Sermon Prepared by James McCullen
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RIZPAH, A Mother of Example
2 Sam. 21:5-14
RIZPAH, A Mother of Example
2 Sam. 21:5-14
Introduction
- Friends of one young mother with three young children were surprised
when they received this thank you note after they had given her a play
pen:
"Many thanks for the play pen. It is being used everyday from 2 to 3 pm. I get in it to read and the children can't get near me"
My Mother: The Light of the World
1. RIZPAH, A Mother of Example In
Her . . DEVOTION. v 10
A. Rizpah's Devotion and her . . Beauty.
This lady named Rizpah was
Saul's concubine. She bore him two sons. She may have been a Gentile of
the Horites. Her name means hot or glowing stone. This may have reference
to her physical beauty. Most likely she would not have been a concubine
if she did not possess some outstanding physical beauty. This may also
be the reason one of Saul's sons was accused of taking Rizpah as his concubine
after Saul's death (2 Sam. 3:7).
B. Rizpah's Devotion and the . . Burial.
Whatever else Rizpah was,
she rose to demonstrate her devotion to her sons. There was a famine in
the land. Rizpah may have known it was caused by Saul"s sin in that he
broke a treaty with the Gibeonites. Saul's action caused God to send the
drought and famine. If she knew this she may have also realized the sons
of Saul would be required as a sacrifice by the Gibeonites.
Nevertheless she did not want her sons to die. Certainly she didn't want her sons becoming a feast for the vultures and wild beasts. If they had to die she wanted them to have a place of burial.
C, Rizpah's Devotion and her . . Best.
Rizpah loved her sons and
her devotion to them is an example. Her devotion caused her to identify
with the suffering and embarrassment of these boys. She did not shun them
in their time of need. She was there by her sons. Her devotion caused her
to stay with them during the months of their shame. Family is needed most
in time of need.
They understand and their presence is most helpful. Verse 10 tells us she spread a sackcloth on the land. There can be several reasons for this -
1) she may indicate her repentance
and the repentance of the land
2) she may have used it
for a place to lay
3) she may have used it
as a tent for shelter.
Since it is sackcloth, it is my opinion it had something to do with repentance. Since she was Saul's concubine it would seem she could have gotten other kinds of covering if she did not want to emphasize repentance.
The latter part of verse 10 tells her activity during these months of agony. She kept the birds of prey and the wild beasts from devouring the bodies of her sons. It was the intent of the Gibeonites to have these sons of Saul ripped apart by the vultures and wild beasts. There is an order to this in nature. The vultures come while the jackals wait until they are done to do their eating of the flesh and last, the crows come to pick the bones clean. It is possible that some animal life would eat on the skeleton until little or nothing remains. Rizpah wanted a burial for her sons. She stood by doing her best to keep the vultures away.
Why? Her devotion to her sons.
A Preacher I know says Motherhood is not for Wimps
Illustration Mama's Boy Motherhood\Cares of Hewett, Illustrations
Unlimited, p. 376.
A mother was concerned about her only son going off to college. She
wrote the following letter to the college president:
"Dear Sir: My son has been accepted for admission to your college and soon he will be leaving me. I am writing to ask that you give your personal attention to the selection of his roommate. I want to be sure that his roommate is not the kind of person who uses foul language, or tells off-color jokes, smokes, drinks, or chases after girls. I hope you will understand why I am appealing to you directly. You see, this is the first time my son will be away from home, except for his three years in the Marine Corps."
Application
Rizpah is an example of a Mothers concern for her children. She kept vultures and wild beasts away, we also should do that in a spiritual sense.
There is a vulture of sex waiting prey for our youth. This is a vulture when it is taken out of a Biblical context. Pre-marital and promiscuous sex is a vulture. I heard of a mother (supposed to be a Christian) who equipped her daughter with birth control techniques because of the way many youth live today. That's not fighting vultures.
There is a wild beast of drugs. We should fight that beast off. There should not be identity of our youth with the drug culture. Some of the rock music is a wild beast.
Playing around with "pot" and so called harmless drugs should not be done by Christians. Mom and Dad need to fight off this wild beast.
Although those thoughts are not really in the text, the parallel can
easily be made. Rizpah is an example because she was devoted to the task.
Notice her example in her demonstration.
II. RIZPAH, A Mother of Example In Her Demonstration. v 10
A. Rizpah Demonstrated In the Face of . . Risk.
Rizpah was just a concubine.
She was not a wife. Concubines could be thought of as chattel. If, in fact,
Rizpah's father, Aiah, is the Horite mentioned in I Chron. 1:40, she would
be a Gentile concubine. The people would not have much respect for her
and this makes her demonstration even more noticeable. She risked personal
abuse by demonstrating her love, nevertheless, she is an example.
B. Rizpah Demonstrated In the Face of . . Ridicule.
To the people of
this day dying in the manner of Rizpah's sons was regarded as the greatest
dishonor that could befall the dead. Still Rizpah demonstrated her love
and identification with her sons. She was demonstrating a conviction by
expressing "I'll die here before I let some wild beast have the corpses
of my sons." I think she was also demonstrating that she would make any
personal sacrifice in order to gain a burial place for her children.
Illustration
A seminary student in Ft. Worth, Texas, was visiting a cemetery. He
noticed a woman alone. She was weeping bitterly.. He went over to her and
learned she was the mother of Oswald, the accused assassin of John F. Kennedy.
She asked, "Does anybody care that my son is dead?" No one else was there
but the mother, but just like Rizpah, she was demonstrating her love.
Illustration
A boy who afterwards became Governor of the State of Massachusetts
once came near being drowned. The boat in which he was sailing was capsized,
and he had to swim more than mile; but he finally reached the shore in
safety; and when he reached home and told his mother what a long distance
he had to swim, she asked him how he managed to hold out so long. "I thought
of you, Mother," replied the boy, "and kept on swimming." The thought of
Mother helped him in the moment of his greatest need, and thus saved his
life, not only to himself and to his mother, but also to the state and
the nation.
Application
If the sons of Rizpah had lived after this time they would have remembered
their mother's demonstration. My sister Joyce tells on many occasions that
Mother's influence had a great effect on her life. She remembered what
Mom said or demonstrated in her life. My sister Maureen and I also remember.
We have a mother who demonstrated her faith. Follow further as we notice
another way in which Rizpah was an example.
3. RIZPAH, A Mother of Example In Her Dedication. v 9-11
9 Then he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites,
and they hanged them in the mountain before the LORD, so that the seven
of them fell together; and they were put to death in the first days of
harvest at the beginning of barley harvest. 10 And Rizpah the daughter
of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the
beginning of harvest until it rained on them from the sky; and she allowed
neither the birds of the sky to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the
field by night. 11 When it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah,
the concubine of Saul, had done,
A. Rizpah's Dedication In the Face of . . Difficulties.
The text says, "Rizpah stayed
with the dead bodies of her sons "from beginning of harvest until it rained
on them from the sky;..."Most commentators indicate this means from April
to October. Verse 13 tells us the bones of the sons were buried, therefore
it had to be a long time since only the bones were left. How did she do
that? We can say she may have had servants to help. No doubt someone brought
her food and water. She had to sleep and perhaps servants kept watch while
she slept. But the bottom line is, she was dedicated to her task.
B. Rizpah's Dedication In the Face of . . Danger.
Because Rizpah wanted to
be a mother who kept vultures and wild beasts away, she was. Dedication
makes a difference. On television recently that had a program called "Supermoms"
One mother has six children, a full time job and etc. How does she
do it? She wants to be a great mom and is dedicated to the task.
Dedication eventually gets noticed. Verse 11 indicates David became aware of Rizpah's action. She wanted a burial for her sons but she never dreamed they would receive a royal burial. Her dedication was rewarded.
Illustration
The sculptor spends hours in shaping the features of the face; the
painter labors to give color to the hair or expression to the face. Their
work is to stand for ages to come. But a mother is shaping substances more
imperishable than canvas or marble. She can afford to be patient and wait
long enough for results. She has all eternity in which to watch development.
Application
Mothers, how much time are you willing to give to the responsibility
of Motherhood? How diligent, persistent and dedicated are you willing to
be? Right now it may not be as you wish with your children. The final results
are not in. Rizpah didn't succeed in a month or two, but her dedication
took her on. In our congregation today, Sylvia Butler worships. She has
a son she prayed for, and now he is saved. Mother, don't give up hope;
continue to be dedicated to the task of Motherhood.
CONCLUSION
Some of you here today are trying to be a Mother, but you don't have
a relationship with Christ. We invite you to make a public commitment to
Jesus. The greatest present you can give to your Mom is a Christian son
or daughter. Make your decision as we extend the invitation.
Mothers, Godly Concern: Are All The Children in?
I think ofttimes as the night draws nigh Of an old house on the hill, Of a yard all wide and blossom-starred Where the children played at will, And when the night at last came down, Hushing the merry din, Mother would look around and ask, "Are all the children in?"
'Tis many and many a year since then, And the old house on the hill No longer echoes to childish feet, And the yard is still, so still. But I see it all, as the shadows creep, And though many the years have been Since then, I can hear my mother ask, "Are all the children in?"
I wonder if when the shadows fall On the last short, earthly day, When we say good-bye to the world outside, All tired with our childish play, When we step out into that Other Land Where Mother so long has been, Will we hear her ask, just as of old,
"Are all the children in?" --Florence Jones Hadley
I. RIZPAH, A Mother of
Example In Her DEVOTION. v 10
2. RIZPAH, A Mother of
Example In Her DEMONSTRATION. v 10
3. RIZPAH, A Mother of
Example In Her DEDICATION. v 9-11