In the early days of division between Judah and Israel following the death of Saul and Jonathan the armies of Ish Bosheth (son of Saul) and David met for battle at the pool of Gibeon.
There at Gibeon Abner, general for Ish Bosheth, and Joab, general of David's army, met across the pool from each other. "Let the young men arise and compete before us," Abner suggested to Joab. It was arranged: twelve men of Benjamin for Ish Bosheth and twelve of Judah for David arose. Each gripped his foe by the head, plunged his sword into the other's side and fell dead.
We're told by Scripture that the ensuing battle was fierce but that as the day progressed the forces of Joab and David prevailed. As the army of Judah chased the forces of Benjamin, Asahel, brother of Joab and Abishai, who was fleet of foot, pursued Abner with singular zeal. Abner urged him to turn aside to a younger man--"Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother, Joab?" Abner asked. But Asahel would not turn aside.
Finally, in exasperation (and perhaps desperation), Abner turned and thrust the butt of his spear at the younger man. The spear went through his stomach, out his back, and Asahael fell dead.
Joab and Abishai continued their pursuit of Abner into the evening, but as night was falling the forces of Benjamin rallied behind Abner on a hilltop. Abner cried out to Joab, "Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you tell your people to turn from the pursuit of their brothers?"
Joab blew the trumpet in response. Judah ceased her pursuit of Benjamin and irreparable bitterness was avoided. Remarkably and beautifully, in God's providence, when Israel was next divided--between Rehoboam and Jeroboam--Benjamin stood with Judah.
But we learn from this story certain timeless spiritual truths. First, it is the nature of young men to seek to outstrip their elders. It is the nature of sons who love their fathers to try to go twice as far twice as fast as their fathers.
Second, Scripture teaches us that in this tendency lies danger--the danger of junior officers framing the battle and thus governing the course of nations.
Generals must value young warriors like Asahel. They project power, they advance kingdoms, they win battles and wars. Even as Saul seethed at David's "tens of thousands," he knew he needed him.
But often young warriors must be restrained for the greater good. This requires self-denial and faith in God's providence over the outcome of the war. And at times, if a general cannot rein in his warriors he must disavow them. David is forced to do this later with Joab when Joab murders Abner to avenge Asahel
In the course of recent theological conflicts within the Reformed community it has been my impression that too little has been done by generals to restrain younger men. No doubt, generals feel grateful to the bright young men who advance their arguments and champion their cause. Yet if younger warriors are not cautioned and even, at times, held in check by generals, they will most certainly drag their elders and fathers into far wider and more all-consuming battle, the consequence of which will be bitterness between brothers as Abner warned Joab.
Young men have not learned what older men too often forget, that battle is not all of life, and that the day will come, if God is honored in the conflict, when both sides will once again unite in brotherhood. This reunification is much harder to accomplish, of course, when generals fail to govern and limit the course of the conflict.
