Saul lived for the praise of man,
he even built a memorial to himself. 

And Samuel rose early
in the morning to meet Saul;
and it was told Samuel, saying,
"Saul came to Carmel, and behold,
he set up a monument for himself . . . ."
1 Sam. 15:12

He violated a holy command just so people
would admire him.
"but the people . . ." 15:21

He threw away his throne and even
His God, preferring man's acclaim.

His insane jealousy of the boy who simply
served him and loved him,
was in part because everyone loved David.

Saul's son loved David.
Saul's daughter loved David.
The people loved David.
Saul's servants loved David.
Saul's army loved David.

Everyone loved David.

David loved those he loved.
But he was ever
able to walk away, to give up
and to leave
any person.
No matter how close . . . .

He found shelter for his family from Saul's tyranny.
He was true to them.
Yet they never figured in his story
nor - amazingly - in his writings.
And his brothers appeared to play
no significant role in his kingdom.

He was able to leave and 'let be' his basic relationships
for the richness of his walk with God.

Michal who scorned his abandoned worship,
never bore him a child,
indication of his leaving.

Jonathon 'loved him more than his own soul.'
And gave his every treasure away to David,
his armor, his sword . . .
his own inherited throne.
(I Sam. 18:1-4)

But scripture carefully does not say that David
returned a like measure of devotion.
nor the same garments and weapons.

David vowed allegiance only at the insistence of
Jonathon.

And Jonathan made David vow again
because of his love for him,
because he loved him as he loved his own life.
(I Sam. 20:17) 

David, capable of greater passion than most,
reserved his best love,
his sweetest intimacy . . . for God.
who had earned his deepest allegiance.

The one who knows God by an intimate history,
that one can love with all intensity
but will never love a human with the
earnest love that belongs to God.

I love you fervently and devotedly, O Lord my strength.
Psalm 18:1 Amplified Bible

David's one thing, the boiled-down-desire of all
his huge capacity to desire, was only this:

to behold the beauty of the Lord and
to meditate in His temple . . . .
Psalm 27:4b

Not woman, not man, not thrones or kingdoms.
Not achievement nor lasting acclaim.

        Just the Lord,
        his highest Love.

Copyright © 2002 Martha Kilpatrick