David's Efforts to Unite Israel

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Chapter 4 records David seeking to find a way to unite the tribes of Israel. With the death of Abner, Ishbosheth, Saul's 4th. son, whom Abner had crowned King of Israel, became extremely afraid for his life. With Abner gone, the command of the Israeli Army went to two brothers, Baa-nah and Re-chab, sons of Rimmon. They were Benjaminites who had left their inheritance and fled to Gittaim. Now, what is the significance of this information? These two brothers were Benjaminites like Ishbosheth which makes what they are about to do, even more treacherous. They fled Beeroth, for some reason which we do not know, along with every body else in the city, to Gittaim which was a short distance away but a better-fortified city. The ability to live, in those days, often depended on out maneuvering you enemy. Loyalty was quite often, only for personal gain, as we shall see with these two brothers.

Then, into the picture, comes the son of Jonathan. When word of the death of Saul and Jonathan reached the Palace, a nurse took Jonathan's son, whom she assumed was in danger, and left the palace in haste. In the process of leaving, the nurse fell and injured the boy and he became lame. The boy was 5 years old and was named Mephi-bo-sheth. Notice the similarity between the two names, Ishbosheth, Saul's son, and Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson. Ishbosheth means, man of Baal. Mephibosheth means, my lord is Baal. Baal was the Canaanite pagan god and these names give us an indication of how un-godly the society of Israel had become.

Then the story shifts back to Ishbosheth and his two new commanders who by now had determined to murder him and gain some kind of favor with David. They go into the King's house on the pretence of getting a sack wheat, and then they sneak into the King's bedroom where he is asleep and cut off his head. They escape and go to Hebron and there they present the head to David. David did not respond as they had anticipated. He was angry. He had killed the one who had brought him news of Saul's death and now he orders these two killed also. He had their heads and feet cut off and their bodies hung by the Pool of Hebron. He buried the head of Ishbosheth in Abner's tomb in Hebron.

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