The Reluctant Royal

 

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Ish-Bosheth was King Saul’s fourth son who held the throne for about 2 years after his father and brothers died in battle. Though he held the title, the one who truly had the reins of power was Abner, his uncle, and Commander of the Army. When I read about Ish-Bosheth, what I feel is pity. No one really thinks of or talks about him, besides the few scriptures that describe his experience and death, he isn’t a character we look to emulate. However, can we blame him?

Ish-Bosheth was royalty but not necessarily an heir to the throne, even if God hadn’t moved the Kingship from his family to that of David, he still would not have been king because he had older brothers who were stronger, wiser, and trained for leadership. In 2^nd Samuel 4, he was described to have “lost heart, and all Israel was troubled” after the news of Abner’s death reached him. This showed he was a man who did not like difficulties and was satisfied being in the shadows, hiding at home in times of war, and letting someone else make the tough decisions. It was not hidden knowledge to the nation that he had no strength, even his supposed enemy David acknowledged him as an innocent man.

As a prince, one would have expectations of Ish-Bosheth, but I thought about how family dynamics show up in our lives and if we have any control over it. Not much was said about his upbringing but looking at Saul’s life and stories about kings in those days, we can assume he was neglected, or was expected to be aware because of all he was privy to! Sadly, he also did nothing to make himself better or stronger.

Being Saul’s son held no benefit for him. This emphasizes my constant thought about the non-tangible things we leave for our children to inherit. We rarely think deeply about the effects of our ‘existence’ on our loved ones. Saul probably assumed being king was good enough for his children, I mean being the king's child is hardly a bad idea but sometimes, what we consider good is not the answer to queries your loved ones have.

I promise you that I am not blaming Saul, but lately, I have been burdened with the power of influence by our families and environment in our formative years, and how the person we had to become then impacts who we are as we get older. I constantly feel like I should do better for those coming or growing up around me.

If Ish-Bosheth knew better and was bold enough to refuse the throne, accepting David had already been ordained king perhaps he might have prevented the death of innocent lives lost unnecessarily in battle in the years he was king. Or he might not have been killed and instead shown mercy by David. He died in his home, stabbed, and beheaded by two of his tribesmen, for the simple reason that they believed murdering him would get them favor with David. His 42 years seemed to dissolve like smoke; beyond a few sentences, we know nothing more. It feels like he was a pawn in such a grand game, yet he was royalty. To show he was just a poor guy trying to mind his business, even David called him an innocent man and avenged his death.

We encounter people like Ish-Bosheth in our environment; those we judge doomed, weak, or too shy to stand up for themselves, those with different abilities from what we consider normal, and those who genuinely have never been taught to be and do better. We must be kind! It is not always easy, but it is our responsibility to humanity. Some may argue that Saul’s family was already canceled or hopeless but Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson enjoyed mercy and prosperity from David. God doesn’t object to kindness (Galatians 5:22 -23) so embrace and spread it. And if they deserve punishment, let God sort them out.