“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” –Jesus, Matthew 24:6-14

The last four chapters of this book are an appendix. They record many events that occurred earlier in David’s reign. We should note that David remembered the pledge he had made to Jonathan that he would preserve his family forever. David’s grace is seen in the way he continued that pledge by showing grace to Mephibosheth.

2 Samuel 21

The Gibeonites Avenged

During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the Lord. The Lord said, “It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.”

² The king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were survivors of the Amorites; the Israelites had sworn to spare them, but Saul in his zeal for Israel and Judah had tried to annihilate them.) ³ David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How shall I make atonement so that you will bless the Lord’s inheritance?”

⁴ The Gibeonites answered him, “We have no right to demand silver or gold from Saul or his family, nor do we have the right to put anyone in Israel to death.”

“What do you want me to do for you?” David asked.

⁵ They answered the king, “As for the man who destroyed us and plotted against us so that we have been decimated and have no place anywhere in Israel, ⁶ let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and their bodies exposed before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul—the Lord’s chosen one.”

So the king said, “I will give them to you.”

⁷ The king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the Lord between David and Jonathan son of Saul. ⁸ But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah’s daughter Rizpah, whom she had borne to Saul, together with the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab, whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite. ⁹ He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who killed them and exposed their bodies on a hill before the Lord. All seven of them fell together; they were put to death during the first days of the harvest, just as the barley harvest was beginning.

¹⁰ Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest till the rain poured down from the heavens on the bodies, she did not let the birds touch them by day or the wild animals by night. ¹¹ When David was told what Aiah’s daughter Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, had done, ¹² he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead. (They had stolen their bodies from the public square at Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hung them after they struck Saul down on Gilboa.) ¹³ David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there, and the bones of those who had been killed and exposed were gathered up.

¹⁴ They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish, at Zela in Benjamin, and did everything the king commanded. After that, God answered prayer in behalf of the land.

Wars Against the Philistines

¹⁵ Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted. ¹⁶ And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David. ¹⁷ But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, “Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished.”

¹⁸ In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob. At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.

¹⁹ In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.

²⁰ In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. ²¹ When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David’s brother, killed him.

²² These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Wars, famines, earthquakes are natural occurrences on our imperfect, wicked planet. Many happenings on this earth will change the backdrop of living here. But those who seek the Lord, as David did, and follow what God says is the way to live our lives with expectant hope. Our living Hope is our resurrected Jesus who is the pathway to our forever home with God.  Jesus is indeed the Way, the Truth, and the Life!  Be Hope to others, pointing the way to Jesus!

Know this; through it all, God remains unchanged in His love and promises, His Word stands firm and forever, and His faithful mercy and grace never fails. Yes, in the end, when Jesus comes back for all who believe, follow, and trust Him with all their hearts, minds, and souls—God/Jesus wins.  God’s grace wins even now and forever!

So, seek God first and listen to what He says. Turn our focus with full attention to pleasing Him in all we think, say and do instead of trying to please fickle, imperfect people who reside in our changeable world around us.

Believe in His son, Jesus who came to earth to seek and to save the lost, heal, and forgive.  Strive to “be more like Jesus” for this is our calling as ambassadors of Christ!   “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.” Ephesians 4:15

The phrase “as I have done for you, do likewise” from Jesus as He washed the feet of His disciples, even Judas, is a command of active love, urging followers to emulate the example of our Lord; particularly in acts of service, humility, and love. John 13 tells of Jesus who demonstrated the “full extent of His love” and emphasizes the importance of mirroring His love, extending mercy, will giving grace, and forgiveness to others “as I have forgiven you.”  Jesus tells his followers to “Love each other as I have loved you” which is the greatest proof of God’s love in us.  (1 John 4:7-8)

Jesus perfectly and fully demonstrated God’s love, His mercy of forgiveness, and His generous, unending, limitless grace as he took our place for our sins, providing full pardon from our sins! Yes, embrace the grace!  Through it all, “in times like these”, we have a Savior and Lord—and Jesus is His Name!  Jesus is the Grace we need and is more than enough for us to see God in His glory! 

Yes, Grace wins. Always remember that Jesus says, “My grace is deeper than your sins.”

Embrace the Grace freely offered.  Then extend God’s grace to others as David did to Mephibosheth.  David remembered his promise for the rest of his life. Is there someone in your circle of friends and family who needs some extra kindness right now? God’s Holy Spirit will prompt us as God gives opportunity, ability and provisions when we ask in Jesus Name. “I’ve seen it with my own eyes” and life. 

Lord,

Thank you for Your Word of grace amid wars and famines.  Thank for your loving faithfulness to us—even we are less than faithful to you. Thank you for loving us the way you do—full of your boundless mercy and unchanging grace. Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I’m yours and I’m listening.

In Jesus Name, Amen