"Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt. So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and prospered..." (1 Sam. 18:3-5a, NASB)
"Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul's robe secretly. It came about afterward that David's conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul's robe." (1 Sam. 24:4b-5, NASB)
As 21st century, Westerners, we miss a lot of the significance of stories about robes and clothes in the Bible. For many of us, there is nothing super special about our clothes. They're something that we put on and off, but are also something that we can just as easily put in a give-away box. However, in the ancient near east, your clothes were also you're identity. They symbolized status in a way much more poignant than today. Oh sure our clothes signify role or wealth somewhat today. A person walking down the street in an Armani suit is likely making more than minimum wage. However, just because you manage to try on an Armani suit does not give you the privileges or wealth that a powerful businessperson might have.
Yet, for the ancients, clothes were part of your identity. If you are stripped of you clothes, you lose the identity that those clothes symbolized. Thus, it is extremely significant when Jonathon (a prince) strips off his royal robes and gives them a shepherd boy. It was essentially an abdication of the throne. Likewise, David feels guilt over cutting part of Saul robe because it was like making a premature grab at the royal throne. David was not just cutting a robe, he was attacking Saul's identity as king.
Passages like this serve as a poignant reminder that we cannot simply overlook details in Biblical narrative. Even things like the clothes that people wear (or don't wear) can have a major affect on interpretation.
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Showing posts with label 1 Samuel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1 Samuel. Show all posts
Monday, November 15, 2010
Saul the Judge
A foolish vow, a child is threatened by that vow, and people advocate doing whatever seems best in their own eyes. Although these events take place in 1 Sam. 14, it seems like we have heard them before. In fact, if one reads straight through from Genesis to 1 Samuel, they will realize that they have heard this before. While this story in 1 Sam. 14 is about the foolishness of King Saul, there are many elements that seem reminiscent of the book of Judges.
For example, several times throughout the narrative, Saul's men advise him to "do whatever seems good to you" (NASB). One cannot help but think of the ending of Judges which states how everyone "did what was right in their own eyes." Instead of seeking God's advice, people simply acted on their own feelings, just as Saul makes a number of rash orders here.
Likewise, Saul seems like a newer version of the Judge Jephthah. Both characters make a foolish oath after military victories that end up affecting one of their children. In the case of Jephthah, he offers to sacrifice the first thing that greets him at his home, which results in his having to sacrifice/dedicate his daughter to God. In the case of Saul, he makes an oath that forbids any of his men from eating any honey, even though as Jonathon points out, the honey would help strengthen the troops. In the end, Saul is faced with the decision to kill his own son for violating the oath by eating honey. However, unlike Jephthah, Saul does not keep his oath but bends to the wishes of his people.
If these similarities between Saul and the book of Judges are intentional, then the effect is comparing the end of Saul's reign to the period of the judges. Although Saul is king and should be bringing more prosperity and unity to Israel, he reign is just as foolish and chaotic as the period of the judges. In fact, in some ways it is worse because he is even weaker than some of the leaders of old as he can't even keep his own oaths. Instead of remaining faithful to the tasks God gave him, he allows himself to be easily pushed around by his own feelings and by the wishes of his people.
For example, several times throughout the narrative, Saul's men advise him to "do whatever seems good to you" (NASB). One cannot help but think of the ending of Judges which states how everyone "did what was right in their own eyes." Instead of seeking God's advice, people simply acted on their own feelings, just as Saul makes a number of rash orders here.
Likewise, Saul seems like a newer version of the Judge Jephthah. Both characters make a foolish oath after military victories that end up affecting one of their children. In the case of Jephthah, he offers to sacrifice the first thing that greets him at his home, which results in his having to sacrifice/dedicate his daughter to God. In the case of Saul, he makes an oath that forbids any of his men from eating any honey, even though as Jonathon points out, the honey would help strengthen the troops. In the end, Saul is faced with the decision to kill his own son for violating the oath by eating honey. However, unlike Jephthah, Saul does not keep his oath but bends to the wishes of his people.
If these similarities between Saul and the book of Judges are intentional, then the effect is comparing the end of Saul's reign to the period of the judges. Although Saul is king and should be bringing more prosperity and unity to Israel, he reign is just as foolish and chaotic as the period of the judges. In fact, in some ways it is worse because he is even weaker than some of the leaders of old as he can't even keep his own oaths. Instead of remaining faithful to the tasks God gave him, he allows himself to be easily pushed around by his own feelings and by the wishes of his people.
The End in the Middle
"Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years."- 1 Samuel 13:1 (TNIV)
This summary of the reign of king Saul comes at the beginning of chapter 13 in 1 Samuel. However, it's placement in the story is odd. One expects to find such a summary either at the end of a story or perhaps at the beginning. Indeed, both David and Solomon have similar summaries of their reigns, but in both of their cases the summary comes after the death of the king. However, in the case of Saul, this statement appears in the middle of Saul's story. A similar thing occurs with Ish-bosheth and David in 2 Sam. 2:10-11 and 4:4-5. Here, Saul was crowned king 3 chapters earlier and had led a successful campaign against Israel's enemies. However, there is still plenty of Saul's story to go. In fact, Saul does not die until the very end of 1 Samuel.
In thinking about the placement of this statement, perhaps it is significant that, unlike David or Solomon, there is no summary statement at the end of Saul's life. Furthermore, it appears just before Saul's first major mistake as king. While waiting at Gilgal for Samuel, Saul becomes impatient and ends up disobeying God's command. Instead off waiting for Samuel to come and offer a sacrifice, Saul chooses to offer the sacrifice himself. Samuel then rebukes Saul with the harrowing claim that Saul's "kingdom will not endure" (13:14 TNIV). Indeed, things continue to go downhill for Saul as he slowly loses touch with God and slowly loses his kingdom to David.
In some ways this narrative device works lie an extended flashback in movies. There are many movies that provide you with a scene and then go back to explain how that scene came about. For example, a bomb goes off in the opening scene and then the movies flashes back to the events leading up to that bombing. We already know the ending, the question is just how did we get there. Thus, whether it is Saul or David, we get a peak at the end and must await the details that are to come. However, in Saul's case, the author is signaling that this is the beginning of the end for Saul. With no second summary at the end of his reign (unlike David and Solomon), Saul's life is a steady downhill event. After chapter 13, Saul's reign is a good as done, so one might as well only summarize the totality of Saul reign here. Thus, in chapter 13, we know that the end of Saul is coming, but the reader soon discovers that the 42 years of Saul's reign were not all good years..
This summary of the reign of king Saul comes at the beginning of chapter 13 in 1 Samuel. However, it's placement in the story is odd. One expects to find such a summary either at the end of a story or perhaps at the beginning. Indeed, both David and Solomon have similar summaries of their reigns, but in both of their cases the summary comes after the death of the king. However, in the case of Saul, this statement appears in the middle of Saul's story. A similar thing occurs with Ish-bosheth and David in 2 Sam. 2:10-11 and 4:4-5. Here, Saul was crowned king 3 chapters earlier and had led a successful campaign against Israel's enemies. However, there is still plenty of Saul's story to go. In fact, Saul does not die until the very end of 1 Samuel.
In thinking about the placement of this statement, perhaps it is significant that, unlike David or Solomon, there is no summary statement at the end of Saul's life. Furthermore, it appears just before Saul's first major mistake as king. While waiting at Gilgal for Samuel, Saul becomes impatient and ends up disobeying God's command. Instead off waiting for Samuel to come and offer a sacrifice, Saul chooses to offer the sacrifice himself. Samuel then rebukes Saul with the harrowing claim that Saul's "kingdom will not endure" (13:14 TNIV). Indeed, things continue to go downhill for Saul as he slowly loses touch with God and slowly loses his kingdom to David.
In some ways this narrative device works lie an extended flashback in movies. There are many movies that provide you with a scene and then go back to explain how that scene came about. For example, a bomb goes off in the opening scene and then the movies flashes back to the events leading up to that bombing. We already know the ending, the question is just how did we get there. Thus, whether it is Saul or David, we get a peak at the end and must await the details that are to come. However, in Saul's case, the author is signaling that this is the beginning of the end for Saul. With no second summary at the end of his reign (unlike David and Solomon), Saul's life is a steady downhill event. After chapter 13, Saul's reign is a good as done, so one might as well only summarize the totality of Saul reign here. Thus, in chapter 13, we know that the end of Saul is coming, but the reader soon discovers that the 42 years of Saul's reign were not all good years..
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