Today's passage: I Samuel 29
When I was in college, I had to write a paper on self-esteem for one of my education classes. I wasn't trying to put it off, but as the deadline crept closer, I hadn't even read the book on which we were to base the paper. Fortunately, I am a quick reader, and the book was not a snoozer. I read it in a few hours, pulled an overnighter and skipped my first few classes to complete the paper, but was still not finished in time to deliver it to my professor. I turned it in the next day, ready to be marked down heavily for its delay. I lived at home, not on campus, so my mother was not too pleased with my procrastination on the project. I was unbelievably surprised when my graded essay was returned to me with an A+ at the top of the page, and this remark, "The effort you put forth in writing a truly effective paper far outweighs it being late for one day." I remember my mother seeing that comment and saying, "You didn't deserve that grade." She was right. I didn't. My professor had not seen that I had only worked on it for one night. She wasn't to know that I hadn't been writing it for days. Mercy was extended to me. The situation was of my own making, but I received grace. There were other classes that I suffered the consequences, but for some reason, on that day, I was spared them.
David put himself in this situation, servant to the king of Philistia, prepared to go to battle with his countrymen, because of the lies he had told. He had been dishonest with Achish, king of Gath. He pretended his loyalty was with them, which put him in some tough circumstances. Achish now expected David to prove himself. He expected David to fight with them, against his brothers, against his true king, against his best friend, Jonathan. David and his men follow the Philistines to the battlefield, but many of the Philistine princes question this decision. They ask Achish why David should be allowed to fight. They do not trust him. They do not want to be in the midst of battle with David and his men betraying them, fighting for Israel. Achish defends David, assuring them he has been a loyal subject for this couple of years, but relents when the princes stubbornly refuse to allow him to fight. David must have been relieved. I imagine he had probably asked God before marching out to the battlefield to somehow deliver him from this situation. God does. David does not deserve it. He created these circumstances for himself and for his men. He didn't deserve mercy, but God extended it anyway. I know he had no desire to fight his Israeli comrades, some of which he had probably fought side by side against the Philistines. He would have either turned traitor on Achish in the midst of the battle (just as the Philistine princes feared) or commit an act against his nation which would cause him to shudder. God spared him of all this.
If God were to judge me for every sin I committed, I would be dead. If He were to give me the full punishment (besides not giving me hell, thank you Lord, for so great a salvation) for every thought in my head, every word I uttered, every deed I performed I would never have made it out of my teen years. I would never have made it to my teen years. God is merciful to me every day, even when I find myself in a situation of my own making. Still, He is gracious to me. That doesn't mean I have never suffered the consequences, but I sure am thankful every time He spares me when I don't deserve it. And guess what? I never deserve it. Not one single time. If God ever allows me to suffer consequences for something I really did not do, that only makes up for the hundreds of times He has been merciful to me for the many times I didn't deserve it. So the next time I complain about receiving the penalty for something I am not at fault for, I should remember all the times I deserved the F. I need to keep in mind that God has spared me numerous times. When God tests me with something that I shouldn't be punished for, I need to take it. Maybe I didn't deserve it in that situation, but remember the time I did? Does that mean God has a balancing act going on, weighing the times He has been merciful with the times He hasn't? When is there a time He hasn't been merciful? He is merciful every single day. Trust me, if He were putting things on a scale, the times I didn't deserve mercy would put a whole through the floor. And no, God does not have a ledger that shows how he spared me the consequences over there, and not over here. Every time I am put in a situation that I don't think I deserve to be in, I need to remember that the God of mercy put me there. And what will my response be? It's not fair? Is it fair that He has given me mercy in other situations where I most definitely should have suffered the punishment? David was grateful. There will be other times in his future, where it doesn't seem he should suffer the punishment he receives, but if he is truly honest, there are plenty of times he was spared the punishment he deserved.
I didn't get an A+ on every late paper I turned in. Truth be told, I didn't get an A+ on some papers I worked very hard on, that I turned in punctually, that I researched extensively. Sometimes I didn't get the grade I deserved on those. But I would never complain about that, because God and I know when I didn't make the grade in other ways.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Spooky
Today's passage: I Samuel 28
I am inclined to cry out, like the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz, "I do believe in spooks, I do believe in spooks, I do, I do, I do, I do, I do believe in spooks."
There is so much to learn and absorb from this chapter. The Philistines are at it again. They are camping along the hillside across the valley from Israel, ready for war. Saul is fearful, perhaps because David is now on the side of the Philistines. Now, he isn't really, but that is what Achish, the Philistine king believes. He has been harboring David for over a year, so he expects David to fight for them. David has no intention of doing this, but leads Achish to believe it. So Saul feels as if he has lost the battle (his best warrior fighting with the enemy) and Achish feels as if he has won. Saul prays to God, a novel approach for him, and is disconcerted when God doesn't answer. God would have answered if Saul's heart had been right, but Saul had much to confess to be back in fellowship with Him. If he had already been repentant, David would have been back at his side in his kingdom. Instead of searching his heart and repenting of his sin, he seeks out a witch. He had banished those involved with the occult to leave the land at some point in his reign. I am guessing that he realized the evil spirit he wrestled with was a direct result from those types of people hanging around the palace. This was a wise thing to do. God commanded that his people stay away from any kind of sorcery, wizardry, occult activity. Now, frustrated that God has not answered the moment Saul calls on Him (we've seen his impatience before) he goes after the very people he drove away.
He is told about a woman in Endor who can communicate with the dead. She is hesitant to help because she thinks this is a trap set by Saul to have her imprisoned or killed for violating the king's law. Saul is disguised, so she does not realize it is him, until she calls up Samuel from the dead. There is so much speculation about whether it is really Samuel or not. Could it really be him? It could. God could have surprised them both, and allowed Samuel to reappear. A demon could have taken on Samuel's form and appeared. I do not claim to know which it was, but whatever happened, it revealed to the witch that the man who asked for this appearance was Saul, and she saw something she had never seen before. Samuel (or Samuel's form) tells Saul that if God had departed from him, whatever gave him the notion that he could tell him anything better? Instead, Samuel gives him even worse news. He does well to be afraid, because he and his sons will be killed. Saul is devastated by this news. He stretches out on the floor, terrified, refusing to eat or even to move. The witch, not wanting to be responsible for the king's death, especially in her abode, makes a meal for him, and begs him to eat. He finally does to the witch's great relief.
I still believe it could have been Samuel that appeared. But there are a couple things that make me a little skeptical, because only the witch claims to have seen him. When Saul is talking to the spirit, and I'm not clear if he is talking directly to Samuel or through the witch, it doesn't say that Saul sees Samuel, because he has to ask the witch what the man looks like. There are many mediums today who claim they can talk with our loved ones who have passed on. I am not disputing that there are those who can. The devil is the god of this world and he can manipulate things. The Bible also says that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, so the devil must have many demons to do his bidding and take on many forms. I also think there are a lot of phonies out there who make a lot of money by telling people what they want to hear. They have perfected the art of the scam. I mean, this witch tells Saul she sees an old man in a cloak. That automatically makes this apparition Samuel? Is she deceiving Saul? I don't know. What I do know is we are inundated with occultist books, shows, music, culture. It is everywhere. I find it best to stay away from all of it. What seems harmless, is Satan's way of sugarcoating things to make it palatable so he can lure us into something more. Especially because I have young children who have not accepted Christ yet, I do not want them to be subjected to any spirits that are not from God. I do not want to open my door to Satan in even the slightest way. This may seem like an extreme position, and maybe it is, but I just don't feel like I can be too careful in this area. Vampires, witches, goblins, sorcerers, wizards, there are dozens of shows and games that promote these things. Are they wrong? They are wrong for my family. I am not going to pretend to give people a list of what they should or should not participate in. The Bible is very clear that we should not consult with fortunetellers and palmreaders. What Saul did was in absolute violation of God's laws. We shouldn't participate in seances and witch's spells. So should we watch or listen or read things that have them? Again, that is for each person to decide on their own. I want to stay as far away from those things as possible. Just recently, I upset my son with not allowing him to play an on-line computer game he thought was really fun. I thought it was just ninja battles, but when taking a closer look, I found it was each participant playing a power card, matching elements against each other. Now, was this just like a game of rock, paper, scissors where you try to outwit the other player by throwing down the right signal? Maybe. But for me, they looked too much like tarot cards. Am I being extreme? I mean, I can't shelter my kids from everything. This is true. But I have young souls to look after, and I have to answer to God for that. What may be extreme is my way of trying to keep my boys from following after anything that might blind their eyes to the truth of God's Word. I explained to my son why I didn't want him to play the game, he understood. Does that mean he will always understand? Maybe not. I try to strike the right balance. I don't forbid him to play the computer altogether. He knows that just like there are certain TV shows he is not allowed to watch (there are tons of shows he can) there are certain games he will not be allowed to play. There will also be certain books I will not allow him to read. I know, I know, I can hear people saying it. He will just do those things on the sly or when he is old enough to leave my house. I can't be responsible for what he does when he leaves. I have tried to teach him the why of what he can or cannot do and what he does when he is on his own is his choice. I don't know if I am right. I am not promoting book burning or unplugging the TV. I am just trying to be as watchful as I can over the precious souls God has given for me to raise. I am afraid of all that is out there for their ears and eyes, because "I do believe in spooks, I do believe in spooks, I do, I do, I do, I do, I do believe in spooks."
I am inclined to cry out, like the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz, "I do believe in spooks, I do believe in spooks, I do, I do, I do, I do, I do believe in spooks."
There is so much to learn and absorb from this chapter. The Philistines are at it again. They are camping along the hillside across the valley from Israel, ready for war. Saul is fearful, perhaps because David is now on the side of the Philistines. Now, he isn't really, but that is what Achish, the Philistine king believes. He has been harboring David for over a year, so he expects David to fight for them. David has no intention of doing this, but leads Achish to believe it. So Saul feels as if he has lost the battle (his best warrior fighting with the enemy) and Achish feels as if he has won. Saul prays to God, a novel approach for him, and is disconcerted when God doesn't answer. God would have answered if Saul's heart had been right, but Saul had much to confess to be back in fellowship with Him. If he had already been repentant, David would have been back at his side in his kingdom. Instead of searching his heart and repenting of his sin, he seeks out a witch. He had banished those involved with the occult to leave the land at some point in his reign. I am guessing that he realized the evil spirit he wrestled with was a direct result from those types of people hanging around the palace. This was a wise thing to do. God commanded that his people stay away from any kind of sorcery, wizardry, occult activity. Now, frustrated that God has not answered the moment Saul calls on Him (we've seen his impatience before) he goes after the very people he drove away.
/images/scan0005.jpg "scan0005.jpg (large)") |
| Saul Sees Samuel While Visiting the Witch at En Dor--Taken from Treasures of the Bible By Henry Davenport Northrop International Publishing Company, 1894 |
I still believe it could have been Samuel that appeared. But there are a couple things that make me a little skeptical, because only the witch claims to have seen him. When Saul is talking to the spirit, and I'm not clear if he is talking directly to Samuel or through the witch, it doesn't say that Saul sees Samuel, because he has to ask the witch what the man looks like. There are many mediums today who claim they can talk with our loved ones who have passed on. I am not disputing that there are those who can. The devil is the god of this world and he can manipulate things. The Bible also says that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, so the devil must have many demons to do his bidding and take on many forms. I also think there are a lot of phonies out there who make a lot of money by telling people what they want to hear. They have perfected the art of the scam. I mean, this witch tells Saul she sees an old man in a cloak. That automatically makes this apparition Samuel? Is she deceiving Saul? I don't know. What I do know is we are inundated with occultist books, shows, music, culture. It is everywhere. I find it best to stay away from all of it. What seems harmless, is Satan's way of sugarcoating things to make it palatable so he can lure us into something more. Especially because I have young children who have not accepted Christ yet, I do not want them to be subjected to any spirits that are not from God. I do not want to open my door to Satan in even the slightest way. This may seem like an extreme position, and maybe it is, but I just don't feel like I can be too careful in this area. Vampires, witches, goblins, sorcerers, wizards, there are dozens of shows and games that promote these things. Are they wrong? They are wrong for my family. I am not going to pretend to give people a list of what they should or should not participate in. The Bible is very clear that we should not consult with fortunetellers and palmreaders. What Saul did was in absolute violation of God's laws. We shouldn't participate in seances and witch's spells. So should we watch or listen or read things that have them? Again, that is for each person to decide on their own. I want to stay as far away from those things as possible. Just recently, I upset my son with not allowing him to play an on-line computer game he thought was really fun. I thought it was just ninja battles, but when taking a closer look, I found it was each participant playing a power card, matching elements against each other. Now, was this just like a game of rock, paper, scissors where you try to outwit the other player by throwing down the right signal? Maybe. But for me, they looked too much like tarot cards. Am I being extreme? I mean, I can't shelter my kids from everything. This is true. But I have young souls to look after, and I have to answer to God for that. What may be extreme is my way of trying to keep my boys from following after anything that might blind their eyes to the truth of God's Word. I explained to my son why I didn't want him to play the game, he understood. Does that mean he will always understand? Maybe not. I try to strike the right balance. I don't forbid him to play the computer altogether. He knows that just like there are certain TV shows he is not allowed to watch (there are tons of shows he can) there are certain games he will not be allowed to play. There will also be certain books I will not allow him to read. I know, I know, I can hear people saying it. He will just do those things on the sly or when he is old enough to leave my house. I can't be responsible for what he does when he leaves. I have tried to teach him the why of what he can or cannot do and what he does when he is on his own is his choice. I don't know if I am right. I am not promoting book burning or unplugging the TV. I am just trying to be as watchful as I can over the precious souls God has given for me to raise. I am afraid of all that is out there for their ears and eyes, because "I do believe in spooks, I do believe in spooks, I do, I do, I do, I do, I do believe in spooks."
Monday, September 5, 2011
Inside Out
Today's passage: I Samuel 27
I have never known anyone in the Witness Protection Program. Actually, I can't really say that, because if the program really works, I may know many people in it, but their identities are so well concealed, that I would never know.
Imagine a lifetime of always living as someone else. Changing your name, the way you look, inventing a new history for yourself. It would seem odd. You wouldn't be able to visit your extended family, because you could not put them at risk in revealing where you are. If you had children, you would somehow have to re-program their memories. You would have to tell them that lying is okay in this case, because it was for your own protection. But you wouldn't call it lying, you would call it pretending. I'm not being critical or judgemental of that, I'm sure it is how I would handle the same situation. You would live in a new house, with new belongings (I'm guessing you would have to leave your old ones behind, because you couldn't risk rental truck agencies or movers to not give out your information) in a new neighborhood in a different city or state. You would always be reviewing your story, trying to keep every detail straight so that you would not stumble when asked. When enrolling in school or establishing a bank account, you would produce government issued fake identification. Not even the picture would be you because your hair color and eye color would have altered with the help of Clairol and tinted contact lenses. It would be as if you had vanished off the planet. And that is the strategy. Still, you would be alive. You might have to go through this routine every couple months or every couple years, just in case you were being tracked by the very people from which you were hiding. Can you sense how discouraged someone going through this might get? How could you ever really establish friendships when your whole life was made up? How could you ever really trust anybody to keep your secret? You couldn't. You would just keep moving and medicate yourself for the daily anxiety attacks you experience for fear of being discovered. Maybe I have it all wrong, and protected witnesses lead perfectly normal, average, boring lives.
David could have used a Witness Protection Program. Every time he looked over his shoulder, Saul and his soldiers were right behind him. David manages to stay a step ahead, but he is tired of this nomadic life. He is ready to settle down. He has a family after all, and although it is not clear whether his children have been born, this was still no life for the two wives who traveled with him. I don't know how many years David has spent in the wilderness (I guess I could find that out, I'm just too lazy to search it out right now) but wouldn't even a week of wandering seem taxing? I don't think I could manage living that lifestyle for a couple days, let alone a couple years. I imagine David thought in the beginning, this would be a temporary situation. Who would think that he would be running from Saul for months on end? Who wouldn't get discouraged under the circumstances? I would. At first, David probably had all the faith in the world, and believed implicitly that God would deliver him. As time passes, and the situation has not resolved, David questions whether he will ever be established on Israel's throne, because he is not sure he will ever make it out of the wilderness.
That's something to think about. This world is my wilderness. We face problems every day, and for some people it seems those problems never resolve. Through no fault of their own, they are faced with trial upon trial. God has allowed it. I don't refer to me in this scenario, because as I have said before, I don't feel like I've had to face anything. But I know people who seem to be confronted with problems day after day. They were convinced God would have intervened by now. They had faith that God would handle the situation. And He will. But what if He doesn't do anything about it this side of Heaven? Then what? At the end of this chapter, while David is a fugitive in Philistia, he attacks some of the enemy nations that have for so long bothered Israel, including the Amalekites that Saul so badly fails to destroy. David is accomplishing something now, that will help him in later years when God installs him as king. It may seem that David's life has been wasted, but God is training David. The trials we face are the training ground for something greater in our lives. Even if that something greater is simply to throw our crowns at Christ's feet. I know it can be discouraging. I know that the day-to-day that develops into the year-to-year lends itself to defeat. David was ready to quit. He is certain that no matter how much space he puts between himself and Saul, one day the hour glass will have poured its last grain and Saul will be victorious. Of course, we know the end of the story and can tell David it is not true. God will deliver him. God will deliver you. I can't tell you when. I can't tell you how. I can't look at your trial and answer, well, only for this long. I wish I could. Some trials are for a lifetime. Why? I can't answer that either.
When faced with having to flee my home, my family, every thing I hold dear to escape certain death from an enemy, I would wonder, how long? If I were forced to adopt an alias to be able to live the rest of my life, I don't know if I could do that, because I would never know when it was to end. Sometimes the greatest part of the trial is not knowing when the trial will have an ending. If I were in the Witness Protection Program, I might never get out. My greatest struggle would be the seeming eternity of it. And yet, that is how God teaches us to wait on Him. We are so bad at waiting. We have to wait for Him to say, "Okay, now. Now, I will take this from you." For some of us, that may be right away. For some of us, that may be after years of praying and struggling. And for some of us, it may not be until we leave this life. Is there a formula to shorten the waiting period? No. Because God works something different in all of our lives, and only when we look back, can we see what He has accomplished. Only I know that when He put that particular problem in my path, it produced this fruit. Maybe nobody else could see it. But I could. Nobody can see the inner workings of my spirit. That is between me and God. That is between you and God. David had times of discouragement. Read the Psalms and you can see that. But David endured. He did not give up. He still believed that God would help him, even though the help did not come right away.
Protected witnesses enroll in the program so they can have a life. Even if that life is not what they desired. It would seem that only the exteriors have been changed, but anybody going through something like that knows they have changed on the inside too. No trial leaves us unchanged, so maybe the outward transformation is not so far fetched after all. Maybe the name changes, the relocation, the altered appearance only hints at the inner turmoil we experience. We can't divulge how God is working inside us in every instance. We can't always explain how God is changing us from the inside. Our old self doesn't really match who we are anymore anyway. In that case, maybe we are all enrolled in witness protection.
I have never known anyone in the Witness Protection Program. Actually, I can't really say that, because if the program really works, I may know many people in it, but their identities are so well concealed, that I would never know.
Imagine a lifetime of always living as someone else. Changing your name, the way you look, inventing a new history for yourself. It would seem odd. You wouldn't be able to visit your extended family, because you could not put them at risk in revealing where you are. If you had children, you would somehow have to re-program their memories. You would have to tell them that lying is okay in this case, because it was for your own protection. But you wouldn't call it lying, you would call it pretending. I'm not being critical or judgemental of that, I'm sure it is how I would handle the same situation. You would live in a new house, with new belongings (I'm guessing you would have to leave your old ones behind, because you couldn't risk rental truck agencies or movers to not give out your information) in a new neighborhood in a different city or state. You would always be reviewing your story, trying to keep every detail straight so that you would not stumble when asked. When enrolling in school or establishing a bank account, you would produce government issued fake identification. Not even the picture would be you because your hair color and eye color would have altered with the help of Clairol and tinted contact lenses. It would be as if you had vanished off the planet. And that is the strategy. Still, you would be alive. You might have to go through this routine every couple months or every couple years, just in case you were being tracked by the very people from which you were hiding. Can you sense how discouraged someone going through this might get? How could you ever really establish friendships when your whole life was made up? How could you ever really trust anybody to keep your secret? You couldn't. You would just keep moving and medicate yourself for the daily anxiety attacks you experience for fear of being discovered. Maybe I have it all wrong, and protected witnesses lead perfectly normal, average, boring lives.
David could have used a Witness Protection Program. Every time he looked over his shoulder, Saul and his soldiers were right behind him. David manages to stay a step ahead, but he is tired of this nomadic life. He is ready to settle down. He has a family after all, and although it is not clear whether his children have been born, this was still no life for the two wives who traveled with him. I don't know how many years David has spent in the wilderness (I guess I could find that out, I'm just too lazy to search it out right now) but wouldn't even a week of wandering seem taxing? I don't think I could manage living that lifestyle for a couple days, let alone a couple years. I imagine David thought in the beginning, this would be a temporary situation. Who would think that he would be running from Saul for months on end? Who wouldn't get discouraged under the circumstances? I would. At first, David probably had all the faith in the world, and believed implicitly that God would deliver him. As time passes, and the situation has not resolved, David questions whether he will ever be established on Israel's throne, because he is not sure he will ever make it out of the wilderness.
That's something to think about. This world is my wilderness. We face problems every day, and for some people it seems those problems never resolve. Through no fault of their own, they are faced with trial upon trial. God has allowed it. I don't refer to me in this scenario, because as I have said before, I don't feel like I've had to face anything. But I know people who seem to be confronted with problems day after day. They were convinced God would have intervened by now. They had faith that God would handle the situation. And He will. But what if He doesn't do anything about it this side of Heaven? Then what? At the end of this chapter, while David is a fugitive in Philistia, he attacks some of the enemy nations that have for so long bothered Israel, including the Amalekites that Saul so badly fails to destroy. David is accomplishing something now, that will help him in later years when God installs him as king. It may seem that David's life has been wasted, but God is training David. The trials we face are the training ground for something greater in our lives. Even if that something greater is simply to throw our crowns at Christ's feet. I know it can be discouraging. I know that the day-to-day that develops into the year-to-year lends itself to defeat. David was ready to quit. He is certain that no matter how much space he puts between himself and Saul, one day the hour glass will have poured its last grain and Saul will be victorious. Of course, we know the end of the story and can tell David it is not true. God will deliver him. God will deliver you. I can't tell you when. I can't tell you how. I can't look at your trial and answer, well, only for this long. I wish I could. Some trials are for a lifetime. Why? I can't answer that either.
When faced with having to flee my home, my family, every thing I hold dear to escape certain death from an enemy, I would wonder, how long? If I were forced to adopt an alias to be able to live the rest of my life, I don't know if I could do that, because I would never know when it was to end. Sometimes the greatest part of the trial is not knowing when the trial will have an ending. If I were in the Witness Protection Program, I might never get out. My greatest struggle would be the seeming eternity of it. And yet, that is how God teaches us to wait on Him. We are so bad at waiting. We have to wait for Him to say, "Okay, now. Now, I will take this from you." For some of us, that may be right away. For some of us, that may be after years of praying and struggling. And for some of us, it may not be until we leave this life. Is there a formula to shorten the waiting period? No. Because God works something different in all of our lives, and only when we look back, can we see what He has accomplished. Only I know that when He put that particular problem in my path, it produced this fruit. Maybe nobody else could see it. But I could. Nobody can see the inner workings of my spirit. That is between me and God. That is between you and God. David had times of discouragement. Read the Psalms and you can see that. But David endured. He did not give up. He still believed that God would help him, even though the help did not come right away.
Protected witnesses enroll in the program so they can have a life. Even if that life is not what they desired. It would seem that only the exteriors have been changed, but anybody going through something like that knows they have changed on the inside too. No trial leaves us unchanged, so maybe the outward transformation is not so far fetched after all. Maybe the name changes, the relocation, the altered appearance only hints at the inner turmoil we experience. We can't divulge how God is working inside us in every instance. We can't always explain how God is changing us from the inside. Our old self doesn't really match who we are anymore anyway. In that case, maybe we are all enrolled in witness protection.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Mousetrap
Today's passage: I Samuel 26
One of my favorite cartoons in childhood was Tom and Jerry. That cat and mouse worked hard to outwit each other at every turn. In the later years, the ones that were broadcast when I was in upper elementary school, suddenly had Tom and Jerry as friends, working together to accomplish something, but with conflict along the way. I never cared for the new format, because I could never buy into it. In the older episodes, Tom and Jerry would cooperate on occasion, if it was in their interest, but never for very long. It was much more fun to watch them chase each other around the house, devising traps for each other. And besides, I knew the history of these two critters, how had they suddenly become friends? It just didn't make any sense to me.
I guess David and Saul's relationship reminds me a bit of Tom and Jerry. I don't think David was trying to outwit Saul, as much as he was trying to prove that he would never harm his king. David again spares Saul's life, to Abishai's great frustration and dismay, and to Abner's embarrassment. Saul, even though David had a chance to kill him before and didn't, still pursues David. Saul himself decides to embark on this endeavor to capture David. It would seem from the last time we saw this scenario, that all would have been well between David and Saul. But Saul did not invite David back to the palace, and David did not leave his wilderness living. After a second time of showing mercy on Saul, David pleads with Saul to tell him what he has done to deserve such treatment. David wished he could have at least had a reason. But a godly man and an ungodly man living in the same residence is like a cat and mouse trying to live peacefully together. How could Saul tell David what he did wrong, unless he were to admit he was less of a man? That he wanted to live his life his way and not be reminded by this godly lad what God would prefer. Just David's presence would be a constant reminder to Saul.
Instead, Saul tries out the later episodes of Tom and Jerry "friends" ploy. He asks David for forgiveness and tells David he can return. But David is too familiar with the old Tom and Jerry episodes, when Tom was always trying to bait Jerry. David tells Saul if he would like his spear back, to send one of his men after it. The end of this conversation may have sounded like all was well between them, but they both knew that neither of them could live together. Hence, Saul returns to his palace, willing to be foiled again, and David returns to the wilderness, anticipating a new trap.
It seems sad that Saul (like Tom cat) could not be trusted. He could put on the smile, recite the forgiveness speech and pretend he wanted David back, but only to destroy him, not to fellowship with him. David (like Jerry mouse) continually had to judge these speeches, sidestep the traps and live waiting for the next cat chase. Not the life for me. But really, my relationship with the devil is the same. Satan is Tom cat trying to win me over with sweet words while keeping his carefully laid trap covered, hoping I will not discover it before I step in. If I am as savvy as Jerry mouse, I will look past the grand speeches and instinctively know about the trap he has devised for me. Satan and I cannot, and can never be friends. His only motive for winning me over is to have me for lunch. If I ever believe anything else, I will have bought into those later episodes of Tom and Jerry.
One of my favorite cartoons in childhood was Tom and Jerry. That cat and mouse worked hard to outwit each other at every turn. In the later years, the ones that were broadcast when I was in upper elementary school, suddenly had Tom and Jerry as friends, working together to accomplish something, but with conflict along the way. I never cared for the new format, because I could never buy into it. In the older episodes, Tom and Jerry would cooperate on occasion, if it was in their interest, but never for very long. It was much more fun to watch them chase each other around the house, devising traps for each other. And besides, I knew the history of these two critters, how had they suddenly become friends? It just didn't make any sense to me.
I guess David and Saul's relationship reminds me a bit of Tom and Jerry. I don't think David was trying to outwit Saul, as much as he was trying to prove that he would never harm his king. David again spares Saul's life, to Abishai's great frustration and dismay, and to Abner's embarrassment. Saul, even though David had a chance to kill him before and didn't, still pursues David. Saul himself decides to embark on this endeavor to capture David. It would seem from the last time we saw this scenario, that all would have been well between David and Saul. But Saul did not invite David back to the palace, and David did not leave his wilderness living. After a second time of showing mercy on Saul, David pleads with Saul to tell him what he has done to deserve such treatment. David wished he could have at least had a reason. But a godly man and an ungodly man living in the same residence is like a cat and mouse trying to live peacefully together. How could Saul tell David what he did wrong, unless he were to admit he was less of a man? That he wanted to live his life his way and not be reminded by this godly lad what God would prefer. Just David's presence would be a constant reminder to Saul.
 |
| David prevents Saul from being killed--Taken from Standard Bible Readers, Book Four By Lillie A. Faris, Illustrated by O.A. Stemler and Bess Bruce Cleaveland The Standard Publishing Company, 1927 |
It seems sad that Saul (like Tom cat) could not be trusted. He could put on the smile, recite the forgiveness speech and pretend he wanted David back, but only to destroy him, not to fellowship with him. David (like Jerry mouse) continually had to judge these speeches, sidestep the traps and live waiting for the next cat chase. Not the life for me. But really, my relationship with the devil is the same. Satan is Tom cat trying to win me over with sweet words while keeping his carefully laid trap covered, hoping I will not discover it before I step in. If I am as savvy as Jerry mouse, I will look past the grand speeches and instinctively know about the trap he has devised for me. Satan and I cannot, and can never be friends. His only motive for winning me over is to have me for lunch. If I ever believe anything else, I will have bought into those later episodes of Tom and Jerry.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Food Comes Before Beauty
Today's passage: I Samuel 25:18-44
How can a woman get her way? Look to some of the women in the Bible and I can get my answer. When I read about how Abigail persuaded David not to harm her foolish husband, Nabal, and her home, it seems like she uses the exact same methods that every woman throughout history has used. Years later, when Esther is confronted with the extermination of her people, she must petition her royal husband. I have to wonder if she looked to Abigail's example, because she follows the same process.
Abigail was a beautiful woman. Esther was a beautiful woman as well. They both could have depended on those things to achieve what they wanted, as many women in the past and present have done. But they did not rest on their beauty. They did not depend on it to take them places or get them things. I imagine it did come in handy from time to time, but it wasn't their chief means of achieving something. I can tell that Abigail does not expect her beauty to deliver her because she does something very wise. She sends food to David, and she sends it out before she arrives. She lets David see the food first so that he will know his request to Nabal is now being honored. Food is the way to a man's heart, after all, isn't it? This will allow David's anger to be quenched a little before she proceeds with her request. Esther did nearly the same thing. Twice she invited her husband to banquets before she made her petition. The food must have been really good because in both cases, the men succumb.
When Abigail dismounts from her donkey, David has already been somewhat appeased, and he is more willing to hear what this woman (beautiful one too) has to say. I'm not saying that Abigail did not put on her best frock and coifed her hair in its most becoming way. If that did not sway David, it might go a long way with the 600 men who were with them. If David was not impressed with her beauty, I can see that maybe some of his men might stay his hand, on that fact alone. Esther too made herself as presentable as she could. Abigail could have gone in sheep shearing clothes, sweat dripping from her forehead, but she was trying to convince this future king to spare her family. Wouldn't she want to look as pleasing as she could so that he would listen to her request? Some might say, well she was being flirtatious. Not at all. I would hope that if you went for a job interview, you would try to look your most presentable whether the interviewer was a man or woman. We want to put our best foot forward when we are trying to impress. Abigail did the same. She had not met David. She could not impress him with her reasoning and discernment yet because they had never talked together. He was impressed with how she looked and so he let her talk.
Abigail does what many women have done. She flatters David. Flattery goes a long way with men. I don't think wives use it enough. But there is a key difference in how Abigail uses it and how many other women use it. Her flattery was genuine. She paid David compliments, and they were true. Was she trying to win him over? Of course she was, but she knew he would see through false compliments. She also imparts a bit of wisdom, but makes him think it is his idea. "Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal."
Should wives employ this device when speaking with their husbands about something important? Why not? Didn't God put it in the Bible to show how a woman facing certain death was able to change a man's heart. Didn't she do it in a Godly fashion? God made men and women differently. We think differently. By meeting David's hunger needs, appealing to his masculinity through his ego, Abigail was able to divert the death of her household. Why shouldn't wives make their husbands an excellent dinner, get dolled up and compliment her husband on all of his fine qualities, before asking him to do something? Is it better to make him get his own dinner, and nag at him about how he didn't take the trash out again? I think the first way is much more pleasant, and besides, if he is about to make a really bad decision, wouldn't he more likely take our advice when he is in a good temper? David was about to make a very bad decision, even though it seemed like a good one at the time. Abigail's husband had already made a very bad decision, which kind of makes me wonder why she didn't use this process with her own husband, Nabal, to try and change his mind. Maybe she felt it would be too late and couldn't count on his foolish nature to change in time to stave off the wrath that would be coming from David. So she chose to search out the man who had been more reasonable in the past. If my husband is about to make what I consider a very foolish decision, I might do well to follow Abigail's procedures. Again, not to manipulate, to communicate. When my husband's belly is full, when I've told him how much I love him, what a good provider he is, how much we appreciate his hard work (all true statements, by the way) wouldn't that put him in a better humor to listen to advice? Wouldn't that make the conversation go better even if he still chooses to do it his way? Abigail was a wise woman.
I'm thinking I might have to have that conversation with my husband tonight about that matter we have put off discussing. What are his favorite foods again?
How can a woman get her way? Look to some of the women in the Bible and I can get my answer. When I read about how Abigail persuaded David not to harm her foolish husband, Nabal, and her home, it seems like she uses the exact same methods that every woman throughout history has used. Years later, when Esther is confronted with the extermination of her people, she must petition her royal husband. I have to wonder if she looked to Abigail's example, because she follows the same process.
Abigail was a beautiful woman. Esther was a beautiful woman as well. They both could have depended on those things to achieve what they wanted, as many women in the past and present have done. But they did not rest on their beauty. They did not depend on it to take them places or get them things. I imagine it did come in handy from time to time, but it wasn't their chief means of achieving something. I can tell that Abigail does not expect her beauty to deliver her because she does something very wise. She sends food to David, and she sends it out before she arrives. She lets David see the food first so that he will know his request to Nabal is now being honored. Food is the way to a man's heart, after all, isn't it? This will allow David's anger to be quenched a little before she proceeds with her request. Esther did nearly the same thing. Twice she invited her husband to banquets before she made her petition. The food must have been really good because in both cases, the men succumb.
When Abigail dismounts from her donkey, David has already been somewhat appeased, and he is more willing to hear what this woman (beautiful one too) has to say. I'm not saying that Abigail did not put on her best frock and coifed her hair in its most becoming way. If that did not sway David, it might go a long way with the 600 men who were with them. If David was not impressed with her beauty, I can see that maybe some of his men might stay his hand, on that fact alone. Esther too made herself as presentable as she could. Abigail could have gone in sheep shearing clothes, sweat dripping from her forehead, but she was trying to convince this future king to spare her family. Wouldn't she want to look as pleasing as she could so that he would listen to her request? Some might say, well she was being flirtatious. Not at all. I would hope that if you went for a job interview, you would try to look your most presentable whether the interviewer was a man or woman. We want to put our best foot forward when we are trying to impress. Abigail did the same. She had not met David. She could not impress him with her reasoning and discernment yet because they had never talked together. He was impressed with how she looked and so he let her talk.
 |
| Abigail Pleads with David Public Domain--source and illustrator unknown |
Should wives employ this device when speaking with their husbands about something important? Why not? Didn't God put it in the Bible to show how a woman facing certain death was able to change a man's heart. Didn't she do it in a Godly fashion? God made men and women differently. We think differently. By meeting David's hunger needs, appealing to his masculinity through his ego, Abigail was able to divert the death of her household. Why shouldn't wives make their husbands an excellent dinner, get dolled up and compliment her husband on all of his fine qualities, before asking him to do something? Is it better to make him get his own dinner, and nag at him about how he didn't take the trash out again? I think the first way is much more pleasant, and besides, if he is about to make a really bad decision, wouldn't he more likely take our advice when he is in a good temper? David was about to make a very bad decision, even though it seemed like a good one at the time. Abigail's husband had already made a very bad decision, which kind of makes me wonder why she didn't use this process with her own husband, Nabal, to try and change his mind. Maybe she felt it would be too late and couldn't count on his foolish nature to change in time to stave off the wrath that would be coming from David. So she chose to search out the man who had been more reasonable in the past. If my husband is about to make what I consider a very foolish decision, I might do well to follow Abigail's procedures. Again, not to manipulate, to communicate. When my husband's belly is full, when I've told him how much I love him, what a good provider he is, how much we appreciate his hard work (all true statements, by the way) wouldn't that put him in a better humor to listen to advice? Wouldn't that make the conversation go better even if he still chooses to do it his way? Abigail was a wise woman.
I'm thinking I might have to have that conversation with my husband tonight about that matter we have put off discussing. What are his favorite foods again?
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Competitors
Today's passage: I Samuel 25:1-17
"They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep."
In the teaching profession, there is a lot of mentoring and encouragement. We borrow teaching tips from each other, we give advice, we ask for advice, we pool ideas. All this makes for an enjoyable work environment. I don't think I could ever work on Wall Street, where it is every man for himself. I don't think I could steal clients from another person, or recommend myself over a colleague. Highly competitive people probably enjoy that work environment, but it would not be for me. Maybe not all stock brokers try to edge out rivals, and maybe not all teachers cooperate with one another, but generally, you can see the difference in the two atmospheres.
David used to be a shepherd. In fact, he used to shepherd in Bethlehem which is not a great deal's distance from Maon, where this passage takes place. In between the two cities is a great wilderness. So shepherds would either take their sheep into this wilderness to graze, or they would take them west to pasture. In any case, I am guessing that some of the shepherds from these towns would have met up at one point or another. David may have been familiar with Nabal from his shepherding days. He obviously knew he was a wealthy man, or he would not have imposed on him to feed over 400 mouths. David and his men have wandered the countryside, I guess depending on others for food, but that is not always easy when you have such a large group of men. Perhaps they hunted and fished. They could have on many occasions slaughtered sheep that they happened across in their travels. The sheep would have provided mutton and wool. This would most likely be a last resort. Having been a shepherd, David understood the importance of every sheep in the flock. He would have sympathized with families that raised them as their living, and would prefer to leave them to those families. Apparently, David and his men had crossed paths with Nabal's shepherds. They even offered them protection, in exchange for nothing. David understood the perils of watching the sheep by night. He was willing to offer a helping hand.
Now the time comes when David could use a helping hand. He is hungry. He knows Nabal has the means to feed them. He has helped Nabal in the past so he asks for a favor. I don't think David helped Nabal's men in order to get something for the future, but since he is in need, he figures that maybe Nabal will return the kindness. Here is Nabal's response, "And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master."
I'm not buying that Nabal has no idea who David is. In fact, I'm guessing that Nabal is one of those competitive Wall Street types who wants to monopolize the sheep farming business. He probably knew every shepherd in the area, every sheep owner around and made it his business to keep track of who had what. He had to have heard about David's reputation, not only as a shepherd, but as a servant to king Saul. Hadn't everyone heard about the giant slayer? There is some reason that Nabal refuses to help David. I think he would like to see the downfall of David and the downfall of his family. I think he would like to be the only sheep owner standing in southern Judah. Does he even listen to the fact that David and his men had spared his shepherds and his sheep on numerous occasions? That they in fact, had offered protection? Nabal refuses to hear it. He has his mind set. Perhaps he thinks that with Jesse's old age and his best shepherd a fugitive, Jesse will have to sell the family business. And guess who might march up the walk willing to take it off his hands? Of course, I can't know any of this for sure, but it seems reasonable to think that this may have been Nabal's motivation. He obviously had no fear of David. He does not think about what David could possibly do to him or his business. Fortunately, Nabal has a wise wife. This must have been an arranged marriage, because I don't see how foolish Nabal could have ended up with wise Abigail. I know opposites attract, but not that opposite.
Competition is healthy, to an extent. I believe in a free market where competition helps business to improve. I enjoy watching competitive sports, where somebody wins and somebody loses. I love competitive board games where hopefully I win ( I do have a bit of a competitive streak in me). Sometimes competition becomes cut-throat, and then it gets ugly. When we only concentrate on winning, when we only see the bottom line, competition loses purpose. Competition should motivate us to improve ourselves, it shouldn't leave us trampled in the dust. That is why we have sportsmanship awards, so in the midst of competition, we can still show some civility. Nabal could only see the bottom line. He was willing to mow over anybody to achieve what he wanted. In the heat of the race, I should be focused on the finish line, but I mustn't forget those on the sidelines who helped me get there. A Wall Street tycoon more than likely profited from other brokers who fizzled out. Teachers of the year had to get those ideas from somewhere or somebody. Competition is working hard to win, but usually we benefit from those who lose. Nobody wins or profits without some help. Do I lend a helping hand when I am at the top of the world? Or do I squash the competitors? If that is my attitude, I shouldn't be surprised when someone has to help me off the ground someday.
"They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep."
In the teaching profession, there is a lot of mentoring and encouragement. We borrow teaching tips from each other, we give advice, we ask for advice, we pool ideas. All this makes for an enjoyable work environment. I don't think I could ever work on Wall Street, where it is every man for himself. I don't think I could steal clients from another person, or recommend myself over a colleague. Highly competitive people probably enjoy that work environment, but it would not be for me. Maybe not all stock brokers try to edge out rivals, and maybe not all teachers cooperate with one another, but generally, you can see the difference in the two atmospheres.
David used to be a shepherd. In fact, he used to shepherd in Bethlehem which is not a great deal's distance from Maon, where this passage takes place. In between the two cities is a great wilderness. So shepherds would either take their sheep into this wilderness to graze, or they would take them west to pasture. In any case, I am guessing that some of the shepherds from these towns would have met up at one point or another. David may have been familiar with Nabal from his shepherding days. He obviously knew he was a wealthy man, or he would not have imposed on him to feed over 400 mouths. David and his men have wandered the countryside, I guess depending on others for food, but that is not always easy when you have such a large group of men. Perhaps they hunted and fished. They could have on many occasions slaughtered sheep that they happened across in their travels. The sheep would have provided mutton and wool. This would most likely be a last resort. Having been a shepherd, David understood the importance of every sheep in the flock. He would have sympathized with families that raised them as their living, and would prefer to leave them to those families. Apparently, David and his men had crossed paths with Nabal's shepherds. They even offered them protection, in exchange for nothing. David understood the perils of watching the sheep by night. He was willing to offer a helping hand.
Now the time comes when David could use a helping hand. He is hungry. He knows Nabal has the means to feed them. He has helped Nabal in the past so he asks for a favor. I don't think David helped Nabal's men in order to get something for the future, but since he is in need, he figures that maybe Nabal will return the kindness. Here is Nabal's response, "And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master."
I'm not buying that Nabal has no idea who David is. In fact, I'm guessing that Nabal is one of those competitive Wall Street types who wants to monopolize the sheep farming business. He probably knew every shepherd in the area, every sheep owner around and made it his business to keep track of who had what. He had to have heard about David's reputation, not only as a shepherd, but as a servant to king Saul. Hadn't everyone heard about the giant slayer? There is some reason that Nabal refuses to help David. I think he would like to see the downfall of David and the downfall of his family. I think he would like to be the only sheep owner standing in southern Judah. Does he even listen to the fact that David and his men had spared his shepherds and his sheep on numerous occasions? That they in fact, had offered protection? Nabal refuses to hear it. He has his mind set. Perhaps he thinks that with Jesse's old age and his best shepherd a fugitive, Jesse will have to sell the family business. And guess who might march up the walk willing to take it off his hands? Of course, I can't know any of this for sure, but it seems reasonable to think that this may have been Nabal's motivation. He obviously had no fear of David. He does not think about what David could possibly do to him or his business. Fortunately, Nabal has a wise wife. This must have been an arranged marriage, because I don't see how foolish Nabal could have ended up with wise Abigail. I know opposites attract, but not that opposite.
Competition is healthy, to an extent. I believe in a free market where competition helps business to improve. I enjoy watching competitive sports, where somebody wins and somebody loses. I love competitive board games where hopefully I win ( I do have a bit of a competitive streak in me). Sometimes competition becomes cut-throat, and then it gets ugly. When we only concentrate on winning, when we only see the bottom line, competition loses purpose. Competition should motivate us to improve ourselves, it shouldn't leave us trampled in the dust. That is why we have sportsmanship awards, so in the midst of competition, we can still show some civility. Nabal could only see the bottom line. He was willing to mow over anybody to achieve what he wanted. In the heat of the race, I should be focused on the finish line, but I mustn't forget those on the sidelines who helped me get there. A Wall Street tycoon more than likely profited from other brokers who fizzled out. Teachers of the year had to get those ideas from somewhere or somebody. Competition is working hard to win, but usually we benefit from those who lose. Nobody wins or profits without some help. Do I lend a helping hand when I am at the top of the world? Or do I squash the competitors? If that is my attitude, I shouldn't be surprised when someone has to help me off the ground someday.
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