When the Tables Turn

O. T. #676 "When the Tables Turn"
January 14, 2016
2 Samuel 4
So David ordered his young men to kill them, and they did. 2 Samuel 4:12 

LET IT GLOW

Joab took revenge for his brother Asahel's death by killing Abner, who murdered him. Abner led a rebellion by putting Isbosheth on the throne of Israel after his father died. Speaking in reference to that murderous incident of Joab and Abishai's, David said, "May the Lord repay these evil men for their evil deeds."
Now, we need to endure another murder in our reading about today.

Notice that when the word got out about this, Isbosheth lost all courage and all Israel became paralyzed with fear. His army was weak after Abner was gone. He knows that he doesn't have a chance against David's army so he Isbosheth can maintain control over Israel. Abner was his source of courage instead of God. The king collapsed under the pressure and crisis. What will he do?

When the tables are turn on us, what do we do? Do we seek the Lord's will for us, or do we go with our feelings and our will? Will we allow fear to paralyze us or faith in God and trust him for it? By trusting God, we become bold in our response to the shaking events.


LET IT GROW

Okay now, stay with me on the events leading up to the second murder. There were two brothers, Baanah and Recab, who were captains in Ishbosheth's army and from Beeroth in the territory of Benjamin. I'll call them R & B. One day R & Be went to the king's house around noon when Ishbosheth was taking a siesta. His door keeper was exhausted from sifting wheat and he fell asleep, leaving the king's enterance unguarded.

The NLT gives a footnote saying in the Greek version, "So they went into the house pretending to fetch wheat, but they stabbed him in the stomach. The Recab and Baanah escaped."

The thing is, R & B got into the palace. They struck, killed, and cut off the head of King Isbosheth. How gruesome! These honry guys fled across the Jordan Valley through the night and took the king's head to David. They were thinking David would reward them. Actually, the opposite happened.

David was trusting God to unite Judah and Israel, not as a result of murder. He had R & B killed, then hung their handless and feetless bodies beside the pool of Hebron for an example. Beware lest the table turn on us. We do reap what we sow.

LET IT GO

Watch what I do because I may not like to reap what I sow.

Let God take revenge for me.