Day 123: The Death of Ish-Bosheth

 Today's readings: 2 Samuel 4, 1 Chronicles 5-6, and Psalm 26.

I. 2 Samuel 4 recounts how Ish-bosheth hears of the death of Abner and becomes discouraged. We are then given a brief intro to Mephibosheth, the lame son of the late Jonathan. Why this intro was shoe-horned here, since there's nothing more on him for several more chapters, I cannot say. At any rate, Rechab and Baanah, two of Ish-bosheth's army captains, kill their king, chop off his head, and flee. They bring Ish-bosheth's head to David, saying that they have avenged him against Saul's house. David is not pleased and reminds them of what happened to the Amalekite who claimed to have killed Saul (2 Sam 1). He has both men executed and Ish-bosheth's head buried with Abner in Hebron.

The BIY Companion, Vol II, has some good commentary on this:

In 2 Samuel 4, David seeks to establish a kingdom of justice. He seeks to have mercy on his enemy Ish-bosheth, who has been hailed as the new king. When Ish-bosheth is murdered by Rechab and Baanah, David does not reward the two men but condemns their evil act. He has them executed in the name of justice. Under David, Israel will be a united kingdom under the Law of the Lord. (p. 8)

II. 1 Chronicles 5 recounts the history of the tribes east of the Jordan, Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, highlighting both their blessings and their eventual exile because of unfaithfulness to God.

In the next chapter, we get even more genealogy, primarily for the tribe of Levi, emphasizing the priests, Levites, temple musicians, and the cities assigned to them.

The BIY Companion, Vol II, notes:

In 1 Chronicles, David is shown to prefigure the Messiah. It is believed that 1 Chronicles was written after the Exile, reflecting how much the people of Israel have suffered. The people long for the reestablishment of the kingdom and Temple worship. The eternal God works in time and history, continuing to guide and protect his people out of love. (p. 8)

III. Psalm 26 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes (verse numbers removed):

A lament psalm. The speaker, falsely accused, pleads with the Lord for justice. In presenting his case, he combines affirmations of innocence with denials of wrongdoing. The Psalmist hopes to be spared a shameful death that befits the wicked. Coming to the Lord's altar in the sanctuary suggests a scenario such as described in 1 Kings 8:31-32. (p. 851)

That's all for today!