Chapter 281 of 1163

2 SAMUEL 21

Promises are not to be made carelessly or broken with impunity.

God kept His promise. If the nation obeyed God’s law, He promised to bless them with rain and plenty, but if they disobeyed, He would discipline them. God often sent famines to discipline His people (Deut. 28:23–24).

Saul broke a promise. Israel’s covenant with Gibeon (Josh. 9) had been honored for centuries, and then Saul violated it. Old sins can create new problems long after the sinners are dead.

David kept a promise. The law demanded fair and equal punishment for each crime (Exod. 21:23–25). Saul had killed innocent people, so his family had to pay the price to purge the innocent blood from the land (Deut. 19:11–13). David kept his promise to Mephibosheth (2 Sam. 9:7) and to Jonathan (1 Sam. 20:15–16) by sparing Mephibosheth’s life. David also saw to it that the dead in Saul’s family had decent burial.

David made a promise. Giants have a way of multiplying, and David discovered that he was not the giant killer he had been in his youth. There comes a time when we must give up some lesser things to protect the things that are more important. It was difficult for David to lay aside his armor and weapons, but it was a wise thing to do.

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