2 Samuel 21
Two Wrongs or More
In Chapter 21 we read that there was a famine in the land and after three years David finally seeks the Lord as to why this famine has come. God tells him it is because of unresolved sin committed by the nation when Saul broke the covenant with the Gibeonites and sought to wipe them out.
As we process this we must remember that unresolved sin does not go away. It is especially true when there is a death because no matter what is done a life cannot be restored.
The way of the world is revenge. In the latter part of the chapter we will see that David’s men kill four giants of the Philistines in battle and in verse 22 we read they were all related to Goliath whom David killed in battle many years ago. Perhaps that is why David picked five stones when he was preparing to face Goliath. Revenge is the way the world does things, and it comes in all forms.
We need to remember the mission God gave Israel back in Deuteronomy 4. God gave them the law to bring it to the world. Israel’s obedience to the law was to be a witness to the world as they live it out. Saul’s attempt to wipe out the Gibeonites corrupted that witness because he was doing things as the world does. So David is confronted with dealing with sins that were committed in the past and in deciding what to do he makes a poor choice. Instead of inquiring of the Lord as to what he should do, he asks the Gibeonites. They want David to hand over seven of Saul’s sons and grandsons for them to kill and receive revenge. In doing this, David breaks the law in Deuteronomy 24:16 which says, the children are not to be put to death for the sins of their father.
This action may have appeased the Gibeonites but the house of Saul and his supporters must surely be offended. This may be why David decided to gather the bones of Saul and Jonathan and bury them in the tomb of Saul’s father. This is a political move. Again; the way the world does things.
We are at a place in 2 Samuel where the events recorded here have taken place earlier in David’s life. This event must have happened before David sought out Mephiboseth back in Chapter 9, and restoring the land to him and inviting him to eat at David’s table. Apparently Mephiboseth was the only surviving member of the family of Jonathan and likely Saul. This too is a political move. It would also explain why Shimei called David a man of bloodshed against the house of Saul back in Chapter 16:5-8, and why Israel was so easily led into rebellion against David and the tribe of Judah.
Two wrongs do not make a right. Adding more wrongs only adds insult to injury. Our nation today is still dealing with the injustice of slavery and we see many worldly attempts to make the injustice go away. The Gibeonites were enslaved by Israel and apparently racism resulted. Racism is never right especially in the Church. We are to be a light to the world, a city on the hill. Our life is to be a witness and in reality our life is a witness of what we as individuals believe. The Apostle Paul reminds us that we have been born again. The old is gone, and the old needs to be gone. We are new creations now. We are called to love the Lord and love our neighbors.
Here are a few more verses to study today.
Galatians 3:28; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 5:14-6:11; Micah 6:8
Let your light shine for Jesus, not the world.
Pastor Dave