1 Samuel Chapter 22
While everyone who was in distress, in debt, or discontented gathered to David, Saul witnessed how the support of his servants deserted him. With his spear in his hand – he was out to kill (cf 18:10-11) – Saul told off his servants (vv7-8) and Ahimelech the priest (v13) for not being loyal to his cause.
The author of this portion of the Bible made it clear what it was all about.
The phrase “against me” appeared four times; “reveals to me”, twice, and “sorry for me”, once.
This was a man who became desperate as he tried to hold onto power that was slipping away. Not just power, but his own power. Even the guards under Saul must have thought he lost his mind, refusing to obey his command to kill the priests (v17). Ironically, he then had to rely on a Gentile in Doeg to feel secure in the throne that had been given to him by the God of Israel.
Whereas he had spared some livestock to placate the masses before (15:9ff), being filled with anger at this point, Saul at the very least silently consented when Doeg killed them all (vv18-19).
There was no point in pleasing anyone – the situation was going out of control, he thought.
Saul was eager to remain king; he wanted to have the people’s support.
But David had the people’s support instead. The thing is, Saul would have been better off had he let go a little: had he not unlawfully offered the sacrifices himself (13:8-9), and had he not spared the Amalekite livestock. Had he sought and trusted God more, he would not have had to do all this. God would have established his kingdom forever (13:13).
It’s tempting to think that we are in control of everything in our lives, as Elder James reminds us in his epistle (Jas4:13-16). We are not fully in control, and it is arrogant to boast that we are. In any case, some of these things that we desire so badly are not that valuable after all (Mt16:26). And these are precisely the things that we use all ways and means to gain.
Let us learn to let go of our wants, and let God bless us according to His will.