To bless the Lord’s
inheritance
2 Sam 21:1-14
Key Verse 21: 3 3 David asked the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you?
How shall I make amends so that you will bless the LORD's inheritance?"
There was a great famine in the land of Egypt. It lasted for
seven years. It was so severe that Jacob and his families’ lives were
threatened. Actually it was God who sent
such a drought so as to fulfill his purpose.
Drought is very real threat for any nations. It kills all agricultural
products and the whole land suffers from famine—no food to eat. One of the
extreme examples of this in this age was the famine struck the North Korea. It
was so severe that hundreds of thousands starved to death. If there weren’t
foreign aides, the casualty would have be far detrimental. Why during the David’s reign did God withhold
rain? It lasted for three years. David was the king that God raised up. God was
so happy with him that He gave victory everywhere he went. God promised David
that God would establish everlasting dynasty of David. Under him, the nation enjoyed true peace and
joy, prosperity, free from all enemies and richness of God’s blessing. In such
time as this, the land was struck by famine. It came upon Israel year after
year for three years. It was serious enough to threaten the lives of many in
the land of God’s blessing. Why did God send such a drought? Why did God
mandate restitution of sin from the whole nation Israel?
1.
On account of Saul and his blood-stained house [1]
When David sought the face of God, God told him that God
withhold the rain on account of Saul and his blood stained house.
It is somewhat odd and unexpected in few ways: Saul was dead
already and he paid his due for his sins as well as his families. Why should
the nation pay for the sins Saul commit? Second, now David, the king God chosen
is ruling with justice. God was happy with him that God even gave him a promise
of lasting dynasty. Saul’s killing was
things of the past and now is under David. Why at the time of David’s rule,
such draught came? Third, it was sin of Saul and his family. Why the nation as
whole must suffer from famine? As we
explore the passages, I pray that God may give us understanding of his purpose
in this.
First who are Gibeonites? They were one of the many
Canaanites. When Joshua was conquering the land, they approached to Joshua as
people from far away. So Joshua gave a peace treaty to them. But it was later
found that they were living nearby within the land of God’s promise. But Israel
could not do anything because they made a peace treaty. So under condition that
they were to serve as laborers, they remained among Israel. We do not know when
and how Saul attempted to decimate Gibeonites. But according to what they said
in v 21:5, Saul, in his zeal, attempted to wipe out Gibeonites. In this attempt
many Gibeonites were killed.
What is the nature of the zeal of Saul? A glimpse of such zeal is found in v. 1 Sam 14:24
when Saul insisted fasting on the entire army. He wanted to show off his
passion for the Lord. If he did the same thing to the Gibeonites, what could
have been the foundation of justifying such action? If they did not make any
treaty with Israel, they were to be eradicated from the land of God’s promise. They
were gentiles and the lived as gentiles, not knowing and accepting God as their
God. They were like slaves and did all kinds of menial things at the bottom of
society. In order to keep the purity of faith, it could well be justified to
kill them all. In such ideals, Saul
killed them. Once, God told Israel to
kill or to drive out all Canaanites because their sins mature for judgment [Gen
15:16]. So God told Israel kill them all
or drive them out of the land of God’s promise [Deut 7:1-2]. Like this was for Ai, and Bethel. How was it
different from what God said earlier? Gibeonites had covenant relationship with
Israel. As God would not break his covenant with Israel so must Israel not
break her covenant with any nation or country or race? What went on Saul’s mind? We can say that it
was nationalism, Israel a chosen nation by God, but Gibeonites an unclean
people and condemned nation. They are inferior and they are useless. God does
not want such people among us. In such mindset, Saul killed them. But God would
not approve of such killing. It was violation of the covenant that Israel made
with them. This was violation of God’s law. Saul shed innocent blood in his own
zeal. Such way of thinking is in every nation. In China, Han race is the superior
and they must take priority. In Somalia, there were ethnic wars. In that war
southern tribes were annihilated. Similar thing happened in Kosovo. Actually
such thing happens everywhere. It happened in Israel, God’s chosen people. So
God withhold the rain. It was God’s judgment for the violation of the Law of
God, shedding blood without reason. In
this God expressed his firm condemnation of such lawlessness deeply engrossed
in nationalism, racism. Some of Israel
might have condoned such killing with the same mindset. Most of them simply did not do anything. Since they could not say anything, also the
people of Israel would not do anything, this was forgotten and remembered no
more. But at the hearts of Gibeonites,
it was a lasting, unforgettable memory. But
God sent draught. God demanded an accounting of the blood of Gibeonites.
2.
How shall I make amends so that you will bless the LORD's inheritance? [2-9]
The draught happened in the middle of David’s reign. It was
the happiest time of David’s life since God upheld his kingship and the nation
was in peace than ever before. In such
abundance of God’s blessing, sudden struck by famine was a surprise. As he was
told of Saul’s bloodshed on Gibeonites, David asked what should be done. He
said, in v 3 David asked the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? How shall I
make amends so that you will bless the LORD's inheritance?" Here the key
word is ‘bless the Lord’s inheritance’ The land is God-given inheritance. In
this land no such thing should happen. God’s law must be upheld even to the
people of no significance. Gibeonites were laborers and living at the bottom of
society. But in this land, the land of God’s blessing God’s law must be upheld
high above all. Racism, favoritism, and nationalism have no place in the land
of God’s blessing. The law of God must be upheld above any human logics,
principles or anything that justifies action that mitigate existential
predicaments. Any authorities should not be above the law of God.
What
did Gibeonites request?
V55
They answered the king, "As for the man who destroyed us and plotted
against us so that we have been decimated and have no place anywhere in Israel,
6 let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and
exposed before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul-- the Lord's chosen one."
They
wanted seven of Saul’s descendant be hanged in payment for the treachery they
committed against them. So David chose 7 of Saul’s descendants and handed them
to Gibeonites. Here he excluded Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth because he made a promise
to protect his descendants. So Gibeonites hung them on the wall to demonstrate
God’s justice. Their bodies were left there. Birds came and tried to have a
feast on the bodies. Animals made attempts to have bite on these bodies. But Rizpah,
Saul’s concubine, whose two sons were one of those seven kept vigil on these
bodies day and night. She would not let
the bodies be prey for these animals.
Here we
can ask why the seven of Saul’s sons should die for the sins of their father.
It is true that sons are greatly affected by the sins of the father. That was
seen in Absalom and Amnon. Could they do anything so as to avert such atrocity
of Saul and yet failed to do? We doubt that that was any possibility. Did they
have such mindset as Saul? Most likely! Here there is a subtle allusion that in
children is the sins of their father as
we, children of Adam, bear the sins of Adam. Though we cannot clearly pinpoint the reason
why, one thing is clear. Since God withheld rain over entire land of God’s
promise, God was demanding justice on Israel as a whole. The whole nation is
collectively responsible to rectify the atrocity happened within the land. Or
in other word, sin must be paid off and innocent lives must be redeemed by
blood. Otherwise, God’s blessing may not stand in the land of God. It is clearer
as we look into the time when God sent rain as the sign of God’s blessing.
3.
The Lord answers in behalf of the land [10-14]
Though the seven were hung by Gibeonites, there came no
rain. Rizpah was still keeping her vigil on the corpus. No rain though the
whole Israel was waiting and waiting.
When David heard this, he collected the bodies of the seven
as well as the bodies of Saul and Jonathan and buried them with respect. V14. 14 They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the tomb of Saul's
father Kish, at Zela in Benjamin, and did everything the king commanded. After that, God answered prayer in
behalf of the land.
How can we understand this? Why did God not send rain soon
after the seven were given by death? What to make of Rizpah’s vigil? Here the
concern was the bodies of the seven hung as corpus. They were left open for
prey for animals. This could be justified if they were condemned. But it was neither a judgment nor a
condemnation for the seven. They were pay off of the sin committed
against the dead of the Gibeonites. It was a redeeming sacrifice for the
justice of God. Here we can see few
principles:
In the land of God’s blessing, sin must be paid off by life.
Otherwise God’s blessing cannot continue.
What does it mean for us in today’s life?
First, it happened in the land of God’s promise. If we take this to be in and among believers
community, then it is quite proper to apply to our situation. Saul in his contempt or in his nationalistic
or racial superiority killed Gibeonites. It looked as if a zeal for the Lord. But it
was to uphold his ‘righteousness’ as a godly king. But it was not of God but a
violation of God’s law. There are many
who do very menial works or who we think that we can neglect or abuse because
of low status. We know that such
superiority is in any human being. God’s
law detests such thing within godly community. Gibeonites, though they do not play any major
role in Gods community, must be served with godliness and godly justice.
Third, the law of God must be high above all. Sin must be
purged or restituted thoroughly from God’s kingdom. His kingdom must reflect
God’s righteousness and holiness. It must be the utmost rule of life among
believers. Individual preferences, associations and favors should never
overrule the law of God. When one goes by one’s inclination, he or she
can easily drawn to exercise with personal preferences. Human loyalty to our fellow believers must
never justify doing any harm to the unbelievers or those whom we thought to be
insignificant. God called us to give and to serve the weak and the humble. We
never build our believing community by exploiting the weak or ungodly.
Third, within God’s community there must not be any
injustice even to the lowest among all. If there is this must be rectified by full
restitution so that God’s blessing may overflow. How can this be in our time?
How can sins that are rampant in our society be redeemed in actual lives? Are we to sacrifice some of their descendants
by death? We know that this is an
impossible proposition. But it is made possible by Jesus who gave his life as
ransom for sinners like us. Believing
community is unique and different because Jesus blood is at work in each of
those who committed such sin. Sin
must never be left unredeemed among believers. When this doesn’t happen, there will be
famine! If not, then sicknesses, if not then to exile!
God chose use to be his children so as for us to be the
first ones in His blessing. As a whole we are to serve, to give, and to redeem
the weak and the humble so that they might be also share the blessings of God
in and among us.
No comments:
Post a Comment