Obedience and Righteousness before the Lord: Selection from the Holy Tanakh’s Book of Samuel, Part 2 of 2

We will now continue with the selection of Chapters 18 and 24 from the Book of Samuel in the Holy Tanakh. The story told here, which includes King Saul and the future king of Israel King David, is a story of how when blessed with God’s presence, the soul is always protected in the strength of benevolence and virtues. “And David went out; wherever Saul would send him, he would succeed; accordingly, Saul appointed him over the soldiers, and he was pleasing in the eyes of all the people, and also in the eyes of Saul’s servants.” “And Saul feared David, for the Lord was with him, while He had turned away from Saul. And Saul removed him from (being) with him, and made him for himself a captain over a thousand, and he went out and came in before the people. And David was successful in all his ways; and the Lord was with him. And Saul saw that he was very successful, and he feared him.” “And Saul said to David, ‘Behold, my elder daughter, Merab. I shall give her to you as a wife. But, be a warrior for me, and wage the wars of the Lord.’” “And David said to Saul, ‘Why should you listen to the words of a man, saying, “Behold, David seeks your harm”?’ Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and (one) said to kill you, but (my soul) had pity on you, and I said, ‘I shall not stretch forth my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ And Father, see! Also, see the skirt of your coat in my hand, for in that I severed the skirt of your coat and I did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against you, but you are stalking my soul to take it.” “May the Lord judge between me and you, and may the Lord avenge me of you, but my hand shall not be upon you. As says the proverb of the ancient one; ‘From the wicked comes forth wickedness,’ and my hand shall not be upon you.” “And he said to David, ‘You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me with goodness, while I have repaid you with evil. And you have shown today how you have dealt well with me, how the Lord delivered me into your hand, and you did not kill me. For when a man finds his enemy, does he send him away safely? And may the Lord repay you with goodness for what you have done to me on this day.”