King David
Evidently being a man after God's own heart doesn't exempt you from a rather ruthlessly true portrayal of you in scripture.
David's relationships are vividly portrayed in Samuel. And his loyalty to Saul is above reproach. But he does not treat his wives kindly. He takes Michal away from her apparently doting husband (a habit he repeats in a terrible fashion later on), then dismisses her after a spat. It seems as though Michal wasn't too fond of being his wife and embarrassed at his dancing before the Lord. Perhaps the following verse which tells us that Michal had no children is a subtle way of telling us their marriage, for all practical purposes, ended that day.
For some reason this verse stands out to me: "I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor." I wonder if this is a passage that Jesus points to when he walks on the road to Emmaus after his resurrection and explains to the men the scriptures and how they should now be interpreted. But I am getting ahead of myself I think.
Today, I'm a bit disturbed. God seems arbitrary. Even now while I type that I'm looking for lightening bolts sent my way.
Uzzah reaches out to catch the ark from falling and God gets angry at him and kills him. Even David, the man after God's own heart, doesn't seem to understand. And a few chapters after that, God allows David and Bathsheba's son to die. But after that David and Bathsheba have another son, a son and it simply says , "The Lord loved him."
And so I guess that is the paradox we find ourselves in. I need a God that is good. A God in whom I can find rest and refuge. And God seems to grant that rest rather arbitrarily. And so I grow frustrated at my inability to change the heart of God. Yet isn't that supposed to be a good thing? I mean if he grants his love based upon my worthiness then, well, I don't measure up, or I spend my resources, time, talents trying to earn it. But then again, a God I can attain? How can he be God?
David's relationships are vividly portrayed in Samuel. And his loyalty to Saul is above reproach. But he does not treat his wives kindly. He takes Michal away from her apparently doting husband (a habit he repeats in a terrible fashion later on), then dismisses her after a spat. It seems as though Michal wasn't too fond of being his wife and embarrassed at his dancing before the Lord. Perhaps the following verse which tells us that Michal had no children is a subtle way of telling us their marriage, for all practical purposes, ended that day.
For some reason this verse stands out to me: "I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor." I wonder if this is a passage that Jesus points to when he walks on the road to Emmaus after his resurrection and explains to the men the scriptures and how they should now be interpreted. But I am getting ahead of myself I think.
Today, I'm a bit disturbed. God seems arbitrary. Even now while I type that I'm looking for lightening bolts sent my way.
Uzzah reaches out to catch the ark from falling and God gets angry at him and kills him. Even David, the man after God's own heart, doesn't seem to understand. And a few chapters after that, God allows David and Bathsheba's son to die. But after that David and Bathsheba have another son, a son and it simply says , "The Lord loved him."
And so I guess that is the paradox we find ourselves in. I need a God that is good. A God in whom I can find rest and refuge. And God seems to grant that rest rather arbitrarily. And so I grow frustrated at my inability to change the heart of God. Yet isn't that supposed to be a good thing? I mean if he grants his love based upon my worthiness then, well, I don't measure up, or I spend my resources, time, talents trying to earn it. But then again, a God I can attain? How can he be God?
posted by Leslie at 12:46 PM
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