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Faithfulness Is a Way of Life
David consents to the request of the Gibeonites, and seven descendants of Saul are found. It is here that we meet Rizpah again. Her two sons by King Saul are among the ones selected to be executed so that “atonement” can be achieved. Second Samuel 21:3 uses the Hebrew word atonement, which functions as a technical term to mark atonement and also appears in contexts such as the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16.
Read 2 Samuel 21:1–9. How are we to understand this passage? Or can we understand it? In what ways is this an example of something in Scripture that we can’t fully explain but that we simply need to trust the Lord on? What other examples like this (of things that we don’t fully understand) can you find in the Bible instances in which, despite our lack of understanding, we need to trust in God’s goodness and mercy anyway?
David remembers his promise to his friend Jonathan (1 Sam. 20:12–17, 42), and, consequently, he does not surrender Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth to the Gibeonites. This emphasizes an important point in the biblical text: even though Saul broke Israel’s vow to the Gibeonites, David honors his vow to Jonathan, even after his death.
What does Rizpah do when her sons are killed? 2 Sam. 21:9, 10. What does this tell us about her?
The author emphasizes his high regard for Rizpah’s actions by again mentioning her father’s name (cf. 2 Sam. 3:7), in contrast to David, who is not referred to as king or by his lineage. We only can imagine Rizpah’s pain and grief as she watches over the seven bodies of the executed. She builds a makeshift hut from sackcloth, and there, under the open sky, she camps close to the decomposing bodies and protects them from desecration by birds and animals. Rizpah does not do this for one day or seven days, but it appears that she watches over the bodies for many weeks, until the autumn rains begin. Not only is Rizpah a devoted mother, but she stands out as an example of faithfulness in the midst of a story dominated by men who are not always faithful.
| WEDNESDAY | November 24 |
David consents to the request of the Gibeonites, and seven descendants of Saul are found. It is here that we meet Rizpah again. Her two sons by King Saul are among the ones selected to be executed so that “atonement” can be achieved. Second Samuel 21:3 uses the Hebrew word atonement, which functions as a technical term to mark atonement and also appears in contexts such as the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16.
Read 2 Samuel 21:1–9. How are we to understand this passage? Or can we understand it? In what ways is this an example of something in Scripture that we can’t fully explain but that we simply need to trust the Lord on? What other examples like this (of things that we don’t fully understand) can you find in the Bible instances in which, despite our lack of understanding, we need to trust in God’s goodness and mercy anyway?
David remembers his promise to his friend Jonathan (1 Sam. 20:12–17, 42), and, consequently, he does not surrender Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth to the Gibeonites. This emphasizes an important point in the biblical text: even though Saul broke Israel’s vow to the Gibeonites, David honors his vow to Jonathan, even after his death.
What does Rizpah do when her sons are killed? 2 Sam. 21:9, 10. What does this tell us about her?
The author emphasizes his high regard for Rizpah’s actions by again mentioning her father’s name (cf. 2 Sam. 3:7), in contrast to David, who is not referred to as king or by his lineage. We only can imagine Rizpah’s pain and grief as she watches over the seven bodies of the executed. She builds a makeshift hut from sackcloth, and there, under the open sky, she camps close to the decomposing bodies and protects them from desecration by birds and animals. Rizpah does not do this for one day or seven days, but it appears that she watches over the bodies for many weeks, until the autumn rains begin. Not only is Rizpah a devoted mother, but she stands out as an example of faithfulness in the midst of a story dominated by men who are not always faithful.
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