I Samuel 22:18-19
“Then the king told Doeg, ‘You do it—massacre the priests!’ Doeg the Edomite led the attack and slaughtered the priests, the eighty-five men who wore the sacred robes. He then carried the massacre into Nob, the city of priests, killing man and woman, child and baby, ox, donkey, and sheep—the works. ”
“Then the king said to Doeg, ‘You do it.’ Do Doeg the Edomite turned on them and killed them that day, eighty-five priests in all still wearing their priestly garments. Then he went to Nob, the town of the priests, and killed the Priests’ families – Men and women, children and babies – and all the cattle, donkeys, sheep and goats. ”
Sometimes things like this happen to us. Fight or flight’ surges within and all we counted on is helpless to protect us. God is all that is left. But where, we ask, is God in this? The spiritual force at work here is God’s opposite, evil. These kinds of authoritarian politics are fertile soil for the Devil, and he calls all his worms out of the woodwork.
Doeg is one such worm. Human history is full of men like Saul and Doeg and all of us make Doeg choices in big or little ways. Repeated choices towards evil eventually end in some kind of carnage that seeks to destroy God’s good. God allows it and we ask why. There is no easy answer, but who are we to demand it of almighty God? If we find ourselves a participant, we must trust God to walk thought it with us. If we observe, we must trust in what God says about himself, that he hates evil and will avenge innocent suffering in his own way and time.
Oh Lord! My heart cries at this reading, for all those caught in such cruelty. I believe you are big enough to track all oppression and avenge every instance throughout human history. Do it God! Avenge innocent suffering. Don’t delay.