Facing Your Giants 1 Samuel 21
I will endeavor to make another entry this evening that deals with Chapter 4 in FYG, but this morning's musings are thoughts that came to me as I read the 21st chapter of 1 Samuel.
v. 2 2 David answered Ahimelek the priest, “The king sent me on a mission and said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about the mission I am sending you on.’ As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place. This was a lie. Saul had not send David on a mission. In fact, David was on the run from Saul, in fear for his life. Was this a God-sanctioned lie, or was this David showing us, once again, even a "man after God's own heart" was not perfect?
v. 5 5 David replied, “. . .The men’s bodies are holy even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!” At our last Life Group, a member expressed some discontent he felt. The dis-ease he felt was due to the fact that the economics of life forced him to work in a secular job, but he felt lead to something more. Given his current situation, that "something more" was not a possibility.
Verse 5 drove home to me the point that regardless of whether we feel our current job/career is "holy" or not, we are to keep ourselves holy. This point is reinforced in Colossians 3:23- 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,
My attitudes, actions, thoughts must not be controlled by the situations I find myself in each day. All I do, think and say should be dictated by the leading of the Holy Spirit and the precepts set forth in God's word.
Easier said than done.
I think "holy" means "set apart for God's purposes". Remaining that way requires consistantly and continually being aware of the spiritual, eternal issues involved in being successful in the earthly, temporary tasks that are required of us. Being successful on both levels requires wisdom that is available only from the Holy Spirit. God does not expect us to frequently alienate our boss, co-workers or family members in our attempts at holiness.
ReplyDeleteWhen considering the "God-approved lie" we need to remember that David had a group of men with him who had pledged their loyalty to him and had thereby become outlaws with a price on their heads. David had a reponsiblity to provide for their needs. It is not hard to think of scenarios where God would approve a lie to protect family members or fellow soldiers.
Hmmm. . . Have you read what Max writes about David's lie on page 29? He does not seem to think it was the right, moral thing to do. What about Abraham's lie concerning his wife being his sister. A necessary falsehood or a self-serving deception?
ReplyDeleteMax sees in this passage (1 Samuel 21:1-9) David's singular lie morphing into a series of compromises. Why couldn't David have told the priest the truth and depended on God's providence?