It’s a story filled with twists, turns, and a whole lot of hidden potential. We’re talking about David, of course, and the journey from anonymity to the throne wasn't exactly a smooth one.
The Bible tells us Samuel anointed David in secret (1 Samuel 16:13), and according to Legends of the Jews, this anointing wasn't just symbolic. It sparked something within him. A gift of prophecy bloomed, and his spirit deepened. But such remarkable growth doesn't go unnoticed, does it? Especially when you have someone like Doeg around.
Now, Doeg wasn't just anyone. He was, as Ginzberg tells us, the greatest scholar of his time. Think of him as the resident intellectual, the guy everyone respected for his wisdom. But beneath that veneer of respectability, there was a serpent of envy, coiled tight.
When Doeg heard that Saul, the king, was planning to bring David into his court as an attendant, something snapped. He couldn’t bear the thought of this young upstart gaining favor. So, he hatched a plan. A nasty one. Instead of praising David honestly, he showered the boy with excessive flattery. Why? To make Saul suspicious, to plant seeds of doubt and jealousy. According to Legends of the Jews, he succeeded, at least in part.
But here's the thing about destiny. Sometimes, it's hard to derail. Saul, despite Doeg's machinations, couldn’t completely shake his interest in David. You see, David had already made an impression on the king, long before the anointing. It was an encounter that showcased David's cleverness and, more importantly, his unwavering sense of justice.
Let’s rewind a bit. A rich woman, forced to leave her home, needed to safeguard her fortune. She couldn't carry it, and she didn't trust anyone. So, she hid her gold coins in jars of honey – a clever idea. She then asked a neighbor to keep them safe. But the neighbor, alas, was not so honest. He discovered the gold and helped himself.
When the woman returned, her honey jars were returned too, but the gold was gone. She had no proof, nothing to accuse the neighbor with. The court dismissed her case. Can you imagine her despair? She appealed to the king, but even Saul felt powerless.
As she left the palace, defeated and heartbroken, she crossed paths with young David and his friends. Sensing her distress, David, in his youthful boldness, demanded an audience with the king. He believed he could uncover the truth. Saul, intrigued by the boy's confidence, gave him the go-ahead.
So, what did David do? He ordered the honey jars to be broken. And there, stuck to the inside of the jars, were two gold coins. The thief had missed them! They were the irrefutable proof of his dishonesty. Justice, it seemed, had a champion in young David. That story is recounted in Legends of the Jews, which draws it from older midrashic sources.
It's a powerful reminder, isn't it? That even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, even when envy and deceit try to cloud the path, integrity and a little bit of ingenuity can shine through. And sometimes, just sometimes, they can pave the way for a king.