FATAL NEWS

David stepped out of his house and into the morning light. Men were fixing houses destroyed by the raiding Amalekites a few days earlier.

Abishai approached. “Shalom David. Ziklag is nearly rebuilt. Today should about have it done.”

David smiled. “Very nice, I’m grateful so many men put my roof on first. I didn’t expect that after the stones they held against me recently.”

Abishai grabbed his shoulder and shook it. “There’s talk of building you a palace after our victory to get our families back. How did you sleep last night?”

David shook his head. “Not well, I’m concerned for Israel. The battle should be over by now. I wonder how Saul fared.”

Abishai’s eyes widened. “You may not wonder much longer.”

David spun around to see a man carrying a sack running toward him. His dusty head and torn clothes didn’t bode well.

The man fell at David’s feet. Abishai picked up the sack.

David knelt down. “Where are you from?”

The man lifted his head. “From the battle with the Philistines.”

Abishai looked in the sack. “Umm…David…”

David grabbed the man’s shoulders and lifted him to his feet. “Tell me how it went. I want to hear all the details.”

The man looked at David’s hair. “People ran everywhere. Many are dead, including Saul and Jonathan.”

David shook the man. “How do you know Saul is dead?”

“I was near when Jonathon fell. His brothers did, too. I ran back to Saul to tell him. An arrow flew over my head and struck my lord through his armor. The chariots were closing in on us. He told me to kill him so the Gentiles wouldn’t sport him about. I did as I was told and brought the crown and king’s bracelet to you, my lord.”

David looked over at Abishai. He was pulling Saul’s crown out of the sack.

David grabbed his clothes and tore them open as he released a roar of anguish that came from his soul.

Work stopped for the day as the news spread. Everyone fasted in sorrow for the fallen.

****

David stood with his men around a fire as a meal was being prepared that evening. The man who brought news of the battle approached.

David looked in his eyes. “Where are you from?”

The man smiled. “I’m an Amalekite. I came to fight with Israel.”

David stared. “Why were you so quick to kill the LORD’s anointed?”

The man’s mouth dropped open.

David pointed at a young man wearing a sword. “Execute him.”

The young man ran his sword through the rib cage of the Amalekite and pulled it back.

David continued to stare at the Amalekite. “Your own words have condemned you.”

The Amalekite dropped to his knees, then fell face down.

********

John 8:32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

We know from reading the account of the battle this Amalekite wasn’t the person who killed Saul, but David didn’t know Saul fell on his own sword.

Had the Amalekite told the truth he would have lived to see another day. He didn’t follow David’s line of thinking because it was a totally foreign concept to him.

David held to God’s standard of truth and sovereignty in establishing leaders. Protecting Saul was his top priority.

The Amalekite came from a background of the strongest rule. He knew he’d be rewarded for removing this obstacle to the throne for David.

This lesson from an Amalekite should echo in our ears today. He thought he was going to be promoted in David’s service for ending the life of his predecessor. Instead, he was executed for supposedly assassinating a king.

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How often have you stretched the facts to make yourself look good, or someone else look bad?

When was the last time you rationalized an action away so you could get away with something you know shouldn’t be done?

Where have you been that you know a child of God has no good reason to be seen in?

Don’t worry, I have fingers pointing back at me as I ask those questions. None of us is perfect. If we were then Jesus wouldn’t have had to come to earth to die for us.

Have you danced around the edge of truth so long you aren’t exactly sure what truth is anymore?

That scenario isn’t as far fetched as it first appears in today’s culture. Truth is such a vague topic these days. Everybody has there own version of what is right. Wrong is hardly ever determined now.

We’re so concerned about the truth hurting someone we don’t even keep score at our children’s games. Everybody gets a trophy at the end of the season. They’re all winners by today’s standard.

Billboards tell us we deserve luxury, either in the car we drive or the place we live. Budgetary constraints shouldn’t play a role in our decisions, apparently.

About now some of you are wondering if there is a standard of credible truth available today.

I give you a resounding, YES!

If you want a product you bought repaired your best bet of getting it fixed right is to take it back to the manufacturer. After all they’re the ones who made it, they should know all the ins and outs of how it works. Right?

This same principal holds true for discovering real truth. God is the Being who made all we see.

He designed everything to work together to sustain life. So, the best place to find answers on how best to live is to find His way of design.

Truth is found in the Bible. I can’t spell it out any plainer than that.

The most serious Bible scholars rely on the versions of the Bible that stay the closest to the original language it was written in so they find the least polluted reading of God’s preserved truth for us to live by.

God’s truth is the ultimate standard to live by.

Live by His truth today.

I’ll see you later.   Wade