[Esther 3] Act 1 Scene 3: The Villain Is Introduced, and He Begins His Evil Plan

In Esther 1, God’s providence is shown through God setting the stage for Esther to be queen. In Esther 2, God’s providence is demonstrated through God strategically placing Esther and Mordecai. Up to this point, the heroes have been introduced. In Esther 3, we, the readers, will meet the villain. We’ll watch him introduce conflict into our story. Then we’ll ask ourselves, “How does God’s providence work when evil is afoot?”

So let’s meet our villain. Start reading Esther 3, and you’ll bump into him right away. First, we learn that his name is Haman. Second, we learn Haman is the son of Hammedatha. Third, we learn that Haman made his way through the ranks to second-in-command. Haman, in our terms, was a prime minister. We don’t know why he was elevated; the Bible simply tells us he was. Fourth, we learn Haman was an Agagite. The term “Agagite” could mean a couple of things. The complicated answer is that it means he’s a descendant of Agag, the last king of the Amalekites. To give you a brief history reminder, the Amalekites were Israel’s greatest rival. Because of their sin and great hatred towards God’s people, God planned to blot them out. So in the last war between the Israelites and Amalekites, God, through Samuel, told King Saul to totally wipe out the Amalekites. That includes every man, every woman and every child. But King Saul did not listen. Instead, he let King Agag and his family live. It wasn’t until Samuel appeared that the king was killed. Haman might be a descendant of Agag, but it’s dependant on the fact the King Agag’s wife or child escaped the Israelite army somehow. A more simple answer would be Agagite means “from the town/region of Agag” and Agag is either a town or providence of Persia. Unfortunately, the uncertainty of the location also brings this theory into question. Also, may I add, to further the frustration, that Haman’s name has not been found in any archaeological records. But to anyone who says that, I add “yet” to the end. It could still be out there, and it’s just that no one has found it. And even if they can’t find anything, that does not mean Haman didn’t exist.

Continue onto Esther 3:1-5. From the first 5 verses of Esther 3, the conflict is clear. Mordecai won’t bow down or pay honor to Haman. Haman here connects the fact that Mordecai won’t bow down because he is a Jew, and that’s the best reason I can give you, too. Mordecai won’t bow down or pay honor to Haman because Mordecai is a Jew. If I tried to explain it more specifically, I couldn’t because there is no clear, specific answer. Perhaps Mordecai is simply following the 2^nd commandment, which commands the Jews to bow down to no one or nothing but God Himself. So perhaps Mordecai considers bowing down to Haman as idolatry. Maybe it goes back to a historic battle, the battle between King Saul and King Agag. Now it’s the descendant of King Saul who refuses to pay homage to the descendent of King Agag, just King Saul refused to surrender to King Agag. But that would require for both of them to know each other’s ancestry. Or maybe it’s as simple as Mordecai not recognizing Haman as a legitimate authority or power. Remember Mordecai sides with Xerxes, the king, but he doesn’t side with Haman, the second-in-command. Since we don’t know how Haman got into power, it’s possible he got into power in a dishonest way. So maybe Mordecai doesn’t recognize Haman as a legitimate leader and ruler. The specific reasons could be any and every reason given, so it’s hard to say officially. But broadly speaking, we can make the same connection as Haman. It has something to do with Mordecai being a Jew.

So now Haman doesn’t want to kill just Mordecai, but he wants to kill all the Jews, as seen in Esther 3:6. This might seem a little excessive. Wouldn’t killing Mordecai be alone enough to communicate the message to not disrespect the king’s second-in-command? Not in the eyes of prideful Haman! To kill Mordecai alone might make the matter seem insignicant, but to kill Mordecai, his family and his race would send a clear message that this was a significant issue. Once again, I will raise the question, “Does this go back to a historical battle?” Haman might be trying to win the war against King Saul’s descendants that his ancestor King Agag could not finish in victory. I also want to remind you that “every Jew” means every Jew in the Persian Empire. That includes the Jewish refugees trying to rebuild Jerusalem! They already have enough trouble from adversaries, they don’t need more problems.

Haman begins his evil plan in Esther 3:7. The word “pur” comes from the Babylonian word “the lot.” This would the same as flipping a coil, rolling a dice, or even using a roulette wheel. It has been used many times in the Bible, in both the godly and ungodly circumstances. Examples would include, but not be limited to: Lots were cast to choose Mathias as the new disciple, lots were cast to divide Christ’s clothes, lots were cast to figure out whose fault the storm was in Jonah, etc. Now whether the pur is a godly pursuit or not is up for debate. Those for it will quote Proverbs 16:33; those against it will demonstrate that casting the lot came from pagan roots. Let me add one more piece to that equation: the results. The pur is cast on Nisan, which is during our April-May, but for them, it’s the first month of the year. The lot falls on Adar, which for us is February-March, but for them, it’s the last month of the year. Is this a coincidence that it’s going to take a whole year to execute or not? Let that resonate with you for the rest of this chapter. I’ll come back to that, so make sure you have an answer, or at least a thought by the end of this devotional commentary on Esther 3.

Haman presents his plans to Xerxes in Esther 3:8,9. Haman convinces Xerxes that Jews’ customs will not allow them to follow the laws of the land, which will lead to anarchy. Haman suggests the only way to solve this problem is to completely annihilate all the Jews. Haman even offers to donate 10,000 talents of silver to the nation’s treasury, just in case Xerxes feared this would put a hole in the national budget. With the wealth the reader sees Xerxes pour in the first 2 chapters of Esther, it would not have caused a financial, and thus Haman’s payment can be more understood as a bribe. In today’s weight, that would be 666,000 pounds of silver. In today’s currency, that would be worth around $135 million. $135 million is a lot, back then and today, to commit genocide. But Haman sees it necessary and worth it.

Let’s finish up the chapter with verses 10 to 15. King Xerxes does what he does best. He does not consider the consequence of his decision; he just acts. The deal Haman presented sounds pretty good. What’s to disagree with? King Xerxes foolishly gives his signet ring to Haman. The signet ring was what was used to make a seal. The seal of the king was the king’s official word. It gave laws power. What this means is Haman’s words and King Xerxes’s words are now one and the same. Haman’s law declares that every Jew be destroyed, killed and annihiliated, including women and children. Once again, I draw you back to the historic battle between King Saul and King Agag. God, through Samuel, commanded Saul to kill women and children Amalekites, but Saul did not. Because Saul did not, now the descendant of the Amalekites, Haman, sought to kill the Jewish women and children. Haman issues the law to be written in every language and sent off to every province. It was to be proclaimed, or read aloud, for the illiterate. Everyone in the empire is going to know about the law because everyone in the empire is going to be effected. And at the end of this chapter, the only two people who are at peace are Haman and Xerxes. The whole empire is confused, bewildered and scared. This is out of character for King Xerxes. And as we know, the whole reason is because Xerxes is just a puppet for Haman.

Time is up. Do you think the pur is a good method or a bad method? Do you think the timing worked out well, perhaps too well? I’m not sure the method is exactly the mostly godly, but I do believe that the results are godly. Is it just a coincidence that of all the months it could have fallen on it has to fall on the last month, especially when the lot is thrown in the first month. I truly believe this is the providence of God. We’re going to call it “perfect timing.” God providence is perfect timing. For a picture to help you remember, I’m going to put on a calendar. If yesterday’s, which we called “strategically placed” is could be summarized as “in the right place” then “perfect timing” could be summarized as “at the right time.” Ever have one of those moments were things happened at the right time? Maybe you finished a test just before the bell rang. Maybe all your homework end up being due on the Thursday before the big Friday night big game, so you could watch the game without worrying about homework. Maybe the concert just so happens to fall on the weekend you have off of school or work. If I were to think of one, I remember a time where it was down pouring rain on and off. I had forgot my raincoat and I was carrying important papers with me. I was afraid they were going to get wet. Well, just I was about the building, the rain stopped. I walked across the parking lot dry. And just as I starting pulling out of my parking space, it began to downpour again. It stormed the whole time, until I got back to my place. As I parked, the rain stopped again so I could get inside dry. Once I was inside, the rain continued. Of course I praised God. I cannot say that was pure coincidence. It had to be God. I gave you my testimony about how God used perfect timing in my life, and I gave some possible scenarios. I hope you can find some scenarios in your life. And I hope once you realize those moments, you will respond in the same way I did: by praising God.

And with the end of chapter 3 comes the end of Act 1 of the Esther epic. All the characters have been introduced, from the heroes, to the villains, and everyone in between. The villain has brought in the conflict, which will lead us into Act 2 and the rising action. How will the heroes react to the conflict? Will they think up a plan to save themselves and their people? We’ll find out as we continue through Esther!

1 Samuel 27: Sneaking In and Out

After another near encounter with Saul, David comes to realize he can’t play this hide and seek game anymore. Eventually, Saul will catch up to David and kill him. So David decides to run away from Saul by heading into Philistia and living with the Philistines. So Saul has all his men pack up their families and their possessions and move to Gath. David’s plan works. Sure enough, when Saul hears David moved to Gath, Saul quits his pursuit.

At this point the reader has to pause and ask “Why?” Why does David move to Philistia, after killing so many Philistines (especially Gath, the home of Goliath)? Wasn’t it wrong for David to leave his home country to live in the enemy’s territory? And what about Saul? Why did Saul stop pursuing? Really, it’s common sense. In common sense terms, David made the right decision to leave the nation of Israeland go to the Philistine country. A king only has jurisdiction in his own country. Only in rare circumstances, with permission, could a king go into a foreign nation after his adversary, but that would never happen when the two nations were enemies. David knew that and took advantage of it. Saul could only hunt David down while David was in Israel. Once David left Israel and entered Philistia, Saul could not follow him into Philistia. There was no way that King Achish would help Saul get David because Achish saw Saul as his enemy. I wouldn’t be surprised if Achish went by the old adage, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” and thus decided to house David in his land. Saul must have already realized too that he could not pursue David into a foreign land. But it’s not like it’s going to bother Saul. Saul probably saw David only as a threat to his throne while David was in Israel. Now with David out of Israel, Saul believes there is no way for David to get the throne of Israel. So Saul ceases his search.

While David has moved into the land of Philistia, he’s not willing to fully integrate his life and his men’s lives into the Philistine society and Philistine culture. He boldly asks King Achish for a plot of land or some kind of territory for him and his men and their families to be separate from everyone else. David uses the guise of servants like himself living separate from a royal family, like Achish’s family. Achish likes the sound of David being his servant, so he grants David a whole town, called Ziklag. Ziklag is another town that borders Philistia and Israel. It’s about 15 miles northwest of Beersheba, the southern-most point of Israel. The author makes a note that this city has been in the hands of the kings of Judah since David received it. This side note makes two statements. First, it shows that this book was written during the days of the Divide Kingdoms of Israeland Judah because it separates the kings of Judahfrom the kings of Israel. Second, this verse demonstrates that even when David is in Philistia, he’s already gaining territory for the nation of Israel. David stays in this town for 1 year and 4 months.

So what’s a man to do while living in a foreign town for 1 year and 4 months? Invade foreign people groups of course! Verse 8 explains that the area between Egyptand Shur was occupied by 3 different people groups: the Amalekites, the Geshurites and the Girzites. The fact the author needs to explain this demonstrates a late date where the audience would not have known of these people groups, or at least would not know that these people were in that region. David’s method was simple. David would take his men to their land, kill all the men and women, and take the animals and the clothes. Then David would return to Ziklag. It’s key that David is killing all the men and women. Saul was commanded by the Lord to do the same thing. Saul failed, keeping people alive, but David succeeded.

Obviously King Achish knows David is raiding, for David keeps bringing back animals and clothes. What Achish does not know is where David is raiding or who David is raiding. Achish asks David, but all David gives is the generic answer, “Against the Negev of the [people’s name].” This explains why David killed everyone: so no one could rep ort back to Achish who David is really killing and why. King Achish has no reason to doubt David, so he believes David. His thinking: If David keeps attacking the Negev, he’ll only be seen poorly by the Israelites. According to Achish, it only helps the Philistines and hurts the Israelites.

I am going to continue to 1 Samuel 28:1,2 because I believe these two verses fit better with 1 Samuel 27than 1 Samuel 28. The transition is much more smooth when those 2 verses are added to 1 Samuel 27. King Achish probably wants to attack because he believes that David has weakened Israel with all the attacks in Negev. But he still needs one more piece. So Achish requests that David fight with the Philistines against Israel. David replies by saying, “Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do.” Does this mean that David, the one the Lord anointed as King of Israel, will fight God’s people in Israel? Some scholars would say yes, that’s exactly what David had in mind. Other scholars disagree, claiming David is using word play and irony here. While Achish might interpret it as a “Yes,” what David means is, “You will see for yourself what your servant can do…when I turn on you in battle.” I have to stick more with the second interpretation.

Do you see what happened in the story? In the beginning, David leaves Israel for Philistia. The reader might think that, by doing so, David has disobeyed God and sinned. But instead of jumping to that conclusion, we let the narrative help us determine whether are not David’s actions are good or sinful. The narrative would lean the decision towards the good. By moving to Philistia, David gets Saul off his back, and allows his men peace and safety. Because of the move, David can focus on invading and raiding the pagan people groups still in the Promise Land. But also remember that David and his men aren’t assimilating into the culture. David insists that his Israelite men and their families have their own separate town. This town will eventually become part of the territory of Judah. In all these ways, David is helping the kingdomof Israel grow, even when he’s not in the land of Israel. David sneaks into Israel to get rid of the foreign people groups, and he sneaks out to deceive the Philistines into peace. David helps Israel, both internally and externally. Although I think God might have appreciated David more if David would have lived by faith and stayed in the land, God took David’s positions and used that to bring blessing to both David and the whole land of Israel.

So Ithink a good application is God can use you wherever you are in life, even if you are sinning. I want to make clear this is no permission to sin. Rather, I’m saying that no one can get so far off the path of God’s will that he or she can never be used by God ever again. David could account for this. At sometimes it would seem like David trusted the Philistines more than God for safety. Yet God used the Philistines to provide David with the safety and the town of Ziklag so David could grow the kingdom of Israel. Perhaps you too have fallen away from God’s will in your life, and you are doing your own thing, depending on yourself rather than God. Take this time to call God back into guiding you through His will. I guarantee you the first thing God will do is get you back onto His will.

1 Samuel 26: Double Testimony

Upon reading 1 Samuel 26, Iwas unsure if I wanted to write a devotional commentary on 1 Samuel 26 because I didn’t feel like I had nothing new to add. The reason I felt like I had nothing new to add was because 1 Samuel 26reflects 1 Samuel 24to a great extent. 1 Samuel 26and 1 Samuel 24 are so similar it has led some scholars to even believe that 1 Samuel 26 is a re-telling of 1 Samuel 24. So is it? I’m going to briefly re-tell the story, putting in a few points. Then we’ll compare and contrast, and we’ll come to a conclusion.

Just like in 1 Samuel 23:19, Ziphites rat out David to Saul. This is quite the surprise. The Ziphites are from the tribe of Judah, just like David. You would think the Ziphites would be friends of David then. Instead, they side with Saul. Perhaps the Ziphites fear Saul as the king, so they submit to his every will. Maybe the Ziphites fear David and hope that King Saul’s force can get rid of him. Whatever the reason, the Ziphites keep a watchful eye. The minute David and his men are back in the Desert of Ziph, the Ziphites report it to Saul. Saul immediately heads to Desert of Ziph. The minute Saul the Desert of Ziph, David sends scouts to watch every moment.

After scouting David, David himself wants to go down to Saul’s camp to check it out. David doesn’t want to attract too much attention, so he only asks for one volunteer to come with him. The volunteer is Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, and the nephew of David (1 Chroincles 2:16). The two of them go at night. Since it is night, when the two men arrive, Saul’s entire camp is asleep, leading Saul wide open for a possible attack. Abishai tells David that God has delivered Saul into David’s hand yet again. Since God has done this a second, surely this must be God’s sign that Saul is indeed in David’s hands, to do as David pleases, and David should kill him. Well, that’s Abishai’s interpretation. David interprets the scene as God handing over Saul to David, but not in a violent matter. David believes that when the time comes for Saul to die, he will die in battle, in disease or in old age. Either way, it’s not going to be by the hand of David. Instead of killing David, David takes Saul’s water jug and the spear. The water jug and the spear have both practical meaning and symbolic meaning. The water jug obviously contained water for Saul to drink. In the hot Judean deserts, it’s easy to become dehydrated. Saul needed that water for hydration. By taking the water jug, Saul’s health was in David’s hands. The spear is a weapon used in battle to kill. It provides protection of life in battle. Spears also can be a sign of authority. When David takes away the spear, David removes Saul’s protection and authority. Saul’s protection and authority is now David’s hands. Truly the Lord has given over Saul into the hands of David! If anyone needs further proof, check out verse 12, which explains that David and Abishai were able to do this because the Lord himself put everyone in a deep sleep.

Once David and Abishai are a safe distance from Saul’s camp, David calls out to Abner, the commander of Saul’s army. David mockingly taunts Abner, whose suppose to be one of the best soldiers in Israel, for leaving the king of Israel wide open for attack. In that mocking taunt, David also lays down judgment on Abner. David says Abner and his men deserve to be punished for leaving the king of Israel, the Lord’s anointed, exposed for attack. This connects well with verse 9. Not only are those who attack the Lord’s anointed guilty, but also those who allow the Lord’s anointed to be attacked.

From the yelling back and forth between David and Abner, Saul wakes up. Unlike Abner, who had to ask for the man’s identity, Saul immediately recognizes the man as David because of his voice alone. Once David acknowledges Saul’s recognition, David again asks Saul why Saul is pursuing David. David reasons someone or something must be antagonizing Saul to do so. If it’s God antagonizing Saul, then David proposes that the proper offerings would be made to repair and restore the relationship. If it’s any human being antagonizing Saul, David brings down a curse to that man/those men because of all the hardship such a person/people has brought upon David, his men, and his family.

When Saul realizes it’s David, and also realizes his water jug and spear are missing, he is amazed at the mercy and grace that has fallen over him. It leads King Saul to confess his sin again. Saul even calls himself a fool for erring greatly by trying to harm David. Saul begs for David to come back, but he doesn’t. No one can blame David for doing so. This scene has already happened before, and Saul didn’t change then. Instead, to show good measure, David returns the spear to Saul. Once again, consider the symbolism. David hands the protection and authority back to Saul. He does not keep the spear’s protection and authority for himself because he trusts and relies on God for protection and authority.

The stories do have remarkable similarities. Both stories have David in a desert. In both stories, David takes back some kind of evidence to prove how close he was to Saul. Both stories have someone interpreting Saul being wide open for attack as Saul in David’s hands. In both stories David refuses to act violently towards Saul. Both stories also have Saul confessing doing what is wrong and then proclaiming David to have a grand future. At the same times, the stories have differences. In chapter 24, David is in the Desert of En Gedi, while in chapter 26, David is in the Desert of Ziph. In chapter 24, David cuts off a corner of Saul’s robe, but in chapter 24, David takes the water jug and the spear In chapter 26, David purposely visits Saul, while in chapter 24, Saul ends up in the same cave as David by pure accident. Chapter 26 also adds Abner in the story. So are 1 Samuel 24 and 1 Samuel 26 the same story or different?

I believe these two stories are different. While they share similarities, their differences are too great to harmonize into one story. So why have 2 similar stories together? I like how the New Bible Commentary puts it: double testimony. David is given a second (some say third) test to see what he’ll do when Saul’s life is put in his hands. David resists the temptation to kill Saul, but does show Saul how close he was. That’s what makes David such a great king. Time after time, temptation after temptation, no matter how many times the good deal is thrown in David’s face, David can refuse, and he’ll always do the right thing. So a man after God’s heart is one who can refuse the temptation to sin, time after time.

1 Samuel 24: Loving Your Enemies

Have you ever wanted to seek revenge on someone? Have you ever wanted to get even? It would seem like our culture seems to approve of revenge, or at least accepts it. Think about it in the movies and TV shows you watch. You cheer when the nerds get revenge on the jocks, the boy gets revenge on his ex-girlfriend with a new girlfriend, etc.  Even if our culture says revenge is OK, what about the Bible? Does the Bible say revenge is OK? I believe the Bible does not approve or accept revenge. Naturally, the first verse that comes to mind is Matthew 5:44, but it would be nice to more have a “case study” or a real-life event in the Bible that backs this verse up. How much more powerful would it be if it came from the Old Testament, years before Jesus preached on this earth! Well, 1 Samuel 24 is here for that reason. 1 Samuel 24will be one of a few chapters in 1 Samuel that promotes loving your enemy. Now it wouldn’t surprise me if some of you reading know me well and you are thinking to yourself, “That’s eisegesis (reading one’s own beliefs into the text)! Your pushing your Anabaptist-Mennonite beliefs into this chapter!” If you are thinking that, I hope to show you by the end of the chapter, if the text is left to speak for itself, the text will preach loving your enemies. Therefore, I plan to teach this chapter using the Theological Interpretation of Scripture (T.I.S.) for my interpretation. Remember T.I.S. has God as the main character and looks at other parts of the Bible to make sure its interpretation is correct.

Chapter 24 picks up right where chapter 23 leaves the reader: with the setting. David is in the desert of En Gedi. En Gedi means “Spring of the [goat] kid.” Surrounded by the Judean Desert, En Gedi is an oasis in the desert. The surrounding Judean Desertmakes the air hot, but the waters in En Gedi are nice and cool. The source of this cool water is a spring, which trickles down in a beautiful waterfall. The waterfall leaves behind pools of water throughout the mountain. Even to this day, En Gedi is treated like a beach for the locals and the tourists alike. A spring, a waterfall and pools aren’t the only things at En Gedi. En Gedi has a lot of broom trees, not mentioned in 1 Samuel 24, but mentioned in other parts of the Bible, such as 1 Kings 19:4, Job 30:4, and Psalm 120:4. There are also a lot of wild goats, known locally as ibex, which live in the caves. It’s hard to go a day without seeing an ibex. I was fortunate enough to go to En Gedi while I was touring Israel. So throughout this devotional, I will put pictures of En Gedi in so you can see what it looks like and imagine the story happening there.

 

The En Gedi waterfall.

David is hiding in En Gedi with 600 of his men. With a crowd so big, word eventually spreads, and it eventually reaches the ears of Saul. So Saul takes his own men, numbering 3,000, five times the amount, and heads out to search for David in En Gedi. Since En Gedi has so many caves, it makes sense to search them one by one, but it takes a while to do so. Eventually, nature calls for Saul. Literally, the Bible says in Hebrew that Saul “went to cover his feet.” This is a euphemism, which is switching out an offensive word or phrase for a nicer, less offensive one. The euphemism is a good one. When someone needs to go, the person squats, and the robe covers the feet. The only translation that keeps the phrase “cover his feet” is the King James Version. All the other translations replace it with a similar English euphemism. Saul went to relieve himself. Once again, it’s an accurate euphemism. A person does feel relieved afterwards. This euphemism is a better one than “go to the bathroom” as that phrase would insinuate an actual room, while Saul is going outside. (And yes, I just spent a whole paragraph talking about going to the bathroom/relieving oneself.)

 

The En Gedi waterfall.

Unknown to Saul, David and his men (at least some of them) are in the same cave, just farther back. David’s men get giddy. They say to David and each other, “This has to be it! The Lord promised that Saul would be in David’s hands. Today must be that day!” David’s men push David to kill Saul, but David doesn’t do it. Instead, he simply cuts off the corner of Saul’s robe. David does it so successfully that Saul does not even know what happened to him. As for why David merely cut off a piece of robe instead of killing Saul, it will become clear later on in the chapter.

 

A pool at En Gedi

Most people probably wouldn’t make a big deal of cutting off a corner of a garment. I bet David’s men didn’t make a big deal of it either. David, however, did make a big deal out of it. Literally, the Hebrews reads in 1 Samuel 24:5 “his heart smote him.” The NIV helps clear it up a bit better, saying that David was “conscience stricken.” The UBS Handbook on the First Book of Samuel says that phrase even fully doesn’t encompass what the original Hebrew phrase meant. It would translate it “he was sad in his heart” or “his heart felt sorrowful” because this conscious-strickenness is one that’s both intellectual and emotional. David quickly repents of his actions, declaring that even cutting off the robe’s corner was too much for him to do. David still recognizes Saul as the Lord’s anointed, the king over all of Israel, even after Samuel anointed him the next king of Israel. David is also concerned that he sent the wrong message to his men, who look up to him. David quickly rebukes anyone who even thinks of harming Saul. Saul then leaves, totally unaware of what happened to him.

Some of the pools of En Gedi, as seen from above

 

Shortly after Saul leaves, David calls back to Saul from the mouth of the cave. What surprise must have met Saul when Saul realizes that the man he’s hunting was in the cave with him the whole time! Then David waves around the cut corner in his hands. Even more surprise fell on Saul when he realizes how close David was to him. David wants Saul to not only to recognize how close David was to him, but David also wants Saul to recognize how close David was to killing him. David wants Saul to recognize this in order to prove to Saul that David himself is not a threat or danger to Saul. If David is not guilty of a wrongdoing against Saul, then Saul is guilty of a wrongdoing against David by pursuing him. Finally, David leaves it up to the Lord to be the judge. David’s request to God is the guilty be punished and the innocent be protected. But maybe David’s more concentrated on the protection of the innocent over the punishment of the guilty. David requests of Saul to stop pursuing him because David is innocent. Both Saul and David know Exodus 23:7, which says that killing an innocent person is a sin that God will not pardon (remember this is the Old Covenant, and that verse might be talking about a prosecutor or a judge who declares an innocent person guilty in court). By asking Saul to stop pursuing him, David is asking Saul to spare both David’s life and Saul’s own life. In the same manner, with the same caution, David will not kill Saul, but he will leave it up to the Lord.

There are many caves in En Gedi. Good hiding places. Maybe this is why David hid here from Saul

After a heart-felt moment from David, Saul responds with his own heart-wrenching moment. Hearing David’s voice alone leads Saul to tears. Saul knows what should have happened. Any time a person gets the chance to attack and kill his enemy, he does it! Saul knows that he would have. But David has let Saul go unharmed. David’s grace and mercy leads Saul to proclaim David as more righteous than him. It also leads Saul to confessing that his actions are bad and David’s are good. Saul finds himself blessing David and acknowledging David as the future king of Israel. With this acknowledgement, all Saul can do is ask David to be kind to his descendants and his family. It was a good request, for it was common practice in the Ancient Near East for new kings to kill the entire family of old kings. What I find interesting is that Saul does not ask David to spare his own life. For a split second, it seems like Saul is accepting the fate he deserves for his harsh treatment on David: his life. David grants Saul’s wish. He kind of has to. It’s very similar to the covenant David made with Jonathan.

The last verse of 1 Samuel 24 ends the chapter in an interesting way. It states that Saul went home, but David returned to hiding. Let’s start with Saul. This verse seems to actually be further proof that Saul’s change of heart was legitimate. Saul did not kill David on the spot, nor give him a head start just to pursue him further. Instead, Saul went home, like it’s all over. It seems like Saul has stopped hunting David. David, on the other hand, does not go home. David goes back into hiding. It would seem like David doesn’t trust Saul. But you can’t blame him. Remember, Saul threw a spear twice at David, and David tried to go back like nothing happened. But after the third time, David gave up and left. David’s already made the mistake of hanging around Saul longer than he should have and outstaying his welcome. This time, even if it’s just to be on the cautious side, David is staying his distance.

Alright, now let’s get our T.I.S. thinking caps on. So first, let’s see what God does as the main character. While the narrator makes no description of God moving, the people within the story do notice it. First, David’s men state that God has given Saul into David’s hands by leaving Saul so vulnerable. Second, David mentions God a lot, and each mention reveals something about God. David reminds his men, as well as the reader, that God did indeed anoint Saul, so he should still be treated as God’s anointed one. Next, David repeats his men’s philosophy to Saul: Saul was left so vulnerable because God has given David Saul. Then, near the end of his speech, David declares God to be the one who judges and the one who avenges. That right there, as found in 1 Samuel 24:12, is the key verse for this chapter. That’s what the reader needs to learn about God in this chapter that God is the one who judges and the one who avenges, or punishes.

The judge and punisher is not to be man, and David is the example of that. Just as David’s men point out, God has delivered Saul into David’s hands and has left Saul wide open for attack. God allows David to do whatever he pleases with Saul. I think that David must have recognized that this must be a test from God. Will David take matters into his own hands, or will he surrender that to the Lord? Previously, as seen in 1 Samuel 21, the reader would expect David to take matters into his own hand. But now, David has changed, and God is molding him into the person God wants him to be. Here, we learn that a man after God’s heart does not take judging or seeking revenge into his own hands, but relies on God for justice.

Therefore, the reader is invited to do the same thing. The Christian who wants to sanctify his or her life will learn to love his or her enemies and do good to them. It could be anybody. It could be the co-worker who always blames you for the problems. It could be the classmate who picks on you and bullies you. It could be the former friend who made you look bad. It could be the terrorist in the Middle East who hates your country. It could be the politician from the political party you oppose who just got elected into office. It should even be the murderers, rapists and robbers, whether they have committed crimes directly against you or not. God asks us not to seek revenge against these people, for revenge shows hate, not love. Revenge is circular, going back and forth, but love can end that. So we need to love our enemies. C.S. Lewis had a lot of good ideas for loving your enemy in his book Mere Christianity. Lewis said that a good start to loving your enemies is to something kind for them, even if you don’t feel like it. The more you do those nice, kind things, the more the negatives feelings will go away and positive feelings will replace them. I couldn’t agree more. So if someone curses at you or calls you a name, give a compliment or two back. If someone wrongs you, or seeks revenge on you, do not seek revenge back. Instead, do something nice back. I cannot emphasize enough how important this is for Christians this is how Jesus taught us to live counter-culturally in Matthew 5:44-47. It’s easy to teach loving family and friends, but really, that makes Christians no different from non-Christians because non-Christians even do that. What makes Christians stick out and be salt of the earth and the light of the world is that we love everyone, including our enemies. And don’t worry if an injustice comes from loving you enemies. Remember that the Lord God is the one who judges and avenges, so we can trust in him to do so.

But this isn’t the last we’ve heard about loving our enemies. We’re going to get a similar message out of the next chapter. David will once again be faced with taking vengeance into his own hands. Will David make the right choice again?

1 Samuel 23: F.R.O.G.

Christians are known for acronyms about their faith. The most famous is W.W.J.D., which stands for “What Would Jesus Do?” A lesser but still famous one makes a word: F.R.O.G. I personally have heard it two ways, and the only difference is what the F stands for. Some Christians say, “Fully Rely of God,” while other Christians say, “Faithfully Rely of God.” Either way, I believe both combine to make a powerful message. The Christian needs to fully and faithfully rely on God for everything, from the basic needs of life to God’s great promises. David makes a good example of what it means to fully and faithfully rely on God, making David a F.R.O.G.

David receives word that Keilah is under attack by the Philistines. Keilah is located in the region of Judah, less than 3 miles from the cave of Adullam, which is probably why David received the news so quickly. Keilah is a fortified city on some of Judah’s richest land, so it’s a prime city for any kingdom, and the Philistines want it. Not only were they trying to conquer the city, but they were also stealing the harvest! David seriously has to beg the question, “Shall I go attack the Philistines?” His focuses right now are on keeping himself and his men alive. Does he have the time to help his fellow people (not only are the Keilahites Israelites, but also from the tribe of Judah)? Of course! Even though David’s on the run, he has to still be the king as God anointed him. When a king’s people are in danger, the king is expected to help them and save them. King David needs to help and save his people in Keilah.

There’s only one problem. The men following David have become tired traveling from place to place . Not only are weary, but also scared. Running from the mad Saul and his small band of men is already scary enough, the men might not have the courage to face a full foreign army. So David inquires of the Lord. This is nothing new. Good leaders, like the judges Ehud, Deborah and Gideon, first inquired of the Lord before going into battle, and only went in if they knew the Lord would provide victory. David follows that example. David inquires the Lord. Since Abiathar isn’t with David yet (I see verse 6 as a sequential clause and not a parenthetical clause. After David reclaims Keilah, then Abiathar comes to David.), so most likely David inquired the Lord through the prophet Gad. God assures and re-assures David that he will win, and does he! Not only do they win, they take the Philistine’s livestock, too! Even when David is on the run, God uses his king to bring salvation to his people.

But there’s no rest for David and his men. Saul hears the same news as David, but he hears David is in the city. Now when Saul hears the same news, the proper response would be to also to inquire of the Lord and save the town in the Lord’s name. But all Saul sees is an opportunity to trap his enemy in a gated community. So Saul calls up his men to prepare them to attack once David is done. Saul doesn’t care about his nation’s welfare, but about seeking his own person vengeance.

David receives the news of Saul’s plan, and now he’s worried. He was sure he was doing the right thing by helping his fellow tribe in danger. Now it looks like he’s made himself a sitting duck for Saul. David really needs to inquire of the Lord. David whips out the big guns. Not only does he call in a priest, but asks the priest to bring in the ephod, a headpiece used for priests during important duties and ceremonies. David asks the Lord whether or not Saul will come, and if the Keilah’s citizens will hand David over to Saul. David seems to know the answer, and the Lord affirms: Saul will, and the people of Keilah will. You might think, “How could Keilah hand over their fellow Judahites, especially after they saved Keilah?” Even if Keilah is grateful, they also fear Saul because they still recognize him as their king. Also keep in mind that Saul is treating poorly anyone associated with David. For their own safety, they have to turn over David. So David takes six hundred men and moves on.

David and the six hundred men go to Desert of Ziph. Saul and his men pursue David and his men into the desert, but they can never catch up to David. Why? The Bible simply says, “because God did give David into his hands.” Clearly we saw God’s favor left Saul and came to David because God helps David run away, but God does not help Saul catch David. Even Jonathan comes to David and confirms this, announcing that David will be king over Israel. At the most, Jonathan can only be second to David. It would seem, though, the one who would need more assurance is Jonathan. Jonathan once against needs a covenant to be established between David and Jonathan. Jonathan knows it’s God’s will for David to be king, and that means David will be king, and there’s no stopping it. Jonathan just wants to make sure that David will not steamroll over Jonathan when he becomes king. At the end of this last recorded meeting between David and Jonathan, the Bible simply says, “Jonathan went home.” The text makes it clear that Jonathan wants to nothing to do with Saul’s hunt for David. And from context clues like those found in 1 Samuel 20, Saul doesn’t want anyone in his army that’s not zealous about hunting down David.

Saul does have allies, though. Currently, both Saul and David, with their respective men, are in the Desert of Ziph. When the Ziphites hear Saul is in the Desert of Ziph, they fear the same fear that Keilah fears: Saul will treat them poorly if they do not hand over information about David. So the Ziphites meet up with Saul in Gibeah and provide Saul with the exact location of David’s hiding spot. With great irony, Saul proclaims, “The Lord bless you!” First of all, Saul has no power to claim the Lord’s blessing since the Lord left him. Second, it is hardly the Lord’s blessing to betray the Lord’s anointed one. In fact, it’s the opposite. Now anyone would think that the exact location is good enough, but that’s no enough for Saul. Saul wants to know what the area is like so he can plan the perfect attack. Saul also wants to know David’s daily habits so he knows what to expect.

The Ziphites provide the information that Saul asked for and it’s exactly what Saul needed. The rest of 1 Samuel 23 is a chapter is a cat-and-mouse chase of Saul and David, with Saul tailing David very up close. And it seems like Saul comes close, very close, to actually capturing David and winning this whole chase. But just as Saul is coming in for the win, a messenger delivers word to Saul that the Philistines are invading Israel! I bet Saul wanted to finish his pursuit and capture David, but Saul realized that at that present time, he didn’t have to worry about David taking the kingdom from him, but rather he had to worry about the Philistines taking the kingdom from him! Saul leaves and David lives to fight another day. Both David and the author of the book of Samuel wants you to recognize that David was spared by God’s providence, so David names the place Sela Hammahlekoth, which means “Rock of Parting” or “Rock of Escape.” It was there Saul parted from David, and David escaped Saul.

Do you see how much David has changed in the past few chapters? In 1 Samuel 21, the reader sees David making back-up plans to protect himself, just in case God doesn’t show up. Now, in 1 Samuel 23, the reader sees David inquiring of the Lord with every decision he makes. David is consulting prophets and priests. David moves exactly as the Lord tells him. God rewards it by answering him and protecting him from Saul. Through this chapter, the reader sees how David went from fully relying on himself to fully relying on God. The chapter invites the reader to make the same decision. Do not rely on yourself to move yourself along in life. Inquire of the Lord to see where the Lord wants you. If you have trouble figuring that out on your own, consult prophets, pastors and mentors. When you do that, you’ll find out that God provides all your needs, and he’ll give you the best life you can have. Then, you will be like David, and be a F.R.O.G.

1 Samuel 23:11,12

1 Samuel 22: Taking It Personally

What does King Saul and Osama bin Laden have in common? Do you think you know the answer to my riddle? Read through 1 Samuel 22. Then read through what I wrote in 1 Samuel 22. Hopefully by then you’ll know the answer. But before we talk about Saul, let’s talk first about David so we can set the scene.

David doesn’t stay long in Gath. Shortly after Gath, David goes to Adullum. Adullum is located on the right on the border of Israeland Philistine, on the Philistine side, near Gathand Bethlehem. Since it’s so close to Bethlehem, word reaches David’s family that David is hiding in a cave at Adullum and they go to see him. As the text tells us, David’s family might not be going just to see about David’s well-being, but also to hide themselves. For shortly after, other refugees who are distressed, discontent or in debt with Saul follow David’s family to the cave. Apparently Saul’s degrading sanity has created quite a few enemies. When they see David, a natural leader, also becomes an enemy of Saul, they all flock to David to lead them. This may be a start of a small revolution.

All these Israelites flocking to one cave will naturally bring attention. So David moves his family and friends to Mizpah in Moab. David approaches the King of Moab and asks for permission to leave his parents there, and the king accepts. Why does the king take care of this Israelite’s family? Some have suggested that since David’s great-grandmother and Jesse’s grandmother, Ruth, is a Moabite, the king considers them partial Moabites and partial citizens. But most likely, the King of Moab believes in the phrase, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” When the king finds out David is an enemy of King Saul, he is more than happy to help David. So David drops his family off with the king, and he heads for a stronghold in Mizpah. A stronghold is some kind of fort. So David bunkers down in Mizpah.

The only problem with this is that David still isn’t showing the greatest of faith. He’s moved from just one foreign country to the next, and now that’s he’s in a new country, he just hides in a fort. David is doing his own thing for protection; he’s still not fully relying on God. This isn’t the proper behavior for the future king. So in verse 5, God sends the prophet Gad to call David out on this. The prophet Gad tells David to not stay in the stronghold at Moab, but to go back to Judah. God doesn’t want David to flee the land God promised he would rule over, but God wants him to claim his kingdom. David gets the message, and he turns his thinking around. No longer is David going to flee and hide on his own will. David will trust in God for protection, so David will go back to the land God has promised that he will rule over. He starts out heading for a forest just south of Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, back in the region of Judah, Saul receives report that David has re-entered Israel. The reader can tell from the context of the text that Saul has been searching for David all throughout Israel, so in human terms, what David did was fairly smart. His life was in danger being in the land, and so he fled the land. But now instead of flight, David is going to fight. But back to Saul. Saul calls all his officials together, who are Benjaminites. Remember that Saul too is a Benjaminiate. Saul’s close officials were all related to him. David is the son of Jesse, which makes both from the tribe of Judah. Saul begins making this a family thing. Saul rheotorically asks his men why they have left the tribe of Benjamin to side with someone from Judah. What’s he saying is, “I have given you such how positions because you are family. Do you really think life would be better for you if David was your king?” Saul attempts to guilt trip his officials to making them feel bad about not keeping Saul informed. Saul also attempts to guilt trip his officials to cough up any information they might have, but they don’t seem to know any more information than Saul does.

This is where Doeg the Edomite finds his opportunity. The reader meets Doeg the Edomite in 1 Samuel 21. He’s the one watching Ahimilech and David conversing. The reader might also might remember Doeg is being detained. In the last blog, I honestly said that we don’t know why or how Doeg was detained, but whatever way it is, it’s not good. So Doeg sees his opportunity to get in good with the king by ratting David out. Not only does he rat David out, but he rats out Ahimelech, too, as the one who gave David food, weapons and a blessing from God. Saul takes that mean to a rebellion forming against him. So Saul responds by having all the priests from Nob come before him.

Saul brings forth accusations of conspiracy, rebellion and treason for siding with David. His rhetorical question asks Ahimelech for a defense. Ahimelech doesn’t defend himself first, but rather David. He defends David five times with five descriptions: Saul’s servant, loyal, Saul’s son-in-law, captain of Saul’s body guard, and highly respected in Saul’s household. Just one of those would be a good defense, but all five of them clearly don’t sound like an enemy of the king. Then Ahimelech goes into the defense of himself. Ahimelech describes his meeting with David as a regular ordeal. He’s done it before, and he’ll do it again. Ahimelech also states that even if David’s intentions were a rebellion, he would have no knowledge of it, for David did not inform him of any such thing. Here is where David’s deceitful lie in 1 Samuel 21:3 is helpful. Ahimelech can honestly and truthfully say that he does not know David’s intention. Actually, if you remember 1 Samuel 21:3, David said he was on a mission from the king. If Ahimelech takes that seriously, for all Ahimelech knows, what David is doing is for Saul!

Ahimelech’s defense won’t work, for Saul has already made up his mind. Saul pronounces a judgment using an infinite absolute. In Hebrew, when an infinite absolute is used, an infinite verb is used next to the same conjugated verb to intensify the verb. If you were to literally translate the phrase the NIV translates as “You will surely die,” it would literally translate to “dying you shall die.” The dying is what Saul intensifies. As the rest of the verse hints, Saul is going to kill everyone and everything in the town of Nob.

Immediately Saul gives the command to his guards, but his guards don’t move a muscle. Some have suggested that these men don’t want to carry out the order because they once followed David, and they did not want to harm anyone who helped David. But I see a better reason that fits the immediate and near context. The guards probably didn’t want to kill the priests because of their sacred role. The priests spoke to God on the people’s behalf. The priests were the representatives and the messengers from the people to God. They didn’t want to send a bad message. Because of the priests sacred role, the Israelite guards might have seen the priests as righteous or holy, and to kill a righteous or holy man would be a much greater sin. I believe this is the correct view because I think this is what Saul saw in his men, and so he turned to Doeg, an Edomite. Since Doeg is an Edomite and not an Israelite, he doesn’t see what the big deal is about killing a priest. Furthermore, Doeg is still trying to get in good with King Saul. He will do anything to get in good with Saul, even if it’s mass murder. Besides, this would good revenge for the town of Nobdetaining him in the last chapter. So Doeg kills all 85 priests. The author mentions the ephod as a reminder that these priests were ordained by God. Not only did Saul kill all 85 priests, but their women and their animals as well.

But Doeg doesn’t kill everyone. There is a single survivor. His name is Abiathar. He is a son of Ahimelech and the grandson of Ahitub. He is a priest just as much as his father and his grandfather. He escapes, and, being a fugitive of Saul himself, goes to find all the other fugitives, who are with David. He reports everything he saw and heard, and everything Saul did. For the first time, David has to deal with the results of his doubts. If David would have trusted the Lord more, he wouldn’t have asked the priest for food or for weapons, and maybe Saul wouldn’t have killed all the priests. David has to face what he’s done, and he does the right thing. He confesses that it is his fault, and he repents. He takes responsibility for the death of Nob. He even tries to make it up to Abiathar by taking him in, providing shelter and protection. At this point, David realizes the consequences of his wrong actions, and seeks to do the right thing by seeking what God wants him to do.

So what does King Saul and Osama bin Laden have in common? On May 2, 2011, a Navy Seal time raided bin Laden’s compound and killed bin Laden. Upon further inspection of the compound he was staying in, the place was full of pornography. Pornography is a sin in Islam just as much as in Christianity, deserving God’s punishment. Then what is an Islamic extremist terrorist doing with a pornography stash? I believe the answer is simple. At some point, bringing death to Americawas no longer a spiritual for bin Laden. It was no longer about Allah bringing judgment and punishment to America. It was purely for political reason, whatever those reasons may be. King Saul was in the same camp. In the beginning, he rivalry with David could have been spiritual. David’s anointing was a private matter among his family. No one else knew about the anointing. Saul could have argued that he was God’s anointed king, not David. He could have argued that God was on his side, not David’s. But the minute he ordered death to the priests, it was no longer spiritual, but political. It was no longer Saul vs. David, but Saul vs. God. Saul wants to make sure he is king and his family is dynasty, even if it is a direct defiance against God’s order. But the truth is when Samuel anoints Saul in 1 Samuel 16, any time Saul is against David, he is against God. But Saul goes from indirectly against God to directly against God. With David trusting more in God, and Saul trusting less, the outcomes will become even more obvious then they are now.

But it’s not just David and God. It’s the priests. It’s those in debt. It’s even the officials who are clueless. What do they all have in common? Saul claims they are all against him. On the opposite side, you have Doeg, the Edomite. Doeg’s a bad egg, but Saul treats him well. Why? He does what Saul asks. See what is happening? Saul is making this rivalry between David and himself person. Either you’re on Saul’s side or David’s side. The lines will be drawn, and each and every Israelite will have to choose a side. Those who will follow Saul will realize they are following a selfish madman. Those who follow David will realize they are following God.

1 Samuel 21: Just In Case

What does the phrase “just in case” mean? You’re not going to be able to find a definition in a typical dictionary, for a typical diction defines words, not phrases. But the Free Dictionary by Farlex (thefreedictionary.com) does have definitions for phrases, and even idioms, such as the idiom “just in case.” The Free Dictionary defines the idiom “just in case” to mean “in the event that…” or “only if something happens.” These definitions are quite true, but to me, they seem a bit broad. I thought about the phrase myself. I realized that a lot of time I hear or say the phrase “just in case” it’s a back plan. I bring an umbrella just in case it rains. I buy extra batteries just in case the batteries I’m using die. I pack a snack just in case I have to skip lunch. See what I mean? I plan to have lunch, but if something were to come up, my back up plan is to snack while working. I plan to have a dry walk back and forth from my classrooms to my car, but if it were to rain, my backup plan is to use an umbrella to keep me dry. Then I thought about it more, and I started to think that the phrase “just in case” does subtly and subconsciously reflects doubt. I might not see a cloud in the sky in the sky, and the weatherman could report a clear day, but I doubt both the weather report and my vision, it will be reflected in grabbing an umbrella. The phrase “just in case” could display how much you trust something or someone.

When you grew up in church and heard the stories of David, it’s very possible you were told that, besides David’s 2 sins (Bathsheba and the census), David was a righteous and upright man, always pleasing God. But that’s just not human. In our human nature, we don’t just sin, get over it and move on. Some of the “worst” sins to get over are the ones that habitual and addicting, the ones the sinful nature wants to keep going back to. Such examples would be envy, wrath, pride, lust and doubt. That last one, doubt, is the key one when it comes to David. I am going to argue that in 1 Samuel 22, David doubts God by not trusting God for help in his time of need. Instead of going to God, he goes after material possessions for help. I am going show that David does this at least 5 times in this chapter: 3 times in Nob and 2 times in Gath. I also know that this viewpoint isn’t the most popular viewpoint, although there are scholars who do agree with me. So at the end, I will show an alternative interpretation to the events of 1 Samuel 21.

Let’s set the scene before we go into these doubts. After saying goodbye to Jonathan, David heads to Nob, a Levitical city just northeast of Jerusalem, where priests and Levites lived and worshipped. There David meets Ahimelech. From the context of 1 Samuel 21-22, the readers gets the idea that Ahimelech is the priest running worship at Nob. When Ahimelech sees David, the Bible says Ahimelech trembles in fear. Perhaps Ahimelech knows that Saul considers David and enemy and Saul is hunting down David and anyone in between. Maybe Ahimelech is think about how David went to Naioth, the home of the prophets, and almost endangered the prophets there. Surely Ahimelech doesn’t want David bringing the same danger to the priests. So Ahimelech asks David why he’s alone with no company. On the surface, it seems to be a simple question. But rhetorically, Ahimelech asks, “What sneaky business are you here to do if you don’t want any witnesses around?”

Doubt #1: Lying about his purpose. The first instance of doubt we see is right away in 1 Samuel 21:2. David creates this deceptive lie, in which he claims that the king sent him on a secret mission, and he is meeting with his men at a secret place. This is clearly a lie, for it is quite opposite of the truth. King Saul did not send David to do anything. If anything, Saul sent men on a mission for David. Saul and David could not be any further apart socially. Why couldn’t David tell the truth and say, “I am running away, for I am hiding from Saul.” David’s lie shows David’s distrust. David did not trust the priest, not even a holy priest. He must have been afraid that the priest would report to Saul his whereabouts if he told the priest where he was hiding, or he might have thought the priest would not help if he was fugitive of the king. What makes this lie so bad, the worst, is that he isn’t just lying to anyone, but a priest, who is a holy man working for a holy God. It’s almost as bad as lying to God Himself. Maybe David lying to the priest demonstrates that David not only doesn’t trust the priest, but doesn’t trust God.

Doubt #2: Food Provisions. After stating his purpose, David quickly asks for five loaves of bread, and if the priest doesn’t have that, whatever food he can scramble together will do. Ahimelech replies that he does not have any household bread, but it does have the consecrated bread. Every week the priests were to offer 12 loaves of unleavened, fine flour bread. A fresh batch of bread was placed on the table of showbread at the beginning of the week, and it would remain there until the end of the week. At the end of the week, the priests would come together to eat the bread together, and a new batch of bread would be put in its place. This bread was to be only eaten by the priest, for it symbolically represented the fellowship God had with the priests. David was well aware of this. David should have said (all of it or some of it), “Far be it from me to take the consecrated bread that is meant only for the Lord and his priests! To take that bread would be like stealing from the Lord Himself! I will not take the bread because I know that the Lord will provide food along the way. And if he does not, then he will give me the strength to not feel the pains of hunger.” But that’s not what David said. Instead, David pretty much says, “That’ll work. Good enough.” Then he proceeds to take the bread. Why does David take the bread? Doubt. David does not trust the Lord will provide food for him, so he’s got to fetch his own food. Even if he does believe God will provide the food, he takes the bread, just in case God doesn’t. Not the best of faith.

Now before you get to the bottom, both you and I can already suspect what my opponents would say. They would bring up that Jesus used this story, in Matthew 12:3,4 and in Mark 2:25,26, to explain that the disciples aren’t breaking God’s Law by picking wheat on the Sabbath. I’m not going to give details on how my opponents would use this passage to defend their view, but I will take the time to use this story to defend my point. Actually, I’m not going to use it to defend my point, but I will use it to counter-argue the typical defense we might be expecting. Simply, I will say that David is not sinning when he takes the bread. That’s the point Jesus is making, and I will also make the same point: David is not sinning. But on the same subject on the opposite end, I’m not ready to say David is making a great act of faith either. A great act of faith would be turning down the consecrated bread and depending on God and His promises to sustain you (see Deut. 8:9. It is repeated by Jesus in Matt 4:4 and Luke 4:4, but David would have only known the Deut 8:9passage). In a way, what I’m saying is David didn’t do anything wrong, but David didn’t do the right thing either. The space between the wrong thing and the right thing is doubt.

Before we move on any further, pay attention to verse 7. In the English language and literature, it’s known as an aside, but in the Hebrew language and literature it’s known as a parenthetical clause. It’s when the author wants to put information into the narrative that doesn’t belong in any special place in the narrative. This parenthetical clause mentions there’s a witness to all this. His name is Doeg. Doeg is an Edomite. Edomites are the descendants of Edom, better known to us as Esau, the brother Jacob/Israel. So you’d think the Edomites would see Israelas their cousins. Actually, you’d be wrong. Since Israelites wandering in the desert, as recorded by Numbers, the Israelites and Edomites have been enemies. We even see them battling each other in 1 Samuel 14. Now 1 Samuel 21:7 tells us that Doeg the Edomite was detained. Now the Hebrew word is netsar, and scholars debate what do with the word in both Hebrew and English. What does netsar mean and what does detain mean? Some scholars think that Doeg is an Edomite whose converted to the Israelite’s religion and become a legal immigrant to Israel. Other scholars believe that Saul captured Doeg as a prisoner of war in the Israelites’ battle in 1 Samuel 14. Ipersonally believe the second to be the more plausible answer. The aside also tells us that Doeg was the head shepherd of Saul’s flocks. In those days, it was naturally for kings to own large flocks of animals to tailor to their personal needs. Of course, the king himself would not take care of them, so he would hire shepherds to take care of the animals. Doeg was the head of the shepherds, so he had close ties to Saul. What’s Saul doing trusting an Edomite, no one knows. This could be a sign of Saul falling even further away from God. But the text wants us to know that he was witnessing the exchange between David and Ahimelech. That’s going to be important for the next chapter, for there we will find out Doeg is a bad egg.

Doubt #3: Protection. Next David asks for some kind of weapon to protect him. Ahimelech informs David that there are no weapons there but the sword of Goliath, which David had placed there himself. David quickly takes it. Once again, I ask, “Where is David’s faith?” Remember we said that in 1 Samuel 17David clearly demonstrates that victory is given through the Lord and not through earthly weapons. David even supports that himself when he turns down the king’s armor (which probably also included a sword) for his regular clothes because He is confident that the Lord will bring him victory. The fact that David insists he needs a sword shows that David doesn’t have that confidence that he had when he face Goliath. He needs a sword, just in case the Lord doesn’t protect.

Doubt #4: Fleeing to Gath. This doesn’t take much explanation if you know the geography and the history. Israel is God’s chosen people in the Promised Land. Gathis the land of the Philistines, the enemy of God’s people who keep invading the Promised Land. Gath is also the hometown of Goliath, and even might be a capital of Philistia. No good, God-fearing Israelite would dare leave Israel for that land. That’s exactly what David does. He leaves the Promised Land, God’s land, for a foreign land. To me, this shows doubt. To me, it seems like David does not trust God to provide him protection in the kingdom that has been promised to him. So he leaves everyone and everything behind to tread in the enemies territory.

Doubt #5: Acting insane. David goes to Gath, hoping that no one will notice him and that everyone will leave him alone. It’s hard, though, to try to keep yourself hidden in the hometown of the champion you just slaughtered. Everyone immediately recognizes David as the one the sing about in Israel. So much for leaving your past life behind. Now David fears that the Philistines will also seek to kill David in order to avenge Goliath. So David comes up with a brilliant plan: to act like an insane madman. In Bible times, if someone were to act like an insane madman, people would automatically assume he’s demon-possessed and would want to avoid such evil. David acts insane so people think he’s demon-possessed and will leave him alone. I hope that you see where this is going. This cannot be the godly response to danger. Instead of trusting in God, David relies in a deceptive act to keep him safe. What makes it even worse is that David acts like there’s demons inside of him, not the Holy Spirit. David should be living a life that lets the Holy Spirit shine, not hide it.

Alright, as promised, now I will quickly give my opponents objections to my 5 doubts that David has. Their objections will be followed by what they see in those 5 sections.

#1: Lying about his purpose. While David may not have told the full truth, he did not lie. He was generic. David doesn’t say “King Saul” or even “Saul,” David just says “king.” Many times in the psalms David refers to the Lord God as king. So David might be saying he’s sent on a secret mission from King Yahweh because many times in the Bible both Yahweh and Jesus have asked people to keep secrets to themselves.

#2: Food provisions. David was not sinning by taking the bread. The bread had already completed its week-long life cycle as an offering to God, and now it’s up to the priests to decide what to do with it. The priest Ahimelech decides it’s alright for David and his men to eat of it as long as they act like priests; they must be ceremonially clean. Just as God used this bread to provide food to the priests, so God used this bread to provide food to David. Besides, Jesus mentions this story in Matthew 12:3,4 and Mark 2:25,26. If David had done something wrong, would Jesus really use this story as part of an argument? Speaking of Jesus, these few verses provide foreshadowing. Remember that Jesus was prophet, priest and king. If Jesus is to be the second, last and final David, David needs to foreshadow Jesus as prophet, priest and king. This is the priest part, as David acts like a priest.

#3: Protection. When Goliath’s sword enters the holy sanctuary, the sword becomes God’s property. Thus the priest giving David the sword is God’s way of providing protection of David. God provides protection by giving David the sword of Goliath. (Something similar to that could be said for point 2 on food provisions.

#4: Fleeing to Gath.This is just common sense. King Saul only has control over Israel; he does not have control in Philistia. If David goes to Philistia, he doesn’t have to worry about Saul because Saul does not reach him. Besides, leaving the Promise Land does not mean leaving God or leaving His will. Even Abraham and Jacob, with their families, left the Promised Land for Egyptwhen things got bad.

#5: Acting insane. A deceptive act is nothing new for the Israelites. We see the Israelite forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob deceiving left and right. Just like David deceived Achish to keep himself safe, so Abraham and Isaac deceived the king of Gerar, telling the king their wife was their sister, in order to keep themselves safe.

Now you’ve heard both sides, and both have given their reasons. With the reasons, you can choose which one to believe. But let me give you a few more reasons why I believe it’s best to see them as doubts. First, I want to remind you that I’m not suggesting that David sinned or is doing anything sinful. But at the same, it’s not that David’s doing the right thing or the good thing. He’s somewhere in the middle, struggling with doubts, having backup plans, just in case God doesn’t come through. So it doesn’t mess with the character of David, being a man after God’s heart. Second, there are application reasons. If you believe David was doing the good, right thing, then David’s example is to be followed: it’s ok to lie and deceive, take from God when he doesn’t provide, and flee from all danger. Those applications don’t seem Biblical. In fact, God seems to want the opposite from us. Third, take into consideration discourse analysis. Think about where we are in David narrative part of 1 Samuel. Some scholars seem 1 Samuel 21:10-15 and 1 Samuel 22:1-5 as a pivotal turning point in David’s story in 1 Samuel. David is faced with the question “In what or whom am I trusting in?” and he makes the pivotal change for the better. You’ll just have to wait for 1 Samuel 22 to see how David does that.

1 Samuel 20: BFF

BFF is one of those acronyms that originated from the internet. It means “best friends forever.” Best friends are commonly talked about on the internet. There’s even a bunch of best friend jokes. One such example is “A friend will bail you out of jail, but your best friend will be standing next to you saying ‘Dude that was awesome!’” 1 Samuel has already established David and Jonathan as best friends. 1 Samuel 20 will show how close the two best friends are.

Even though Saul is in the presence of the Spirit of the Lord, prophesying, David knows he can’t stay there too long until Saul catches up with him. So he takes the time to go back to Jonathan and meet up with him. David expresses in rhetorical questions the same proofs Jonathan gave to his father Saul when persuading Saul not to kill David. David has done nothing sinful, evil or wrong, so why is Saul trying to punish like he is guilty of some crime? Jonathan insists that his father is planning no such thing because he claims that his father tells him everything. So if Saul were trying to kill David, Jonathan claims that Saul would have told him. In verse 3, the NIV Bible says “David took an oath…” In this context, it doesn’t mean making a promise or a covenant. It’s just a statement saying that what he is saying is true. In other words, it’s like David is saying in our language, “I swear you father knows…” What does David swear Saul knows? David swears Saul knows how close David and Jonathan are, and that Saul won’t tell Jonathan any thoughts he has about David, in fear Jonathan will rat out Saul to David. So now Jonathan wants a way to prove his loyalty to David.

David concocts a plan to expose Saul. First, David won’t show up for the New Moon festival; he’ll be in hiding. If Saul to were to ask for his whereabouts, Jonathan would simply answer that David went home to celebrate the festival with his family. If Saul was OK with it, then David is safe. But if Saul got angry about it, then David is in danger. It’s pure genius, if you think about it. David keeps a safe distance from Saul. Jonathan does not have to confront or accuse his father; all he has to do is simply answer about David’s whereabouts when his father asks. Jonathan is about to agree to it when David throws in another clause. David tells Jonathan that Jonathan does indeed find out about guilty wrongdoing David has committed, then Jonathan should at least do the executing himself. On one hand, I think that David asked that simply because he didn’t want to give Saul the pleasure of killing. On another hand, since David mentioned Jonathan’s kindness, David probably believes that if Jonathan were to kill him, Jonathan would be more merciful, while as Saul would torture him. Jonathan cannot agree to that term. But they come across another problem: how will David find out the answer?

Jonathan has a plan for that, but first, he wants more assurance and security about the friendship. Something is about to happen to their friendship. Through David and Jonathan’s plan, Jonathan will expose Saul’s heart toward David. Both David and Jonathan are expecting the worst, and rightfully so. Saul’s hostility towards David will make Saul and David rivals and enemies. As we’ll see, it will put great strain and hostility between not only these men, but their families as a whole. Jonathan wants to make sure that David and his family will always see Jonathan and his family as friends, and never see them as enemies. Both David and Jonathan make covenant, agreeing to do so, and it will be shown in their kindness toward each other.

Now Jonathan explains his plan on how to reveal the answer to David. David is to come out of hiding and go to the rock Ezel (Ezel in Hebrew means “the way” or “the departure”). Jonathan will go out and make it look like he’s practicing shooting his bow and arrow. Jonathan will shoot 3 arrows. If the arrows fall nearby, then David is safe and he can return back. But if the arrows fall far away, then David must leave immediately. Jonathan adds more genius to this plan. In this way, Jonathan can communicate to David the message without talking directly to David and risking David’s life by exposing him. In verse 23, Jonathan closes by once again reminding David that no matter the outcome, their families will always show love and kindness to each other. This promise is very important to Jonathan!

The plan goes into effect in 1 Samuel 20:24. The New Moon Festival begins. The New Moon festival was both a religious and social festival and it is outlined in Numbers 28:11-16. On the day of the full moon, also known as the first day of the month, a burnt offering, a grain offering, a drink offering and a sin offering were to be presented. If anyone wanted to present a peace/fellowship offering, this would be the time to do it. In the following evening, the Israelites would “celebrate” by holding a feast (this tradition was added later. Later on, the Israelites would also get the work day off). Being a religious festival, when Saul sees that David isn’t there the first day, Saul naturally assumes that David made himself unclean because those who are unclean cannot participate in religious festivals (see Leviticus 7:20-21). But then comes the next day, just a plain, old, regular day, where it doesn’t matter whether you’re clean or not. So now Saul is really curious to why David isn’t there. Saul asks Jonathan about David’s whereabouts, knowing that David and Jonathan are good friends. Notice in verse 27 that Saul calls his own son-in-law not by his name, but “the son of Jesse.” Saul is already distancing himself from David emotionally and socially. Jonathan answers verbatim to what he rehearsed: David is celebrating the New Moon still back with his family.

The Bible tells us that not didn’t get just anger. The Bible says Saul’s anger flared up. His anger is like a fire! Saul calls Jonathan, his own son, a “son of a perverse and rebellious woman.” It’s a derogatory insult that attacks the person’s mother and in turn attacks the person. Once again, excuse me for the language, but Saul calls his own son a son of bitch! And as Proverbs 15:1 says, Saul’s harsh word led to Jonathan giving a harsh word to his father. In chapter 19, the reader hears Jonathan calmingly and gently persuading his father. Now Jonathan angrily asks his father to bring forth at least one true accusation against Saul. This harsh word leads to a harsh action. Saul now tries to kill his own son the same way he tries to kill David! Jonathan storms off in anger, but his anger quickly turns to grief. He is so sad, he can’t eat.

Now David’s part of the plan is finished, it’s up to Jonathan’s part of the plan. David place himself exactly where Jonathan told him. Jonathan brings a small boy with him to fetch the arrows he shoots. As the boy is running, Jonathan shoots an arrow beyond him. Pay close attention to what Jonathan says in verses 37 and 38. “Isn’t the arrow beyond you? Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop!” Jonathan may be saying this to both his arrow boy and David. Saying such words would send the message to David without David having to speak directly to Jonathan. The best part is the message is even conveyed without the boy even knowing what Jonathan is saying and who he’s really saying it too.

Despite the success in communicating the message, Jonathan isn’t satisfied with it. He has to see David one last time because this might be the last time Jonathan sees David, and indeed it is. Jonathan sends the boy away so he can meet up with David. They kiss and cry. Jonathan one more time reminds David of the covenant promise, as this will be the last time Jonathan can remind David.

Now notice that since verse 10. That’s about 30 verses of David not talking. The author did that on purpose. The author is trying to display how vulnerable David is. David has to go in hiding and patiently wait. David has to depend on Jonathan to go through with the plan and bring him valuable information. Most importantly, David has to rely on David to stick to his hand and not turn to his father’s side. David is helpless, and he has to depend on God and his best friend Jonathan to help him.

I hate to do this, but once again, I have to remind you that this in no way means that David and Jonathan are a gay couple. The actions seen in the end 1 Samuel 20may not be socially acceptable acts for two friends in 21^st century America, but indeed they were in ancient Israel. It is sad that in this time two men can’t be good friends without being gay. David and Jonathan aren’t gay. They are two men who sincerely care for each other and want to see the best happen to each other. This is a sad moment at the end of the chapter because these two best friends are being torn apart, and by the one’s father! Yet as they depart in sadness, both of them cling to the covenant that they made. When this is over, they hope to see each other again with their families. And if they don’t, the one can be certain that the other one will take care of the family. As we all know, how much will Jonathan need that in the future!

One more thing I notice. If you look closely at the covenant David and Jonathan make, Jonathan seems to very certain of David’s future,  but not certain of Jonathan’s own future. Jonathan blesses David left and right, but seems to ask very little of David, just to remember his family. I believe what Jonathan is doing is acknowledging David as the legitimate king of Israel. Don’t believe me? It’s in the covenant blessings Jonathan gives David! Still don’t believe me? Look at  verses 30 and 31. Saul himself announces that Jonathan will never be king as long as David is there, for David will be king. Jonathan’s angry response demonstrates that Jonathan is really OK with it. If Jonathan outlived David, Jonathan would willingly give David the throne. If we’re still looking for proof that David is indeed the legitimate king of Israel, we have another proof: the covenant and testimony of Jonathan.

For anyone looking for an application, I think the best application is that Jonathan models for the reader what a best friend truly is like. A best friend sticks for his/her friend when he/she is right, even when everyone else says he/she is wrong. A best friend helps his/her friend in times of need. A best friend protects his/her friend from harm. Best friends keep promises with each other. Best friends are happy when good things happen to one of the friends. Lastly, best friends stay best friends, even when they are not together. If you ever find yourself struggling with friendships, take a look at the friendship between David and Jonathan. One of the phrases that sticks out to me is that Jonathan “loved David as he loved himself.” Do you love your friends as you love yourself? If you’re not, there’s a good start. I bet if you apply these, you’ll find your friend to be a true BFF.

1 Samuel 18: Keeping Your Enemies Clsoer

Back in ancient most kings kept some kind of journal, memoirs or annals (a record of historical events), written by either king himself or dictated by a scribe. Imagine King Saul wrote on these. Imagine he wrote an entry right after the events of 1 Samuel 16 & 17. It might sound something like this…

Dear Journal,

Remember how I got a little worked up about Samuel telling me that both God and himself were leaving my presence? Well I am happy to tell you that I believe there’s nothing to worry about because I got a new man to help me with all my problems! His name is David. He’s already done so much for me now. His harp playing helps me get rid of the anxiety and depression, as well as those chronic headaches. And when I was faced with a giant enemy that I thought I could not defeat in battle, he steps up and wins the battle for me. What a great guy! Everyone loves this guy and so do I. With David around, I don’t need Samuel. Things can only get better
Saul

An entry like this would accurately represent King Saul’s feelings for David at this point. King Saul loves him, and David makes him happy. But we’re going to see that quickly change.

Shortly after meeting up with King Saul, David meets up with Jonathan. At that point, the NIV says that David and Jonathan becomes “one in spirit.” More literal Bible translations say the two were “knit at the soul.” More paraphrased Bible translations simply say there had an instant bond between the two. What I want to make clear is they were not gay and did not see each other as gay lovers. It’s sad that in today’s world a man cannot show love to another man without being accused of being gay (just go to any Lord of the Rings fan fiction website and you’ll see how many fanfics tell stories a gay Frodo and a gay Samwise in love with each other). Both of these men were God-fearing men and neither of them would even think of such a thing. What we do see hear is best friends, best friend so close they are almost like brothers. In fact, that might be a very accurate description. The only other time the Hebrew phrase the literal translations translate “knit at the soul” is in Genesis 44:30, where Jacob is described as being “knit at the soul” with Benjamin. 1 Samuel 18:2 further supports this idea because at this point Saul has taken David into his own household. So Jonathan makes him feel welcomed at his home by treating him like family, like a brother. Jonathan loved David so much that Jonathan gave David his robe, tunic, sword, bow and belt. This is more than just best friends swapping clothes, like girls do. These articles of clothes most likely are royal clothing given from the king to the prince. It’s not clear whether or not David has yet confided to Jonathan that David has been anointed to be king, but the symbolism remains the same: it’s another sign David is the next king.

After Saul saw David slay the Philistine champion, Goliath, Saul must have figured that if David could defeat the Philistine champion, he can defeat any Philistine soldier. So King Saul gives David a high rank in the army to fight more Philistines. Everyone is pleased with this move, including the king’s officers. In return, David continues giving Saul more wins and victories.

After killing the Philistine champion and chasing the rest of the Philistines back to their home, the Israelites begin the march to their homes. As they approach their home, the women came out to form a make-shift parade. Following the customs of the day, the women would greet their men back from battle, and they would sing and dance to instruments in songs reflecting the winning army’s success. Saul was probably very use to this from his previous successful battles, and he looked forward to another success song. But to his dismay, he hears a song he’s not use to. The women sing, “Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands.” Now if you take a good look at this song, this song technically is not meant to insult Saul, or anyone for that matter. The song is probably meant to point out that Saul and David make a great team, and together they accomplish great things. But Saul, buried in his selfishness, cannot get passed the fact David has a higher kill rate than he does. In the Hebrew Bible, the best translation of Saul’s reaction is probably “displeasing in his eyes” (although some commentaries say “was evil in his eyes). Most literal Bible translations follow suit, translating it “displeased him.” I like word the 1984 edition of the NIV chose: galled. Merriam-Webster says that “galled” is just a really fancy way of saying “irritated” or “vexed.” A lot of paraphrases drop the phrase altogether, assuming the phrase parallel each other synonymously. But galled brings Saul’s anger up to the next level. Saul is angry, troubled, distressed and irritated. Saul rhetorically and ironically asks, “What more can he get but the kingdom?” Saul already sees the people are behind him, like he is the king. It’s another sign foreshadowing what it yet to come.

The Bible tells us from that point on, Saul became jealous of David. And jealousy is never a good thing. We all know what happened when Cain got jealous in Genesis 4. The same process is going to flow through Saul. Saul’s jealousy leads to anger. His anger leads to hate, his hate will lead to pain, suffering, and a few attempts to kill.

In 1 Samuel 18:10, the reader reads a situation very similar to the second half of 1 Samuel 16, but it’s slightly different. Once again, Saul is being tormented by an evil spirit and David is in to play his harp. What’s the difference? Before, in 1 Samuel 16, the only reason the evil spirit goes to Saul is because the Holy Spirit left open a gap for it to invade. Saul does not want the evil spirit; hence why David plays the harp for Saul. Now, in 1 Samuel 18, things changed. Saul’s jealousy, anger and hatred is now feeding this evil spirit and welcoming it in. Thus, it is able to take Saul more forcibly this time, take complete control, and even taking a shot at David’s life twice. But David has a bigger and stronger spirit, the Holy Spirit, guarding him from all danger. So don’t dare think that the evil spirit won this spiritual war. If the spirit had, it would have killed David. The only reason the spirit comes on so strong is because Saul invites it to. (Oh yeah, and if you’re wondering how a demon-possessed man can prophesy, a better translation for the word “prophesying” would be “raving,” as in “raving mad.”)

Now you would think that David would be afraid of Saul at this point, but the Bible tells us quite the opposite. Instead, Saul is afraid of David. So he makes David a commander of a thousand troops and sends them off to battle. Perhaps Saul thought it was a fluke that David won all those previous battles. Maybe Saul was hoping that David would lose a battle or a lot of men, proving he wasn’t that great of a guy. But that’s not what happens. David has the same success in the battlefield as he does in pasture tending sheep or in the royal court playing the harp. He has win after win, victory after victory. How does David do this? As 1 Samuel 17 put, the battle is the Lord’s, and the Lord gives David victory. All this winning makes the people of Israel and Judah fall more in love with David. The only one who isn’t falling in love is Saul.

Saul’s still banking on David losing in battle, so he sets up a scenario. As Saul promised in 1 Samuel 17, he will give David one of his daughters in marriage. But there’s a catch. David has to continue to serve as the leader over a thousand troops. Saul has a reason behind this. His plan is to keep putting David in battle with the Philistines. Eventually, he’ll get tired, slip up, and the Philistines will kill David, so Saul won’t have to. But this doesn’t work out. David refuses the marriage. It’s not really clear why. It may be Merab wasn’t in love with David (compare with verse 20), and David did not want a loveless marriage. Maybe it was because David did not believe he could pay the marriage price for Merab, which will talk about in the next paragraph. In ancient times, nobility only married nobility. Perhaps David did not feel noble enough or upper class enough to marry a princess. Or perhaps Saul simply married Merab to someone else on an impulse while David was taking his good time. Any option works, but I like the second and third option because they appear in the next paragraph.

Saul gets another chance to execute his plan. He discovers that his second daughter, Michal is madly in love with David. So Saul makes sure David feels comfortable marring Michal. Saul sends his house attendants to David to coax him into marrying Michal, convincing him that everyone is Saul’s house, including Saul, like David so much they would be more than happy to see David and Michal wed. It almost works, but David reminds himself about the one thing that gets in the way: the dowry. The dowry was a price the husband had to pay for the bride, in either goods or services. Before you get in a fit about how sexist this is, let me make a comparison. In today’s culture, before marriage, there is engagement, and the engagement is marked as started with an engagement ring. These rings can cost anywhere from the hundreds to thousands, depending on the stones. Now a lot of women want these to be expensive for two reasons. First, they want it to be the most expensive thing they ever wear because of the significance. But second, and most important, is signifies that the husband-to-be has invested a lot of money into this relationship and into the future. The dowry was to signify the same thing. When a man paid a dowry to the woman’s family, he was making a statement to the father and mother that the daughter would not be taken lightly, but be taken care of with the greatest care.

Going back to the story, David pretty much says to Saul’s attendants, “I’d love to marry Michal, but I’m poor, and there’s no way I can pay the dowry price for a princess.” Saul sends back word to David that all he needs to pay for Michal was 100 Philistine foreskins. As disgusting as this might sound, it does have significance. Saul was forcing David to engage in another battle. The foreskins served as mere proof that these men were dead. Now courting Michal, Saul was really hoping Michal was becoming a snare to David, taking his head mentally out of the battle. It does no such thing. David doubles up Saul’s offer. In the same amount of time David had to kill 100 Philistines and get their foreskins, David kill 200 Philistines and retrieves 200 foreskins. Now Saul really has to fulfill his promise and he hands over Michal to David. The plan that Saul constructed to make him feel better is only making things worse. Saul is now more afraid of David, so afraid that Saul makes David his enemy for the rest of his life.

The chapter ends with a generic statement, yet an important one. It simply mentions the Philistines continued to challenge David in battle, and every time David had success and won. The important word here is success. Now that we’re at the end of the chapter, go back over the entire chapter and count every time the word “success” or a form of the word appears. I counted 4 times: “successfully” in verse 5, “success” in verse 14, “successful” in verse 15, and “success” in verse 30. The chapter is definitely trying to get a message across to us. David is successful man. Verse 14 explains why: “Because the Lord was with him.” All this talk about success reminds me of the patriarchal fathers: Abraham, Isaach, Jacob, and even Joseph, all found in Genesis. No matter what did these guys did, they always did whatever they were doing successfully, and it brought them blessing. This success is part of the blessings God gives Abraham in the Abrahamic Covenant. When God renews that covenant with Isaac and Jacob, they get the same blessings, which mean the same success. I believe the author is trying to draw on that. David is getting the same success and the patriarchal fathers is getting. It foreshadows that God will make a covenant with David similar to the one God made with Abraham, another successful and blessed man. What made both Abraham and David successful men was that they trusted in God and followed. The author invites the reader to do the same. If we want success, we must follow God. These days any person can walk into a library or a bookstore and find an array of books to make you successful and whatever you want, from cooking to sports to business. Yet not everyone will find the success the book sells. The book of 1 Samuel has only one tip to find success: obey God. God knows what He’s doing and He knows the right path to get you there. So trust in God, let him show you the way, and you too might find success. And if you don’t find success in a certain area, maybe that’s not where God wants to be successful. He might want to be successful somewhere else, so pay close attention for it!

While David is successful in life, Saul is not so much. He seems to be deteriorating every day. Now that we’ve come to the close of 1 Samuel 18, let’s see what Saul has to say now.

Dear Journal,
I hate David! At first, I was happy to work with him because he made my life so much better. But now all he does is bring me misery. First, he takes my firstborn by becoming best friends with him. Next, he takes my daughter’s hand marriage and she becomes his wife. Then, he wins over all the people of Israelwith all these victories fighting the Philistines. It’s like he’s already got the picture adoring him. I fear it’s only days, if not hours, until they force the crown off of my head and onto his. I’ve tried many things to get rid of him. I’ve tried making my daughters a snare to him. I’ve tried putting him in deadly battles. Yet none of them work. So as the saying goes, if I want something done right, I have to do it myself! David, today you become my enemy, and I will hunt you down!
Saul

1 Samuel 17: A Giant Win

The story found in 1 Samuel 17 isn’t a new one for anyone who has grown up in church. It’s the story of David and Goliath. If you grew up in church and Sunday school, you probably learned this story early in your childhood. As a child, the Sunday school teacher kept moral of the story pretty simple: little guys can do big things too (thank you Veggie Tales). As you grow up, the Sunday achool teacher uses more adult language, but if you think about it, the message virtually stays the same: You are like David, facing the “giants,” which are the stressors and problems in your life, both internally and externally. David becomes the example that Christians should follow when facing such “giants.” When facing the problems and stressors of life, we need to step up to them, act courageously and use whatever skills, talents and resources we’re good at manipulating (like David was a slingshot expert). The main character in the story is David and so the main character in the application is the self. I’m not satisfied with this interpretation. As a Cristocentric reader of the Bible, for the Bible to be Christ-centered, or at least God-centered, God needs to be the main character, not David or one’s self. So let’s re-examine the story of David and Goliath again, this time putting the Lord as the main character, and let’s see what kind of interpretation we will get.*

1 Samuel 17:1begins with a very familiar scene. The Israelites are at war with the Philistines… again. This has been a war that’s been on and off from the time of the Judges through the reign of King Saul. But the author wants this battle to stand out as more important than any old battle, so he specifically describes this battle, beginning with the location. This is the Israelite vs. Philistine battle that happened in the Valley of Elah, between Socoh and Azekah.

 

This setting is the perfect setting for a battle. The Valley of Elah is the border of the Israelite territory and Philestine territory. Philistine camp, in Ephes Dammin, is the Philistine territory side and the Israelite camp, in Socoh, is the Israelite territory side. The two hills, with a valley in between, allows the camps to stay a safe distance from one another, while providing a field below to engage in battle. It’s the perfect place to draw lines for a battle.

The author has already described in detail the location of battle, now the author will describe in-depth the description of the Philistine champion Goliath. First off, let me define “champion.” We may think of champion as the winner of a competition, but it’s not the case in Hebrew. In Hebrew, the word literally means “man between the two,” as in, “man between two armies.” In ancient warfare, the army would choose a man to lead the rest of the army out into battle. He was the “man between the two [armies]” because he would run out ahead, and for a split second, he seemed be out there, between two armies. That’s what the “champion” is. Now, similar to our term champion, this leading man was usually the strongest man in the army. So in that sense, both meanings mean “the strongest man” but the meanings are still far apart.

The first thing to know about Goliath’s appearance is that Goliath is tall, very tall. The Bible, in its original Hebrew, records Goliath’s height to be “six cubits and a span.” “Spans” were roughly between ¼ to ½ cubit. A cubit is roughly 18 inches, or 1 ½ feet. Do the math, and you find out  that Goliath is about 9 to 9 ¾ feet tall. Now of course you have your skeptics who will tell you that the average height of males  from that region and that time were about 5 ½ feet tall, so Goliath was most likely only 6 ½ feet tall, and to 5 ½ feet tall Israelites, Goliath seemed like a 9 ½ foot giant. I think the author saw that coming, for he provided that proof that Goliath was 9 ¾ feet tall in the description of his armor. Most soldiers during this time simply wore regular clothes, or at the most, pads. This giant is covered in bronze. His biggest and heaviest piece, the coat of scale armor, weighs about 125 pounds! For the normal man, this armor would be too heavy to move around in, and thus would be a detriment to his fighting ability in battle. Goliath, on the other hand, is big and strong, and it’s only another advantage that makes him seem invincible. Furthermore, Goliath’s iron spear, his weapon of choice, weighs in at 15 pounds. Most soldiers would struggle to wield a 15 pound melee weapon. It further goes to show Goliath’s great strength that goes along with his great height.

Goliath calls upon an ancient warfare tradition. A battle will ensue between the champion, or strongest man, of the Philistine army and the champion of the Israelite army. A wager is made. The losing champion’s people will serve the winning champion’s people. Like I said, nothing new to ancient warfare. In essence, it does make sense. If their strongest man can beat our strongest man, he’s going to beat everyone else, you might as well just forfeit. This option is perfect for people tired of war, for it quickly decides a victor. Also, the method plummets the death rate of a battle. Goliath quickly volunteers himself to be the Philistine representative. How do the Israelites respond? 1 Samuel 17:11 tells us, “Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.”

I believe there’s a reason that 1 Samuel 17:11says “Saul and the Israelites.” It’s separating Saul from the rest of the Israelites. Believe it or not, the champion from Israel should be a no brainer. Saul’s the champion! Remember that 1 Samuel earlier pointed out that Saul was a head taller than everyone else. If everyone is 5 ½ feet tall, then Saul is at least 5 ¾, if not more. In this chapter, we see height is associated with strength. If Saul is the tallest, he’s most likely the strongest (although I know it’s not necessarily true). Even if he’s not the strongest, remember that Saul is supposed to be the leader and the example. Both the leader and the example the people look up to. Saul should have said, “God has anointed me king over Israel, and with God’s help, I will fight you and I will win!” Instead, Saul cowers in fear and dismay. When the men of Israel see Saul, their leader and example, dismayed and terrified, they too become dismayed and terrified. Even Goliath recognizes this. Goliath rhetorically asks, “Are you not the subjects of Saul?” What he means is, “Where is your king, King Saul? My team sends out the MVP, and all your team sends out is the third string?!” So Goliath heaps insult after insult on them.

The story is going to shift away from Saul and back towards David. So first, the author has to explain why David’s not there form day 1. The text seems to say that Eliab, Abinadab and Shammah, Jesse’s 3 oldest sons, are the only full time soldiers in Saul’s army (perhaps that’s are why those 3 sons are mentioned in 1 Samuel 16; they are known for fighting in Israel’s army). Some scholars have suggested that the other sons are merely too young to fight, while other scholars suggest that King Saul only required three men per household to enlist in the army. The text seems to hint that the rest of Jesse’s sons rotate between shepherding the flocks and fighting in the army.

On this particular day, it’s David’s turn to go out to the army and send back a report to Jesse. Between the beginning of the stand off and this day, 40 days have passed. Such a stand off was detrimental to Israel, both the soldiers and their families. Rations had to be running low. These family men were needed at home to help take care of the farms, but were instead sitting in a camp. So Saul has been bargaining with his soldiers to get someone to fight Goliath. First, he simply offers great wealth. Next, Saul offers to give the man his daughter’s hand in marriage, making the man part of the royal family, which comes with special benefits. Then, the Hebrew says that Saul promises to make “his father’s house free in Israel.” Most likely, it means that the man’s family would be tax free, but it could also mean that every man in the family would be exempt from military service from then on. Still, no one is biting at any of the offers. Even when the soldiers are trying to push one other to go to Saul to fight Goliath, no one budges.

On this day, whether it’s the first time David is there or not, it’s the first time that David sees and hears Goliath. As David hears Goliath publicly insulting the Lord and his people, he looks around the camp and sees everyone running and hiding in fear. This behavior puzzles David, so he asks the men of Israel about it, but in a very odd way. It’s recorded 1 Samuel 17:26, and a lot of scholars differ on how to take it. In no way does it look like David is sincerely interesting in the rewards. Some have simply suggested David is asking for a verification of the offers Saul is giving, but the text seems to be more than just that. Others have suggested David is trying to encourage at least one soldier to stand up to Goliath by reminding the soldiers of the great rewards they will receive from the king for fighting Goliath. But the answer I like goes even deeper than that. Notice how David uses phrases like, “this disgrace from Israel,” “this uncircumcised Philistine” and “the living God.” On the surface, it might just seem like David has joined in the name calling that Goliath is bantering in, but it has so much more significance. David is subtly reminding the Israelites that Goliath is a Gentile worshipper of idols, who are powerless. The army of Israel is on the true, living God’s side. And God will remember his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and will fight with his chosen people. Pretty much, it’s like David is saying, “Who does this guy think he is?”

 

Now Eliab, David’s oldest brother and the firstborn of Jesse, realizes that David must be getting pumped to fight Goliath himself. So Eliab rebukes David for abandoning the sheep, accusing him of only wanting to be entertained by watching a battle. Why Eliab said this, no one knows, but I can’t help but feel that Eliab still might be a little upset that he, the firstborn of the family, was not anointed the next king of Israel, but rather, the youngest one, the baby of the family. Perhaps Eliab was afraid his baby brother was about to show him up again. David simply replies, in Hebrew, “What I have done now? Was it not but a word?” Most translations agree on the first sentence, but it’s the second sentence that throws them off. The majority of translators translate it as, “I was only asking a question.” What David means is that the Israelites have a very important matter on their hands.

David’s persistent asking gets word floating around camp. When the word reaches Saul, he requests that this curious man be brought to him. What a surprise when it’s only a boy. What more surprise when the first thing David says to Saul, “Don’t worry, I got this.” Saul reminds David of another important reality that important to this story. Goliath challenging Israelto and 1 vs. 1 fight against their strongest man wasn’t an idea on a whim. This has been the plan since day 1. Goliath has been training for this one day. Surely no shepherd boy can take on such a trained man. David reminds Saul, in turn, that being a shepherd is no easy job. Wild animals, like lion, bears and wolves like attacking and eating little sheep. David presents a résumé of killing a lion and a bear to save merely save sheep. David reduces this giant, an “uncircumcised Philistine” to an animal. David has convinced Saul to let him fight, but Saul doesn’t really hear the whole thing and get the message. Saul puts his armor on David, relying more on the armor than on God to protect David (some scholars have also suggested that this is done for great irony: King Saul is putting the king’s armor on the future anointed king). David simply suggests the obvious, that a small man like him cannot maneuver in armor meant for a tall man, like Saul. But what David wants to do is go, depending on the Lord for protection, not armor, weapons on any other earthly object. So David decides to go with the weaponry he knows best from his job as shepherd: a staff and a slingshot. But this is no child’s toy slingshot. This is a battle weapon, with stones the size of tennis balls!

So David steps out to approach Goliath for battle. When Goliath sees him, his reaction is somewhat along the liens of “You’ve got to be kidding me.” In fact, Goliath is a little bit insulted. He’s expecting their tallest, strongest man, and all he sees in front of him is a short, ruddy pretty boy; the last person you’d expect to be a solider. Goliath’s famous words, “Am I dog that you come at me with sticks” is an insult to both David and Goliath. Remember in Bible times dogs weren’t man’s cute and cuddly companion. Rather, they were almost like giant rodents. To be called a dog was a derogatory term, even a curse word. Please excuse me language, but Goliath is pretty much saying, “Am Iyour bitch? Because you seem to think so! That weapon couldn’t even hurt a dog.” Then Goliath proceeds to curse David and say, “Come here and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” David turns it around and pretty much says to Goliath, “Oh no sir, you have it mixed up. I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field, and the same goes for all of your Philistine friends in the camp!” Yet David’s motive is as pure as his heart. This battle isn’t for him. This battle is for the Lord. Goliath has mocked, insulted and despised the name of the Lord. David won’t put up with it, and neither will God. That’s why David is so sure about his victory.

The battle ensure in 1 Samuel 17:48-51! The Hebrew text of 1 Samuel 17:48reveals that Goliath merely walked towards David, but David came running towards Goliath. Now military speaking, David already has an advantage. Goliath’s weapons are all melee weapons, but David has a range weapon. In essence, Goliath brought a knife to a gun fight. But we all know that not the reason David won. The real reason, as the children’s story version tell us, is that Goliath was big, but God was bigger. Of course, skeptic will claim that the stone merely knocked Goliath unconscious and it wasn’t David cut off Goliath’s head with Goliath’s sword that Goliath died. They are wrong. They need to re-read 1 Samuel 17:48-51 over again. I at least see 3 times the text verifies the sling and stone killed him. First, the text says the stone sank into his forehead. No one will survive a stone sunk into the forehead. Second, the text tells the reader in verse 50 that David was triumphant with only the sling and the stone. Third, in the same verse, the text even goes to say Goliath was dead without the sword. (Some people would suggest, for a fourth proof, that David fulfilled Leviticus 24:16, by stoning a blasphemer.) Cutting off Goliath’s head was following the custom of the day. It was proof to the Philistines that Goliath was indeed dead, and probably also part of a “victory dance.”

The Philistines react accordingly: they run in great fear. After all, if a little, ruddy, pretty boy can slay a giant, who knows what all the other man can do to their ordinary people?! The Israelites, following the example of their leader David (hint!) pursue their enemy, the Philistines. They chase them back all the way to their hometowns, and then some, killing everyone they can along the way.

Now the last paragraph has presented problems for Scripture readers. In 1 Samuel 16, the reader reads Saul meeting David for the first time when David plays the harp for him. In 1 Samuel 17, the reader reads Saul meeting David for the first time after killing the giant Goliath. Does Saul meet David for the first time twice? How can that be? A whole plethora of options have been presented. One suggests that 1 Samuel is not in chronological order, but in theological order. So David killing Goliath did happen before David played the harp for Saul; it only happens in reverse order in the text. Some suggests that Saul now wants to know more about David’s family, especially now that Saul owes David riches, a wife, and his family tax exemption. Others have suggested that it’s more of a rhetorical question. Saul might be rhetorically asking, “Is that really David, the kid who plays the harp for me?” or he may be wondering, “What potential greatness does this boy have?” There’s even a theory that says that Saul is so demon-possessed when David plays the harp for him, Saul doesn’t even know who’s playing the harp for him. Personally, I prefer the second option, but my point is that there should be no fear that the text is unreliable for what seems to be 2 greetings. It does make sense.

Before I conclude with the Theological Interpretation of Scripture’s interpretation of 1 Samuel 17, let’s first use discourse analysis, which looks how chapters in a Bible book relate to one another. So what does 1 Samuel 17have to do with the last chapter, 1 Samuel 16? In the first half of 1 Samuel 16, we saw Samuel anoint David as the next king of Israel. By the halfway point of the chapter, the reader asks, “What proof do you have that David is the next king?” Two proofs already present themselves in 1 Samuel 16. First, the Holy Spirit leaves Saul and enters David. Second, David, with the help of the Holy Spirit, fights of the evil Spirit living in Saul. 1 Samuel 17 is the third proof, and what a strong proof it is! Remember we discussed earlier that Saul, as king, should have been the example and leader. He should have stepped up as Israel’s champion to fight Goliath. Instead, Saul is terrified and dismayed. Then comes along David. David is not terrified or dismayed. Rather, David is insulted that this Philistine giant mocks and defies God. So David, trusting in the Lord’s assistance to protect the Lord’s name, is the one to step up, slay the giant, and lead the Israelite army to victory. Look at these two kings. Which king did the better job leading the army? David did. Why did David do better? Because David trusted in the Lord so much, he believed God would protect his people and bring victory. Truly David is next king of Israel because he trusts in God, and God gives him victory. He is the better king. What makes this proof so great too is it’s the first public proof. The other proofs are only obvious to those understanding the spiritual warfare behind it. This proof is as clear as day to all the Israelite people.

And now, let’s close with the Theological Interpretation of Scripture (T.I.S., for short) to give us a better application for our lives. The first rule of T.I.S. is that God is always the main character. So first, let’s establish that God, not David, is the main character. It might seem a little tricky because we don’t see God explicitly speak or act in the text, but he is mentioned, so he must be at work. I think David himself would agree he’s not the main character either because I think David would not even say he won the battle. He would tell you that the Lord won the battle. He even says it twice, in verses 37 and 47. David did not win the battle, but the Lord did. If anything, all David did was trust in the Lord to give him victory. How was David so sure? He remembered the covenant that the Lord made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. David trusted in God’s promises, even if he wasn’t fully prepared like a warrior (compare David’s weaponry to Goliath’s), and God returned the faith with victory. That’s the lesson you can take home from 1 Samuel 17. Just like David, we need to trust in God, who promised us victory. He fulfilled that promise to David and the Israelites with a victory over the giant. And he fulfills the promise to us by giving us victory in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Another rule of T.I.S. is that a good interpretation produces a doctrine/theology that can be found elsewhere in the Bible. I think 1 Corinthians 15:57,58is a good choice, “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”*

*Billings, J. Todd. “How to Read the Bible.” Christianity Today. Oct 2011. Vol. 55, No. 10, Page 24. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/october/how-to-read-bible.html