1 Samuel 22:6-23 – Barbarity, Brutality, Savagery, and Terror
Thankfully we have not experienced any acts of terror recently. Yet acts of terror do intrude upon our lives at various points. I write this devotion a few days after the 19th anniversary of 9/11. It’s not long since Westminster, Manchester, Paris, and Christchurch experienced significant acts of terror. I live in a country with 30 years of terror and troubles in its recent history. Acts of terror, barbarity, brutality, and savagery intrude into our lives sometimes. In 1 Samuel 21 a barbaric, brutal, and savage act of terror intrudes on David’s life and the pages of Scripture.
Nob is a priestly city, its citizens are ministers and representatives of God. Doeg the Edomite raids this defenceless city, slaughtering 85 priests (verse 18). The Jewish historian Josephus puts the death-toll, including “woman, child and infant” (verse 19) at 350. Men, woman, children, infants, and even the animals. They are not even taken as plunder, but liquidated in wanton destruction. The images these verses conjure are distressing: the beautiful ceremonial robes of the priests soaked in blood; their white linen ephods stained crimson; a deathly silence hanging over the town; children lying where they were cut down. An act of barbarity, brutality, savagery, and terror.
These are unpleasant images and we should find them unpleasant to have them conjured in our minds by God’s Word. Yet God does not record them for the sake of making a 15 or 18 certified story, or to gratify our lust for violence and gore. Neither is he callous about human suffering. He has lessons for us to learn. How do we live in the face of modern terror? How do we live with reminders of our own brutal history in Ireland, Scotland, the US, or wherever? How do we live in a world of barbarity, brutality, savagery, and terror? We will see these lessons this week as we look at the three kings in the passage.
Questions
- Are there any acts of terror in your lifetime that you still struggle to come to terms with?
Prayer Points
- Pray that this week God would prepare us for living in a barbaric, brutal, savage world.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.