A Word For Single Moms

649 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 21:10 Now Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until the late rains poured on them from heaven. And she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night. (2 Sam 21:10) Rizpah was a concubine of Saul's and her two sons (Armoni and Mephibosheth) were selected by David to be turned over to the Gibeonites to be hanged. This woman had been tragically used by Saul and Abner (who were now both dead) as a concubine, and all she had left were her children. Now, two of them were dead and their bodies left hanging in the hot mid eastern sun. It became her mission to seek to protect her boys bodies from being plundered by the birds, and thereby spare their reputation. Pr 30:17 says, “The eye that mocks his father, And scorns obedience to his mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it.” So she camps out on a rock near the bodies to keep the birds away. This was no overnight camping trip. She stayed there from the spring harvest all the way to the fall rains. Her actions would tell the world that her sons were good sons, not rebellious, and even though they were dead and gone, she was going to protect their reputation. This single mom was not to be messed with when it came to the reputation of her kids! It is unfortunate that we live in a world where the use of concubines (illicit lovers) still exists. Men and women are taken in by the world's view of sexuality and relationships, and as a result, many women find themselves in the role of Rizpah, a single mom, trying to raise children of good reputation. God bless all single moms who find themselves in these situations. May God give you the strength and the stamina of Rizpah as you seek to raise your children, and may the Lord wake us up as a nation, and restore a right view of marriage and family in all of our young men and women.