Daily Office

Year One, Proper 8: Tuesday: The mantle of Kingship

Today's Readings:

• Psalm [120],121,122,123
• 1 Samuel 11:1-15
• Acts 8:1-13
• Luke 22:63-71

Saul hears of the Ammonites aggressions and raises an army by threatening Israel's population of oxen. Saul defeats the Ammonites. The people fall in line and want to kill Saul's earlier detractors. King Saul forbids it.
Saul/Paul begins to arrest members of the Jesus movement, and Phillip preaches in Samaria, converting many, including a magician names Simon. Jesus is mocked and beaten.
The way Saul raises an army is very suspicious. He slaughters a yoke of oxen and dismembers them, sending the animal bits across the territory and telling people that if they don't follow Saul and Samuel into war, their oxen will suffer the same fate. Of course, Samuel told the people that a king would not really solve their problems, but gave them a King because they demanded it. Saul seems to be ill-equipped to handle the mantle of King.
He goes from being a humble man to a bully pretty quick, probably in about a month, but during that month he did not have popular support. At least he was wise enough not to let his supporters kill the people who didn't support him when Samuel annointed him King. Saul also didn't really understand the task set before him when searching for his flock. The servant boy who was with him seemed to lead the way. Saul did not really know who he was, nor his destiny, and because the demand of a King would be a military protector, he steps into that role without it being part of his nature.
I may have this completely wrong. I'll admit it right up front.
Another interesting note is Simon the magician. We are warned about false prophets, and there are Christians today who refuse to watch illusionists because it is too close to 'magic' which is associated with 'satan'. Simon the magician declared himself great, but not a prophet. I don't know if he stopped performing his magic after his conversion. Hopefully we'll hear a few more things about him soon.

posted by Josh English @ 12:02 AM