Church and State - An Often Strained Relationship
The David and Saul dynamic shows us the often challenging relationship the Church will have with the world. If we take David as a picture of those in Christ and Saul as a picture of the world we will gain an understanding of the good and bad of an often strained relationship. We see Saul swinging from one extreme to the next throughout chapter 19: 1 Samuel 19:1 (ESV) And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted much in David. Jonathan quickly intervenes for David bringing peace between him and Saul: 1 Samuel 19:6–7 (ESV) And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, “As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to death.” 7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan reported to him all these things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as before. Things will not stay peaceful for long... soon there's war and then more friction: 1 Samuel 19:8–10 (ES...