2/11/03
26. Samuel, Saul & David
I was sitting in the kitchen area around the table as my Mother was working with a piece of fabric, and I propped My head on My hands as My elbows supported them resting on the table. There I gazed upon the beauty of My mother. In awe I simply looked at her and admired how meticulously and with what great love and patience she wove the cloth. My mother glanced up at me and caught that mesmerizing look in My round eyes.
“What is it, Son?”
“Oh, I thought you’d like to tell me a story about one of the great prophets,” I said. “I mean I will watch you do your chores, and I will listen to you. We’ll have a meeting, a special one, just between you and me!”
“Oh, I see,” Mother responded. “Well, Samuel was a great prophet. He was a seer. They called someone a ‘seer’ when they were closely connected to God. Samuel responded to God when God called Him three times in the night as he was sleeping. He responded by saying, ‘Here I am Lord, your servant is listening.’
“Well during the time of the Philistines, when the Ark of the Covenant was amongst them, there was a King of Israel by the name of Saul. Saul oftentimes was tormented because God had rejected him as king when he disobeyed God’s commands. When Saul was tormented, his servants would advise him to listen to a harpist so that the music would soothe his sentiments and comfort Him.
“David was the son of Jesse. Jesse had seven sons besides David. David was the youngest, and he used to play his harp in the fields when tending to his sheep. He was a young, handsome fellow. Samuel was sent to Jesse because the Lord wanted him to anoint David.
“As his servants advised Saul of the harpist, Saul sent his servants to Jesse to ask if David could join his service. Saul would ask David to play his harp when he was afflicted and anxious. Saul took a great liking to David, and he too became very special to David.
“At that time there was a rugged, big man by the name of Goliath who was a Philistine. He was mean and brutal. The Israelites and the Philistines had gathered together for a big battle. Goliath had defied God and the Israelites. He challenged Saul to send one of his men to fight him. If Goliath killed him, the Israelites would have to succumb to the Philistines. If Saul’s chosen warrior killed Goliath, the Philistines would belong to the Israelites.”
“What happened, momma?”
“Well, Son, David went to Saul and pleaded that he be chosen to save Israel. Saul permitted David to face Goliath. Goliath, seeing David in his handsome youthfulness, swore against God and threatened David, pledging to kill him and leave him for the wild birds to eat his flesh. David, anointed by the blessing of God, responded back with Goliath’s words; and he told him that he would cut off his head because God was on his side and that the Lord of Hosts would save him.”
“Wow,” I said, “what happened, what happened?”
My mother continued, “Well, David selected five smooth stones to use with his sling. Goliath mocked him because he had a metal helmet and sword, and David did not have any armor, only his sling and smooth stones. Saul had given him garments to wear, but David had refused. As the two approached one another, David took a stone and hit Goliath right in the forehead, and down Goliath went. And then, as David had said, he took Goliath’s sword and cut off his head. With that, the Philistines fled in fear.”
There I sat with my mouth open and eyes fixed on my Mother who continued to weave her fabric. “The point of this story, my Son, is that God fights battles not with swords. He knows the incentives of each heart. The battle God fights is a different battle. Those He anoints save His chosen ones. But as always with the anointed and chosen prophets, there are those who become jealous, just as in the days of Saul and David. David did wondrous works, and Saul ended up being jealous of David. Saul planned to destroy him and kill him David, even after he had rescued Saul from the Philistines.
“It is the same today. They will love you, Son, for your good works, and then become jealous of you and seek to destroy and kill you. But God will prevail, and His Temple will never be destroyed. The flesh may die, but the Spirit lives forever.”
With that, my Mother got quiet and she looked flushed. I saw tears welling up in her eyes, so I hopped off my stool, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and ran outside.