Hearing that Joshua was camped in their general neighborhood, after his devastating defeat of the strategic cities of Jericho and Ai, the Gibeonites sent a delegation to him at nearby Gilgal. About two years ago, Barry Watson, our lone member in Namibia, wrote me an email message in which this incident was at the heart of it. You're out of here!". How do other hominoids (e.g homo erectus, homo neanderthalensis, etc.) by LeRoy Gardenier This incident appears in time sequence toward the end of his life. We can't withstand them. Saul killed a lot of people. He was distracted. "There's something rotten in Denmark," as the saying goes. Where have you been, David? We know that you said not to make a covenant with the people the land. WebKing Saul later broke the treaty that Joshua had signed and attacked the Gibeonites. Even though the avenger of blood could kill the person if he caught him before he arrived at the city of refugewhat this verse is saying, here, is that if the nation follows through, and enlarges the lands by obeying God, He will designate more cities of refuge so that they are closer. The famine was a punishment for Sauls violation of the covenant, made with the Gibeonites back during the days of Joshua. Why wasn't I told about this?" After that, they had their problems at Ai, and figured out that Achan was responsible for that. He just let them walk all over him. Deceit and delusion are powerful spiritual weapons of destruction but they pale in potency compared to the creative and edifying Word of God come alive by faith in believers' hearts! WebSaul slew the Gibeonites, not simply as the son of Kish, but as the king of Israel, and therefore involved all Israel with him in the violation of the national oath; and hence, until the evil should be put away by the execution of the immediate offender or his representatives, all Israel must suffer. In 2 Samuel 21:1-14, we see that Saul committed an awful crime, and this caused famine in Israel. Deuteronomy 7:1-2 When the LORD your God brings you into the land which you go to possess, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, and when the LORD your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. They knew all the things God had stipulated about what they were to do when Israel was going to come into the land. In some ways, the story centers around covenants or treaties, one made between Israel and the Gibeonites in Joshua 9, another between Jonathan and David in 1 Sam. He was endangering the whole army by being out there, an old man trying to fight like a young man. Joshua 9:14 is the key to Israel's problem. This is very, very important for this vignette in King David's life. This indicates that God was not pleased, whatsoever, with how this situation was resolved by David. They did what is recalled in verses 3 through 6 above. One is God's judgment upon the actual person for the actual sin; the other is God's punishment that He has automatically put into the law that allows the effects to last for a few generations. Should the explanation in Genesis on how God created plants before the sun affect the understanding of creation? Eisenhower was still in office. King Saul (and his house?) Much later, King Saul ignored this covenant of peace and killed some Gibeonites. I Samuel 14:52 Now there was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. 4. It is easy to read this story blithely, and to think that David righted some longstanding wrongs that had happened, and then God happily sent rain to the parched land of Israel. Why did God allow the Gibeonites to put to death seven of Sauls sons? Were they participants in killing the Gibeonites? Web2 Samuel 21:1 Context. The Bible helps us in this way, because it is full of examples of flawed heroes of faith. Does the devil have power to make us sick? Some interesting similarities to New Testament times occur to me: The fact that David made a covenant with Jonathan regarding Jonathans house (1 Sam 20:14-16), would take precedence over all other reasons not to give up Mephibosheth, I would suppose. It is very clear, and very simplejust two little verses. That is not what it says here. Throughout the centuries, the original Gibeonites continued to exist as a people, although King Saul schemed to destroy them. The Gibeonites, howev Throughout the Scriptures warnings of spiritual dangers are signaled by the flash cards of attention getting words like: "Take heed" or "Consider". They have a discussion in the next few verses, and many Israelites want to go ahead and kill these Gibeonites for what they did. So they thought, "Hmm. And how do I know this? Then there is another thing. Hebrews 11 exhibits a whole chapter of men and women just like us who, despite their humanity and frequent foibles, fought the good fight of faith and were victorious in the end through the grace of God. Another possibility is that when Saul slew many of the priests at Nob he also executed many Gibeonites (1 Samuel 22:19). According to a May 2007 George Barna Poll, 63% of Americans, mostly professing Christians, believe that Jesus sinned during His physical life! When were threatened by a Philistine attack, Saul he disobeyed Jehovah by offering a sacrifice instead of waiting for Samuel to do it. Just tell me and I will do it for you.. Jerusalem is almost directly west a few miles, but it is quite high from the Jordan to the Jerusalem. . David did not make any counter demands. But so did David. What have they done? God isn't very pleased that these bodies have been exposed for six months against His law.". I think he was looking at Adonijah and Solomon, and seeing the positioning for the throne, and he just wanted to throw up his handsflee like some bird (Psalm 139). The Bible barely alludes to the king's mad scheme, but we know that Saul's plot miserably failed. ", The Gibeonites, we are told, were not necessarily a warlike people. Saul also had sound state reasons for his action, for the Gibeonites were occupying an enclave in the very For many today, this time period is ancient history. It does not require at all times that a person guilty of bloodshed die. However, if he did not lie in wait, but God delivered him into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.". He attempted the genocide of But the consequences of their sinswhat it means to us; what happened because of their sinstill affects us today. He was distracted by the cares of this world, by the pulls of this, that, and the other thing, and so he gives in and compromises with the people of the land. Community answers are sorted based on votes. Is there something I'm missing? "There was a famine in the days of King David for three years, year after year. We have to understand that the people of the land represent the things we need to overcomeour human nature and our problems; the world and its pulls to its ways; and Satan and all the ways that he tries to manipulate us. The rains did not come after the Days of Unleavened Bread when these seven men were executed. Joshua 9:14-16 Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the LORD. Let me ask God about this. Something is wrong. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then they were able to pick up the pieces of their lives and move forward by the strength that God gave them to overcome and to grow, and to put on the mindthe characterof Christ. Evidently, he thought that he could win back his kingdom if he zealously did God's will. God's correction may come a However, this chapter drops a few hints about it. Gibeon was situated very close to Gibeah the home town of Sauls family. Ezekiel 18:19-20 indicates that guilt for sin is not transferable, but the consequences can often touch several generations. They were appeasing their own god to send rain. One of the things He specifically mentions is famine, which happens to be the third sealphysical famine, but we remember from Amos that there is a spiritual famine as well. The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. They got a couple of their men, maybe elders, and got them to appear like they came along distance. Much later, King Saul ignored this covenant of peace and killed some Gibeonites. That is that he could have gone along with the Gibeonite's demands in order to get rid of seven possible contenders for his throne. These are the two hints. Evidently, this is what Saul and most of his family was like, except Jonathan. So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. II Samuel 21:1 Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the LORD. Had David been righteous and been crying out to God, God would have heard him. But what actually did Saul do to the Gibeonites? he put the Gibeonites to death. Most, if not all, of those responsible were dead. There is a difference. I think he was distracted because the turmoil had taken such a toll on Israel, and the famine too, that he was worried about the economy, rebuilding cities and fortifications, and his alliances with Hiram and others. The Gibeonites take the young men and essentially lynch them, leaving the bodies of Sauls sons and grandsons to rot, exposed and humiliated in the presence of God at a local shrine. ", So David went out and said, "There are some things that have needed to be done. Because he may have been still depressed by Absalom's death. It seems as though he was spiritually sleepwalking through this whole thing. Now, turn to the episode of King David, which we introduced. They may not have been involved at all, depending on how early in Saul's reign this event took place. When asked about the time of the end; when questioned about the signs that would precede His Second Coming, our blessed Lord instinctively cautioned: "Take heed that no man deceive you." The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. He just simply rolled over. Yet, the Bible specifically says in Hebrews 4:15 that He was without sin. You are getting later and later in David's life here. There were big problems, and one of them was the consequences and effects of Saul and his bloodthirsty house. CONFLICT OF THE AGES ARTICLES We are talking about the possibility of only two of the seven even remotely having any guilt in this matter whatsoever. Even their empty wine skins were completely dried up and cracked. BATTLE AGAINST ENVY AND JEALOUSY You are no longer fit to be king." He did not negotiate at all. Only when the Gibeonites were under siege from a common enemy and were calling in the marker on their mutual aid treaty did the Israelites turn to God for counsel and advice. These conflicting views on Saul would continue long past the biblical era and into modern times. Notice verse 2 says that Saul tried to strike them down in his zeal (also means jealously or envy) for the people of Israel and Judah. "We don't want any money, for sure not Saul's money. Then Gibeon was a mile or two more to the north-northwest. Davids choice of victims reflects at least the covenant between him and Jonathan, if not also the one between him Instead, they told a story that either ignored the truth completely or, at least, shaded the truth in such a way that it was full of guile and deceit. Deceit and delusion are powerful spiritual weapons of destruction but they pale in potency compared to the creative and edifying Word of God come alive by faith in believers' hearts! The world's arsenal is growing daily in material strength and sophisticated intimidation. God took the initiative in this matter, by afflicting the nation of Israel with a famine because the house of Saul had put the Gibeonites to death. The verb is used in this sense with respect to Joshua's action toward the Gibeonites in Joshua 9:27, where cultic servitude is involved ("for the altar of the Lord"). On the other hand, when people do well, like Abraham, and they live God's way of life, this allows God the leeway to show mercy unto thousands of generations of people. Does the Bible encourage the practice of Lent? One other thing: Samuel said that God is not going to go back on His word. ", Or even after two years. No one killed king David. He died of old age, at the age of three score and ten (70 years). His son Solomon succeeded him. You might be thinking of After 7-10 years of war, David has solidified his empire Mar 2, 2022. If we would go back to Leviticus 26, we will see that David should have known that famine was no small thing in God's arsenal. It is in II Samuel 21. A snare is a trap. You cannot tell. He had a body of law that he could have referred back to and come up with a solution. Then Ishbi-Benob, who was one of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose bronze spear was three hundred shekels, who was bearing a new sword, thought he could kill David. So they answered Joshua and said, "Because your servants were clearly told that the LORD your God commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you.". David asked the Gibeonites what punishment would satisfy them and atone for (cover) Sauls sin of murder. In other words, we want them to be just like us. And we bear the guilt with them for that. 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