Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Frenemy (02/13/25)
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TITLE: A Peaceful Deception | Previous Challenge Entry
By Lakella Davenport
02/19/25 -
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There can often be a thin line between friendship and enemy. One wrong action, or opposing turn of events, can turn an otherwise loyal, trusting, faithful friendship into an enemyship. We see this happen in the friendship between King Saul and David. When King Saul first met David in I Samuel chapter 17, Saul gives David his permission to fight against Goliath of Gath, the giant Philistine. Saul gave David his war armor to put on, which was an act of kindness toward David. “David said, “Yahweh, who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.” “Saul said to David,” “Go! Yahweh will be with you.” “Saul dressed David with his clothing. He put a helmet of bronze on his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail. David strapped his sword on his clothing and tried to move, for he had not tested it. David said to Saul, “I can’t go with these, for I have not tested them.” “Then David took them off,” (I Samuel 17:37-39).
After David kills Goliath of Gath, the Philistine, King Saul honors David. “Saul took him that day and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore,” (I Samuel 18:2). “David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely; and Saul set him over the men of war. It was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants,” (I Samuel 18:5). However, an opposing turn of events, changed King Saul’s heart toward David. After David had slain the Philistine the women of Israel came out singing and dancing to meet King Saul playing tambourines. The women sang a song with joy, stating that “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands,” (I Samuel 18:6-7).
This turn of events turned King Saul’s heart against David. “Saul watched David from that day and forward,” (I Samuel 18:9). The Bible says that the next day Saul tried to kill David with a spear and David escaped from him twice (I Samuel 18:10-11). Saul went back and forth with David; showing him friendship and kindness and then showing him hatred and anger by trying to kill David on multiple occasions. King Saul was a frenemy to David.
Another peaceful deception takes place in Genesis chapter 34 when Dinah Jacob’s daughter conceived through Leah is raped by Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan. Shechem fell in love with Dinah and desired to marry her. He told his father, Hamor, to get him Dinah to be his wife. Hamor talked with Jacob and Jacob’s sons. Jacob knew about the rape and Jacob’s sons knew about the rape. Her brothers were very angry at Shechem for defiling their sister, Dinah. Shechem and his father pleaded with Jacob and Jacob’s sons to make peace with them and their people. Shechem’s father pleaded with Jacob and Jacob’s sons to make a covenant with them, where they would intermarry with their people (Genesis 34:1-12). The sons of Jacob deceived Shechem and his father by promising to be at peace with them and to intermarry with their people under one condition; that all the males of Hamor and Shechem’s people get physically circumcised. Hamor and Shechem were pleased with this peace agreement that they had made with Jacob’s sons. Hamor and Shechem went back to their city and convinced all the men of the city to get circumcised to honor the peace agreement that they had made with Jacob and Jacob’s sons. The men all listened and were all circumcised. Jacob’s sons pretended to be peaceful or friends with Shechem and his father and their people; when they actually were still enemies (Genesis 34:1-29). “On the third day, when they were sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword, came upon the unsuspecting city, and killed all the males. They killed Hamor and Shechem, his son, with the edge of the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went away,” (Genesis 34:25-26). They took all that the men had and took their wives and children captive (Genesis 34:27-29).
These are true examples of frenemy relationships. Peaceful deception can be a tool of a frenemy.
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