All Hail the King

2 Samuel 4 CSB

1 When Saul’s son Ish-bosheth heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he gave up, and all Israel was dismayed. 2 Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding parties: one named Baanah (bah-an-aw) and the other Rechab (ray- kawb), sons of Rimmon (rim - mone) the Beerothite (be-ay-ro-thite) of the Benjaminites. Beeroth (be-ay-rothe) is also considered part of Benjamin, 3 and the Beerothites (be-ay-ro-thites) fled to Gittaim (ghit-tah-yim) and still reside there as aliens today.

The death of Abner mean the end of Ish-bosheth’s ability to sit on the throne of Israel. It was Abner who put him there and because of Abner’s military prowess he stayed there.

Ish-bosheth “gave up” - this again goes to the fact that he was a weak king.

When your leader gives up that attitude tends to spill over to the people - that and the realization that Israel did not have a king that could fulfill the primary mandate the elders had placed on their king… they had no one to go out before Israel and fight their battles.

This being the case, all of Israel was “dismayed”.

Power abhors a vacuum, enter Baanah (bah-an-aw) and Rechab (ray-kawb) - two of Israel’s lessor military commanders.

2 Samuel 4 CSB

4 Saul’s son Jonathan had a son whose feet were crippled. He was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nanny picked him up and fled, but as she was hurrying to flee, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth (mef-ee-bo-sheth).

The author reminds us that the death of Ish-bosheth was not the end of Saul’s family.

When Saul and Jonathan were killed Mephibosheth’s (mef-ee-bo-sheth) nanny took the 5 year old and fled in case they were coming for the rest of the family.

In her haste she fell and dropped the Mephibosheth (mef-ee-bo-sheth) which resulted in an injury that left him lame.

Mephibosheth and his disability will play a role later in shaping the events of 2 Samuel.

2 Samuel 4 CSB

5 Rechab (ray-kawb) and Baanah (ban-an-aw), the sons of Rimmon (rim-mone) the Beerothite (be-ay-ro-thite), set out and arrived at Ish-bosheth’s house during the heat of the day while the king was taking his midday nap. 6 They entered the interior of the house as if to get wheat and stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab (ray-kawb)and his brother Baanah (bah-an-aw) escaped. 7 They had entered the house while Ish-bosheth was lying on his bed in his bedroom and stabbed and killed him. They removed his head, took it, and traveled by way of the Arabah all night. 8 They brought Ish-bosheth’s head to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here’s the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who intended to take your life. Today the Lord has granted vengeance to my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”

Rechab (ray-kawb) and Baanah (ban-an-aw) went to Ish-bosheth’s residence.

Apparently, in the middle of the day is a good time to take a nap… well maybe not based on what happens to Ish-bosheth.

The two men used the ruse of going in to get wheat and found the king where they stabbed him in the stomach and then cut off his head.

The two actions were designed to produce a certain death but also provide proof of the king’s death. The author wants us to understand the circumstances surrounding the kings death by telling it twice and expanding it the second time.

Rechab (ray-kawb) and Baanah (ban-an-aw) take their gruesome trophy and travel all night “by way of the Arabah” - The Arabah is a large valley dividing eastern and western Palestine.

They arrived at Hebron and went straight to David.

They proudly presented Ish-bosheth’s head to the king apparently believing they were serving as the Lord’s agents of divine vengeance “against Saul and his offspring”.

Once again we have someone crediting God with something that is in fact a vile, sinful deed - no doubt they believed that a handsome reward awaited them for their success in eliminating this rival claimant to Israel’s throne.

2 Samuel 4 CSB

9 But David answered Rechab (ray-kawb) and his brother Baanah (bah-an-aw), sons of Rimmon the Beerothite (be-ay-ro-thite), “As the Lord lives, the one who has redeemed my life from every distress, 10 when the person told me, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ he thought he was a bearer of good news, but I seized him and put him to death at Ziklag. That was my reward to him for his news! 11 How much more when wicked men kill a righteous man in his own house on his own bed! So now, should I not require his blood from you and purge you from the earth?” 12 So David gave orders to the young men, and they killed Rechab (ray-kawb) and Baanah (bah-an-aw). They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron, but they took Ish-bosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.

The two men did something many people do - they acted without knowing all the facts or having a clear understanding of the situation.

They misunderstood David’s respect for Saul and his family or his upholding the teachings of the Torah.

Instead of rewarding them David made an oath in the name of the Lord to “require blood” from them for their evil actions.

The wording is important - David didn’t say he would kill them but his words align with God’s decree - Genesis 9:6 “6 Whoever sheds human blood, by humans his blood will be shed, for God made humans in his image.” or Exodus 21:12 “12 “Whoever strikes a person so that he dies must be put to death.” or Leviticus 24:17 “17 “If a man kills anyone, he must be put to death.”

David did not want or need the help of murderous conspirators - he is clear in verse 9 that it is the Lord who “has redeemed my life from every distress” - in other words, David is relying on God not the schemes of man to get ahead.

Judgment has been rendered now it is time to act - Rechab (ray-kawb) and Baanah (bah-an-aw) were executed , their hands were cut off and their bodies were hung on display - this is to show they were under a divine curse

Deuteronomy 21:22–23 “22 “If anyone is found guilty of an offense deserving the death penalty and is executed, and you hang his body on a tree, 23 you are not to leave his corpse on the tree overnight but are to bury him that day, for anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.”

The Deuteronomy passage explains something about Jesus’ death - We were found guilty on an offense deserving the death penalty - Jesus took our place - by placing Jesus on a tree (the cross) He is showing the world that He is taking the curse of God on Himself.

By contrast, David showed respect for his murdered brother-in-law by burying his head in “Abner’s tomb”.

2 Samuel 5 CSB

1 All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood. 2 Even while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led us out to battle and brought us back. The Lord also said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will be ruler over Israel.’ ” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. King David made a covenant with them at Hebron in the Lord’s presence, and they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was thirty years old when he began his reign; he reigned forty years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

Credible opposition to David’s claim to the throne is Israel died with Abner and Ish-bosheth.

The conclusion to make David Israel’s next king is strengthened by 4 factors: 1. his impressive military success, 2. prophetic revelations regarding David’s destiny as Israel’s leader, 3. Abner’s endorsement of David and 4. His respectful treatment of the slain leaders of Saulide dynasty.

The leaders acknowledge the Lord has appointed David as “shepherd” over Israel - the shepherd in one appointed to defend, lead and tend to the needs of those for whom he is responsible… shepherds are responsible for sheep, not sheep for the shepherd.

All the leaders came to David in Hebron and made a covenant with him - this ceremony was as much spiritual (in the Lord’s presence) as it was political.

David was 30 years old (Jesus was 30 when he entered ministry) - David ruled for a total of 40 years: 7 1/2 were in Hebron over Judah the remaining years were in Jerusalem over all of Israel.

2 Samuel 5 CSB

6 The king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the land. The Jebusites had said to David, “You will never get in here. Even the blind and lame can repel you” thinking, “David can’t get in here.” 7 Yet David did capture the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. 8 He said that day, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites must go through the water shaft to reach the lame and the blind who are despised by David.” For this reason it is said, “The blind and the lame will never enter the house.” 9 David took up residence in the stronghold, which he named the city of David. He built it up all the way around from the supporting terraces inward. 10 David became more and more powerful, and the Lord God of Armies was with him.

The first order of business for the new king is to establish a new location for the center of power in Israel.

David chose Jerusalem which bordered Judah but was in the land of Benjamin - this would have ingratiated the non Judahite tribes to the new king.

The city has been chosen now to deal with the people who live there… the Jebusites, a group of banned Canaanite peoples - Deuteronomy 20:17 “17 You must completely destroy them—the Hethite, Amorite, Canaanite, Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite—as the Lord your God has commanded you,”

By David making his first recorded act as Israel’s king that of fulfilling the long neglected Torah command to dispossess the Jebusites and of reinitiating the crusade to eradicate them from the land, he was demonstrating his continuity with Moses and establishing himself as a king devoted to the Lord’s demands.

David’s plan to take Jerusalem would be difficult - the city was walled and located atop the southern promontory of a steep, finger-shaped hill and was surrounded on three sides by valleys - it was protected by both natural and man-made defenses.

The Jebusites mocked David by saying that even the blind and lame could keep him out.

There are no details of the battle but the author wants us to be clear that David captured the fortified city.

Verse 8 is David’s sarcastic response to the mocking of the Jebusites (David does not have a problem with the handicapped)

David renamed the city after himself which had traditionally been done by the Israelites throughout their history.

The walled part of the city would not be large enough so David built up around the outside of the walls too.

The writer tells us that David became more powerful because God was with him.

2 Samuel 5 CSB

11 King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David; he also sent cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. 12 Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. 13 After he arrived from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. 14 These are the names of those born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua (sham-moo-ah), Shobab (sho-bawb), Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar (yib-khar), Elishua (el-ee-shoo-ah), Nepheg (neh-feg), Japhia (yaw-fee-ah), 16 Elishama (el-ee-shaw-maw), Eliada (el-yaw-daw), and Eliphelet (el-ee-feh-let).

Those who accepted David as king grew and King Hiram sent men and supplies to build David a palace.

David is still humble, knowing that it was God who had exalted his kingdom - Israel was exalted not for David’s sake but for all the people’s benefit.

As the kingdom grew so did the royal family - David took concubines and wives most likely to cement relationships with leading families of the various Israelite tribes.

Again we encounter a passage where timeline is precise - the first 4 named are credited to be sons of Bathsheba - so this list is for the rest of the time David is king and not just immediately after moving to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 5 CSB

17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they all went in search of David, but he heard about it and went down to the stronghold. 18 So the Philistines came and spread out in Rephaim Valley. 19 Then David inquired of the Lord: “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord replied to David, “Attack, for I will certainly hand the Philistines over to you.” 20 So David went to Baal-perazim (bah-al-per-aw-tseem) and defeated them there and said, “Like a bursting flood, the Lord has burst out against my enemies before me.” Therefore, he named that place The Lord Bursts Out. 21 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off. 22 The Philistines came up again and spread out in Rephaim Valley. 23 So David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, “Do not attack directly, but circle around behind them and come at them opposite the balsam trees. 24 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, act decisively, for then the Lord will have gone out ahead of you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” 25 So David did exactly as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Geba to Gezer.

Here the specific time is not mentioned but the events seem to have occured after moving to Jerusalem but prior to building a new palace.

During his years in Hebron the Philistines probably considered David an ally because he was fighting the Saulide dynasty - but now that he is king over all of Israel their view of him has changed.

The Philistines now see David as a problem and set out to eliminate the king.

Again, David sees an issue and goes to the Lord for guidance.

The first encounter David defeated the Philistines so dramatically they even left their idols behind.

The Philistines regrouped and tried again and again David sought the Lord - Sometimes the answer is not the same even when the situation is.

This time David was instructed to use surprise and to wait until he heard “the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees” - this phenomenon, somewhat reminiscent of God’s timely provision of thunder prior to another Israelite attack against the Philistines.

The sound may have been through an unusually strong gust of wind or through some more spectacular divine intervention in the natural order - however it happened it was to be taken as a sign that God would go out in front of David’s army to strike down the Philistine’s.

David followed exactly God’s commands and victory was David’s.