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You arewelcome

StoneCreek

www.rossvillechurch.com

781 Salem Road, Rossville, GA 30741

March 3, 2013

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David is king of Judah and Ishbosheth is king of the

rest of Israel.

Joab has killed Abner, so Ishbo has no general.

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2 Samuel 4 1 And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.

Ishbosheth trembled with fear, and the people were troubled.

They had followed Abner; now he’s dead.

What will David do to them?

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That’s why we all need to decide to follow Jesus.

He will never let us down.

All men are fallible.

Some really try to be good men.

Others, like Abner, are out for number one.

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But the Lord will never let us down.

Hebrews 13 (TLB) 5 Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied (content) with what you have. For God has said, "I will never, never fail you nor forsake you." 6 That is why we can say without any doubt or fear, "The Lord is my Helper, and I am not afraid of anything that mere man can do to me."

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2 And Saul's son had two men that were captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beero-thite, of the children of Benjamin: (for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin: 3 And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were so-journers there until this day.)

His own men.

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4 And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

Mephibosheth has nothing to do with

this part of the story, but will come up later.

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5 And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon. 6 And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.

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7 For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the plain all night.

Apparently they were known to everyone in Ishbosheth’s household.

They walked right into his bedroom, killed him, cut off his head, and took it with them.

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They got clean away.Apparently it was Ishbo’s habit to lay up

in the bed all day.

No one checked on him.

Fear leads to depression.

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Ishbosheth was a weak man in every sense.

He had allowed Abner to use him to divide the kingdom and delay David’s rule over Israel.

When Abner took one of Saul’s concubines, Ishbosheth did nothing about it except complain.

When Abner was killed, he was so afraid that he trembled with fear, and apparently took to his bed.

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Here he is still in bed at noon without guards.

Proverbs 20 13 Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

With a potential threat from David, Ishbosheth should have been taking care of business.

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Proverbs 26 14 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

Romans 12:11-12 (TLB) Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically. Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and prayerful always.

We can serve the Lord even in our daily work.

Do it gladly, willingly, and enthusiastically.

Look forward to the day with anticipation, and look back on the day with satisfaction.

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Proverbs 12 (TLB) 27 A lazy man won’t even dress the game he gets while hunting, but the diligent man makes good use of everything he finds.

Proverbs 18 9 He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.

To take care of God’s Provision is as important as receiving it in the first place.

Don’t waste God’s Provision.

Use it wisely and well.

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8 And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.

Will they never learn?Will David praise them for this murder?

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9 And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, Who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, 10 When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:

God had delivered him, and David knew that God would deliver him.

All his trust was in God Almighty.

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11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth? 12 And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.

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David would never rejoice in help that came by wicked behavior.

Proverbs 24 17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: 18 Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.

Lord, give me a heart like David, a heart that’s kind and true.

Help me Lord to love even my enemies.