Gibeonite Justice (2 Samuel 21)

Did David do what the Lord really wanted to atone for the atrocity committed against the Gibeonites or did God bless the land despite David’s inadequacy? Let’s look at 2 Samuel 21.

Why was there a famine? Had Saul violated a peace treaty with the Gibeonites that Joshua had made? Were others in Saul’s house also guilty of this atrocity? Did David pray about this action, or just rush in without prayer?

Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the Lord. And the Lord said, “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.” So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the people of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites. Although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had sought to strike them down in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah. 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?” 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.” And he said, “What do you say that I shall do for you?” 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 21:1-6 ESV)

Were the seven executed among the guilty? Does sin affect whole communities? How is Jesus’ death a more perfect justice for sin?

David spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between David and Jonathan, Saul’s son. But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, who were the two sons whom Rizpah daughter of Aiah had borne to Saul, and the five sons whom Merab daughter of Saul had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite and handed them over to the Gibeonites. They hanged them on the hill in the presence of the Lord; the seven of them died together. They were executed in the first days of the harvest at the beginning of the barley harvest. (2 Samuel 21:7-9 HCSB)

Did God want David’s specific actions or were they actually against God’s law? Did God answer the people’s prayers despite David’s questionable solution? What did David do after noticing Rizpah’s care for her deceased sons?

Then Aiah’s daughter Rizpah grabbed some sackcloth and spread it out for herself on the rock where her children had been hanged from the beginning of harvest until the first rain fell from the sky. She would not allow any scavenger birds to land on them during the day nor the beasts of the field to approach them at night. When David was informed what Rizpah, the daughter of Saul’s mistress had done, David had Saul’s bones and the bones of his son Jonathan removed from the custody of certain men from Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square in Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them—that is, back on the day when the Philistines had killed Saul on Mount Gilboa. He brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there along with the bones of those who had been hanged, and they buried Saul’s bones and his son Jonathan’s bones in the territory of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. After they had done everything that the king commanded, God responded to prayers for the land. (2 Samuel 21:10-14 ISV)

Did Israel again battle with the Philistines and a giant? Because of his age, was David told to stay home?

Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint. And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel. (2 Samuel 21:15-17 KJV)

Did Israel have three more battles against the Philistines that included giants? Did others follow David’s faith and also become giant slayers?