Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Saul Slays 85 Priests

Today I read 1 Samuel 22 and oh how the mighty have fallen!  Poor Saul is losing his mind to madness and power lust.  He heard that the priests showed kindness to David and gave him food and a sword.  When he inquired of the priest why he did that the priest gave him an honest answer and I for one love it!  The priest asked Saul who among his men and servants was as loyal as David?  Who performs their duty as well as David does?  How should the priest know that Saul was upset with him?

This answer must have infuriated Saul.  It was simple honest truth but it was no doubt the last thing that Saul wanted to hear.  This simple, honest answer must have laid Saul's soul bare and I will wager that he did not like what he saw one bit.  My evidence for such an assumption is that Saul commands his soldiers to slay all the priests.  Fortunately for the soldiers, they refuse.  However, unfortunately, in this world there is always someone willing to do evil for evil's sake.  Saul finds someone who is willing to do his dirty work for him and they slay 85 priests, for no other crime than speaking the truth and showing kindness to someone in need.

Of all Saul's crimes against God, I personally think that this one is among the most heinous.  Perhaps the worst in fact.  To slay 85 innocent men for your own pride, I shudder to think what kind of an answer he could have given Heavenly Father when asked why he did such a thing.  The horror of his crimes when laid bare before him must have been terrible indeed.  If Alma's experience is anything to go by, poor Saul probably wanted to cease to exist, but we all must stand before God and be judged for what we have done, good or bad.  That is why you never want to do anything that you wouldn't want repeated, because it WILL be repeated sooner or later.  Until tomorrow.

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