Chapter 4

Ish-bosheth's courage fails him when he hears that Abner is dead.  After all, it was only because of Abner that he remained in power.  Two raiding party captains come to Ish-bosheth's house (palace?), pretend they want wheat from inside, and instead stab Ish-bosheth in the stomach, cut off his head, and then they flee. 

We also learn about Mephibosheth, a son of Saul who's nurse secrets him away, but he falls and goes lame during the flight.

The two captains take the head of Ish-bosheth - Saul's own son - to David in Hebron.  Idiots. 

Sure enough, David reminds them what happened to the messenger who claimed to have killed Saul, and points out that they deserve even worse for killing a righteous man in his own house as he lays on his bed.  He calls them wicked, and has them killed.  Their hands and feet are cut off, and they are hanged.

2022 - More raiding parties.  We saw earlier in the Chapter that Joab had been out raiding and brought home lots of spoil, and now in the north, two raiding parties.  Were they sniping at each other, or raiding nearby towns outside Israel and Judah?  Is this how these kings were financing their operations - through raiding rather than taxation?  That must have been a difficult time.  Being king with no king's treasury and dependent on spreading terror far and wide for your living expenses.

So, a LOT of things go on in these first four chapters.  This seems right as these chapters cover the "regime change" from the house of Saul - whom Abner wants to see succeeded by his son, after the manner of most kingdoms - to the house of David, whom God has anointed as the new royal line.  One would expect much violence, intrigue, and positioning to take place, and that is exactly what happens.