How Does David Look Now?

Now in the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.  He had written in the letter, saying, " Place Uriah in the front line of the fiercest battle and withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and die."  So it was as Joab kept watch on the city, that he put Uriah at the place where he knew there were valiant men.  The men of the city went out and fought against Joab, and some of the people among David's servants fell; and Uriah the Hittite also died. (2 Samuel 11:14-17 NASB)

 When I visited the Dominican Republic some years ago we drove by a modern monument that was clearly tragic.  When I asked about it, I was told it was for the the men who killed Trujillo, the dictator of the Dominican Republic.  The story went that Trujillo had a group of men who would go through the city and kidnap women for him, once he slept with them, he would release them.  At one point he captured the wives of some of his top police leaders, and they refused.  So he jailed their husbands.  They still refused, so he killed them all and their husbands and threw them off this cliff where the monument stood.  So, 5 men (related to the victims) very high in Trujillo's court arranged for and carried out his assassination.  They paid for his death with their lives, but were remembered years afterward as heroes.

Trujillo was a tyrant, the worst of the idea of dictator.  He was an amoral thug, an evil ruler.  But, that's what we expect when someone has absolute power; absolute corruption.  We don't expect it from David though. 

Even knowing this chapter is coming, having gone through Samuel up to this point, it still shocks.  What David did as he sinned with Bathsheba is still such a deviation from his character to this point that it's hard to imagine.  Having Uriah killed is one thing, but to send the command by his own hand was a stroke of unusual cruelty for David.  It means that David knew he could trust the character of Uriah to not read the note while in transit.  It means that David knew the character of Uriah was above his own.  In fact, reading of Uriah to this point is tragically ironic as he consistently demonstrates more moral character than the king he serves so faithfully.  One of the saddest ironies of Scripture is the response by Uriah when David asks him why he did not go down to his house and hide David's sin with his wife.  He swears on David's life and the life of David's soul he would not do this thing.  He refers to the Ark and his fellow soldiers in tents, the army in the field.  Why was David not there?  It's a tragic irony, where you see his moral character and faithfulness to his king become his undoing.

David kills one of his own 30 faithful long-serving valorous body guards, one who fought beside him while running from Saul, while living in Ziklag, against the Amalekites, and in Hebron.  Uriah stands as one of faithfulness and character, highlighting these qualities lacking in David; at least right here.

It's true David seems devoid of these qualities right here, and that they are replaced with the worst of human qualities.  With David, the worst is never the end of the story.  With David there is another quality that remains at the bedrock of all the others.  He is willing to repent.  Chapter 11 is about his moral failure of epic proportions.  Chapter 12 is about his repentance, also of epic proportions.  Chapter 11 is the worst of David, where chapter 12 is arguably the best.

What this chapter does is bring David's rock-solid faith into sharp relief.  It's not a faith so strong he never fails.  It's a faith so strong he always gets back up and recovers from failure.  It's not amazing that David has this moral failure, it is shocking, but not amazing.  What is amazing is what Nathan is able to do in the next chapter.  And so you don't go all 'fearless-man-of-God' on Nathan, read chapter 11 carefully, and consider how many people knew exactly what David did.  I wonder how many of his faithful soldiers moved a few more blocks away from the palace.  While it wasn't amazing that Nathan knew, it was amazing that he had the courage, knowing what he did, to confront the king.  I'm sure he was afraid, but we'll get into that in the next chapter.

The hinge pin on which the life of David turns is the last verse of chapter 11.  From there a failure becomes a lesson.  But until that verse, it seems very dark, David seems in danger of becoming another despot, another malevolent dictator, another example of human depravity and the utter corruption of absolute power.

I wonder how many people, without the absolute power, hide from God wearing fig leaves, rather than approach the hinge-pin of their own lives.  I have lived from childhood comfortable with shadows and shades of truth.  I have seen it in my family (haven't we all?), but I never saw a real emergence from the shadows.  They weren't bad enough to really require some dramatic repentance, I suppose.  Or, like so many of us, denial makes living among them seem lit.  The gray semi-gloom becomes normal and we treat it like light.  Yet reading Scripture creates an uncomfortable feeling that all is not as light as it should be.

David passes out of darkness and into light.  He pays the consequences and accepts from his Master what comes from his own sin.  The pathway to light is often paved with consequences.  And it is usually these consequences that keep me in gloom, and my fear of them keeps me from a light I can barely imagine.  I suppose in times like this, what I need is the courage to follow the path of consequences into the light.  But I have found that I also need patience, peace, and joy never hurts either.  These things are only found growing on the branches of a life filled with the Spirit of my Master.  So, really, what I have always needed was the presence of my Master in me; just like David.

Facing Two Armies With God

Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him in front and in the rear, he selected from all the choice men of Israel, and arrayed them against the Arameans.  But the remainder of the people he placed in the hand of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the sons of Ammon.  He said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to help you.  Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight." (2 Samuel 10:9-12 NASB)

The character of Joab in Scripture is not one of those I would point out as one of great theological insight, not one of upstanding moral character, or one as a good example of anything but killing people.  He was really good at that.  His references to God aren't often and they aren't typically deep, but sometimes it's the practical piece that turns out to be so great.  That's the case here.

So, here Joab has brought part of the army; the good part, but only part (1 Chronicles 19 says all the fighting men).  We're not told how many enemies were here, and 1 Chronicles 19 only tells us part of the numbers involved.  It was still fighting front and back.  It wasn't a good tactical situation to address, but Joab was not in his first rodeo either.  He put the best against the 'attackers', and the rest against the 'defenders'.  That kept the defenders from becoming the attackers.  But then he rally's the troops.

Joab's words are actually very insightful, but only along practical lines.  They don't form a pattern I would necessarily follow every time I go to God or address Him.  Remember this isn't David and His insight into God, it's his 'pet assassin' he's not even that fond of.  So, consider the source as you consider the statement.

"Be strong and let us show ourselves courageous for our people and the cities of our God; and may God do what is good in His eyes."  The statement has three elements: 1) Be strong/courageous in action as we engage this bad situation.  2) Be inspired by our concern for our people and their daily life including worship. 3) Let God do His part, whatever He decides.

The lesson I learn is also made up of three parts: 1) My Master can work with courage because it demonstrates faith in Him. 2) My Master does not put in situations for myself alone, but to use me as a blessings in the lives of others. 3) My Master will do what He sees fit to do, BUT it would also be good to know what He would have me do as His designed role for me.

The third lesson may have been assumed for Joab because he already was the leader of the fighting forces, and he had a fight before him.  He just did his job the best he knew how.  But David would ask before battles, and sometimes do the battle differently at different times.  I think Joab's statement assumes that he can't know what God will do, nor what God would have him do.  I doubt that Joab thinks God doesn't have those insights, but I think Joab thought that they are inaccessible to him.  Keep in mind, David's not there.  Ordinarily, it would be David providing that insight.

So, I am to be courageous because I am convinced my Master loves me, has my back, and is using me for His service.  The work of my Master done through me isn't just for me, but for those I love around me.  The work of my Master done without me is even more important for His glory. 

Yeah, okay, I totally twisted that one around, but it's still true.  True, I need to do the work, be faithful in it, and know God will do as He sees best.  But really, isn't His part more likely to gain Him glory than my part?  I bring 'five loaves and two fish' worth of my own ability, and yet He feeds 5,000 hungry males worth of effective work.  Isn't His part more important than my loaves and fish?  Doesn't what He does bring Him more glory than what I do?  I believe it does.

Who Gives Up Their Hero?

Now David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; so he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here."  Then David said, "O LORD God of Israel, Your servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on my account.  Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down just as Your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant." And the LORD said, "He will come down."  Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will surrender you."  Then David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the pursuit. (1 Samuel 23:9-13 NASB)

 In the account of Saul's pursuit of David, one of the elements I really never understood was the willingness of the people to surrender David to Saul.  This seemed almost infuriating, how could they?  How could they not notice the weak sanity of Saul?  How could they not notice the faith and strength of David?  How could they not see such stark differences between them and choose the obvious choice?

This is a perfect example of my difficulty.  The people of Keilah in Judah are being attacked by Philistines, and it's David who comes to rescue them.  When Saul hears of it, he's elated that David is now shut up in a city where he can be found.  When David inquires of God, God makes it clear that David will be handed over to Saul by the people of Keilah.  How is that even possible?  I looked it over from the Hebrew, and there's no other way to read it.  It's sad.  It's crazy, as crazy as Saul.

So, my assumption is that people should see how bad Saul is and throw their lot in with David.  To get to this point I had to read chapter 22, where Saul tells Doeg the Edomite to kill the priests of Nob, and who then proceeds to initiate the ban on the entire city, men, women, children, infants, and livestock.  Okay, so perhaps it's the smoldering ruin of Nob that gives people the sense of which side is safest, in their best interest, best for their families and livelihood.

And then there's the other element to this story that it was God sending David to Keilah in the first place.  God sends him there knowing the people would be faithless to David.  That just seems so weird.  Why would He do that?  It just seems sometimes in Scripture that God is being just as faithless as the people, doesn't it?  It just doesn't seem fair.  Think of David's men; they didn't want to go to Keilah out of fear, and now, it seems they were right.  How faithful would that make them toward David?  How easy is for him to lead them into battle now?  Well, actually, easier.

David has 400 men when he starts at Addullum in chapter 22, leaving Keilah he now has 600.  I don't know, it doesn't say where these additional 200 came from, but I wonder if it was men of Keilah.  Probably not anywhere near 200, but I bet some were.  I bet the faithfulness and devotion of David for the people of Judah was crystal clear to many.  His willingness to go where God sent regardless of cost, how he always seems to come out on top of difficult situations, that he never wavers in his devotion to God or to the people; it probably made a deep impression. 

These are the qualities with which I struggled in ministry.  When the people were faithless toward me, would I still fight for them?  When God seemed to be leading me into danger on behalf of these faithless people, would I remain obedient to Him?  The thing that led me out of vocational ministry was finally reaching a point where I became convinced that these people couldn't see past me to my Master.  They were so focused on me they couldn't hear anything else.  It was amazing. 

On the other hand, it could have been that I was focused on me; my problems, my pain, my frustration with them.  It could have been that I was not what distracted them, it was this world, their problems, their lack of faith, and their inability to be honest.  All these things probably stemmed from fear, but I didn't stay there long enough to know what lay beneath.

So was I right to remove myself from the equation? Was it the right thing to get out of the way so God could have His voice without my interference?  I don't know.  I suspect that I needed to go, that vocational ministry wasn't my thing, at least not there.  But I don't know.  I see here that the faithfulness of others to him didn't deter David.  I see that He was obedient even when it didn't make sense, and the odds were against him.  I see that David set his heart against the enemies of God and His people, not against those seeking David's life; which is probably the hardest lesson I see here.

And so I learn that I need to stop fighting the wrong battles.  I see that I need to start seeking the real enemy (which seems surreal if you think about it).  I'm beginning to understand that the righteousness of others is not to be my motivation for serving them, or even for continuing to serve them.  It's starting to dawn on me that my Master is less interested in my safety than my usefulness in His Kingdom; against His enemies as opposed to against His faithless people. 

But not all are faithless.  As I suspect some of the 200 came from Keilah, faithful ones who understood the difference between David and Saul; so I suspect I will see my Master work in the lives of others for transformation, just as He works in mine.  Even if their faith is weak, isn't mine?  I can change, but so can they.  My faith can grow, and so can theirs.  Perhaps I will lead others, others discontent with the status quo, the usual, the norm.  But then I should be leading them in the path of faithfulness of my pursuit of my Master, shouldn't I?  Well, time to whip out the machete and get to 'trail-busting'; leaving a swath for others to follow in pursuit of my Master's work.  Perhaps I should sharpen it first?

The Meaning of Tears

When the lad was gone, David rose from the south side and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed three times. And they kissed each other and wept together, but David wept the more.  Jonathan said to David, "Go in safety, inasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD will be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.'" Then he rose and departed, while Jonathan went into the city. (1 Samuel 20:41-42 NASB)

The 'test' of Jonathan's father, Saul, did not turn out well.  Jonathan indicated it to David with a boy and arrows, and now they both know Saul is out to hunt down David and kill him.  Jonathan recognizes his position, his responsibilities, and what he needs to do.  It is never recorded that he ever goes out with Saul after David, in fact, he's not mentioned again until the final battle of Saul.  It is truly a sad parting.

The writer includes the detail that David wept more.  In the first part of the chapter, in the initial encounter and dialogue, it seems that David is actually upset with Jonathan.  Jonathan seems to be the one initiating a covenant, and even includes a comment that he not be killed, and that it include their offspring.  Because of that, I don't believe that David loves Jonathan more than Jonathan, but rather that Jonathan bears a greater weight at the moment.

Jonathan gave his stuff to the boy and sent him back into the city with it.  He knew he had to go back into the realm of his father.  He knew he had a life of responsibilities there that he could not ignore, and from which it would be wrong of him to leave.  I doubt he even thought it possible.  I suspect that, instead, Jonathan looked with a sort of dread upon his future and the future of his father's kingdom. 

With all the problems posed by a real enemy of Israel; the Philistines, Canaanites, even rogue Hebrews, the problem absorbing Saul was David; who was not a threat.  This does not bode well for Israel.  This is a misplaced focus, and it had to evident to all, but who would defy the 'emperor without clothes'?  The kingdom is about to descend into disarray and anarchy.  I suspect the weight of his vision of the 'train-wreck' coming weighed heavier on Jonathan than David's departure.

So, as I paint this circumstance (mostly in my mind rather than truly explained in Scripture - so mere conjecture) it seems to me that Jonathan is in a position where his faith enables him to see the problem (Saul obsessed with David to the detriment of the kingdom), but also that he is held in its path by his real responsibilities within the community.  In a sense, he sees his own doom.

I also note that this faith does override his 'responsibilities' on the military side as he never goes out with Saul after David.  He sees the inevitable 'train-wreck' but refuses to put more coal into the engine to speed things up.  He sees the inevitable 'train-wreck' but dutifully remains on the train where his responsibilities remain; perhaps he can alleviate some of the effects on the community by remaining.

I also suspect that I am reading into this some qualities of my own.  I have been accused of sticking with 'lost causes' to the bitter end; usually out of stubbornness.  That may be true.  Even in games, where the stakes were meaningless, I have done what I thought needed to be done regardless of what I knew they would cost me (okay, not 'meaningless' entirely, but not significant either).  I'm not sure why I do that or where I learned to approach things that way.  But I do.  Maybe Jonathan doesn't here.  But I still learn a lesson from him.

I am called (i.e. placed somewhere for something by my Master - there's a divine purpose) to where I am for this time.  I believe that my Master has called me here and now for some form of service, and I suspect that it has to do with a marriage mentoring program my wife and I are heading up.  At least I see that as a major part of His purpose. 

The program is lacking momentum, and the danger for me is look at it as a 'lost cause' or a 'waste of time'.  It's not.  The problems of my community require this service as part of any solution.  It is the time for this program, and this is definitely the place that needs it.  Through it I believe my Master can bring hope to a people and to a place without it.  It's just been hard to get people who initially said they want to be a part to communicate or keep it as a priority.  There are lots of reasons but the results are what have me concerned.

So, do I look at the situation and decide that what has people distracted (the stuff of daily life) has vanquished this service to the community?  Do I see a 'train-wreck' in trying to get this program off the ground?  Maybe, but I also see that by staying in it, I may be then available to my Master to make what He will with who He sends and with what He provides.  It will be a program about Him rather than me and my wife.  Jonathan submitted himself to the community, and his availability cost him his life.  I don't face any such sacrifice.  Instead, all that is needed is for me to continue in the path laid out by my Master and not 'jump ship (or trains as it were)' to some other program that I suspect has a better chance of success.  I truly think the light at the end of the tunnel is the glory of my Master rather than another train.  Time to pile on the coal!