The Art of Clemency
Friday (January 9)
The Art of Clemency
1 Samuel 10:26-27
Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched. But some worthless fellows said, “How can this man save us?” And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace.
If I were to ask you to write down the first five things you think of when you hear the name King Saul, what would you write? I’d write this off the top of my head: Saul is a tall man; he’s Israel’s first king; he was too afraid to fight Goliath; he compromised and disobeyed God’s command and thereby lost his kingdom; and he completely lost his mind toward the end of his life, attempting to murder David, his political rival. Is that list similar to yours? Well, I don’t want to jump ahead in the story, but I also can’t read Saul’s brief biography as if it isn’t a bridge to David’s. Just knowing that Saul will one day become a madman makes it difficult to imagine him before the madness, doesn’t it? Yet we have to. Because any good that is done in this world, no matter how small or how fleeting, is an eternal good. Every noble thought and deed stands on its own in the mercy of God, untainted by the evil that follows. And, here, Saul does a very good thing and sets an example worthy of imitation.
Whether he likes it or not, whether he believes in God’s word and his own ability or not, Saul has just been crowned king. And the people who longed for a king have showered him with gifts and kisses and promises of fealty; yet, in the midst of the celebration, a band of naysayers roll their eyes and spit at Saul’s feet and publicly murmur against him, probably calling him a coward and a bad choice. And they voice their disdain. They sow discord among their brothers, and cast doubt on Saul’s credentials before the people, and ultimately disown God’s desire. But remarkably—and it is remarkable—Saul doesn’t throw a spear at their heads or hunt them down or lose his cool in hot rage. Instead, he, like the true King to come, will hold his tongue and turn the other cheek.
Friend, Saul didn’t even have the example of Christ to look to when holding his peace. What’s our excuse?