Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Samuel 25:23-25 (New Living Translation)

²³ When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed low before him. ²⁴ She fell at his feet and said, “I accept all blame in this matter, my lord. Please listen to what I have to say. ²⁵ I know Nabal is a wicked and ill-tempered man; please don’t pay any attention to him. He is a fool, just as his name suggests.

Abigail is speaking to David about a man named Nabal. Abigail tells David that Nabal is wicked, ill-tempered, and a fool.

Nabal is Abigail’s husband.

Given all of chapter 25, Abigail is correct in her description of her husband. Still, if you are married, would you appreciate it if your spouse went to a stranger and described you as Abigail described her spouse?

Still, at the end of the chapter, Nabal dies, and David quickly marries Abigail. David saw something the the life and actions of Abigail that was highly desired.

Go figure?

1 Samuel 22:6-9 (New Living Translation)

⁶ When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals.^{[a] 7} This was their song:

“Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands!”

⁸ This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” ⁹ So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

Saul was jealous of David. Note, jealousy is one of those things that no one can push on me. I decide to be jealous. Saul decided to be jealous of David.

Saul was King. He wanted to be King forever. He could not accept that one day he would die and David would be King. Saul’s jealousy drives him for years to come and leads to the death of thousands of innocent people.

Today, many of us decide to be jealous. We cannot accept the passing of this or that thing or person or status. Our jealousy doesn’t lead to the deaths of thousands, but it does lead to sin and a miserable life.

God, help me keep jealousy out of my heart.

1 Samuel 22:18-19 (New Living Translation)

¹⁸ Then the king said to Doeg, “You do it.” So Doeg the Edomite turned on them and killed them that day, eighty-five priests in all, still wearing their priestly garments. ¹⁹ Then he went to Nob, the town of the priests, and killed the priests’ families—men and women, children and babies—and all the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats.

This (hi)story is part of Saul’s tragic chase of David. A Priest in Nob, Ahimelech, aided David by giving him food and weapons. Ahimelech confessed openly. To paraphrase him, “Of course I helped David. He is the King’s son-in-law. I always help him in any way I can.”

Saul commanded his soldiers to kill the Priest(s). They refused. They would not kill those appointed by God to minister.

Doeg, from Edom, complied with Saul’s wishes. He murdered 85 Priests. He then murdered the families of the Priests – men, women, children, and babies.

This is one of the worst mass murders recorded in the Bible.

Leviticus 26:21-22 (New Living Translation)

²¹ “If even then you remain hostile toward me and refuse to obey me, I will inflict disaster on you seven times over for your sins. ²² I will send wild animals that will rob you of your children and destroy your livestock. Your numbers will dwindle, and your roads will be deserted.

God is warning His people about the consequences of disobedience. Note verse 22: He will use wild animals as part of His punishment. The wild animals will destroy livestock. I understand that as wild animals still plague livestock worldwide to this day.

Note, however, the first phrase of verse 22: the wild animals will rob the people of their children. God will send wild animals that will steal and kill the children of the nation. Harsh? Absolutely. I cannot imagine something more terrible. God, punish me for my transgressions, but don’t have a wolf kill my little child. Deserved? I hesitate and wince, but I have to also answer “absolutely.”

I fail to justify God’s punishment. My mind is not big enough to understand all of His ways.

1 Samuel 17:48-51 (New Living Translation)

⁴⁸ As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. ⁴⁹ Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.

⁵⁰ So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. ⁵¹ Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head.

The above translation of the Bible indicates that David did not kill Goliath with a stone from his slingshot. It was not until David used Goliath’s own sword that David killed his opponent.

Let’s look at at King James version of the battle:

⁴⁸ And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

⁴⁹ And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

⁵⁰ So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

⁵¹ Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

The phrase “slew him” indicates that David killed Goliath. That phrase appears twice: (1) in verse 50 as a result of the stone and (2) in verse 51 as a result of Goliath’s own sword. David killed Goliath twice. How do you kill someone two times?

Let’s look at the more recent New International Version:

⁴⁸ As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. ⁴⁹ Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

⁵⁰ So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

⁵¹ David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.

This translation also has David killing Goliath twice. Once in verse 50 and the second time in verse 51. Again, how do you kill someone twice?

I have no answer.

Deuteronomy 17:14-20 (New Living Translation)

⁴ “You are about to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you take it over and settle there, you may think, ‘We should select a king to rule over us like the other nations around us.’ ¹⁵ If this happens, be sure to select as king the man the Lord your God chooses. You must appoint a fellow Israelite; he may not be a foreigner.

¹⁶ “The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’¹⁷ The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.

¹⁸ “When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. ¹⁹ He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. ²⁰ This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.

The LORD predicts that His people will want a king like the other nations. The prediction does not mean that having a king will be a good thing. It seems that having kings wasn’t so good for the LORD’s people.

Anyways, since the LORD knows His people will have a king, He provides instructions on how to be a king. Take note.

The King shall:

• write himself a copy of the law
• read the law every day of his life

The King shall not:

• multiply horses for himself
• send people back to Egypt to gather more horses
• multiply wives for himself
• greatly increase silver and gold for himself
• lift his heart above his countrymen
• turn aside from the law

The “The King shall” list is much shorter than the “The King shall not” list. Maybe there is something significant in that little fact.

Anyways, the LORD’s people had a few kings who obeyed this how-to, but had many more who didn’t. Since then, the kings of the nations of the world followed along this path. Few obeyed, but most didn’t. In the age of democracy, we still have this problem with most of our elected leaders.

Perhaps someone would take these verses and write a book titled something like “Being King and President and Prime Minister for Dummies.” Someone might make a lot of money with that one.

1 Samuel 8:10-18 (New International Version)

¹⁰ Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king.¹¹ He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. ¹² Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. ¹³ He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. ¹⁴ He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. ¹⁵ He will take a tenthof your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. ¹⁶ Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle^[c] and donkeys he will take for his own use. ¹⁷ He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.¹⁸ When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

The three words that are the title of this post are prophetic. In the above passage, the people of Israel want a king to lead them like all the other nations. The LORD tells Samuel, “well, okay, they can have a king, but let me tell you three words that characterize human kings,

he will take”

Notice the things that the king will take from the people:

• your sons
• the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves
• a tenth of your seed and your vineyards
• your male and female servants
• your best young men
• your donkeys
• a tenth of your flocks

That is a lot of taking. Guess what? The LORD’s prophecy came true. The LORD’s prophecy came true for thousands of years of worldly kings throughout the world. It seems that it is still true today in the age of democracy.

Psalms 135:15-18 (New English Translation)

¹⁵ The nations’ idols are made of silver and gold,
they are man-made.
¹⁶ They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see,
¹⁷ and ears, but cannot hear.
Indeed, they cannot breathe.
¹⁸ Those who make them will end up like them,
as will everyone who trusts in them.

The idols of the nations are made of refined ore, i.e., processed dirt.

Notice verse 18, those who make those idols and worship them will become like them – dirt.

Not a bright future.

Luke 12:29-31 (New Living Translation)

²⁹ “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. ³⁰ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs.

What dominates the thoughts of unbelievers? I don’t know by experience. I have to confess that the vast majority of my life has been characterized by believers. Here, however, I am told the thoughts of unbelievers:

what to eat and drink

Is that it?

God, thank you for the blessings of the life you have given me.

Genesis 23:1-20 (New Living Translation)

When Sarah was 127 years old, ² she died at Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron) in the land of Canaan. There Abraham mourned and wept for her.

³ Then, leaving her body, he said to the Hittite elders, ⁴ “Here I am, a stranger and a foreigner among you. Please sell me a piece of land so I can give my wife a proper burial.”

⁵ The Hittites replied to Abraham, ⁶ “Listen, my lord, you are an honored prince among us. Choose the finest of our tombs and bury her there. No one here will refuse to help you in this way.”

⁷ Then Abraham bowed low before the Hittites ⁸ and said, “Since you are willing to help me in this way, be so kind as to ask Ephron son of Zohar ⁹ to let me buy his cave at Machpelah, down at the end of his field. I will pay the full price in the presence of witnesses, so I will have a permanent burial place for my family.”

¹⁰ Ephron was sitting there among the others, and he answered Abraham as the others listened, speaking publicly before all the Hittite elders of the town. ¹¹ “No, my lord,” he said to Abraham, “please listen to me. I will give you the field and the cave. Here in the presence of my people, I give it to you. Go and bury your dead.”

¹² Abraham again bowed low before the citizens of the land, ¹³ and he replied to Ephron as everyone listened. “No, listen to me. I will buy it from you. Let me pay the full price for the field so I can bury my dead there.”

¹⁴ Ephron answered Abraham, ¹⁵ “My lord, please listen to me. The land is worth 400 pieces^[a] of silver, but what is that between friends? Go ahead and bury your dead.”

¹⁶ So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price and paid the amount he had suggested—400 pieces of silver, weighed according to the market standard. The Hittite elders witnessed the transaction.

¹⁷ So Abraham bought the plot of land belonging to Ephron at Machpelah, near Mamre. This included the field itself, the cave that was in it, and all the surrounding trees. ¹⁸ It was transferred to Abraham as his permanent possession in the presence of the Hittite elders at the city gate. ¹⁹ Then Abraham buried his wife, Sarah, there in Canaan, in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre (also called Hebron). ²⁰ So the field and the cave were transferred from the Hittites to Abraham for use as a permanent burial place.

This post is unusual in that I have listed an entire chapter of the Bible. This chapter relates the negotiations between Abraham and Ephron over the purchase of a plot of land that Abraham used to bury his wife Sarah.

The outcome was set: Ephron was going to sell the plot to Abraham. The negotiation went on and on. This is the eastern man; this is not the western man. Western men would “negotiate” as:

• Mr. A: I want to buy this land.
• Mr. E: How much?
• Mr. A: Market value plus 5%
• Mr. E: Okay

Eastern men negotiate as:

• Mr. A: I want to buy this land
• Mr. E: Oh no, I will give it to you honorable sir
• Mr. A: Oh no, I cannot accept this as a gift. That would not be honorable
• Repeat the above a couple of times
• Mr. E: Alright, if you insist to uphold your honor and the honor of those to be buried here, I will sell.
• Mr. A: Agreed.

There are several examples of this in the Old Testament. In our world today, east and west often collide. For some reason, people of the east and west don’t seem to remember these Old Testament negotiations.