Bloodguilt (1 Samuel 21)

     There was a famine in Israel for 3 years and David sought the face of the Lord. God answered with the fact that there was bloodguilt when Saul was king, under his own authority. Saul killed some people that he shouldn’t have, basically. David sought out the people that were sinned against, the Gibeonites. David tried to make it right. He first tried to give money, that’s really the first thought anyone would have, right? The Gibs ask blood to be repayed for blood. David obliged them, he hanged some people from Saul’s family.

    Again, God’s all about justice, He listened to the plea of the land vs. 14b. I think some very important things need to be taken from here about God’s response. Like I said, God is all about justice, He’ll dot all the i’s an cross all the t’s. He precise. Before God decided to listen to Israel’s plea for help from the famine, of which He did not cause, and chose to stay silent when the storms hit, a sin had to be handled. When something happens and God doesn’t seem to be helping, check for any sin in your life or unforgiveness that you might be holding against someone. Read Matthew 6:14-15,

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

    Notice the key here in vs. 15. “If you do not forgive others…neither will God forgive you of your sins…” God can’t even be close to us! When we’re saved, we’re forgiven and God lives in our hearts but how can we even consider ourselves Christians if God can’t even forgive us? We’re really more like the prodigal son though. Still sons/daughters, just fallen away sons/ daughters. It goes right back to Israel because of Saul’s sins in a real life example, God couldn’t/wouldn’t even  help His own children when they called for help unless the past sins were dealt with.

      If you are having difficulty with hearing God or having Him help you, go back and resolve sin. God cannot have anything to do with sin. We need to ask forgiveness and forgive. Forgiveness is as if it never happened. God Himself paid the bloodguilt. Sin causes death.

      I love You Lord my Father. I can’t say that enough. You paid the price of death so that I can have life.

-Matthew