SCRIPTURE: 2 SAMUEL 21
THE GIBEONITES AVENGED (vs. 1-14)
During the reign of David, there was a famine for 3 successive years. So David asked 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” (v. 1)
The Gibeonites were survivors of the Amorites. The Israelites had sworn to spare them but Saul tried to annihilate them. So David asked the Gibeonites what they want. They answered: “Let seven of the male descendants of the man who destroyed and plotted against us be given to us to be killed and exposed before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul – the Lord’s chosen one.” (v. 5-6)” So king David handed to Gibeonites the two sons of Rizpah: Armoni and Mephibosheth together with the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab. The Gibeonites killed and exposed them on a hill before the Lord.
David took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead and buried them in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish at Zela in Benjamin.
WARS AGINST THE PHILISTINES (vs. 15-22)
The war between Israel and Philistines continued. King David went with his men and became exhausted. Ishbi-Benob one of the descendants of Rapha was about to kill David but Abishai came to rescue him and struck down Ishbi-Benob. Then David’s men told him that he should never go out into battle with them again.
There were other battles that the Israelites fought with the Philistines at Gob and at Bath. And they fell at the hands of David and his men.
THOUGHTS:
Saul broke a promise to the Gibeonites. So God sent famine to discipline His people. Remember not to make promise carelessly and break them with impunity.
David kept the promise to Mephibosheth and Jonathan by sparing Mephibosheth’s life. He also saw to it that the dead in Saul’s family had decent burial.