Readers Guide: “The Word for Today” Wednesday, October 31, 2012 Read – 1 Samuel 17 & 18 Chapter 17 tells a story that is familiar to most of us – the story of David and Goliath. The point of the story is clear – David trusts God and that makes all the difference. If ever David was a hero it is in this story – and we need to remember that and give David his due. His story will become far more complicated later. So, this is a great story with a great message for us. But in the context of the Bible this is not a story without its challenges. We had just heard that David was brought to bring soothing harp music to Saul as he suffered from evil spirits. But in the telling of this story it seems that Saul has no idea who David is – nor does anything in the David and Goliath story lend us to think that David knows anything about his harp playing. The stories are only “roughly” brought together. This is more evidence that the Bible as we have it today is the weaving together of several sources and stories. That may finally not be very important but for those who really want to plumb the depths of the Bible noticing these things is helpful. What all of this does is to move us to a far more complex understanding of the Bible as the Word of God. The evidence seems to indicate that “inspiration of scripture” is not the pouring of information into a blank vessel – the human writer – but rather that human beings have a part to play in the message itself. Of course that makes it more complex. But, is it not better to face these things head-on than to seek to avoid or resolve them through some preconceived notions that may not stand up to analysis? God’s Word is powerful and God can take care of getting his Word proclaimed – we don’t need to try to protect God’s Word. The story of David and Goliath is not the only story told here. There are more actions and events centering around the emerging David and ultimately the story evolves into a story of jealousy on the part of Saul. David is better than Saul. An intense rivalry develops. In the coming chapters, that rivalry will be at the center of the story. And chapter 18 adds spice to the conflict – Saul’s own son, Jonathan, sides with David. Part of this story will be the true friendship between David and Jonathan. This is a story filled with intrigue – and a few dicey stories to boot. The story about David’s winning the hand of Saul’s daughter Michal leaves most commentators scratching their heads. What kind of brutal character is Saul? What kind of brutal character is David? So we are reading a story that is both intriguing and troubling. Once again the dark side of the story is told for all to see. This is not a sanitized story. One wonders what God is thinking through it all. The marvel is that God has committed himself to work with these very human characters and God does not give up – of course God is stuck with the same kinds of characters throughout the story. But God will find a way. And lest we think we are better than they – God is still committed to working with characters like us. That is the wonder and the marvel of it all.