Today’s Scripture Reading (January 22,
2016): 1 Samuel 13
Virgil tells
the story of “the Trojan Horse” in his work “Aenid” written somewhere between
29 and 19 B.C.E. The story tells the mythical story of how the Greeks won the
Trojan War. The people of Troy were secure behind the walls of their city, and
so the Greeks decided to try some kind of trick in order to gain the victory.
The trick came in the form of a giant wooden horse with a unit of elite Greek
soldiers hidden inside it. According to the story, the Greeks told the Trojan’s
that the horse was gift for the goddess Minerva (or Athena), who the Greeks had
dishonored the previous day. The Trojan priest Laocoon is suspicious of the
gift and warns the citizens of Troy – “Do not trust the horse, Trojans! Whatever
it is, I fear the Danaans (Greeks), even when they bring gifts.” But Lacocoon
is killed by a snake, which the Trojans believed is a sign that the priest had
displeased Minerva with his words. On Minerva’s behalf, they welcome the horse
into their city. What else could they do since it was apparent that Minerva had
already accepted her gift? That night, while Troy slept, the Greek soldier
snuck out of the horse and opened the city gates of the city to the Greek army
who had returned under cover of darkness. That night Troy was destroyed.
“I had to”
might just be the worst words ever spoken. It is the hope of every military
commander, that somehow they will be able to maneuver the enemy into a position
where they “have to do” something. The perceived lack of choice is the first
step towards failure. It is seen even in the earliest battles, with the story
of the Trojan horse that must be accepted into the city because of its
acceptance by the gods, to stories where the enemy is left a perfectly viable
way to escape, only to find out when they try to escape that the path is
nothing more than a trap. The first step to winning in anything is making the
opponent truly believe that this is the only way.
Saul has
found himself in a predicament. The problem is that even though God has chosen
him to be king, he does not really trust God. He really only trusts in the
superiority of his own forces. So as he sets up to fight against the
Philistines, he is told to wait for Samuel (the representative of God
fulfilling the offices of Judge, Prophet and High Priest) before enjoining the
attack. But the army becomes unsettled as Samuel is perceived as being late.
And the army that Saul has raised begins to leave him, weakening his confidence
that he can succeed in the coming battle.
So Saul's lack of faith leads him to believe
that he has no choice but to offer a sacrifice on his own. And in doing this, he
breaks the Mosaic Law and offers an unauthorized sacrifice to God. His hope
really isn’t in God, but it is that the sacrifice would strengthen the faith of
the remaining members of his army and keep them with him. Saul feels that he
must offer the sacrifice, something he felt he had to do, but in doing so he
lost the favor of God. And in losing the favor of God, he lost the battle and
the ability to be successful as king – and no army could regain that for him.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1
Samuel 14
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