2 Samuel 21:7–14

But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the Lord’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the LORD. So they fell, all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.

Now Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until the late rains poured on them from heaven. And she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night.

And David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done. Then David went and took the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, from the men of Jabesh Gilead who had stolen them from the street of Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hung them up, after the Philistines had struck down Saul in Gilboa. So 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 buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the tomb of Kish his father. So they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God heeded the prayer for the land.

David picks seven “sons” (male descendants) of Saul to deliver to the Gibeonites, sparing Mephibosheth.

What happens next needs cultural context to make sense. The Gibeonites are using this sacrifice to appease their gods and bring rain. Their plan is to leave the bodies out until the rains start. This is in violation of Deuteronomy 21:23, but the Gibeonites don’t care (or maybe even know) about that.

his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God. — Deuteronomy 21:23

But the mother of two of the hanged sons (Rizpah) sets up a sackcloth guard-shack and defends her sons’ bodies against scavengers. She intends to do this until the rains come. When David gets wind of this, he is shamed into taking bold action to give a proper burial to all seven, plus Saul and Jonathan.

Then, and only then, does God bring rain.

It’s interesting to  consider David’s thought process in all this. It begins when David inquired of the LORD (literally, “sought the LORD’s face”) about the three-year famine. He gets a direct answer; it’s on the house (בֵּ֣ית, beth) of Saul because he killed Gibeonites. So David meets with the Gibeonites and sets up an atonement plan. But then Rizpah boldly protects her sons from being disgraced by wild animals.

Then it hits David, who is trying to figure out how to end the famine, that it’s all about righteousness.

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These weekday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. Saturdays' by Matt Richardson. Subscribe here: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/community

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.