October 20, 2014
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Whose Fault Is It Anyway?

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

Gracious God, Your love is hard to comprehend. Even though my mind cannot grasp it, I open my heart to receive it.

Read 1 Samuel 22:1-23

[1] David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. [2] All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him. [3] From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?” [4] So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold. [5] But the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth. [6] Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul was seated, spear in hand, under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing at his side. [7] He 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? [8] 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.” [9] But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelek son of Ahitub at Nob. [10] Ahimelek inquired of the LORD for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” [11] Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelek son of Ahitub and all the men of his family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. [12] Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” “Yes, my lord,” he answered. [13] 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?” [14] Ahimelek 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? [15] 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.” [16] But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelek, you and your whole family.” [17] 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 unwilling to raise a hand to strike the priests of the LORD. [18] 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. [19] 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. [20] But one son of Ahimelek son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to join David. [21] He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. [22] 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 whole family. [23] Stay with me; don’t be afraid. The man who wants to kill you is trying to kill me too. You will be safe with me.”

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Reflect

It is so easy to get into the blame-game. However, we need to take ownership of our mistakes and learn from the experience.

Conspiracy theories are nothing new. Saul uses the phrase “conspired against me” twice, in verses 8 and 13. He is increasingly living in a world of frightened fantasy, imagining everyone to be against him, a suspicion that has no factual basis at this stage. But no explanations would now have persuaded a hysterical man beyond all reasoning.

Was the dreadful massacre of the priests and inhabitants of Nob Saul’s fault? In one sense, definitely. Was it also Doeg’s fault? His desire for self-advancement fuelled his betrayal of Ahimelech, and it was Doeg who actually did the killing. Or perhaps ultimately it was God’s fault, since this extermination– all but one person–of the house of Eli (Ahimelech was his great-grandson) was foretold by Samuel (1 Sam. 2:27-36), so perhaps it was God’s judgment on Eli’s family. Or was it David’s fault, albeit inadvertently, for involving an innocent Ahimelech in his schemes? At least David was willing to take responsibility and accept his share of the blame (22).

Terrible things happen today, too, and it’s not always easy to pinpoint the culprit. For example, is a landslide in Latin America the result of climate change and global warming, or the fault of the over-consumption of the world’s resources? Would it have happened anyway–a result of earth movements that ultimately go back to creation? Or is it due to the rich-poor divide within the continent itself, where the poor are pushed to the vulnerable areas that no one else wants? It’s easy to point the finger, but it’s less easy to admit to our share in the blame and to take responsibility.

Apply

When you consider this account, with whom do you most readily identify? With which of their weaknesses do you most readily identify? How will you bring these weaknesses under the lordship of Christ?

Closing prayer

Lord, forgive me for the times when my actions have inadvertently led to suffering for others. Help me to accept responsibility and do what I can to rectify matters.

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