THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL

CHAPTER 4
 

ISHBOSHETH IN THE BIBLE

           Hi there! Glad to have you back to share more Daily Bread. We have quite an action packed story going on in David's life, don't we? As you recall, Abner has just been murdered by Joab because Abner killed his youngest brother Asahel, and was quite possibly about to become an important player in the government of David's, because Abner had turned his loyalty from Ishbosheth to David after Ishbosheth had accused him of sleeping with Saul's concubine. So Joab's jealousy was the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak. (☺I wonder if that was a popular saying back then.) David, being a genuinely compassionate soul, was torn up about news of Abner's death, and gave him an honorable burial. The people were confident that David wasn't in any way responsible for Abner's death and they were proud of the way he took it to heart. This act of kindness toward Abner, who was David's enemy just days before, increased the faith of David's people in their king, who acted so righteously toward a man who had literally sought David's life for years. Let me remind you again, that Joab, Abishai, and the late Asahel were David's nephews (the sons of his sister, Zeruiah). Perhaps David felt obligated to keep Joab as his upper brass, even after doing something that could embarrass their Uncle Dave greatly. Family was a very important thing back then. They were valiant men, that is certain, but if you're reading along in your Bible, you'll find that several times David makes remarks to the effect of "What am I gonna do with you sons of Zeruiah." You can almost picture David shaking his head and saying to himself, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, some people's kids."