Today's Scripture Reading (June 13, 2025): 1 Samuel 27
I
had always been taught that you never hit a girl. This law was Imprinted on my
conscience and my concept of right and wrong. Too many things could be
seriously hurt if you hit the wrong spot. It is something I understood in
elementary school, and it remains a belief I hold today. A friend recently was struck
by her husband, and it was this strong belief that came rushing back to the
forefront of my mind. You just don't do it, regardless of the situation or
anything else. There is never an acceptable excuse for hitting a girl.
I
also recognize that I am large; I always have been, and I have always worried
about the damage I could cause in a fight. As a result, I have always tried to
avoid fights, regardless of whether it was a boy or a girl who wanted to fight
me.
Enter
my nemesis. I have no idea what her name was, so let's call her Susan. For a
short time, Susan lived a few houses down the street from where I lived. Susan
was tall, taller than most boys our age, although we were of about equal
height. And she was strong. For a short time, we attended the same school. Oh,
and one more thing: Susan didn't like me. I never knew what my elementary
school self did to cause her ire, but she seemed to hate me from the moment we
met.
Susan
was also very physical. Her dislike for me didn't stop with her calling me names;
it also extended to her actions. She intended to beat me up physically. And so,
my defense was to try not to be where she was. That worked until one afternoon
when we met in the schoolyard. Susan didn't waste any time. She was on me as
soon as she saw me. What do you do when you are taught not to hit a girl but
when the girl has no hesitation about hitting a boy? I turtled, trying to
protect myself, while she punched and kicked me. Luckily, some friends saw what
was happening and quickly intervened in the one-sided fight, holding the girl
until she had cooled down a little and stomped off home. I survived the fight, and
I was able to tell the story.
I
have often thought that David found himself in a more deadly version of the
conflict that existed between me and Susan. David was not going to harm Saul,
but Saul was not afraid of hurting David. In fact, Saul intended to kill his
former General. Regardless of how hard and fast David and his men ran,
eventually, they would run out of luck and have to meet the king in battle.
When that happened, David would have likely be forced to make a choice he didn't
want to make; either he would kill Saul and live or allow Saul to attain his
goal by killing him.
So,
David chooses a third option (there is always another option). He was going to leave
Israel. For a while, he would live among the Philistines. David would begin
this period in his life by making a treaty with Achish,
son of Maok, king of Gath.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading:
1 Samuel 28
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