I've been studying the book of 1 Samuel with my high school students at church, and it has been such a learning experience. I know that's always the case, that the teacher learns more than the students, and that's one of the reasons I love teaching. This next week's study will take us through chapters 18 and 19. In chapter 18 we see how Saul is out of control jealous of David. He wants to kill him, actually tries to kill him, and then sends him off into battle, hoping someone ELSE will kill him. There is so much in this chapter that I can't wait to talk to the students about.
But there is one passage that is especially memorable. In it, Saul is offering his second daughter, Michal (David has already refused the first daughter) in marriage. David says no because he has no dowry, so Saul gives him a different option:
100 PHILISTINE FORESKINS!
Seriously?!
Okay, I understand why he did this. He wants David to try and kill 100 Philistines and end up dying, but how in the world am I going to explain this to a room of high school students? How does Michal feel about this?
"Oh, girls, it was so romantic! David paid for my love in foreskins!"
What a story to tell the grandchildren.
But this is one of the things I love about the Bible: the crazy stories. How God works in the midst of crazy, jealous, evil men to show himself. Whoever says the Bible is boring needs to read some of these stories.
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