100 Foreskins

Saul replied, "Say to David, 'The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.'" (1 Samuel 18:25)

The amount of references to sex, sexual misconduct, private parts, and other related things in the Old Testament is staggering. Seriously. Who can honestly say the Bible is G-Rated if they have read even a small portion of the Old Testament.

So I have to admit that I am glad my relationship with my father-in-law is better then David had with Saul. It is shocking how far Saul's hatred & jealousy of David pushed him. To think that he would use his own daughter for an opportunity to manipulate and kill David is crazy. Saul basically decides to not only put David's life in harm's way by having him fight the Philistines, but also to make them hate David even more for the mutilation of their bodies after their deaths. Yet David not only does it, but he goes above and beyond by killing two hundred Philistines and bringing back their foreskins. (On a side-note: What if Jesus had said in Matthew 5 - "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. If your enemy tries to kill you by forcing you to retrieve 100 foreskins, go and bring him 200 foreskins..."). I just have admit it makes me grossed out and laugh at the same time thinking about David coming back from battle with a bag of foreskins and then someone having to count them out for the king. I mean seriously - who's job was that? "One, two, three..." Yuck. All that to say, once again the Bible never ceases to amaze me. David seriously dealt with a lot of crap from Saul. The fact that he later does not advantage of multiple opportunities to kill him shows some amazing self-control.

On a final note, I wonder why stories like this never get told during church services?