By Paula McFarland
Let me encourage you to become a Rizpah, in the spiritual sense of the word.
Gutsy – adj: marked by courage and determination
In 2 Samuel 21:1-14, we have a story of one very determined and courageous woman –Rizpah! This story of Rizpah stirs and excites me to become more determined then ever before to believe God, for the promises He has made to me, for my children!
The story begins with a famine in the land that had lasted three years and King David seeking God for the reason of the famine. David is informed that King Saul had killed innocent people among the tribe of the Gibeonites. For this evil the Gibeonites requested ‘blood for blood’ –seven of King Saul’s sons were to die. King David granted the request and these young men were crucified all at the same time. Two of these seven were sons of Rizpah and five were being raised by Michal, the daughter of Saul, Adriel the son of Barzillai.
I am sharing with you about ‘one gutsy woman –Rizpah! This woman had stamina, determination, devotion, love and courage. She was a mother touched by the affliction of her children! It says of Rizpah that she took sackcloth and went to where her sons were. They were hung upon a hill in Gibeah, Saul’s home town. People could walk by and point, talking about the demise of Saul’s sons. Law stated that those hung were to be brought down and buried before the day was over but if you look and study it out you find they were hung from the beginning of barley harvest until the wheat harvest, a period of between five to six months, from April until October!
Sackcloth represents mourners and affliction; usually it was black (like sin) and rough. Sackcloth also represents being broken and need for repentance. Do you see this mother’s heart? I guarantee her heart was broken, I guarantee she was repentant for Saul’s behavior, but she couldn’t change what had already been done to her sons. I can picture Rizpah now as she is there with her sackcloth. “Shu-u-u-u! Get out of here! Leave the sacrifice alone!” – these were her children! There was no way she was going to let the birds and beast devour their remains! They were King’s kids and they deserved a proper burial! I am sure that there were days she shaded herself with the sackcloth, in between whacking at the ravenous birds –and sheltering herself from the penetrating sunlight! This is a ‘gutsy woman’!
It says she was upon a rock –the place of an altar. Our rock is Jesus, and when we come to the altar there is repentance, and death to sin. Jesus then becomes our place of safety –support –shelter –strength –defense –salvation – foundation and so forth. I can almost imagine that Rizpah became very familiar with that rock. Maybe she even dozed while she sat upon it from time to time, for we know she certainly couldn’t get much sleep, –she was protecting her children!
Her children deteriorated before her very eyes –their skin decaying –turning black from the sun –bones bleached from hours of sunlight! Rizpah, are you crazy, woman? What on earth are you doing out here? You can’t do a thing for your sons now, why don’t you go on home, everyone is talking about you. Why, some have told the King that you must have gone mad because you stay here day and night, week after week, and month after month!
“Shu-u-u-u! Get out of here!” She took her sackcloth to drive away the vultures. “These are my sons, leave the sacrifice alone!” At night, all alone, the wild beast would probably approach her as she sat there in darkness. Maybe occasionally she sat by the light of the moon watching the shadows of the wild animals. Rizpah would take her sackcloth –“shu-u-u! these are my sons –leave the sacrifice alone!” Surely she became exhausted with the continued fight to protect her children against the elements, but these were her children! We are talking about a mother –‘a gutsy woman’!
It is said that people possess great strength and ability in time of danger and Rizpah was one of these people. We are talking about ‘a gutsy woman’ –her love –her grief –a will greater than the death that was before her–gave unusual courage to this woman!
There was no place to grab a quick bite, no refrigerator close by where she could refresh herself with something cool to drink –no friend to hold her hand –to sympathize with her. Rizpah, how much longer are you going to stay? Looks as so the King has forgotten you out here. We doubt that these boys are going to be buried; it’s been over four months now. “Shu-u-u-u! Get out of here! Go on! Leave the sacrifice alone!” Rizpah you are ‘one gutsy woman,’ that’s all I can say –I’ve never seen a woman with such passion –such readiness to fight for what is right!
I can imagine that Rizpah prayed each day, “Lord, please send rain that my sons could be released from this curse and come down from here!” Rizpah how can you bear to look upon the sockets of where their eyes once were? “They are my children, no one else will love them as I love them –no one else will fight for them as I will fight for them! They are Kings’ kids, must I remind you they deserve a proper burial! I must stand in the gap –they are my children!”
Rizpah, I understand your love for your children but the other five boys aren’t yours, where is their mother? Why have you fought for them as you have your own? Why isn’t she here with you, at your side, why hasn’t she come to give you rest, why isn’t she helping to ward off the attack of the enemies?
What’s this! Look, its rain drops –it’s beginning to rain! Imagine the heart of this ‘gutsy woman’ as she melted at the approaching cool rain drops upon her skin and her tears mixing with their flow! The rain was the answer that the curse was over. The King’s kids would now receive a proper burial–because of a ‘gutsy woman’ –their mother, Rizpah!
Rizpah, someone’s coming –who is it –what’s taking place here? Has compassion touched King David and has he been moved by pity at the report of the people on your behalf? He has granted a proper burial! There are ‘gutsy women’ reading this right now! You have trained your children up in the Lord and the enemy has taken them and placed them in a place of exhibition for others to look at and shake their heads. People look and think –Rizpah, what’s wrong with you girl? How long you going to keep praying, keep fighting against the attacks of the enemy. Don’t you realize you have lost out! Give up, what good is it to continue. If these are King’s kids then why hasn’t the King rescued them?
Rizpah, it looks like you’ve lost –you might as well hang it up! Do you think Jesus really hears your prayers day and night, week after week, month after month while you stand in the gap? Look what the elements have done to your children –look how they have changed –why how can you expect rain now after all this time! Some of the same thoughts, vultures and wild beast that Rizpah probably had are now facing you!
Rizpah, what is that! Rizpah, I can’t believe it but it looks like God has heard your prayer –it looks like the King of Kings has sent rain –is bringing justice! Rizpah it was worth it after all! Sister let me encourage you today. Don’t give up! God knows your heart, and He hasn’t allowed your children to know the truth of His word to die in the enemies’ hand. The enemy may have taken them away for a time. He may of placed them in the limelight of the world –devoured them with things of the world and people recognize the sin they are living in, but you are their mother. No one is going to love them like you love them –no one is going to stand in the gap for them like you will –and no one will sacrifice for them like you ‘the gutsy woman’!
Written & Submitted by Rev. Paula G. Mc Farland
(Excerpt from her book ‘Seasons...a devotional on life’)
Zane Publishing, Inc. and Merriam-Webster, Inc. 2000
