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Caves, Defecation, and Theological Presumption (thread)
When Saul and his army were pursuing David, Saul went into a cave to "cover his feet," that is, squat and relieve himself. Little did he know that David and his men were hiding in the back of the cave (1 Sam. 24). 1/5
When Saul and his army were pursuing David, Saul went into a cave to "cover his feet," that is, squat and relieve himself. Little did he know that David and his men were hiding in the back of the cave (1 Sam. 24). 1/5
David's men interpreted this crazy stroke of "good luck" as a godsend. They said to David, “Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you'" (v. 4). 2/5
In other words: "God has provided this opportunity for you to kill your enemy. It's a sign from heaven, as clear as day. Do it!" But they were being theologically presumptive (as R. Alter says). David knew better. He knew that it would be a sin to strike the Lord's anointed. 3/5
We have all faced situations where "the stars aligned," where we had the perfect opportunity to do our will over against God's will. In such situations, it's good to look with our ears, not our eyes. To let what we hear from God's Word guide us, not what we see before us. 4/5
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding" Proverbs 3:5. 5/5
