Rev. Dr. Calvin Rice
NJBC 06-15-2008
“Victims of Circumstance”
2nd Samuel 21
In the scientific arena, in particular the field of physics, there is a theory of law called cause and effect. This law contends that there is a rationale behind everything. There’s a logical answer for every question. There’s a solution for every problem and there is a reason for every circumstance and every situation.
Whatever your problem may be today, whatever your condition is, it’s not the result of bad luck and there is a reason. Something or somebody perpetuated your circumstance. That something or somebody may or may not be identifiable but there is a cause. There’s a logical explanation somewhere.
Oh, we may never discover who or what, but there’s a reason to be found. The law says that water does not boil without a cause. You must apply heat above 212°, this is the cause. When the temperature reaches 212° a bubbling takes place as the water begins boiling. This is the result – effect.
Jet planes do not just drift up into the air, there’s a cause. You must first build up wind turbulence and the cause of the turbulence is the jet engines and the effect is thousands of pounds of steel speeding down a runway.
I want to suggest to you that this is not only a scientific law, but that it is a universal law, which encompasses every aspect of life. Intellectually it is true, study will produce academic achievement. Study is the cause, the effect is achievement. In contrast, too much TV is one of the major causes of so much ignorance among our people. They’re well-versed in the soap operas you know a lot about what’s happening on “Another World,” but you are ignorant about things taking place in your backyard or closer.
We are informed about the “Young and the Restless.” You know all about, “All My Children.” But you better understand we have some restless children of our own and there’s a reason and cause for it. Some of the cause is us.
The law of cause and effect has physical implications also. Science calls it, “The Law of Cause and Effect,” but when Jesus introduced it 2,000 years ago, He simply said, “You shall reap what you sow. If you sow sparingly, you shall reap sparingly.” “Give and it shall be given unto you.” “Knock and the door shall be opened,” “Seek and ye shall find.” “Sow to the wind and reap the whirlwind.” “Fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children’s teeth are on edge.” Call it anything you want, the results are the same.
Knocking is what causes the door to open, giving is how you get. If you sow to the wind now, you will reap the whirlwind later. Go ahead young folk, sow your wild oats but you shall reap what you sow. We can’t get angry with God when our seeds start to grow up.
All of our problems, every single disease, every murder, every theft, every lie that was told, can be traced back to sin, social, political economical. That’s what’s wrong with Black men. There are social ills, unemployment, poverty, racism. We are victims of all this, but sin is the cause – death is the effect. Sin caused Abraham to lie about Sarah not being his wife, it wasn’t poverty! Sin caused Noah to get drunk and curse his son. Sin caused David to kill Uriah and take his wife.
“The wages of sin is death.” Sin is death, sin has a consequence and it’s not always immediate. And don’t you believe that lie that you’re not hurting anyone but yourself. That cigarette you’re puffing on is killing me too! The money you spent in the bar could have put your son through college, bought a new home in a better neighborhood.
Part of what’s wrong with our children is what used to be wrong with us, and in some cases still is. You wonder why your son drinks so much. 9 times out of 10, somebody was drunk when he was conceived. The way to save our children is to save our parents; because if the parents are disobedient, their children will reap their mistakes.
That’s what this text is all about. Nestled there in the 21st chapter of the second book of Samuel is one of the most dramatic and pathetic stories every written. Tennyson the poet was inspired by it when he wrote the poem, “Riz-pah.”
There was a famine during the days of David that lasted 3 years and David asked God why? The Lord told him it was because of Saul’s mistreatment of the Gibeonites. They were a remnant of the Amorites who tricked Joshua into making a treaty with them, which Israel was bound to uphold. However, when Saul became king, he ran roughshod over them and killed many of them.
Knowing the cause of their trouble, David dispatched a messenger to the Amorites to come and make peace. “What can I give you as retribution,” asked David. They replied, “We don’t want money, silver or gold. We don’t want you to put anyone to death.” David replied, “Then ask what you will and it shall be done.” They said, “Give us the seven sons of Saul that we may take them up the hill of Gibeah and torture them.”
As twilight descended a little old woman, mother of 2 sons, a concubine of Saul’s named Riz-Pah, climbed the hill of Gibeah.
I want to lift up 3 ideas that echo from the text:
FIRST of all, sin has many consequences. One single act of adultery can break up two homes, destroy two marriages, and disrupt the lives of countless children. That son or daughter who gets strung out on drugs not only hurts himself/herself but the whole family suffered.
SECOND don’t think because you haven’t heard from your sin that you’ve gotten away with it. Your sin will find you out, in fact it may already have found you out, and you just don’t realize it yet.
FINALLY sin leaves everybody a victim of circumstance. Ask anybody involved in this incident the question of why, and their answer will be the same. Their motives may be different, but their answer will be the same, “We are victims of circumstance.”
[1] Ask the 7 sons of Saul, “Why are you here?” “We’re suffering as victims of circumstance, suffering for what we didn’t do. Innocent by-standers, we didn’t do anything.”
[2] Ask the Gibeonites, “Why are you there?” “We are here for revenge, but we’re victims of circumstance.”
[3] Ask Riz-pah, “Why are you here?” “I am here out of love, I am a victim of circumstance.”
But I see another victim of circumstance, Jesus on Mt. Calvary, “Why are you there?”
[1] “Because of one sin 5,000 years ago.”
“Why are you there?”
[2] “Because Satan wanted revenge, but I laid down my life.”
[3] “Why?” “Because God so loved the world. . .”
