Securing Peace

 2 Samuel 20:23-21:22 

Finally, this week, we come beyond the consequences of David’s sin.  However, today we will see some of the consequences of Saul’s sin.  The first portion of chapter 21 covers this sad situation, and I would like to give a word of caution to those who may have younger listeners.  The Bible does not conceal what happened.  It does not glorify wrong, nor does it hide the consequences of evil.  I have shared a couple of times in this series that we should be aware that sin is bad, and we should seek to stay far from it.  Again, I can say the same in light of this passage.

 

Before we move into chapter 21, I will reread the last few verses of chapter 20.  As you likely remember, the conspiracy of Absalom against his father David has ended.  David has been restored in Jerusalem as the king over all the tribes, over the whole nation of Israel.  As such, he has a number of officials in his government.

 

With that rather brief introduction, let’s pray and jump right in.

 

Lord Jesus, speak to us from Your Word we pray.  Please connect what we read today with our own lives.  Help us to walk in the light as You are in the light.  We pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

Joab was over Israel's entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; Adoniram was in charge of forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder;  Sheva was secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; and Ira the Jairite was David's priest. – 2 Samuel 20:23-26

 

Before looking at individuals, let’s consider the roles of David’s officials.  The first two are military positions.  Due to the nature of the region in which Israel is placed, we see a great deal of conflict among the nations there.  Then, we have the leader of forced labor.  During David’s time, there was unprecedented prosperity for the kingdom of Israel ultimately setting up Solomon as the wealthiest man who ever lived.  As a result of the military conquests, there were conscripted workers from among the defeated nations who in turn were put to work on public works.  Then, we have two administrative roles, recorder, and secretary.  Then, we come to the chief priests of the nation as well as David’s own priest.  Israel was a nation created by God and as such, the nation has a priesthood also established by God.

Joab has featured frequently in the account of David in 2 Samuel.  After murdering another rival, Joab once again is the leader over Israel’s army.  I happened to read Proverbs 6 yesterday, God says this about the one “who plots evil with deceit in his heart--he always stirs up conflict.  Therefore, disaster will overtake him in an instant; he will suddenly be destroyed--without remedy.” (v. 14-15) After this, there is a list of “six things the LORD hates.” (v.16) Second and third on that list are “a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood.”  Joab appears to have done both of these things on more than one occasion.  And later, when Solomon takes the throne, judgment will come for Joab.

 

Benaiah was the head of the royal guard.  He has held this role from the time of 2 Samuel 8.  The names Kerethites and Pelethites have ties back to the Philistines.  Back in 2 Samuel 15, we saw Ittai and 600 Gittites along with the Kerethites and Pelethites marching out with David into exile.  We talked about how the Gittites were from Gath in the land of the Philistines.  The Kerethites were mentioned at the end of I Samuel as a Philistine people group from the southern lands of the Philistine territory.  Scholars believe the name Pelethite too is Philistine in origin.  This is an amazing situation that David’s bodyguard comes from one of Israel’s fiercest enemies.

 

Adoniram’s position is a new one in the description of David’s officials again signifying that peace and public works is something that has come late in David’s reign.  He will continue in this role through Solomon’s entire reign, so perhaps he is one of the younger officials of David.

 

Jehoshaphat and Sheva are the recorder and secretary.  Both are mentioned in 2 Samuel 8 in the same roles.  Their roles were presumably domestic and foreign correspondence, keeping records of important events, and other administrative functions.  Sheva is interesting because he he is referred to by 4 different names in 2 Samuel and I Kings.  He is called Seraiah, Sheva, Shavsha, and Shisha.  I wondered too if he may have been a foreigner, but there is no evidence of this, and each of the four names have Hebrew roots.  For some reason, this guy had a lot of names.

 

Zadok and Abiathar are familiar names, and they too featured strongly as supporters of David during his exile.

 

Last is Ira.  He too is a new name on this list.  We do not have any more word of Ira other than lists that include his name.  Previously, we saw Ahithophel and Hushai mentioned as David’s counselor and confidant.  Ahithophel has died, and Hushai is no longer mentioned after the events of 2 Samuel 17.  I wonder if David in fact after this conspiracy against him desired to turn even more to the Lord as his Friend, and he has sought out his own priest Ira as he continues to seek God.

 

This concludes the list of David’s officials and the reestablishment of his reign as king over Israel.  Let’s go on now into 2 Samuel 21 …

 

During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so, David sought the face of the LORD. The LORD said, "It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death." The king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were survivors of the Amorites; the Israelites had sworn to spare them, but Saul in his zeal for Israel and Judah had tried to annihilate them.) – 2 Samuel 21:1-2

 

So again, a sin from the past has an impact in the present.  This promise to spare the Gibeonites was made by Joshua and the leaders of Israel during the time when Israel entered the promised land more than 400 years earlier.  If you remember, the Gibeonites saw what had happened to Jericho and Ai.  Rather than fight or flee from the Israelites, they resorted to a ruse.  They pretended that they too had come from a land far away and that they had come because of the fame of the Lord.  Joshua and the leaders of Israel then make a treaty with the people of Gibeon and then a few days later discover the truth.  Interestingly, Joshua and the other leaders did not seek the Lord in that situation but appears to have made the decision “in their own wisdom.”  Nevertheless, the oath is binding as it was taken in the Name of the Lord, the treaty has been forged, and the Gibeonites lived among the Israelites from that day.

 

The land of the Gibeonites was around the city of Gibeon.  The surrounding land was given to the tribe of Benjamin.  Benjamin is the tribe from which Saul came.  This assault of Saul against the Gibeonites is not related elsewhere in the Bible, but we can imagine that there were perceived worldly advantages for Benjamin and Saul at the “zealous annihilation” of them.  We really see here that Saul’s zeal is not for the Lord but rather for Israel and Judah.  Saul is more than a patriot.  He is a zealot.

 

This is not a new phenomenon.  A thousand years later, Simon the Zealot becomes one of Jesus’ twelve disciples.  At Jesus’ time, there was a movement of people who argued and worked for revolt in Israel against Rome which ultimately ended in a brutal oppression and destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.  Thankfully, Simon was saved out of this violent group.  There are many other nationalist movements down through history where one group has oppressed another.  Still today, there are groups of people in our own nation and across the globe who do not have God-centered motives.  There are ones who seek the oppression of others.  There are people who persecute Christians in many different places across the globe.  These oppressors should be opposed, and we should speak up for the protection and welfare of all peoples.

 

At the same time, we have to recognize that apart from Christ, there is no eternal good that can done by people.  Romans 3:12, Psalm 14:1-3, Psalm 53:1-3, and Ecclesiastes 7:20, all say that “there is no one who does good, not even one.”  How then can anyone do good?  The remedy is the message of the cross.  Jesus explained in John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”  And He did just that, Jesus laid down His life, and He rose again to life.  “Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:14) This is the message of transformation which will turn hearts from darkness to light.  This is what the peoples of the world need for reconciliation to be true and lasting.  May this always be in our thinking and our prayers and on our lips.

 

David asked the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? How shall I make atonement so that you will bless the LORD's inheritance?"

The Gibeonites answered him, "We have no right to demand silver or gold from Saul or his family, nor do we have the right to put anyone in Israel to death."

"What do you want me to do for you?" David asked.

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, let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and their bodies exposed before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul--the LORD's chosen one."

So, the king said, "I will give them to you." – 2 Samuel 21:3-6

 

This is a striking request from David.  When we have wronged someone, how often do we set atonement on our own terms compared to how often we ask them what we should do to set it right?  Even just this past Friday afternoon, I felt this kind of “on my own terms atonement” in my own attitude.  I was leaving work late.  As I came to my car, there was a person sitting in the car parked on the passenger side of my car.  This car was parked at somewhat of an angle and very close to the line of the space with the back tire only a few inches from the line.  I rolled down my windows to let out some hot air and proceeded to back out of my space.  Just as I was pulling away, the lady hopped out of her car and said, “Hey! Did you just hit my car?”  I stopped and backed up.  I knew I hadn’t “hit” her car, and although I didn’t think I had touched her car, it was conceivable in my haste to leave that I had brushed the corner of her bumper as I was trying to navigate out of the tight spot while also looking back at the cars behind me.  The fact that she led with a question rather than declaring I had brushed her car made me assume she had not heard or felt anything but had only seen something concerning from her side view mirror.

 

We looked at her bumper together, and sure enough, there was a narrow horizontal mark on her bumper easily visible from several feet away.  I apologized.  I then proceeded to wipe the mark off of her car first with my thumb and then with my handkerchief.  The line was completely removed, and in fact since the car was white, there was now a far more noticeable white spot the width of my thumb on what was an otherwise dirty area behind the rear driver’s side tire.

 

She seemed satisfied with the result though still annoyed about the whole situation.  As I was thinking about David’s question to the Gibeonites, I realized I was not thinking that way when I was talking to this lady.  I was not defensive, but I did not inquire about what she thought would set the situation right either.  I only wanted to “set the situation right” on my terms.  I do not feel like there is an unresolved conflict in my example.  It is just that I am challenged by this thought to ask someone we have transgressed what should be the remedy to a particular wrong we have done.  I think we can follow David’s example here and be open to this approach to reconciliation ourselves when we have wronged someone.

 

Keep in mind that the scale of the two situations can hardly be compared.  On King Saul’s side, we are talking about nothing less than genocide.  On the consequences side, we see a three-year famine as a judgment.  David asks the Lord about the situation, and God reveals to him that there is a specific reason behind the famine.  David then decides as leader of the nation that he will take responsibility for it and seek reconciliation.

 

This is now where the Gibeonites answer becomes perhaps hard to honor.  They do not want money in exchange for the lives of their fellow tribespeople that Saul has taken.  We do not have an absolute date for when this event occurred.  For sure, we are after the time that Mephibosheth came to live in the palace as we will see in a minute.  Likewise, we are probably several years before the end of David’s life.  It has been between 30 and 50 years since Saul would have had a chance to attack the Gibeonites.  As David is likely speaking to the elders of Gibeon here, at least some of these people are survivors of the attacks.  Some of these Gibeonites own mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and perhaps children were killed by Saul.

 

Their request for judgment then is a measured response of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life.”  It is likely that Saul killed many of the Gibeonites hundreds and even thousands.  Their people group has been decimated.  The Hebrew word translated decimated has a sense of completeness about it, as if it was almost fully carried out.  There was a large portion of the Gibeonites who were killed.  And, they have asked for seven lives in return.  In the Israelite culture, seven signified completeness.  In a symbolic way, this atones for Saul’s sin.  Though we can demonstrate restraint and even logic in it, it is a hard judgment, and I think it is at least a little surprising that David says yes.  He has subjected himself to the Gibeonites.  It is an attitude of true atonement.

 

As perhaps we wrestle with this situation, we can think ahead to the words of Hebrews 9:22, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”  The lives of these seven men were taken for the forgiveness of a great sin carried out against the Gibeonite people.  One man, Jesus, has given his life for the forgiveness of all sin of those who believe in Him.

 

The king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul. But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah's daughter Rizpah, whom she had borne to Saul, together with the five sons of Saul's daughter Merab, whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite. He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who killed them and exposed their bodies on a hill before the LORD. All seven of them fell together; they were put to death during the first days of the harvest, just as the barley harvest was beginning. – 2 Samuel 21:7-9

 

Rizpah was a concubine of Saul.  She bore Saul two sons.  These men would be adults as much as 40 years old.  Due to all the other things that had befallen Saul and his family, it seems likely that all Saul’s other sons had died.  Merab was the older of Saul’s two daughters.  The younger daughter Michal had no children.  These five are five of Saul’s grandsons.  Mephibosheth son of Jonathan another of Saul’s grandsons is spared.  It is likely that Saul’s grandsons are not much younger than these two sons who were most likely born later in Saul’s life than his oldest daughter.

 

The Barzillai who is the paternal grandfather to the five grandsons of Saul in this passage is a different Barzillai from the one who helped David during his exile.  This Barzillai is from Meholah in the territory of the tribe of Issachar.  The older Barzillai, David’s friend, was from Gilead on the east side of the Jordan.

 

David handed these seven adult men, 2 sons and 5 grandsons of Saul, over to the Gibeonites who put them to death at the first part of the barley harvest which would have been in April.

 

Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest till the rain poured down from the heavens on the bodies, she did not let the birds touch them by day or the wild animals by night. When David was told what Aiah's daughter Rizpah, Saul's concubine, had done, he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead. (They had stolen their bodies from the public square at Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hung them after they struck Saul down on Gilboa.) David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there, and the bones of those who had been killed and exposed were gathered up. 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. – 2 Samuel 21:10-14

 

This is a sad image.  Heartbreaking really.  Here is Rizpah.  She is living on a rock on the side of a hill out in the open.  She comes there immediately at the time of the execution of her two sons and five nephews.  She stays there protecting the bodies till heavy rains.  In a normal year, this happens in October or November.  Remember though that there has been a three-year famine likely precipitated by at least that long of a drought.  I do not think we should not conclude that Rizpah has had a 6-month period of day and night vigilance.  But it was also not immediate that the rains came for she was there for days and nights.  It is not written, but Rizpah was not alone for God was there, too.  He was grieved by all this loss, too.

 

Rizpah’s actions move David to action as well.  He brings Saul and Jonathan’s bones to be re-entombed on the family lands.  He also gives an honorable burial to these seven men who were put to death by the Gibeonites.  This concludes the story of Saul and his kingship.  His house has been very nearly extinguished.  In the genealogies of I Chronicles 8 and 9, no descendants of Saul are listed other than from the line of Jonathan.  As told in I Samuel 13 and 15, Saul had rejected God.  This gave God no choice but to reject Saul.

 

God has made all people in His image.  A part of that image-bearing is the awesome reality of individual sovereignty.  We get to make up our own minds.  We get to choose.  If a person decides that they do not want anything to do with God, then God will honor that choice.  The consequences of a decision to reject God are serious indeed.

 

Our passage today concludes with several episodes of battles against the Philistines …

 

Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted. And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David. But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, “Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished.” – 2 Samuel 21:15-17

 

We do not exactly know David’s age in this battle, but he is no longer the young warrior he once was.  We should recognize that he has no longer made the mistake of sending his army to battle without him.  However, the time for David to be on the front lines has passed.

 

There are several names in the bible associated with giants:  Anakites, Rephaites, descendants of Rapha, Zamzummites, Emites.  Often the names are used interchangeably, and sometimes there are explanations of how one people group called these giants by one name and another people group used a different name to describe the same people.

 

This Ishbi-Benob is a giant like Goliath though perhaps not quite so large or strong, nor well equipped.  Goliath’s spear head weighed 600 shekels or 15 pounds and was made of iron.  Ishbi-Benob’s weighs only half that and was made of bronze, a much weaker material.

 

Ishbi-Benob astutely seeks out David to kill him as David is the leader of the whole nation of Israel.  Without him as their king, it is likely the Philistines will have better chances.  Abishai, Joab’s brother, thankfully comes to David’s rescue.

 

The resolution among David’s men includes an apt description.  They say that David is “the lamp of Israel.”  David has become the unifying influencer of Israel.  In 2 Samuel 23:4, even God says of David and anyone who rules over men in righteousness, “he is like the light of morning, like the brightness after rain.”

 

And David needs to accept that he is getting older.  Seasons change.  Most of us will live through a variety of stages of life.  Thinking on this, I appreciate this quote from George Washington Carver.

 

“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.”

 

How does David know that it is time to retire from being a front-line warrior?  David’s men are looking out for him and tell him.  May we look out for one another and seek to encourage one another to do great things for God and to take care of one another in difficulties.

 

Ephesians 5:15-21 says,

 

“Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” – Ephesians 5:15-21

 

In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob. At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha. In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod. In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David’s brother, killed him. These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men. – 2 Samuel 21:18-22

 

David’s men conquer three more giants, four in all.  David had killed Goliath which would make five.  Do you recall how many smooth stones David chose from the stream all those many years ago when as a mere boy he confronted Goliath?  I have heard it presented before that it could be that the bible records David took 5 stones for a reason.  The reason being five stones for five giants because all five of these giants were known in Israel.  It certainly seems possible.  For such an act illustrates to us again David’s faith in God at facing insurmountable odds.  Apart from God, David would have been killed in a moment.  With God, David could face the greatest giant ever known and four of his relatives and do that with only five smooth stones.

 

Placing all these stories together also lets us see a few of the mighty men of Israel contrasted against the giants of the Philistines.  God enabled these men to be victorious despite obvious advantages of their adversaries.  Where then do these mighty warriors come from?  Why did David have such soldiers to protect him and the people of God?

 

Bob shared the answer with me years ago, and I have been captivated by it ever since.  The answer is found in the last words of David in 2 Samuel 23.  I’ve shared a few phrases from that passage already today.  Verses 1-4 say, “The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse, ‘The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; His word was on my tongue. 3 The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: “When one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, 4 he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.”  Verse 5 speaks of David’s desire to be a man of righteousness, seeking and trusting God.  Verses 6-7 are verses of warning for the leader who does not rule in righteousness.  Then, verse 8 brings us the list, “These are the names of David's mighty warriors.”

 

By leading, teaching, and parenting in righteousness and in the fear of God, there will be beautiful results:  lives changed and built up into mighty men and women.  I know we all fall short.  And, as we have seen, David fell short, too.  But David did not give up.  He humbled himself again and again.  He submitted to the consequences of his sin without turning his back on God.  There is much we can learn from David.  David also does much to point us toward the one who will sit on his throne forever.  The One who gives us and all who believe in Him new life enabling us to live righteously.

 

May we seek to honor our King Jesus in righteousness and reverence.  Let’s pray.

 

Apart from You, Lord God, we can do nothing.  We pray that You would fill us with Your Spirit.  Enable us to love and care for one another.  Keep us on that path that leads to life.  May we never find it confining but rather rejoice in having a clear way marked out for us.  Thank You that You are that Way. (John 14:6) You are that gate. (John 10:7) We look to You and rejoice in Jesus’ Name, Amen.