It’s difficult to have faith in the midst of trials and tribulations, to continue to trust God in spite of the circumstances when the end is beyond sight. It’s truly an exercise of faith to acknowledge God’s sovereignty and authority in the midst of hardship, to recognize His hand guiding to something greater. But it can be equally difficult to do so in times of peace and prosperity when you’ve arrived at your “end-of-the-rainbow” destination. In fact, during times of peace and prosperity it’s far easier to forget it was God’s sustaining hand that made it all possible.
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Oh, the awful things that man has done in the name of God. Sometimes it’s only incorrect teaching and doctrine that is couched in the name of the Lord, which is difficult to discern without consistent immersion in the Word. Other times the deeds themselves irrefutably betray the sinful nature of the actions disguised by the use of His name. As with the men in this biblical account who are trying to ingratiate themselves with the increasingly powerful and popular King David, pride is often at the root of doing something proclaimed in the name of God which in reality is designed to elevate one’s own name.
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My over-magnified, personal sense of justice wants immediate remedy. Once I’ve come to the conclusion that something is “wrong” or “not according to God’s Word” or whatever unit of measure employed (that’s probably a whole other issue that needs exploring), I want immediate change. Why isn’t God’s justice always immediate, sweeping away all vestige of the tainted source of evil to be immediately replaced with the right and proper one? The contrast described here between the houses of David and Saul is a repeated biblical pattern.
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Hebron is a fascinating choice. It’s not only located within David’s own tribe of Judah, but it is both a Levitical city and a city of refuge. It had an even deeper connection with God’s Word in being a not just a home to Abraham, but the place where he first purchased land in the future Promised Land to bury Sarah. This is a place rich in reminders of God’s Word and promises, of what it means to have a covenant relationship with Him. The promise that was first given here was later fulfilled here. In essence, God’s place of choice for David’s return embodies a spiritual renewal as well.
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David always looks at things from God’s point of view. If he looked at Saul’s death from his own, purely selfish point of view, he probably would have celebrated Saul’s death. After all, he’s spent years being persecuted and pursued by Saul. It’s caused rifts in their families, their tribes, and throughout the whole of Israel. Finally being rid of Saul is no small weight off their collective shoulders. But David mourns and fasts and writes a song that everyone is made to learn so that they will not forget the true meaning of what has happened. It’s not a time to celebrate a problem finally being eliminated, but to mourn the irretrievable downfall of a once-anointed leader of God.
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David always thinks of God first. One of the things that’s evident in his every conversation—whether with a king, a friend, family, or the enemy—is to alter his response so that it brings attention to God’s will and way. He not only does this in times of crisis and distress but, as here, during times of success as well.
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Under the “When-It-Rains-It-Pours Dept.” is the not unusual phenomena that things often go from bad to worse to even more unbelievably worse. Everyone following David has lost their family in an attack by the enemy when the main group was away. David himself has lost his wives. They’ve all lost all their possessions as well. And human nature being what it is, everyone blames David to the point that “the people spoke of stoning him”. As often as persecution comes from outside the church, it comes from inside. Instead of bonding together against a common enemy, everyone turns on their own leader, and Satan’s goal through the use of persecution is complete in its successful achievment of division, dissension, and destruction.
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