Ill Gotten Gain Is No Reward

By: Jeffrey Wong

When Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, heard about Abner’s death at Hebron, he lost all courage, and all Israel became paralyzed with fear. Now there were two brothers, Baanah and Recab, who were captains of Ishbosheth’s raiding parties. They were sons of Rimmon, a member of the tribe of Benjamin who lived in Beeroth. The town of Beeroth is now part of Benjamin’s territory because the original people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim, where they still live as foreigners.

(Saul’s son Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth, who was crippled as a child. He was five years old when the report came from Jezreel that Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle. When the child’s nurse heard the news, she picked him up and fled. But as she hurried away, she dropped him, and he became crippled.)

One day Recab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon from Beeroth, went to Ishbosheth’s house around noon as he was taking his midday rest. The doorkeeper, who had been sifting wheat, became drowsy and fell asleep. So Recab and Baanah slipped past her. They went into the house and found Ishbosheth sleeping on his bed. They struck and killed him and cut off his head. Then, taking his head with them, they fled across the Jordan Valley through the night. When they arrived at Hebron, they presented Ishbosheth’s head to David. “Look!” they exclaimed to the king. “Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of your enemy Saul who tried to kill you. Today the Lord has given my lord the king revenge on Saul and his entire family!”

But David said to Recab and Baanah, “The Lord, who saves me from all my enemies, is my witness. Someone once told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ thinking he was bringing me good news. But I seized him and killed him at Ziklag. That’s the reward I gave him for his news! How much more should I reward evil men who have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed? Shouldn’t I hold you responsible for his blood and rid the earth of you?”

So David ordered his young men to kill them, and they did. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies beside the pool in Hebron. Then they took Ishbosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.

2 Samuel 4 NLT

After King Saul was killed in battle (1 Samuel 31), Saul’s son, Ishbosheth becomes king of Israel. In the meantime, David becomes king of Judah. A civil war ensues for the whole nation of Israel.

In 2 Samuel 3, King Ishbosheth’s army commander, Abner, strikes a deal with King David to hand him King Ishbosheth’s portion of the kingdom. Unfortunately, before he is able to do so, Joab, King David’s army commander, unbeknown to King David, murders Abner to avenge his brother, Asahel, who Abner killed in battle.

In the passage above, King Ishbosheth hear’s of Abner’s death and he and all Israel lose courage. Ishbosheth is then murdered in his sleep by Recab and Baanah who take Ishbosheth’s head to King David. By giving King David the kingdom, the two were hoping for a great reward, instead, King David kills them for the evil they had just committed.

King David knew that the kingdom of Israel would eventually be his. He also knew that killing King Ishbosheth in his sleep was not the right way to get the kingdom. He recognized what these men did were evil and had them purged from the land.

There is a right way to go about accomplishing something and there is a wrong way. We need to have discernment on which way is right. Had King David accepted and honored the two men, King Ishbosheth’s blood would be on his hands.

The Bible says that it’s “better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice“. (Proverbs 16:8 NIV) Not all opportunities that present themselves to you are God honouring. Trust in the Lord and He will help you discern which ways are honouring to Him.

Dear Lord, Thank you for showing me that when I walk in step with you, like King David, I can see which ways honour you. My desire is to honour you and bring you glory in everything I do. Holy Spirit, I pray that you help me in every moment to walk in the path of righteousness. Thank you for always listening to my prayers. In Jesus name, Amen!