2 Samuel 21:1-3 - There was a famine during David's reign that
lasted for three years, so David asked the LORD about it. And the LORD said,
"The famine has come because Saul and his family are guilty of murdering
the Gibeonites." So King David
summoned the Gibeonites. They were not part of Israel but were all that was
left of the nation of the Amorites. Israel had sworn not to kill them, but
Saul, in his zeal, had tried to wipe them out. David asked them, "What can I do for you
to make amends? Tell me so that the LORD will bless his people again."
David knew that a famine that lasted more than one year was
not just a coincidence…it must have been sent by God to punish them in some way.
So he prayed…and prayed some more…until God reminded him of the covenant the
Israelites had made with the Gibeonites.
It may have been 400 years old…and Saul’s family broke it….but God still
required David to make amends for the people that had been murdered….so that
God could lift the curse Saul had placed upon the Israelites.
The words of a sweet elephant are ringing in my ear this
morning. For it was Horton who said… “I promised the mayor. I meant what
I said, and I said what I meant. And an elephant's faithful 100%. “ Dr. Seuss may
not have been a Bible scholar…but he sure understood the point the writer of 2
Samuel 21 is trying to make here. Horton
looked through 1,000’s of plants to keep his promise…and find the voices of
Whoville. He was ridiculed for his
beliefs beyond the norm…but never gave up the effort to keep his promise.
The Bible mentions this concept in other places too. Numbers 30:2…speaks of keeping our promises
to God…..and James 5:12…Proverbs 19:5…and Matthew 5:33-37…all address the need
of keeping our promises to men. Matthew
5:24 even stretches the concept to include not just promises…but all grievances…
“Leave your gift at the altar and go. First make peace with your brother, and
then come back and present your gift.” We simply can’t have a healthy
relationship with God if we harbor things against anyone else.
I am so thankful that Jesus came and paid the last blood
sacrifice on that cross…so that we no longer have to offer human sacrifices to
God as David had too. It must have been
so hard for him to send those 7 men over to be impaled…and I am glad that I
never have to see blood shed to make amends for my own mistakes. David’s
compassionate heart like God’s own….saw the pain in Rizpah’s selfless actions…and
he gave her 2 sons…along with the other 5…and his friend Jonathan…and Saul a proper burial
that provided closure for all who were involved.
Father…I thank you this morning for the gift you gave me in
your son. Help me to really soak up the reality of just what pain and suffering
his sacrifice saves me from…on a daily basis. I thank you for the reminder that
my relationship with you could be fuller and richer if I will take the time to
make peace with all those I have harmed in some way. I ask you to forgive me
for the many promises I have made in life…and broken…some so long ago I don’t
even remember. Help me to recall the
ones I can make right...and show me what to do to make amends…so I can return
to your altar and praise you and worship you in fullness once again. Amen.
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