David has been living a relatively quiet life, but now the Philistines gather to fight against Israel and Achish tells David that he and his men must join them. David promises that Achish will see what his servant can do, which sounds ominously ambiguous to me, but is enough to convince the king to make David his bodyguard. Saul is terrified when he sees the Philistine camp and so he enquires of the Lord, but he receives no answer by dreams or by prophets or by Urim, generally understood to be one of two stones used to discern the will of God. Having exhausted all of the legitimate methods of seeking spiritual help, Saul tells his attendants to find a medium. He has previously expelled all mediums and spiritists from Israel, so it is clear that he knows what he is doing is against God's law, but it is possible that he feels God has abandoned him so he sees no reason why he should not abandon God. I think a lot of people react like that, but it only leads to a vicious cycle where we find ourselves sinker deeper and deeper into despair while drifting futher and further from our lifeline. I know because I've been there...but I also know there's always a way back.
Saul finds a medium and goes to see her in disguise. She is wary at first as she thinks it is a trap and knows she will be punished if she is caught, but Saul reassures her and she agrees to call up a spirit for him. Saul asks her to bring up Samuel and so she does, at which points she realises who her myserious visitor is. Samuel asks why he has been disurbed, and Saul replies that the Philistines are fighting against him and God has turned away from him, and so he wants to ask him what to do. Samuel says that the Lord has done what he predicted and given the kingdom to David, and that tomorrow Saul and his sons will die. He also warns that tomorrow the Lord will hand Israel over to the Philistines, so it seems things will not be an easy ride for Saul'ss successor, but that will be a story for another day. Saul collapses from fear and weakness, and so the medium and his attendants convince him to eat before he leaves to consider all that he has heard.
It may seem strange that religion can be open to spirituality and prophecy and yet condemn spiritualism and divination, but I think the point is that in spiritual matters it is God that we need to seek. The occult is a complex issue and I can only touch on it here, but I think the important thing to remember is that it must be taken seriously because it is real, but it must also be avoided because it is dangerous. It's easy to dismiss the occult as superstition or trickery, but God wouldn't bother to warn us against it if that were the case, and the medium clearly had power because she was able to raise the spirit of Samuel. The problem is that the power did not come from God and that means it did not come from a good place. Things appear to have worked out okay as Samuel has spoken the word of the Lord, but maybe Saul wasn't supposed to hear that word. God doesn't forbid occult practices because he's a spoilsport or he wants all the power to himself, he forbids them because he knows that they can be harmful and destructive and he wants to protect us.
Back with the Philistines, the rulers still do not trust David and tell the king to send him back or he will turn against them. Achish bends under the pressure and calls David to tell him that though he has found no fault in him, he must go back because the rulers do not approve of him. David does as he is told even though he is not happy about it, and it is just as well because the Amalekites have attacekd the Negev, destroying Ziklag and capturing the people, including David's wives. David David's men begin to turn against him, but he finds new strength and summons the priest to ask if he should pursue the raiding party. The priest says yes and so David sets out with six hundred men, although two hundred have to stop as they are too weak to continue. In a wonderful stroke of luck or providence, the hunting party comes across an Egyptian slave who has been abandoned by the Amalekites, and he promises to lead them to the men they seek. David and his men attack the Amalekites and recapture all that they had taken, sharing the plunder among all six hundred men, despite a number protesting that only the four hundred who fought should be rewarded.
While David avenges Ziklag the Philistines attack the Israelites, killing Saul's sons and injuring Saul himself. Saul instructs his armour-bearer to kill him so that the Philistines cannot take him, but the armour-bearer is afraid and will not do it, and so Saul takes his own life. Saul believed that the Philistines would kill him that day because of the words spoken by Samuel when the medium raised his spirit, and it was that belief that led him to take his own life. If he hadn't, maybe the battle would have turned, or maybe Saul would have escaped, or maybe he would have fought on and died in battle. We'll never know because Saul called on a power that was not of God, and it drove him to despair and to suicide. God tells us what he needs us to hear and he doesn't tell us what he knows will harm us, and that's why we shouldn't seek for answers anywhere else.
When the Philistines find Saul's body, they cut off his head and pin his body to a wall as a rather gruesome trophy, but the valiant men of Jabesh Gilead take his body and the bodies of his sons so that they can burn and bury them, and they fast for seven days. It seems that Israel has fallen to the Philistines as Samuel prophesied, but we must wait until 2 Samuel to see how things turn out.
Thursday 28 June 2012
Wednesday 27 June 2012
1 Samuel 25-27 - David on the Run: Part Two
This section opens with the sad news of Samuel's death. We are told that all of Israel assemble and mourn for him, yet despite the fact that this is supposed to be his book, he is given only half a verse and no eulogy. I think it's quite sad really as he deserved better from his chronicler, but there's no time to dwell on that as the story rushes on.
David goes down to the Desert of Maon, where there lives a wealthy man called Nabal. David sends messengers to Nabal, asking that he be favourable towards him and his men as they protected his shepherds. When Nabal receives the message he is indignant, asking who David is and why he should provide for men from who knows where. This seems a poor excuse as David was public enemy number one for quite some time and so Nabal must surely know who he is and where his men are from. Perhaps he does not know that Saul has made his peace with him and so is afraid to welcome him, or perhaps he's just a greedy and ungrateful man, or perhaps it has something to do with the fact that "many servants are breaking away from their masters these days". It seems that this is a time of great unrest and I suspect that may have someting to do with David, and so perhaps Nabal wants to prevent him from stirring up trouble and encouraging his own servants to revolt.
Whatever his motivation, he treats David with less respect than he deserves, and David is not happy about it. He tells his men to put on their swords and vows to leave no man who belongs to Nabal alive, which strikes me as something of an overreaction. I think somebody needs to tell David that two wrongs don't make a right. Fortunately, one of Nabal's servants goes to his master's wife Abigail and tells her that her husband has insulted the man who protected them, and asks her to speak to him because disaster hangs over them but he won't listen to anybody else. Abigail is a sensible woman who recognises that this needs dealing with quickly, but she clearly doesn't trust that Nabal will listen to her either, and so she packs up an impressive amount of food and heads over to David's camp.
She arrives just in time, as David and his men are already making their way towards her home. When she meets David, she climbs off her donkey and bows down in front of him, asking that he pay no attention to her husband but listen to her instead. She flatters him by calling him her master and speaking of his success, she begs for forgiveness and proffers her gift, and she suggests that the Lord has kept him from avenging himself so that he will not have needless blood on his hands. It's a brilliant speech which tells David everything he wants and needs to hear and so brings him round to her side. I almost accused Abigail of being manipulative, but then I realised that I probably wouldn't say that if she was a man. Gender seems to colour the way we read people's actions, often without us realising it, but the double standard is a nonsense. Abigail may well be aware of the fact that she is pressing David's buttons, but that is only because she has the wisdom and the insight to read the situation and know what to do and say for the best, and if that would be called intelligence in a man then it should be called intelligence in her. Her motives are pure and her words are true, and she defuses a difficult situation in a calm and elegant manner, and it is that by which she should be judged.
David certainly recognises Abigail's wisdom and praises her for her good judgement. He accepts the gifts she has brought and sends her home in peace. Nabal is drunk so she says nothing to him until the morning, but when he hears what his wife has done, his heart fails and he dies ten days later. Things may not turn out quite as planned, but every cloud has a silver lining, and David takes Abigail as his wife. Here we learn that he has already married a woman called Ahinoam and that his first wife Michal has been given to someone else. I'm not sure that women were allowed multiple husbands and I thought only the husband could initiate a divorce, but Michal is the king's daughter and if Henry VIII taught us anything it's that kings can do pretty much anything they like.
I thought that Saul had made his peace with David after he realised that he was not out to kill him, but it seems that either he has changed his mind or it was all a ruse. The Ziphites tell Saul where David is now hiding, and so he goes to search for him. David and a man called Abishai sneak into Saul's camp, where they find him sleeping with a spear stuck in the ground beside him. Abishai offers to pin Saul to the ground with the spear, but David will not have him killed as he is still the Lord's anointed one, and it is up to God to strike him down. Instead, he takes the spear and a water jug, and leaves the camp. Anybody who knows anything about military encampments may be wandering why no one has seen them, but we are told that this is because the Lord had put everyone into a deep sleep.
David moves to a hill some distance away then calls out to the army, asking why they did not protect their king. The soldiers have no answer, but Saul hears David's voice and calls out to him. David asks Saul why he is pursuing him, saying that if the Lord has incited him then may he accept an offering, but if it is men then may they be cursed. David knows he has done nothing to offend Saul and he must feel that God is with him because he has had great success, but he is still humble enough to recognise that this may be God's work. Saul says he has sinned and calls David back, but then rather curiously promises that because David has not hurt him, he will try not to hurt David. That little word "try" leaves a rather large loophole, and so rather than going over to Saul, David tells him to send one of his men to fetch back his spear.
Daivd and Saul go their separate ways once more, but David says to himself that one day Saul will kill him, and so he decides to escape to the the land of the Philistines. It comes to something when you think you'll be safer among your enemies than in your own home. David returns to Gath and asks the king who had previously believed him mad to grant him a place in one of the country towns. The king must truly believe that David has come over to his side because he grants him his request, and when Saul hears that David is no longer in Israel he stops looking for him. David and his men begin to raid towns in Philistine territory, leaving no witnesses to inform on him and telling the king that he is raiding towns in Israelite territory, and in this way he remains safe among the Philistines for a year and four months. I know David's meant to be our hero, but he's not always an easy man to like.
David goes down to the Desert of Maon, where there lives a wealthy man called Nabal. David sends messengers to Nabal, asking that he be favourable towards him and his men as they protected his shepherds. When Nabal receives the message he is indignant, asking who David is and why he should provide for men from who knows where. This seems a poor excuse as David was public enemy number one for quite some time and so Nabal must surely know who he is and where his men are from. Perhaps he does not know that Saul has made his peace with him and so is afraid to welcome him, or perhaps he's just a greedy and ungrateful man, or perhaps it has something to do with the fact that "many servants are breaking away from their masters these days". It seems that this is a time of great unrest and I suspect that may have someting to do with David, and so perhaps Nabal wants to prevent him from stirring up trouble and encouraging his own servants to revolt.
Whatever his motivation, he treats David with less respect than he deserves, and David is not happy about it. He tells his men to put on their swords and vows to leave no man who belongs to Nabal alive, which strikes me as something of an overreaction. I think somebody needs to tell David that two wrongs don't make a right. Fortunately, one of Nabal's servants goes to his master's wife Abigail and tells her that her husband has insulted the man who protected them, and asks her to speak to him because disaster hangs over them but he won't listen to anybody else. Abigail is a sensible woman who recognises that this needs dealing with quickly, but she clearly doesn't trust that Nabal will listen to her either, and so she packs up an impressive amount of food and heads over to David's camp.
She arrives just in time, as David and his men are already making their way towards her home. When she meets David, she climbs off her donkey and bows down in front of him, asking that he pay no attention to her husband but listen to her instead. She flatters him by calling him her master and speaking of his success, she begs for forgiveness and proffers her gift, and she suggests that the Lord has kept him from avenging himself so that he will not have needless blood on his hands. It's a brilliant speech which tells David everything he wants and needs to hear and so brings him round to her side. I almost accused Abigail of being manipulative, but then I realised that I probably wouldn't say that if she was a man. Gender seems to colour the way we read people's actions, often without us realising it, but the double standard is a nonsense. Abigail may well be aware of the fact that she is pressing David's buttons, but that is only because she has the wisdom and the insight to read the situation and know what to do and say for the best, and if that would be called intelligence in a man then it should be called intelligence in her. Her motives are pure and her words are true, and she defuses a difficult situation in a calm and elegant manner, and it is that by which she should be judged.
David certainly recognises Abigail's wisdom and praises her for her good judgement. He accepts the gifts she has brought and sends her home in peace. Nabal is drunk so she says nothing to him until the morning, but when he hears what his wife has done, his heart fails and he dies ten days later. Things may not turn out quite as planned, but every cloud has a silver lining, and David takes Abigail as his wife. Here we learn that he has already married a woman called Ahinoam and that his first wife Michal has been given to someone else. I'm not sure that women were allowed multiple husbands and I thought only the husband could initiate a divorce, but Michal is the king's daughter and if Henry VIII taught us anything it's that kings can do pretty much anything they like.
I thought that Saul had made his peace with David after he realised that he was not out to kill him, but it seems that either he has changed his mind or it was all a ruse. The Ziphites tell Saul where David is now hiding, and so he goes to search for him. David and a man called Abishai sneak into Saul's camp, where they find him sleeping with a spear stuck in the ground beside him. Abishai offers to pin Saul to the ground with the spear, but David will not have him killed as he is still the Lord's anointed one, and it is up to God to strike him down. Instead, he takes the spear and a water jug, and leaves the camp. Anybody who knows anything about military encampments may be wandering why no one has seen them, but we are told that this is because the Lord had put everyone into a deep sleep.
David moves to a hill some distance away then calls out to the army, asking why they did not protect their king. The soldiers have no answer, but Saul hears David's voice and calls out to him. David asks Saul why he is pursuing him, saying that if the Lord has incited him then may he accept an offering, but if it is men then may they be cursed. David knows he has done nothing to offend Saul and he must feel that God is with him because he has had great success, but he is still humble enough to recognise that this may be God's work. Saul says he has sinned and calls David back, but then rather curiously promises that because David has not hurt him, he will try not to hurt David. That little word "try" leaves a rather large loophole, and so rather than going over to Saul, David tells him to send one of his men to fetch back his spear.
Daivd and Saul go their separate ways once more, but David says to himself that one day Saul will kill him, and so he decides to escape to the the land of the Philistines. It comes to something when you think you'll be safer among your enemies than in your own home. David returns to Gath and asks the king who had previously believed him mad to grant him a place in one of the country towns. The king must truly believe that David has come over to his side because he grants him his request, and when Saul hears that David is no longer in Israel he stops looking for him. David and his men begin to raid towns in Philistine territory, leaving no witnesses to inform on him and telling the king that he is raiding towns in Israelite territory, and in this way he remains safe among the Philistines for a year and four months. I know David's meant to be our hero, but he's not always an easy man to like.
Tuesday 26 June 2012
1 Samuel 21-24 - David on the Run: Part One
David is now a fugitive, and so he goes to the town of Nob where he approaches Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech seems to suspect that something is not right as he trembles and asks David why he is alone, but David fobs him off with some story about being on a secret mission from Saul, and talks him into giving him the consecrated bread from the altar and the sword of Goliath. David then goes to Achish king of Gath, but Achish's servants have heard rumours about David and believe he is the king of Israel, and so he feigns madness in order to convince the king that he is not a threat. I'm not sure how no one's made a film of this yet.
It seems that nowhere is safe for David and so he leaves Gath and seeks refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his family hear all that has happened they go to join him, as do all those who are distressed or discontented or in debt, and David becomes their leader. He is no longer a simple fugitive but is now the head of a new community and potential rebel army. Seriously, why is this not a Hollywood blockbuster? David knows that this puts his family in great danger, and so he seeks refuge for his parents in Moab, the land of his great-grandmother Ruth. He stays with them for a time, but then a prophet tells him he must go to Judah, and so he leaves for the forest of Hereth. It's not clear what happens to his followers in this time, but I presume they have stayed at the cave and will join him later.
When word of David reaches Saul he lashes out at his officials, asking if they have conspired against him because the son of Jesse has promised them wealth and status, and complaining that no one told him when his son made a covenant with his enemy. It is interesting that Saul can't even bring himself to name David, as though he is so consumed by fear and hate that he would choke on the word, and interesting too that he is beginning to see conspiracies in every corner. He is right to say that Jonathon has helped David, but his son has not turned against him or incited his enemy as he suggests, and there is nothing to suggest that any of his officials have yet sided with David. It seems Saul is giving into paranoia and becoming increasingly unstable as a man and as a king, making our villain a suitably complicated character. If somebody doesn't write the script soon, I will.
Doeg the Edomite, who witnessed the meeting between David and Ahimelech, tells Saul what he saw, and so the king summons the priest. Saul accuses him of conspiracy, but Ahimelech pleads ignorance, saying that as far as he knows David is the king's loyal son-in-law and captain of his personal bodyguard. Saul is unconvinced and has not only Ahimelech but his whole family put to death. He then orders his guards to kill all of the priests because they too have sided with David, but the guards refuse to raise a hand against the priests, and so Saul orders Doeg to do it. Doeg, who in the film will be a slimy kind of character willing to do anything to get ahead, goes right ahead and kills the whole town. The only survivor is Ahimelech's son, who joins David and tells him all that has happened. David feels guilty for his part in the massacre, and here he finds the motive every hero needs.
David hears that the Philistines are attacking a town called Keilah and so he asks the Lord if he should go and fight them. The Lord says yes, but David's men are afraid and so he asks again, hoping for a different answer. God has been known to change his mind, but when he asks someone to do something he has a good reason for it, and so he tells David once again to fight the Philistines because he will give them into his hand. David and his men realise there's no getting out of this one and so they go down to Keilah and defeat the Philistines.
David and his men stay in the town, and so when Saul hears about this he calls up all his forces and goes to Keilah to besiege David. When David learns of Saul's plans, he asks God if Saul will come and if the men of Keilah will hand him over to him, and God says yes to both counts. It seems however that the future is not set in stone, and that what God says will happen will only happen if things carry on as they are, because David and his men leave the town and Saul abandons his mission. I won't go into the debates surrounding omniscience and free will here because I could not do them justice, but I do think it's worth noting that this passage appears to argue against determinism and favour the idea that God can see possibilities rather than actualities.
David hides in the hills and the desert strongholds, and Saul continues to search for him without success. At some point, Jonathon manages to find David and encourage him to find strength in God because he shall be king over Israel, but then he returns home because he cannot fight against his father. The Ziphites go to Saul and offer to capture David for him, but it is the king who gets closest to his prey when he ends up chasing him round a mountain. Saul is closing in and things are looking pretty desperate for our hero, but then the king hears that the Philistines are raiding the land in his absence is forced to abandon the hunt, at which point we all breathe a sigh of relief and remember that the lead never dies halfway through the film.
Once Saul has dealt with the Philistines, he finds out where David is hiding and takes three thousand men in pursuit of him. He happens to go to relieve himself in the cave where David is hiding, and his men tell him that this is the day when God gives his enemy into his hands to do with as he wishes. David creeps up behind Saul and we prepare ourselves for a dramatic confrontation or fight scene, but instead he simply cuts a corner off the king's robe. It feels like an anti-climax, but then the emotional payoff comes as we realise that our hero is the better man, and that goodness counts for more than strength.
David later feels guilty about having treated the king, who is still God's anointed one, in this way and forbids his men from attacking him. Saul leaves the cave and David follows and calls out to him. When Saul turns David prostrates himself and tells him that he wishes him no harm, showing him the corner of his robe as proof that he did not kill him when he had the chance, and calling on the Lord to judge them. Saul weeps and calls David his son, declaring that he is more righteous and praying that the Lord will reward him. He acknowledges that David will be king and asks that he will not cut off his descendants or wipe out his name, and so David gives his oath and the two part on friendly terms. But David is still not king and so the credits cannot roll just yet.
It seems that nowhere is safe for David and so he leaves Gath and seeks refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his family hear all that has happened they go to join him, as do all those who are distressed or discontented or in debt, and David becomes their leader. He is no longer a simple fugitive but is now the head of a new community and potential rebel army. Seriously, why is this not a Hollywood blockbuster? David knows that this puts his family in great danger, and so he seeks refuge for his parents in Moab, the land of his great-grandmother Ruth. He stays with them for a time, but then a prophet tells him he must go to Judah, and so he leaves for the forest of Hereth. It's not clear what happens to his followers in this time, but I presume they have stayed at the cave and will join him later.
When word of David reaches Saul he lashes out at his officials, asking if they have conspired against him because the son of Jesse has promised them wealth and status, and complaining that no one told him when his son made a covenant with his enemy. It is interesting that Saul can't even bring himself to name David, as though he is so consumed by fear and hate that he would choke on the word, and interesting too that he is beginning to see conspiracies in every corner. He is right to say that Jonathon has helped David, but his son has not turned against him or incited his enemy as he suggests, and there is nothing to suggest that any of his officials have yet sided with David. It seems Saul is giving into paranoia and becoming increasingly unstable as a man and as a king, making our villain a suitably complicated character. If somebody doesn't write the script soon, I will.
Doeg the Edomite, who witnessed the meeting between David and Ahimelech, tells Saul what he saw, and so the king summons the priest. Saul accuses him of conspiracy, but Ahimelech pleads ignorance, saying that as far as he knows David is the king's loyal son-in-law and captain of his personal bodyguard. Saul is unconvinced and has not only Ahimelech but his whole family put to death. He then orders his guards to kill all of the priests because they too have sided with David, but the guards refuse to raise a hand against the priests, and so Saul orders Doeg to do it. Doeg, who in the film will be a slimy kind of character willing to do anything to get ahead, goes right ahead and kills the whole town. The only survivor is Ahimelech's son, who joins David and tells him all that has happened. David feels guilty for his part in the massacre, and here he finds the motive every hero needs.
David hears that the Philistines are attacking a town called Keilah and so he asks the Lord if he should go and fight them. The Lord says yes, but David's men are afraid and so he asks again, hoping for a different answer. God has been known to change his mind, but when he asks someone to do something he has a good reason for it, and so he tells David once again to fight the Philistines because he will give them into his hand. David and his men realise there's no getting out of this one and so they go down to Keilah and defeat the Philistines.
David and his men stay in the town, and so when Saul hears about this he calls up all his forces and goes to Keilah to besiege David. When David learns of Saul's plans, he asks God if Saul will come and if the men of Keilah will hand him over to him, and God says yes to both counts. It seems however that the future is not set in stone, and that what God says will happen will only happen if things carry on as they are, because David and his men leave the town and Saul abandons his mission. I won't go into the debates surrounding omniscience and free will here because I could not do them justice, but I do think it's worth noting that this passage appears to argue against determinism and favour the idea that God can see possibilities rather than actualities.
David hides in the hills and the desert strongholds, and Saul continues to search for him without success. At some point, Jonathon manages to find David and encourage him to find strength in God because he shall be king over Israel, but then he returns home because he cannot fight against his father. The Ziphites go to Saul and offer to capture David for him, but it is the king who gets closest to his prey when he ends up chasing him round a mountain. Saul is closing in and things are looking pretty desperate for our hero, but then the king hears that the Philistines are raiding the land in his absence is forced to abandon the hunt, at which point we all breathe a sigh of relief and remember that the lead never dies halfway through the film.
Once Saul has dealt with the Philistines, he finds out where David is hiding and takes three thousand men in pursuit of him. He happens to go to relieve himself in the cave where David is hiding, and his men tell him that this is the day when God gives his enemy into his hands to do with as he wishes. David creeps up behind Saul and we prepare ourselves for a dramatic confrontation or fight scene, but instead he simply cuts a corner off the king's robe. It feels like an anti-climax, but then the emotional payoff comes as we realise that our hero is the better man, and that goodness counts for more than strength.
David later feels guilty about having treated the king, who is still God's anointed one, in this way and forbids his men from attacking him. Saul leaves the cave and David follows and calls out to him. When Saul turns David prostrates himself and tells him that he wishes him no harm, showing him the corner of his robe as proof that he did not kill him when he had the chance, and calling on the Lord to judge them. Saul weeps and calls David his son, declaring that he is more righteous and praying that the Lord will reward him. He acknowledges that David will be king and asks that he will not cut off his descendants or wipe out his name, and so David gives his oath and the two part on friendly terms. But David is still not king and so the credits cannot roll just yet.
Monday 25 June 2012
1 Samuel 18-20 - Friends and Enemies
We are told now that "Jonathon became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself". Much has been written about Jonathon and David, and it has been suggested on multiple occasions that they were lovers. The language of oneness certainly recalls verses which speak of the joining together of husband and wife, but here the union is presented as spiritual rather than physical, and it seems unlikely that scripture would remember a homosexual relationship in such positive terms. It is more generally accepted that this is a beautiful expression of platonic love, and I think it loses none of its power for that. In fact, the second half of the verse throws us forward to Jesus' command that we love others as we love ourselves, and so it is also the perfect model for Christian love. Our culture is so fixated on sexual and romantic love that it is easy for us to think that's all there is, or at least all that matters, but then we deprive ourselves of such a richness of experience. As we continue their story, we will see that Jonathon and David are a wonderful example of how dynamic and meaningful friendship can be, and how much we miss out on when fail to love others as we love ourselves.
Meanwhile, Saul decides to keep David with him, and the young man is so successful that he is given a high rank in the army. This pleases the people and the officers alike, and when the army return home the women sing that "Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands", so that it seems David is becoming more popular than the king. Saul becomes angry and jealous when he hears this, asking "What more can he get but the kingdom?". His question reminds us that David has in fact been anointed by God to replace Saul, and leads us to ask why he is not king already when Saul became king almost immediately. Perhaps things have gone awry, or perhaps this is mean to be a period of training and preparation for David. God's plans need to be worked out by us and sometimes that takes time, but sometimes it is in God's plan for us to be patient because he has something to teach us.
Saul is already in a bad mood, but now an evil spirit comes on him and he tries to kill David by throwing a spear at him while he is playing the harp. David escapes and Saul's anger turns to fear, as he realises that the Lord is with David and not with him. I don't believe God abandoned Saul any more than he abandoned Jesus on the cross, he just stopped working in his life in the way that he had been, and we all experience times like that. Anyway, Saul gives David the command of a thousand men to get him out of his sight, but David's troops enjoy great success and this only increases Saul's unease. He vows that he will not raise a hand against the young man but conspires to let the Philistines do for him instead, trying to marry him to his eldest daughter, presumably because he knows that the king's son-in-law will have a target on his head.
David turns down the marriage proposal as he claims to be too humble to become the king's son-in-law, and so Saul's eldest daughter is given to another. However, another of his daughters is in love with David and so Saul sees a chance to try again. David again claims that he cannot marry the king's daughter because he is too poor and little known. We have already been told that all of Israel and Judah love David, and so Saul sees past the false humility to the real reason behind his hesitation, his wealth. Saul declares that David need only pay him the foreskins of one hundred Philistines, perhaps hoping that he will die in the attempt and save the hassle and expense of a wedding, but David stamps all over that plan by presenting Saul with two hundred foreskins and claiming his bride. Oh well, at least he can fall back on the original plan of waiting for the Philistines to kill his pesky son-in-law.
The only problem is, David keeps killing the Philistines before they can kill him and becomes ever more popular in the process, which sort of defeats the object. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I don't think Saul's the brightest bulb in the box. He gets annoyed that David is famous so he sends him into battle, despite the fact that being awesome in battle is how he got famous in the first place; he is upset that his daughter loves him, even though he used the fact that she loved him in order to set up the marriage; he tries to get the Philistines to kill him, despite the fact that they have been remarkably unsuccessful so far; and he bemoans the fact that the Lord is with him, yet still insists on trying to do away with him. Sometimes when things aren't going our way we need to stop making things worse and either think things through or accept that we're just not going to win this one.
Unfortunately Saul does not learn this lesson, and when he tires of waiting for the Philistines, he tells Jonathon and his attendants to kill David. This also backfires, as of course Jonathon goes straight to David to warn him, then manages to talk his father down so that David can return to him as before. It is not long though before history repeats itself, as David once again leads the Israelites to victory, and Saul once more grows angry and tries to pin him to the wall with his spear. David escapes with the help of his wife and goes to Samuel. Saul hears that David is with the prophet and sends men to capture him, but they all begin to prophesy, until finally Saul himself goes in search of David, and he too prophesies. In this way, David is protected and able to flee once again.
He goes to Jonathon and asks what he has done that his father should be trying to kill him. Jonathon believes he has talked Saul round and so tells him he must be mistaken, but David suggests that this time Saul has kept his plans hidden so that he does not cause him any grief. Jonathon says he will do whatever David wants him to do, and so they hatch a plan whereby Jonathon will learn whether or not Saul wants to kill David, then signal to let him know whether he is safe or not. To seal the deal, Jonathon makes a covenant with the house of David, and David reaffirms his oath of love to Jonathon. We tend not to talk of covenants any more, and the only oaths of love we take now are marriage vows, but we make promises to our friends all the time, and there is a solemnity and a sacredness to them that we do not always recognise. Perhaps we should recognise it and take our relationships a little more seriously, because they are to be honoured as well as enjoyed.
Things go ahead as planned and not only does Saul reveal that he wants to kill David, but he also tries to kill Jonathon. Jonathon gets away and signals to David as promised, although he then goes and talks to him in the open, which makes the secret code rather redundant. David bows to Jonathon three times, presumably as a mark of respect and gratitude, and then they say their tearful farewells and go their separate ways. It's a sad ending, but Jonathon remembers that they have sworn friendship to one another and the Lord is a witness between them and their descendants, and so we know that whatever happens from here there will always be a thread between them. We have all known people who have left an impact long after they have gone, and we will all be known as those people to others. These are the threads that bind us all together.
Meanwhile, Saul decides to keep David with him, and the young man is so successful that he is given a high rank in the army. This pleases the people and the officers alike, and when the army return home the women sing that "Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands", so that it seems David is becoming more popular than the king. Saul becomes angry and jealous when he hears this, asking "What more can he get but the kingdom?". His question reminds us that David has in fact been anointed by God to replace Saul, and leads us to ask why he is not king already when Saul became king almost immediately. Perhaps things have gone awry, or perhaps this is mean to be a period of training and preparation for David. God's plans need to be worked out by us and sometimes that takes time, but sometimes it is in God's plan for us to be patient because he has something to teach us.
Saul is already in a bad mood, but now an evil spirit comes on him and he tries to kill David by throwing a spear at him while he is playing the harp. David escapes and Saul's anger turns to fear, as he realises that the Lord is with David and not with him. I don't believe God abandoned Saul any more than he abandoned Jesus on the cross, he just stopped working in his life in the way that he had been, and we all experience times like that. Anyway, Saul gives David the command of a thousand men to get him out of his sight, but David's troops enjoy great success and this only increases Saul's unease. He vows that he will not raise a hand against the young man but conspires to let the Philistines do for him instead, trying to marry him to his eldest daughter, presumably because he knows that the king's son-in-law will have a target on his head.
David turns down the marriage proposal as he claims to be too humble to become the king's son-in-law, and so Saul's eldest daughter is given to another. However, another of his daughters is in love with David and so Saul sees a chance to try again. David again claims that he cannot marry the king's daughter because he is too poor and little known. We have already been told that all of Israel and Judah love David, and so Saul sees past the false humility to the real reason behind his hesitation, his wealth. Saul declares that David need only pay him the foreskins of one hundred Philistines, perhaps hoping that he will die in the attempt and save the hassle and expense of a wedding, but David stamps all over that plan by presenting Saul with two hundred foreskins and claiming his bride. Oh well, at least he can fall back on the original plan of waiting for the Philistines to kill his pesky son-in-law.
The only problem is, David keeps killing the Philistines before they can kill him and becomes ever more popular in the process, which sort of defeats the object. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I don't think Saul's the brightest bulb in the box. He gets annoyed that David is famous so he sends him into battle, despite the fact that being awesome in battle is how he got famous in the first place; he is upset that his daughter loves him, even though he used the fact that she loved him in order to set up the marriage; he tries to get the Philistines to kill him, despite the fact that they have been remarkably unsuccessful so far; and he bemoans the fact that the Lord is with him, yet still insists on trying to do away with him. Sometimes when things aren't going our way we need to stop making things worse and either think things through or accept that we're just not going to win this one.
Unfortunately Saul does not learn this lesson, and when he tires of waiting for the Philistines, he tells Jonathon and his attendants to kill David. This also backfires, as of course Jonathon goes straight to David to warn him, then manages to talk his father down so that David can return to him as before. It is not long though before history repeats itself, as David once again leads the Israelites to victory, and Saul once more grows angry and tries to pin him to the wall with his spear. David escapes with the help of his wife and goes to Samuel. Saul hears that David is with the prophet and sends men to capture him, but they all begin to prophesy, until finally Saul himself goes in search of David, and he too prophesies. In this way, David is protected and able to flee once again.
He goes to Jonathon and asks what he has done that his father should be trying to kill him. Jonathon believes he has talked Saul round and so tells him he must be mistaken, but David suggests that this time Saul has kept his plans hidden so that he does not cause him any grief. Jonathon says he will do whatever David wants him to do, and so they hatch a plan whereby Jonathon will learn whether or not Saul wants to kill David, then signal to let him know whether he is safe or not. To seal the deal, Jonathon makes a covenant with the house of David, and David reaffirms his oath of love to Jonathon. We tend not to talk of covenants any more, and the only oaths of love we take now are marriage vows, but we make promises to our friends all the time, and there is a solemnity and a sacredness to them that we do not always recognise. Perhaps we should recognise it and take our relationships a little more seriously, because they are to be honoured as well as enjoyed.
Things go ahead as planned and not only does Saul reveal that he wants to kill David, but he also tries to kill Jonathon. Jonathon gets away and signals to David as promised, although he then goes and talks to him in the open, which makes the secret code rather redundant. David bows to Jonathon three times, presumably as a mark of respect and gratitude, and then they say their tearful farewells and go their separate ways. It's a sad ending, but Jonathon remembers that they have sworn friendship to one another and the Lord is a witness between them and their descendants, and so we know that whatever happens from here there will always be a thread between them. We have all known people who have left an impact long after they have gone, and we will all be known as those people to others. These are the threads that bind us all together.
Friday 22 June 2012
1 Samuel 16-17 - The Rise of David
Things weren't looking so great when we left the story, but God has a plan to get Israel back on track. He tells Samuel to stop mourning over Saul, fill his horn with oil and go to Jesse of Bethlehem, because he has chosen one of his sons to be king. Samuel is afraid that Saul will hear about this and kill him, and God seems to think this is a reasonable concern because he comes up with a cover story. He tells Samuel to take a cow and invite Jesse to come to sacrifice the animal with him, promising to show him what to do from there, and so that it is what Samuel does.
When Samuel sees the oldest son Eliab, he thinks that this must be the anointed one, but he is mistaken. God tells him not to consider the boy's appearance or height, because "man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart". It's hugely reassuring to anyone who has ever felt judged by their appearance, and anyone who has thought that people would feel differently about them if only they understood them a little better. That really means it's reassuring to everyone, because who hasn't felt like that?
The same happens again and again, until seven sons have passed and God has still not chosen one. Samuel asks if Jesse has any more sons, and Jesse admits that his youngest is tending the sheep. We haven't met this boy yet, but we may suppose that he is the runt of the litter if Jesse has not thought to bring him, and if God has already rejected the strong and the attractive. Samuel tells Jesse to send for the boy, but when he does arrive he confounds our expectations as he is ruddy and handsome, which just goes to show that appearances don't count against us just as they don't count for us. God really doesn't care what we look like. The Lord tells Samuel to rise and anoint this one, and from that moment the Spirit of the Lord is on the boy, who we finally learn is called David.
Meanwhile the Spirit of the Lord has left Saul, and he is now being tormented by an evil spirit from the Lord. I think this raises a few interesting theological points. First, it makes it sound like the Spirit can only be one place at one time, which runs counter to traditional Christian understanding. Perhaps that was the case and this is an indication of the changed relationship between God and the world, or perhaps it is wholly unintentional. Second, it suggests that God can create and control evil, which again goes against what we think we know of him. This raises the possibility that good is as much a conscious choice for God as it is for us, so that his consistent goodness is all the more powerful for being deliberate, but may reflect more on the writer and his belief that all things come from God than on God himself.
Finally, much has been made of the connection between demon possession and madness, and that seems particularly pertinent as we consider Saul's state of mind. As someone who has struggled with depression and obsessive compulsive disorder, I have no qualms about suggesting that possession may have been a way of understanding or explaining various mental illnesses. That doesn't make the Bible unreliable or prove that religion is all made up, it just shows that the scriptures are a product of their time and that religion is as much about our understanding of truth as it is about truth itself, and these are simple facts it is vital that we remember in order to guard ourselves from fundamentalism
So maybe Saul really is being tormented or maybe he is suffering from some form of emotional or mental anguish. Either way, Saul's attendants suggest finding someone who can play the harp to soothe him. It turns out David is an excellent harpist and so the threads of the story begin to tie up. Perhaps their is method in Saul's madness. David goes to Saul and enters his service, being so favoured as to become his armour-bearer, and whenever the spirit comes upon Saul, David plays and the spirit leaves him.
We were told in a previous passage that bitter war with the Philistines continued throughout Saul's reign, and now we return to it with one of the most famous stories in the Old Testament and a Sunday School favourite. That's right, I'm talking about David and Goliath. The Philistines pitch up on one hill and the Israelites on another, and so begins a staring contest of epic proportions. The Philistines blink first and send out Goliath, their nine foot champion wearing armour that weighs as much as me and a spear that weighs as much as the fattest woman in Britain. He challenges the Israelites to send a champion of their own to come and fight him, the survivor claiming victory for his people. Saul and the Israelites don't like this one bit, because there seems to be now way anyone can defeat this giant in single combat, but of course we know better.
According to the last chapter, David is supposed to be Saul's armour-bearer, but now we read that he has stayed at home while his three eldest brothers have gone off to war. Presumably we must take what happens next as alternative origins story, like King Arthur variously getting Excalibur from the Lady in the Lake and pulling it out of a stone. Jesse sends David to take some food to his brothers and see how they're doing, so he runs to the battle lines, where he sees Goliath and hears him make his challenge for the umpteenth time. Saul has promised great wealth, exemption from taxes and his daughter's hand in marriage to whoever can defeat Goliath, but no one has taken him up on the offer.
David asks the soldiers about Goliath's challenge and Saul's promises, but Eliab overhears and tells his he is wicked and conceited. David asks "What have I done wrong? Can't I even speak?", which sounds like the irritated response of a boy sick of being told off and picked on by his older brothers, then goes off to ask someone else. Word of David reaches Saul and he calls for him. David tells his king not to fear because he will fight Goliath, at which point Saul probably laughs in his face. He tells David that he cannot fight the giant because he is only a boy, whereas Goliath is an experienced soldier, but David is undeterred. He tells Saul that he has killed lions and bears while protecting his father's sheep, and that the Lord who protected him from the lion's paw will protect him from Goliath.
Saul is obviously impressed because he gives David his own tunic and personally dresses him in a coat of armour, reversing the roles of the previous chapter and foreshadowing David's future role as king. David is not used to wearing armour however, and so he takes it all off and sets out with only his staff, his sling, and five smooth stones. David clearly has great faith in his own skills and in God, but its easy to forget that Saul must share his faith. The Israelites have one chance at killing Goliath, and if they mess it up they will be subject to the Philistines.
Goliath is not amused when he sees David walking towards him. In fact he seems quite insulted that the Israelites would send a boy to fight him and so he curses him. David tells the giant that he comes in the name of the Lord, who will will hand him over so that all the world will know there is a God in Israel, and that he saves by his own might and not by arms. Here we reach the climax of our story. As Goliath approaches David, he takes a stone from his pouch, fits it into his sling, throws it, and hits Goliath in the middle of his forehead. The giant sinks to the ground dead and David cuts off his head with his own sword. It seems nothing is impossible if you think outside the box and have God on your side. When the Philistines see what has happened they turn and run, pursued and ultimately killed by the Israelites, so that the victory is swift and complete.
This story has been told so many times before that I'm not sure what more I can add. I think perhaps what strikes me most is that David wins not only because he has faith in God, but also because he knows that he has what it takes. We're told so often that things are in God's hands that it can be easy to forget how much is in our hands, and we can place so much confidence in God that we forget to have any confidence in ourselves. We need to know who we are and what we can do because that way we can better understand what God is calling us to. And if we recognise that we are and do those things with and through God we can face that calling without fear or pride.
When Samuel sees the oldest son Eliab, he thinks that this must be the anointed one, but he is mistaken. God tells him not to consider the boy's appearance or height, because "man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart". It's hugely reassuring to anyone who has ever felt judged by their appearance, and anyone who has thought that people would feel differently about them if only they understood them a little better. That really means it's reassuring to everyone, because who hasn't felt like that?
The same happens again and again, until seven sons have passed and God has still not chosen one. Samuel asks if Jesse has any more sons, and Jesse admits that his youngest is tending the sheep. We haven't met this boy yet, but we may suppose that he is the runt of the litter if Jesse has not thought to bring him, and if God has already rejected the strong and the attractive. Samuel tells Jesse to send for the boy, but when he does arrive he confounds our expectations as he is ruddy and handsome, which just goes to show that appearances don't count against us just as they don't count for us. God really doesn't care what we look like. The Lord tells Samuel to rise and anoint this one, and from that moment the Spirit of the Lord is on the boy, who we finally learn is called David.
Meanwhile the Spirit of the Lord has left Saul, and he is now being tormented by an evil spirit from the Lord. I think this raises a few interesting theological points. First, it makes it sound like the Spirit can only be one place at one time, which runs counter to traditional Christian understanding. Perhaps that was the case and this is an indication of the changed relationship between God and the world, or perhaps it is wholly unintentional. Second, it suggests that God can create and control evil, which again goes against what we think we know of him. This raises the possibility that good is as much a conscious choice for God as it is for us, so that his consistent goodness is all the more powerful for being deliberate, but may reflect more on the writer and his belief that all things come from God than on God himself.
Finally, much has been made of the connection between demon possession and madness, and that seems particularly pertinent as we consider Saul's state of mind. As someone who has struggled with depression and obsessive compulsive disorder, I have no qualms about suggesting that possession may have been a way of understanding or explaining various mental illnesses. That doesn't make the Bible unreliable or prove that religion is all made up, it just shows that the scriptures are a product of their time and that religion is as much about our understanding of truth as it is about truth itself, and these are simple facts it is vital that we remember in order to guard ourselves from fundamentalism
So maybe Saul really is being tormented or maybe he is suffering from some form of emotional or mental anguish. Either way, Saul's attendants suggest finding someone who can play the harp to soothe him. It turns out David is an excellent harpist and so the threads of the story begin to tie up. Perhaps their is method in Saul's madness. David goes to Saul and enters his service, being so favoured as to become his armour-bearer, and whenever the spirit comes upon Saul, David plays and the spirit leaves him.
We were told in a previous passage that bitter war with the Philistines continued throughout Saul's reign, and now we return to it with one of the most famous stories in the Old Testament and a Sunday School favourite. That's right, I'm talking about David and Goliath. The Philistines pitch up on one hill and the Israelites on another, and so begins a staring contest of epic proportions. The Philistines blink first and send out Goliath, their nine foot champion wearing armour that weighs as much as me and a spear that weighs as much as the fattest woman in Britain. He challenges the Israelites to send a champion of their own to come and fight him, the survivor claiming victory for his people. Saul and the Israelites don't like this one bit, because there seems to be now way anyone can defeat this giant in single combat, but of course we know better.
According to the last chapter, David is supposed to be Saul's armour-bearer, but now we read that he has stayed at home while his three eldest brothers have gone off to war. Presumably we must take what happens next as alternative origins story, like King Arthur variously getting Excalibur from the Lady in the Lake and pulling it out of a stone. Jesse sends David to take some food to his brothers and see how they're doing, so he runs to the battle lines, where he sees Goliath and hears him make his challenge for the umpteenth time. Saul has promised great wealth, exemption from taxes and his daughter's hand in marriage to whoever can defeat Goliath, but no one has taken him up on the offer.
David asks the soldiers about Goliath's challenge and Saul's promises, but Eliab overhears and tells his he is wicked and conceited. David asks "What have I done wrong? Can't I even speak?", which sounds like the irritated response of a boy sick of being told off and picked on by his older brothers, then goes off to ask someone else. Word of David reaches Saul and he calls for him. David tells his king not to fear because he will fight Goliath, at which point Saul probably laughs in his face. He tells David that he cannot fight the giant because he is only a boy, whereas Goliath is an experienced soldier, but David is undeterred. He tells Saul that he has killed lions and bears while protecting his father's sheep, and that the Lord who protected him from the lion's paw will protect him from Goliath.
Saul is obviously impressed because he gives David his own tunic and personally dresses him in a coat of armour, reversing the roles of the previous chapter and foreshadowing David's future role as king. David is not used to wearing armour however, and so he takes it all off and sets out with only his staff, his sling, and five smooth stones. David clearly has great faith in his own skills and in God, but its easy to forget that Saul must share his faith. The Israelites have one chance at killing Goliath, and if they mess it up they will be subject to the Philistines.
Goliath is not amused when he sees David walking towards him. In fact he seems quite insulted that the Israelites would send a boy to fight him and so he curses him. David tells the giant that he comes in the name of the Lord, who will will hand him over so that all the world will know there is a God in Israel, and that he saves by his own might and not by arms. Here we reach the climax of our story. As Goliath approaches David, he takes a stone from his pouch, fits it into his sling, throws it, and hits Goliath in the middle of his forehead. The giant sinks to the ground dead and David cuts off his head with his own sword. It seems nothing is impossible if you think outside the box and have God on your side. When the Philistines see what has happened they turn and run, pursued and ultimately killed by the Israelites, so that the victory is swift and complete.
This story has been told so many times before that I'm not sure what more I can add. I think perhaps what strikes me most is that David wins not only because he has faith in God, but also because he knows that he has what it takes. We're told so often that things are in God's hands that it can be easy to forget how much is in our hands, and we can place so much confidence in God that we forget to have any confidence in ourselves. We need to know who we are and what we can do because that way we can better understand what God is calling us to. And if we recognise that we are and do those things with and through God we can face that calling without fear or pride.
Thursday 21 June 2012
1 Samuel 11-15 - The Fall of Saul
Saul's reign gets off to a difficult start, to say the least. Nahash the Ammonite besieges the town of Jabesh Gilead and refuses to make a treaty with the people unless he can gouge out the right eye of each person to bring shame on Israel. The elders of the town ask to be allowed seven days to send out messengers, at the end of which time they will surrender if no one has come to save them. Nahash is either so rubbish at sieges that he could do with reading a few more medieval fantasies, or so confident that no one will come that he thinks he can have some fun taunting the townspeople, because messengers do reach Saul.
Saul has been proclaimed king but he's obviously still figuring out what that means, because when the messengers arrive he is returning from the fields with his oxen. When he hears the news the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him and he burns with anger, butchering the oxen and sending the pieces throughout Israel with the warning that this is what will happen to anyone who does not follow him. We so often see anger as a negative emotion, and I'll admit it wasn't great for the oxen, but sometimes we need to get angry about things because that's when we'll do something about them.
The people of Israel gather and Saul sends messengers to proclaim to the people of Jabesh Gilead that they will be delivered the following day. The men of the town decide to play Nahash at his own game and tell him that they will surrender tomorrow, but that night Saul and the Israelites attack the Ammonite camp and slaughter them until the heat of the day. We're told that the Israelite army consisted of three hundred and thirty thousand men, making it rather unlikely that the Ammonites wouldn't have seen them coming and joined them in battle, and so we should probably take this story with a generous pinch of salt, remembering that history is usually written by the victors.
Saul has seen off the first challenge to his reign in remarkable style, and the people now call for those who doubted him to be put to death, but Saul says that no one will die for the Lord has rescued Israel. So far he's shaping up to be a strong and gracious leader. Saul is reaffirmed as king and there is a great celebration, but as there are beginnings so there are endings. Samuel tells Israel that he has listened to all they have said and given them a king, but he is old and has judged for a great many years, and so this is to be his farewell.
Samuel calls on the people to testify in the presence of the Lord that he has been a good and honourable man, and reminds them of all the righteous acts the Lord has done for them and their forefathers. He then warns them against rebelling against God, and calls upon the Lord to bring thunder and rain to show them what an evil thing they have done in asking for a king. Talk about putting a dampener on things! The people are afraid at this, but Samuel comforts them by saying that he will continue to pray for them and the Lord will not reject them, as long as they serve God faithfully and remember all he has done for them. No matter how badly we have screwed up, we can always put things right because God loves us and he wants the best for us. I know I've said it before, but I think it's the most important message in the whole of the Bible.
Saul decides to build on his initial military success by choosing three thousand men, two thousand of whom he leads himself and one thousand of whom he puts under the leadership of his son Jonathon. Given that Saul is supposed to be thirty when he becomes king, we must assume that either Jonathon is incredibly young, or the events told here happen later in Saul's reign, or someone has got the numbers wrong. A note in my Bible says that his age is only given as thirty in some late manuscripts of the Septuagint, not in the Hebrew, so the latter seems a reasonable assumption.
Jonathon takes his men and attacks a Philistine outpost, inciting them to war. This may seem like a rookie error, but Saul uses the opportunity to rally the rest of Israel to him, and so it was probably a calculated move, although he may have overestimated his men because they are terrified and begin to scatter. Meanwhile, Samuel has promised to come to Saul to make an offering, but when he does not arrive Saul takes it upon himself. When Samuel does eventually show up he rebukes Saul, telling him that he has disobeyed God and as a result his kingdom will not endure, but instead the Lord has sought a man after his own heart and appointed him leader.
The prophecy is the least of Saul's worries for the moment though, as finds himself in pretty dire straits. He only has six hundred men left and not one of them has a weapon. Jonathon sneaks over to the Philistine outpost with his young armour-bearer, in the belief that God will act on their behalf, declaring that nothing can stop the Lord from saving. He suggests they walk towards the Philistines, and proposes that if the men call them up, then it will be a sign that God will deliver them. The Philistines do call them up, intending to teach them a lesson, but Jonathon and the armour-bearer kill twenty men and send the army into disarray. Saul and his men take advantage of the confusion and march against the Philistines, and so Israel is rescued once again.
The story takes a different turn here, as we are told that Saul declared before the battle that any man who ate before he had avenged himself on his enemies would be cursed. This causes great distress among the people, but Jonathon did not hear this command and so eats some honey. One of his fellow soldiers tells him of his father's declaration, but Jonathon only replies that his father has made trouble for the country as the men would have fought better with something to eat. There are further food problems after the battle, as the men pounce on the plunder they have taken, butchering the livestock and eating it without draining the blood. Saul says the men have broken faith and calls them to slaughter their ox, building an altar on which I presume the ox are burnt as an offering. It seems Saul has suddenly begun to favour piety over practicality.
I had assumed that the Philistines had already been defeated at this point, but it seems that some remain as Saul now suggests going down to the Philistine camp to plunder and kill. The priest recommends that he consult God and he does, but God does not answer him. Saul assumes that this is the result of some sin committed by one of his men, and so he draws lots until he identifies Jonathon, who confesses that he ate some honey. Saul says he must put him to death, but the men intervene, saying that he has brought deliverance with God's help. Saul relents without argument, and the Israelites withdraw back to their own land. We are told in summary that Saul continues to inflict punishment on his enemies but his seems that his successes are only temporary as there is bitter war with the Philistines throughout his reign.
Samuel may have handed in his notice but he's still hanging around, and now he tells Saul that God wants him to attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything that belongs to them. Saul summons his men and attacks the Amalekites, killing all the people but taking the king and the best of the livestock. The Lord then speaks to Samuel, saying that he is sad to have made Saul king because he has disobeyed him. When Samuel confronts Saul, he says that he did obey the Lord, but Samuel points out that God had told him to destroy everything. I have dealt elsewhere with the difficulty of reconciling such an instruction with a loving God, so for now all I will say is that I think the point we need to take away here is that God requires complete obedience.
Saul begs Samuel to forgive his sin, but Samuel says that Saul has rejected the Lord and so the Lord has rejected him as king. I think the "as king" bit is significant, as it suggests that Saul the man is not past the point of redemption even if Saul the king is. Saul again asks Samuel to come back with him so he can worship the Lord, who he now refers to as "your God". I think that's significant too, as it suggests that Saul recognises God but not his own relationship with him. How many of us find ourselves in that position, feeling as though God is for someone else but not for us? Samuel relents and goes back with Saul, taking this opportunity to finish the job Saul started by killing the Amalekite king, but this is the last Saul sees of him. Saul mourns for Samuel and the Lord grieves over Saul, and so we must leave this story in a dark and uncertain place.
Saul has been proclaimed king but he's obviously still figuring out what that means, because when the messengers arrive he is returning from the fields with his oxen. When he hears the news the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him and he burns with anger, butchering the oxen and sending the pieces throughout Israel with the warning that this is what will happen to anyone who does not follow him. We so often see anger as a negative emotion, and I'll admit it wasn't great for the oxen, but sometimes we need to get angry about things because that's when we'll do something about them.
The people of Israel gather and Saul sends messengers to proclaim to the people of Jabesh Gilead that they will be delivered the following day. The men of the town decide to play Nahash at his own game and tell him that they will surrender tomorrow, but that night Saul and the Israelites attack the Ammonite camp and slaughter them until the heat of the day. We're told that the Israelite army consisted of three hundred and thirty thousand men, making it rather unlikely that the Ammonites wouldn't have seen them coming and joined them in battle, and so we should probably take this story with a generous pinch of salt, remembering that history is usually written by the victors.
Saul has seen off the first challenge to his reign in remarkable style, and the people now call for those who doubted him to be put to death, but Saul says that no one will die for the Lord has rescued Israel. So far he's shaping up to be a strong and gracious leader. Saul is reaffirmed as king and there is a great celebration, but as there are beginnings so there are endings. Samuel tells Israel that he has listened to all they have said and given them a king, but he is old and has judged for a great many years, and so this is to be his farewell.
Samuel calls on the people to testify in the presence of the Lord that he has been a good and honourable man, and reminds them of all the righteous acts the Lord has done for them and their forefathers. He then warns them against rebelling against God, and calls upon the Lord to bring thunder and rain to show them what an evil thing they have done in asking for a king. Talk about putting a dampener on things! The people are afraid at this, but Samuel comforts them by saying that he will continue to pray for them and the Lord will not reject them, as long as they serve God faithfully and remember all he has done for them. No matter how badly we have screwed up, we can always put things right because God loves us and he wants the best for us. I know I've said it before, but I think it's the most important message in the whole of the Bible.
Saul decides to build on his initial military success by choosing three thousand men, two thousand of whom he leads himself and one thousand of whom he puts under the leadership of his son Jonathon. Given that Saul is supposed to be thirty when he becomes king, we must assume that either Jonathon is incredibly young, or the events told here happen later in Saul's reign, or someone has got the numbers wrong. A note in my Bible says that his age is only given as thirty in some late manuscripts of the Septuagint, not in the Hebrew, so the latter seems a reasonable assumption.
Jonathon takes his men and attacks a Philistine outpost, inciting them to war. This may seem like a rookie error, but Saul uses the opportunity to rally the rest of Israel to him, and so it was probably a calculated move, although he may have overestimated his men because they are terrified and begin to scatter. Meanwhile, Samuel has promised to come to Saul to make an offering, but when he does not arrive Saul takes it upon himself. When Samuel does eventually show up he rebukes Saul, telling him that he has disobeyed God and as a result his kingdom will not endure, but instead the Lord has sought a man after his own heart and appointed him leader.
The prophecy is the least of Saul's worries for the moment though, as finds himself in pretty dire straits. He only has six hundred men left and not one of them has a weapon. Jonathon sneaks over to the Philistine outpost with his young armour-bearer, in the belief that God will act on their behalf, declaring that nothing can stop the Lord from saving. He suggests they walk towards the Philistines, and proposes that if the men call them up, then it will be a sign that God will deliver them. The Philistines do call them up, intending to teach them a lesson, but Jonathon and the armour-bearer kill twenty men and send the army into disarray. Saul and his men take advantage of the confusion and march against the Philistines, and so Israel is rescued once again.
The story takes a different turn here, as we are told that Saul declared before the battle that any man who ate before he had avenged himself on his enemies would be cursed. This causes great distress among the people, but Jonathon did not hear this command and so eats some honey. One of his fellow soldiers tells him of his father's declaration, but Jonathon only replies that his father has made trouble for the country as the men would have fought better with something to eat. There are further food problems after the battle, as the men pounce on the plunder they have taken, butchering the livestock and eating it without draining the blood. Saul says the men have broken faith and calls them to slaughter their ox, building an altar on which I presume the ox are burnt as an offering. It seems Saul has suddenly begun to favour piety over practicality.
I had assumed that the Philistines had already been defeated at this point, but it seems that some remain as Saul now suggests going down to the Philistine camp to plunder and kill. The priest recommends that he consult God and he does, but God does not answer him. Saul assumes that this is the result of some sin committed by one of his men, and so he draws lots until he identifies Jonathon, who confesses that he ate some honey. Saul says he must put him to death, but the men intervene, saying that he has brought deliverance with God's help. Saul relents without argument, and the Israelites withdraw back to their own land. We are told in summary that Saul continues to inflict punishment on his enemies but his seems that his successes are only temporary as there is bitter war with the Philistines throughout his reign.
Samuel may have handed in his notice but he's still hanging around, and now he tells Saul that God wants him to attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything that belongs to them. Saul summons his men and attacks the Amalekites, killing all the people but taking the king and the best of the livestock. The Lord then speaks to Samuel, saying that he is sad to have made Saul king because he has disobeyed him. When Samuel confronts Saul, he says that he did obey the Lord, but Samuel points out that God had told him to destroy everything. I have dealt elsewhere with the difficulty of reconciling such an instruction with a loving God, so for now all I will say is that I think the point we need to take away here is that God requires complete obedience.
Saul begs Samuel to forgive his sin, but Samuel says that Saul has rejected the Lord and so the Lord has rejected him as king. I think the "as king" bit is significant, as it suggests that Saul the man is not past the point of redemption even if Saul the king is. Saul again asks Samuel to come back with him so he can worship the Lord, who he now refers to as "your God". I think that's significant too, as it suggests that Saul recognises God but not his own relationship with him. How many of us find ourselves in that position, feeling as though God is for someone else but not for us? Samuel relents and goes back with Saul, taking this opportunity to finish the job Saul started by killing the Amalekite king, but this is the last Saul sees of him. Saul mourns for Samuel and the Lord grieves over Saul, and so we must leave this story in a dark and uncertain place.
Wednesday 20 June 2012
1 Samuel 7-10 - The Prophet and the King
The Ark of the Covenant remains in Kiriath Jearim for twenty years, and during this time the people of Israel mourn and seek after the Lord. The ark is back on Israelite soil and yet something is still not right, because losing the ark was never the problem. The Israelites thought they could box God and everything would be okay, and that when things weren't okay they could blame God or the box, but they are beginning to learn that it was never so simple. Perhaps we can still be guilty of that mentality, believing that we somehow own God by faith and that it is up to him to sort things out, but I think most of us know deep down that it doesn't work like that, and so we find ourselves making new mistakes.
The church culture I have most often encountered is one which seeks to manage rather than raise expectations, by saying over and over again that being a Christian doesn't make your life easy. I understand as well as anyone that Christians aren't exempt from suffering, and I know that the message comes from a desire to prepare people for the reality of faith and encourage then not to give up when things get tough, but it makes it all too easy for us to dismiss our troubles as "just the way things are" rather than looking at what we can do to help them, and so ultimately we end up in much the same position as the Israelites. Of course we need to realistic about how difficult life can be, but we also need to be honest about our own part in our troubles.
Samuel sees the truth of the situation, and tells the people that if they are returning to the Lord with all their hearts then they must rid themselves of their foreign gods and commit themselves to him alone. It seems things have been rough for them because they've turned away from God to paganism or syncretism, not because the Philistines stole the ark of a covenant they're not even keeping. That doesn't mean that we always suffer as a direct result of our failures or that God abandons us when we abandon him, but it does meant that sometimes we have to take responsibility for what happens to us and we have to recognise that when we walk away from God there's not a lot he can do to help us.
The people recognise Samuel's wisdom and destroy their idols, rededicating themselves to Lord. Samuel then tells them to assemble at Mizpah, where he will intercede for them, and they duly gather and confess their sins, making Samuel the judge of Israel. Unfortunately the gathering does not go unnoticed, and the Philistines decide to crash the party. The Israelites call on Samuel to cry out to the Lord that he might save them, and the Lord answers his prayers, throwing the Philistines into chaos so that the Israelites can defeat them. The Israelites have screwed up for the umpteenth time, but they have turned back to the Lord with all their hearts, and that is enough for he is the god of second chances.
This is a turning point for Israel, as the Philistines do not invade again during Samuel's lifetime and the Israelites gain new land, but this time of peace and prosperity does not last forever. Samuel is a good leader and he brings good fortune, but sadly the sons he appoints to judge in his old age are of a different type. They accept bribes and pervert justice, and so the people try to avert disaster by asking Samuel to appoint a king to lead them. This displeases Samuel and so he prays to the Lord, who says it is him who they are truly rejecting. They can seen that things are about to go wrong, but they are foolishly placing their trust and their hope in man instead of God. Nevertheless, the Lord tells Samuel to listen to the people but warn them solemnly of what the king will do.
Samuel goes back to the people and tells them that the the king will take their sons to be soldiers and commanders and farmers and armourers, their daughters to be perfumers and cooks, the best of the field and vineyards and a tenth of their grain for his attendants, their servants and the best of their animals for his own use, and their lives as he makes them his slaves. In spite of all of this, the people still say they want a king like all the other nations, and so the Lord says he will give them one. I should imagine he sighed rather deeply as he said it.
Israel has had leaders in the form of judges for many years, so it may seem strange that God is so reluctant to give Israel a king now, but I think the issue is not about leadership in general but kingship in particular. God understands that we need good leadership, but Samuel's prophecies suggest that kingship is characterised by power and indulgence rather than guidance and servitude and so does not make for good leadership; and kings were awarded a supremacy that equated them with gods, so it is easy to see why God understood the people's desire for a king as a rejection of him. That does not mean that all kings make bad leaders or that the only bad leaders are kings, but it does suggest that there is something fundamentally wrong with granting total power and immense wealth to a single person. History has shown us that again and again. If only we'd listened when God warned us in the first place.
God knows things will go wrong but he also knows that sometimes we need to find that out for ourselves, and so he sets about delivering a king. We are introduced here to Saul, who we are told is remarkable in being quite literally head and shoulders above everyone else, and who has set out to find his father's missing donkeys. He and a servant go to consult a seer, who turns out be Samuel. God has already told Samuel that he will be sending him a man who he must appoint as leader over Israel, and now he tells him that this is the man he meant. Samuel invites Saul to eat with him, and the next day he anoints him with oil, saying that God has chosen him to be leader over his inheritance. If Saul is taken aback by this he does not say it, and I suspect that he thinks Samuel is a bit mad.
Saul tells Samuel that he will meet two men who will tell him that his father's donkeys have been found and his father is now worried about him, and then he will meet three men with food which he is to accept, and finally he will meet a procession of prophets coming from the high place, at which point the Spirit of the Lord will come upon him and he too will prophesy and be changed. After that, Samuel says that he must do what his finds for him to do for God will be with him. This last bit reminds me of a prayer I first prayed several years ago. Lord, let my heart be your heart, my desires your desires, my thoughts your thoughts. I don't ever want to stop talking to God, but I would love to be so in tune with him that I didn't have to, so in step with his rhythm that I could trust that my instincts were his instincts.
Everything happens as Samuel had said it would but Saul says nothing to anyone else. Samuel then calls all the tribes together to make a ceremony out of the choosing of the king. He calls forward the tribe of Benjamin, then the clan of Matri, then finally Saul himself. Saul is not there however, perhaps because he hadn't taken Samuel seriously or perhaps because he is beginning to fear that he may have been deadly serious. Some men run off to find Saul and he is proclaimed king, although it happens so quickly that we're still not sure what Saul makes of the whole thing. Samuel then gives the regulations for kings which were laid down by Moses and everyone returns home. There are some dissenters who question whether or not Saul can really save them, but he says nothing and we are left wondering what kind of king this man will make.
The church culture I have most often encountered is one which seeks to manage rather than raise expectations, by saying over and over again that being a Christian doesn't make your life easy. I understand as well as anyone that Christians aren't exempt from suffering, and I know that the message comes from a desire to prepare people for the reality of faith and encourage then not to give up when things get tough, but it makes it all too easy for us to dismiss our troubles as "just the way things are" rather than looking at what we can do to help them, and so ultimately we end up in much the same position as the Israelites. Of course we need to realistic about how difficult life can be, but we also need to be honest about our own part in our troubles.
Samuel sees the truth of the situation, and tells the people that if they are returning to the Lord with all their hearts then they must rid themselves of their foreign gods and commit themselves to him alone. It seems things have been rough for them because they've turned away from God to paganism or syncretism, not because the Philistines stole the ark of a covenant they're not even keeping. That doesn't mean that we always suffer as a direct result of our failures or that God abandons us when we abandon him, but it does meant that sometimes we have to take responsibility for what happens to us and we have to recognise that when we walk away from God there's not a lot he can do to help us.
The people recognise Samuel's wisdom and destroy their idols, rededicating themselves to Lord. Samuel then tells them to assemble at Mizpah, where he will intercede for them, and they duly gather and confess their sins, making Samuel the judge of Israel. Unfortunately the gathering does not go unnoticed, and the Philistines decide to crash the party. The Israelites call on Samuel to cry out to the Lord that he might save them, and the Lord answers his prayers, throwing the Philistines into chaos so that the Israelites can defeat them. The Israelites have screwed up for the umpteenth time, but they have turned back to the Lord with all their hearts, and that is enough for he is the god of second chances.
This is a turning point for Israel, as the Philistines do not invade again during Samuel's lifetime and the Israelites gain new land, but this time of peace and prosperity does not last forever. Samuel is a good leader and he brings good fortune, but sadly the sons he appoints to judge in his old age are of a different type. They accept bribes and pervert justice, and so the people try to avert disaster by asking Samuel to appoint a king to lead them. This displeases Samuel and so he prays to the Lord, who says it is him who they are truly rejecting. They can seen that things are about to go wrong, but they are foolishly placing their trust and their hope in man instead of God. Nevertheless, the Lord tells Samuel to listen to the people but warn them solemnly of what the king will do.
Samuel goes back to the people and tells them that the the king will take their sons to be soldiers and commanders and farmers and armourers, their daughters to be perfumers and cooks, the best of the field and vineyards and a tenth of their grain for his attendants, their servants and the best of their animals for his own use, and their lives as he makes them his slaves. In spite of all of this, the people still say they want a king like all the other nations, and so the Lord says he will give them one. I should imagine he sighed rather deeply as he said it.
Israel has had leaders in the form of judges for many years, so it may seem strange that God is so reluctant to give Israel a king now, but I think the issue is not about leadership in general but kingship in particular. God understands that we need good leadership, but Samuel's prophecies suggest that kingship is characterised by power and indulgence rather than guidance and servitude and so does not make for good leadership; and kings were awarded a supremacy that equated them with gods, so it is easy to see why God understood the people's desire for a king as a rejection of him. That does not mean that all kings make bad leaders or that the only bad leaders are kings, but it does suggest that there is something fundamentally wrong with granting total power and immense wealth to a single person. History has shown us that again and again. If only we'd listened when God warned us in the first place.
God knows things will go wrong but he also knows that sometimes we need to find that out for ourselves, and so he sets about delivering a king. We are introduced here to Saul, who we are told is remarkable in being quite literally head and shoulders above everyone else, and who has set out to find his father's missing donkeys. He and a servant go to consult a seer, who turns out be Samuel. God has already told Samuel that he will be sending him a man who he must appoint as leader over Israel, and now he tells him that this is the man he meant. Samuel invites Saul to eat with him, and the next day he anoints him with oil, saying that God has chosen him to be leader over his inheritance. If Saul is taken aback by this he does not say it, and I suspect that he thinks Samuel is a bit mad.
Saul tells Samuel that he will meet two men who will tell him that his father's donkeys have been found and his father is now worried about him, and then he will meet three men with food which he is to accept, and finally he will meet a procession of prophets coming from the high place, at which point the Spirit of the Lord will come upon him and he too will prophesy and be changed. After that, Samuel says that he must do what his finds for him to do for God will be with him. This last bit reminds me of a prayer I first prayed several years ago. Lord, let my heart be your heart, my desires your desires, my thoughts your thoughts. I don't ever want to stop talking to God, but I would love to be so in tune with him that I didn't have to, so in step with his rhythm that I could trust that my instincts were his instincts.
Everything happens as Samuel had said it would but Saul says nothing to anyone else. Samuel then calls all the tribes together to make a ceremony out of the choosing of the king. He calls forward the tribe of Benjamin, then the clan of Matri, then finally Saul himself. Saul is not there however, perhaps because he hadn't taken Samuel seriously or perhaps because he is beginning to fear that he may have been deadly serious. Some men run off to find Saul and he is proclaimed king, although it happens so quickly that we're still not sure what Saul makes of the whole thing. Samuel then gives the regulations for kings which were laid down by Moses and everyone returns home. There are some dissenters who question whether or not Saul can really save them, but he says nothing and we are left wondering what kind of king this man will make.
Tuesday 19 June 2012
1 Samuel 4-6 - The Ark of the Covenant
We've been distracted by the domestic dramas of Ruth and Elkanah for a while, but there is a world out there and Israel is still at war with the Philistines. The Israelites are defeated in battle so they elect to bring the ark to the battlefield in the hope that it will turn the tide in their favour. The Philistines are afraid because they believe the gods have come against them (the fact that they speak of plural deities suggests that they know little of the Israelite religion, reminding us that ignorance has long been a barrier between cultures) but using God as a good luck charm does not work and the Israelites are defeated again.
Eli's sons die as prophesied, and in what must have seemed like the worst turn of events imaginable, the ark is captured. When Eli hears the news, he falls down and dies of a broken neck; and when his pregnant daughter-in-law hears, the shock induces labour and she dies in childbirth. The nameless woman does however live long enough to name her son son Ichabod, because the glory has departed from Israel. There's a sense of despair and hopelessness, as if the Israelites believe that the God who created the earth has been stolen away from them in a golden box. We cannot even hope to comprehend the enormity of God, and so its natural that we should think of him on a scale we can get our heads around, but we must take care not to shrink him down too much.
The Philistines take the ark to Ashdod and set it beside the statue of their god Dagon in his temple, but the next day they find that the statue has fallen face down. They put the statue back in its place, but the next day it has fallen again, and this time the head and hands have broken off. This is just a warning however, and after this the Lord's hand is heavy upon the people of Ashdod, as he brings much devastation. The rulers of the Philistines move the ark to Gath, but this city suffers in a similar fashion, and so they try to send it to Ekron. The rulers may think they can solve their problem by simply moving it around, but the people of Ekron are not so sure and resist the coming of the ark.
Finally forced to confront their troubles, the rulers of the Philistines call on their priests and diviners, who tell them to send the ark back to the Israelites with a guilt offering, which they rather bizarrely suggest should be gold models of the tumours and rats that have afflicted the cities. I get that it's symbolic, but I'm not even going to pretend to understand why they think golden tumours are an appropriate gift for anyone. The priests also ask the rulers why they have hardened their hearts as Pharaoh did, recalling the story of the Exodus. It seems unlikely that the Philistines would know a great deal about Pharoah's heart, and the Hebrew scriptures were written by Israelite scribes many years after the events they described, so I very much doubt that this conversation is verbatim anyway, but this does at least suggest that the writer has learnt the lessons of Egypt.
The Philistines place the ark and a chest containing the offering on a new cart hitched to two cows who have calved but have never been yoked and send it on its way. The priests say that if it returns to Israel then it was the Lord who brought disaster on them, in which case they will have done right in sending it back, but if it goes another way then the disaster was only chance, in which case they have no chance of stopping it. Fortunately for them, the ark finds its way back to Beth Shemesh in Israelite territory, where the people rejoice to see it and sacrifice the cows as an offering to the Lord.
This should be a happy ending, but seventy men of Beth Shemesh look into the ark of the covenant, and if you've ever seen 'Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark', you'll already know that doesn't end well. They are struck down by God and the people ask "who can stand in the presence of the Lord?". The implied answer is that no one can, but the truth is that everyone can. Moses may not have been able to look on God, but he could stand before him on the mountain and at the bush, and the Israelites followed God through the desert. And that's before we even consider the impact of Christ on our relationship with God. I think this incident is about respect. The Israelites could have approached God's presence with honour and humility, but instead they tried to find him in a box, and that was where they went wrong.
To wrap up this part of our story, the people of Beth Shemesh are understandably nervous about keeping the ark and send messengers to the people of Kiriath Jearim, who take the ark and consecrate somebody to guard it.
Eli's sons die as prophesied, and in what must have seemed like the worst turn of events imaginable, the ark is captured. When Eli hears the news, he falls down and dies of a broken neck; and when his pregnant daughter-in-law hears, the shock induces labour and she dies in childbirth. The nameless woman does however live long enough to name her son son Ichabod, because the glory has departed from Israel. There's a sense of despair and hopelessness, as if the Israelites believe that the God who created the earth has been stolen away from them in a golden box. We cannot even hope to comprehend the enormity of God, and so its natural that we should think of him on a scale we can get our heads around, but we must take care not to shrink him down too much.
The Philistines take the ark to Ashdod and set it beside the statue of their god Dagon in his temple, but the next day they find that the statue has fallen face down. They put the statue back in its place, but the next day it has fallen again, and this time the head and hands have broken off. This is just a warning however, and after this the Lord's hand is heavy upon the people of Ashdod, as he brings much devastation. The rulers of the Philistines move the ark to Gath, but this city suffers in a similar fashion, and so they try to send it to Ekron. The rulers may think they can solve their problem by simply moving it around, but the people of Ekron are not so sure and resist the coming of the ark.
Finally forced to confront their troubles, the rulers of the Philistines call on their priests and diviners, who tell them to send the ark back to the Israelites with a guilt offering, which they rather bizarrely suggest should be gold models of the tumours and rats that have afflicted the cities. I get that it's symbolic, but I'm not even going to pretend to understand why they think golden tumours are an appropriate gift for anyone. The priests also ask the rulers why they have hardened their hearts as Pharaoh did, recalling the story of the Exodus. It seems unlikely that the Philistines would know a great deal about Pharoah's heart, and the Hebrew scriptures were written by Israelite scribes many years after the events they described, so I very much doubt that this conversation is verbatim anyway, but this does at least suggest that the writer has learnt the lessons of Egypt.
The Philistines place the ark and a chest containing the offering on a new cart hitched to two cows who have calved but have never been yoked and send it on its way. The priests say that if it returns to Israel then it was the Lord who brought disaster on them, in which case they will have done right in sending it back, but if it goes another way then the disaster was only chance, in which case they have no chance of stopping it. Fortunately for them, the ark finds its way back to Beth Shemesh in Israelite territory, where the people rejoice to see it and sacrifice the cows as an offering to the Lord.
This should be a happy ending, but seventy men of Beth Shemesh look into the ark of the covenant, and if you've ever seen 'Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark', you'll already know that doesn't end well. They are struck down by God and the people ask "who can stand in the presence of the Lord?". The implied answer is that no one can, but the truth is that everyone can. Moses may not have been able to look on God, but he could stand before him on the mountain and at the bush, and the Israelites followed God through the desert. And that's before we even consider the impact of Christ on our relationship with God. I think this incident is about respect. The Israelites could have approached God's presence with honour and humility, but instead they tried to find him in a box, and that was where they went wrong.
To wrap up this part of our story, the people of Beth Shemesh are understandably nervous about keeping the ark and send messengers to the people of Kiriath Jearim, who take the ark and consecrate somebody to guard it.
Monday 18 June 2012
1 Samuel 1-3 The Early Years
The story begins with a man called Elkanah, who has two wives called Peninnah and Hannah. Peninnah has children but Hannah has none, and yet it is Hannah who Elkanah loves most and favours with a double portion at the time of the sacrifice, and this causes great tension and jealousy between the two women. Peninnah provokes Hannah until she weeps and refuses to eat, and so Elkanah seeks to comfort his beloved wife by asking if he does not mean more to her than ten sons, but she is not consoled and so it seems that he does not. This is a deeply unhappy family, but their troubles are partly of their own making. Of course Peninnah cannot help her fertility any more than Hannah can help her childlessness, but they can both help the way they respond to their situation and to each other; and Elkanah cannot help Hanna's sadness or Peninnah's malice, but he could help having more than one wife in the first place.
Hannah finally seems to realise that even if she cannot change her circumstances she can change her response, and so she prays that God will look on her misery and give her a son. Like we so often do when we are desperate, she tries to bargain with God, saying that if he will give her a son then she will dedicate the boy to him. I think it's interesting that she does not ask for sons plural, the first of whom she will give back to God, but for a son singular. Perhaps she is only seeking to be modest in her request, but if she gives her only child back to God she will still be effectively childless, and so it's almost as if she wants a son because she feels she should have one, not because she yearns to be a mother. Perhaps she felt she had failed her husband by not giving him a son, or perhaps in a culture where she could only be a wife and mother she felt she must be both in order for her life to mean anything, or perhaps she just couldn't take any more of Peninnah's taunting, but none of these are reasons to have a child. It is entirely possible that I have misunderstood Hannah's prayer, but I can't help finding it a little distasteful. A child is to be loved and nurtured, not used as a weapon or a status symbol; and my mum brought me up to believe that motherhood is a privilege, not a right.
The priest Eli sees Hannah praying in the temple, and she is obviously praying with great fervour because he initially thinks she's drunk. When we express ourselves openly and honestly we may risk making fools or spectacles of ourselves, but it is usually a risk worth taking. The risk certainly pays off for Hannah, as Eli blesses her and she soon has a son, who she names Samuel. She tells her husband that she will take Samuel to the temple when he has been weaned, and he simply tells her to "do what seems best". He has to respect her oath because the law and his faith demand it, but his detachment suggests to me that he is not entirely happy about the fact that she has given away the son they have waited so long for. I think Hannah was incredibly selfish to make a pact with God without talking to Elkanah, not because she needed his permission but because it was a decision they should have made together. I think we can be so caught up in the idea of the maternal instinct that we forget how important the father is.
Once Samuel has been weaned, Hannah takes him to Eli, who accepts him into the temple. Hannah then prays again, but this time she prays with joy and worship, not in anguish and grief. She revels in the might of the Lord but warns against human pride and speaks of a reversal of fortune, possibly a dig at her rival Pinennah, suggesting that her prayer is not perhaps as holy as it may seem. She speaks of the Lord as all powerful and in control, and declares that "it is not by strength that one prevails", recognising that it is not by her own power but by God's that her prayers have been answered. And she prophesies judgement on those who oppose the Lord and the coming of a king, setting up the events that are to come.
The story gets a bit jumbled here so I'll try to take each sequence of events separately to make it a little clearer. Elkanah and Hannah visit Samuel once a year when they visit the temple to make the sacrifice, and I can only imagine how strange it must have been for him to know these people were his parents and yet not know them at all, and how sad it must have been for Elkanah and Hannah to miss so much of their son's life. Eli blesses the couple and Hannah has three more sons and two daughters, so that she does at last become a mother, although it is interesting that is not her but Eli who prays for these children.
Samuel grows in stature and favour in the eyes of God and men, but Eli's sons prove themselves to be wicked men, abusing their priestly privileges and showing no respect for the god who so honoured them. Eli hears of his sons' sin and rebukes them, but they do not listen and he appears to do no more, so that their wickedness continues. A man of God prophesies against the house of Eli, saying that because they have not respected all that God has done for them, they and their ancestors will all die young, and Eli's sons will die on the same day. He also says that God will no longer keep his promise that they would minister forever, but instead he will raise up a faithful priest. I'm not sure how things develop from here, but it seems that this is where the priesthood first becomes a profession based on merit rather than a duty inherited by birth. I also think it's interesting that we see God change his mind, and not for the first time. Divine simplicity has whitewashed God's character, but the God of the Old Testament was as complicated and as changeable as your or I. Where else do you think we got it from?
We are told now that one night the boy Samuel is lying by the Ark of the Covenant when he hears a voice calling him. He goes to Eli but Eli says he did not call him, and so Samuel goes back to his place and lies down again. You may have guessed by now who is calling Samuel, but this happens three times before anyone in the story figures it out. Samuel may be excused as he is young, and we are told that even though he serves in the temple he does not know the Lord yet, a reminder that we may know of God but we must experience him before we can truly know him. We might have expected better from Eli, but we have already been told that visions were rare in these days and he has perhaps been deadened by habit and forgotten his Lord's voice, a warning to us not to do the same. When the priest does finally work out what is happening, he tells Samuel to answer the Lord if he calls again, which of course he does.
God tells Samuel that he will do something that will "make the ears of everyone who hears it tingle", which I think it an amazing phrase. More specifically, he says that he will do what he has already said he will do to the house of Eli. Samuel is understandably reluctant to pass on the message but Eli tells him not to hide anything, and so Samuel speaks the word of God for the first time. Eli may have his faults, but now he is humble enough to recognise the power and justice of God, and simply says "he is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes". It is the simplest and yet most difficult prayer, because it requires us to acknowledge the sovereignty of God, trust in his wisdom, and hope for his grace; and while he deserves all of those things, we are often reluctant to give them. From then on, God is with Samuel and reveals himself to him, so that Samuel is recognised as a prophet and his word comes to all of Israel.
Hannah finally seems to realise that even if she cannot change her circumstances she can change her response, and so she prays that God will look on her misery and give her a son. Like we so often do when we are desperate, she tries to bargain with God, saying that if he will give her a son then she will dedicate the boy to him. I think it's interesting that she does not ask for sons plural, the first of whom she will give back to God, but for a son singular. Perhaps she is only seeking to be modest in her request, but if she gives her only child back to God she will still be effectively childless, and so it's almost as if she wants a son because she feels she should have one, not because she yearns to be a mother. Perhaps she felt she had failed her husband by not giving him a son, or perhaps in a culture where she could only be a wife and mother she felt she must be both in order for her life to mean anything, or perhaps she just couldn't take any more of Peninnah's taunting, but none of these are reasons to have a child. It is entirely possible that I have misunderstood Hannah's prayer, but I can't help finding it a little distasteful. A child is to be loved and nurtured, not used as a weapon or a status symbol; and my mum brought me up to believe that motherhood is a privilege, not a right.
The priest Eli sees Hannah praying in the temple, and she is obviously praying with great fervour because he initially thinks she's drunk. When we express ourselves openly and honestly we may risk making fools or spectacles of ourselves, but it is usually a risk worth taking. The risk certainly pays off for Hannah, as Eli blesses her and she soon has a son, who she names Samuel. She tells her husband that she will take Samuel to the temple when he has been weaned, and he simply tells her to "do what seems best". He has to respect her oath because the law and his faith demand it, but his detachment suggests to me that he is not entirely happy about the fact that she has given away the son they have waited so long for. I think Hannah was incredibly selfish to make a pact with God without talking to Elkanah, not because she needed his permission but because it was a decision they should have made together. I think we can be so caught up in the idea of the maternal instinct that we forget how important the father is.
Once Samuel has been weaned, Hannah takes him to Eli, who accepts him into the temple. Hannah then prays again, but this time she prays with joy and worship, not in anguish and grief. She revels in the might of the Lord but warns against human pride and speaks of a reversal of fortune, possibly a dig at her rival Pinennah, suggesting that her prayer is not perhaps as holy as it may seem. She speaks of the Lord as all powerful and in control, and declares that "it is not by strength that one prevails", recognising that it is not by her own power but by God's that her prayers have been answered. And she prophesies judgement on those who oppose the Lord and the coming of a king, setting up the events that are to come.
The story gets a bit jumbled here so I'll try to take each sequence of events separately to make it a little clearer. Elkanah and Hannah visit Samuel once a year when they visit the temple to make the sacrifice, and I can only imagine how strange it must have been for him to know these people were his parents and yet not know them at all, and how sad it must have been for Elkanah and Hannah to miss so much of their son's life. Eli blesses the couple and Hannah has three more sons and two daughters, so that she does at last become a mother, although it is interesting that is not her but Eli who prays for these children.
Samuel grows in stature and favour in the eyes of God and men, but Eli's sons prove themselves to be wicked men, abusing their priestly privileges and showing no respect for the god who so honoured them. Eli hears of his sons' sin and rebukes them, but they do not listen and he appears to do no more, so that their wickedness continues. A man of God prophesies against the house of Eli, saying that because they have not respected all that God has done for them, they and their ancestors will all die young, and Eli's sons will die on the same day. He also says that God will no longer keep his promise that they would minister forever, but instead he will raise up a faithful priest. I'm not sure how things develop from here, but it seems that this is where the priesthood first becomes a profession based on merit rather than a duty inherited by birth. I also think it's interesting that we see God change his mind, and not for the first time. Divine simplicity has whitewashed God's character, but the God of the Old Testament was as complicated and as changeable as your or I. Where else do you think we got it from?
We are told now that one night the boy Samuel is lying by the Ark of the Covenant when he hears a voice calling him. He goes to Eli but Eli says he did not call him, and so Samuel goes back to his place and lies down again. You may have guessed by now who is calling Samuel, but this happens three times before anyone in the story figures it out. Samuel may be excused as he is young, and we are told that even though he serves in the temple he does not know the Lord yet, a reminder that we may know of God but we must experience him before we can truly know him. We might have expected better from Eli, but we have already been told that visions were rare in these days and he has perhaps been deadened by habit and forgotten his Lord's voice, a warning to us not to do the same. When the priest does finally work out what is happening, he tells Samuel to answer the Lord if he calls again, which of course he does.
God tells Samuel that he will do something that will "make the ears of everyone who hears it tingle", which I think it an amazing phrase. More specifically, he says that he will do what he has already said he will do to the house of Eli. Samuel is understandably reluctant to pass on the message but Eli tells him not to hide anything, and so Samuel speaks the word of God for the first time. Eli may have his faults, but now he is humble enough to recognise the power and justice of God, and simply says "he is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes". It is the simplest and yet most difficult prayer, because it requires us to acknowledge the sovereignty of God, trust in his wisdom, and hope for his grace; and while he deserves all of those things, we are often reluctant to give them. From then on, God is with Samuel and reveals himself to him, so that Samuel is recognised as a prophet and his word comes to all of Israel.
Thursday 14 June 2012
Ruth 4 - Boaz marries Ruth
I apologise if the blog title gives away the ending, but if you don't already know the story then you must at least be able to see where it's heading!
Naomi is right to say that Boaz will not rest until the matter is settled, as at that moment he is making his way to the town gate. I don't know if the gate was where official matters were conducted or if it was simply the best place to find people, but Boaz waits there until the kinsman-redeemer he has mentioned comes along. He calls him to sit down then gathers ten of the elders of the town and tells them to sit too. It seems that this was not a day for official business or Boaz could simply have approached the elders where they met, and the fact that he was able to convene an impromptu court in this way suggests that he was a man of some standing.
Boaz tells the kinsman-redeemer that Naomi is selling a piece of land that belonged to her husband and that he wishes to bring it to his attention and suggest that he redeems it as is his right. He also makes his own interest in the matter clear, asking that the kinsmen tell him if he does not wish to redeem it as he is next in line. The kinsman-redeemer jumps at the chance to increase his property and wealth and immediately says that he will redeem it, making our ending seem a little uncertain.
Boaz then points out to the man that when he buys the land from Naomi he will also acquire Ruth, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property. This gives the kinsman-redeemer pause and he declares that he cannot redeem the land as he does not want to endanger his estate. It's not clear how marrying Ruth would do that, but perhaps he is already married and does not want to cause strife in his household, or perhaps he fears that she will give him many children who will bear her husband's name but still demand a share of his wealth, or maybe he simply thinks that marrying a poor foreigner will harm his standing. Whatever the case, he tells Boaz to redeem the land instead and takes of his sandal to legalise the transaction.
This scene is interesting for a number of reasons. First of all, Boaz makes the matter about the sale of a piece of land, with Ruth as part of the package, which seems a little strange. The previous chapter had led us to believe that it was Ruth who was to be redeemed, and there has been no mention of any land before, but Boaz has thus far shown himself to be a man of quality and so me must trust that he is acting honourably here. It may be that Ruth did not have to be redeemed without the land as while she had the land she was not destitute, or that the law considered the land above the woman, and so it had be done that way around. For all the problems and inequalities women still face in developed countries, I am glad we have at least moved on far enough for us to not be acquired like property or ranked below fields.
We may however consider the possibility that Boaz is framing the proposition in this way to disguise the fact that he is approaching the court with ulterior motives. He surely stands to lose as much as the kinsman-redeemer does by marrying Ruth, but there has always been a great tenderness in the way he has treated her, and so it seems possible that he genuinely wants to marry her, and doesn't want to jeopardise his chances by being accused of trying to usurp the kinsman-redeemer. He is noble enough to allow the kinsman-redeemer his right, but perhaps he is also wise enough to play the game he needs to play.
Secondly, I had understood that the kinsman-redeemer had a legal responsibility, but this man is able to refuse to redeem the land in the presence of the elders without any repercussions. Perhaps he was so distant a relative that his obligation was weakened to the point of being a right rather than a duty, or perhaps he was only obliged to redeem in case of destitution and there being no other kinsman-redeemers.
Whatever the technicalities of the law, Boaz announces that he will redeem the land and take Ruth as his wife. The elders bless their marriage and offspring, praying that Boaz will become famous in the land and Ruth will be like Rachel and Leah, who built up the house of Israel. Their prayers are quickly answered, as Ruth soon gives birth to a baby boy called Obed, who the concluding genealogy tells us will be the grandfather of David, Israel's greatest king. When Naomi is presented with the boy, the women of the town say that "Naomi has a son", perhaps in recognition of the fact that legally speaking the boy is of her son's line even though he is no blood relation, but perhaps in recognition of the fact that he is a new life for her as much as he is for his parents. I am often teased for my rather sober taste in films, but sometimes I do love a happy ending!
I suggested in my first post that Ruth's story would be an important one, and I think it is. We have learnt from Naomi about courage and love, we have learnt from Ruth about loyalty and trust, and we have learnt from Boaz about honour and responsibility. And if that's not enough, the New Testament tells us that Jesus comes from the line of David, and so Ruth finds herself as one of only four women in the genealogy of Christ. Ruth's story didn't begin with her and it doesn't end with her either, because there is so much more to come. Each life is only one part of a much bigger picture, but that doesn't make it insignificant, it makes it the most important thing in creation.
Naomi is right to say that Boaz will not rest until the matter is settled, as at that moment he is making his way to the town gate. I don't know if the gate was where official matters were conducted or if it was simply the best place to find people, but Boaz waits there until the kinsman-redeemer he has mentioned comes along. He calls him to sit down then gathers ten of the elders of the town and tells them to sit too. It seems that this was not a day for official business or Boaz could simply have approached the elders where they met, and the fact that he was able to convene an impromptu court in this way suggests that he was a man of some standing.
Boaz tells the kinsman-redeemer that Naomi is selling a piece of land that belonged to her husband and that he wishes to bring it to his attention and suggest that he redeems it as is his right. He also makes his own interest in the matter clear, asking that the kinsmen tell him if he does not wish to redeem it as he is next in line. The kinsman-redeemer jumps at the chance to increase his property and wealth and immediately says that he will redeem it, making our ending seem a little uncertain.
Boaz then points out to the man that when he buys the land from Naomi he will also acquire Ruth, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property. This gives the kinsman-redeemer pause and he declares that he cannot redeem the land as he does not want to endanger his estate. It's not clear how marrying Ruth would do that, but perhaps he is already married and does not want to cause strife in his household, or perhaps he fears that she will give him many children who will bear her husband's name but still demand a share of his wealth, or maybe he simply thinks that marrying a poor foreigner will harm his standing. Whatever the case, he tells Boaz to redeem the land instead and takes of his sandal to legalise the transaction.
This scene is interesting for a number of reasons. First of all, Boaz makes the matter about the sale of a piece of land, with Ruth as part of the package, which seems a little strange. The previous chapter had led us to believe that it was Ruth who was to be redeemed, and there has been no mention of any land before, but Boaz has thus far shown himself to be a man of quality and so me must trust that he is acting honourably here. It may be that Ruth did not have to be redeemed without the land as while she had the land she was not destitute, or that the law considered the land above the woman, and so it had be done that way around. For all the problems and inequalities women still face in developed countries, I am glad we have at least moved on far enough for us to not be acquired like property or ranked below fields.
We may however consider the possibility that Boaz is framing the proposition in this way to disguise the fact that he is approaching the court with ulterior motives. He surely stands to lose as much as the kinsman-redeemer does by marrying Ruth, but there has always been a great tenderness in the way he has treated her, and so it seems possible that he genuinely wants to marry her, and doesn't want to jeopardise his chances by being accused of trying to usurp the kinsman-redeemer. He is noble enough to allow the kinsman-redeemer his right, but perhaps he is also wise enough to play the game he needs to play.
Secondly, I had understood that the kinsman-redeemer had a legal responsibility, but this man is able to refuse to redeem the land in the presence of the elders without any repercussions. Perhaps he was so distant a relative that his obligation was weakened to the point of being a right rather than a duty, or perhaps he was only obliged to redeem in case of destitution and there being no other kinsman-redeemers.
Whatever the technicalities of the law, Boaz announces that he will redeem the land and take Ruth as his wife. The elders bless their marriage and offspring, praying that Boaz will become famous in the land and Ruth will be like Rachel and Leah, who built up the house of Israel. Their prayers are quickly answered, as Ruth soon gives birth to a baby boy called Obed, who the concluding genealogy tells us will be the grandfather of David, Israel's greatest king. When Naomi is presented with the boy, the women of the town say that "Naomi has a son", perhaps in recognition of the fact that legally speaking the boy is of her son's line even though he is no blood relation, but perhaps in recognition of the fact that he is a new life for her as much as he is for his parents. I am often teased for my rather sober taste in films, but sometimes I do love a happy ending!
I suggested in my first post that Ruth's story would be an important one, and I think it is. We have learnt from Naomi about courage and love, we have learnt from Ruth about loyalty and trust, and we have learnt from Boaz about honour and responsibility. And if that's not enough, the New Testament tells us that Jesus comes from the line of David, and so Ruth finds herself as one of only four women in the genealogy of Christ. Ruth's story didn't begin with her and it doesn't end with her either, because there is so much more to come. Each life is only one part of a much bigger picture, but that doesn't make it insignificant, it makes it the most important thing in creation.
Wednesday 13 June 2012
Ruth 3 - The Threshing Floor
I mentioned yesterday that Boaz is one of Naomi and Ruth's kinsman-redeemers, and that this sets up the next part of our story, so I should probably begin by explaining what that means. According to Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, it designates "a male relative who delivers or rescues; redeems property or person; avenges the murder of a relative as a guiltless executioner; and receives restitution for wrong done to a relative who has since died". The term only appears in the Book of Ruth, but the Hebrew word it is translated from is used around one hundred times in the Old Testament, and is elsewhere rendered more simply as "redeemer" or "near relative", suggesting that the two go hand in hand and it should go without saying that we have a duty of care towards those closest to us.
We can already see how this may relate to the story of Ruth, but as always there is more going on here. God is the father and deliverer of Israel, so a clear parallel may be drawn between divine action and human responsibility. The parallel becomes all the clearer when we remember that Jesus called us brothers and redeemed us with his blood, and that John spoke of walking in the way Christ walked. The idea of playing God has been so capitalised by arguments surrounding reproductive science and capital punishment that it is easy to forget that playing God is exactly what we're supposed to be doing. Of course there are limitations on what we can do, but we are called to follow his example and act towards others as he has acted towards us.
Now that we've got that sorted, we can get back to the story. One day Naomi tells Ruth that she should find a home for her where she will be provided for. Naomi calls Ruth her daughter and so it is natural that she should assume the maternal responsibility of finding her a husband, but it can't be easy for her to let her go. In fact, it seems from the last verse of chapter two that the harvests are now over, and so we may suppose that Naomi has been working herself up to the moment for quite some time. Perhaps she only speaks now because Ruth will no longer be able to gather grain and so they will no longer be able to support themselves.
Naomi again notes that Boaz is their kinsman-redeemer and suggests to Ruth that she put on her best clothes, go to the threshing floor, wait till Boaz goes to sleep, then uncover his feet and lie down. This may seem remarkably forward, but Ruth is doing no more than holding Boaz accountable to his role as kinsman-redeemer and claiming her right to be protected, even if her method of approaching him is rather bold and a little strange. Perhaps it has something to do with putting herself in a vulnerable position in order to demonstrate her need and show that she trusts him.
Ruth clearly does place a great deal in trust both in Boaz and in Naomi, as she goes ahead and does exactly what her mother-in-law has suggested. When Boaz wakes up (perhaps because he has cold toes!) he is understandably a little surprised to find someone at his feet. Ruth tells him who she is and asks him to spread his garment over her, an act which symbolises protection, and would here indicate a promise of marriage.
Boaz's response is quite interesting. First of all he calls Ruth "daughter", recognising that she is approaching him as a relative needing help rather than a lover seeking affection. He then says that "this kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier [for] you have not run after the younger men", recognising that Ruth is acting out of her love for Naomi by choosing a husband who will care for them both. It seems that this will be a marriage based on respect and convenience, which may seem distasteful to modern sensibilities, but would have been a good foundation in a culture that was pragmatic rather than romantic.
Ultimately, Boaz reveals that there is another who is a closer relative and must be given the chance to do his duty, but promises that if this relative refuses then he will redeem her. Naomi must surely know about this other relative, and so perhaps she tells Ruth to dress up and approach Boaz in the dead of night because she thinks he will be a better option and so Ruth must win him over in order to convince him to be the one to redeem her. She perhaps underestimated Boaz however, as we have already seen in chapter two that it is Ruth herself and not her finery that impresses Boaz, and here he says that the whole town knows she is a woman of noble character.
Boaz tells Ruth to stay for the rest of the night, perhaps so she does not have to walk home alone in the dark, and so she lies at his feet until morning. She leaves before it is light enough for anyone to recognise her, and Boaz makes sure that no one will know she has been there and tarnish her reputation. He then fills her shawl with barley so that she does not return to Naomi empty-handed, and perhaps as an indication that he hopes to provide for and take care of them. I can imagine Naomi smiling to herself as she tells Ruth to wait and see what happens because she knows that Boaz will not rest until he has settled things.
We can already see how this may relate to the story of Ruth, but as always there is more going on here. God is the father and deliverer of Israel, so a clear parallel may be drawn between divine action and human responsibility. The parallel becomes all the clearer when we remember that Jesus called us brothers and redeemed us with his blood, and that John spoke of walking in the way Christ walked. The idea of playing God has been so capitalised by arguments surrounding reproductive science and capital punishment that it is easy to forget that playing God is exactly what we're supposed to be doing. Of course there are limitations on what we can do, but we are called to follow his example and act towards others as he has acted towards us.
Now that we've got that sorted, we can get back to the story. One day Naomi tells Ruth that she should find a home for her where she will be provided for. Naomi calls Ruth her daughter and so it is natural that she should assume the maternal responsibility of finding her a husband, but it can't be easy for her to let her go. In fact, it seems from the last verse of chapter two that the harvests are now over, and so we may suppose that Naomi has been working herself up to the moment for quite some time. Perhaps she only speaks now because Ruth will no longer be able to gather grain and so they will no longer be able to support themselves.
Naomi again notes that Boaz is their kinsman-redeemer and suggests to Ruth that she put on her best clothes, go to the threshing floor, wait till Boaz goes to sleep, then uncover his feet and lie down. This may seem remarkably forward, but Ruth is doing no more than holding Boaz accountable to his role as kinsman-redeemer and claiming her right to be protected, even if her method of approaching him is rather bold and a little strange. Perhaps it has something to do with putting herself in a vulnerable position in order to demonstrate her need and show that she trusts him.
Ruth clearly does place a great deal in trust both in Boaz and in Naomi, as she goes ahead and does exactly what her mother-in-law has suggested. When Boaz wakes up (perhaps because he has cold toes!) he is understandably a little surprised to find someone at his feet. Ruth tells him who she is and asks him to spread his garment over her, an act which symbolises protection, and would here indicate a promise of marriage.
Boaz's response is quite interesting. First of all he calls Ruth "daughter", recognising that she is approaching him as a relative needing help rather than a lover seeking affection. He then says that "this kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier [for] you have not run after the younger men", recognising that Ruth is acting out of her love for Naomi by choosing a husband who will care for them both. It seems that this will be a marriage based on respect and convenience, which may seem distasteful to modern sensibilities, but would have been a good foundation in a culture that was pragmatic rather than romantic.
Ultimately, Boaz reveals that there is another who is a closer relative and must be given the chance to do his duty, but promises that if this relative refuses then he will redeem her. Naomi must surely know about this other relative, and so perhaps she tells Ruth to dress up and approach Boaz in the dead of night because she thinks he will be a better option and so Ruth must win him over in order to convince him to be the one to redeem her. She perhaps underestimated Boaz however, as we have already seen in chapter two that it is Ruth herself and not her finery that impresses Boaz, and here he says that the whole town knows she is a woman of noble character.
Boaz tells Ruth to stay for the rest of the night, perhaps so she does not have to walk home alone in the dark, and so she lies at his feet until morning. She leaves before it is light enough for anyone to recognise her, and Boaz makes sure that no one will know she has been there and tarnish her reputation. He then fills her shawl with barley so that she does not return to Naomi empty-handed, and perhaps as an indication that he hopes to provide for and take care of them. I can imagine Naomi smiling to herself as she tells Ruth to wait and see what happens because she knows that Boaz will not rest until he has settled things.
Tuesday 12 June 2012
Ruth 2 - Ruth meets Boaz
Chapter one ends by telling us that Naomi and Ruth arrive in Bethlehem in time for the start of the barley harvest, and chapter two begins by telling us that Naomi has a living relative of good standing called Boaz. The false starts in Moab may give us pause, but it finally feels like things are beginning to fall into place, and it's a wonderful affirmation that Naomi has done the right thing in returning. Often we are called to step out in faith, and it is such a relief when we feel that safety net beneath us. I experienced it for myself when I made the decision to leave university, and a week later heard my pastor talk about being recommissioned. I had a sense not only of vindication but also of purpose, and I don't think I have ever felt so aware of or grateful for God's providence.
Naomi presumably has a home to return to, but she has no apparent source of income, and so the two women find themselves in a vulnerable position. The law makes provision for widows through the tithes and offerings, and so Ruth and Naomi could be well cared for by the community, but they instead choose to look to themselves for help. They cannot support themselves completely unaided as the culture does not allow it, but the law commands that leftover grain be left for the vulnerable and needy, and so Ruth offers to go and work in the fields. There is no shame in turning to others when we are in need, and I hate the cliche that "God helps those who help themselves", but sometimes it is good for us to do what we can.
Purely by chance, Ruth finds herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, and when he arrives at the field he asks after her. (He actually asks whose woman she is, reminding us that even this most female of stories cannot escape the oppressive misogyny of the culture.) The foreman replies that she is the Moabitess who came back with Naomi, and that she has worked steadily all day except for a short rest. Boaz then tells her to stay with his servant girls and drink whenever she is thirsty, also telling his men not to touch her and to take some stalks from their sheaths and leave them for her.
When Ruth asks why he is being so kind, Boaz tells her that he has heard all she has done for Naomi, and it is clearly her care and her dedication that have so impressed him. Ruth had set out to gather grain "behind anyone in whose eyes I find favour", but she did not need to use what we may call her womanly charms in order to find it. So many woman flirt and flounce in order to attract the male gaze, and defend themselves with arguments that suggest they are celebrating their femininity, but I believe that in truth they are demeaning it. Women weren't created to be admired for their superficialities or to flatter the male ego, but to reflect the glory of God. As Ruth demonstrates, it is the substance and not the style that finds favour in the right places.
When Ruth returns home with sacks full of grain, Naomi blesses Boaz for his kindness and tells Ruth that he is one of their kinsmen redeemers, setting us up for the next part of the story. She also tells Ruth that it will be good for her to remain in Boaz's field as elsewhere she may be harmed. It's a subtle nod to the fact that the world can be a dangerous place for women, and a sad reminder that very little has changed. It strikes me that Boaz has to tell his men not to touch Ruth and she has to stick to certain places in order to be safe, as if it is a given that she will be harassed and it is up to her to ensure her own safety. That same mentality is still fuels the blame culture today, but the truth is that it is the men who choose to harass and harm women that need to control themselves and modify their behaviour.
I'm increasingly aware of the fact that my blog is heavily influenced by my feminist reading and views, but I would like to make clear that I do not have a hidden agenda here. My main focus remains on Scripture, but I have said before that we all approach and interpret the Bible through our own prisms, and my passion for women's rights is a significant part of mine.
Naomi presumably has a home to return to, but she has no apparent source of income, and so the two women find themselves in a vulnerable position. The law makes provision for widows through the tithes and offerings, and so Ruth and Naomi could be well cared for by the community, but they instead choose to look to themselves for help. They cannot support themselves completely unaided as the culture does not allow it, but the law commands that leftover grain be left for the vulnerable and needy, and so Ruth offers to go and work in the fields. There is no shame in turning to others when we are in need, and I hate the cliche that "God helps those who help themselves", but sometimes it is good for us to do what we can.
Purely by chance, Ruth finds herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, and when he arrives at the field he asks after her. (He actually asks whose woman she is, reminding us that even this most female of stories cannot escape the oppressive misogyny of the culture.) The foreman replies that she is the Moabitess who came back with Naomi, and that she has worked steadily all day except for a short rest. Boaz then tells her to stay with his servant girls and drink whenever she is thirsty, also telling his men not to touch her and to take some stalks from their sheaths and leave them for her.
When Ruth asks why he is being so kind, Boaz tells her that he has heard all she has done for Naomi, and it is clearly her care and her dedication that have so impressed him. Ruth had set out to gather grain "behind anyone in whose eyes I find favour", but she did not need to use what we may call her womanly charms in order to find it. So many woman flirt and flounce in order to attract the male gaze, and defend themselves with arguments that suggest they are celebrating their femininity, but I believe that in truth they are demeaning it. Women weren't created to be admired for their superficialities or to flatter the male ego, but to reflect the glory of God. As Ruth demonstrates, it is the substance and not the style that finds favour in the right places.
When Ruth returns home with sacks full of grain, Naomi blesses Boaz for his kindness and tells Ruth that he is one of their kinsmen redeemers, setting us up for the next part of the story. She also tells Ruth that it will be good for her to remain in Boaz's field as elsewhere she may be harmed. It's a subtle nod to the fact that the world can be a dangerous place for women, and a sad reminder that very little has changed. It strikes me that Boaz has to tell his men not to touch Ruth and she has to stick to certain places in order to be safe, as if it is a given that she will be harassed and it is up to her to ensure her own safety. That same mentality is still fuels the blame culture today, but the truth is that it is the men who choose to harass and harm women that need to control themselves and modify their behaviour.
I'm increasingly aware of the fact that my blog is heavily influenced by my feminist reading and views, but I would like to make clear that I do not have a hidden agenda here. My main focus remains on Scripture, but I have said before that we all approach and interpret the Bible through our own prisms, and my passion for women's rights is a significant part of mine.
Monday 11 June 2012
Ruth 1 - Naomi and Ruth
The story of Ruth is a familiar one, but it never ceases to amaze me
how old stories can reveal new truths, and so I approach this reading
with fresh eyes, hoping for fresh understanding.
The first thing that strikes me is that the story of Ruth begins "in the days when the judges ruled". Ruth comes immediately after the book of Judges and so we may expect to move on to a new period, but instead we find ourselves going backwards for a closer look. It's a reminder that Judges is at best a summary of a particular people in a particular place at a particular time, and that there are countless personal stories which it does not tell. The fact that the scholars and scribes who wrote and compiled the Hebrew scriptures chose to tell this particular story suggests that it is important, and that is perhaps worth bearing in mind. The second thing that strikes me is the fact that Ruth's story does not begin with Ruth. It is a gentle reminder that our stories never truly begin with us because we're always part of something much bigger.
The opening verses of the Book of Ruth introduce us to a man named Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their sons Mahlon and Kilion. We are told that this family is from Bethlehem, but there is a famine in the land and so they move to Moab "for a while". This is supposed to be a respite from suffering, but the relief is short lived as there Elimelech dies. Of course every death is desperately sad, but I think it is easy to overlook the significance of the circumstances of Elimelech's death. The Israelites had fought hard and endured much to reach their promised land, and so for Naomi to have to bury her husband in foreign soil would have been gut-wrenching. And Naomi is fortunate to have two sons to care for her, but they do not marry until after their father's death, suggesting that they are still a fairly young family. It seems Naomi has long years of widowhood ahead of her, in a foreign land where she is likely to have few friends or relatives to comfort her or provide the companionship she has lost.
There is another chance of happiness for Naomi when her sons marry Moabite women called Orpah and Ruth, but again it does not last long as both sons die within ten years, apparently without leaving any children. Again Naomi finds new hope, and again she sees it turn to dust. I wonder if the promise of better times ahead made the worse times that came all the harder to bear. Sometimes it is not the low points of our lives that are the most difficult, but the sickening drops that bring us to them, and that sense of disappointment can be the cruelest thing. It is a feeling as familiar to us as it was to Naomi, and it reminds us that so much of the Bible is concerned with human life in all of its glory and its despair, and we need only look at its pages to see ourselves reflected.
The rollercoaster continues for Naomi when she learns that the Lord has provided food in Israel and so decides to go home. We don't know how she hears this, but it seems likely that it is a whisper that travels across the border and spreads from town to town rather than a direct message, and so there is a good chance that Naomi has no idea what will await her in Bethlehem. She must know that she may return to discover that the famine has killed the friends and family that remained behind and she is more alone than ever before, but she bravely decides to take that chance and make the long journey home.
Unless Moabite culture was dramatically different to Israelite culture, Naomi's daughters-in-law would have been expected to remarry or return to their families, but they remain with her and the three set out for Bethlehem. The love these women have for each other is truly remarkable. They've not gone far however when Naomi tells Orpah and Ruth to return to their mothers and find new husbands, saying that she has little to offer them. These two young women are all that Naomi has left in the world, and so this is a beautiful act of self-sacrifice as she tries to save them from the loneliness and estrangement she herself has experienced.
If you will allow me to indulge in some speculation for a moment, I think it's interesting that Naomi tells Orpah and Ruth to return to their mothers, when it was their fathers who would have assumed responsibility for them. We've already seen something of the strength of feeling between three women thrown together by circumstance, and now we are reminded of the special bond between mother and daughter. Virgina Woolf once noted that male authors rarely write of relationships between women, and for the most part my reading supports this, and so the focus on female love and friendship leads me to wonder if the Book of Ruth may perhaps be evidence of female scholarship or at least female influence. Of course it is not impossible that a male scholar would choose to write about Naomi and her daughters-in-law, but the idea that a woman may be behind this story is an interesting one.
Back with the story, Orpah kisses Naomi goodbye and turns back, but Ruth is undeterred. We must remember that she too has lost a husband, and perhaps she wants to hold on to the last part of him, to stay with someone who understands her loss, to comfort as she is comforted. She clings to Naomi and tells her, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me”. It's a beautiful declaration of love and commitment which almost sounds like a marriage vow, reminding us that there are many types of love, each as strong and as valid as any other.
And so Naomi and Ruth travel to Bethlehem, where their arrival causes quite a stir. Naomi tells the people of the town to call her Mara because she believes the Lord has made her life very bitter and brought misfortune upon her, perhaps blaming God for all that she has suffered, or perhaps acknowledging his hand on her life and trusting that he is still in control. The people of the town could not fail to notice that she has returned without her husband or her sons, but this change of name is still a startling confession of just how bad her life is. She must have been relieved to return home and overjoyed to have Ruth with her, but those happinesses do not wipe out her grief and she admits that with breathtaking honesty.
It's easy to lose sight of Naomi when we focus on Ruth, but I will always love her for the way she is not afraid to feel, for the way she throws herself back at life whenever it knocks her down, for the way she loves enough to let go, and for the way she owns her pain without letting it own her.
The first thing that strikes me is that the story of Ruth begins "in the days when the judges ruled". Ruth comes immediately after the book of Judges and so we may expect to move on to a new period, but instead we find ourselves going backwards for a closer look. It's a reminder that Judges is at best a summary of a particular people in a particular place at a particular time, and that there are countless personal stories which it does not tell. The fact that the scholars and scribes who wrote and compiled the Hebrew scriptures chose to tell this particular story suggests that it is important, and that is perhaps worth bearing in mind. The second thing that strikes me is the fact that Ruth's story does not begin with Ruth. It is a gentle reminder that our stories never truly begin with us because we're always part of something much bigger.
The opening verses of the Book of Ruth introduce us to a man named Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their sons Mahlon and Kilion. We are told that this family is from Bethlehem, but there is a famine in the land and so they move to Moab "for a while". This is supposed to be a respite from suffering, but the relief is short lived as there Elimelech dies. Of course every death is desperately sad, but I think it is easy to overlook the significance of the circumstances of Elimelech's death. The Israelites had fought hard and endured much to reach their promised land, and so for Naomi to have to bury her husband in foreign soil would have been gut-wrenching. And Naomi is fortunate to have two sons to care for her, but they do not marry until after their father's death, suggesting that they are still a fairly young family. It seems Naomi has long years of widowhood ahead of her, in a foreign land where she is likely to have few friends or relatives to comfort her or provide the companionship she has lost.
There is another chance of happiness for Naomi when her sons marry Moabite women called Orpah and Ruth, but again it does not last long as both sons die within ten years, apparently without leaving any children. Again Naomi finds new hope, and again she sees it turn to dust. I wonder if the promise of better times ahead made the worse times that came all the harder to bear. Sometimes it is not the low points of our lives that are the most difficult, but the sickening drops that bring us to them, and that sense of disappointment can be the cruelest thing. It is a feeling as familiar to us as it was to Naomi, and it reminds us that so much of the Bible is concerned with human life in all of its glory and its despair, and we need only look at its pages to see ourselves reflected.
The rollercoaster continues for Naomi when she learns that the Lord has provided food in Israel and so decides to go home. We don't know how she hears this, but it seems likely that it is a whisper that travels across the border and spreads from town to town rather than a direct message, and so there is a good chance that Naomi has no idea what will await her in Bethlehem. She must know that she may return to discover that the famine has killed the friends and family that remained behind and she is more alone than ever before, but she bravely decides to take that chance and make the long journey home.
Unless Moabite culture was dramatically different to Israelite culture, Naomi's daughters-in-law would have been expected to remarry or return to their families, but they remain with her and the three set out for Bethlehem. The love these women have for each other is truly remarkable. They've not gone far however when Naomi tells Orpah and Ruth to return to their mothers and find new husbands, saying that she has little to offer them. These two young women are all that Naomi has left in the world, and so this is a beautiful act of self-sacrifice as she tries to save them from the loneliness and estrangement she herself has experienced.
If you will allow me to indulge in some speculation for a moment, I think it's interesting that Naomi tells Orpah and Ruth to return to their mothers, when it was their fathers who would have assumed responsibility for them. We've already seen something of the strength of feeling between three women thrown together by circumstance, and now we are reminded of the special bond between mother and daughter. Virgina Woolf once noted that male authors rarely write of relationships between women, and for the most part my reading supports this, and so the focus on female love and friendship leads me to wonder if the Book of Ruth may perhaps be evidence of female scholarship or at least female influence. Of course it is not impossible that a male scholar would choose to write about Naomi and her daughters-in-law, but the idea that a woman may be behind this story is an interesting one.
Back with the story, Orpah kisses Naomi goodbye and turns back, but Ruth is undeterred. We must remember that she too has lost a husband, and perhaps she wants to hold on to the last part of him, to stay with someone who understands her loss, to comfort as she is comforted. She clings to Naomi and tells her, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me”. It's a beautiful declaration of love and commitment which almost sounds like a marriage vow, reminding us that there are many types of love, each as strong and as valid as any other.
And so Naomi and Ruth travel to Bethlehem, where their arrival causes quite a stir. Naomi tells the people of the town to call her Mara because she believes the Lord has made her life very bitter and brought misfortune upon her, perhaps blaming God for all that she has suffered, or perhaps acknowledging his hand on her life and trusting that he is still in control. The people of the town could not fail to notice that she has returned without her husband or her sons, but this change of name is still a startling confession of just how bad her life is. She must have been relieved to return home and overjoyed to have Ruth with her, but those happinesses do not wipe out her grief and she admits that with breathtaking honesty.
It's easy to lose sight of Naomi when we focus on Ruth, but I will always love her for the way she is not afraid to feel, for the way she throws herself back at life whenever it knocks her down, for the way she loves enough to let go, and for the way she owns her pain without letting it own her.
Welcome back!
I can't believe it's nearly a year sine I last posted. I had intended to take a short break while I was away on a volunteer project, but by the time I'd recovered from that I was back into my studies and the blog sort of got away from me. I didn't really notice at the time but looking back I have missed it, especially as none of the modules I was studying last year were Bible based. The modules I'll be studying next year won't be either, and so I think it would be really good for me to get back to some proper Bible study. I can't promise how regular my posts will be, but I'll be starting with Ruth so watch this space.
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