In 2 Samuel 21, Isreal experienced famine for three years during David’s reign. David sought the face of God to understand the cause of the famine. God revealed that the famine was as a result of bloodguilt on Saul and his household, because he had put the Gibeonites to death. Now the Gibeonites were the people who had tricked Joshua and the elders of Isreal, into thinking that they had travelled from far to meet with them. They got them to sign a covenant that they would not kill them, but allow them to live among them as their servants. Despite Isreal’s error, this contract was spiritually binding. However, during Saul’s reign, he tried to kill them in his zeal for the people of Judah. Once God revealed to David the current cause of their calamity, he called the Gibeonites to ask them what he could do to make atonement.

“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”” (2 Samuel 21:4)? The Gibeonites requested that seven of the sons of Saul, be killed to make atonement for the sins done to them. David spared Mephiobsheth because of the oath that he made with Johnathan. He handed over seven of the sons of Saul to the Gibeonites and they killed them. One of the mothers of Saul’s sons, Rizpah put sackloth on the rock where the bodies of the men were slain. She did this to prevent birds from eating their bodies. David heard about her actions and got men to collect all the bones of Saul and his sons and buried them in the tomb of Saul’s father.

Once all of these actions were completed, God responded to the plea of the land and restored them from the famine. The story above is quite a gruesome one and we may not require death and hanging as atonement for sin in our times. That being said, many countries still implement the death penalty as payment for murder. It could be said that the law would have considered the death of seven men, as just punishment for the near genocide of a nation of people. Whatever our conviction, we can see that Isreal experienced famine as a result of the sins of Saul. Although he was dead, he was king and leader of Isreal and his actions had a direct impact on the people. The land was now in famine for over three years and it was David’s knowledge of God, which led him to seek answers.

The promises of God for Isreal was that he would always send rain, to water their crops and cause them to have a good harvest. Once they were experiencing famine for such a long period, David knew that something was out of alignment. He was a king who operated as a priest and we are not told that he consulted with one of the prophets. He sought God for an answer and then did what was necessary to make atonement and bring restoration to Isreal. There are some calamities that we experience, that may have roots in things done by us out of ignorance. It does not hurt to seek the face of God, to ask him to reveal the source of a problem. Sometimes the condition may be through no fault of our own and can represent redemptive suffering. Either way, having revelation and understanding of what we are experiencing will help us to know how to respond.

“He uncovers mysteries hidden in darkness; he brings light to the deepest gloom” (Job 12:22).

A.P.-Y.

During Jesus’s time on earth, he took on the nature of mankind, in order to demonstrate to us his understanding of our every day struggles. The bible said that we do not have a high priest (Jesus), who cannot be touched or who cannot relate to our infirmities (weaknesses), but experienced temptations in the same way that we did, yet he did not sin. As a result of Jesus’s life, death and resurrection, we have access to the throne of grace. In fact, we can approach God with boldness, to find mercy and help in times of need (Hebrews 4:15-16). As part of his demonstration to us, Jesus showed us how to walk in authority and how to trust God to meet our needs. Jest before the Passover, Jesus needed a donkey for his triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

He sent his disciples into a nearby village and told them where to find a colt, that had not been ridden. They were told to respond that the Lord needed it, if they were challenged about taking the colt. They responded as Jesus instructed and the colt was released to him. In another example, Jesus needed to prepare for the Passover meal and again he sent his disciples to find a place. “He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples’”” (Matthew 26:18). The scriptures do not mention that the disciples experienced any opposition, however, the story progressed to them having the Passover meal. This meal traditionally consisted of a sacrificial lamb, with bread, wine and herbs.

The venue, the wine, the bread and the lamb would have been provided for Jesus and his twelve disciples to eat and be full. I never saw Jesus express any worry concerning where provision would come from for either himself, his disciples or followers. There’s another story when Jesus needed to pay taxes for he and Peter. He sent Peter to go fishing and to open the mouth of the first fish that he caught. Within the fish’s mouth, was enough money to pay the taxes for both Peter and Jesus. He was demonstrating to his disciples and to us that our help comes from God. Before we had a need, God had a way of meeting that need and provision is waiting if we have the faith to receive it. Help also comes in the form of angelic assistance and when Peter struck off the ear of the soldiers, Jesus reminded Peter of the power available to him.

“Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53)? The reminder to Peter was that, we do not need to lean on our own strength nor rely on our own human understanding. It’s not by our power or might, but by the strength of the Lord, that we gain wealth and provision and we overcome the devil. Our help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth and God wants to meet our needs when we learn to pray, wait on him and have faith. “And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes”” (Mark 9:23). Like the father in this story, many times we have to pray against doubt, fear and unbelief. God is willing and able to help us and send us help in times of need.

A.P.-Y.

Waters will burst out and overflow the dam, that has been stopped in order to deny my people of their supply. I saw an image of a dam which was stopped to prevent the water flowing through to the people of God. They are in a valley, weary, dry and faint, while the wicked revel in excesses. They laugh like jackals, they drink, revel and bathe in the excess water that they have stopped and prevented from flowing. They perceive that they can stop God’s children from being refreshed. Still there is a steady stream that flows from under the rocks to keep God’s people from being parched. Yet, there is a shaking. Tectonic plates are shifting slowly and there is a shaking and shifting. It’s small shifts that have created small cracks that are being stoped up again. Wait and see, because the dam will break. Within a few months time, there will be an explosion and the water will burst out and spring forth violently, so that God’s people will be revived, refreshed and restored. This breaking forth will be so violent that many of the wicked will not survive. It’s coming!

“Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19).

A.P.-Y.

The bible is full of scriptures that speak about fear and the need to have courage. In many instances, when an angel appeared to saints, the first instruction would be, ‘fear not.’ The Jews are recorded as being quite fearful of God and ran away when he spoke to them out of the mountain. “and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die”” (Exodus 20:19). Moses also told them not to fear and said that God had come to test them, so that they would fear him. The type of fear which Moses spoke of was not the unpleasant emotion associated with being in danger. He spoke of reverential awe, respect and submission. This is one of the only times when we are told to have any type of fear and this is reserved for God.

Another time when the Jews were afraid, was when they were between Pharaoh and the Red Sea. This event would produce fear in almost anyone, as the situation seemed like certain death. I believe that God allowed these events to teach his people about faith and trust in him. God opened the sea to let the people go through and then closed the sea when Pharaoh and his army pursued (Exodus 14: 19-31). The outcome should also have produced in the people, a deep sense of trust and the fear of God. We are not sure how much the many signs and wonders done by God, helped to increase faith in the Jews. They cried and complained at the first sign of every major trial and they failed the final test of entering the promised land. After spying out the land, the ten spies spoke out their fears in the hearing of the people.

What the spies spoke invoked an extreme sense of fear in the people and caused them to rebel. Caleb and Joshua spoke faith and hope, but their voices were drowned out by the voices of fear. Isreal failed their assignment and an entire generation died in the wilderness, because of fear. Caleb and Joshua were the only ones to survive, because they had courage (Numbers 13). Fear originates from the devil as God did not give us the spirit of fear, but he gave us power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Whenever we have a negative thought, which creates an unpleasant emotion within us, we know that it is from the devil. It is one thing to feel fear, the mistake is to give it a voice. It is possible that Caleb and Joshua felt that same reservations that the other ten spies felt. The difference is that they did not give a voice to it.

When you feel fear, know that the devil is near and his agents are speaking. Instead of repeating the lies that they are whispering, bind the spirit of fear, resist the devil and he will run (James 4:7). We cannot stop the devil from projecting doubts and fears towards us, but we can use the shield of faith to block him. We can also rebuke him and speak a word of faith which contradicts his lies. The one thing that we should not do, is to repeat the lies. The devil is after our words and he whispers lies, in the hope that we will repeat them. He understands spiritual laws and since the bible says that whatever we decree will be established, that also includes lies associated with fear. All the devil needs is for us to speak from a place of fear, but let us guard our mouths and keep a watch over our words. Speak the word of God when you feel afraid and don’t succumb to the enemy.

“being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete” (2 Corinthians 10:6).

A.P.-Y.