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The Mention of Her Name
Things are not going well for Ishbosheth in the war between the house of Saul and the house of David (2 Sam. 3:1). In contrast to the deteriorating situation at Ishbosheth’s court, the biblical text inserts at this point in the story a list of the sons of David that are born during this time in Hebron (2 Sam. 3:2–5). The list reflects David’s increasing strength, since sons mean a future and security.
As we have seen (2 Sam. 3:7–10), Ishbosheth, the “man of shame,” accuses his general, Abner, of having slept with the concubine of his father, Saul. Judging from Abner’s strong reaction, this was a very serious offense.
Read the following verses and explain what sleeping with a wife or concubine of a powerful man meant in the time of the Old Testament. 2 Sam. 16:21, 22; 20:3; 1 Kings 2:21, 22.
Rizpah is not very active in the story, which focuses on Abner and Ishbosheth. After all, she is just the concubine. She seems to be another pawn in the power play between two men. The biblical text is not clear about whether Abner really slept with Rizpah in order to try to usurp the throne. The fact that he so quickly changes sides suggests that it was just a bad rumor that had made the rounds at the improvised royal court in Mahanaim. If he really wanted to be king of Israel, would he have been so ready to join forces with David, the “anointed of the Lord”?
Abner makes good on his threat of defecting to David (2 Sam. 3:9, 10, 12). Ishbosheth’s accusation moves the major power-broker of the house of Saul to swear loyalty to the house of David, which all but ensures the demise of the house of Saul. This in fact came shortly after (see 2 Samuel 4). It is really the mention of Rizpah’s name that has effected this change. Although Rizpah is not active in the narrative, she is highly significant.
Without Abner’s reaction to Ishbosheth’s accusation, the war between the two parties most likely would have lasted much longer. We don’t know what happened to Rizpah next. She reappears only in David’s memoirs in 2 Samuel 21:1–14, where she plays a subtle but incredibly important role in the bringing together of tribes and factions.
So often we find ourselves caught up in circumstances that we cannot control. What, though, can we always control, and why, in the end, is that the most important thing? See Deut. 30:19, Mark 13:13.
| MONDAY | November 22 |
Things are not going well for Ishbosheth in the war between the house of Saul and the house of David (2 Sam. 3:1). In contrast to the deteriorating situation at Ishbosheth’s court, the biblical text inserts at this point in the story a list of the sons of David that are born during this time in Hebron (2 Sam. 3:2–5). The list reflects David’s increasing strength, since sons mean a future and security.
As we have seen (2 Sam. 3:7–10), Ishbosheth, the “man of shame,” accuses his general, Abner, of having slept with the concubine of his father, Saul. Judging from Abner’s strong reaction, this was a very serious offense.
Read the following verses and explain what sleeping with a wife or concubine of a powerful man meant in the time of the Old Testament. 2 Sam. 16:21, 22; 20:3; 1 Kings 2:21, 22.
Rizpah is not very active in the story, which focuses on Abner and Ishbosheth. After all, she is just the concubine. She seems to be another pawn in the power play between two men. The biblical text is not clear about whether Abner really slept with Rizpah in order to try to usurp the throne. The fact that he so quickly changes sides suggests that it was just a bad rumor that had made the rounds at the improvised royal court in Mahanaim. If he really wanted to be king of Israel, would he have been so ready to join forces with David, the “anointed of the Lord”?
Abner makes good on his threat of defecting to David (2 Sam. 3:9, 10, 12). Ishbosheth’s accusation moves the major power-broker of the house of Saul to swear loyalty to the house of David, which all but ensures the demise of the house of Saul. This in fact came shortly after (see 2 Samuel 4). It is really the mention of Rizpah’s name that has effected this change. Although Rizpah is not active in the narrative, she is highly significant.
Without Abner’s reaction to Ishbosheth’s accusation, the war between the two parties most likely would have lasted much longer. We don’t know what happened to Rizpah next. She reappears only in David’s memoirs in 2 Samuel 21:1–14, where she plays a subtle but incredibly important role in the bringing together of tribes and factions.
So often we find ourselves caught up in circumstances that we cannot control. What, though, can we always control, and why, in the end, is that the most important thing? See Deut. 30:19, Mark 13:13.
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