Sunday, April 19, 2015

The Conflict of Interest That Saved David’s Life


The idea of a conflict of interest goes back to at least Babylonian times, when judges were forbidden from accepting bribes from people involved in legal disputes. (Yes, this sounds like a no-brainer, but it must have been a significant enough problem for it to be forbidden.) The origin of the phrase "conflict of interest" is less certain, but it was in use in the English language by the 1740s, primarily in a legal context.

One of the best examples of conflict of interest occurs in the book of 1 Samuel. And yet the account never raises the question itself.

It's a familiar story. Jonathan, the son of Saul, is the friend of David. That friendship saves David's life, over and over again. It also put Jonathan squarely in the middle of at least three types of conflict of interest.


To continue reading, please see my Daily Reflection today for The High Calling.

1 comment:

JofIndia said...

Having a Jonathan in your life isn’t always beneficial!