1 Samuel 21 introduces us to a man named Doeg the Edomite. A self-serving man. Malicious and cruel. One spoken of by Jewish scholars as a man who played sides. Driven by ambition with no regard to others. He was also regarded as a scholar. He was chief of King Saul’s herdsmen and some say chief of King Saul’s guards. King Saul used Doeg as sort of a mercenary. Doeg was described as one who acted out of fear and desire for favor. This resulted in actions of violence and injustice. Doeg happened to be present when David, who was on the run from King Saul, was given help by Ahimelech the priest. And Doeg told King Saul of this, which caused King Saul to order the killing of Ahimelech and his priests. No one would lift their hand to kill the priests, but Doeg did. He killed 85 priests of the Lord for King Saul. Doeg curried favor with King Saul and no task was considered too evil for Doeg if it would give him the position and power he wanted. He also went to Nob, the city of these priests, and killed all the women and children and nursing infants and all their animals with the edge of the sword. No mercy.
Now allow me some latitude. I’ll take the name Doeg and rearrange the letters and come up with DOGE. And I’ll take a man that has his faculties driven by the same greed and malice as Doeg and further fueled by Ketamine, Ecstasy, Adderall, and psychedelic mushrooms in Elon Musk. A man with fascist roots who, with more money than anyone in the world, still needs validation. Still wants more power. Still looks to wreak havoc and hurt those who are innocent. And he aligns with one even more evil than King Saul in Donald Trump. One he helped become more powerful. Just as the cutting of a sword by Doeg, Musk has cut funds that will cause the death of innocents. Those in need of medicine or food will come away empty handed. Like a sword dispatching slaughter to the blameless by Doeg, we see a man brandishing a chain saw with maniacal glee to gut programs that speak life to many that have not. Gutting programs that bring help and safety. Without remorse. But just as Doeg gained no real favor with anyone, Musk is starting to see his popularity wane. Yet he won’t go away. And he has his hands in even more now with his access to so much personal information on citizens in the United States and government programs. Some thought this would be good, but they may rue the day they gave him access to so much information. And he still has billions in government contracts and the threat of spending money against all those who oppose him. Like all power-hungry psychopathic maniacs, he may not see a good end. Like all, he has to repent and submit to Christ and I hope he does.
According to some Jewish tradition and Mishnaic legends, it is said Doeg will go the way of Cain, Absalom, and Haman and have no share in the world to come. Some Jewish teaching said God sent three angels of destruction to Doeg. The first caused him to forget his learning. The second burned his soul. The third scattered his ashes. Just like the Edomites, cursed for his pride. Some say he was killed by the sword and some say he died a leper. Either way his end was not good. In Psalm 52, David says of Doeg, “Why do you boast in evil O mighty man? You love evil more than good. Lying rather than speaking righteousness. The righteous also shall see and fear and shall say, Here is the man who did not make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.” We need to pay attention to David’s words in Psalm 37. He tells us evildoers will eventually be cut off. Though the wicked man plots, the Lord laughs at him. A little the righteous man has is so much better than the riches of the wicked. And what we see from people like Musk, or Trump or their blind acolytes, will one day be gone. When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. We must stand in the midst of this ongoing and growing evil. Stand against that which is from the enemy and looks to rob, kill and destroy. And say as David did in Psalm 42: “Why are you cast down O my soul? Why so disquieted within me? Hope in God. For I shall yet praise Him.” Blessings.
Stand My Watch 