Waterfall at En Gedi National Reserve
We tracked a LOT of steps touring Israel, and a couple of times I took a picture of my foot (dipping my toe into the Sea of Galilee, for example). Very often and in many places I mused, “Just think, I’m stepping right where [Bible character] did!” That happened as we hiked the En Gedi Nature Reserve, and we talked about David hiding there from King Saul. (1 Samuel 24)
King Saul, paranoid and jealous of David’s success and rising popularity, was searching for David to take his life. If it were a movie, this would be one of the cliff hangers, with a little comedy thrown in. Saul is scouring the landscape and suddenly needs a “pit stop”. He darts into a cave, and amazingly it is the same cave where David and some of his men are hiding. While Saul’s guard (and his garments) are down, David creeps near him with the incredible opportunity to save his own life by taking Saul’s! But David, at the last second, redirects his spear and slices off a corner of Saul’s robe. The Bible tells us that David was ashamed of himself as he held that slice of cloth and envisioned what he had nearly done – taken the life of his king.
Oblivious, Saul leaves the cave to resume his search, and David runs out into the open air, calling after Saul. Desperately trying to convince Saul that he means him no harm, David produces the patch of cloth. Saul must have turned as white as the foamy water cascading down the nearby cliff as he grabbed his robe and verified his close call with death.
Actually, I think both men were dumbfounded as they held in their hands evidence of “what almost was”. I wonder if that bit of Saul’s robe ended up somewhere that David saw it often and remembered that God kept him from an action that he would regret. I wonder if Saul refused to have the robe mended, so that he would remember David’s mercy. The succeeding chapters reveal other occasions when David remembered to be merciful (and times when Saul forgot).
Still, a swatch of fabric reminds us about mercy. I like mementos (hence the sneaker photos), and I’m thinking that Jesus likes mementos, too. He gave us the idea – command, actually – to partake of communion together as a reminder of His sacrificial death. (Matthew 26:26; 1 Corinthians 11:26) “As often as we do it”, we hold in our hands a little juice and bread as evidence that “what almost was“ (our death penalty) mercifully was replaced by eternal life.