Choosing the Right Type of Prayer for the Situation (2 Sam 21.1)
Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the LORD.
Background
In the aftermath of Absalom’s rebellion and his subsequent death, David had much to do. His reaction to Absalom’s death had hurt his standing with his people. His army questioned his leadership, the northern tribes were less than sure about him, and Judah, the tribe where Jerusalem was situated, wanted its King back. David, with skill and humility, deals with the problems and returns to Jerusalem to resume the throne. All was still not well, however. The tension between northern Israel and Judah in the South resulted in a minor rebellion under a man named Sheba. There were no battles fought, and the citizens took care of it by killing Sheba.
While much of the story of David’s kingship has dealt with military and political turmoil, there were also natural disasters to address as well. This prayer comes after three years of a drought. David “inquires” of God about it. As we have noted before, this was a practice among all people in the ancient near east. It involved divining, usually by a priest, a “yes” or “no” (“this” or “that”) answer to a question put before a god or before God.1
- For more on the actual practices, see “Prayer and Casting Lots (1 Sam 10.22).”
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