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Friday, January 16, 2009

Did David Have to Run?

A thought struck me from out of the blue yesterday. I have no idea where it came from, but it raised some interesting questions, and I've not been able to stop thinking about it.

We all know the story of Saul's jealousy against David and how he chased him and tried to kill him. My question is this: when David knew that Saul was angry with him, did he really need to run? After all, God had promised David that he would be king. So, Saul could not harm David, right? Was David's flight a lack of faith or just common sense?

This train of thought led me to wonder if it might have been God's will for David to stay put. How would things have been different? Would fewer people have been killed? Would David have earned such a faithful following?

I have no answers for this. If I were being chased, my first instinct would be to run, but our first instinct is not always God's will. Is it? I did not find anywhere in the Bible where the Lord told David to run, but I may have missed it. Interesting, isn't it?

I would love to hear what some of you think about this. Please let me know if you have something to add. I'm truly intrigued by this question at present, and would welcome any feedback.

1 comment:

Jason Rongione said...

If David had stayed there was going to be the inevitable "face off" to witch David would be forced to fight Saul. David knew God's Word and that Saul was still Anointed by God.
2 Samuel 1:8-16
8And he(Saul) said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.

9He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.

10So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.

11Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:

12And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.

13And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.

14And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD's anointed?

15And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.

16And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD's anointed.