by Sandy Kirby Quandt

Crows flew over the backyard and I thought of Rizpah.

Rizpah was King Saul’s concubine. The woman who shooed wild beasts away from the bodies of her two sons, and other family members, after they were murdered out of vengeance by the Gibeonites. Because Saul broke a promise made to them, the Gibeonites hung the men and left their bodies for the wild animals to finish off. (2 Samuel 21:1-14)

Gruesome. I know.

It was her love and devotion that caused brave Rizpah to spend day and night shooing the vultures and carnivorous beasts away from the corpses. We aren’t told exactly how long she stayed there protecting her loved ones’ bodies before King David heard about it, and ordered the bodies taken down and buried. We’re only told that it was from the beginning of the barley harvests until rain fell once again on the earth.

Rizpah’s devotion…love…courage…chutzpah, has always impressed me. I can’t imagine being in such a dreadful situation.

With the way my mind chases thoughts and ideas, as I thought about Rizpah, I couldn’t help but think of people we may know who don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus as their Savior. I thought of them as the sons’ bodies that were left to the wild beasts. I thought of those of us who are secure in our salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross as Rizpah.

I believe Christ calls those of us who belong to him to leave our comfort zones, go out in his strength and power to those who don’t know him, and shoo the vultures and carnivorous beasts away so they can have life eternal through him. I don’t know how long that may take from the beginning of the barley harvests to when the rain falls, but I do believe it is what Jesus wants us to do. Whatever that may look like for each of us.

Don’t you?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Leave a comment below. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

Try to help those who argue against you. Be merciful to those who doubt. Save some by snatching them as from the very flames of hell itself. And as for others, help them to find the Lord by being kind to them, but be careful that you yourselves aren’t pulled along into their sins. Hate every trace of their sin while being merciful to them as sinners. Jude 22-23 (TLB)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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