He Answered Prayer

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

HE ANSWERED PRAYER

2 Sam 21:7-14

7 The king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul. 8 But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah's daughter Rizpah, whom she had borne to Saul, together with the five sons of Saul's daughter Merab, whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite. 9 He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who killed and exposed them on a hill before the LORD. All seven of them fell together; they were put to death during the first days of the harvest, just as the barley harvest was beginning. 10 Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest till the rain poured down from the heavens on the bodies, she did not let the birds of the air touch them by day or the wild animals by night. 11 When David was told what Aiah's daughter Rizpah, Saul's concubine, had done, 12 he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead. (They had taken them secretly from the public square at Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hung them after they struck Saul down on Gilboa.) 13 David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there, and the bones of those who had been killed and exposed were gathered up. 14 They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the tomb of Saul's father Kish, at Zela in Benjamin, and did everything the king commanded. After that, God answered prayer in behalf of the land.

NIV

This reconciliation that David did with the Gibeonites, asking them what he could do for them, because of the attempt of Saul when he tried to annihilate them, led to the death of seven sons of Saul.  It is strange that in those days, in that kind of culture, killing was just part of life. It seemed men of that period in history did not value life as much as we do today, at least in our country and most Western countries, but in the Middle East, we can see the value of life has a different meaning, for there is still killing going on. But this agreement between David and the Gibeonites brought peace, restored honor to their people. David also did what was right when he became aware of the actions, or mourning of Rizpah for her sons. He went and took their bones, or bodies, and buried them in the proper place, at the tomb of their father. But our story is about this last verse in this narrative. After it was all done, and the bodies of those seven sons of Saul were buried, just as the king commanded, God answered the prayer in behalf of the land. That famine that had lasted three successive years was over. Once again, the land became fertile and produced crops. We had already considered the possibility that we could experience a spiritual famine, and perhaps it could be caused by not doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord. Even if we are being religious or doing religious activities, including prayers, we do not feel the Lord’s presence or see any evidence of the work of God in our lives. That is a famine, but we do not need to live in a famine, as we live in the kingdom of God. If we do what is right in his sight, he will answer our prayer in behalf of our land, or our lives. We do not have to be unfruitful or ineffective, for we can change how we live. First, having the faith of a child, simply believe the Lord, no doubts, just faith watered in the stream of living water. There are traits we can add to faith, as Peter makes clear in his second letter. But first and foremost, it is faith that brings the awareness of the presence and the work of God in our lives. Because we are reconciled to Him, as He did that reconciliation through His work on our behalf on that cross, and we accept His grace, He answers our prayer on behalf of Himself, and for our behalf. But we must give him all the credit, all the praise, all the honor He is due, as we exercise faith, believing, not just in him, but believing Him, and he will answer prayer.