Genesis 17:1-17 Baptism Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 27

, please open your copies of God’s Word and the book of second Samuel, not Genesis, second Samuel, chapter four, and we are going to read the whole chapter verses one through 12 this morning. Now, I just remember, this is a whole story from chapter 2 to chapter 1 to chapter 4. It’s kind of like we are watching the movie in the small parts, but it’s one single story. 
So don’t forget about that because it’s this and in many respects is the culination of a part one of the kingdom of David, as he is a king of upon Hebron and then will be declared king upon Israel. So with that in mind, please stand to hear the reading of Godoli and inspired word. Congregation theis indeed God’s holian inspired word. 
When Ishboshed, Saul’s son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. Nowulan had two men who were captains of of raiding bands. The name of the one was Bena, Bana, and the name of the other Rab, sons of Remman, of a man of Benjamin from Both, for Biroth also is counted part of Benjamin, the bothites fled to Jitim and happened sojourners there for to this day. 
Janathan, the son of Saul, had two sons, two excuse me, had a son, who was crippled that in his feet. He was five years old when he when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezel, and his nurse took him and fled, and as she fled in her haste, as he fell and became lame, and his name was my fiboshev no, the sons of Rayman, the Barthite, Rabambana, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ishboshet as he was taking his noonday rest, and they came into the midst of the house as if to get wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach, then recapambana, his brother escaped when they came into the house as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and put him to death and beheaded him. They took they took his head and went by the way of the arah all night, and brought the head of Ibashed to David at Hebron, and they said to the king, here is the head of Ishboshet, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. the lord has avenged, my lord, the king this day on Saul and on his offspring. but David answered Greekavana, his brother, the sons of Rayman, the barthite, as the lord lives who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, when one told me, behold, Saul is dead, and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Zieg, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 
How much more when weicked men have killed the righteous man his own house on his bed shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth? And David commended his young men, and they killed them and cut off their their hands and feet, and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron, but they took the head of Ishboshet and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron. Thus far the rein of God’s work, you may be see that. 
Now congregation of the Lord, one of the most ugly things about politics is the collateral damage that sometimes people have to experience, isn’t it? And and this is true, even in certain in excuse me, in ancient politics. It is said, for example, that only after two years, only after two years of the rule of colligula, he got very, very sick, and people started to think that he is certainly going to die. 
So, as it was usual in those times, when whenever the emperor gets sick is about to die, people start to prepare the next one in line and this time, it was at 13 year-old boy who was to occupy the throne. However, to the surprise of every one, Caligula did recover from his sickness, and on finding out about the boy whom everyone was lolling as the new emperor, Caligila, commanded him to be assassinated and all of his supporters. These kinds of atrocities were normally in the ancient world, and that is how kingdoms and empires advance back then and advance even today, isn’t it? 
kill or be killed? However, there is something of a different quality as you can hear here in the text this morning something that shocks the understanding of ancient cultur, but even shocks are understanding of our culture, even today. So our theme this morning is kingdom on a Post, and we are going to see it in two parts. 
First, the bet trial of Ishwashe and second, a justice for Ishbashef, and that’s in a page, what is it, a five or four of your bulletins. So the betrayal of Ishashed and second, justice for Ibashet. So let’s consider the first point, the betrayal of Iboshe. 
Now, what we find in the text this morning congregation is the most interesting and and I find the most intriguing, intriguing description of this situation that we are finding here. And let me explain what I mean by that. First, Ishwashed by name is actually not mentioned in the original Hebrew text. 
It’s actually an Alitionian in our translations. Our translator has put the name Ibashe there so we can understand whom are we talking about? Actually, the Hebrewrites and souls son heard that Abner was dead at Hebron and his arms languished, and all Israel was horrified. 
That’s a more literal translation, and and this description is intriguing, isn’t it? Why not mentioning Ishushe? What is the reason behind? 
The answer is, of course, that first of all the author is wanting to impress upon us the psychological conditions of Israel and Ishboshef the moment that they are hearing about the defeat of Abner. They are, in other words, emotionally languishing in desperation. The strength is gone. there is anxiety in the air. 
Now think about this. Why would they feel anxious, though? Because normally, in these kind of situations as we found describe them in the text, what the new king would normally do is come with all his might and with all his muscle and his men and subdue or destroy or kill any of his enemies, that’s the normal thing to do that’s what every empire did so Israel and Ishbashit are thinking that this is what is going to happen next. this is going to be the end of their lives, that many of them will die or that they will have to see lots of violence and that and that their children will suffer as well. 
The future, in other words, is looking very, very dark for them right now. The hope of Israel in that sense has disappeared. and isn’t that interesting? What is it that Israel had put his their hopes in? 
And and it sounds like for the text that they were putting their hopes in Abner, but now Abner has failed. Now Abner is dead and now hope has failed too. This is why the text mentioned this this Israel horrified, this Israhet, a languishing. 
This is even true of us as well congregation, is it not? We are not to put our trust in people. We are not to put our trust in what we have or on or in what we can do because when difficult days arrive, most certainly than not the things that we put our hopes in will disappear and will fail us. 
At the same time, I want to highlight for you something this morning faith congregation of the Lord faith is a struggle against hopelessness. That is what faith is in in some sense. We all have been there, have we not in the midst of a situation where everything seems hopeless, we all have been in the midst of over a situation in which all exits, everything that we can do is failing. 
We all have been horrified with Israel for what can happen to us next, and it is at this point that faith kicks in faith that reminds you that God is good faith that reminds you that even though we have numerous strength and we have nothing else to do in ourselves, we still belong to Jesus Christ, and he he is the strong one. He is the one who is able to do something. He is the one that will never fail us, has never failed in the past and will never fail you to day and that faith is the one that actually moves to and moves you to believe in the goodness of our God, despite whatever you are seeing right now in front of you. 
We all, from time to time, put our hopes in things that we are not to put our hopes in, but when calamity strikes, what a comfort is to realize that the holiest spirit is still with us, and in the midst of bleak days and dark times and times without exits dead ends, in fact, the holy spread is providing us the faith and the strength that we need to look to Christ. Calamities are used by God precisely for that purpose congregation. so we can learn to trust in God who we so we can learn to come to him because he will never fail us. Faith is the one thing that keeps you reminding you. 
God is good. God is good. no matter what you are going through. and and and to know that he will indeed never fail you, having said that, though, there is a second thing that I mention that the author wants you to understand, and and that is, why is he not mentioned in Iposhet by name? and in doing that, he’s actually showing you how unimportant, how powerless the son of Saul actually is. 
In other words, there is nothing, nothing in Ibashev that makes him a worthy foe of David. In many respects, in fact, his dynasty will fall under his own weight. So we have a coordinate, Israel on the one hand, at defenseless king on the other, whose rule is basically over. 
It is because of these indications that Wale is about to happen in the text becomes even more criminal, but before we see that, though, the sacred author is kind of delaying the action in the text. And he does a very interesting thing. He introduces more characters in the story, listen to verse two two captains of ratinging bands, Bana andriab of Benjamin from Both, and let me remind you this maybe you forgot about this, but if you remember Saul was from Benjamin, which means that these two guys that we are seeing here are basically family, close friends to souls, family and his children. 
They are trustworthy guys appointed to places of power because they are people that he trusts in. Now, hang in there because this is going to be being important later on. But the second character that we see is fountain verse four. 
Jonathan, if you remember that, he he died, uh in in a war, but he had a son, and he was crippled in his feet. He was five year olds when when this happened, his nurse took him up and fled, and he fell and became lame. and his name was Miboshev. Now, our translations here are very, very true to the Hebrew. 
It is as if they author wants you to see this poor guy and feel sad about him, uh so we can understand that he’s a crippled guy, he’s a weak guy, uh he too, is not a contender for the throne of Israel. So in the summary, if you unite these two figures, the house of Saul is basically over. There is no one who can oppose David, and in that sense, David has already conquered without shedding any blood. 
This is important. What should be the next step for David then? Well, simply put, because of the language that is used in the text, it seems to me at least that the best curse of action for David would be to remain true to his invitation chapter 2 remember that is, for all Israel not to be afraid of him, but for all Israel to find in him the king that God has placed in the land, and that will be used to bless God’s people. in that sense, is compassion, mercy that is awaiting Ishbosship andibiboshe excuse me, and with them to all Israel. 
And by the way congregation, this is very true of the gospel. The message of good news of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is a good message for people who are in pain. It is good news for those who are lost. 
It represents peace with God, the joy of the holy spirit, the pouring of God’s love upon those who need it, and the forgiven forgiving of her sins the gospel brings before the gospel excuse me, brings us before the Lord Jesus Christ, not to destroy us, but so that in Jesus Christ we may experience his mercy and his compassion, because we naturally speaking, were afraid and running away from God, but the gospel of Jesus Christ show us his mercy and his love to lost people like us. that is in any case, the burden of things that David is doing and from his perspective, and it is in fact from God’s perspective, that is how it should work. David, in other words, is ready to show compassion. David is ready to call Israel to himself, but and this is a big bat. 
There is always people who misunderstand the actions of of David. There is always people who misunderstand the nature of the gospel. There is always people who mistake God’s will with their wills. 
And these kind of people we found them in verse five, and these familiar people. these are close friends to Iboshe, Rev and Ban set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Iboshef as he was taking his noonday rest, and they came into the midst of the house as if to get wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Riabambana, his brother, skaped. This is the criminal action of what was of which I was speaking about congregation. 
And I want to do a attack sonomy of this crime for you. First, not this how for all the language in the text, we gather that this action of these two guys is unnecessary. Did they need to kill him? 
Ioshev, in other words, was not a danger, for David not at all. second, this is clearly not a time of war. They are seeking after a man who is peacefully wresting his house, taking a nap, and in simple terms, this is cold blooded murder. Third, this is habit trial of the worst kind. 
It is not as strangers, it is not people from Judah who have come to kill Ishishet is his friends, a family, those who swore to protect the king who have killed him, and maybe maybe this is why Ishboshev has been named Ishbashe, because he’ name means the shameful man, and in li he dies a death that is shameful, does he not abandoned by his friends alone in his house, a number that a dead that was not needed? and we are going to get back a dishbashe later, though, but in the meantime, let’s move to our second point justice for Ibashe. Now there is something that we can not ignore in the text and probably you noticed already, and there is the apparent discrepancy that exists between verse six and verse seven, on verse six, two capit, a commonly strike Iboshet and escape. 
Given those idea that this is the end of the story, but listen to verse having now, when they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and put him to death and beheaded him, they took his head and went by the way of the arah all night. So so what happened here? Is verse six contradicting verse seven? 
Oh let me tell you something right here, boys and girls. At the Bible never, ever contradicts itself to affirm the verse six is contradicting verse seven, is not an option for us. In fact, it will be the easiest way out of this text. 
No, something else is happening here, and this is what I think personally, I think what happened. Verse six is telling us in a brief form that the two men came and killed the men. verse seven is expanding that action. This is like when you watch a movie or a TV show and they show you just a partial action in a and a scene and just just you are just seeing a little bit of information, just a little piece of it. 
But later on, they show you the holyin once again from a different perspective, from a different angle and you see the whole thing of what happened in doing this, you understand the whole story better. And is a rhetorical device in other words. This is what is happening here. 
The Bible is Illinois what I washed what happened to Ib. He was stricken and they ran away. But then there is a flashback. 
It comes back to us and is showing us that they actually entering his house and killed him so we can see the whole dimension everything of what they have done. See, not only was he stricken, he received a blow while he was resting in his own house in that in the tranquility of his own bedroom, the Bible says, in his couchering his bed, either way the herico can go to better couch, and and not happy with killing him, they have taken his head with them. This is a bestial action in other words, filled with brutality, in exposing these two men in this way, the Bible is actually condemning what they have done with Ibashe. 
Understand this congregation. All of our actions, every single one of them are open and are being seen by God. There is nothing nothing that is hidden to him, and one day, just as we have heard about these men in the public, we will too hear about all the actions that we have committed, that which was done in the secret, as well as what was proclaiming the open. 
Now, that this is cond, isn’t it? But this also conf thought, because for those who belong to Jesus Christ, the exposing of our hearts, the exposing of our thoughts and deeds, before the eyes of every one and before the eyes of the Lord Jesus Christ, will by no means entail condemnation not at all, rather we will see our past up actions, both the open and the secret ones in the light of our union with the Lord Jesus Christ, and in that moment we will not be ashamed we will be at peace for those who are not in Christ, however, their evil deeds will be exposed to their shame, and that is a comfort too, by the way, the sufferings that we have endured, the cries of God’s people will be finally answered on that day. See, here is something that we need to learn congregation. 
God is never indifferent to your suffering. He is not indifferent to the evil that you endure. He sees evil, he sees sin, he sees the cries of his children, he sees the tears of the small ones of the abused of the persecuted, and in the last day he will repay that evil, he will judge it, and we we, his people, we will see just as finally done. 
The voices of the many saints crying for justice to God are never unheard congregation. The prayers of the saints that ascended to heaven like burnt incense are being received by God right now. They never doubt that congregation, they never doubt that Don never think that God doesn’t hear your prayers. 
In fact, we see a glimpse of that in our text. Let’s start with verse eight. They said to the king, here is the head of Ishashhet, the son of Saul your enemy, who sought your alive. the lord has avenged, my lord the king this day, and Saul, and on his offspring see here we are able to understand the motives of these two criminals just like Abner and just like Joab, they too have thought that they can advance David’s kingdom with violence. trampling over those who are unable to defend themselves, and what is worse, perhaps, is that they use pious language to defend their own actions, but you and I already know congregation, do we not how scriptures themselves are condemning the actions of these two guys, and here is where David again surprises us, a normal response, a normal response of a normal king would have been to congratulate these men and to advance them to to high positions. 
Both ancient and modern kings do know how to rule even to day, except through violence. Cyrus smashed all who opposed him. Darius Cyrus has general killed both of Cyrus’ children, Tiberius Caesar, ha a killed all of his half brothers. and more recently Himmler, Hitler’s highest official, was surprised surprised that when they enter into Poland, they only managed to kill 60,000 people. 
They needed more. They needed more. Every empire, every nation of this world is built upon the shedding of blood. 
This is why David’s response is surprising. See, as the Lord lives, he has been who has redeemed my life out of every adversity when one told me the whole soul is dead and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Zieac, which was the reward I gave him for his news. How much more when wicked men have killed the righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth? 
See David doesn’t react as suspected. That’s what is surprising, and it makes sense, does it not? The heart of the king is a heart according to God’s heart. 
God congregation advances his kingdom by conquering hearts. The holy spread transforms them, gives them new inclinations, new life. He doesn’ enforce conversion, conversions that’s Islam. 
That’s paganism. No, that’s not how God works. In fact, one of our confessional standards, the canons of Dor affirm the Holy Spirit makes the unwilling heart willing, the hardened heart soften, and for that he uses the preaching of the word. 
The second thing to notice is how far David wants to distance himself from injustice. Here we see David showing as a serving us, excuse me, as a shadow of the Lord Jesus Christ, because Jesus congregation, he didn’t obtain his kingdom through sinful means. No, he showed obedience to the father, and obedience to the point of death and death on the cross. 
It is through this obedience that he obtained the kingdom, not for himself only, but also for every single one of those who believe in him in Jesus, you and I are citizens of the kingdom. Third, not as how David points us to the right direction as well. David here stands with us as a fellow believer. 
He is in this respect our example. We are to expect everything from God. And I don’t know if that makes sense to you right now, but you we are to expect everything from God. 
We are to hope and him, we are to see his hand in everything. Many times congregation hoping in God andpecting everything from him is not going to make sense to us. Sometimes the easy way out may seem to be the right path to take, but learn from David. 
He is teaching us. He is guiding us how to believe in Jesus Christ, that nothing good comes out of violating God’s law two evils do make one good. disobedience does and doesn send produce life. Four. 
David also functions as an eschatological that’s a difficult word.ast time pointer of Jesus. This means “David is just pointing us to what Jesus Christ is going to do in the last day. David decides in his office as king of Israel to bring justice upon these men. 
In the same way congregation, we are not to think that in the office of king, the Lord Jesus Christ does not vessel humanity with justice to day. no, in fact, apostle Paul himself mentions that the revelation of God’s wrath is upon unbelievers entailing that they go after their own passions. Punishment of sin on this side of glory untils God, allowing sinful people to do what they want to do to leave them to hand them over to their own sins and to continue sinning even more, and this also leads us to Christs office as king, does it not? He will punish evil. 
Finally and definitely, and this has to be a reason for us to rejoice. The spirit of the church congregation is crying right now come, Lord Jesus Christ, in part because the existence of the church, the lament of the church as present, is because we are suffering, is because we are under persecution, is because we need to go through difficult times at present, through through tribulations. all of those things will be over when Jesus comes. peace and joy will replace lament. The weapons of the world will be that were used for destruction, will be transformed in plowares, as I say says, and pruning hooks that will be used for us to bring treasures to the king. forever. 
This is where David is pointing us to congregation, see once again, as I told you already several weeks ago, there is a lot of badly and ugly things happening here in the Book of Samuel. There is sin, there is evil, there is war, there is destruction, there is murder, and and many other bad things that we are still to sin. But through it all, the promises of God are still trail llazing in history. 
The lord or God is not defeated by sin, the lord or God is not surprised by sin either. he advances his promises through and against sin. The kingdom of David is indeed increasing, and the false kingdom of Saul is a st starting to disappear, and we already heard that in chapter 3 verse 1 did we not? and in this process, God himself was always merciful, is receiving his own, calling his own people to himself, not his verse 12. and David commended his young men, and they killed them, and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them beside the pool at Hiam, but they took the head of Ishwashed and buried it in the tomb of Avner at Hibron. 
Sibalian soul, heaven and earth are very tightly connected and jointed in scriptures. The final punishment of sin by Jesus Christ is forshadowed here in the actions of David’s men in punishing this these two men. out, in other words, are the dogs, and those who will never enter into the kingdom of God, but also the final vindication of God’s people by our Lord Jesus Christ his foreshadow here in what David is doing with Ishlashe. See, his body is not abandoned in other words. 
He’s not left to decompose and to be eaten by beasts. No, he’s rescued. He’s rescued, and and and it shows us how important he is to Jesus. 
His head is actually buried in the same place that Abner has been buried, and this place too will become the same place of many of David’s officers. Iboshev and Abner in the end, and their lives as part of God’s people. killed, butiving mercy by God himself through the actions of the king. They are in the land, they are united to God’s covenant people, and that means that means that the spider inabilities, despite their sins, and even evilestins, the Lord himself has shown mercy to them. 
Now isn’ isn’t that outrageous? How can how can Christians say that? I can say that congregation because both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, salvation is the same, and it never depends on what people do. 
It depends on God’s covenant faithfulness in Jesus Christ, and this is good news for us, because we too congregation, we too need to recognize that we were far away from God. We two need to recognize that many times our hearts are wandering away from God, are they not? and that we don’t always seek Jesus Christ. 
But the hope of the gospel is that while we are alive in this world, we are united to Christ, we are in Christ, and that when we die, we will see that Christ that we are united to, not because of us, not because of our actions, but because we have been rescued and redeemed by God. It is the Lord himself who has redeemed us in Jesus Christ from all of our sins and adversities. If that is the case, then who can condemn us? 
Let’s pray. Lord, we thank you that it is you who have rescued us from our sins, from the hands of the devil, from a running away from you, and that we walk in victory and that we walk towards glory. Lord, indeed, you have promised us that as we are in this world, the church and your people will not see glory, that the tribulations will come our way, and that your church will have to suffer, but with the saints and glory, and with the saints of all the earth, we unite our voices this morning and cry out to you, come quickly, lord Jesus, we need you, and we want to experience eternity with you. 
So come quickly, lord, and in the meantime, as we await for your coming, may your coming find us working, being faithful to you and extending your kingdom all over the place in our works, vocations, in our families, with our friends, with her with all of us, all all of those people with whom we have relationships with. And all of these things we pray in Jesus’ name, amen.