Closing the Book on Saul

With the famine at an end, things, at last, returned to normal in Israel.

David had been impressed by Rizpah’s devotion as she stood vigil over the bodies of her two dead sons, preventing birds and wild beasts from devouring their remains.

“Rizpah was one of the concubines of Saul, with whom Abner had been charged with committing adultery ([2 Samuel] 3:7).

As a result of this mother’s watchfulness and steadfast endurance in the face of such a heartbreaking task, David decided to return the remains of Saul and Jonathan to their ancestral home. It was time to tie up loose ends.

The Philistines had fastened the bodies of Saul and his sons to a wall facing the public square in their town of Beth-shan (1 Samuel 31:10–12).

It was from this place, in the dead of night, the brave men of Jabesh-gilead had recovered them (vv. 11–13). The bones, plucked from their foes, had been kept in Jabesh-gilead ever since that night raid. “Wishing to show that he cherished no enmity against the former king, David brought the bones of Saul and Jonathan from Jabesh-gilead and gave them an honorable burial in the ancient family sepulcher.” David had them returned to Zelah, a town in Benjamin (Joshua 18:28) that must have been near Gibeah, for that was the family home of Saul.

“And after that God was intreated for the land” (2 Samuel 21:14).

This verse does not suggest “that David had followed God’s plan for atoning for Saul’s evil deed. The Lord might measure an act by the sincerity of heart that prompted it, even though He condemned the act itself.” David surrendered the seven sons of Saul to the Gibeonites, knowing they would be put to death. He sincerely desired to administer justice and ruled that it would be served by offering up the men.

“The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3).