But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all adversity, when someone told me, saying, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ thinking to have brought good news, I arrested him and had him executed in Ziklag; the one who thought I would give him a reward for his news. How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous person in his own house on his bed? Therefore, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and remove you from the earth?” So David commanded his young men, and they executed them, cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner in Hebron. (vv.9-12)
A common custom during the rise to power by a new king, was to eliminate all family of the previous king. This was done to cut-off the blood line and any potential claim to the throne. After the death of Saul and Jonathan (his son), there existed two remaing descendants to the throne. Ishbosheth, son of Saul and Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan. Unknown to the two murders in our text, David had made a covenat with Johnathan to honor each other not only in life, but also to honor each other’s families beyond their own lifetimes (1 Samuel 20:42)
Now here in chapter 4, two of Ishbosheth’s captains killed him as he slept, no doubt thinking they would be handsomely rewarded for eliminating one of the remaing threats to David’s claim on the throne. Even claiming they were acting on the LORD's orders by killing the son of Saul your enemy, (v.8). David couldn’t relate to this because he didn’t think of Saul as his enemy. The beautiful song David composed at the death of Saul and Jonathan proved that though Saul set himself as an enemy of David, David did not regard him as an enemy. He had always regarded him as the LORD's anointed.
David did not need anyone’s greedy, unrighteous, wicked help to fulfill God’s promises. The LORD had been his protector and had redeemed his life from all adversity, and would continue to do so. David swiftly made an example of these murderous men. They were not soldiers fighting together with him; they were murderers who deserved just punishment. Therefore David told them their reward for killing a righteous man, in his own house, as he slept would be, “their removal from the earth” (v.11).
Adam Clarke writes in his commantary, “By this act of justice, David showed to all Israel that he was a decided enemy to the destruction of Saul’s family; and that none could lift up their hands against any of them without meeting with the appropriate punishment. And, that he depended on God to crown him and complete His work in and through him, not man."
May we all gain strength through David's example to lean on God for His guidance and protection.
The Truth: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies (Psalm 18:2-3)
