When Saul's son Ishbaal heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. Saul's son had two captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab. They were sons of Rimmon a Benjaminite from Beeroth — for Beeroth is considered to belong to Benjamin ….
Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ishbaal, while he was taking his noonday rest. They came inside the house as though to take wheat, and they struck him in the stomach; then Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped. Now they had come into the house while he was lying on his couch in his bedchamber; they attacked him, killed him, and beheaded him. Then they took his head and traveled by way of the Arabah all night long. They brought the head of Ishbaal to David at Hebron and said to the king, "Here is the head of Ishbaal, son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; the Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring."
David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, "As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, when the one who told me, 'See, Saul is dead,' thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag — this was the reward I gave him for his news. How much more then, when wicked men have killed a righteous man on his bed in his own house! And now shall I not require his blood at your hand, and destroy you from the earth?" So David commanded the young men, and they killed them; they cut off their hands and feet, and hung their bodies beside the pool at Hebron. But the head of Ishbaal they took and buried in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.
2 Samuel 4 – NRSV
The Israelites made a promise to the Gibeonites. True, the Gibeonites tricked them into it, but nonetheless the Israelites agreed not to wipe them out (Josh 9). “Although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had tried to wipe them out in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah” (2 Samuel 21:2-3 – NRSV). So, when Baanah and Recab, two Gibeonites from Beeroth have the opportunity to get back at the house of Saul, they take it. They think that they will be heroes to their people and favorites of the new king who will benefit from their action.
Except, once again, David does not reward the assassins. Essentially, David says, “When God is on your side, why would you need to resort to killing a righteous man, even if he opposes you, even if he makes himself your enemy?” David didn’t do this to anyone in the house of Saul, despite his many opportunities. He doesn’t plan to reward anyone who does. Instead the punishment is swift and final.
Racial and ethnic hatred are horrible; eventually hatred and its consequences oppress both peoples involved in it. These kill those, and those kill these, and the growing hate fuels the deadly people-killing machine. The verdict of David has not settled the score between the Benjaminites and Gibeonites; we have not heard the last of this ethnic conflict.
Unfortunately this kind of conflict surrounds us in our world today, too. Do we believe that killing the people who hate us will stop people from hating us? Or will the killing only create even more people who hate us, only justly so?
Doesn’t David give an amazing and godly clue to the path to peace? Doesn’t he show the people of his time and ours the way through our conflict? “When God is on your side, why would you need to resort to killing a righteous man, even if he opposes you, even if he makes himself your enemy?” God is our security, not the sword. God raises up and takes down governments, not us.
Love others. Trust God.
If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." No, "if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:18-21 - NRSV
Grace, and peace,
Ron
