Thursday 21 January 2010
- Bible Book:
- 1 Samuel
"As they were coming home, when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. And the women sang to one another as they made merry, 'Saul has killed his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.' Saul was very angry, for this saying displeased him. He said, 'They have ascribed to David tens of thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; what more can he have but the kingdom?'" (v.6-8)
Background
The story of David continues in this fairly lurid section -rather like an episode of Ancient Near EastEnders - with jealousy,violence and sex and maybe even a hint of latent homosexuality.Not, perhaps, one for the Sunday school class!
David's defeat of Goliath, and the resulting victory for Saul'sarmy, resulted in a hero's welcome for the handsome young warrior.He was, it seemed, especially popular with the ladies. Saul, whowas no fool, could see where this could lead. And the next day "anevil spirit from God" (now there's a problem for you!) so enragedSaul that he tried to kill David. His remarkable survivalfrightened Saul, who then sent him out on a series of skirmisheswith neighbouring tribes, hoping, no doubt, that he would be killedin battle (a trick that David himself tried later on with thehusband of a woman he fancied - see
But, of course, David returned in triumph every time, reinforcinghis popularity in the eyes of both Israel (the northern tribes) andJudah (in the south). Saul even risked offering him his elderdaughter, confident that the Philistines would do what he couldnot. Instead, his younger daughter Michal fell for David and soSaul suggested a 'bride price' of a hundred Philistine foreskins -not something you would normally expect your future father-in-lawto ask for. Inevitably David returnedwith two hundred foreskins. We're nottold how he acquired them...
So David married Michal, and his inexorable rise to powercontinued, as did Saul's plots to kill him. And this is whereJonathan, Saul's son, comes into the story again (he is introducedat the start of this chapter, where we read that "Jonathan loved[David] as his own soul" [1 Samuel 18:1]). Jonathan warned David ofhis father's plotting and told him to hide until it was safe. Hethen persuaded his father not to kill David. This proved to be ashort-lived reprieve, however, as the next part of chapter 19shows.
The story of David and Jonathan is, in a very real sense, one ofthe great love stories of the Old Testament (have a look at
To Ponder
A recurring question: this is a gripping story,but what place does it have in the Bible? Does it tell us anythingabout the kingdom of God for example?
"And the next day 'an evil spirit from God' soenraged Saul that he tried to kill David." How might you solve thatproblem? Is it a problem for you?
Would it matter to you if there was a homosexualaspect to David and Jonathan's relationship? Why?