Background and Context:

The account of David and the Gibeonites is found in 2 Samuel 21:1-14. This narrative occurs during the reign of King David, a period marked by both military success and internal challenges for the nation of Israel. The Gibeonites were a group of people who lived in the land of Canaan and had previously deceived Joshua into making a peace treaty with them (Joshua 9). Despite their deception, the Israelites had sworn an oath by the LORD to spare them, and this covenant was meant to be honored by successive generations.

The Famine:

The account begins with a severe famine that lasted for three years during David's reign. Seeking divine insight, David inquired of the LORD, who revealed that the famine was a result of Saul's actions against the Gibeonites. Saul, in his zeal for Israel and Judah, had sought to annihilate the Gibeonites, thus breaking the covenant made by Joshua and incurring bloodguilt upon the land.

David's Response:

In response to this revelation, David sought to make amends with the Gibeonites to lift the curse from the land. He asked the Gibeonites what he could do to make atonement so that they would bless the inheritance of the LORD. The Gibeonites refused any monetary compensation or the right to execute any Israelites, but they requested that seven male descendants of Saul be handed over to them to be executed. This was to be done as a form of retributive justice for Saul's attempt to exterminate them.

The Execution:

David agreed to their request, sparing Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, due to the oath he had made with Jonathan. Instead, he handed over two sons of Rizpah, Saul's concubine, and five sons of Merab, Saul's daughter. The Gibeonites executed them and exposed their bodies on a hill before the LORD, during the time of the barley harvest.

Rizpah's Vigil:

Rizpah, the mother of two of the executed men, displayed a poignant act of mourning and loyalty. She spread sackcloth on a rock and kept vigil over the bodies from the beginning of the harvest until rain fell from the heavens, preventing birds and wild animals from desecrating them. Her actions moved David, prompting him to retrieve the bones of Saul and Jonathan from Jabesh-gilead and give them a proper burial along with the bones of those who had been executed.

Resolution:

After these events, God responded to the plea for the land, and the famine was lifted. This narrative underscores the importance of covenant faithfulness and the serious consequences of breaking oaths made before God. It also highlights the themes of justice, atonement, and the complex interplay of divine sovereignty and human responsibility in the biblical narrative.

Biblical References:

· 2 Samuel 21:1-14 : "During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. The LORD said, 'It is because of Saul and his bloodstained house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.'"

This account serves as a reminder of the enduring nature of covenants and the necessity of seeking God's guidance in resolving issues of justice and reconciliation.