Daily Devotional for Friday 17th November
No way back
David makes a dramatic escape from Saul’s clutches, aided by his wife Michal. She was Saul’s daughter, but like her brother Jonathan, she could see that right was on David’s side. She is taking a big risk herself and maybe we can hear the fear in her voice as she faces down her unstable father (verse 17). After that everyone who is anyone gathers at the holy place of Ramah, where Samuel has been based, well away from Saul’s court. This was Samuel’s birthplace and obviously he had made it into a centre of worship to God (1 Samuel 7 v17). Scholars have suggested ‘Naioth’ was a sort of school for prophets set up by Samuel. Then there follows a lot of prophesying! The bible doesn’t explain exactly what is happening here, and it seems almost like a massive outdoor rap contest with both sides having turns! Saul’s soldiers seem to be under the control of God’s spirit, and fail in their task of capturing David. Even Saul, when he finally arrives, gets caught up in it. It seems to me that Saul is aware that he cannot touch David while he is under the protection of the high-priest, Samuel. Either he is trying to show repentance in the hope of winning Samuel’s support back, or he is trying to undermine Samuel’s authority by showing that he, the anointed king, can also speak God’s words to the people. I don’t think we can trust Saul at this stage, can we? And, as next week’s readings show, David and Samuel were wise not to either. Saul is now more Macbeth than Richard II – “I am in blood Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o'er.” There’s no way back for Saul.
Time to reflect…
At the end of this week’s dramatic readings what can we say to relate this to our lives? Saul betrayed a trust and never truly repented. Are there things we need to put right in our relationships and our way of life? Things we know need repentance? Maybe that’s one of the hardest things we ever do. Psalm 51 v1-3:
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.”
Pause to pray…
Maybe if there are people in our lives we need to say sorry to – well, now is the time. Why not ask for this in your prayers today.
