2 Samuel 21: Undeserved Deals, ☧'s Mercy on Saul's Bones

Rev. Dan Torkelson, pastor of St. Johns Lutheran Church in North Prairie, Wisconsin, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 21.

“There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.” A deal’s a deal.

Long before King David, God had forbidden the Israelites from making covenants with the people west of the Jordan River. Joshua only accepted the Gibeonites’ proposal because he’d been deceived. And yet, even though the covenant was based on fraud, God still held Israel to their word, and He demanded justice for the Gibeonites. Similarly, for the sake of his covenant with Saul, David has mercy on Mephibosheth and Rizpah. We too are undeserving, but God shows us mercy for the sake of the covenant written in Christ’s blood. We’re weak and ignoble enemies of God, but He always keeps faith. For Him, by His grace, a deal’s a deal.