I have read many times the saga of King David. He was a very complicated individual to say the least. His first appearance is as a young, endearing shepherd boy who plays the harp. God was no longer pleased with Saul, the king, so he sent Samuel to find a replacement…someone after God’s own heart. He chose David, the youngest of a family from the Benjamites. When Saul needs a musician to soothe an evil spirit which comes upon him, his helpers bring David to play for him. Saul makes David his armor-bearer. Later, David shows up as the Philistines are about to battle the Israelites. The giant, Goliath, is one formidable foe…. but David takes him down with one stone.
Saul overhears the people praising David above him and becomes jealous. Unable to deal with his feelings, Saul tries several times to take David’s life. David and Saul’s son, Jonathan, have become good friends. Though it’s hard for Jonathan to believe his father would do such a thing, he helps David escape. Finally, realizing that the people prefer David, Saul assures him he is safe and offers David his daughter in marriage. But the jealousy returns and soon David must go into hiding as Saul seeks to kill him. At last, he flees into the land of the Philistines.
1 Samuel 27:7 “And the time that David dwelt in the land of the Philistines was a full year and four months.”
When the Philistines were preparing to battle Israel David told the king that he and his 600 men would fight alongside them. However, the princes of the Philistines did not trust David and refused to allow it. Upon returning home, David and his men found the city destroyed and all the women and children, including David’s two wives had been taken hostage. The Lord told David to go and rescue them and all would be returned that had been taken.
The Philistines fight with Israel led to the death of Saul and his sons, including Jonathan. David grieved for Saul and especially for Jonathan. After several more battles, David was made king of Israel and the Lord told him to stay put and Israel would no longer have to roam. David’s kingdom was established and the Philistines also were defeated as the Israelites grew in number and might.
Next, a different side of David is revealed. He completely ignores God’s laws for Israel and starts to follow his own lustful desires. His one look at Bathsheba leads to his arranging the death of her husband so he can have her as his own wife….no mention of protest on her part is made so evidently she was a willing participant…. Of course God is not pleased. He sends Nathan to tell David of His displeasure and the consequences: 2 Samuel 12: 11 “Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house…”
What followed were years of sinful and disgraceful conduct among David’s children. Until finally, David realized the greatness of God and all He had blessed him with.
All the wars in the Old Testament can be compared to the ones being waged right now in the Middle East where Israel finds itself surrounded by Isis and other enemies. Even the United States has made a deal with Iran which Israel’s Prime Minister asked us to reject. Now Russia has intervened and bombings are underway. We have seen signs of the same jealousy and deceit still alive today among the leaders who strive to be number one in world leadership….and our own President unwilling to defend Israel.
We see the events that took place in David’s life after he took his eyes off of God. We can only expect the same results when our country removes God and His laws from our society. We can not simply keep quiet and go with the flow when the consequences are evident and our God is being rejected by so many in leadership roles. As Americans and as Christians we must come together and unite to fight for our religious freedoms and constitutional rights. Voting is a privilege and a responsibility of every American, no matter what their religious affiliation might be. If we are to remain a country worthy of being called the land of the free and the home of the brave, then we must step up and have our voices heard.
Voting is one thing we can and should do….but the election of a new President is not until November 2016….over a year away, then the newly elected one will not take office till January of 2017. Can America survive that long in the direction we’re headed? There is time left for this administration to do tremendous damage if we allow it. With the use of his pen and his phone President Obama has proven that the interest of the people are not HIS interest. We must do all we can to insure America has a better future. We the people must keep our eyes on God and pray, preach, stand up and be heard if we expect Him to save our land. In times like these, as in the time of David, God is our only hope.
