Gospel Reflections #1039: Our eyes to the life God has promised

2 Samuel 4:1 ‘When Ish-Bosheth, the son of Saul, heard that Abner had been killed in Hebron, he lost heart, and all Israel was filled with fear.’

This passage depicts the scene where, following the assassination of Abner, the leader of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, King Ish-Bosheth lost his will to fight, and the entire nation was gripped by intense turmoil and fear.

Although Ish-Bosheth, the nominal king, was the son of King Saul, in reality he was little more than a puppet installed by General Abner.

With the assassination of Abner—who held the real power in the kingdom and served as a bulwark against the Kingdom of Judah led by David—the king lost his backing in an instant.

The turmoil among ‘all Israel’ reflects the extreme terror caused by the collapse of the national leadership structure.

The balance of power with Judah (David’s side) was shattered, and a sense of crisis spread among the people that the kingdom could be destroyed at any moment.

Ish-Bosheth’s kingdom was built not on God’s promise, but on ‘human power’ (Abner).

This passage symbolises the biblical truth that leadership and a life which rely on people rather than on God will crumble as easily as the ground beneath them the moment that foundation is shaken.

A life that does not rely on God, no matter how successful it may be or how enviable to the world, is, in God’s eyes, nothing more than a life built on sand.

We too should not judge our lives solely by what lies before us, but rather turn our eyes to the life God has promised, and live in a way that believes in it.

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.