Darkness and Light Meet!
I've been meditating on "light," thinking about it's meanings and consequently the implications that might have in the life I live. Uuhhhh, deep eh? It is a very good word and my manual of life and living...also has a lot to say about it.
The other reason for this line of thinking is that I am creating a representation of King Saul, who if you characterize his life would be one who resisted the "light". He was one who resisted "wisdom" and "order" and "justice", these all being good things that "light" would represent. When David came along, he being a young man who welcomed and appreciated all these good things including integrity faithfulness, love, patience, kindness and so on, was very quickly confronted with this darkness that Saul emanated and lived by. Saul, being of the dark side, began using dark methods to eliminate this light of David. For, it was showing him up for who he was! Like water and oil, these two things do not mix.
Just for interest sake I googled images for "light and darkness". What showed up but immediate references to good (light) and evil (darkness). For example, images of white light angels against the black obviously evil angels, representing the unending battle against good and evil in our world.
Here is Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel artwork depicting God creating light. Interesting that one of the first things God created was light.
David's response to Saul was such that it became clear his heart was a heart ruled by "light". His obedience to Saul, despite the faact things were not always fair. Like for example, one of the promised rewards for killing Goliath was one of the kings daughters as wife. First, Saul hesitated and did not go through with it. Finally when he did, he was already so angry with what David represented he gave him an added condition. He demanded that he had to kill 100 Philistines for her. Saul's thinking of course was to give him this dangerous assignment so he would be killed in the process and in this way he'd get rid of this upstart who was embarrassing him with his accomplishments and popularity. The dark side doing it's dark side scheming!
David's response was not normal. Would we not have gone to someone and complained of the unfairness of this? This was not part of the original conditions and so not acceptable. Where is the complaint department? We should get all the staff together and protest. Write letters to the press. We could get into being upset by the unfairness of it all.
David did not become angry and protest or balk at this new condition. He was glad to become the king's son-in-law, even if it meant risking his life and putting himself in harms way to accomplish the new condition. He simply got up, got his men organized and went out to do the job. When he came back and presented himself before King Saul, (who needed evidence) he counted out his foreskin proofs amounting to an amazing 200 kills instead of the 100 as requested. Kind of gross that was I'd say!
After this, Saul was afraid of David!
Even at this young age David had an understanding of the way of the Kingdom of Light. That self sacrifice, humility, respect and self-effacement was the way to go. Letting go and letting the "Light" lead and control.
"He (John the Baptist) was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light which gives light to every man..." John 1:8-9
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