Читать книгу Adult Christian Life - R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation - Страница 12

Here we find an angry and sorely vexed king fueled by the kind of rage that can come only from jealousy. In the previous chapter, we read a saga of Saul’s growing contempt and jealousy for David that would make even the seediest tabloid television show green with envy. Saul was jealous because David had been successful and Saul’s subjects didn’t just know it, they showed it by making up songs about David’s success (18:7). What was worse was that even Saul’s children took strong likings to David—first Jonathan, whose soul knit with David’s (18:1), and then Michal. Ironically, Michal is the first woman in Scripture recorded as loving a man (18:20), which suggests she was head over hills for the courtyard rock star and giant-slayer David. That was enough to rev up the jealous wrath of the king.

Saul made several attempts to rid himself of David. Saul threw a spear at him (18:11), put him on the front line of battle (18:13), reneged on a marriage arrangement (18:17–19), and sent him on a suicide mission into enemy territory (18:25). All of these attempts to sabotage and sink the rising star were rendered unsuccessful and, worse yet, made David even more popular. No wonder by the time we meet Saul in this text he was out for blood and wanted David dead. However, what truly made this tragic for Saul was that he realized Yahweh was with David (18:28). Yet Saul, the king of Israel, failed to realize that when the King of eternity has favored an individual, no earthly power can derail what God already has set in motion for this person.

It is good to know as the anointed children of God that God has the final say regardless of how jealousy and fear co-opt others who may be planning and aiming for our downfall. His yes is louder than all of their attempts to sabotage what God wants to do in us!