2 Samuel 6: Dancing for Joy

David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

After being anointed king over Israel by the elders, one of David's first official acts is when he sends for the sacred ark of the covenant. He plans to install it in Jerusalem, the new capital city he is building. This symbolic move will underscore that God, not a human king, is the true ruler of Israel.

It takes a few false starts to get the ark to the City of David. Disregarding God's explicit instructions, the Israelites try to transport the ark on an oxcart- the method the Philistines use to parade their gods- rather than on the shoulders of the Levites, as God has commanded. Somebody dies, David gets mad, and the ark sits in a private home for three months.

Nevertheless, when the ark finally does move to Jerusalem to the accompaniment of a brass band and the shouts of a huge crowd, King David completely loses control. Wild with joy, he dances in the streets, pretty much breaking every rule of royal etiquette. David's wife, scandalized, reproaches him. But David sets her straight: It is God, no one else, before whom he is dancing. And he cares not what anyone else thinks as long as his one-person audience senses his jubilation.

In short, David, a man of passion, feels more passionately about the God of Israel than about anything else in the world. That message gets broadcast to the entire nation...through song and dance.

Life Question: Do you think that there should be boundaries in the way a person should be permitted to worship? What do you consider to be worship etiquette in the church that you attend?

Coming from a fairly conservative Catholic faith background, it would be safe to say that if David had showed up on the doorstep/ church altar to perform his celebratory dance for God, it would not have been favorably received by the folks in the congregation. That said, the various worship styles that I have witnessed at the Chapel have truly touched me. There's this one gal who sits up front each Sunday and vibrantly lifts her hands in praise while we in the band, the WT, and choir lead the congregation in song. At first, it appeared to be rather ostentatious, but I've really become to appreciate her passion for Christ's love, and I guess in some ways I'm envious of her courage to be able to reach out to God in such a charismatic way. Personally, when I'm with the band playing the songs, I often find myself drifting away from the click track/ instrument channels and engaging in a type of solitary prayer with God- (hoping my strumming doesn't come across too offensive to ears...)

1 Samuel 28: Grasping at Straws

"I am in great distress," Saul said. "The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do."

Things had gone badly for King Saul and Israel ever since Saul had rejected the Lord. Enemies, especially the Philistines, pressed hard. On this occasion, the Philistines planned a major invasion of Israel. Beside himself with worry, Saul tried to seek advice from God, but he had severed the authorized line of communication back when he executed the Lord’s priests. Committed to evil, he had done nothing to repair the breach between him and God. So now, when he asked for God's advice, God was silent.

Deeply distressed, Saul apparently decided that if God wouldn't talk to him, maybe Satan would. He asked his staff to find him a spiritist — absolutely against the Lord’s law. Saul disguised himself — one wonders how, since he was a foot taller than the other tall men — and set out for the town of Endor, where the spiritist lived. He told the woman to raise the prophet Samuel, long dead now.

Samuel told Saul that the Lord refused to help him, and he wouldn't help him either. Saul had rejected the Lord’s leadership, and the Lord had rejected Saul as king. Saul would die in the coming battle, and David would become king.

Towards the end of the book of 1 Samuel, Saul is wounded in battle by Philistine soldiers. Unable to escape, and afraid of being captured and tortured by the enemy, Saul urges his armor-bearer to kill him. Afraid, he refuses. So Saul falls on his own sword and dies. Seeing this, his armor-bearer does the same.

Life Question: What lesson do you think we can learn from the tragic story of King Saul?

Saul’s demise as king is tragic because he makes very common human mistakes. Like all tragic heroes, Saul possesses a fatal flaw: he is more concerned with earthly objects and human customs than with spiritual or religious matters. True leadership requires you to place an unquestioning faith in God, and to listen to his Word- regardless of whether it may go against popular opinion.

1 Samuel 24: Time on His Side

I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. May the Lord judge between you and me.

Towards the beginning of this book, Saul was the right and proper king, living in luxury. David had been secretly anointed as his replacement, but he lived in the desert, scrabbling to survive. Saul had a professional army, David a small band composed of family members and an assortment of outlaws. Twice, Saul accidentally fell into David’s hands, but David refused to kill him. He felt that would violate God’s will. He would not use his sword to become king. He fought not to win but to survive.

Survival was not easy. You can read between the lines of chapters 21-31 and see a great drama unfolding. Saul is clearly deteriorating. Can David hold on long enough to outlast him? At first David ran from one place to another, alone and completely vulnerable. Then, after a few hundred supporters joined him, the local people turned the rebels in twice. Perhaps they feared that Saul would slaughter them the way he had the Nob priests.

David survived and managed to keep his army intact. He even built popular support by providing military protection to his neighbors. But eventually he saw that his position was impossible. “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul,” he thought (27:1). He left Israel and became, with his army, a hired soldier for one of the Philistine kings.

David believed God’s promise even when his situation looked very bad. He would wait for God’s timing. God had anointed him king, and he trusted God to vindicate him. A sense of timing, people say, is essential to leadership. You must know when to act boldly and when to wait patiently; when to bend and when to stand firm. David had that critical sense of timing because he trusted God’s control of events.

Life Question: What makes you impatient? What can you learn about patience from David’s life?

I’d have to say my impatience grows alarmingly high from the same source that brings the absolute most joy to me in life- my kids. This is something that I’m so well aware of and have fervently tried to improve upon. With having the three of them at so very different ages- and so very different needs- it can present somewhat of a challenge at times. Like David, I need to submit my life to God and patiently work through the small little obstacles in life…like when I’m trying to shave in the morning and Sarah is screaming at my feet because she wants picked up, Josh has just spilled his entire breakfast on the floor, and Marie is irate because her little brother doesn’t know how to knock yet while she’s trying to dress…ugh!!

1 Samuel 20: Friends First

Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, "The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever."

One can sense the force of David's personality by observing the effect he has on people around him. This chapter tells of an undying friendship from David's early days before the tumultuous break with King Saul. The king's son Jonathan values friendship with David so much that he forfeits his chance to accede to the throne.

After Saul reveals his true, murderous intent to Jonathan in a dramatic scene at the dinner table, Jonathan warns David. Thus begins the terrible struggle between the washed-up king and the would-be king. Saul, the king rejected by God, clings to power as he chases David and his band of followers. The events of the next few years mirror the differing inner characters of the two men. Saul, who knows God's will about the rightful king of Israel, spends his life resisting it. David, in contrast, shows amazing patience as he waits for the prophecy to come true without taking matters into his own hands. Caught in the middle, Jonathan sides with his friend David over his father, Saul.

Jealous friends sometimes force us to choose. "Who is your best friend?" they demand, when we'd prefer not to rank them. Jonathan faced that kind of loyalty dilemma with his father, who grew insanely jealous of his son's friendship with David. Insecure and guilt-ridden over past misdeeds, Saul feared that young David would take away his crown. Though Jonathan tried to stay loyal to both father and friend, his father made it impossible. Soon Jonathan realized that Saul would kill David if he caught him. Once, in a blind rage, Saul actually hurled a spear at his own son for standing up for David (20:32-33).

Tragically, the two friends never got the chance to rule together. In a battle against the Philistines, Jonathan fought at his father's side and was killed. David, mourning his dearest friend, sang a poignant song in tribute (2 Samuel 1:17-27). Their loyalty and love make for one of the most beautiful stories of friendship ever told.

Life Question: Do you have a close friendship like David and Jonathan had?

Embarrassingly and shamefully, I'd have to say no. I last thought about this at my son's birthday party when he mentioned to me that a couple of his pre-k buddies had promised each other to be friends forever. An admirable and touching promise, but statistics say that the average friendship last less than 10 years. My life has been marked by various events that have dictated my circle of friends over the years. But, I think that a meaningful friendship with someone has a much better of lasting a lifetime if you can share your faith in Christ with each other.

1 Samuel 17: Giant Slayer

All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands.

David spends the better part of a decade trying to escape the wrath of King Saul, and much of Saul's enmity probably traces back to this one scene. Saul, leader of a large army, sits in his tent, terrorized by the taunts of the colossal Goliath. The terror he evokes demoralizes the entire Israelite army. Meanwhile, David, a mere boy too small for a suit of armor, strides out bravely to meet Goliath's challenge. Little wonder Saul comes to resent and fear the remarkable David.

The scenario related here is not as far-fetched as it may seem. "Single combat" or "representative warfare" was an acceptable way of settling differences in ancient times. Champions from each side would fight, and the results of their combat would determine the battle's result.

During his many lonely hours as a shepherd boy, David hones his slingshot skills to a state of perfection. But he takes no personal credit for this victory. "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin," he shouts to Goliath, "but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied" (17:45). His confidence in God matches Goliath's scorn. And in the tradition of Joshua and Gideon, David places complete trust in God alone- a lesson that King Saul, tragically, never learns.

Once Goliath falls, the rest of the Philistines quickly succumb. The nation is beginning to recognize in David the qualities that mark him for a potential kingship. Saul, however, is not about to relinquish this throne without a fight.

Life Question: Have you/ are you facing any great fear or danger about which God is telling you to rely utterly on him?

Well, I'm kinda getting nervous about the Tribe's pennant chances as of late. Seriously, though, I suppose I have my doubts with my new position here at school. I had reached a real comfort level in the classroom, and this Admissions job is so incredibly different. But, like David, I have to simply trust God that He'll provide me with the guidance to perform well and the courage to face the adversities and challenges that I'll invariably encounter.

1 Samuel 15: A Rejected King

For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.

Saul had everything going for him. Tall and handsome, he naturally commanded attention. God chose him as the first king in the history of Israel. Soon after he was secretly anointed, God's Spirit came on him- an encounter with God that affected his entire personality.

Almost immediately Saul led a successful rescue operation, saving the people of a besieged city from mutilation. He was then publicly crowned king, even though he did no politicking for the office. (In fact, he hid during the selection.) He wisely refrained from allowing his opponents to be punished. Instead, he united all 12 tribes behind him, even though he himself came from a small, minority tribe.

Yet Saul's life went tragically wrong. The first sign of trouble, as 1 Samuel tells the story, came not long after he had become king. While preparing for a campaign against the Philistines, Saul grew impatient. Samuel, scheduled to lead in the proper spiritual preparation for battle, was seven days late. Saul's men began to desert, and Saul decided he could wait no longer. The king himself began to make the religious sacrifices that Samuel, as priest, was suppose to make. The hastiness of Israel's king, insignificant though it may seem, showed an inner weakness: his willingness to compromise God's directions under pressure.

Sometime later Saul compromised again in a high-pressure situation, not following the precise instructions God had given for a military campaign (15:3). Again Samuel caught him in the act. This time he accused Saul of rebelling against God. So, without God's and Samuel's support, Saul lost his sense of confidence as well as a strong compulsion to obey God. In the end, Saul's poor leadership left Israel worse off than at the beginning, and it would take the work of a young shepherd boy by the name of David to restore the glory of God to the Israelites.

Life Question: When you are put in the role of leader, how do you respond to pressure?

I'm somewhat ashamed to admit that it's during these times that I pray most. I've got to start incorporating prayer into every facet of my life, but I too often only turn to God when I'm challenged at either work or home. I've been blessed, because God has taken real good care of me in life, but I'm guessing that He would appreciate more frequent communication from me other than when I just need something.

1 Samuel 12: The First King

If both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God- good! But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers.

The 12 tribes of Israel were a nation in name only. They had no central government at all. Since conquering the land, they had worked together only during emergencies, when inspired "judges" - military heroes like Gideon, Deborah, and Samson had come forward to lead them into battle. In Samuel's times, though, the Philistines' military threat wouldn't go away. Israel needed superior leadership, but Samuel was an old man. His sons made unappealing successors. What could be done? Looking around them, the tribes noticed that virtually every other country had a king, and so they too yearned for one.

The idea seems to have been popular with everyone except Samuel and God. Samuel may have been displeased that he and his sons were being rejected. God had a deeper objection: Israel was rejecting his leadership. God told Samuel to warn the elders that a king would oppress his own citizens. Samuel warned of the military draft, of high taxation, and of the king's power to make people slaves. (8: 10-18) Was God against a king? It appears that God only opposed the motive behind the request.

Yet, God gave into their request, bad motive and all. He not only allowed the Israelites a king; he picked out their man. He accepted the monarchy on condition that Israel still consider the Lord as its ultimate ruler. Apparently, Israel's king didn't answer to a parliament or court system, but he did answer to God. In short order the first king, Saul, was rejected because he disobeyed God. Though most nation's kings held absolute power, in Israel only God was absolute, and the king was to be his servant.

Life Question: Would you prefer to live in a theocracy rather than a democracy?

For all the turmoil that exists in our own country, I really can't think of a better form of government than what we are privileged to have as citizens of the U.S. The beauty of Christianity is that it's all about choices in life...and by living in this country, we all have the choice to accept Christ as our Saviour and emulate his teachings in our day to day lives. It doesn't appear to me that Christ would have wanted us to live in a society where someone- by force- tells us how to live our lives. I like to look at our faith as an open invitation to anyone who is willing to believe.