Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the hill some distance away; there was a wide space between them. He called out to the army and to Abner son of Ner, "Aren't you going to answer me, Abner?"
Abner replied, "Who are you who calls to the king?"
David said, "You're a man, aren't you? And who is like you in Israel? Why didn't you guard your lord the king? Someone came to destroy your lord the king. What you have done is not good. As surely as the Lord lives, you and your men deserve to die, because you did not guard your master, the Lord's anointed. Look around you. Where are the king's spear and water jug that were near his head?"
Saul recognized David's voice and said, "Is that your voice, David my son?"
David replied, "Yes it is, my lord the king." And he added, "Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done, and what wrong am I guilty of? Now let my lord the king listen to his servant's words. If the Lord has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. If, however, men have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord! They have now driven me from my share in the Lord's inheritance and have said, 'Go, serve other gods.' Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea — as one hunts a partridge in the mountains."
Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly."
1 Samuel 26:13-21
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Earlier in Chapter 26, we read where David and Abishai had crept into camp of Saul, Abner and the army. Abishai had asked permission to kill Saul as he slept but David refused to allow him to do so. Instead, David and Abishai took Saul’s sword and a water jug that had been near his head before leaving the camp and the sleeping men.
As this chapter continues, we see where David had “crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the hill some distance away” from the camp. From there, he “called out to the army and to Abner” saying, “Aren't you going to answer me, Abner?" to which Abner inquires about who is calling to the king (Saul).
In response to Abner’s question, David offers questions in return asking Abner:
“You're a man, aren't you?”
“And who is like you in Israel?”
“Why didn't you guard your lord the king?”
We sense the mocking nature of David’s words as he and Abishai had been able to enter the camp and get close enough to Saul to kill him. David’s words confirmed this as he continued speaking to Abner:
“Someone came to destroy your lord the king. What you have done is not good. As surely as the Lord lives, you and your men deserve to die, because you did not guard your master, the Lord's anointed. Look around you. Where are the king's spear and water jug that were near his head?"
David was essentially saying that Abner had failed to protect the king…one of his primary responsibilities. And to prove his point, David let Abner know that he had been close enough to take Saul’s spear and the water jug near his head.
Well…before Abner had a chance to respond, we read where Saul speaks. We sense that he recognized the voice coming from the hill as belonging to David and so he asks if it was….and David confirms Saul’s suspicions before again questioning Saul and his reasoning for wanting to pursue him saying:
"Yes it is, my lord the king. Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done, and what wrong am I guilty of? Now let my lord the king listen to his servant's words. If the Lord has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. If, however, men have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord! They have now driven me from my share in the Lord's inheritance and have said, 'Go, serve other gods.' Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea — as one hunts a partridge in the mountains."
David’s words powerfully reflect his dedication and faith to the Lord, something that Saul failed to do during his reign. For David was willing to accept his fatal end if it was the Lord’s will, seeing himself as an offering provided to the Lord by Saul.
However, David countered these words by saying that if man was behind the murderous pursuit, then a curse should be upon them before the Lord. For they would have violated the Lord’s will and drove David from his “share in the Lord's inheritance” telling him instead to “Go, serve other gods.”
And so with this, David forced Saul to acknowledge whether his actions were from the Lord or from his own evil intentions. And as scripture shows us, David’s approach drove Saul to repentance as he said, “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly."
What Saul should have said is that he sinned, acted like a fool and erred greatly…again. For this wasn’t the first time he had to tell David he was sorry. (1 Samuel 24:16-22)
So what was Saul’s problem?
The same problem that plagues us today…for he…and we…act way too often according to our own will and way, not God’s. And our disobedience not only leads us into sinfulness but also draws us further and further away from the people that the Lord wants us to be. It took a God-anointed Saul and turned him into a murderous king who lost God’s favor. And it takes the people God anointed and created in His own image and turns them into people who disappoint, disrespect and misrepresent Him in the way they live.
Friends, we have a choice to make in our lives. Will we seek and follow the Lord’s desire for us in every second of every minute of every hour of every day He blesses us with? Or will we pick and choose when we want to seek the Lord’s guidance and will for our lives, only carrying out His expectations when they suit our desires?
One thing is certain, the Lord demands our full compliance with all of His expectations and guidance. And He’s shown us Saul’s story because He wants us to be better than Saul was, learning from his mistakes. We can do just that…be better than Saul and learn from his mistakes…only if we place the Lord first in everything we do, say or think.
Nothing less is acceptable.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
No comments:
Post a Comment