We humans are not very good at honoring agreements; look at nations of the earth making and breaking agreements. Marriages make promises and agreements and shortly after they smash these precious agreements made in the name of the Lord. God honors his word and watches over agreements made in his name. Sometimes people think that God does not watch over these agreements made in his name. Remember that you cannot mock God, whatever you sow you will reap. An agreement is a covenant, do not get into one if you do not intend to honor it using the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In 2nd Samuel 21:1 it reads, ” then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year and David inquired of the Lord.” In life we often go through some things that we may not be responsible for but suffer for the errors of others. Here king David and all of Israel were suffering from the effects of a famine that had lasted for three years. Famine means poor or little or no harvest, could involve draught, pestilence on the crops etc. Whatever the case may be, they did not have enough from their harvest, and may be not enough planting materials. Men suffered for three years running. There were prophets and David was the king, a man after God’s heart, yet the famine struck.

David like many of us today wondered what was wrong, that they were suffering from three years of famine. Many of us today would have had scientific and metrological or even psychic answers or solutions to this famine. But the bible said, and David inquired of the Lord. There is absolute wisdom in seeking the Lord like David, when strange situations like a famine is in the land or sickness or any negative impacting event. God answered David and told him what the problem was. Many Christians have found themselves in strange circumstances and have done the same thing that David did; inquired from the Lord and the Lord answered. May be you have experienced the same thing. David made it a part and parcel of his life to always know the Lord’s mind on every strange or doubtful situation; unlike many of us today.

The Lord answered David, in 2nd Samuel 21:2 saying, “It is for Saul and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.” One would ask who are these Gibeonites? This takes us back to the days of Moses Joshua 9:24 confirms it, which reads, ” Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the Lord thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you.” This was the instruction given to Moses from God and passed on to Joshua and Israel as they went out to settle in the promised land. This included destroying the Gibeonites. As Israel in their conquest got nearer to the land of the Gibeonites; some representatives of the Gibeonites deceived the Israelites into believing that they were strangers from a far country (Joshua 9:1-24). Joshua and the princes of Israel fell for the deceit and made an agreement with them without first inquiring from God. The agreement prohibited the children of Israel from killing any of the Gibeonites, as recorded in verse 18 of this chapter.

After over five hundred years, with the passing of the period of the judges of Israel, the coming of Samuel the prophet started the rule and reign of the kings. Saul was the first king in Israel and did things that were contrary to the word of God. Among the things he did included the killing of the Gibeonites who were in a league with Israel through an oath in the name of the Lord God of Israel. The sworn agreement guaranteed that the Gibeonites were safe among the Israelites. Unfortunately, King Saul neither kept the covenant with the Gibeonites nor inquired of God before killing them. Saul breached the league between Israel and the Gibeonites in killing them when he was king. This caused the famine in the time of David and God was aware of the breach. God also knew that the Gibeonites were grieved with Israel; and wondered if they were a people who honored the name of their God, based on the oath and covenant entered into with their forefathers. The famine in Israel and the action of David proved that Israel was sensitive to their God and were willing to make restitution for lasting peace.

When David inquired of the Lord about the cause of the famine, he got answer of the Lord that it was because of Saul’s killing of the Gibeonites. David called on the Gibeonites and discussed what they wanted from Israel to stop the famine. They ended up hanging seven men of the family of Saul and that ended the famine because God was entreated for the land. God watches every agreement made in his name and defends such for his names sake. Always make all your agreements in the name of the Lord.

From the life of king David we can learn about agreements and how God looks at them, this is wisdom:

1. Seek God before any agreement to know his will, counsel and guidance.
2. Make every agreement in the name of the Lord as witness and executor of it.
3. Always honor every agreement that the name of the Lord is involved.
4. Let God be judge in any breach of the agreement.
5. Vengeance is mine saith the Lord, do not take laws into your hands when God is involved.

There is no substitute to seeking the mind of God in any situation; also honor all agreements that is made in the name of the Lord. If you make an agreement even with an unbeliever in the name of the Lord, you must honor the name of the Lord. Do not make any agreement without first seeking the mind of the Lord.