To Promise Before God

Introduction

Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability put under review of compliance a Bible translator ministry for inability to verify claims it was making about the Mobilized Assistance Supporting Translation.

Scripture Introduction

Gibeonites oath

Johnathan oath

Connection: 1) Oaths made to Yahweh. 2) And what do we learn about God in all this?

Take Home: Invoking the name of God is serious and must be upheld.

Message Focus: What is at stake when we invoke the name of God? And what does it mean that after these events, God responded to the plea for the land?

Saul’s Responsibility (disobeyed) v. 1

2 Samuel 21:1 “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.””

Justice of God

Psalm 96:10 “Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.””

He does not side with Israel, showing He is Just

Gibeonites

So, God told him to destroy the Amalekites, and he didn’t do it; and God did not tell him to destroy the Gibeonites, and he made a jolly good stab at it. Alistair Begg

Joshua 9:18 “But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders.”

Joshua 9:20 “This we will do to them: let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them.””

Covenant

“As we have cut up this animal and parted it in this way, so may we be cut up and parted if we do not keep this covenant that today we declare.”

On his house

Representative Headship: USA Olympic Team | Russia

Application

Exodus 20:7 ““You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.”

The heart of the issue

Marriage

Yalunka Covenant

God’s people must be seen as trustworthy

David’s Restitution vv. 2-3

His zeal for the people of Israel

Nationalism ahead of the kingdom of God

COVID

King called the Gibeonites

David should have inquired of God how he should handle this.

We must be careful where we get our advice. Who were the Gibonites to say how this should be handled in Israel. Vengeance is the Lord’s not humanities to decide.

Gibeonites’ Retribution vv. 4-6

2 Samuel 21:6 “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.””

This is not how God deals with sin. This is different than representative headship.

Deuteronomy 24:16 ““Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin.”

Children dying with parents (Num 16:27; Jos 7:24) is direct rebellion.

God’s method is through repentance and animal sacrifice, until His substitution.

David’s Responsibility (obeyed) v. 7

Saul broke an oath, David upholds his to Jonathan.

Saul’s Representation vv. 8-9

In this broken world, the sinner is not the only on who suffers.

God works within the context of particular cultures and that although those cultures may be critiqued and believers encouraged to work for change, he will not, in general, intervene to prevent the normal practices of those cultures being carried out. David was made aware of the problem but his decision to ‘solve’ the problem in a way contrary to the law was allowed to stand. Mary J. Evans,

We can’t achieve true justice in a fallen world.

How do you administer justice when the offender cannot be held accountable?

That is why we need Jesus.

Our sins will hurt others.

Rizpah’s Regard vv. 10-14c

She preserved the possibility of a dignified and proper burial for her sons and relatives

Yahweh’s Resolution v. 14d

2 Samuel 21:14 “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.”

It should be noted that God did not answer the prayer until after David showed honor to the seven who died.

The point is not that God is pleased with the request, but Israel must be punished for breaking an oath. Much like how God was not pleased with how the Assyrians treated their enemies of war, but God used them to punish Israel. The focus is on Israel’s punishment, not the appropriate means of retribution.

Summary

Breaking a Covenant

The Gibeonites were wronged and something had to be done to make it right so they could bless Israel again.

Resolution

David and the Gibeonites solved the issue through human reasoning instead of Kingdom principles.

God’s Blessing

God responded favorably because the Gibeonites could bless Israel again (and the victims were honored) but not because He approved of the process.

Main Idea

Invoking the name of God is serious and must be upheld.

Potential Impact

If we fail to keep the covenants we have made before the Lord we may find famines in our personal walk with Him.

A Possible Next Step

Considering reviewing the covenants you have made in God’s name.

Marriage

Membership

Christian -taking on the name of Christ as a Christian is much like a covenant. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Mt 26:28