Blessings From Sin
Then the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out and came at about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who was lying on his bed at noon. And they came there, all the way into the house, as though to get wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. For when they came into the house, he was lying on his bed in his bedroom; then they struck him and killed him, beheaded him and took his head, and were all night escaping through the plain. - 2 Samuel 4:5-7
Baanah and Rechab were captains under Abner in Israel’s army. As soon as Abner was killed, they saw their opportunity to have power. They could have taken over Israel’s army, but they wanted more. They knew it was only a matter of time before David became king over all of Israel, and they needed to do something to look good to David, so they went into Ishboseth’s house and killed him in his bed.
After the Amalikite was killed, because he went to David, claiming to kill Saul, no one should have thought killing Saul’s son would help them find favor with David. However, Baanah and Rechab thought they were doing a favor for David!
They were so wrong; wrong to kill a man in his bed and wrong to think David would be happy. They did not think before they committed murder. How could blessings come from sin? The ends do not justify the means. If you commit a sin, thinking the outcome will be good, you are only deceiving yourself. Sin only leads to death.
A man can no more extract blessedness out of sin than he can suck health out of poison.
~Thomas Watson~
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