2 Samuel 21
Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the Lord. And the Lord said, “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.”
2 So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the people of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites. Although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had sought to strike them down in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah. 3
And David said to the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? And how shall I make atonement, that you may bless the heritage of the Lord?” 4 The Gibeonites said to him, “It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel.” And he said, “What do you say that I shall do for you?” 5 They said to the king, “The man who consumed us and planned to destroy us, so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel, 6 let seven of his sons be given to us, so that we may hang them before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the Lord.” And the king said, “I will give them.”
7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. 8 The king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; 9 and he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the Lord, and the seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest.
10 Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell upon them from the heavens. And she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon them by day, or the beasts of the field by night. 11
When David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, 12 David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. 13 And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged. 14 And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. And they did all that the king commanded.
And after that God responded to the plea for the land.
15 There was war again
between the Philistines and Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines. And David grew weary. 16 And Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze, and who was armed with a new sword, thought to kill David. 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, “You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.”
18 After this there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants. 19 And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, struck down Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. 20
And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants. 21 And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David's brother, struck him down. 22
These four were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
Giants, grim necessity and weariness.
Giants sound very improbable.
The giant (right), was apparently unearthed in County Antrim, Ireland, and found to be 12ft 2in high. Its girth of chest was 6ft 6in, and length of arms 4ft 6in. There are six toes on the right foot. This skeleton was on display in exhibitions in Dublin, Liverpool and Manchester.
Tennessee River, USA - giant human footprints with 6 toes
Crittendon, Arizona, USA - sarcophagus of a giant who sported 6 toes on each foot
County Antrim, Ireland - fossilised body of a giant with 6 toes on the right foot
Kiribati (Pacific Ocean) - a number of footprints of giant men, most of them with 6 toes on each foot
The United States has a large number of skeletons found over 8 feet, google if you must.
TURKEY: a human finger bone which is twice the length of the average adult bone today.
In the Hittite Museum in Ankara, Turkey; In the late 1950's, during road construction in south-east Turkey (in the Euphrates Valley), many tombs were uncovered, which contained the remains of giant humans. At two sites the leg bones were measured to be about 120 centimeters (47.24 inches).
Joe Taylor, Director of the Mt. Blanco Fossil Museum, in Crosbyton, Texas, was commissioned to sculpt an anatomically correct, and to scale, human femur of one of these ancient men. One part was a human fingerbone which is twice the length of the average adult bone today.
Giants are probable considering all cultures report giants and we see gigantism in genetics.
Giants, grim necessity and weariness.
It's a grim little Chapter.
We far prefer to Picture a Victorious David building his recently found Palace with the good view.
However.
The Scriptures do real things.
They are not neat and tidy.
Did Jesus know this about His Family? Was it fair? Was it avoidable?
Where is the glory of Act Chapter 11 City of Joppa - what is clean is clean ?
Immediately the Holy Spirit gave a sign. Men arrived to do a Glorious and Upward Call of God.
Gosh.
David is governing a hugely expanded Israel. The Tribe of Judah only just now got the allotted area of Jerusalem - the City of David.
Why isn't this Chapter about the Glory of the Exodus?
This is.
Why isn't this about the Glory of the Gentiles Inclusion and Mercy?
Um. Ya'll. This is. The Jews are dealing with - whisper - the guys who tried to horn in on David's anointing. They are the concubine's son. Wellll. Only a concubine. Look at the mercy.
The Scriptures are REAL !!!
ALL OF OUR BATTLES HAVE BLURRED LINES.
We Need a SAVIOR.
David needs a miracle. He gets one daily. He is TIRED of his Job! Sadly, we get tired of anything and everything. Even God's provision. This actually is a miracle for David. The Holy Spirit has provided a miracle. David's throne is more secure.
Peter had something similar happen - Jesus made breakfast on the beach. Jesus understands harsh things in life happen and HE is there to assist after the choice was freely made.
The need for forgiveness - Jesus told us the Law is Harsh.
Rizpah the daughter of Aiah ran with the King of Israel. And Saul did not offer her marriage. She was unprotected and looked to the tangibles to sustain life. That's usually called - practical.
Jesus understood Rizpah. He put his hands in the dirt and found her mercy - AFTER - she was found and looked upon, known and disgraced.
God's Great ACT of Exodus - failed. By HIS Plan. And SUCCEEDED,
David's Kingdom - failed. By HIS Plan. AND SUCCEEDED.
We call upon God to help us as Christians. And then we feel abandoned. Neglected. Self-pity.
Instead. Remember Abraham failed to wait for God. He created mess.
Remember Moses forgot to be perfect after he was forgiven for murdering an Egyptian. He created mess.
Jacob. Mess. Saul. Mess.
More public messes. Yet God says that the messes are there. We know it. Sometimes apparent goodness is just hidden mess. God says not one of us is really able to enter Salvation without HIS help.
God says - we need to confess to Him when we get into the tired of all our blessings stage.
God says - when HE says wait - do that.
God says - when HE wants mercy - give that.
God says - in this Chapter - when all the waters are so muddy - which way do you swim - trust Him.
God says - when people want to judge you because they want to kill and take revenge - stay as clear as you can. Do your best with muddy waters because mud will fly in life.
God says - when a bonus flies into your life - and makes you feel guilty - do your best and Trust Him.
The heart could have told David - you are a wife luster for Abigail and for Bathsheba. You deserve that 300 lb spear. God says do your best in adverse circumstance and really tell GOD the truth about how guilty and innocent you are.
The Scriptures. We love the easier ones and say 'yep, right, uh-huh, sure, I agree' and don't even reflect on them.
The Easier, nicer Scriptures are for applying them when this Chapter starts to happen to your life.
To appreciate. David was trying in very difficult circumstances. God had to help David just to merely keep up. God was helping David to live with choices made around him. To do his best when the choice is bad to worse.
This is Psalm 100. We are the Sheep of His pasture and He made us. We have to count on HIM. Rely on God being God. And Expect God to straighten out what we can't put right. Because God alone can do that.
Abraham is reflected in David in this Chapter. Abraham knew war and struggle. Abraham was fortunate not to have to deal with the death of an enemy. Only a Son. The answer is still - Trust God.
The easier Scriptures exist to show us in the terrible Scriptures - THERE IS A WAY A TRUTH A LIFE FORWARD.
And this Scripture tells us - Believe, Confess, Act to your best ability, Wait, Endure. Because if David could get in a mess like this and get out - Jesus will help you too.
That's what the Scriptures are - filled with good advice and then real hard knocks. Because these are the instructions - THAT MATTER.
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