It Ain't Always Easy

Elizabeth--This week I want to start out by asking you a couple of questions. Are there any verses or Bible passages that you find unsettling? Why is that? Have you found a way to cope with the unsettled feeling or do you still struggle with the text(s)? 

In reading 1 Samuel this week I found that there are a few places where this scriptural text makes me uncomfortable. 1 Samuel 15 is one of the places that really bothered me because at the beginning of that chapter, in the New International Version of the Bible it says "the Lord Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amelekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came to Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them." (v. 2-3) Now, I'm not sure how you read that, but that sounds extremely harsh to me. How can the loving God I know be so cruel to a group of people. Regardless of what the Amalekites may have done, where is the love? the grace? the forgiveness? gentleness? Is this the same God who spoke to Jesus, the same God I know and love? The beginning of this text shakes up my beliefs. As of now, I would have a hard time explaining these couple of verses to others who may not know God the way I do. I'm still wrestling with how I can make sense of this text. I expand on this so much because it upset me enough that I had  to focus extra hard on the rest of the story, because this harsh voice of God was the only thing I could think about.

I didn't put my Bible down at chapter 15 verse 2-3, I did continue on. The story continues with Saul carrying out this message from the Lord. Again, hard to read about so many people and animals dying. However, Saul got a little too excited about his responsibility to wipe out a group of people because he decided to put his own spin on things. He allowed for his people to save the best of the best animals to later be sacrificed as burnt offerings to the Lord. While at first glance, that may not sound bad, Saul did carry out his duty--he did wipe out people, but he saved some animals and not others...that was not in the directions. Because of this, the Lord got upset and decided he was not the best fit for king. He did not listen to the Lord and he did not follow through as asked and that was problematic because Israel needed a king who could listen to the Lord and carry out His plans. Those plans would benefit the people the king served. 

When Samuel shared with Saul what the Lord had said, Saul realized what he had done and was quick to be upset and worry about whether or not he could still worship God. Saul did get another opportunity to worship God, (1 Sam. 15:30-31) and that is where I see some love, grace, forgiveness on God's part. Here is the place where I see the God who I know and love. A God who may not have seen Saul as best fit for the position of king, but he was certainly still welcome in worship. 

As I discussed this text with some people I learned to keep in mind that this is a text that was written after these events happened, so this is one writer's understanding of what happened and before he could write it down he most likely heard the story from someone, who heard the story from someone else, who heard the story from someone else, etc. It is possible that what the writer wrote as the words of the Lord were not word for word what the Lord said to Saul. That helps me a little bit, but it still frustrates me that this harsh sounding God is seen in the Old Testament. I was also reminded that following God was something that the Israelite people struggled with. Prior to this time people were supposed to rely on God, but they didn't do a great job then, so when they ask God for a king, they get Saul and that ended up not being the best fit either. This text is a story of a people trying to sort out who they are and who they need to follow. In 1 Samuel 16, a new king is anointed--King David and that's where things seem to start settling down a bit and don't sound as destructive and harsh. David shows obedience and respect toward the Lord and the people he is serving...well at least up to as far as I have read. As I understand this particular passage as a story, I am reminded that characters are constantly developing. The people are changing and so are the relationships and understandings these people have with God. 

I think the important thing for me is that while this text and various other texts I have encountered so far are uneasy for me, I am keeping up with this challenge of reading through the Bible. I could have easily put the Bible down and quit at this point or I could have just skipped over chapt. 15, but what good would that do? If I recognize the story elements that the Old Testament has, by skipping a few verses, a chapter or two, or an entire book, I miss out on the full story. Without the story, I may have never known the loving God that I do now. I would not have seen the love shown in the past as it is today. If you're like me and find some rough patches in your understanding of scripture, revisit the texts that frustrate you. Talk with people you know about them. Search for the meanings that may be buried deep in the text. It may be challenging, but who ever said reading the Bible and understanding it was supposed to be easy?!

Allison:  So first of all, I second what Elizabeth said.  That unsettling feeling about a passage or two comes up every time we talk about what we’ve read, and it’s definitely something that should be addressed.  It’s not easy to reconcile, but it’s challenging, and it forces us to really think about what we believe and grow in our faith.  That really is the whole purpose of this journey, and we hope you will be challenged and grow with us.

This week Elizabeth and I have gotten through most of 1 Samuel.  It’s been an interesting ride, and there’s so much to talk about.  I was really intrigued by the story of David and his relationship with King Saul.

However, before I go into that, I must say that if it weren’t for the fact that we focused on friendship last week, I would love to write a blog purely about the friendship between David and Jonathan.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE the bond of brotherhood that formed between those two—it’s one of those once in a lifetime types of friendships.  Even though circumstances could have torn them apart, and Jonathan could have chosen to follow his father and persecute David—David is the reason Jonathan won’t be king—their friendships is so much stronger than that and Jonathan is the reason David escaped and lived.  You know that friend or two you have where from the moment you met, you just clicked?  You felt that friendship blossom, almost in an instant?  You would do anything for them, without hesitation?  That’s exactly what these two men had.  And it is so cool to read about.  But alas, that is not the focus of my blog.

The relationship between David and Saul is a stark contrast to the brotherhood I was just gushing about.  David was off minding his business, living life as the insignificant little brother in the family of Jesse and shepherding himself some sheep when Samuel—hybrid prophet and judge—came and anointed him as the next king of Israel.  But then Samuel just goes back home.  It’s not until King Saul wants a harp player to sooth his tormented soul that David comes onto the scene and starts rubbing elbows with royalty.  Now Saul has been pretty unhappy since his fallout with God, understandably so, and David’s music provides him some distraction.  David ends up saving the Israelite nation by killing Goliath with a stone and a sling (this guy is the bomb), and naturally the Israelite people start to really love David.  They start singing about how Saul has killed men, and David has killed even more, and Saul just loses it.  He is extremely angered by this chant the people are singing all around town, and it is in that moment that Saul begins to feel threatened by David.

Saul resolves to kill David, somehow, some way.  And he tries, a lot--whether it’s by hurling his spear at David while he’s playing music or leading armies to go find David in hiding.  It’s incredible the lengths that Saul goes to in his attempts to kill this one man.  He’s the king of a nation—you’d think he would have bigger issues to worry about.  But all he can think about is how he feels threatened by David, and he wants him dead.  Now granted, David has been anointed to replace Saul’s bloodline on the throne, but this is really the result of Saul’s own poor decision.  And when I compare the way Saul sees David through his jealousy and pride—letting it drive him to an obsessive hunt for David’s head, versus the way Jonathan selflessly loves David--openly acknowledging that one day David will be king and he, Jonathan, will be right beside him, supporting him, I can’t help but think that David and Saul could have had an incredible relationship if Saul had dealt with his own insecurities.  Saul was so concerned about what people thought that it crippled him as a leader.

Jonathan certainly had a reason to be jealous as well, but he didn’t succumb to that.  Jonathan took pride in being the best friend of a great warrior and the future king of Israel.  Jonathan was the son of the king, and he didn’t have a slew of military victories being chanted by the people—which might bother some men, but he wasn’t concerned about that.  He supported his friend.  He could be happy for his friend, truly happy.  And that wasn't the easy road, but I admire Jonathan for his attitude.  In fact, Jonathan may have made a good king.

My heart breaks for Saul.  He had no idea what he was missing and his sole purpose in life had become to kill another man.  Through the book we’ve seen where Saul was when he began as king, and we can also see just how far he fell.

How many times do we become so fixated on one thing, that we miss the beauty of life around us?  How often do we get so caught up in being the best, that we can’t sincerely congratulate others?  I myself am a perfectionist, and if there’s a score, my competitive nature takes over.  But we don’t always have to be the best or the greatest or the most loved.  Sometimes, God just calls us to be, and to humbly serve.  The God of the universe wants to be an integral part of our lives, and wants to show us what true life really is!  Isn’t that victory enough?  But often that's the last thing we're thinking of, and it's something we often skip over.

Pride is a tricky thing.  It’s the easiest way for Satan to bring someone down in an instant—and before we know it, we look back and wonder how we got so far off track.  It holds us back and it keeps us from growing enriching relationships with others. 

But I challenge you to work to be a Jonathan, especially in challenging situations.

Got any thoughts? Comments? Throw them out there! We love comments :)!

Wisdom Obedience Love

Sisters in Christ,

~Allison & Elizabeth