What a Sob Story

Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner." And King David followed the bier.

2 Samuel 3:31 English Standard Version

Whenever someone dies David really, really takes it hard. Here he's mourning Abner, his enemy-turned-maybe-friend. And when Absalom died he nearly lost his mind, then when his child by Bathsheeba didn't make it he lay on his face for a week. Bit of a drama queen, huh?

A Quick Retort Is Over-Rated

The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,
   but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

Proverbs 15:28 English Standard Version

Having a sharp wit is considered a desirable trait in my social circle. On my good days I have one, on my bad days I just stare vacantly and my mind conjures up ... silence.

But upon reflection, at the end of the day as I lie in bed, if I have any regrets about the words I have spoken it is nine times out of ten for those that I spoke "wittily" and not those that I thought about for a while before voicing.

As soon as David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.

1 Samuel 24:16 English Standard Version

Each time I read Saul's story, how he rose out of obscurity into God's favor and quickly out of it and into a painful and inglorious decline, I am struck by how God "interferes" with Saul's and David's life in very similar ways and yet how differently that affects them.

With David it is a blessing and keeping him on the stright and narrow, a guide, a refuge, a source of strength.

With Saul it's like he's a fish and God keeps telling him to walk on land. God's interference only seems to drive him further out of control. In the end, unlike David's, Saul's heart is entirely out of sync with God. Saul never truly loved God nor cared for Him.

Come With Me Into the Field

“Come,” Jonathan said, “let’s go out into the field.” So they [David and Jonathan] went there together.

1 Samuel 20:11 New International Version

This phraseology immediately brought to mind Genesis 4:8 wherein the bitter Cain invites his brother Abel into a field not to save his life, but to kill him. The contrast is really striking.

Goliath Ten Stories High?

And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him.

1 Samuel 17:4-7 English Standard Version

A cubitis 18inches, and depending on which vrsion of the ancient texts you read Goliath was described as either 4 or 6 cubits high, plus a span (4 inches). So whether he was 6'4" or 9'4" he still wasn't as astronomically large as children's books often depict him.

Either way though, he was tall and strong--his coat of mail alone weighed 125lbs! (A shekel is 2/5oz.) Even his spear head was 15lbs.

Now that's a strong guy. Kudos to David (of God of course)!

Chronology In the Histories

As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is that young man?”
Abner replied, “As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don’t know.”
The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is.”

1 Samuel 17:55-56 New International Version

This story (David and Goliath) follows the story of Saul's evil spirit and the young man--the same David--who was brought to the court as a harp player to sooth his restlessness.

I've always thought it odd that Saul did not recognize David when he came to the camp--maybe the harp story comes second chronologically?

Either way though you'd think there'd be some recognition on Saul's part. He was half mad, though, so who knows.

Authority, or "I Have a Better Idea"

And Samuel said,
"Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
   as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
   and to listen than the fat of rams."

1 Samuel 15:22 English Standard Version

Authority is a tricky issue in our country--we acknowledge its value and importance but resent it when it manifests itself over us. I see this in my place of work, in my family, even among my friends. "How dare [insert name of authority figure here] not consider my idea/ tell me to do that/ hurt my feelings?"

In this story Saul sounds exactly like a modern-day employee: "Yeah I heard what you told me to do but I improved on it with my own idea. Great, huh?"

Authority is authority--you either obey or completely disregard (i.e. treat them as having no authority). There is no in between.

Saul's Ever-Changing Heart

"When he [Saul] turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart."

1 Samuel 10:9a English Standard Version

"...the Spirit of God rushed upon him [Saul], and he prophesied among them."

1 Samuel 10:10b English Standard Version

"And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled."

1 Samuel 11:6 English Standard Version

Much more famous is the passage where God takes His spirit away from Saul. But today in reading the passage about Saul's rise out of obscurity to royalty I was struck anew how deliberatly (and often) God directly intervened in Saul's heart, changing it and molding it to His will and purpose.

I find this both disturbing and strengthening.

Disturbing that God can bring such abrupt, supernatural change in a person's very core at will, and yet that same truth stengthens me in that when God does that to me, it is for my good and His glory. Amen.