Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab and Abishai and Asahel. And Asahel was as fleet of foot as a wild gazelle.”
Introduction:
Zeruiah (whose name meant balsam of God). The name of this desired and welcomed daughter expressed a similar sentiment to her parents. Zeruiah, a sister of David, became the mother Abishai, Joab and Asahel who are always referred to the “sons of Zeruiah.” Edith Dean remarks, “The fact that her name appears 25 times besides that of her sons is sufficient proof that she was a mother of distinction who had a marked influence over the lives of her sons.” Two reasons are advanced for the absence of their father’s name. He may have died early, or Zeruiah may have been a most remarkable woman, with a more impressive personality, or we have in the omission of survival of the ancient custom of tracing kinship through the female line. Zeruiah’s sons were conspicuous in the Israelite history during David’s reign.
Source: Dr. Herbert Lockyer, All The Women In The Bible
I. The Daughter of a Great Sire
A. She Was a Welcomed Daughter
21 Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed;
22 Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.”
—Ruth 4:21-22
1. Zeruiah’s name means balsam from God.
a. A balsam tree is one that produces various fragrances and ointments.
b. In that day balms and plasters were as common as the sandals on your feet.
c. For Jesse to give his daughter the name “The Balm of Jehovah” was to give her a name will never expire!
2. Zeruiah’s was most likely Jesse’s the first daughter.
a. You might have thought I had lost my mind because I read you the account of King David’s genealogy.
b. But King David and Zeruiah are brother and sister.
c. How happy Jesse was to welcome this beautiful baby girl to his family!
B. She Was A Worthy Daughter
5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,
6 and Jesse begot David the king…”
—Matthew 1:5-6
1. Two incredibly special mothers are in the lineage of Zeruiah
a. One is Rahab (a great maternal ancestor to Zeruiah and David)
i. This is that Rahab who was instrumental in saving the lives of the Hebrew spies during the time of Joshua.
ii. She lived in Jericho and due her faith was saved and spared during the battle for that great city.
iii. She is the first Gentile convert in the Bible and is in the lineage of King David and of King Jesus!
b. The other is Ruth (great-grandmother to Zeruiah and David)
i. This is that Ruth who refused to leave her mother-in-law.
ii. Her words have become immortal
16 But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.
17 Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.”
—Ruth 1:16-17
2. Two facts immediately come to mind about Zeruiah and her ancestors!
a. She must have benefited from having these strong, Godly, heroic women in her family tree!
b. She must have known that something was very special about her family for both of the above named women were Gentile converts to the Jewish faith!
3. I wonder if Zeruiah the daughter of Rahab and the daughter of Ruth ever aspired to achieve the same greatness in her family?
C. Application to The Church
1. While we can easily recount the acts of Rahab and Ruth, there is not a single act of Zeruiah recorded in all the Bible.
2. She is always mentioned in conjunction with someone else.
II. The Sister of a Great sibling
A. She Was A Sister To King David
1. What it must have been like to be the sister of King David
a. When he was young, he was just her baby brother.
b. But as he grew older, signs that God was at work in his life began to appear.
2. One can only
a. David’s trials in the wilderness with the sheep.
b. Was Zeruiah there that day when Samuel anointed David King of Israel?
c. Surely she heard of his daring feat in killing the Philistine giant, Goliath!
d. As King David grew into his role of Commander of the Army, she was proud to have her sons in that Army!
B. She Also Had A Sister Who Was Also Mother Of A Great Warrior
25 And Absalom made Amasa captain of the army instead of Joab. This Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Jithra, an Israelite, who had gone in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.”
—2 Samuel 17:25
1. Both of King David’s sisters had sons who were generals in the army of Israel.
2. But it was Zeruiah’s son who ended his days in that capacity.
C. Application To The Church
III. The Mother of Great Soldiers
A. Zeruiah And Her Husband
1. Although Zeruiah is mentioned at least twenty-five times in the historical records of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles no mention is made of her husband.
2. Although numerous explanations have been given concerning the Scripture’s silence in identifying Zeruiah’s husband
a. He may have died young…
b. He may have been a foreigner and she retained her identity with her clan
c. He may have been rather insignificant and obscured by her personality
3. The fact that Joab, who served as David’s commander of the army, and his brothers are repeatedly identified as sons of Zeruiah makes it apparent that she was a well-known individual.
B. Zeruiah And Her Sons
Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab and Abishai and Asahel. And Asahel was as fleet of foot as a wild gazelle.
—2 Samuel 2:18
1. Asahel – the youngest of the brothers and first to die.
a. Asahel was not only one of King David’s mighty men, he was also King David’s nephew
as were all the sons of Zeruiah)
b. He was killed in single combat.
2. Abishai – was the oldest son
a. Yet, Abishai was a famous second!
b. He was Joab’s older brother and yet it was Joab who became the outright commander of the Army!
c. Abishai is most remembered for two events
i. Standing over the sleeping King Saul and offering to kill him.
8 Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him at once with the spear, right to the earth; and I will not have to strike him a second time!”
9 And David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the LORD’S anointed, and be guiltless?””
—1 Samuel 26:8-9
ii. Stand with the weeping King David and offering to kill his adversary.
9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and take off his head!”
10 But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the LORD has said to him, ‘Curse David.’ Who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’
—2 Samuel 16:9-10
3. Joab – the middle son
a. Joab was the undisputed commander of King David’s army.
b. He personally eliminated two potential rivals for the spot.
c. Joab was both fiercely loyal to King David, but able to tell the king how the cow ate the cabbage at times!
i. Joab once challenged King David either to come into the battle or he (Joab) would take a particular city in his own name and not in King David’s name.
ii. When King David won a great victory over his traitorous and rebellious son, Absalom,
a. it was Joab who told King David that he was making a spectacle of himself
b. That he should pull himself together and praise his people as a proper king would.
4. I wonder where these men got their peculiar traits.
5. Could it be from their mother since they are referred to as the sons of Zeruiah 25 times in the bible?
IV. The Child of The Great Savior
A. Zeruiah Recap
1. Zeruiah – the daughter of a great father
2. Zeruiah – the sister of a great King
3. Zeruiah – the mother of great warriors
4. Zeruiah would not be Zeruiah without her godly heritage!
B. A Warning
1. You could have everything going for you that Zeruiah had and still be lost!
2. How sad it would be to have had a great father, great brother, great sons and not be able to say that you are a child of the GREAT KING
V. Conclusion
A. What Must I Do To Be Saved?
1. God Loves Us
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
—John 3:16
2. We Are Sinful And Separated From God.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
—Romans 3:23
3. Jesus Christ Is God’s Only Provision For Our Sin.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
—Romans 5:8
4. We Must Individually Receive Jesus As Savior AND Lord.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
—John 1:12
B. Are YOU Saved?
1. If you’re not – get saved today!
2. If you are – let’s get busy for the LORD!
