Yesterday’s devotional reflected on how King Pharaoh and King Herod gave irrational orders that every first born male children in Egypt and all born male children from ages of two years down within and around Bethlehem be killed respectively. King Pharaoh’s order targeted Moses while King Herod’s order targeted Jesus Christ. In a normal sense, these orders have no sense in them, and irrationally motivated. Today’s devotional is touching another area of outrageously and melancholic kind of irrational behaviour of King Saul. This is about “evil orders” from King Saul to kill all the Priests in Nob and their wives, children, servants and every livestock owned by the priests.
As found in the passage of the devotional, King Saul was angry with the Priests for accepting King David who stayed with them for a while; and angrier because the Chief Priest told him not to carry out the massacre of the Priests. King Saul first ordered his bodyguards to carry out the killings but they refused. He then ordered one Doeg from Edom to do the killings. Doeg the Edomite as popularly called, quickly carry out the order, killed the 85 Priests, and extended it to the place where the Priests wives, children, servants and livestock were (1 Samuel 22: 18 – 19). How brute, barbaric, animalistic, irrational and senseless was King Saul’s action? This was insane as King Saul disrespected God’s anointed ones, the God who made him King over Israel!
Incidences of this kind of irrational decision or behaviour are seriously displayed in the world of today. We hear in broadcasting houses, read on print media tabloids and newsmagazines, soft/online media etc., how several Kings, Queens, Political Leaders, even religious leaders have vented their angers on people of God by killing, maiming, and dehumanizing them. Many have added ridiculing God’s name while carrying out their irrational actions to their evil leaderships. Question many are asking is whether God still avenge for His children and servants. Simple answer to the question is a bold YES! God who gave a law of “Thou shalt not kill” (Exod. 20: 13) still punishes those who kill human beings. After this King Saul’s order, God had allowed Israelites to kill the Amalekites in drones. The example here is drawn from how God backed King David up to kill all the Amalekites who invaded Ziklag (1 Sam. 30: 8 – 9, 17 – 18).
PRAYER:
FATHER LORD, I refuse to be used by any leader, king, queen or political masters against anointed servants and children of God in all religious groups in the world. LORD JESUS kindly help the world out of operating by irrational behaviours. Amen!
bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch