Day 110: Israel united

This brief civil war can have only one end. David is on the ascendancy, and nothing can stop him. His wisdom in not killing Saul himself is perhaps shown - if Saul’s loyal supporters were willing to fight a civil war, then how much worse would it have been if they viewed David as a usurper?

Michal and Abner return to David
2 Samuel 3:6-21
Joab murders Abner
2 Samuel 3:22-29
Murder of Ish-Bosheth
2 Samuel 4:1-3, 5-12
David made king over Israel
2 Samuel 5:1-3, 1 Chronicles 11:1-3
List of David’s warriors
2 Samuel 1 Chronicles 12:23-40
Israel united under David
1 Chronicles 29:26

Abner, who had been Saul’s general. can see which way the wind is blowing, and he decides to jump ship. Having made Ish-Boseth king, he now deserts him, acting ruthlessly, like a good general should. David receives him with honour and makes an agreement with him - much to the annoyance of his own general, Joab, who would have killed him, and indeed does. Now we see David the statesman, mourning at the grave of someone who was his enemy, but who commanded the respect of much of Israel. In this way David wins the hearts and minds of the north.
Chronicles lists the people who come out to make David king, listing them with approval, as people who have seen what is the right thing to do: people “who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” And so the civil war is ended, and David is accepted as Israel’s undisputed king.