II Samuel 4:1-12
“And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.” (II Samuel 4:1)
Abner had been the primary backer who made Ishbosheth king, and his leadership of the army had kept him there. With Abner dead, Ishbosheth had no one to lead his army or keep him in power. Both he and the people were concerned what would happen next. Ishbosheth was in depression.
“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. And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.)
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.” (II Samuel 4:2-4)
When Saul and Jonathan were killed and the Philistines occupied the land, there had been a panic, worried about what the Philistines would do. Because of it’s location, Beeroth had been deserted, and occupied by the Philistines. Seven years later Ishbosheth and his army had not reclaimed it, and the Beerothites were still refugees in Gittaim. It seemed that he was not concerned about them.
Saul’s family fled at the same time as the rest of the people. Jonathan had a five year old son named Mephibosheth. In the rush to escape the boy fell, probably breaking his leg. It didn’t heal properly and he would be lame for the rest of his life.
“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. 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. 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. “ (II Samuel 4:5-7)
Two of Ishbosheth’s captains were from Beeroth. When Abner was killed, they realized that Ishbosheth was not going to be able to recover Beeroth. Their only hope of getting their city back was for David to become king of the whole country, so they decided to kill Ishbosheth.
Depressed, Ishbosheth was staying in bed until noon feeling sorry for himself. Pretending to be making a delivery of groceries, they got into the house and murdered Ishbosheth and took his head to prove he was dead.
“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.” (II Samuel 4:8)
Hoping to speed things up and enlist David’s support in reclaiming Beeroth, Rechab and Baanah carried Ishbosheth’s head to him. They said God had destroyed Saul’s family for what Saul had done to David. It is amazing how often people take things into their own hands, even doing things God has forbidden, and insist God is blessing what they are doing. Their claims are often accepted without question.
“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, 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: 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?” (II Samuel 4:9-11)
Even though Saul had been injured to the point where the Amalekite was sure he couldn’t survive and he thought he was doing him a favor by killing him, David had ordered him killed for murder. Rechab and Baanah had killed an innocent man in his own bed. It was far worse than what the Amalekite man had done, and David was not about to let such sin go unpunished, even if it seemed to benefit him.
Numbers 35:30-34 commanded, “Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.”
Had David ignored the sin, he would have brought the judgment of God on himself and the land. I Corinthians 5 warns of the danger of getting proud of our tolerance or what we are accomplishing and ignoring sin. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? I Corinthians 5:7 instructs, “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:” Though it gave David what God had promised, it was wrong, and David could not ignore it. The end does not justify the means, as many believe. That’s a critical lesson for us to learn if we are to please God.
“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.” (II Samuel 4:12)
The murderers were executed immediately, and their bodies hanged as a warning to others of the consequences of such sin. Ishbosheth’s head was buried in Abner’s tomb.
“And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.” (II Samuel 4:1)
Abner had been the primary backer who made Ishbosheth king, and his leadership of the army had kept him there. With Abner dead, Ishbosheth had no one to lead his army or keep him in power. Both he and the people were concerned what would happen next. Ishbosheth was in depression.
“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. And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.)
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.” (II Samuel 4:2-4)
When Saul and Jonathan were killed and the Philistines occupied the land, there had been a panic, worried about what the Philistines would do. Because of it’s location, Beeroth had been deserted, and occupied by the Philistines. Seven years later Ishbosheth and his army had not reclaimed it, and the Beerothites were still refugees in Gittaim. It seemed that he was not concerned about them.
Saul’s family fled at the same time as the rest of the people. Jonathan had a five year old son named Mephibosheth. In the rush to escape the boy fell, probably breaking his leg. It didn’t heal properly and he would be lame for the rest of his life.
“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. 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. 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. “ (II Samuel 4:5-7)
Two of Ishbosheth’s captains were from Beeroth. When Abner was killed, they realized that Ishbosheth was not going to be able to recover Beeroth. Their only hope of getting their city back was for David to become king of the whole country, so they decided to kill Ishbosheth.
Depressed, Ishbosheth was staying in bed until noon feeling sorry for himself. Pretending to be making a delivery of groceries, they got into the house and murdered Ishbosheth and took his head to prove he was dead.
“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.” (II Samuel 4:8)
Hoping to speed things up and enlist David’s support in reclaiming Beeroth, Rechab and Baanah carried Ishbosheth’s head to him. They said God had destroyed Saul’s family for what Saul had done to David. It is amazing how often people take things into their own hands, even doing things God has forbidden, and insist God is blessing what they are doing. Their claims are often accepted without question.
“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, 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: 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?” (II Samuel 4:9-11)
Even though Saul had been injured to the point where the Amalekite was sure he couldn’t survive and he thought he was doing him a favor by killing him, David had ordered him killed for murder. Rechab and Baanah had killed an innocent man in his own bed. It was far worse than what the Amalekite man had done, and David was not about to let such sin go unpunished, even if it seemed to benefit him.
Numbers 35:30-34 commanded, “Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.”
Had David ignored the sin, he would have brought the judgment of God on himself and the land. I Corinthians 5 warns of the danger of getting proud of our tolerance or what we are accomplishing and ignoring sin. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? I Corinthians 5:7 instructs, “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:” Though it gave David what God had promised, it was wrong, and David could not ignore it. The end does not justify the means, as many believe. That’s a critical lesson for us to learn if we are to please God.
“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.” (II Samuel 4:12)
The murderers were executed immediately, and their bodies hanged as a warning to others of the consequences of such sin. Ishbosheth’s head was buried in Abner’s tomb.
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