1 Samuel 24-26

(June 30, 2014)

                There is so much in these few chapters that is worth our thought and contemplation.  First, David had Saul within his power.  Saul was pursuing David based upon a false accusation.  David, in the eyes of the world, would have been fully justified in lashing out – he could easily have said that he was just protecting himself.  But David chose the better path.

                In my life, I am right now being damaged by false accusations raised against me from people who should have been my allies.  I find myself in a wilderness, of sorts, as a result of these false accusations.  At the same time, a number of people are giving me the same advice – ‘reach out, take the steps clearly within your power to protect yourself, you have to focus on you for now.’  For better or worse, I choose to follow David’s example and hope that in time the Lord will make everything right, regardless of the temporal consequences.

                In contrast to Saul (who sought David’s destruction based upon false accusations and the evil spirit which possessed him), Abigail sought out to be a peacemaker.  Her efforts to resolve a difference that was legitimately the problem of her husband and her loyalty to both him and to David was a powerful testimony of her righteousness.  I have had a much better respect for Abigail since reading The Peacemaker, and I truly see Abigail as a Christ figure in ways that I never did before.

                Finally, in our current world of controversy over the excommunications of certain people who are actively opposed to the Priesthood leaders, 1 Samuel demonstrates the lie of certain of their arguments.  They claim that the fallible men who have been appointed (and anointed) as our Priesthood leaders can be ignored or contended against simply because they are fallible.  But, as David said, who can stretch forth their hands against the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?  No one.  Even though Saul was wrong, David understood that to attack him would be even more wrong.  The Lord had the power to remove Saul from his place at any point (see the story of Abigail for proof of that), and David supported his Priesthood leader even when he absolutely, positively knew for a fact that he was wrong (as opposed to those acting contrary to their Priesthood leaders now based upon political or social philosophy rather than objective knowledge of facts).

                Finally, I took great comfort in this time of chaos in my life with David’s response to Saul.  If the claims that Saul had made were true, David was prepared to repent.  If the claims that Saul had made were not true but were of men, then how great the consequences (temporal and spiritual) for those false claims.  I appreciate and applaud David’s perspective.