Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

There was a famine in Israel, but it wasn’t until the THIRD YEAR that David realized that it was NOT normal. This shows that there can be famine and it NOT be judgment or divine will. But as soon as David figured it wasn’t normal, he sought the Lord. God told him that this famine was because of a broken covenant. Saul had tried to wipe out the Gibeonites when the Gibeonites had a covenant with Israel through Joshua (Joshua 9). Why didn’t this come upon the nation during the rule of Saul? The Rabbis teach that it is because Saul didn’t have the character to weather the famine OR to seek the Lord for the solution. David did. Leadership can make a real difference in when things happen and how soon they’re over.

David went to the Gibeonites and humbled himself. He asked what he could do to get their blessing over the broken covenant. They didn’t ask for their freedom or for money. They wanted revenge on the House of Saul. They asked for seven men to pay the price (which was against Deuteronomy 24:16). Saul killed many more than seven Gibeonites, but they only asked for seven (number of completion). David chose Armoni and Mephibosheth sons of Rizpah Saul’s concubine (David spared Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan), and the five sons of Michal (which were either her own sons or the sons of her sister’s husband that she raised when her sister died – opinions are divided on this, but it DOES say sons of Adriel who was her sister’s husband). They were delivered and hung. This was in the first days of the barley harvest. David didn’t violate his covenant with Saul, because Mephibosheth continued the House of Saul AND Saul’s own bloodline.

They were under a different covenant, one where blood paid the price over and over since it was imperfect blood (we have Jesus’ blood which pays for ALL). They hung them on a tree, making them bear the curse of a broken covenant (Deuteronomy 21:23). Jesus did that for us (Galatians 3:13).

Rizpah couldn’t prevent it, but she did what she could. She went into mourning where the bodies were and kept the birds and the beasts from attacking the bodies. David heard about it and was moved. He went and collected the bones of Saul and Jonathan (30 years old now). He also collected the bodies of the seven men and they buried them all together in the tomb of Saul’s father. When everything was properly and honourably done, then the Lord saw the famine end.

The Philistines came at Israel again and David went down to fight them. One of Goliath’s brothers (Ishbi-Benob) almost killed David, but Abishai saved him and killed the giant. The soldiers made David swear to never again join them in battle. He agreed. There was another battle at Gob. Sibbechai, one of David’s captains killed another brother of Goliath (Saph). Then ANOTHER battle at Gob and Elhanan killed Lahmi, another brother of Goliath. A battle broke out at Gath, their hometown, and the last brother of Goliath was slain there by Jonathan the son of Shimea, David’s brother. Remember back in 1 Samuel 17:40 that David picked up FIVE smooth stones at the river? He seems not to have been worried about missing Goliath with the first stone, but rather prepared for Goliath’s four brothers to come for revenge when he killed Goliath. Tradition says all of Goliath’s family were descendants of Orpah, the wife of one of Naomi’s sons (Ruth 1). David was the descendant of Ruth, the wife of Naomi’s other son. Orpah went back to her heathen life, but Ruth stayed with Naomi and followed God. It’s interesting the the branch of one destroyed the branch of the other.

“Then David spoke to Yahweh the words of this song, on the day Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.” (2 Samuel 22:1)

When the giants were dead, and the famine was over, it represented the completion of all the enemies of David having been defeated. David praised the Lord for it. This passage is identical to Psalm 18 because this was the song recorded in the psalms. David called out to God and God responded faithfully. David looked to God as his strength and rock and deliverance. David faced fear, death, distress, and he responded to all with cries to the Lord and a firm grasp of the promises of the Word. His enemies were too strong for him, but nothing is too strong for God. It is a wonderful psalm with POWERFUL lessons for us, because none of this passes away. God was always a lamp in the darkness that tried to claim David. David rested in and on God. God was David’s strength. And with God on your side, you can do ANYTHING. Because David praised, repented, and sought God all of his days, God gave Him the victory over his enemies. David praises the Lord and commits to continuing to praise the Lord. May we do the same. Amen.

Summary

Key Players: God, David, Giants, David’s Men

Key Themes: Covenant, Honour, Curses, Blessing, Defeating Giants, Praise

Key Verse(s): 2 Samuel 21:1, 11-14, 16-20; 22:1-3, 22-25, 47-50