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
Showing posts with label Ishbaal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ishbaal. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Power and accountability ...
There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.
Sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel; his second, Chileab, of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third, Absalom son of Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream, of David's wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.
While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And Ishbaal said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?"
The words of Ishbaal made Abner very angry; he said, "Am I a dog's head for Judah? Today I keep showing loyalty to the house of your father Saul, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not given you into the hand of David; and yet you charge me now with a crime concerning this woman. So may God do to Abner and so may he add to it! For just what the Lord has sworn to David, that will I accomplish for him, to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beer-sheba."
And Ishbaal could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.
2 Samuel 3:1-11 - NRSV
After the death of Saul and the beginning of the civil war, the inevitable comes to pass: David’s house gains power while Saul’s house loses it. This transition is symbolized by the wives and sons of the two families. Each of David’s growing list of wives represent an alliance of power: political, military, or financial. Most of David’s wives produce an heir potential for the throne of Judah. Meanwhile, Saul’s enemies have killed many of Saul’s sons, and his friends have proven the survivors to be weaklings. Saul’s women are in enough jeopardy to seek alliances wherever they can. David’s growing power versus Saul’s diminishing strength.
What power remains in the house of Saul has been swallowed up by Abner. Since Abner’s power put Ishbaal into power, Ishbaal hasn’t complained about it. Not until now.
When kings died or experienced defeat, the new power figure would often take the wives and concubines of the old king into his harem. Thus the power that went with the alliances represented by these marriages went these women. For anybody else to sleep with the wife or concubine of a king is blatantly subversive. If Ishbaal is right, this sex is not about celebration or procreation; it is about power. Ishbaal accuses Abner, not just of sleeping with one of his father’s concubines, but of rebelling against Ishbaal to the extent of beginning to act like the king of Israel himself.
If we listen to Abner carefully, we never hear him deny his relationship with Rizpah. He is adamant, though, that this was done neither to claim the throne for himself, nor to give it to David. The relationship is personal, not political. Essentially, Abner says, ”You think that I’m giving the throne to David? I’ll show you what it looks like to give the throne to David!” And so he does it. Ishbaal is so weak that he can do absolutely nothing to stop the transfer of Israel’s loyalty from the house of Saul to David.
Abner’s moves are all about power. He moves to take power that others can’t keep or handle. He uses the power for his own loyalties and purposes with absolute disregard for the lives or happiness of his pawns. Then he refuses to be accountable to anyone for his use of that power. Even if we grant Abner’s assertion that his relationship with Rizpah had nothing to do with the throne, Abner not only asserted his power to do whatever he wanted, even in the Ishbaal’s house, but he also told Ishbaal that he was accountable to no one for how he used that power. It’s all about Abner.
Fortunately none of us have issues with power. Right? None of us are a part of systems where other human beings have lost powerful supporting figures from their lives. None of us would ever be tempted to use our huge power differential over those less powerful people in our little worlds, would we? Surely we do things that are right for our house, and everyone in our whole house, and we don’t just do the things that please our obsessive-compulsive characters, right? We’re more concerned with boys discovering ways to deal with the difficulties of life for themselves than we’re worried about maintaining control. Isn’t that so?
Well, if it is so, it is because we have chosen to make ourselves accountable for the power that is in our hands. Accountable to God, the source of all power. Accountable to our peers, who best understand the kinds of power we possess and who can best assess whether or not our use of power is empowering or oppressive. Accountable to our boys, who ought to be able to breathe, who ought to have enough power in their lives to set some boundaries for us, too.
Let’s use our power like Jesus – emptying ourselves of the impulse to use power for ourselves, and instead, using it for others. And let’s allow others to hold us accountable for that use of it. Then we will truly have justice and peace in our little world.
Grace and peace,
Ron
Sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel; his second, Chileab, of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third, Absalom son of Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream, of David's wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.
While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And Ishbaal said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?"
The words of Ishbaal made Abner very angry; he said, "Am I a dog's head for Judah? Today I keep showing loyalty to the house of your father Saul, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not given you into the hand of David; and yet you charge me now with a crime concerning this woman. So may God do to Abner and so may he add to it! For just what the Lord has sworn to David, that will I accomplish for him, to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beer-sheba."
And Ishbaal could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.
2 Samuel 3:1-11 - NRSV
After the death of Saul and the beginning of the civil war, the inevitable comes to pass: David’s house gains power while Saul’s house loses it. This transition is symbolized by the wives and sons of the two families. Each of David’s growing list of wives represent an alliance of power: political, military, or financial. Most of David’s wives produce an heir potential for the throne of Judah. Meanwhile, Saul’s enemies have killed many of Saul’s sons, and his friends have proven the survivors to be weaklings. Saul’s women are in enough jeopardy to seek alliances wherever they can. David’s growing power versus Saul’s diminishing strength.
What power remains in the house of Saul has been swallowed up by Abner. Since Abner’s power put Ishbaal into power, Ishbaal hasn’t complained about it. Not until now.
When kings died or experienced defeat, the new power figure would often take the wives and concubines of the old king into his harem. Thus the power that went with the alliances represented by these marriages went these women. For anybody else to sleep with the wife or concubine of a king is blatantly subversive. If Ishbaal is right, this sex is not about celebration or procreation; it is about power. Ishbaal accuses Abner, not just of sleeping with one of his father’s concubines, but of rebelling against Ishbaal to the extent of beginning to act like the king of Israel himself.
If we listen to Abner carefully, we never hear him deny his relationship with Rizpah. He is adamant, though, that this was done neither to claim the throne for himself, nor to give it to David. The relationship is personal, not political. Essentially, Abner says, ”You think that I’m giving the throne to David? I’ll show you what it looks like to give the throne to David!” And so he does it. Ishbaal is so weak that he can do absolutely nothing to stop the transfer of Israel’s loyalty from the house of Saul to David.
Abner’s moves are all about power. He moves to take power that others can’t keep or handle. He uses the power for his own loyalties and purposes with absolute disregard for the lives or happiness of his pawns. Then he refuses to be accountable to anyone for his use of that power. Even if we grant Abner’s assertion that his relationship with Rizpah had nothing to do with the throne, Abner not only asserted his power to do whatever he wanted, even in the Ishbaal’s house, but he also told Ishbaal that he was accountable to no one for how he used that power. It’s all about Abner.
Fortunately none of us have issues with power. Right? None of us are a part of systems where other human beings have lost powerful supporting figures from their lives. None of us would ever be tempted to use our huge power differential over those less powerful people in our little worlds, would we? Surely we do things that are right for our house, and everyone in our whole house, and we don’t just do the things that please our obsessive-compulsive characters, right? We’re more concerned with boys discovering ways to deal with the difficulties of life for themselves than we’re worried about maintaining control. Isn’t that so?
Well, if it is so, it is because we have chosen to make ourselves accountable for the power that is in our hands. Accountable to God, the source of all power. Accountable to our peers, who best understand the kinds of power we possess and who can best assess whether or not our use of power is empowering or oppressive. Accountable to our boys, who ought to be able to breathe, who ought to have enough power in their lives to set some boundaries for us, too.
Let’s use our power like Jesus – emptying ourselves of the impulse to use power for ourselves, and instead, using it for others. And let’s allow others to hold us accountable for that use of it. Then we will truly have justice and peace in our little world.
Grace and peace,
Ron
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