When Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. 2 Now Saul's son had two men who were captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon a man of Benjamin from Beeroth (for Beeroth also is counted part of Benjamin;3 the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there to this day).
4 Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
5 Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ish-bosheth as he was taking his noonday rest. 6 And they came into the midst of the house as if to get wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.[a] 7 When they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and put him to death and beheaded him. They took his head and went by the way of the Arabah all night, 8 and brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron. And they said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. The Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.” 9 But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, 10 when one told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 11 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?” 12 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. 2 Samuel 4 ESV
Ish-bosheth came to rely much upon the strength of Abner, and as he who held him up is now not only gone but also dead, so his courage dies with him. It is not possible to remain strong forever, nor is it possible to always be right or expert at everything. Therefore kings, being men just like us, need advisers, need generals, need friends, but above all those, they must find wisdom. You have to be able to stand, even against the one who is your strength, when he is wrong. This is at all places, in every venue, whether it take you to commendation or to the lion's den, whether the king's table or his furnace, let God be glorified above mere men. What happened in the house of Eli that he did not oppose his sons? What has happened in the church today, that it no longer stands for the words that God has spoken? Rome stood above the Bible in her heart, now the parishioner's itching ears stands above the message. Preachers measure out what is to be said by the response that they get, how many seats are left empty, how many dollars are in the coffers. Everyone has forsaken the whole counsel of God for the wisdom of man, an ever changing, topical, feel good, 12 step, prosperity driven nothing. Take a nap Ish-bosheth, it will look better on its own.
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2: 8
Baanah and Rechab both worked for Ish-bosheth as part of his military, as raiders, so it would not be unusual to find them at his house. The wisdom they employ is an earthly one, survival of the fittest, to which their present king does not seem all that fit. He lacks the great dog of Abner at his door, and so those who respect power and pedal fear, are not afraid to cross the line they cannot see. This sort of loyalty that can pass so quickly from one hand to the next, kissing one ring tonight and another in the morning, is no loyalty at all. They are not bound by conscience, fear of God, Who alone is worth fearing, and they are looking to establish themselves in the next kingdom. They read the writing on the wall, but don't know how to interpret it. Abner has gone away, this king is a wreck, everyone already knew that David was chosen, so now if I take up that flag, say that it is in the name of God, then this shall justify my crusade. David will be happy, the one who would not kill Saul himself will reward me for murdering his son upon his bed. David replies somewhat differently to those who claim to have done this for his honor and in the name of the Lord. He reminds them of the one who brought him Saul's effects, and how he rewarded him. He calls Ish-bosheth a righteous man, not knowing for sure why he took the throne, but it can easily be considered that he was coerced. He is not righteous in his zeal for the Lord for sure, but that he was in no way a danger to these men, and they assassinated him. He was asleep, and without blame in his death, and they are without right, guilty men, who would have gladly stayed and served whoever was the stronger. They had no concern of right or wrong beyond what was in their own eyes. We must be careful not to take the Lord's name in vane, not to set aside good, even to those who we suspect but are not sure of ill intention, and no, not even to those we are certain of ill. Do not return evil for evil, if thine enemy hunger feed him, if he thirst give him drink. It is God that repays, and it is God who has given the sword to government and not in vane, so David repays these men for their deeds. Their hands were quick to shed blood, though David has tried to avoid such a way to the throne. Their feet were fast to bring them to their own destruction, and their mouths were filled with abominations. Depart from me, I never knew you. God, let me be so much slower to speak than I am, let me pray so much more than I talk. Give me wisdom, and let my words not be cruel or unjust. Do not let the desire for peace remove my courage to stand for the truth. Help me wrestle down every thought, so I may bring that to you. Open the eyes of those that I have called friends, for every man looks now like my enemy, but let me love then my enemies, as You have loved me. Please let us be like Your Son, not like those who would only claim His name, but refuse to take up their cross.
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Hebrews 5: 11-14
Sometimes David seems very wise and able to distinguish friend or foe, but not all the time. He does not always employ such wisdom, and Ish-bosheth also seems to have set aside the law of God given unto kings. The king must be of God's choosing, and this seemed more like Abner's doing for gain, and Ish-bosheth's for listening to other than what God said. It is easy to be lead astray by flattery, to grow accustom to luxury, leisure and all the temptations and noise that pull us away from what has already been said. He could have stepped aside, saved himself and his house, by just accepting the one who God had chosen.
