Seven Abominations with a Wrench

One of the most iconic and ironic victims of the heart incubating evil has already done service in SEVEN. The perpetrator appeared in Chapter I, the father of Solomon, King David. David became so popular upon his anointing by Samuel as the future king of Israel, and upon his military successes, that he could easily have succumbed to pride. One of the shepherd-boy commissioned-king’s most spectacular accomplishments, and one that received enormous public acclamation, had resulted in his  remarkable feat of slaying the Philistine Giant, Goliath. He also had amazing military victories. Whenever he entered a village or a city following his battle successes, groups of women came out to meet him, singing, “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”  (1 Samuel 18:7.) Scripture records, “Saul was very angry, for this saying displeased him. So Saul eyed David (with suspicion) from that day on.” (Ibid. vss. 8-9.)

Saul met with a violent end before his intentions to slaughter his nemesis succeeded. Following Saul’s death, “All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, ‘Look, we are your bone and flesh…. it is you who led out Israel and brought it in. The Lord said to you, “It is you who shall be shepherd of my people Israel….”’” King David was convinced that the populist movement fit in with God’s plan for him. He made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and as he had done with Saul, Samuel anointed David king over Israel.

The King did not always rise to the level of integrity and morality that as a leader he should have exhibited, that as a Psalm written he could have, or that the more devout Israelites expected, or should have expected of  him. Few rulers, however, expressed the remorse of a penitent heart more profoundly. A testimony to his spirit sounds whenever the Church, or the Synagogue, reads, chants, or sings Psalm 51. In fact, the superscription in many translations of the Psalm read, as in the NRSV: “Prayer for Cleansing and Pardon. To the leader. A Psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone to Bathsheba.” The Psalm begins:

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.”(Vss. 1-3.)

Discussion on wicked plans and evil intentions would be remiss if it failed to include a reference to the wicked Queen, Jezebel. A standout in an entourage of wicked women of history, Jezebel deserved the title, “Queen of evil.” She arranged for the murder of several Israelites, including many of its religious leaders. Her marriage could have exacerbated her evil spirit. Her husband, King Ahab, worshiped  idols. Scripture pays the King this dubious tribute: “Ahab did more to provoke the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than all the kings of Israel before him.” (1 Kings 16:33b.) Few queens did more to rid Israel of its prophets than Jezebel. If the record had been available to them, this judgment might have tempted David and Solomon to feel less penitent about some of their misdeeds.