2 Samuel 21-22

2 Samuel 21 jumps to an unspecified time period during the reign of David. Whether or not it followed the rebellions of Absalom and Sheba or preceded it doesn't matter. The matter begins by identifying God's response to problem within Israel. God sent a famine on the community. For three years there was a lack. I wonder when David began to question why Israel was encountering these problems? It may have been El Nino or some other similar meteorological situation. But the people of faith attributed the situation to God's hand. Sometime in the third year David inquired of the LORD for a reason. God was quick to respond: Saul violated a covenant and Israel did nothing to challenge it. The ruler of the land issued an edict that violated a promise Joshua had made to the deceitful Gibeonites. It was an executive order that repealed a vow taken in God's name. God had not forgotten that covenant between Israel and Gibeon. Saul allowed his desire for a greater Israel to break the covenant promise. Saul rebelled by killing Gibeonites in direct violation of the Joshua's word. So God withheld his blessings. How many Gibeonites died at Saul's command? We don't know. But David sought to make restitution. The execution of seven descendants from Saul seems extreme to me. But what if 7,000 Gibeonites had been killed? What if the seven men killed had led the raiding parties? Or what if the seven executed had only obeyed orders?
Once the restitution was made God finally responded to the people's prayers.
I see some important lessons for the modern church.
1 - God will punish his community if they rebel against him and if they see rebellion and don't act to stop it.
2 - God always hears our prayers but sometimes he limits his response because of our persistent sins.
3 - Repentance for the acts of others is sometimes necessary.
Stuart