RIZPAH: THE

INFLUENCE OF
FAITHFULNESS
Lesson 9 for the 27th of November, 2010
RIZPAH, SAUL’S CONCUBINE What did being
Saul’s concubine
mean to Rizpah?

There isn’t a clear

disapproval of
concubinage and
polygamy in the Bible.
Does that mean that God
endorses those habits?

“Polygamy was practiced at an early date. It was one of the sins that brought the
wrath of God upon the antediluvian world. Yet after the Flood it again became
widespread. It was Satan’s studied effort to pervert the marriage institution, to
weaken its obligations and lessen its sacredness; for in no surer way could he deface
the image of God in man and open the door to misery and vice”
E.G.W. (Patriarchs and prophets, cp. 29, p. 350)
 RIZPAH, BETWEEN ABNER AND
ISH-BOSHETH
What part did Rizpah play in the fall of
Saul’s house?
What was the implication of taking the
concubine of the previous king?

“In the sight of all Israel he [Absalom] was to

take to himself his father’s concubines,
according to the custom of oriental nations,
thus declaring that he succeeded to his
father’s throne”
(E.G.W., “Patriarchs and prophets”, cp. 72, pg. 799)

“King Solomon answered his mother, "Why do you request Abishag the
Shunammite [David’s concubine] for Adonijah? You might as well request
the kingdom for him--after all, he is my older brother-- yes, for him
and for Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah!"” (1 Kings, 2: 22)
 A JUSTICE PROBLEM
Saul exterminated the Gibeonites from Israel, breaking the
alliance that Joshua made with them. That was obviously
unpleasant to God, so He deprived the people of Israel of rain.

The Gibeonites demanded

the sons of Saul to pay for
their father’s affront. How
can we understand that in
the light of texts like
“fathers shall not be put
to death for their children,
nor children put to death
for their fathers; each is to
die for his own sin”
(Deuteronomy, 24: 16)?
 A JUSTICE PROBLEM
“Saul didn’t take part on that fault
alone. He acted with the people and
in its name, as the king of Israel.
Undoubtedly, the people agreed and
the guilt of exterminating the
Gibeonites fell on both the people
and the king. That explains why the
Lord allowed David and his people to
suffer Saul’s punishment. The whole
nation got involved in breaking
Joshua’s and the princes’ solemn oath
more than 400 years later”
(SDA Bible Commentary, on 2 Samuel, 21: 2)
 A JUSTICE PROBLEM
“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” (2 Samuel, 21: 8 NVI)

Was God’s will that

Rizpah’s and Merab’s
children should be hung?
“David should have asked God that
question [how can I appease them?], as
he did in hunger times. We don’t read in
the record that David consulted God nor
that what the Gibeonites demanded and
what David did was in harmony with
God’s request to rectify the situation”
(SDA Bible Commentary, on 2 Samuel, 21: 3)
RIZPAH, HER FAITHFULNESS
Why did Rizpah go to keep vigil over
the bodies of her children instead of
mourning at home (as Merab did)?
How did Rizpah show faithfulness in
that unpleasant situation?

One of the possible

answers is that Rizpah
wanted to be sure
–even in the middle of
her pain– that God
would bless the people of Israel
again (“would atone
for them”) by sending them rain.
That’s why she didn’t move away
from there until she had carried out
her task.
 RIZPAH, THE CONSEQUENCES OF HER ACTS
“Rizpah’s tender zeal made
How was Rizpah David show respect to Saul’s
descendants. David wanted to
the trigger for show that he kept no enmity
uniting Judah towards the previous king, so
he brought Saul’s and
and Israel in Jonathan’s bones to Jabesh
David’s time? Gilead; he buried them
honourably in the old family
tomb”
(SDA Bible Commentary, on 2 Samuel, 21: 12)

David’s act touched

the people

Rizpah’s zeal touched Judah and Israel

David became reconciled
“There is nothing insignificant in the work of God, and the
faithfulness with which the work is done rather than the
amount decides the reward of each”
E.G.W. (This day with God, March 12)