SATURDAY 17 September, 2016
Blood for Blood
Then they answered the king, “As for the man who consumed us and plotted against us, that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the territories of Israel, let seven men of his descendants be delivered to us, and we will hang them before the Lordin Gibeah of Saul, whom the Lordchose.” - 2 Samuel 21:5-6
Saul’s sin was laid out before King David; he had planned to wipe them out from the territories of Israel. The Gibeonites had required the necessary settlement–– this was a tribe who was seeking blood for blood. They wanted revenge and asked for seven men from Saul’s lineage to be hung before the Lord. David was sensitive to their request he knew the righteous judgments of the Lord.
David wrote in Psalm 19:9: The fear of the Lordis clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lordare true and righteous altogether. Saul’s character did not have integrity. He had hurt people and now people from within his own family would pay the terrible consequences. Seven men would be delivered to the Gibeonites.
Seriously, do we not realize that whatever we do when we sin falls back onto our own families? Many Christians, who hurt other people or do not keep their word, have damaged their character and integrity. Understand once our integrity is lost it is very difficult to get it back. As with David’s life, it is God who can restore integrity through repentance (Psalm 51).
Learn and memorize this important verse about integrity from the book of Proverbs 11:3: The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.
In the fear of the Lord, prayerfully ask the Lord to give you a heart of integrity.
Integrity of heart is indispensable.
~John Calvin~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit Somebodylovesyouradio.org!