2 Samuel 21:10-14 – What Atonement Looks Like
What we have in the passage in front of us is pretty unique. Surely it’s meant to stop us in our tracks, and make us think of the seriousness of sin, and of what it costs for sin to be atoned for. And even then, Gibeah is nothing compared to Calvary, when the holy wrath of God was poured out on his eternal, sinless son.
Much as we might want to, this is not a scene we’re meant to skip over. We’re meant to linger here, and there’s someone in the passage who does exactly that. In verse 10, Rizpah, who’s the mother of two of those who were killed, spreads sackcloth for herself and stays beside the bodies, not allowing the birds or the animals to get at them. What grief she has. It’s an incredibly sad picture. We’re meant to feel the sadness of it. The book of Ecclesiastes tells us: ‘It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart’. And as we linger here in the house of mourning, we can be sad at the thought of a mother bereaved of her children. But above all we should think of what our sin cost the Son of God. And if that leaves us with a profound sense of sadness and mournfulness, then I don’t think there’s anything unhealthy about that. And of course, there will be much gratefulness mixed in with it, as we think of the horror and the love of the cross, and the importance of dwelling on it. If we don’t meditate often on the sufferings of the redeemer, our Christian lives will be impoverished.
Question
- Why should we think about the cross more?
- What should our response be to the cross?
Prayer Points
- Pray that we would be thankful for our Redeemer.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.