[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (PG as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]
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"Then
the commanders of the Philistines went out to battle, and it happened as often
as they went out, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants
of Saul. So his name was highly esteemed."
Behavior,
manner, discipline will save a man from many troubles!
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"Then
Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, in order to put him to
death in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, ‘If you do
not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death.’"
Michal
is the opposite character of Delilah! God is sovereign!
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"When
the lad reached the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called
after the lad and said, "Is not the arrow beyond you?" And Jonathan
called after the lad, "Hurry, be quick, do not stay!" And Jonathan's
lad picked up the arrow and came to his master."
This
drama always fascinates me whenever I read. But I think I would do the same if
I were there. It was a brilliant idea, but I think I would be brilliant too. My
point is not to say I am brilliant but to say this is very realistic. And therefore,
the Bible has to be a true history that happened in a real place, in real time,
with real people. The Bible is not just an ancient document, it's a real
history.
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“David
said to Ahimelech the priest, ‘The king has commissioned me with a matter and
has said to me, 'Let no one know anything about the matter on which I am
sending you and with which I have commissioned you; and I have directed the
young men to a certain place.'’”
David
was a liar, not just this and that for what he was known for. This lie led to
the death of many priests!
[3:39
pm, 26/07/2022] S.R: π ππππ¦ππ ππ:ππ
"Then
David said to Abiathar, 'I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there,
that he would surely tell Saul. I have brought about the death of every person
in your father's household.'"
I
do not have the skin of David to endure such trials. David had caused the death
of many, priests of God. If somebody is in trouble on account of me, I think I
will be terrified.
David
had to go through a lot of criticism and attacks, verbally and physically. Yet
he never gave up. And he had the strength and passion to comfort others.
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"So
David inquired of the LORD, saying, 'Shall I go and attack these Philistines?'
And the LORD said to David, 'Go and attack the Philistines and deliver
Keilah.'"
God
told David to help the citizens of Keilah from the enemies. And these citizens
of Keilah would not return the favor. They would give David to Saul to be executed.
David might be suspicious of that too. Anyway, God told him to go and he went.
And David fled Keilah after helping them. How many of us would be happy with
that betrayal? Yet, the actions and obedience of David honored God.
We
can honor God even in deep betrayal.
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"As
the proverb of the ancients says, 'Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness';
but my hand shall not be against you."
I
must constantly remind myself that I shall not return evil for evil, and that I
should be good even when other harms me.
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"Yet
the men were very good to us, and we were not insulted, nor did we miss
anything as long as we went about with them, while we were in the fields. They
were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the time we were with them
tending the sheep."
There's
a similarity in the recruitment of David's soldiers and Manipur underground
(insurgency), but their conducts are way different from each other. David,
being God's anointed and since he knew that, he behaved righteously and so were
his men.
All
my villagers had a desire that all the NSCN-IM cadres posted at my village in
2018 were dead by some plague because they weren't like David soldiers but
harassing the villagers.
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"The
LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LORD'S anointed; but
now please take the spear that is at his head and the jug of water, and let us
go."
I
don't need to do God's work; He will do it. I don't need to help God; He can do
it. It's God who would kill Saul at the hands of a random Philistine soldier.
David didn't need to seize the opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
He knew God was alive, active, and alert!
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"So
Achish believed David, saying, ‘He has surely made himself odious among his
people Israel; therefore he will become my servant forever.’"
Both
were tricksters. We aren't told whether they were right or wrong. But one thing
is sure: they were military men, though kind of allies now, they had been
enemies.
Military
strategies are to deceive in order to win.
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"And
when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams,
or by Urim, or by prophets."
Scriptures
have mentioned many times that the way of a transgressor is hard. Saul was
desperate. He had to seek after the devil, disguised himself as someone who
disregarded a king's order, went after a woman, disobeyed his own order, and
had no strength even to walk or eat.
And
he perished at the hand of an ordinary soldier. A big lesson for all Christians
to not forsake their first love!
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"And
David said to Achish, ‘But what have I done? What have you found in your
servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and
fight against the enemies of my lord the king?’"
What
a bluff master! Anyway, he wasted his time there and his town was raided by
enemies.
Was
David stupid or extraordinarily cunning? But the Lord prevented him from the
battle. At the same time, the Lord sent enemies to raid his own town.
He
was busy bluffing when his own home was burnt down!
Just
an observation for tonight!
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"and
they took captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great,
without killing anyone, and carried them off and went their way."
David
used to terrorize others’ towns and kill every one of them. And these people
didn't kill anyone of David's people. Hmmm!
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"They
cut off his head and stripped off his weapons, and sent them throughout the
land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and
to the people."
I
guess I have been reading this account without careful attention or my memory
is just not that good. It looks like this is the first time I read the
beheading of Saul. Ought to read Bible again and again!