We come to 2 Samuel 21, which contains an odd story about the Gibeonites taking revenge on Saul’s descendants. You can read it for yourself, 2 Samuel 21.1 – 14. I have way more questions than answers:

There are things in the Bible hard to understand:

• I can’t even find the massacre they’re talking about.
• It’s said that God caused the famine.
• The solution is to kill seven of Saul’s descendants, men who had nothing to do with anything: sons, fathers, husbands, grieved by their mother.
• Finally, they take all the remains, including Saul and Jonathan and bury them in the tomb of Kish. Then:

And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged. And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. And they did all that the king commanded. And after that God responded to the plea for the land. (2 Samuel 21.13, 14, ESV)

As it says in The MSG: “That cleared things up…”

I don’t understand anything about this story. For example, “It’s not up to us to put anyone to death,” but “give us seven of his sons to be executed.” Really?

Except, I read in the news recently about deaths from flooding in several places around the world. There will always be death. These seven guys would have died eventually anyway. Maybe in battle at a young age. We don’t know. And overall, I think we’re looking at Deuteronomy 29.29.

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (ESV)

And one more thing as a suggestion:

When you’re reading the Bible and come to something you don’t understand, keep reading until you find something you do understand!

Maybe the close of Peter’s second letter applies:

Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand … But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3.14 – 18, ESV, emphasis mine)

PS When we keep reading 2 Samuel 21, we find that it closes on an upbeat note and answers the question, “Why did David, when fighting Goliath, take five stones?” Stay tuned.