2 Samuel 4
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Ishbosheth
Ishbosheth
With the death of Abner now known to the nation of Israel, we see the response:
And when Saul’s son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.
Ishbosheth’s “hands were feeble” and all of Israel “was troubled”.
Why?
Obviously they had put their trust in Abner, yet he was just a man, so when he was removed Israel now feared. Their fear was several fold:
1. Abner had helped to restore the nation of Israel from their immediate enemies, now without him they were now vulnerable
2. Abner was looking to reunite them with the nation of Judah, now that hand that would units them was gone - was Judah using a form of guerilla warfare to control the nation now their leader was dead?
3. Ishbosheth was only in power because Abner had placed him there, now how would he use his authority to command?
4. As Scripture soon illustrates for us, the next of kin, Mephibosheth was in no state, nor of age (at 12), to rule. It was now a grab for power and this is why 2 captains from Abner’s army saw an opportunity.
Herein we see where Ishbosheth’s faith is stored: in man, rather than God.
What are we like with loss? Loss of job? Loss of loved one? Where do you turn?
Abner’s Captains
Abner’s Captains
Who were these men of Beeroth and why did they flee their town?
We’re not given specifics here, but interestingly Beeroth is a town of the Gibeonites:
And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim.
Joshua 9:
Recall that this was the encounter Joshua had with a wily group of men from Gibeon who faked they were from a far country and made a league with Joshua and the Israelites:
And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up; And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy. And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.
Joshua 9:
And yet we also know later in the book of 2 Samuel (chapter 21) that the Gibeonites kill the grandchildren of King Saul as a famine was upon the land due to King Saul acts:
Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.
Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites. And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.)
And Scripture adds the
So going back to our passage, we don’t know why these men fled their town of Beeroth, perhaps it was during the slaughter of Gibeon as some have conjectured, but it could also have happened at a time when other enemies, such as the Philistines were attacking and this is likely the case as being attacked by an enemy would have you retreat closer to help, rather than fleeing closer to an enemy.
Mephibosheth
Mephibosheth
Born as Merib-baal as noted in . We see here that he had a nurse who was in his care, which doesn’t appear unusual - as another boy from the regal line similarly had a nurse:
But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.
At the age of 5 though as she was fleeing he fell on his feet and became lame. He would have to have fallen from a height (such as a horse/ass), or possibly stumbled down stairs as at the age of 5 he would already have been able to walk by himself.
However, now at the age of 12, he was not able to take the throne even though positionally he could due to his lineage - son of Jonathan. Therefore, he is never seen as a threat.
Once David is established on the throne he seeks to perform kindness to the house of Saul, and Mephibosheth is brought forth.
2 Samuel 9:
Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master’s son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house. Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master’s son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master’s son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons. And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth. So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.
2 Samuel 9:
And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar. Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master’s son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house. Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master’s son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master’s son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons. And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth. So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.
Here we see David’s kindness by having Mephibosheth eat at the table of David, a great honour.
However, when Absalom seeks to take the throne, and David flees, we see a hint of rebellion:
:1
And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink. And the king said, And where is thy master’s son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father. Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.
It appears from Ziba that Mephibosheth is revolting against the king seeking to usurp the throne back to King Saul. Which appears quite odd, as Mephibosheth doesn’t have any power himself, nor an army.
Perhaps he was ungrateful for his position in life and this even was his attitude towards his servants.
When David comes back from defeating the usurpers we see Mephibosheth coming down to meet the king:
2 Samuel 19:24-
And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace. And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth? And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant is lame. And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes.
Mephibosheth neither had the ability to go after David when his servant had left him. However, he is humble and is content with whatsoever David desires to perform as right.
And we know that David believed Mephibosheth because we soon read of the famine in and David spares him:
But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the Lord’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
And this is the last time we read of him in Scripture.
Cutting Hands & Feet
Cutting Hands & Feet
Why did David cut the hands and feet of these treacherous captains and then hang their bodies over a pool in Hebron?
Public display of their treachery and the great crime this against country and king.
The Pulpit Commentary: 2 Samuel Chapter 4
The hands were cut off because they had committed the murder; the feet, because they had brought the head to Hebron
Matthew 18:
Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.