4 When Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost heart, and all Israel was troubled. ² Now Saul’s son had two men who were captains of troops. The name of one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin. (For Beeroth also was part of Benjamin, ³ because the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there until this day.)

⁴ Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame 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 it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.

⁵ Then the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out and came at about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who was lying on his bed at noon. ⁶ And they came there, all the way into the house, as though to get wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. ⁷ For when they came into the house, he was lying on his bed in his bedroom; then they struck him and killed him, beheaded him and took his head, and were all night escaping through the plain. ⁸ And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul your enemy, who sought your life; and the Lord has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and his descendants.”

⁹ 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, ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ 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?” ¹² 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.

2 Samuel 4

Dear God, this is so awful! How can human life be so expendable? Just people killing other people left and right. It’s fatiguing to read. Even some of the stuff David did with attacking villages and killing everyone and then lying to Abishai about it.

But now these two idiots took it upon themselves to finish what Abner started. They had probably heard that Abner was ready to hand the whole kingdom over to David and take it from Ishbosheth, maybe they wanted some exulted place in David’s kingdom thinking he would reward someone for his selfish gain, and did what they did. Instead, David stayed on brand and killed them for destroying the anointed king of the 11 remaining tribes of Israel.

What I find interesting about David is that, up until this point in his life, he was willing to take things as you brought them to him. He had two opportunities to prematurely become king by taking Saul’s life, but he waited. He could have gone to war with Ishbosheth and taking the kingdom from him, but he waited. What made him so patient? You had told him through Samuel maybe 20 years before that he would one day be king of Israel. What gave him the peace to wait?

Ironically, I think David was free to love and respect people. He didn’t know the “four-way test” from Rotary, but, at least to those in authority, he lived it (maybe not to the Amalekites or the Philistines). The four-way test from Rotary International is:

• Is it the truth?
• Is it fair to all concerned?
• Will it bring good will and better friendships?
• Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Maybe this isn’t a perfect fit for what David was doing, but he certainly respected the idea that he wasn’t entitled to things. He earned them in due time. The entitlement would come later as his power corrupted him. He had the confidence in his trajectory that gave him peace to be in the moment and do the work you put in front of him that day.

Father, I think that’s the lesson for me in this story. I just need to do the work you have put in front of me today. Tomorrow has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34). So I need you today. I need you to love through me today. I have a meeting this morning with a partner organization that I want to be loving in. I have a meeting late this afternoon with another partner organization that has the potential to be a rival if not handled well. Being a rival with them would be a waste of energy that can be spent on serving people. So help me to know how to love and support them in their work. I have a training in the middle of the day that will deal with artificial intelligence and how to use it effectively. Help me there too. Give me a wise and shrewd mind as I go through this day. Give me all of the fruits of your Spirit. Grow them in me.

I offer this to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen