2 Samuel 21 In your trial, be still, know He is God and listen.

Good morning everyone. This morning we are in 2 Samuel chapter 21 and really I think the first verse is an area where I'd like to begin and also make some comments at the end. First of all before we get to it this is not necessarily in chronological order and this chapter appears to probably be of an event that took place earlier but is being recorded now. You know that happens sometimes and

You know, I was thinking about that this morning as to why that would happen. Well, you know, they didn't have word processors back then. So if the writer of a book is writing and then remembers something or maybe the events of something he remembers later or somehow he recalls, he couldn't go back and reinsert it in the text. So occasionally I think that would happen. It's still all inspired by God and something that we can

Take in and trust and rely on it's just I think sometimes that may have been why something is out of order Well anyways nonetheless the significance is the same going to verse Chapter 21 verse 1 and there was a famine in the days of David for three years year after year and David sought the presence of Yahweh Very interesting that

First of all, they're trying to make it clear that this is a three-year consecutive drought or famine. And David sought the presence of Yahweh. I wonder if he saw him before the three years was up, by the way. It seems like a long time to face a famine. And after three years, David is seeking God. Maybe he saw him before that. But nonetheless, it is good and right to seek the Lord. I think that

You know, in times in our lives, there's things going on in our lives. There's things that are happening. And it's good to step back and seek the presence of Yahweh to say, God, you know, this is what's happening in my life. Is there anything that I'm supposed to see? Is there something that you would like me to learn? What am I not seeing that you'd like me to see?

And I think that really comes through a, you know, a time of stillness to be still and know that I am God Psalm 46 10 to take some time to be with the Lord. And, you know, it helps sometimes to have counsel, but one of the greatest counselors we have is the counsel of his Holy Spirit. And I just encourage you when, you know, really,

We don't have to have a famine, by the way, of three years to seek God. But when things are happening in our lives, we really do need the Lord's wisdom. He is the one we ultimately can trust to give us guidance. And I think it's good and right that David sought the Lord. Where do you need to seek the Lord for direction in your life and

May either it be now or in the future when something happens. May you pause and not make matters worse by acting on our own or your own will or your own decision making. But wait on the Lord, wait and receive His wisdom and then after hearing from the Lord move forward.

So David's going to hear from God here and Yahweh said it is for Saul in his bloody house because he put the Gibeonites to death. So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now it says now the Gibeonites were not of the sons of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites of the sons of Israel made a covenant with them but Saul had sought to strike them down in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah.

You know, Jonathan made a covenant with the Gibeonites to spare them. No, they lied. Did I say Jonathan Joshua? Joshua made a covenant with the Gibeonites. Now the Gibeonites lied in order to

make a covenant with Joshua and later he found out they did it deceitfully but yet the covenant was already made and in that particular case God chose to honor that covenant that Israel made with the Gibeonites even though it was made under false priest tense which was kind of interesting because I think

You know Today when you look at a contract that someone made if they made it under false pretense to me It seemed like that contract could be null and void, but that's not what God had in this case He had Israel honor that covenant, but interestingly enough Saul in in his vengeance now it wasn't really recorded earlier in the scriptures But apparently he took out

punishment or almost wiping out of the Gibeonites and did not honor the covenant that was made earlier and God is revealing to David that that reason for this famine is because of the fact that Israel didn't hold up to the covenant that they made with the Gibeonites. So thus David said to the Gibeonites, what should I do for you? And how can I make atonement? Then I may bless the inheritance of Yahweh.

Then the giving night said to him, we have no concern over silver or gold with Saul or his house, nor is it for us to put any man to death in Israel.

And David said, it says, and he said, I will do for you whatever you say. So the king, so they said to the king, the man who consumed us and who planned to eradicate us from standing within any border of Israel. And that be Saul, let seven men from his sons be given to us. And we will hang them before Yahweh in Gibeah of Saul.

the chosen of Yahweh, and the king said, I will give them. It's kind of interesting because they said, well, we don't really need to see anyone put to death, but now they're asking for Saul's sons to be put to death. And you know, it's interesting. David said to the Givianites, what should I do for you when he found out about this conviction?

I wonder if David should have said, what should I do for the Gibeonites? God, what would you have me do for the Gibeonites? And maybe this is what God wanted for Saul's sons to be killed because they were, you know, they could have easily been opposed to David and maybe in God giving the kingdom to David, he doesn't want these potential enemies to David.

So sometimes there's some mystery to us, but the king spared Mephibosheth. You might recall that David's commitment to Jonathan's son because of Jonathan's loyalty to David. The son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the old, the Yahweh, which was between them, between David and Saul's son, Jonathan.

So the king took two sons of Ritzba, the daughter of Arya, Arya, Armoni, and Mofiboshath. Now there's two Mofiboshas that can be kind of confusing, but he did not take Jonathan's son Mofiboshath, but a different son of Saul named Mofiboshath also, or relative of Saul.

But it's not the mofibisheph of Jonathan, whom she had born to Saul and the five sons of Mary of the daughter of Saul, whom she had born to Adriel, the son of Brazil, the Melolite. Then he gave them into the hand of the Gibeonites and they

hang them in the mountain before Yahweh, so that the seven of them fell together, and they were put to death in the very first days of the harvest at the beginning of the barley harvest, and Ritzpah the daughter of Ayah took sackcloth and spread it on herself on the rock from the beginning of the harvest until it rained on them from the sky.

And she allowed neither the birds of the sky to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night. So she's protecting the bodies. Then it was told to David, what rich by the daughter of Aya, the concubine of Saul had done. So David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan.

His son and the men of Jabesh Gilead who had stolen them from the open square at Beth Shan where the Philistines had hanged them on that day speaking of their death prior The Philistines struck down salt in Gilboa and he brought up the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from whom that From there and they gathered the bones of those who had been hanged so he's gathering up all these people now Dead people then he buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son

in the land of Benjamin in Zila and gave Kish his father and they did all that the king command that afterwards God was moved from the entreaty for the land. So, you know, as I mentioned, even though David didn't ask

God what he wanted done. It very well looks like God did want Saul's sons to be killed other than Mephibosheth because once this is all done, the famine is removed from the land.

So it's good that David prayed and sought discernment from God. And God is all about giving the kingdom to David and it seems like this was part of that effort. And the Philistines were at war again with Israel. So David went down in his servants with him and they fought against the Philistines. David became weary.

Then Ishbi Benab, who was among those born to the giants, the weight of whose spear was 300 shekels of bronze and weight, was girded with a new sword and he intended to strike down David. But Abishai, the son of Zoriah, helped him and struck the Philistine and put him to death. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, you shall not go out again with us to battle so that you do not extinguish the lamp of Israel. David, in a sense, was the light of Israel and are like, this is not good. Don't come to battle with us anymore.

Now, we have another a little bit confusing section here because we believe there's a scribal error. Now, it happened afterward that there was war again with the Philistines at Gabb. Then, Sibakai, the Hushite, struck down Saph who was among those born to the giants. There was war with the Philistines at Gabb, and Al-Hana, the son of Jar Orajim, the Bethelmite, struck down Goliath, the Gitite. Now,

It this seems like it's saying someone else struck down Goliath that two explanations are that it's supposed to say the brother of Goliath or this El Hana is Who is a Bethlehem height by the way like David is another name for David

Those are the two options here that Alhana is another name for David, and that's why Goliath's being struck down, or it's really the brother of Goliath, which would make sense that there'd be another giant, like, because he's a brother, he'd have the same genes, potentially.

Well, anyways, we're not really sure exactly which one of those options it is, but we believe it's one of them. And it says of Goliath, the good type, the shaft whose spear was like a weaver's beam. There was war with Gathigan, and there was a man of great stature who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, 24 in number. And he had also been born to the Giants.

You know, apparently there was more than just Julyth, who was a goliath who was a giant, which would make sense in maybe that region among that nation among people of the same family. And he approached Israel. So Jonathan, the son of Shemai, David's brother struck him down.

These were for born to the giants in Gath and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants. So again, this likely took place prior and is being inserted now. But let's just recall the beginning. There was a famine and you know, it doesn't have to be a famine. It doesn't have to be that you're starving. But maybe something's going on in your life and

I think sometimes when things begin to happen like that, it's really good to see God and see God. What do I need to learn? What do you want me to know? Is there something God that you have for me and what's happening in my life and praise God that we have the counsel of the Holy Spirit to turn to, to give us guidance? And I trust He will give you and me the guidance we need.

in the circumstances of life. So, oh God, speak to us. Oh God, help us to be still and know that you are God. And oh Lord, give us counsel and may we trust and wait in you. God bless you all.