Rise and Fall: Last Words
2 Samuel 21 – 23
May 12, 2024
Jay Haugh
Making the Hard Right
Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the Lord. —2 Samuel 21:1 ESV
Famine is a judgment from God.
And the Lord said, “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.” —2 Samuel 21:1 ESV
Joshua gave an oath of protection.
So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them… Although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had sought to strike them down in his zeal… —2 Samuel 21:2 ESV
Israel’s king is to seek God and to honor Him!
And David said to the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? And how shall I make atonement, that you may bless the heritage of the Lord?” —2 Samuel 21:3 ESV
David wants to make things right and reestablish the glory of God.
The Gibeonites said to him, “It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel.” They said to the king, “The man who consumed us and planned to destroy us, so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel, let seven of his sons be given to us, so that we may hang them before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the Lord.” And the king said, “I will give them.” —2 Samuel 21:4-6 ESV
But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. —2 Samuel 21:7 ESV
The covenant of David with Mephibosheth covers the sin of his grandfather!
The king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul… and he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the Lord, and the seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest. —2 Samuel 21:8-9 ESV
They are in a time and season when rain is needed.
Then Rizpah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell upon them from the heavens. And she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon them by day, or the beasts of the field by night. —2 Samuel 21:10 ESV
She understands that God’s honor has been restored and His wrath has been appeased.
Our God made the hard right.
We understand that atonement has been made through Jesus and God’s wrath has been appeased.
David is old in age, but the battle continues!
David’s Nostalgic Reminders
Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, the son of Jesse, the oracle of the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob. —2 Samuel 23:1 ESV
He’s an ordinary man, but God is the one who elevated and exalted him.
[David is] the sweet psalmist of Israel. —2 Samuel 23:1 ESV
He wants to be known as the one who writes of the majesty and glory of God.
“The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me; his word is on my tongue. The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God… —2 Samuel 23:2-3 ESV
A leader must follow God.
he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth. —2 Samuel 23:4 ESV
When a leader rules in the fear of God, there is light, life, growth, and blessing.
But worthless men are all like thorns that are thrown away, for they cannot be taken with the hand; but the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire.” —2 Samuel 23:6-7 ESV
These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time. And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar… He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the Lord brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain. And next to him was Shammah…. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines. But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory. —2 Samuel 23:8-12 ESV
And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. And David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” —2 Samuel 23:13-15 ESV
These men want to do what pleases the king.
Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the Lord and said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did. —2 Samuel 23:16-17 ESV
Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them and won a name beside the three. He was the most renowned of the thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three. —2 Samuel 23:18-19 ESV
And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. And he struck down an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men. He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard. —2 Samuel 23:21-23 ESV
Big Idea:
There is blessing and life because of God’s grace and the faithful followers around you – especially our moms.
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Memory Verse: 2 Samuel 7:22 NIV
How great you are, Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.
These questions aim to foster meaningful discussion and encourage participants to reflect on God’s Word to lead to heart transformation. Feel free to modify or expand upon these questions based on the dynamics and needs of your Small Group.
Read 2 Samuel 21:1-9
Famine comes on the land and God reveals to David that it is because of an oath that Saul broke against the Gibeonites. The covenant that Saul broke was made more than 400 years prior during Joshua’s reign (Joshua 9). Have you ever broken a promise you made because circumstances had changed? How does God view our obligation to an oath? Should time or circumstances void the oath?
Our cultural expectations are that things happen immediately, yet God’s justice for Saul’s actions did not occur this way. What can we learn about God’s justice from this passage? Do you ever become impatient or frustrated with a perceived lack of justice? How do passages like this help you find grounding that God will make all things right?
In contrast to Saul breaking a covenant, we see David honoring his covenant by not providing Jonathan’s son as atonement. How seriously do you take your promises? What happens to a person’s reputation when a promise is not kept? When oaths are sworn in God’s name and are not kept, what impact does that have on what others think of God?
Read Leviticus 17:11 & Hebrews 9:22. How does this story foreshadow the concept of Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins? How would you explain the need for Jesus’ death to an unbelieving friend who wanted to know more?
Read 2 Samuel 21:15-18
The skills David possessed as a warrior have been passed down and shared with the younger generation. Just as the battle against God’s physical enemies continued, so will the battles against spiritual enemies (until Jesus returns). How can we train others on important aspects of our faith and share these truths with those who need to hear them? How can you make time to intentionally develop someone else?
Read 2 Samuel 23:1-7
David wants to be remembered as the psalmist of Israel, as the one who writes of God’s majesty and glory. If, like David, you were writing your final words, what would you most want people to know about you? If those you know wrote your eulogy, what would they say? If you predict the things shared would be different, why do you think that is? Is there anything you can do to change their outlook?
Read 2 Samuel 23:8-39
David surrounded himself with some mighty men. What kind of people do you surround yourself with? What are you speaking into their lives? What are they speaking into yours? Why is it important to be selective when it comes to the voices we permit space to speak into our lives?
David and his mighty men sacrificed a lot for the delight of the king. What does it look like in your life to sacrifice for God? Do you find joy in doing these things, or do you do them out of guilt or a sense of religious duty? How can we improve our heart disposition?