In Search of a Reward

2 Samuel 4

Do you recall what this writer stated in an earlier paper about Ish-bosheth, how it was not God, nor the people that gave him the kingship over Israel, it was Abner?  And when you are someone’s puppet then the one who placed you in authority can also remove you.  If Abner had not been killed it would have been interesting to observe how he would have eliminated the King.

It is also of interest and a great reminder that the one who has the real authority to put you in the office must be strong enough to keep you in that position.  So as we begin chapter four, we find Ish-bosheth in a mess; “When Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed.”  Fear always shows up when a leader is removed by death or other means, and was magnified by the actions or lack of actions of Ish-bosheth. 

Two men who were leaders of raiding parties, one named Baanah and the other Rechab, brothers, and sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, came while the king was asleep and killed him.  They cut off his head and took it to David, now the message had not gotten back to Israel.  What happens when the young man brought Saul’s armor to David and took credit for killing Saul after he had fallen on his sword?   But do recall that it did not go well with the young man David who had him killed for his claim of killing Saul.

Now, these two brothers show up believing they will be rewarded and David tells them the story of what happened to the young man who brought Saul’s armor to him and orders his young men to do the same to them.  These are the words and the actions the brothers heard from David; “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?” 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.”

A note from the writer, yesterday October 2, 2017 an evil man full of the devil and under his control, killed 59 people at last count and wounded over 500.  Evil has been with us from the day mankind rejected God’s authority in the Garden.  The first account of murder was Cain and his brother Able, and we have many who have killed millions, some claim they were doing God’s work, others just wanted to kill.  But all of them had one thing in common, they were a son of the devil, and Jesus told us this truth; “The thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”  The thief and the devil are the same person, so be on guard because the devil wants to do one of those three things in your life.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice