April 6

Read 2 Samuel 2-4

Uncivil Civil Wars This is definitely an “R” passage for violence.

2 Samuel 2:26 Abner called out to Joab, "Must the sword devour forever? Don't you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their brothers?"

Compared with the ongoing civil war between Saul’s men and David’s, the infamous feud between the Hatfields and McCoys looks like a Baptist Sunday School Picnic. The war between these two families lasted way too long and far too many people were hurt by this feud. Remember when elephants wrestle it is the grass that gets hurt. These civil wars can happen between Jewish tribes, families, neighbors, and friends. They can also happen in the church. It’s not that some battles don’t need to be fought, but that for every principled battle there are 100 personal battles. Abner asked three thought provoking questions in his conversation with Joab. Of the 3 question the last one is the most compelling. “How long” must this feud go on? When is it time to settle a dispute and move on? The word “brother” in this question is what makes the question profoundly sad. This was not a civil war of issue; it was a civil war of personalities. When the battle is against brothers instead of error, the time to stop is now.

Thought for today: Do you have an issue with another brother or sister that is becoming more personal than principled? What can you do to bring this feud to an end today?

Today is accountability day. Send me a quick email telling me what chapter you are on.

During the Holy Week be sure to set aside extra time to spend with God.