By Staff
In the Old Testament book of 2 Samuel, during the reign of King David, there was a famine that persisted for three years.
Times of rain and periods of drought could be thought of as normal, and a famine can be caused by cyclical weather patterns.
When the famine in David's time continued into the third year, David turned to God.
In 2 Samuel, chapter 21, verse 1, it says, "David inquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered . . . ."
The Bible teaches us that everything comes from God. "In Him all things consist" (Colossians 1:17). We know also that God set several things in motion: summer, winter, seedtime, and harvest. We experience tornadoes, blizzards, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, and other extraordinary events, and take them in stride, believing these things just happen. But, sometimes when the incident is particularly catastrophic, it may be time to inquire of the Lord.
When the Lord answered David, He was quick to give him the reason for the extended famine. It was because the forces of King Saul had killed the Gibeonites, breaking an old treaty made by Joshua during the conquest of Canaan (Joshua 9:1-15).
The treaty was more than 400 years old and had been broken by Saul many years before God sent the famine. Nevertheless, it was David's lot to deal with the situation.
David went to the Gibeonites (2 Samuel 21:3) to make peace. The Gibeonites rejected gold or silver as payment and also said the killing of a man in Israel would not atone (2 Samuel 21:4).
The Gibeonites asked for seven direct descendants of King Saul, so they could hang them before the Lord in Gibeah (2 Samuel 21:6). David gathered the seven, delivered them to the Gibeonites, the Gibeonites hung them, David buried them, and in verse 14 of 2 Samuel 21, we are told, "After that God heeded the prayer for the land."
It takes a lot for God to get our attention; it takes more for God to keep our attention.
Many theories are bouncing around as to why hundreds have been killed, thousands are homeless, and there has been such catastrophic property damage down in the Gulf Coast.
Even secular insurance companies have a clause, "Act of God," to describe extraordinary events.
A powerful hurricane, a weak levee, and less than good planning have combined to present us a tragedy beyond comprehension. Maybe it is to divert our attention from ourselves to the needs of others for a while.
Maybe it is an opportunity for the unsaved community to see genuine Christianity in action. But, with all the good responses by thousands of people, it may still be necessary to "inquire of the Lord."
God tested Abraham in Genesis, chapter 22, when he asked him to sacrifice his son, Isaac. God stopped Abraham from plunging a knife into the body of Isaac, and said, "Now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me" (Genesis 22:12).
Job suffered great calamity at the hand of God. Job sought answers for days and eventually God answered.
The result in Job's life and in the lives of his friends was a much deeper understanding of the ways of God.
In these days of asking God, "Why?" and asking for many things, maybe we need to take some time and listen to Him.
God had David's attention in the famine. David acted quickly and decisively to correct a wrong. The result was healing for the nation.
It is time to "inquire of the Lord?" May He give us grace to obey.