Daily Manna 20-July-2016

Topic: Safety is of the Lord 2

Reading: 1Sam 23:7-14

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: King Saul happened to be a single individual who benefitted the most from the conquest of Goliath by David. His throne was saved. His reign was saved as well as his own life. Victory by Goliath would have meant that Israel automatically became the servants of the Philistines. Just as Israel plundered after the fleeing Philistines when Goliath fell down dead, besieging and taking over the spoils, with their eternal enemies running in all directions for sheer survival, Israel would similarly have been at the receiving end if Goliath had triumphed.

David brought relief to the whole nation with his victory. The spontaneous celebration spearheaded by the women, accompanied with singing and dancing, was just the icing on the cake. The mood of the people and the atmosphere in the nation of Israel was a scene that could have been the envy of any leader; be it a President or a king. It was a situation in which any intelligent and strategic leader could have harnessed for the economic prosperity of the nation and its people, as well as used the joyous occasion as a rare opportunity to solidify his political popularity among the people.

This rare opportunity was rather unfortunately, allowed to go waste, as Saul chose the unpopular option of seeing David as a political threat to his throne and dynasty. David’s steep political rise in popularity with this rare victory, something that would have been the envy of any young man in Israel, not just for the sheer popularity, but for himself and his whole family, who would have henceforth been excused from joining in further wars or contributing men from the family to join in war in Israel. Not only that, you automatically gained the right to become the son-in-law to the king, as one of his daughters would have been given in marriage to you.

Saul, instead became politically incensed with David and sought an opportunity to use the privileges that were supposed to accrue to David as an opportunity to assassinate the young man and thereby terminate his potential in a desperate bid to preserve the dynasty at all cost to the advantage of his first born son, Jonathan.
Food for thought: Saul had a well planned strategy to terminate David’s life at all cost, but God had a different idea, which overturned every move and evil intention crafted by Saul.

Declaration: There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. (Prov 19:21)

©Author: Rev Fred Aboe