The Murder of Ishbosheth

Introduction:

In this lesson the nation of Israel is falling apart.  Its leadership is gone and the nation is on the verge of civil war.

In following lessons, we will see how God uses David to restore Israel and Judah back into one nation.

2 Samuel 4:1-12 NLT
The Murder of Ishbosheth
^4:1 When Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, heard about Abner’s death at Hebron, he lost all courage, and all Israel became paralyzed with fear. ² Now there were two brothers, Baanah and Recab, who were captains of Ishbosheth’s raiding parties. They were sons of Rimmon, a member of the tribe of Benjamin who lived in Beeroth. The town of Beeroth is now part of Benjamin’s territory ³ because the original people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim, where they still live as foreigners.
⁴ (Saul’s son Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth, who was crippled as a child. He was five years old when the report came from Jezreel that Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle. When the child’s nurse heard the news, she picked him up and fled. But as she hurried away, she dropped him, and he became crippled.)
⁵ One day Recab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon from Beeroth, went to Ishbosheth’s house around noon as he was taking his midday rest. ⁶ The doorkeeper, who had been sifting wheat, became drowsy and fell asleep. So Recab and Baanah slipped past her. ⁷ They went into the house and found Ishbosheth sleeping on his bed. They struck and killed him and cut off his head. Then, taking his head with them, they fled across the Jordan Valley through the night. ⁸ When they arrived at Hebron, they presented Ishbosheth’s head to David. “Look!” they exclaimed to the king. “Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of your enemy Saul who tried to kill you. Today the Lord has given my lord the king revenge on Saul and his entire family!”
⁹ But David said to Recab and Baanah, “The Lord, who saves me from all my enemies, is my witness. ¹⁰ Someone once told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ thinking he was bringing me good news. But I seized him and killed him at Ziklag. That’s the reward I gave him for his news! ¹¹ How much more should I reward evil men who have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed? Shouldn’t I hold you responsible for his blood and rid the earth of you?”
¹² So David ordered his young men to kill them, and they did. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies beside the pool in Hebron. Then they took Ishbosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.

Examine the Scriptures

2 Samuel 4:1-12 NLT
The Murder of Ishbosheth 

^4:1 When Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, heard about Abner’s death at Hebron, he lost all courage,

Ishbosheth was very much aware of his dependence on Abner.

Abner, the commander of Ishbosheth’s army, had become a powerful leader among those loyal to Saul.

Abner was the one who put Ishbosheth on the throne and was the one whose power held him there.

Abner’s true power was evident in Ishbosheth’s reaction to his death.

Ishbosheth was simply a figurehead.

• Abner had been the source of strength and stability for Israel.

and all Israel became paralyzed with fear. 

A civil war between Israel and Judah was a reality and Israel was now without strong leadership.

• The news of Abner’s death caused all of Israel to become paralyzed with fear.

² Now there were two brothers, Baanah and Recab, who were captains of Ishbosheth’s raiding parties. They were sons of Rimmon, a member of the tribe of Benjamin who lived in Beeroth.

These two Benjamite men were captains of Ishbosheth’s raiding parties.

Baanah and Recab were from the tribe of Benjamin.

Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin.

Even after Saul’s death, the tribe of Benjamin remained faithful to Saul’s house.

• People could mistakenly assume that Baanah and Recab would be loyal to Saul’s family.

This is evidence of friction within the house of Saul. 

The town of Beeroth is now part of Benjamin’s territory ³ because the original people of Beeroth (Gibeonites/Canaanites) fled to Gittaim, where they still live as foreigners.

Beeroth: One of the Gibeonite cities assigned to Benjamin.

Who were the Gibeonites?

These were the people who tricked Joshua into making as treaty with them. (Joshua 9)

Saul did not honor the treaty Joshua had made with the Gibeonites and tried to annihilate them. (2 Samuel 21)

The Gibeonites fled to Gittaim.

Israelites moved into the city of Beeroth, located in Benjamin near Gibeon, after the original citizens had fled to Gittaim.

Don’t you wonder why this is included in the scriptures? 

A story within a story. 

⁴ (Saul’s son Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth, who was crippled as a child. He was five years old when the report came from Jezreel that Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle. When the child’s nurse heard the news, she picked him up and fled. But as she hurried away, she dropped him, and he became crippled.) 

Mephibosheth was too young (12 years old) to rule

and

his physical condition made it impossible for him to provide military leadership.

The following may or may not apply.

It most likely influence the people’s thinking.

Leviticus 21:16-21 NLT
¹⁶ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹⁷ “Give the following instructions to Aaron: In all future generations, none of your descendants who has any defect will qualify to offer food to his God. ¹⁸ No one who has a defect qualifies, whether he is blind, lame, disfigured, deformed, ¹⁹ or has a broken foot or arm, ²⁰ or is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or has a defective eye, or skin sores or scabs, or damaged testicles. ²¹ No descendant of Aaron who has a defect may approach the altar to present special gifts to the Lord. Since he has a defect, he may not approach the altar to offer food to his God.

• With the death of Ishbosheth there was no other viable claimant to the throne from the house of Saul. (From the NIV Study Bible)

• Saul’s dynasty was unable to continue-the only other heir was a young child who was crippled. (From the NLT Study Bible)

2 Samuel 9:1 NLT
^9:1 One day David asked, “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 

³ … “Yes, one of Jonathan’s sons is still alive. He is crippled in both feet.”…

See also the comments after verse 7.

Saul’s sons, Jonathan, Ishbosheth (Esh-baal), Abinadab, and Malki-Shua (Malkishua) are dead.

(Saul did have two other sons from one of his concubines Rizpah (3:7 and 21:8-14)) 

⁵ One day Recab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon from Beeroth, went to Ishbosheth’s house around noon as he was taking his midday rest.

2 Samuel 2:10 NLT
¹⁰ Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king, and he ruled from Mahanaim for two years. Meanwhile, the people of Judah remained loyal to David.

Since Recab and Baanah were from Benjamin they would appear to be loyal to the family of Saul. 

⁶ The doorkeeper, who had been sifting wheat, became drowsy and fell asleep. So Recab and Baanah slipped past her. ⁷ They went into the house and found Ishbosheth sleeping on his bed. They struck and killed him and cut off his head.

• Recab and Baanah assassinate Ishbosheth.

• Israel now has no king.

Saul’s sons, Jonathan, Ishbosheth (Esh-baal), Abinadab, and Malki-Shua (Malkishua) are dead.

(Saul did have two other sons from one of his concubines Rizpah (3:7 and 21:8-14))

Also, the commander of Israel’s army, Abner, had been murdered. (verse 1)

See also the comments after verse 4. 

Then, taking his head with them, they fled across the Jordan Valley through the night. 

The distance from Mahanaim to Hebron could have been close to 45 miles. ??? 

⁸ When they arrived at Hebron, they presented Ishbosheth’s head to David. “Look!” they exclaimed to the king. “Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of your enemy Saul who tried to kill you.

David did not refer to Saul as his enemy.

David repeatedly referred to Saul as the Lord’s anointed one.

• Recab and Baanah presented Ishbosheth’s head to David.

Today the Lord has given my lord the king revenge on Saul and his entire family!”

• These two men believed that David would welcome this news and reward them for their actions.

⁹ But David said to Recab and Baanah, “The Lord, who saves me from all my enemies, is my witness. ¹⁰ Someone once told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ thinking he was bringing me good news.

But I seized him and killed him at Ziklag. That’s the reward I gave him for his news! ¹¹ How much more should I reward evil men who have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed? Shouldn’t I hold you responsible for his blood and rid the earth of you?”

Saul was wounded in battle and would have been killed by the enemy.

Ishbosheth’s death was outright murder.

• David saw this as an unjustified assault on a defenseless man.

• David states that these men deserve the death penalty for killing Ishbosheth.

¹² So David ordered his young men to kill them, and they did. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies beside the pool in Hebron.

Note David’s inconsistency in his dealings with Ish-bosheth’s murderers and Abner’s murderer (David’s nephew Joab).

Genesis 9:5 NLT
⁵ “And I (God) will require the blood of anyone who takes another person’s life. If a wild animal kills a person, it must die. And anyone who murders a fellow human must die.

This was also a public testimony of David’s innocence in Ishbosheth’s death.

Like in our previous lesson:

David was very careful to let everyone know that Abner’s murder was Joab’s doing and not his.

If it had been David’s doing, he would have lost the support of the northern tribes.

Then they took Ishbosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.