Like a Flea!
“Then Saul recognised David’s voice and said, ‘Is this your voice, my son David?’ And David said, ‘It is my voice, my lord the king.’ He also said, ‘Why then is my lord pursuing his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand?’
“’Now therefore, please let my lord the king listen to the words of his servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering, but if it is men, cursed are they before the Lord, for they have driven me out today so that I would have no attachment with the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.
“’Now then, do not let my blood fall to the ground away from the presence of the Lord; for the king of Israel has come out to search for a single flea, just as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.
“Then Saul said, ‘I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will not harm you again because my life was precious in your sight this day. Behold I have played the fool and have committed a serious error.’” 1 Samuel 26:17-21
I am always surprised by hidden gems in a passage of Scripture. The partridge is a small, strong-on-the-wing, fleet of foot and beautifully plumed bird with a most distinctive call and behaviour. It made its home in rocky caverns around the Dead Sea in the wilderness of Judea.
They were wild and shy masters of concealment and very difficult to hunt. The most effective way to hunt them was to run them out until they were exhausted and when they stopped to rest, bludgeon them.
The partridge is only mentioned twice in the Bible – once here and again in Jeremiah 17:11. By referencing a partridge, it can imply either spiritual truths and moral lessons or to symbolise negative traits or actions of deception, cunning and betrayal.
And so, looking more closely at the 26th chapter of I Samuel, we see David exhausted but determined to obey God. He too was good at hiding and had a distinctive voice to Saul. Saul, the pursuer, did not want to talk it through but rushed to hunt him down and run him to exhaustion. Reading the entire chapter can bring more insights, but the partridge is perfect for what was going on!
Take care with love, especially His, from Darlene, who still prays for you each day.
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NOTES: I choose to believe the Bible because it's a reliable collection of historical documents written down by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They reported supernatural events that took place before, of specific prophecies; and claim that their writings are divine rather than human in origin.
The Five Solas: Individuals are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, as revealed by Scripture alone to the glory of God alone!
Find my full statement of faith: https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com (where you will also find a series of Bible studies). For the books, go to Amazon books. For prayer requests/ updates, email: darlenerichard@gmail.com