Creative Power And Self-fulfilling Prophecy

Synopsis     1Sam 22:6-14     10/16/2018

Saul felt betrayed. He knew that Jonathan had made a covenant with David. But the sense of betrayal was not limited to his relationship with Jonathan. At this point, he feared a conspiracy against him lead by David.

So, he held a council. He sat with a spear in his hand. And, Saul demanded to know any and all conspirators. It was an ominous and fearful moment for the king’s court. A single ill-considered word could bring sudden death. So, the tension was palpable. Saul wanted answers. But more importantly, he demanded absolute loyalty.

For their part, the leaders of Israel felt perplexed. They all knew that David was absolutely loyal. But to defend David’s loyalty to a king who was already convinced would have been a death sentence.

In this moment of extraordinary tension, Doeg offered his information. He had seen David with Ahimelech at Nob. And Ahimelech had given David food and Goliath’s sword.

So, Saul sent for Ahimelech the high priest. Convinced that he had found evidence of a conspiracy against him, he questioned Ahimelech forcefully.

Saul Looking For Conspiracy

Saul was looking for evidence. But his problem was that he was already sure he knew the truth: David was a threat. So, in practice, he sought out evidence not to learn the truth, but only to confirm his suspicions.

Creative Power and Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

It’s important to remember that personal power is a two edged sword. It cuts both ways. God has made me in His image. I am a creative being. But like any other gift, creativity can produce either blessings or almost unimageable horrors.

Sometimes my thinking gets stuck. Maybe I feel afraid. The fear may not make sense to anyone else, but it seems obvious to me – because I have a real feeling of fear.

I may think I’m open to the truth. But, like Saul, all I really have is an assumption or unsubstantiated hunch. As a result, what can happen is a mental bias that forms in my brain. I accept any evidence that supports my assumption. But any evidence that does not support my assumption, I discount. In the absence of real truth-seeking, I end up with a grotesque distortion.

Curiously, when I act out of this fear, I very often cause the thing I fear to actually materialize. That’s the power of human creativity. Unfortunately, I have made many enemies out of this kind of error. You see, it turns out that a vilified person will eventually react.

And then, the person or thing that I feared most, eventually becomes my actual enemy.

“the sword you fear shall overtake you in the land of Egypt; the hunger you dread shall pursue you to Egypt and there you shall die.” Jeremiah 42:16