June 8th, 2025
EXTRAORDINARY DEED - Rizpah Silence to Justice.
Out of the billions of people that had lived on earth, only a fraction got mentioned by name in the Bible. This suggests that each person mentioned, did extraordinary things to command mentioning. One of such people was RIZPAH. Rizpah was king Saul's concubine and this doesn't qualify her to be mentioned. But the hidden woman first came into limelight when Abner, the head of Saul's army was wrongly accused of infidelity with her by Ish-bosheth, son of Saul. "One day Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, accused Abner of sleeping with one of his father’s concubines, a woman named Rizpah, daughter of Aiah. Abner was furious. “Am I some Judean dog to be kicked around like this?” he shouted..............(2 Sam.3.7-8.NLT)
Rizpah got mentioned again in 2 Samuel 21:8, 10, 11. This time, because her two sons were among the seven sons of Saul, who were offered as 'peace offering' to appease the Gibeonites because Saul failed to honour the vows Joshua and Israel made. (Joshua 9:3,15-17). As a result, "There was a famine during David’s reign that lasted for three years, so David asked the Lord about it. And the Lord said, “The famine has come because Saul and his family are guilty of murdering the Gibeonites.”(2 Sam.21.1.NLT) So, the Gibeonites demanded life for life (vs 6) and they hanged them in the hill (vs 9).
After they died, they were supposed to be brought down and buried but this didn't happen (Deut.21:23). "Then Rizpah daughter of Aiah, the mother of two of the men, spread burlap on a rock and stayed there the entire harvest season. She prevented the scavenger birds from tearing at their bodies during the day and stopped wild animals from eating them at night" (2 Sam.21.10.NLT). She worked tirelessly, singlehandedly for five months, in absolute silence, driven only by a mother's love, displayed so much strength and determination until she was heard (without speaking). Five months in an open field - cold nights and scorching days. "When David learned what Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, had done, .........he obtained the bones of Saul and Jonathan, as well as the bones of the men the Gibeonites had executed" (2 Sam.21.11-13.NLT). And they were properly buried.
Rizpah showed a powerful act of maternal love and plea for respect for the dead. She demonstrated that there is strength in silence and we can fight for justice without noise, just consistency.
THE WORD: “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, be prompt in fulfilling whatever you promised him. For the Lord your God demands that you promptly fulfill all your vows, or you will be guilty of sin." (Deu.23.21.NLT)
KBA Tracts
Follow KBA Tracts on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/19kNSm3rt7/
www.kbatracts.com.ng
.jpeg)
0 Comments