What David Can't Do
What David Can't Do
2 Samuel 21:10-22
10 Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah 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. 11 When David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, 12 David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. 13 And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged. 14 And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. And they did all that the king commanded. And after that God responded to the plea for the land.
15 There was war again between the Philistines and Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines. And David grew weary. 16 And Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels[b] of bronze, and who was armed with a new sword, thought to kill David. 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, “You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.”
18 After this there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants. 19 And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, struck down Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. 20 And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants. 21 And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David's brother, struck him down. 22 These four were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
10 Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah 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. 11 When David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, 12 David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. 13 And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged. 14 And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. And they did all that the king commanded. And after that God responded to the plea for the land.
15 There was war again between the Philistines and Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines. And David grew weary. 16 And Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels[b] of bronze, and who was armed with a new sword, thought to kill David. 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, “You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.”
18 After this there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants. 19 And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, struck down Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. 20 And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants. 21 And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David's brother, struck him down. 22 These four were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
"Hey, hey, LBJ!"
At the lowest point of his presidency, with thousands of young American soldiers dying in the Vietnam War, Lyndon Baines Johnson could stand in the Oval Office and hear the chants: “Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?” We find David reaching a similar low point today, as 2 Samuel keeps rubbing our faces in the king’s failures.
The Cries He Can’t Silence (10–14)
Today we meet Rizpah, mother of two of the young men David handed over to the Gibeonites for execution. She lays sackcloth on the rock before their bodies. She holds a vigil from the start of the barley harvest (though there’s still no barley!) until the fall rains. All through the hot summer, month after month, this grieving mother guards the bodies, watching them decay, fighting off predators. It is a gut-wrenching scene that everyone would have been talking about it. Today, there would be news cameras and a social media firestorm: #justiceforrizpah.
Of course, it’s a public relations nightmare for David. The people see a brave, bereaved mom, and a heartless king who got her sons killed—and didn’t even end the famine. David must be sick about it, but all he can do now is damage control (11). So he orders all flags at half-mast. He holds a huge, national funeral for the house of Saul, kind of like after a President dies and “lies in state” in the capitol building. David then buries the young men with honor, alongside Saul and Jonathan. David sits at the funeral in his black suit, holding the hand of Rizpah. This finally brings some resolution in v14: “After that,”God responds to the pleas of the people, and heals the land of Israel. This is not because of David’s actions, but because of God’s mercy. Great as King David is, there is something he can’t do: he can’t atone for sin. He can’t lift a curse.
Of course, it’s a public relations nightmare for David. The people see a brave, bereaved mom, and a heartless king who got her sons killed—and didn’t even end the famine. David must be sick about it, but all he can do now is damage control (11). So he orders all flags at half-mast. He holds a huge, national funeral for the house of Saul, kind of like after a President dies and “lies in state” in the capitol building. David then buries the young men with honor, alongside Saul and Jonathan. David sits at the funeral in his black suit, holding the hand of Rizpah. This finally brings some resolution in v14: “After that,”God responds to the pleas of the people, and heals the land of Israel. This is not because of David’s actions, but because of God’s mercy. Great as King David is, there is something he can’t do: he can’t atone for sin. He can’t lift a curse.
The Campaign He Can’t Win (15–22)
The last failure of the chapter may be the most striking. If there’s one thing David has always been able to do, it’s kill Philistines—he built his whole career on it! So when the Philistines rise up again, David, desperate for a win, rides out with the boys to deliver an old-fashioned tail-whoopin’. This victory should be as routine as the University of Alabama crushing Vanderbilt in football.
But look a little closer at David: his hair is now totally white. He has to pull out his readers to study the map. His reaction time is slower, his field of vision reduced. When the aged David gets into this battle, he about gets himself killed! Abishai has to swoop in and save the king’s life. His men sit him down and say, “We love you, but you’re done. We’re taking the keys. No more battles.” So David the warrior must now sit under a shade tree, while the young bucks kill the giants like he once did. It’s tough to watch. The story has already told us David can’t atone for sin; now it tells us that he can’t stop the aging process. He can’t beat death. But at the same time, the God who was behind David’s greatness all along is able to carry on his work without him.
But look a little closer at David: his hair is now totally white. He has to pull out his readers to study the map. His reaction time is slower, his field of vision reduced. When the aged David gets into this battle, he about gets himself killed! Abishai has to swoop in and save the king’s life. His men sit him down and say, “We love you, but you’re done. We’re taking the keys. No more battles.” So David the warrior must now sit under a shade tree, while the young bucks kill the giants like he once did. It’s tough to watch. The story has already told us David can’t atone for sin; now it tells us that he can’t stop the aging process. He can’t beat death. But at the same time, the God who was behind David’s greatness all along is able to carry on his work without him.
The Only King Who Can Lift the Curse
How do we see the Romans 15:4 principle in this story—where is the hope for us? It’s in Jesus, the only King who can lift the curse that clings to us all. He handed himself over to be hanged up on a cross for us. Though it crushed the Father’s heart like Rizpah’s, God did not spare his Son but gave him up freely to atone for our sins. On the third day, King Jesus rose, never to die again. Now he receives all the frail failures who will trust in him—people just like David, and just like you and me.
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Article by Eric Smith
Senior Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church
Senior Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church
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