Veiled Self-interest

And Abner said unto David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel unto my lord the king, that they may make a league with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thine heart desireth. And David sent Abner away; and he went in peace. (2 Samuel 3: 21)

How does one distinguish self-interest when it is carefully concealed as otherwise? Even more important to ask is how does God think about it and what is the result of that when God comes into play?

We of course know that the human leaning will normally fall on self interest. That is the beastly craving. But we also know that as men created in God’s image that there is a craving for a higher existence bereft of such a bare way of living. We crave the satisfaction that comes from commendation we may get from others, and especially the great satisfaction we will feel deep in our spirits.

But we also know the human heart to be so deceitful

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17: 9)

Isn’t it possible that we can also deceive ourselves that we seek common good when the only thing we are concerned about is our interest?

Let us look at Abner to get our point across. Abner was King Saul’s general. He was the guy who kept the king in power even when God rejected him. He was fully in the picture and chose his positions carefully. Let us look at this

So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to him; (2 Samuel 3: 9)

We can safely conclude that he sided with Saul and his son in direct opposition to God’s clear revelation, something he had done for decades.

He must have heard Samuel giving the proclamation to Saul about his rejection. We are sure he heard Saul confirming to David that he was God’s king in front of the whole army.

Why then did he not use his influence to broker a soft landing for the rejected king especially as he knew David had demonstrated that he could not harm Saul again and again?

He knew that he would join David at a lower rank than he had with Saul as David had his trusted team. He had to wield power at all costs, even disobedience to God’s clear revelation. And that was the reason he still could not join David even after the death of Saul as his options became even better. Installing a king made him even greater than the king and so he literally became the absolute ruler, no questions asked.

And that was riled when his chosen king chose to behave like one and question him concerning his abuse of office. He realizes that his options have started narrowing as his authority could now be questioned. I think he realized then that it would be a matter of time before his other excesses were questioned or even his designs were exposed. I believe his ultimate desire was to take over the kingdom from Saul’s family.

The questioning of his abrogation by his ‘project’ made it clear that his days as the number one honcho were coming to a close. It did not matter to him that it was a fading kingdom as long as he was the boss.

It was then he brought prophecy to his aid. Since God had said David would be king, why not capitalize on that to negotiate a better package. But was he not scared he will be called to account for making Ishbosheth king? I am a career soldier and only follow orders. He must have argued. You even remember I had tried to prevent Saul from pursuing you. In fact I am the one who always made sure you were never caught when we pursued you. I am the one who leaked the news that we were coming for you in Keilah so that you could escape. I heard Samuel telling Saul that God had rejected him and anointed you but could not openly support you as I am a soldier and must follow orders. The only thing I did in my position was to shield you from harm by making sure that the army does not get close to you as most wanted you dead by all means. But I could not allow them because I knew God had chosen you to be king. But Ishbosheth has gone overboard so that I know it would be sin to continue supporting him. That is why I want to get all Israel to agree with God finally.

I believe that was the kind of conversation that went on between the king and Abner. He had to negotiate the best position ever. I am sure the twenty men who accompanied him must have been carefully prepared to boost Abner’s chances in David’s kingdom. And they accomplished it from what we see in David’s response to Abner’s death.

And that is where we see God coming into play. God will never allow self-interest to flourish all the time. God, as the King of justice accomplishes is purposes by allowing your ambition to be checked, and mainly by a person with as much ambition as you have, and as scheming as you are.

With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward (Psalm 18: 26)

Abner has convinced David that he was the missing link in his kingdom. I am almost convinced that he had been offered the position of general once he completes his assignment of bringing all of Israel to David. What David may not have known is that Israel was looking for him. The only obstacle had been Abner. But he had subtly reversed the situation to appear the savior of the same. And it seems he had played his cards perfectly well.

Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. And moreover in time past, even when Saul was king, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD thy God said unto thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel. (1 Chronicles 11: 1, 2)

Then here enters another person just like him. Joab is the general who will not allow anything to stand between him and what he wants. Even worse is the fact that he had brothers who supported him in all his endeavors. His ambition had elevated their family from probably a single mother family or a woman dominated household to the second most powerful family in the kingdom after the king’s.

He gets back and hears the latest that he probably would not be general for long as there had appeared someone with a better CV than his. And the same character had over 40 years experience, and with the first king of Israel.

Joab is not as smooth as Abner. He is not as diplomatic. Once he knows what he needs he will use whatever means to get it. He will look for the excuses later.

And that is what he does. He plays diplomacy until he is near enough. Then he deals with Abner’s ambition with precision, killing him and it instantly. Excuse? Abner’s very reluctant killing of their younger brother Asahel.

And that is where Abner’s ambition ends.

When self interest overrides other’s interests, when love for self becomes the guiding principle even when it involves lives of others, you will then leave yourself wide open for God to not only expose that motive, but also nip it in the bud.

Other examples?

Of course Joab’s life was like that and it ended likewise.

Ahithophel (2 Samuel 16: 23; 17: 23) His chequered service was ended abruptly when he realized that his counsel was defeated. And we know that it is God who made it happen.

King Saul started very well yet was deconstructed when his interests became more important than even God’s revelation.

Probably the most famous is Haman in the book of Esther.

History is rife with characters that perfected the art of carefully concealing self-interest under the guise of championing other’s interests. It is sad that we find it even in church where it is hidden under verses and revelations.

I am severally called to be involved with ministry startups and that is one place you see saints (?) at their vilest especially when it is an international ministry that is looking to establish a branch in Kenya and they have some funds.

Just the other day I was in such a forum. The visiting minister had said that as they launch the Kenya chapter they will need to have an elected office. And there was some money set apart for Kenyan operations. Then we went to lunch.

What happened after lunch is a scandal so shameful. And this was a meeting of pastors, a number of them seminary lecturers. A team formed a clique and shared out the positions even before we had gone back to the meeting. But somehow God leaked that out and it did not succeed. Yet they still went on scheming. The sad part is that the meeting was a collection of pastors from all over who did not know one another.

And we are still shocked when foreign ministers are running away from Kenya!

When a foreign preacher wants to come to Kenya, he will normally contact a church or denominational leadership to be given the financial and logistical reality on the ground. Many times I hear that they are given highly inflated estimates which they will meet as they are visiting. They will then be given even more costly receipts yet the local leaders will normally procure the cheapest, even substandard services.

I am sure you would not need to jog your mind much to give me a list of ten such characters.

But this short post is mainly to challenge you to examine your heart concerning such motives. This is because that is one place I have seen God conclusively dealing with the motives.

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4: 12, 13)

May we read, study and meditate on God’s word to have it deal with our inner motivations as that is the only place our motives are laid bare. It is therefore very essential for us to value that sure source of revelation.