triumphant. Behind him marched his men, laughing and dragging cards laden with gold and cattle. They were bloodied, but exultant. 00:20:58 Speaker 3: My king, See what's your army has done. 00:21:01 Speaker 1: The richest of your enemy lie at your feet. 00:21:04 Speaker 5: With this, we could strike down Abner and burn if Bosheth's crown to bash. 00:21:12 Speaker 1: His men walked behind him until David's voice stilled the air. 00:21:17 Speaker 3: We have no need for another strike. There will be no war with Abner. 00:21:24 Speaker 1: What do you mean? 00:21:26 Speaker 3: Abner struck a treaty with us. He rides now together Israel beneath my banner. 00:21:32 Speaker 1: Joe app was silent for a moment. He looked around, seeing the feasting tables and goblets of fine wines spread out before them. 00:21:42 Speaker 2: You met with Abner, So this face isn't for us, your soldiers. 00:21:50 Speaker 3: It isn't for the men who've bled for you. It's for the dog that's slayd uck in. You let him leave with his head to choose vengeance when piece is an option, we have a chance to end the bloodshed. 00:22:06 Speaker 1: Joe ab turned to his men, lave us. They obeyed without question. Now it was just the two of them. Joe AB was vibrating in place. 00:22:20 Speaker 5: How could you be so stupid? 00:22:24 Speaker 3: Mind your tongue, Joe Ab, cut the crap you and I can speak plainly. 00:22:30 Speaker 5: David, I'm not your commander because I kiss your backside. 00:22:35 Speaker 1: David tensed and rolled his shoulders back. Joe ab circled David like a wolf. 00:22:41 Speaker 3: Abner pledged loyalty. 00:22:44 Speaker 5: I say, horse tongue. 00:22:46 Speaker 3: Abner is a sober thinker. He knows what's best for Israel. He killed Ashiel, and now that we've broken piece, no other brothers need to die. You our family, and you're blinded by your rage. You're weake. How many times do I have to explain this before it gets into your head? Mercy? Is it weakness? This isn't about mercy. We're on the heels of winning the throne. 00:23:20 Speaker 5: You can't just stand a thow someone like Abner hating you. You need him to love you. 00:23:27 Speaker 3: I've honored the nation by forging the land of peace without more violence. Accept it, Joe Ab. I've already given my word to Abner. 00:23:38 Speaker 5: I also gave my word to Abner. 00:23:41 Speaker 3: I intend to keep it. You will be the ruin of peace before it can even be born. 00:23:47 Speaker 1: Joe Abs said nothing. He turned on his heel and stalked into the night, his breath steaming in the cold air. He vanished into the dark like a hound on the center of blood. David knew those eyes. They were the eyes of Sore, the eyes of Cain. The hour was late, and the moon hid its face behind thick, sweeping clouds. Joab stalked through Hebron like a hound that had been kept from its kill for too long. The blood of arsa Hal still cried out from the ground, and Joab, who had carried his brother's broken body back from the mountain, had never stopped hearing it. He seized a young servant by the arm, near tearing it from the socket. 00:24:44 Speaker 5: Intercept Abner before he leaves Hebron. He rides eastward Manheim. Tell him the king has met as yet unsettled. Tell him to meet me at the cistern of Sarah. He must come alone. 00:24:59 Speaker 1: The boy went without question, and not long after Abner turned from the road. He was not eager to delay. He was a man with a kingdom to unite, but a summons from David could not be ignored. He rode alone, torch in hand, the wind tugging at his cloak. The cistern of Syra was a lonely place, half swallowed by the walls of the outer city. When Abner arrived, he dismounted and walked into the narrow alley, the torchlight flickering against the damp stone walls. A sliver of moonlight broke through the clouds above. The moonlight illuminated a figure emerging from the dark, cloaked and still, Why, King David, Why here have we not spoken enough of peace already? The figure stepped forward, and something in the movement struck Abner wrong, too sharp, too certain. His hand drifted toward the hilt of his sword. 00:26:04 Speaker 5: Now come to speak of peace, the things that must be done to win it. 00:26:09 Speaker 1: Abnah was confused. He brought the torch closer. Its light flickered, revealing Joad's sneer under the hood. Abner gasped and reached for his blade, but he was too late. Joe Ad was upon him in a breath, the dagger sinking deep beneath the ribs. Abnah gasped, blood rushing. 00:26:32 Speaker 3: To his throat. 00:26:33 Speaker 1: Joe ab leaned into Abner's ear. 00:26:36 Speaker 2: I told you this, they would come un like you. 00:26:40 Speaker 5: I keep my word. 00:26:43 Speaker 1: Abnah groaned and growled, but couldn't speak. With a final twist of the dagger, Joe ab let the man fall. Abner crumpled beside the cistern. Blood spread across the stones as ink spilled across the parchment. The clouds above swallowed the moon, cloaking the world in shadow once again, and in the silence that followed, there was no sound but the wind, no peace, only vengeance. 00:27:21 Speaker 6: Let me ask you a question, why did Joab do it? Not the surface answer, revenge for his brother's blood. That's plain enough. No, let's talk about the harder thing. What justified it in his own mind? What reasoning allowed Joab to silence the only man who might have stitched the tribes back together. In the Mishna Sanhadron, the sages tell us something both beautiful and terrifying. This is what it says. He who destroys one life is considered to have destroyed an entire world. Wow, that's powerful. Joab destroyed a world that night. But the harder the truth is that he did it because he believed that he was preserving something larger, his family, his pride, his order. There's a word in Hebrew Shalom. We say it casually, but its roots mean far more than peace. It means wholeness. It comes from the Hebrew word shalem, which means complete. Shalom means completion. Shalom is not just the absence of war. It's what Abner tried to build in the end and what Joah, blinded by old wounds, could not understand. Obner wasn't perfect, but he was trying to move towards peace, and even in his death, we must ask, can we hold space for repentance in our vision of justice? Can we let go of score keeping long enough to remember we were not called to be the avenger, but the people who walk humbly before God. There's something else I want to look at. In this Bible story, Joab killed Abner in cold blood as payback for killing Joab's brother Assail, but David, the newly minted king of Israel, did not see fit to punish Joab. Isn't that strange? Don't we have to wonder why? 00:29:19 Speaker 8: Well? 00:29:19 Speaker 6: Some of the Jewish sages suggest that part of the reason was that, since this was actually the first day of David officially becoming king of all of Israel, he wasn't sure he had the backing to dish out such a severe punishment. But many of our sages actually give a very different reason. They note that David had a great deal of faith in God, and he believed that God would punish those who deserve to be punished. He didn't have to do it himself. This is a really great lesson for each of us today, isn't it. Sometimes we might think that life seems unfair. We see bad people go unpunished and we see good people who are rewarded. But this story King David, it teaches us that we're not the final authority. Yes, we need to do our best to seek justice here on earth, but if we can't find justice, we must leave it to God to administer justice himself in his own good time. When I was a little girl in Chicago, I used to think the hardest part of life was choosing right from wrong. But as I've grown older, especially as I raise my own children here in the Holy Land of Israel, I've come to see life rarely tests us with the choice between right and wrong. The real test is restraint. When we know that we're right. This story teaches us a sacred tension. Joea believed he had every right to act, his brother was dead, his anger was valid, and yet in avenging blood, he destroyed peace. There's a quote from the righteous Gentile Dietrich Bonhaffer that comes to mind. Pastor Bonhaffer said, we must learn to regard people less in light of what they do or omit to do, and more in light of what they suffer. Justice matters, yes, of course it does, but in our tradition, justice must walk hand and head with chresid with steadfast, loving kindness. Maybe you've been wronged, maybe, like Joab, your pain has started to feel holy. So in that situation, be careful, my friends. We are not called to be the executioners of our own justice. We don't have to be the judge or the redeemer. That burden belongs to God, who is more just and more merciful than any of us. God is not blind to your suffering, and he is not slow to act, but he moves differently than we do, in whispers and waiting and wounds that heal instead of inflict. As we leave this story and return to our own lives, remembered this. The path of peace often looks like the path of weakness, but it is the path of righteousness. 00:32:08 Speaker 1: You can listen to The Chosen People with Isle Eckstein ad free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey dot Com app today. This Prey dog comproduction is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Gattina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabager and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, bre Rosalie and Chris Baig. Special thanks to Bishop Paulinier, Robin van van Etin, Kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller and the team at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot Com productions on the Prey dot Com app available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, please rate and leave a review.