AT THE INTERSECTION OF GOOD AND EVIL

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul, spear in hand, was seated under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing around him. Saul said to them, "Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today."

But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul's officials, said, "I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. Ahimelech inquired of the Lord for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine."

Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and his father's whole family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. Saul said, "Listen now, son of Ahitub."

"Yes, my lord," he answered.

Saul said to him, "Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?"

Ahimelech answered the king, "Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king's son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father's family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair."

But the king said, "You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's whole family."

Then the king ordered the guards at his side: "Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me."

But the king's officials were not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord.

The king then ordered Doeg, "You turn and strike down the priests." So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.

But Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub, escaped and fled to join David. He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. Then David said to Abiathar: "That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your father's whole family. Stay with me; don't be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me."

1 Samuel 22:6-23

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As 1st Samuel, Chapter 22 opens, we find David and his four hundred men still on the lam from Saul and heading to the forest of Hereth in Judah after receiving a prophecy from Gad. To this point, David had been able to give Saul the slip but as our passage opens today, we see where Saul had “heard that David and his men had been discovered”.

Given this information, we see Saul turn his anger toward his officials who were “standing around him” as he sat “with spear in hand…under the tamarisk tree”. Saul said to them:

“Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today."

Saul expected to know everything and in order for this to happen, he expected that his officials tell him everything. Privacy was not a consideration for Saul and he even wanted to know what his son was up to. Not getting that information led to Saul accusing his men of conspiring against him…a treasonous act that would command the death penalty. But before Saul could go there, his head shepherd, Doeg the Edomite stepped into the picture and interjected that he had seen “…the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob” where “Ahimelech inquired of the Lord for him”…and “gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine." And this led Saul to not only feel that his officials against him but the priests as well.

So we read where Saul “sent for the priest Ahimelech…and his father's whole family, who were the priests at Nob”. Once there, Saul asks Ahimelech the same question he asked his officials saying:

"Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?"

Unlike the officials who offered no response to Saul’s accusations, we see where Ahimelech didn’t hesitate to speak back saying:

“Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king's son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father's family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair."

Ahimelech spoke truth to Saul and any rational man would have opened his eyes to the wrong of his ways…especially when he was being advised by a priest…an appointed spiritual leader for the Lord. Saul was at an important decision point. His thoughts and actions had been nothing but sinful, wrong and evil. The priest was trying to bring Saul to his senses, back to the place where the Lord wanted him to be…the place that would turn him toward goodness and righteousness.

In other words, Saul was at the intersection of good and evil.

How often do we find ourselves at this point as well…at the point where we have a decision to make after being presented with the pros of doing right against the cons of doing wrong? Which way do we turn when sitting at the intersection of good and evil?

Well, Saul could have stepped back from his situation and prayed about the matter. If he had, there is no doubt the Lord would have convicted him and this whole matter could have ended. Saul, in that scenario, would have chosen at the intersection toward what was good and right.

But Saul didn’t turn to the Lord. Instead, he relied on his own judgment…and ended up playing judge and jury on the priest saying, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's whole family." And with this, we read where Saul ordered his guards to, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me."

Now the guards were standing at the intersection of good and evil. They knew that it was wrong to attack anyone or anything that represented the Lord. They also knew that their king had given them an order to carry out executions on Ahimelech and his fellow priests.

And with this, the guards had a choice to make…right or wrong…good or evil. They chose right and good because they were “not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord”.

So we would think at this point that the priests were safe…right?

They weren’t because evil can be a stubborn foe. Satan too often operates in a way that just enlists someone else to do his evil work when another fails to carry out his wishes. And we see this truth revealed as we look at what happens next in our passage.

For Saul, rebuffed by his officials, turns his attention to Doeg the Edomite, a man who Saul…and Satan…knew would have no emotional connection to the priests…and thus would have no problem carrying out their evil desires. And Doeg didn’t disappoint.

For no sooner had Saul given him the order to “turn and strike down the priests”, we see where Doeg does it, killing “eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod”…eighty-five men who had been enlisted and ordained by God for His service. And Doeg wasn’t satisfied with this as “he also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep”. The death toll was incredible…and evil had reigned supreme... because Doeg turned toward evil and wrong at the intersection of good and evil.

As the chapter closes, we see where there is one positive that emerged from the bloody assault on the priests and everything they owned. For we read where “Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub, escaped and fled to join David” where he told David how “Saul had killed the priests of the Lord”. As you would expect, David was distraught because he recalled being with Ahimelech and seeing Saul’s head shepherd, Doeg, present there. He felt that Doeg might return and tell Saul what he had seen. His intuition proved correct and we see David take accountability for the tragedy saying, “I am responsible for the death of your father's whole family”. And with that, David told Abiathar to “Stay with me; don't be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me." Abiathar’s father and family had been slain and David was committed to make sure he didn’t lose anything more…including his own life. For David and Abiathar shared one thing in common…Saul wanted them both dead.

In this scripture, we see various examples of people who were faced with having to make critical decisions regarding right and wrong…decisions that are required when we find ourselves at the intersection of good and evil.

What will it be for you?

Will you do what’s right like Saul’s officials and opt for the direction that will always be pleasing to God…the way that is right and good…the way that He will always guide us to if we seek His help?

Or will you be like Saul and Doeg…deciding to not seek and inquire of the Lord regarding what direction He wants and instead choosing Satan’s ways…the ways of sinfulness and evil.

Friends, there really isn’t a middle road…no line to toe. You’re either going to make a decision for right or wrong…good or evil.

What way will you turn the next time you pull up to the intersection?

You may want to ask the Lord for directions first. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/

Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com