8 The king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; 9 and he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the Lord, and the seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest. ~ 2 Samuel 21:7-9
Rizpah’s two sons were put to death in the first days of the barley harvest. The barley harvest was in the spring. The time of the celebration of Passover. So, in one of the most joyous times of the year, Rizpah is handed down a heavy burden, one that no mother should bear and, even worse, bear alone. So, while everyone else is preparing for harvest – a time of festivities, preparing for Passover, preparing to celebrate, Rizpah is preparing for mourning.
The Gibeonites hanged the seven of them on the mountain before the LORD, and the seven died there. Understand that my burden is not your burden. My joy is not your joy. And so, it was with Rizpah; she only had two sons, while Merab had five sons hanged. But it was Rizpah alone who got sackcloth and spread it for herself on a stone on the mountainside.
So, Rizpah spreads sackcloth on a rock for herself, indicating that she is there for the long haul, she is absolute in her conviction, she is solid as the rock she sits on, and she stays there on that mountain side from the beginning of the barley harvest until the rains fell on her.
The Barley harvest, as I said, is in the spring, they were to bring the tithe of the harvest the first day of the week after Passover. So, Rizpah stays from the middle of April all the through until the rains came in September or October. Some five or six months.
Day and night she is there. She wakes up in the middle of the night and rolls out of bed pleading for her children. She calls them by name before the throne of God.
LORD, save my child. LORD, bring my daughter home. My son is experimenting; save him, LORD. My child is strung out on drugs, my son is on meth, and my daughter is strung out on crack. LORD, please have mercy on my child.
- Night and day, Rizpah is on the Rock, on her knees
- Night and day, Rizpah is worshipping and seeking God on behalf of her children
- Night and day for 5 or 6 months
- No time is too long for Rizpah
- Rizpah is a mother with a burden
Who would have that kind of tenacity? Only the burden of a mother would cause someone to sit on a sackcloth spread out on a rock for five or six months, fighting off wild beasts, fighting off the birds of the air.
Rizpah didn’t see her two sons have a proper burial for months, but because of her dedication, refusing to allow her sons’ bodies to be defiled in death, King David heard of her tenacity and had compassion on her. He had all the men’s bodies who were hanged to have a proper burial because of Rizpah. No, it didn’t happen overnight. It took day after day. Night after night. Week after week. month after month. Until she saw her prayers answered. So, be encouraged. Don’t give up hope. Fight for your children. Plead with God day after day, night after night, until you see that breakthrough. Tear down spiritual strongholds and fight off spiritual attacks from the enemy through prayer, worship, and fasting. Don’t give up until you see your prayers answered.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Fight Like Rizpah.
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