2 Samuel 3

"Now when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him privately, and there stabbed him in the stomach, so that he died for the blood of Asahel his brother." v.27

Read chapter 3
Bitterness of revenge.  As we saw in the previous chapter of Joab's brother Asahel being killed by Abner in the battle of the civil war between Judah and Israel, now we see Joab take revenge by killing Abner because of his brother.  This seems like a just thing, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, yet there's more to the story than just black and white.  In chapter 2 we see Abner try to not kill Ashael and even use the blunt of his spear to trip him rather than kill him. Abner was on the house of Saul's side fighting against David yet even he knew that David would become king over all Israel (v.10).  When Ishosheth accuses Abner for sleeping with one of Saul's concubines, we have no evidence if this was true or not, he turns to help deliver all Israel to David.  Joab assumed that Abner was tricking David and still bitter about his brother that he goes in secret not telling David of his plan to retrieve Abner and kill him slyly.  Abner had slain Asahel in self-defence, Joab planned this deliberate and treacherous murder.  Do times of change often result in civil war situations in your life or do they end up happening fairly smooth?  Do responses to scenarios change or remain the same as you get older?