FALSELY ACCUSED

Chapter Four

“If I know she’s worried     Then I would feel that same old misery

We’ve been through so much together     We spoke as one and that’s what makes it better”*

            We’ve all heard the famous story of David and Goliath since our childhood Sunday School classes.  Let’s go back in time to see beyond the flannel board and set up the background of how this all came to be.  After the victory, of course, David is the hero and all the nation applaud him.  Good times.  But let’s take a look at what led up to the great take-down of this scary giant.  And what followed this epic bible story?  Was there a red carpet spread out for David after this pinnacle of greatness?  Or was it like our own lives – the every dayness of every day, day in and day out?

            Remember, the priest Samuel has anointed David to replace Saul because of Saul’s great sin against the Lord.  Samuel has anointed David only before everyone in his immediate  family clan.  The priest would travel between cities regularly to offer sacrifices so this was not uncommon.  But only David and Samuel know what the anointing is for…a new man on the throne.  As far as everyone else is concerned things are going just fine and dandy back at the palace.  Saul had been publicly chosen first by God, then by lots as the nation watched.  And he has been proclaimed king before a standing room only crowd.  Everyone is satisfied with this choice.  Saul is living in the palace, surrounded by servants and soldiers doing his bidding.  Wealth, recognition and admiration are his.  “Long live the King” and all that going on.

            After this, David still is tending his dad’s sheep.  The older seven brothers, however, are stationed at the battlefront.  There is a valley between the Israelites and the Philistines.  Having had Samuel’s anointing did not change David’s standing within his own family.  Business as usual.  Smelly sheep and nights with the dangers of lions, tigers and bears.  Oh My!  (Okay, so no tigers if you have to be so picky.)

            Jesse, David’s dad, is elderly and stays home on their farm.  Armies were not the same back then because normally the men took their own rations.  Also no aircraft, by the way.  So Jesse summoned David to carry bread and cheese to his sons, along with some for their commanding officer.  The bible says David quickly went there.  Being a young man he most likely wanted to see the men in action.

            Only there was no action.  Saul and his uncle Abner, who is now his secretary of defense, are sitting under a pomegranate tree watching the situation.  And the situation was a far cry from what could be considered battle.  You see, the Philistine army was on one side of the valley, screaming insults to the Israelites.  And the Israelites were cowering on the other side.  Twice daily the giant Goliath would come down to the center of the valley and yell up for them to send down one ‘champion’ and let the two of them battle things out.  The deal was to keep from having so much loss of life, let it be settled this easy way, one on one.  And if the Philistines won, the Jews would be their servants.  If the Jews won, conversely, the Philistines would be theirs.  Their word for ‘champion’ actually meant someone who stands between.  Or in the center of two opposing armies.  Probably a good concept since so many battles in the Old Testament resulted in massive loss of life.

            So let’s continue and see who serves whom.  David was watching the scenario play out.  Having filled his brothers’ stomachs, he asked the men what would happen to the champion that would kill the giant.  (Notice how positive this young man was!)  Big brother Eliab overheard this and, perhaps out of jealous for not being chosen for anointing from Samuel, or perhaps out of the routine of putting down the lowliest person in the family, verbally assaults him:  “What are you doing around here anyway.”  Duh, I just fed you, bro!  “What about those few sheep you are supposed to be taking care of?”  Duh, bro, stop talking with your mouth full.  A ‘thank you’ would be nice, Eliab.  “You are a cocky brat who is just here to see the battle.”  Bro!  What battle?  I’m only asking a simple question.  By the way, that’s a paraphrase.

            Fast forward.  Someone tells him that whoever kills the giant will no longer pay taxes – cool.  And, what’s more, that man will marry the king’s daughter.  David thinks, “Now we’re talking!”   As far as David was concerned this was too good to be true.  You see David was so certain that God will always protect those who act on His behalf that he had no fear.  In fact, he probably was puzzled as to why someone else had not yet stepped forward.  But with the king sitting under the tree, no one was inspired to sacrifice themselves.  Remember, they chose a king to ‘lead us in battle’.  Not too much leading going on under that pomegranate tree, though.

            I’ve heard so many stories of people stepping forward to do a task no one else cares to.  Ends up being applauded?  Hardly!  Ends up at times with a ‘Who do you think YOU are, little Miss smarty pants!”  But David is offended by the ‘uncircumcised pagan’ defying the armies of the living God.  It pleases God every time we put our trust in what He can do.  Faith – in the right thing, right person – is what He wants.  And He is the right person, every time. 

            So, though he is still a boy and though the kings armor won’t yet fit him, he goes forth the meet the giant.  Trash talk ensues on both sides of the valley.  But once it’s over David, in the name of Jehovah, is successful.  Seeing this suddenly puts bravery back into God’s army and they chase the Philistines.  The same Philistines who had promised that such defeat meant they would succumb to slavery.  Even though the Philistines had stacked the deck in their favor with Mr. Muscle.  What a surprise.  Who are the cowards now?  Well, actually everyone – they just took turns being cowards depending on the situation at the time.  Everyone, that is, but David.  He knew his God was mighty and good and able. 

            How we need a little ‘David’ in our spirits from time to time.  I know if you are old enough to read this book then chances are very good that you’ve been up against Goliaths from time to time as well.  Maybe financial giants, maybe racial ones, or crime ridden ones.  Some people have faced abuse giants, depressive giants.  Life happens.  It’s not always a smiling faced, ’have a nice day’ kind of life. (Ever want to slap the cashiers for saying that?  But I digress.)  Not every step is lined with cheerleaders waving us on.  Not always a trophy at the end of days where you have given the boss 110% or answered insult with grace.  Most of us come home to an empty trophy case.  But…

            But when we fall down on our knees, we can ‘see’ His splendor, His smile.  We can feel His presence and hear His ‘Well done’. 

            David beheaded the giant and lifted it up to inspire the troops.  Gross!  We go forth in our lives with nothing in our hands, but oh so very, very much in our hearts.  Even though sometimes our hearts are broken with the crushing weight of the world, the devil and, more often than not, our own sin.  But overriding all that is the peace and joy that is there especially in times when it makes no sense.  He has promised to never leave us and never to forsake us.  That means even in the times we have not been faithful to our loving Heavenly Father.  When we have not acknowledged Him and when we have disobeyed Him despite His warnings in our spirits.

            And that is what is behind this and the many other stories in I Samuel:  spirit.  What’s going on in our spirits?  What was the mood, feeling and sense going on in these major players, Saul and David?   David does later on commit adultery and murder.  (Hey, no one’s perfect!)  But once he repents, he repents so deeply and so sincerely that it only confirms that he truly is a man after God’s own heart.  And even the discipline the Lord has to bring as a result of his sin, David accepts without complain, all the while suffering because he knows he is the cause of it.  Never does he blame God or try to bargain with Him over the consequence.  We know already what an excellent spirit David had and will continue to have not only in first Samuel, but in second Samuel too. 

            Yes, we know, too, that things were fine with Saul for a time.  He led the Jews to many victories.  They had been harassed and abused by enemies on every side for so long.  Still today, world leaders seem lined up to do the same and to discount their place in the world, given to them by Almighty God. 

            When Saul was originally anointed on a trip to look for lost donkeys the Bible tells us that the Spirit came upon him with power.  Saul even danced and prophesied with the prophets.  This first anointing came on him before he ascended to the throne.  He very wisely waited for a time that God would choose for him to assume the role as king.  It was not long in coming.

            That’s because the Ammonites in their great pride had come against a city called Jabesh-gilead.  These barbaric enemies told them they would take them as servants.  You see, the Ammonites had observed these twelve tribes of Israel over many years.  One tribe would not lift a finger to come to the aid of the other.  This can be clearly seen in the story of Gideon.  Though Gideon’s men had defeated a common enemy, the two towns he passed through pursuing these invaders would not give the men enough food and water to continue pursuing them even though it was a common enemy.  Gideon’s army continued on without the strength and help they needed, defeated the Ammonites and returned to destroy the people of those two Israelite cities.  There was great disunity in Israel and they had been easy targets for all kinds of criminal elements.  Reminds me of churches that can’t agree even on the most central of doctrines.  You know, the only unanswered prayer of the Lord was “that they may all be as one.”  Someday, we know, that will be answered too.

            The people of Jabesh-gilead pleaded for seven days to decide what to do.  The Ammonites told them, fine.  But at the end of seven days, we’ll be plucking out the right eyes of every man.  This would destroy their depth perception and banish any hopes of being able to fight, leaving them for a life of servitude.  The Ammonites were arrogant enough to agree, believing that in Israel, no one would come.  Never did before.  Nahash, their king, wanted this to be spread far and near to frighten other Jewish towns and to make a name for himself.  Pride comes before a fall.

            Please note that as the word spread around the nation of Israel, Saul, their duly chosen king, was out in the fields working for his father’s farm.  Everyone else in his town knew of it and when he returned from a hard day’s work, he had to inquire, “What’s all this crying about?”  You see, having a king was a new thing.  You would think the first thing would have been for a man from the besieged city to have hastily sent out to alert the king.  The policy and procedures manual, though, had not yet printed and distributed. 

            Now let’s see what’s going on with Saul’s spirit:  Anger.  Anger can be a very good thing when it is not anger over our own concerns but over the concerns about things of God.  Remember, Jesus did not even get angry when he was taken to be crucified.  He did get angry at the abuses in the temple, which was supposed to be a house of prayer…not a shopping mall. 

            Saul had until this time been a vanilla type of person, still living in his dad’s house and obeying him as his superior, even though he was actually now his king.  So I think we can agree this means Saul was a humble man.  In fact, so humble, that when he was selected by the nation to be the king, he was hiding among all the piles of baggage that had been brought in for the historic first choosing of a king.  He had been anointed and knew the lots were just a formality to be sure that no one could claim partiality.  And he was hiding.

            Now, though, Saul’s anger was from the Lord.  He cut his two oxen, which represented one’s livelihood, into pieces and sent one piece to each of the twelve kingdoms.  The message was clear, “This is what will happen to anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel in battle.”  Wow.  And it worked.  Three hundred and thirty thousand men showed up.  In ancient times, the Scots who would need to rouse an army quickly and did not have telegraphs or other media would build a fire high up on the highest hill.  The message?  This will be done to every man’s home that can carry a weapon who does not show up right now to defeat our enemy. 

            A message was also sent to the men of Jabesh-gilead to let them know the Calvary was on the way.  These sneaky villagers sent word to the surrounding marauders that they would surrender the next day, which made them relax and lower their defenses.  And the surprise attack went off without a hitch.  Now Saul was ready to quit picking the peas and turnips and raise a full time army, establish taxes (ugh!) and start the task of organizing a theocracy into a military nation.  

            What about you?  Can you trace the history of your own spirit throughout the various times of your life?  I know we all have hills and valleys.  And sometimes mountains too.  We can all see times of our lives that we wish we could go back in a time machine and have a do-over.  But when we take this sentimental journey, it’s important that we don’t just squash ourselves over the silly, stupid, dumb (fill in blanks here) things we’ve done.  It’s only truth if it is balanced with giving ourselves credit for when we overcame or showed humility when it was almost impossible to not retaliate.  Remember, one day, His words to us will be, “Well done!”  He’ll call us his “good and faithful servants.”  CAN. NOT. WAIT!

Prayer

            Father, I am weary.  I am so very tired of trying and trying, praying and praying.  I see zero results, Lord.  Many times I cannot feel Your presence.  It seems like You are often not there to defend me in struggles.  But, Lord, I do know you, in fact, are there.  You are working and I do know you are doing so much behind the scenes to fulfill Your promises to me.  Help me, Jesus, to know that whatever happens, it is the best plan from an eternal perspective.  Mature me, Lord to be patient enough to not demand my wishes while on my knees.  May I only want You.  For You, Lord, are all I need and exactly what I most desire.  I give you praise for whatever it is You are doing.  I look forward to being able, some day, to see you face to face and behold the beauty of Your Holiness and Your love toward me, Your undeserving servant.  Amen.

 youtube.com/watch?v=T246rhSotles

*Songwriters:  Isaac Hayes, David Porter

*Published by:  Lyrics:  Warner/chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group