David And Ish-Bosheth Series

Scripture

After the death of King Saul (1:1), David was anointed as king over the tribe of Judah in the city of Hebron (2:4). Saul’s surviving son, Ish-bosheth, was set up as a puppet king over “all Israel” in the north by Abner, Saul’s military general who had survived the battle against the Philistines on Mount Gilboa (2:8-9). General Abner and David’s commanding general, Joab, had tried to resolve the situation between the two sides (2:12-32). Unfortunately, their solution did not work, and this led to war (2:17), “a long war” (3:1), between the two sides. On the first day of the battle, Abner killed Joab’s brother, Asahel (2:23). It is clear that Abner did not want to kill Asahel, but Asahel would not stop pursuing Abner, and so Abner reluctantly killed Asahel on the battlefield.

After about seven and a half years (2:11), there was a falling out between Ish-bosheth and Abner (3:6-11). Abner decided to transfer his allegiance to David in Hebron, with the promise that he would bring all Israel with him over to David (3:12-21). Remarkably, David met with Abner, enjoyed a feast with him, and sent him back to Israel “in peace” (3:21). David was seeking to establish God’s kingdom of peace on earth.

However, David’s general, Joab, was not present when all of this occurred. He was not at all happy to hear what David had done. In fact, he deceptively called for Abner to return to Hebron, and then he murdered Abner in cold blood.

Today’s lesson picks up when Ish-bosheth hears the news of Abner’s death, and what happens to Ish-bosheth after that.

Let’s read about David and Ish-bosheth in 2 Samuel 4:1-12:

1 When Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. 2 Now Saul’s son had two men who were captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon a man of Benjamin from Beeroth (for Beeroth also is counted part of Benjamin; 3 the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there to this day).

4 Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

5 Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ish-bosheth as he was taking his noonday rest. 6 And they came into the midst of the house as if to get wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. 7 When they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and put him to death and beheaded him. They took his head and went by the way of the Arabah all night, 8 and brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron. And they said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. The Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.” 9 But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, 10 when one told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?” 12 And David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron. (2 Samuel 4:1-12)

Introduction

A young father in a supermarket was pushing a shopping cart with his little son, who was strapped in the front. The little boy was fussing, irritable, and crying. The other shoppers gave the pair a wide berth because the child would pull cans off the shelf and throw them out of the cart. The father seemed to be very calm; as he continued down each aisle, he murmured gently: “Easy now, Donald. Keep calm, Donald. Steady, boy. It’s all right, Donald.”

A mother who was passing by was greatly impressed by this young father’s patient attitude. She said, “You certainly know how to talk to an upset child—quietly and gently.”