by In 2 Samuel 21:1, Israel was starving during a devastating famine that had been ongoing for three years. It was the King’s responsibility to take care of and feed his people. Though the Bible doesn’t tell us what King David did for those three years, we can imagine he formed plan after plan, “year after year,” that obviously failed because the famine continued. As a leader after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), he would have had trusted wise advisors, but all their plans evidently failed as well. It was not until after three years of watching his people starve, the Bible says that David “inquired of the Lord.” It was then that God revealed the famine was a punishment for Saul’s violation of Israel’s covenant made with the Gibeonites back in Joshua 9:15-21. This covenant came about when the Gibeonites deceived Joshua. Though it was vowed upon out of deceit, it was binding in the eyes of God who takes all vows serious regardless of if they are made in foolish haste (Ecclesiastes 5:5).
When David finally inquired, he got his answer. We will never know what would have happened if going to God had been David’s first response and not his last resort? Equally, what would be different in our lives if going to God were our first response and not our last resort?
In Luke 11:9-10, Jesus is waiting for us to inquire of Him where He said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Here, “ask” means to ask with a claim on receipt of an answer, “seek” means to try and find something and “knock” means to deliver a blow against something. Breaking these down into scriptural, contextual simplicity:
- ASKING is expecting an answer
- SEEKING is putting feet to your prayers
- KNOCKING is knowing where to seek the answer
Knocking is where we find our answer. We knock because we have a desire to have dealings with someone inside. We knock because there is a sense of expectation. We knock expecting an answer. The door is Jesus (John 10:7,9) and we’re told to ask in the Door’s name — “whatsoever ye shall ask in my name” (John 14:13-14).
