A New Administration

 

    When a new administration comes into office it is a time of cleaning house.  They give a new atmosphere or a different feeling to life.  It can be good or bad, but there is always change.  In the USA the President only gets four years before reelected for just one more term or replaced.  The point is to keep a dictator from taking over and it takes time to make real change.  We have to have faith that they will do the best they can for their nation.

    David had been office for many years. His focus was making the world a better and unified world for his nation.  By doing good by his people, he profited more than just financially.   However, it came to a point where he had to fix some of  Saul's mistakes.  A famine hit the nation that lasted three years because Saul killed the Gibeonites (one of the 12 unified tribes).  It was time in David's administration to make that mistake right.

    David summoned the leaders to see what he could do to make them part of the unified nation again.  The terms ended up being that they wanted seven of Saul's descendants to pay the price.  They were sacrificed right before the Barley Harvest began.  It was harsh, but sin has always required blood.  If David did not comply, then the entire nation may have died.  Mephibosheth was one of the seven that died.  After it was done, it rained and the descendants were buried with Saul and Jonathan.

    David was getting older.  He was no longer the warrior he once was.  When he went to fight the Philistines, he almost died because he fatigued during battle.  It would have been a horrible blow for the nation.  They were not prepared to loss this great king just yet.  His men swore that they would never let him go to battle again.  It was a good time for retirement from battle and focus solely on the administration of the nation.  

    David to begin preparing for the new administration that would follow him.  If he wanted his vision to continue, then he needed to share it with whom would come next.  He needed to share all the knowledge and wisdom that he had learned in his life to prepare the next king for what he would face and how to rely on God to work out the details.

2 Samuel 21