2 Samuel 4:1-4
1 Now when Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that Abner had died in Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was horrified.
2 And Saul’s son had two men who were commanders of troops: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin (for Beeroth is also considered part of Benjamin,
3 and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have lived there as strangers until this day).
4 Now Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was disabled in both feet. He was five years old when the news of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse picked him up and fled. But it happened that in her hurry to flee, he fell and could no longer walk. And his name was Mephibosheth.
David Drawing Closer to the Throne
The death of Ish-bosheth
It was General Abner who had placed Ish-bosheth on the throne and mobilized the army of Saul’s house. However, that Abner was assassinated in Hebron. (1) Having lost his strongest supporter, Ish-bosheth became deeply disheartened and quickly began to lose his ability to lead. (2) Not only Ish-bosheth was shaken but so were all the people. Thus, Ish-bosheth’s kingdom was on the verge of collapse. (3) Seizing this opportunity, two raiding band commanders, Baanah and Rechab, plotted to assassinate Ish-bosheth. They were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin. David was drawing closer, step by step, to the throne of the unified kingdom. However, as he had done before, he did not take matters into his own hands.
Mephibosheth
If Ish-bosheth were to be removed, who would remain as a possible descendant to restore the house of Saul? To answer this question, verse 4 mentions the name of Mephibosheth. He was the son of Jonathan, making him the grandson of Saul. On the day the tragic news of Saul and Jonathan’s death was delivered, Mephibosheth, who was five years old at the time, was dropped due to the carelessness of his nurse. This resulted in him having a disability in both of his feet. Because of this accident, the possibility of him ascending to the throne was lost. In the future, David would come to treat Mephibosheth with great kindness because he was the son of Jonathan. David had not forgotten the covenant of friendship he made with Jonathan (ref. 2 Sam. 9 and 1 Sam. 20:14-16). And so, the day when David would become king over the unified kingdom drew ever closer. Yet David remained determined to become king only by God’s way and in God’s appointed time. A right purpose does not justify wrong means. Let us learn from David’s patience, his trust in the Lord, and his pursuit of righteousness.
Today's prayer
Almighty God, You are the Almighty who surely fulfills Your promises. Please increase my patience. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.