Day 13

I continued in 2 Samuel today...

Abner=Commander in Saul's Army
Ish-Bosheth=Saul's son; king of Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Benjamin, Ephraim, and all of Israel; 40 years old; ruled 2 years.

Abner set out w/ soldiers to Gibeon. Joab (David's side) set out with men as well. The men challenged each other, 12 from each side. Each man grabbed the opponents heads and stabbed them with daggers. All fell dead. They named the spot Slaughter Park. Don't you just loves these fun little facts?

Abner's men were beat to a pulp. However, Asahel (David's side) chased after Abner relentlessly. Abner stabbed his spear into Asahel's abdomen so hard it came out his back. The war between the house of Saul and the house of David went on and on but David's army was the only group who grew stronger.

David's Family (Born in Hebron)
1st born: Amnon born to Ahinoam
2nd: Kileab born to Abigail
3rd: Absolam born to Maacah
4th: Adonijah born to Haggith
5th: Shephatiah born to Abital
6th: Ithream born to Eglah

Abner wanted to make a deal with David and give him the whole country of Israel. David accepted but wanted Michal back as part of the deal. Thinking Abner was trying to pull a fast one on David, Joab told David to send messengers after Abner. They caught Abner at Sirah and brought him back without telling David. Joab killed him in cold blood to avenge the death of Asahel. When David heard this, he told Joab his entire family would be under a curse forever. They would fall victim to disease, violence, and famine. David and his people wept over Abner's death.

At this point in the story, I was a little confused by Eugene mentioning Jonathon's son, Mephibosheth (Saul's grandson).

"He was five years old when the report came from Jezreel that Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle. When the child’s nurse heard the news, she picked him up and fled. But as she hurried away, she dropped him, and he became crippled."
-2 Samuel 4:4 NLT

Ish-Bosheth had 2 captains of raiding bands named Baanah and Recab. They headed to Ish's house, slipping past the sleeping maid guarding his room, and killed him. They cut off his head and presented it as a trophy to David. David wasn't pleased and didn't believe their story that Ish-Bosheth was after him in the first place. He ordered his soldiers to kill them both. Their hands and feet were cut off and their corpses were hung at the pool in Hebron.

David was anointed king of Israel at age 30 and ruled until he was 70. David and his men set out for Jerusalem and captured the fortress of Zion known ever since as the City of David. He then moved there and made it his home.