The Right Way To Make Things Right

2021-02-28

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

2 Samuel 21:1-14 (CSB) During David’s reign there was a famine for three successive years, so David inquired of the Lord. The Lord answered, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family when he killed the Gibeonites.”  ² The Gibeonites were not Israelites but rather a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but Saul had tried to kill them in his zeal for the Israelites and Judah. So David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. ³ He asked the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? How can I make atonement so that you will bring a blessing on the Lord’s inheritance?”  ⁴ The Gibeonites said to him, “We are not asking for money from Saul or his family, and we cannot put anyone to death in Israel.” “Whatever you say, I will do for you,” he said. ⁵ They replied to the king, “As for the man who annihilated us and plotted to destroy us so we would not exist within the whole territory of Israel, ⁶ let seven of his male descendants be handed over to us so we may hang them in the presence of the Lord at Gibeah of Saul, the Lord’s chosen.” The king answered, “I will hand them over.” ⁷ David spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between David and Jonathan, Saul’s son. ⁸ But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, who were the two sons whom Rizpah daughter of Aiah had borne to Saul, and the five sons whom Merab daughter of Saul had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite ⁹ and handed them over to the Gibeonites. They hanged them on the hill in the presence of the Lord; the seven of them died together. They were executed in the first days of the harvest at the beginning of the barley harvest. ¹⁰ Rizpah, Aiah’s daughter, took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on the rock from the beginning of the harvest until the rain poured down from heaven on the bodies. She kept the birds of the sky from them by day and the wild animals by night. ¹¹ When it was reported to David what Saul’s concubine Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, had done, ¹² he went and got the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the leaders of Jabesh-gilead. They had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung the bodies the day the Philistines killed Saul at Gilboa. ¹³ David had the bones brought from there. They gathered up the bones of Saul’s family who had been hung ¹⁴ and buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan at Zela in the land of Benjamin in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. They did everything the king commanded. After this, God answered prayer for the land.

 

1. Go To The Source

Vs 1 During David’s reign there was a famine for three successive years, so David inquired of the Lord. The Lord answered, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family when he killed the Gibeonites.”

• David knew that there must be some sin in the land because of the famine so he sought the face of God on the matter
• The Gibeonites were a people that had made a covenant with Joshua (Joshua 9)
• Saul had broken this covenant by killing the Gibeonites in order to rid the land of non-Israelites
• In Numbers 35, God promised the land would be “polluted” if Israel acted improperly

 

2. Act When He Speaks

Vs 2b So David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. ³ He asked the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? How can I make atonement so that you will bring a blessing on the Lord’s inheritance?”

• As soon as David heard the word of God, he acted
• David didn’t shy away from approaching those who had been wronged
• He showed genuine repentance and a genuine heart for restoration
• But even in seeking restoration, David was not willing to compromise on his own commitments or beliefs

Vs 7 David spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between David and Jonathan, Saul’s son.

 

3. Be People of Peace

Vss 11-14 When it was reported to David what Saul’s concubine Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, had done, ¹² he went and got the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the leaders of Jabesh-gilead. They had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung the bodies the day the Philistines killed Saul at Gilboa. ¹³ David had the bones brought from there. They gathered up the bones of Saul’s family who had been hung ¹⁴ and buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan at Zela in the land of Benjamin in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. They did everything the king commanded. After this, God answered prayer for the land.

• David could have considered his work done once he handed over the family of Saul
• He could have made the family suffer as a result of the wrongdoing of Saul
• But he recognized making things right with others means making things right with everyone
• This is when God blessed David, and Israel, again

 

Application:

• There will be moments of silence and suffering in our lives and we will truly wonder what’s gone wrong
• In those moments, don’t seek to blame, criticize or be discouraged
• Instead, seek the face of God and His Word and wisdom
• Then act on His truths
• This all starts when in communion with God