7 They had gone into the house while he was lying onthe bed in his bedroom. After they stabbed and killedhim, they cut off his head. Taking it with them, theytraveled all night by way of the Arabah. - P101
12 So David gave an order to his men, and they killedthem. They cut off their hands and feet and hung thebodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the headof Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner‘s tomb at Hebron. - P101
When Ish-Bosheth hears
that Abner has died, he loses courage. Two of Ish-Bosheth‘s men,
Baanah and Rekab, go to Ish-Bosheth‘s
home and murder him.
- P101
They cut off his head and present it to David, thinking they will be rewarded.
David instead sentences them to death for murdering Ish-Bosheth and
buriesSaul‘s son in Hebron. - P101
With the news of Abner‘s passing, the courage of Ish-Bosheth and thepeople
of Israel is drained. - P102
Perhaps feeling that it would now be a goodtime to defect, Rekab and Baanah, captains of Ish-Bosheth‘s raiders.
execute a devious plan. They murder Ish-Bosheth in his own house,
behead him, and ride off to David, looking for a favorable welcome.
- P102
Bad leadership has taken its toll on Saul‘s house. The leaders had noreverence toward God, and their subjects also held no fear of Him. Theresult is that the kingdom of Saul only lasted two generations. - P102
Thoughworldly kingdoms look mighty and glorious on the outside, withoutGod as their foundation, all things will eventually crumble under theweight of hardship. - P102
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