Tag: Jonathan

2 Samuel 4

This chapter tells of the death of Ish-bosheth, which closes the lineage of Saul, save one. There always seems to be one.

2 Samuel 4

This chapter tells of the death of Ish-bosheth, which closes the lineage of Saul, save one. There always seems to be one. This one is Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth was five when his grandfather, Saul, and father, Jonathan, were killed. It was at this point he was crippled for life. His story is one of promises fulfilled for the sake of Jonathan. There will be more of this story later (2 Samuel 9.1–13; 16.1, 4; 19.24–30).  See our study of 2 Samuel 9.

Today’s story is about two leaders of Ish-bosheth’s army. When they heard that Abner died and that Ish-bosheth became ill bringing down the morale of the nation, they thought their best interest was to assassinate Ish-bosheth. They then take the head to David thinking, as did the Amalekite in chapter one, that they would be rewarded for killing David’s enemy. They did not realize that David did not consider Saul his enemy but his king. To kill a member of Saul’s family was treason. So, he had the two men killed.

David knew his life was still under God’s protection and no harm would befall him under that care. He had no reason to kill Ish-bosheth. Do we see our life like that? Are we standing on the promises of God?

Have religious wars started for the same reasons we have seen in these chapters? Where is God in all this? He surely is not behind them.

1 Samuel 20

First Samuel 20 presents a friendship based on the desire for the growth in another and not an advancement for the self. Do we find this in our society where everything seems to be for the benefit of the one involved? Can we find this in our society where face-to-face is replaced with a face-book?

First Samuel 20 presents a friendship based on the desire for the growth in another and not an advancement for the self. Do we find this in our society where everything seems to be for the benefit of the one involved? Can we find this in our society where face-to-face is replaced with a face-book?

The setting is the end of chapter 19. David is in Ramah. He finds Jonathan and pleads his case before him. The friendship of the two can be recalled from 1 Samuel 18 and 19. Here Jonathan pledges total devotion to David as does David for Jonathan (1 Samuel 20.17). Jonathan is willing to die in the place of his friend. He asks David, who he knows is going to replace him, to care for his family after he has died (1 Samuel 17.14). This promise is kept in 2 Samuel 9.

Saul was jealous for the throne. His anger continued to rage against David. In verse 30 we see that anger rage against his own son. Saul sees that Jonathan is not standing in the way of David taking Jonathan’s throne. He is enraged with Jonathan. Jonathan defends David. Saul desires David dead.

When we battle against the Lord’s will, we lose. We not only lose the battle, but we also lose our sanity.