Gospel Reflections #1031: New Positions are for God

2 Samuel 2:10  ‘Ish-Bosheth, the son of Saul, became king of Israel at the age of forty, and reigned for two years. But the house of Judah followed David.’

This is an important passage that clearly illustrates the political division of the Kingdom of Israel into ‘Northern Israel’ and ‘Southern Judah’ following the death of King Saul.

After King Saul and his eldest son Jonathan were killed in battle against the Philistines, Israel was no longer able to unite under a single king.

Ish-Bosheth, the surviving son of Saul, was installed as king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by Abner, a general in Saul’s army.

Meanwhile, David, who had gone up to Hebron by God’s guidance, was anointed by the people of the tribe of Judah and became king of the Southern Kingdom of Judah.

This verse captures the moment when these two factions coexisted and the nation plunged into a state of civil war, with the two sides vying for supremacy.

Ish-Bosheth was not a king chosen by God, but a puppet king installed through the political machinations (human schemes) of General Abner, who sought to perpetuate the House of Saul.

David, on the other hand, did not act on his own initiative even when Saul died, but first sought God’s guidance by asking, ‘Shall I go up to the towns of Judah?’, and then obeyed.

The regime of Ish-Bosheth, built on human scheming, was headed for collapse within just two years, whereas David’s reign, founded on God’s promise, began with a small foothold in Judah and eventually expanded to the unification of all Israel.

To our eyes, it may often be difficult to discern whether something is of human origin or of God; yet when our hearts are dominated by emotion and we cannot let go of our own designs, even if we manage to perform good deeds or make good choices, these will ultimately stem from our own will rather than from God.

When taking a new step forward, we should first surrender ourselves entirely to God.

That is the path to eternal life.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.