Study Desk

Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner because Abner had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.

King David said to his officers, "You know that a very important leader died today in Israel.

Saul's son Ish Bosheth heard that Abner had died at Hebron. Ish Bosheth and all his people became very afraid.

Recab and Baanah came into the house as if they were going to get some wheat. Ish Bosheth was lying on his bed in his bedroom, and they stabbed and killed him. Then they cut off his head and took it with them. They traveled all night on the road through the Jordan Valley.

When they arrived at Hebron, they gave Ish Bosheth's head to David. Recab and Baanah said to King David, "Here is the head of your enemy, Ish Bosheth son of Saul. He tried to kill you, but the Lord has punished Saul and his family for you today."

But David told Recab and his brother Baanah, "As surely as the Lord lives, he is the one who has rescued me from all my troubles!

I will kill you too and remove this evil from our land because you evil men killed a good man sleeping on his own bed, in his own house."

So David commanded his young helpers to kill Recab and Baanah. The young men cut off the hands and feet of Recab and Baanah and hanged them by the pool of Hebron. Then they took the head of Ish Bosheth and buried it where Abner was buried at Hebron.

The king and his men went to fight against the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. The Jebusites said to David, "You cannot come into our city. Even our blind and crippled people can stop you." (They said this because they thought that David would not be able to enter into their city.

That day David said to his men, "Whenever you strike at the Jebusites, aim for the throat and kill them." David said this because he hates to have people left who are crippled and blind. That is why people now say, "The lame and blind are not allowed in the temple."

Then David knew that the Lord had really made him king of Israel and had made him ruler over his kingdom for the good of his people, Israel.

The Philistines left the statues of their gods behind at Baal Perazim. David and his men took them away.

Then David and all his men went to Baalah in Judah to take God's Holy Box there. The Holy Box is like God's throne —people go there to call on the name of the Lord All-Powerful who sits as king above the Cherub angels that are on that Box.

The Lord 's Holy Box stayed in Obed Edom's house for three months. The Lord blessed Obed Edom and all his family.

David went back to bless his house, but Saul's daughter Michal came out to meet him. She said, "The king of Israel did not honor himself today! You took off your clothes in front of your servants' girls. You were like a fool who takes off his clothes without shame!"

Then David said to Michal, "The Lord chose me, not your father or anyone from his family. The Lord chose me to be leader of his people, the Israelites. So I will continue dancing and celebrating in front of the Lord .

After King David moved into his new house the Lord gave him some relief from all of his enemies around him.

He will build a house for my name, and I will make his kingdom strong forever.

I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he sins, I will use other people to punish him. They will be my whips.

Then David put his soldiers in Damascus, Aram. The Arameans became David's servants and brought tribute. The Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.