Today, we continue writing about a blessed woman in the bible named Rizpah who caused a king and a nation to remember that her innocent sons and nephews died for the sins of the people. Like Rizpah I pray that all my friends everywhere who read this will remind people that the innocent Son of God, the Lord Jesus died for the sins of the people. Remember Proverbs 11:30 says the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life and he that winneth souls is wise. Tell people everywhere to confess Jesus as God and believe in their heart that Jesus died for them on the cross and rose again to be saved according to Romans 10:9.
Pictured above after the Gibeonites killed Rizpah's two innocent sons and Michal's five innocent sons for their daddy Saul's sin of slaying the Gibeonites, Rizpah went out on a hill underneath her two sons and five nephews to protect them from the birds of the air by day and the beasts of the field by night. Rizpah took a big black sackcloth and spread it upon a rock underneath her slain sons' and nephews' bodies and for months Rizpah watched and protected her slain sons from the birds and beasts. For weeks and weeks, Rizpah kept away the buzzards and vultures by day, and the jackals, wolves, and coyotes by night from her slain sons' and nephews' bodies.
The bible speaks about the above picture at 2 Samuel 21:9 and says And he (David) delivered them (the seven sons of Saul) into the hands of the Gibeonites and they hanged them in the hill before the Lord, and they fell all seven together and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days in the beginning of barley harvest. And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for her upon the rock from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night.
Rizpah was a victim of vengeance. Rizpah had lost her husband Saul and her two dear sons Armoni and Mephibosheth because of the sins of the people. But Rizpah said I'm going to cause the king and the people to remember that innocent children were killed and deserved a proper burial. Rizpah wanted to preserve the bodies of her slain sons and nephews from the buzzards, vultures, jackals, wolves, and coyotes to avoid the shame of people mocking and wagging their heads because these boys did not have a proper burial.
Pictured above we see that three women named Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, like Rizpah wanted to preserve the body of the innocent Lamb of God, our Lord Jesus who is the Son of God who died for the sins of the people. Mary Magdalene, Mary, and Salome came to the tomb of Jesus with spikenard, spices, ointment, and embalming fluids that weighed 120 pounds to preserve and protect Jesus' body from decaying. Mark 16:1 says And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had brought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him (Jesus after He died and was in a tomb). These three women were like Rizpah who wanted to preserve the bodies of Saul's slain sons from decaying by driving away vultures, buzzards, jackals, wolves, and coyotes day and night.
Friends, like Rizpah, Mary Magdalene, Mary, and Salome, let's all preserve the memory that innocent Jesus our Lord died on the cross for the sins of all people past, present, and future. Tell people everywhere to be like Rizpah and remind people to daily look by faith with their hearts at the innocent Son of God Jesus who was crucified for our sins. Everytime we see our Lord Jesus on the cross by faith, we should all say Lord Jesus forgive me for my sins that crucified you and thanks for dying for me, taking away my sins with your precious blood, and giving me eternal life. Now I'm gonna try to win the world to Jesus Christ. Forgive me for not being a better christian.
Friend anywhere reading this, say this prayer right now and I pray peace and strength to fill your life in Jesus name. Say Lord Jesus please keep the cross ever before my eyes that it might lead me, direct me, and guide me in the way you would have me to go. May I be like Rizpah and daily live in the shadow of the cross of our innocent Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God that is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Thank you Lord Jesus that I am crucified with Christ according to Galatians 2:20 and that the blood of Jesus has overcome and destroyed the devil, cleansing me from all my sins. Rejoice friends because Hebrews 2:14 promises when Jesus died on the cross, the devil and the power of death was destroyed forevermore.
Note also that Jesus said that when Mary Magdalene anointed him with spikenard at Simon's house, the spikenard ointment was to be used for his burial to preserve His body from decay. Mary Magdalene like Rizpah wanted to preserve the Son of God's body from decay. Jesus said at Matthew 26:12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. Mark 14:3 speaks of Mary Magdalene anointing Jesus with spikenard at Simon's house and says And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious, and she brake the box, and poured it on His head.
People have said Brother Bob how do you know that the unnamed woman at Simon's house that anointed Jesus with spikenard was Mary Magdalene? In response I tell people to read Luke's account of this story at Luke 7:36 to the end of the chapter. Then notice at Luke 8:2 we see that after Mary Magdalene anointed Jesus with spikenard at Simon's house, Mary Magdalene was healed of evil spirits and infirmities and followed Jesus. Luke 8 says And it came to pass afterward, that He (Jesus) went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God; and the twelve were with him. And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils (the bible tells us that Mary Magdalene was the woman healed at Simon's house that followed Jesus).
OK, back to our study about Rizpah. After Rizpah for months ran off any bird or beast from her slain sons' and nephews' bodies, pictured above a man told King David that Rizpah was up on the hill underneath the seven slain sons of Saul. The man told King David that people all over the nation daily saw the silhouettes of seven trees, seven slain men, and one faithful woman named Rizpah going from one body to another body driving away any critter and it's shaming the entire nation that the boys have not been buried.
This caused David to feel guilty and ashamed that he killed innocent children for the sins of the people without a proper burial. As a result David gathered the bones of Saul, Jonathan, and the seven slain sons. David then buried Saul and Jonathan in the sepulchre of Kish who was Saul's father. Notice that only Saul and Jonathan were buried with no mention that Saul's seven slain sons were buried. I believe this occurred to have us remember that our Lord Jesus was resurrected and is not in any grave forevermore. We could say Rizpah like Mary Magdalene couldn't find the bodies of her sons or Jesus because they were all risen from the dead. Saul and his seven sons were anointed and like Jesus are not in any grave but risen living forevermore in the kingdom of God.
Next read how the bible describes how David was shamed by Rizpah and gathered the bones of Saul's seven sons, Saul, and Jonathan, burying only Saul and Jonathan. 2 Samuel 21:11 says And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah the concubine of Saul had done. And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead which had stolen them from the street of Bashan, where the Philistines had hanged them when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa.
2 Samuel 21:13 goes on to say And he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged. And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah. In the sepulchre of Kish his father, and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was intreated for the land.
Now, as you all look at the second picture above, see how as King David in the old testament felt guilty for killing the seven innocent sons of Saul, the 3000 people in the new testament who heard Peter preach how Jesus died for their sins also felt guilty for crucifying our Lord Jesus. Wow, like David these three thousand people felt guilty for killing the innocent Son of God Jesus and repented, got saved, and accepted Jesus as their Lord.
The story about the second picture and Peter's sermon to the 3000 people that crucified Jesus is found at Acts 2:36 that says Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. As Peter like Rizpah preached that innocent Jesus died for the sins of the people, the 3000 people like King David realized that their sins had wrongfully killed our Lord Jesus, and they all got saved. Acts 2:40 goes on to say And with many other words did he (Peter) testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Notice also that many of the priests also believed and accepted Jesus as their Lord as they heard the disciples preach how Jesus died for the sins of the people. Acts 18:8 says And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue believed on the Lord with all his house and many of the Corinthians hearing believed and were baptized. Friend, I pray in Jesus name, we can be like Rizpah and Peter and remind people that innocent Jesus died for their sins, rose again and must be confessed as God to be saved, as lost sinners receive everlasting life.
As always it has been a great joy to write this bible study today about Rizpah. Feel free to email Brother Bob anytime at rz9tlm@gmail.com or write to Brother Bob Malkin, 2233 Pinetree Lane, Apt. N., Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068. (614) 604-7133. Till we all meet again soon to lift up our Lord Jesus, everyone have a blessed day in Jesus name.
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