Day 206: 2 Samuel 4- Grief To Glory

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. 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.

Meditation
Do you grieve over the brokenness of the world? Does groaning for redemption ever get you into the gutter of discouragement, despair, or disbelief? Today’s passage is a Heavenly handle for hope- God transforms grieving into glory.

The casualties of Israel’s civil war were tragic- Families ripped apart, people dying, and tribal fighting. The murder of Ish-bosheth was cowardly violence reflecting these harsh realities.

David did not rejoice when he received word of Ish-bosheth’s homicide, even as he was leading rebellion against David’s house. David grieved the injustice and brought justice to the perpetrators.

God displays His sovereignty in establishing David’s rule over Israel THROUGH the rebellion of Abner (2 Samuel 2), the folly of Joab (2 Samuel 3), and the injustice of a bedside slaying (2 Samuel 4). The ungodly opportunism was opportunity for God to clear the way for His anointed king, David the son of Jesse.

Jesus is the true King who transforms the grief of death to eternal glory. In the midst of death Jesus asks, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see glory…?” (John 11:40) Do you believe? Paul speaks about the groaning of creation as birth pains for the delivery of eternal glory (Romans 8:18-25).  Do you hear life coming?

God is working every detail of this groaning world for the good of His people and His glory (Romans 8:28-29). Grief and groaning are not the end of the story- God is working glory- Make way for the king!

Richly Dwelling
-Do you go into the gutter of despair or discouragement from the grief and groaning of our fallen world?

-Do you believe Jesus will show you glory through your grieving? Do you hear life through the birth pains of the groaning world?

-God makes a way for the King. Jesus is ruling over the wind and waves. David’s reign was being prepared through the struggle and sin of the beginning of 2 Samuel. Jesus’ reign was established through the struggle of His suffering and taking our sin so that we can be secure in His love. How can you grow in awareness of His love and His eternal purposes being worked out through your sin and struggle? Focus on the cross and ask King Jesus to help you see!

Key Verse
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, 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.