The End of Jacob's Trouble in 2 Samuel 21:1-142SA 21:1-14

The Gibeonites were caretakers of the ark of the Lord for 20 years, and Saul slew them! This accounts for the death of his descendents-"His blood be on us, and on our children," and we have had a holocaust in our time.
There had been three years of famine, year after year, because Saul had killed the Gibeonites. They required that seven men of the sons of Saul be given up to them to be hanged as a recompense. There were given unto the Gibeonites two sons of Rizpah and the five sons of Merab. They were hanged on 17th Abib at the feast of firstfruits. Barley was reaped at this time and typifies the lowly man Christ Jesus, but in resurrection so that others could follow later. "Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming.”
“Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her [not for someone else] upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.”
The ark of the Lord was in the house of Abinadab on a hill at Kirjath-Jearim (a city of the Gibeonites) for 20 years. Scripture states that the seven men were hanged on the hill before Jehovah (2 Sam. 21:9).
Saul was the immediate cause of blood-shedding in Israel (2 Sam. 21:1). He is a figure of instability. Merab was to have been David's wife, with the hope that the Philistines would kill him as the king's son-in-law. Saul gave Michal to be David's wife for the same deadly purpose. "For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord." James 1:7.
From the beginning of barley harvest to the early rain of Bul is ½ year. The 3½ years of Jacob's trouble ended, and the Lord gave Israel four (completeness in that which is ordained of God) victories over the Philistines who had taken the ark of the Lord from Israel.
Then follows, in 2 Sam. 22, the millennial song of Israel's salvation, restoration, blessing and peace.
W. Bothwell