Tehillah Generation Chapel
Daily Manna
Friday, August 19, 2016
Topic: Safety is of the Lord 28
Reading: 1Sam 23:7-14, 1Sam 18
Scripture: And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars. (1Sam 23:7)
Note: After varying the bride price thrice without any apology or cogent reason, Saul had the brazen effrontery to cap his strange demand for one hundred foreskins dowry price with a deadline. The expiry date took no consideration to the fact that David already paid the highest dowry ever in the land of Israel by confronting the warrior giant, Goliath, in a mortal combat.
Having won the biggest and most dangerous fight in his career, the mirage promise of marriage to the king’s daughter was only rewarded with more fights against the Philistines. This sounds grossly unfair and unjust a treatment to David, coming from no less a person than the king of Israel. But such was Saul’s hatred and animosity towards David, he would rather have David dead than returning home victorious against his eternal enemies, the Philistines.
Saul was ungrateful to David for all the sacrifice the latter endured in laying down his life for the nation in the fight against Goliath. Saul was vicious in his political dealings, allowing his personal demons and fears to cloud out his judgment in his interactions with David. He only sought his parochial political interest and convenience to the detriment of the one person he ought to be eternally grateful to, for the survival of his kingdom. Instead, Saul sought David’s destruction by putting undue pressure on him to present the hundred foreskins dowry from the Philistines before the expiry date.
Saul was fully aware of the dangers in the new dowry endeavour. The aftermath of David’s conquest of the Philistines before the expiry date, with the presentation of two hundred foreskins instead of the requested hundred, was a rare opportunity for celebration and change of heart for Saul towards David. Rather, it made him more afraid of David, confirming his worst fears that God was truly with David.
Food for thought: If you are on God’s side, who or what can man do against you?
Declaration: A song of degrees of David. If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say; If it had not been for the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us. (Psalms 124:1-2)
©Author: Rev Fred Aboe
