Day3
Week32
2 Samuel
“Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of the harvest until the rains poured on them from heaven. She did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the animals of the field by night. When David was told that which Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead who had secretly taken them from the plaza in Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hung them the day the Philistines struck down Saul on Gilboa. He brought up the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from there, and they gathered the bones of those who had been hanged. They interred the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the land of Benjamin at Zela, in the tomb of Kish, his father. They did everything that the king commanded. After that God was entreated regarding the land.”
2 Samuel 21:10-14 MEV
Cross references
Deuteronomy 21:23;
Joshua 17:11;
1 Samuel 31:10-13;
Joshua 18:28;
2 Samuel 24:25
When Famine Comes
And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackclothBoth as a token of mourning for her sons, and as fittest to defend from the weather, the heat by day of cold by night:
and spread it for her upon the rock;the hill on which her sons were hanged; this she spread as a canopy or tent to sit under, and be covered with it; not to cover the bodies with it, but herself, and where she sat to mourn the loss of her sons, and to watch their bodies, that they might not be devoured by birds and breasts of prey, as after observed: and here she sat
from the beginning of harvest until water dropped on them out ofheaven;that is, as the Jews say, (Bemidbar Rabba, fol. 190. 1. )
from the sixteenth of Nisan, when barley harvest began, to the seventeenth of Marchesvan, when the former rain fell; that is, from the beginning of April to the beginning of October.
From Rizpah we learn to be selfless, strong and heroic amidst suffering.
In a real sense, Rizpah represents every mother who has grieved over the loss of a child whether that be in the physical sense or in a relational sense, and every mother who has determined that her child’s memory will be honored despite what he or she may have done.
Through Rizpah we can learn to stand by our children when “famine” comes, and they are experiencing great difficulties in life.
We may not agree with their choices, but mothers continue to love their children, even in suffering and persevere in faith that the “famine” they are currently experiencing will eventually come to an end.
As women and mothers, may we continually pray for, be devoted to, and commit all children in our sphere of influence to the Lord.
Are you experiencing famine?
Famine represents suffering and lack. It can be physically, spiritually, mentally, financially or relationally.
Jesus became a curse on the cross for us. The blood guilt offering has been sacrificed.
All that we need to do is receive it.
Action Step
Have you asked God, as David did, if there is anything that you need to do or a specific way you need to pray?
Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
PSALMS 119:105 MEV
How has God's Word guided you recently?
This Weeks Memory Seed From Psalms:
“The words of the Lord are pure words, silver tried in an earthen furnace, purified seven times.”
Psalms 12:6 MEV
Spend some time reflecting on these verses, and consider asking God to bring to mind other verses that can help you understand His will.
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