August 30,
2007
Rise up,
LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee
before thee. (Numbers 10: 35 KJV
2 Samuel Chapter 4 Author:
Unknown NIV
Ish-Bosheth
Murdered
(2
Samuel 4:1-3 KJV) "And when Saul's
son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the
Israelites were troubled. {2} And Saul's son had two men that were
captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of
the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin:
(for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin. {3} And the Beerothites fled
to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.)"
Ish-Bosheth
was a puppet king and he knew it.
He knew nothing of war, he knew nothing of leadership. Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin just
as Baanah and Recab. This is
important information as we read below.
(2
Samuel 4:4 KJV) "And Jonathan,
Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years
old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse
took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he
fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth."
Mephibosheth was a
direct descendant of Saul through Jonathan and as such was in line to the
throne. However he does not
challenge David and because of David’s covenant with Jonathan, Mephibosheth will
have a place of honor in David’s kingdom.
(2
Samuel 4:5-6 KJV) "And the sons of
Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the
day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon. {6} And they
came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have
fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and
Baanah his brother escaped."
Recab and
Baanah and probably most of the army were unhappy with Ish-Bosheth being that he
was a spineless king. He is so
spineless that he doesn’t bother to post guards around him while he slept,
making assassination easy. They
think they are doing a good thing by getting rid of Ish-Bosheth. They then cut
off his head and take it to David to let him know that they have taken care of
David’s enemy. They come telling
David they did what they did at the direction of the Lord thinking David would
be pleased. Not only do we have a fellow Jew killing another Jew, but also we
have brothers of the same tribe killing one of their
brothers.
(2
Samuel 4:7-11 KJV) "For when they
came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him,
and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the
plain all night. {8} And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David
to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul
thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the LORD hath avenged my lord the king
this day of Saul, and of his seed.
{9} And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother,
the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD
liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, {10} When one
told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I
took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have
given him a reward for his tidings: {11} How much more, when wicked men
have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not
therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the
earth?"
David wanted
nothing to do with assassination toward God’s anointed or his descendants. So he has Recab and Baanah
executed.
(2
Samuel 4:12 KJV) "And David
commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their
feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head
of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in
Hebron."
24 The LORD bless
thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his
face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up
his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
27 And they shall
put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless
them.
Numbers
6 KJV
Have
a blessed day
Lee
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