“During the war that was going on between the house of Sha’ul and the house of David, Avner strengthened his position in the house of Sha’ul. Sha’ul had had a concubine named Ritzpah, the daughter of Ayah; and [Ish-Boshet] challenged Avner: ‘Why did you go and sleep with my father’s concubine?’“-2 Samuel 3:6-7
In verse 6, we’re told that Avner’s power increased as Saul’s house weakened.
To demonstrate he had greater authority over even King Ishboshesh, Avner did what all narcissistic men love to do to satisfy their fragile egos.
He slept with a concubine from Saul’s harem that Ishboshesh had inherited from his father.
A king’s harem became his son’s property once his son died.
Now here’s the thing.
Avner didn’t just bed down with your average, run-of-the-mill concubine.
He slept with Ritzpah.
She was a woman of importance and played a key role in the harem.
She’ll appear again in 2 Samuel chapter 21 in a story about the Gibeonite’s revenge against the house of Saul.
There’s no doubt Avner went after Rizpah because of her important status.
It’s almost impossible to overstate the seriousness of what Avner did.
Sleeping with a woman from the king’s harem, especially someone like Rizpah, was a direct challenge to the king.
You may remember Reuben did the same thing when he slept with his father’s (Jacob) concubine, Bilhah.
As punishment, Reuben lost his firstborn rights because of that fiasco.
Here’s the Scripture reference:
“Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my strength, the first fruits of my manhood.
Though superior in vigor and power
you are unstable as water, so your superiority will end,
because you climbed into your father’s bed
and defiled it — he climbed onto my concubine’s couch!”
-Genesis 49:3-4
This was a betrayal, and Jacob punished him severely.
So here’s the takeaway coming to me today.
I’m reminded of the EXTREME importance and sanctity of one’s property.
Avner insulted Ishboshesh, the king of northern Israel, by sleeping with his property.
Reuben lost his firstborn rights by sleeping with his father’s property, the concubine Bilhah.
Adultery is a death penalty offense because you are sleeping with another man’s wife, which is his property.
God will kill you if you violate his holy property.
Recall, that’s what happened to Achan, who was stoned to death for stealing some of the war booty in Joshua Chapter 7.
In a holy battle, the spoils of war are considered God’s property.
In the Book of Acts, Ananias and Sapphira were a married couple who sold some property and lied about the amount of money they gave to the apostles.
They pretended to give all the money from the sale but secretly kept some for themselves.
This was a violation of God’s holy property…
And NOT because they lied as many idiot pastors who don’t understand the Torah claim.
The bottom line is Scripture makes it clear that to steal or violate one’s property, especially God’s, is a serious offense…
And can result in the death penalty.
Ya feeling me?
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