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 Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the Lord's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them. Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord." But Samuel said to him, "I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!"
As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors — to one better than you. He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man, that he should change his mind."
Saul replied, "I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God." So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
1 Samuel 15:24-31
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
At the beginning of 1st Samuel, Chapter 15, we saw Samuel confront Saul about his failure to obey God and carry out His commands during the attack on the Amalekites.
You’ll recall that Saul and his men were to completely destroy everything during the attack but instead took Agag the king hostage and kept all the best sheep and cattle from the plunder for themselves. Everything else was destroyed.
So Samuel confronted Saul about the matter and you’ll remember that Saul acted as if he had done nothing wrong, making up a lie to cover his sin by telling Samuel the best sheep and cattle had been taken to be sacrificed to God. Samuel would have nothing of the lie, telling Saul that God desired obedience over sacrifice and was rejecting Saul since Saul had rejected the word of God.
As we turn to the rest of Chapter 15, we see where Saul finally gives up his lie and comes clean saying to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them. Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord." Saul had violated God and His messenger Samuel. And we get a sense that Samuel hated sin as much as God did because he wasn’t open to Saul’s initial request.
For Samuel replied to Saul, “I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!" We get a sense that Samuel, a devout man of God, wanted nothing to do with a man who wasn’t…a man who had shown an inclination to not only willingly sin but then try and lie about it. Was this the kind of man that Samuel wanted to associate with?
We see that it isn’t because Samuel turns to leave Saul. But at that point, we read where Saul “caught hold of the hem of his robe” and tore it. This further angered Samuel who used the torn robe as an symbol telling Saul, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors — to one better than you. He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for He is not a man, that He should change his mind."
Samuel’s words were meant to cut like a knife through the sin-hardened, arrogant heart of Saul. You’ll remember that the last straw with him was when he built a monument to his own honor just before Samuel went to see him and tell him he had been rejected. Now Samuel let Saul know that the Lord had taken the kingdom from him and given it to someone better than him…someone who we know from prior scripture was a man after God’s own heart…something that Saul wasn’t. And to further attack Saul’s inner issues, Samuel reminds him that God was not like man and wouldn’t “lie or change His mind.” In other words, God was nowhere like Saul and the only way Saul was going to return to some sense of good status with Him was to turn back to Him and try to be like Him.
Well, Samuel’s words had a further impact on Saul. For he repeats his words of confession prior saying, “I have sinned” but does not try and justify his sin as he did the first time, blaming his actions on his people instead of himself. No…the attention was on Saul here and Saul took responsibility, at least for now. (More on that later in the scriptures) He then asked Samuel to honor him before the elders and before Israel by returning with him so he could worship the Lord. Sensing that Saul’s apology and repentance were sincere, Samuel “went back with Saul and Saul worshiped the Lord.” It was Saul’s first action toward getting his life back in order with God…toward beginning to make things right again.
Question: Where are you in your relationship with the Lord? Are you in need of making things right?
I don’t think any of us can say that we have a perfect relationship with the Lord. I know at least for me, I can always get better in my Christian walk and see it as a daily process. This is why this ministry is important to me and I hope to others as well…because we need to communicate and commune with the Lord each and every day that He blesses us with, delving into His word and seeking His will for our lives. If we truly do this day after day, then we can ensure that we stay in tune with what the Lord wants us to do…and in doing so, ensure we make things right with Him. 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
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
ARROGANT REBELLION
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.
Early in the morning, Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.
When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.” But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”
Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.”
“Stop!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”
“Tell me,” Saul replied.
Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And He sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.’ Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”
“But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”
But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king.”
Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions.”
1 Samuel 15:12-24a
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Question: How many times has a person sinned and then tried to cover up that sin with a lie?
Too many I’m afraid and as we look at the scripture passage from 1 Samuel, Chapter 15, we’ll see where this behavior, displayed by Saul, doesn’t sit well with God…a God who we learned grieves over His children when they are disobedient.
As we see in our passage, Samuel gets up “early in the morning” and goes “to meet Saul” but as he seeks him he is told that Saul had “gone to Carmel” where he had “set up a monument in his own honor” before going to Gilgal.
Now…how do you think God felt about this? Not only had Saul shown that he would do what he wanted to do despite God’s specific instructions but now he decides that he should be glorified and honored, not God.
Question: How often has a person succeeded in some way and then taken all the credit for that success instead of giving it to the Lord?
Again, too many I’m afraid but this passage also sends a stern message to us about this as well…one that we all would do well to heed.
Back to the scriptures…for Samuel finally tracks down Saul who acts as if everything is fine…like he has done nothing wrong. In fact, Saul acts like he has carried out all of the Lord’s instructions perfectly. In reality, Saul had contrived a story to try and cover the sinful actions of himself and his men. Indeed, Saul had concocted what he thought was a convincing alibi but Samuel, God’s messenger and faithful servant, would have nothing of it.
For as Saul tells him that he has “carried out the Lord’s instructions”, Samuel quickly retorts, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?” Samuel knew that God had commanded Saul and his men to destroy everything completely, not sparing one person or animal. And yet, we know that Saul spared the Amalekite king, Agag, and allowed his men to keep all the best of the sheep and cattle from the plunder.
So Samuel had called out Saul and challenged his assertion that he had obeyed God fully. But Saul was ready for him and we get a sense that Saul had been preparing his excuse ever since he sinned. For he answered Samuel saying, “The soldiers brought them (the sheep and cattle) from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.” Saul was only making his initial sin worse. Not only was he lying about fully keeping the Lord’s commands but he now used God as a part of his excuse…trying to convince Samuel that the best of the sheep and cattle were only taken to give to God as sacrifices. The problem with this was that God didn’t order Saul to do this. Had God wanted the best sheep and cattle to be kept for sacrifices, He would have told Saul to do so.
Well…we read where Samuel gets fed up and abruptly tells Saul to “Stop!” before sharing with Saul what the Lord had told him the night before. Note how Samuel is not speaking on his own behalf but for the Lord’s. Saul would have been much better served to place the Lord first in his life as well. If he had, he would have done as the Lord commanded.
So Samuel tells Saul the following:
“Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And He sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.’ Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”
In his words, Samuel speaks a lot of wisdom, not only to Saul but us as well. Here are the key points to remember:
1. God and God alone brings us to greatness.
Samuel tells Saul, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel.”
Indeed, Saul was from the smallest of the Israelite tribes and the least of the clans within that tribe. If one were going to predict where the king of Israel would come from, no one would pick the tribe of Benjamin let alone Saul’s clan and family…no one except God that is.
God selected Saul and placed him in an important position of leadership… a position where Saul was expected to represent the Lord honorably. But Saul did everything but that. Saul disregarded how much he had been blessed and got caught up in his power and accomplishments, so much so that he saw himself as more significant than the One who made him significant.
As we go through each day of life that the Lord blesses us with, we need to stay grounded in Him and realize that everything we have achieved and everything we get to do…all of it has come by the grace and providence of God who has taken sinners like us and lifted us up toward opportunities of greatness…but greatness in His name and His name alone.
2. Once God brings us greatness, He sends us forth to do His work.
Once Saul was “anointed…king over Israel”, God “sent (him) on a mission”. Saul was told to “Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.”
But Saul didn’t carry out the mission as ordered. Instead, he modified the mission to suit his desires and the desires of his men. Such was Saul’s arrogance and disrespectfulness in the sight of God.
Well, just as God sent Saul on a mission, He does the same to all those He has called into service. And because of this truth, we should always be seeking His will for us in whatever our circumstances and then be obedient to the guidance He gives us. God doesn’t bring us to greatness for us to be idle. He calls us to greatness and then calls us to action…action that He will always make clear to us and action that demands our obedient response.
3. God does demand and expect our obedience and complete compliance with His commands.
Once Samuel reminds Saul that God had selected him and elevated him to greatness, expecting Him to obediently carry out the mission He gave him, he asks Saul, “Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”
Indeed, why? This is what God would ask each of us as well. Why would be decide to turn from God and His will for us? Why would we refuse to give Him all the credit and glory in our lives? Why would we sin and then lie to try and cover it up? Why would we ever willingly decide to do evil instead of good in the eyes of the Lord?
Why? Why? Why?
Indeed, why?
So did Saul get a wake up call from the words of the Lord shared by Samuel? The answer is no. Instead, he chose to continue to lie and try and justify his sinfulness. For Saul said to Samuel:
“But I did obey the Lord…I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”
Saul just didn’t get it. He wasn’t going to give up until Samuel bought his story. He found out that Samuel wasn’t about to give up either until Saul gave up his ruse and came clean. For Samuel told Saul:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king.”
Again, Samuel speaks great words of wisdom, providing Saul and us with additional points to ponder:
4. The Lord delights the most in our obedience.
We’ve seen where disobedience grieves God and certainly Saul had done that. But Samuel takes this a step further and personalizes it to apply to Saul’s lie. For Samuel asks Saul, “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?” Samuel tells Saul that He doesn’t…for “to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”
Indeed, we can’t feel like doing good things for God will balance out our decisions to do what we desire over what he does. No…God expects our obedience. He expects that we heed His commands and expectations. And THEN, He wants us to go forth in His purpose, carrying out His mission and following His guidance fully…without deviation.
5. Rebellion and arrogance are evil in the eyes of God.
As we have seen in the scriptures, God despises divination for the diviner is seeking guidance from other spiritual sources outside of Him. And God had made it very clear that there would be no others gods before Him. A diviner, in denying trust in the one true God, was equivalent to a rebeller…one who chose his own way over God’s and thus why Samuel drew the parallel between the two in his words to Saul.
He also touched on the subject of arrogance…something else that Saul had displayed …comparing it to idolatry. For many people in the Old Testament period of Judges worshipped idols instead of God. These idols were material items that had no spiritual value outside of the mind of the one who worshipped it.
Such was the case with Saul…who decided to erect a monument in his own honor…and in doing so, worshipped himself above God. Saul had idolized himself and, in doing so, became evil in God’s sight.
6. Willful disobedience, rebellion and arrogance unto God will result in rejection.
Saul’s actions were reprehensible and inexcusable in God’s eyes. And so Saul, the man He selected to lead His people, lost all the authority given him. For Samuel concludes his words to Saul saying, “Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king.”
The message here is clear. God will not tolerate any person rejecting Him. He is God and is only to be praised and worshipped…lifted up high and honored…respected and obeyed. Nothing short of this is acceptable. And if we so choose to reject Him and His word, then we can expect to fall from glory ourselves…fall from the only glory that matters…and that’s His glory.
Back to the passage…for after Samuel’s second dissertation, Saul realizes he needed to confess telling Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions.”
It sure would have been a lot easier had Saul just confessed and repented earlier. Better yet, it would have been so much better if Saul had just chosen to be an obedient leader…one who honored God and God alone by strictly obeying His word, will and way. But that didn’t happen for Saul had chosen the path of arrogant rebellion…and he paid a heavy price for that choice.
Friends, we have a choice to make ourselves. We are God’s children…created in His own image and called by Him to obedient service.
How are we going to respond to Him? Will we be like Saul and choose arrogant rebellion, even though the scriptures have shown us that this leads us down to the path of sinful destruction and God’s rejection? Or will we learn from the mistakes of Saul and fully apply ourselves to obey everything that God asks us to do, fully heeding His commands and word.
The choice is up to us. Righteousness or evil? Obedience or sin? Favor or rejection?
What will it be for you? God is watching and waiting for your answer. 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
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Early in the morning, Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.
When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.” But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”
Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.”
“Stop!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”
“Tell me,” Saul replied.
Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And He sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.’ Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”
“But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”
But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king.”
Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions.”
1 Samuel 15:12-24a
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Question: How many times has a person sinned and then tried to cover up that sin with a lie?
Too many I’m afraid and as we look at the scripture passage from 1 Samuel, Chapter 15, we’ll see where this behavior, displayed by Saul, doesn’t sit well with God…a God who we learned grieves over His children when they are disobedient.
As we see in our passage, Samuel gets up “early in the morning” and goes “to meet Saul” but as he seeks him he is told that Saul had “gone to Carmel” where he had “set up a monument in his own honor” before going to Gilgal.
Now…how do you think God felt about this? Not only had Saul shown that he would do what he wanted to do despite God’s specific instructions but now he decides that he should be glorified and honored, not God.
Question: How often has a person succeeded in some way and then taken all the credit for that success instead of giving it to the Lord?
Again, too many I’m afraid but this passage also sends a stern message to us about this as well…one that we all would do well to heed.
Back to the scriptures…for Samuel finally tracks down Saul who acts as if everything is fine…like he has done nothing wrong. In fact, Saul acts like he has carried out all of the Lord’s instructions perfectly. In reality, Saul had contrived a story to try and cover the sinful actions of himself and his men. Indeed, Saul had concocted what he thought was a convincing alibi but Samuel, God’s messenger and faithful servant, would have nothing of it.
For as Saul tells him that he has “carried out the Lord’s instructions”, Samuel quickly retorts, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?” Samuel knew that God had commanded Saul and his men to destroy everything completely, not sparing one person or animal. And yet, we know that Saul spared the Amalekite king, Agag, and allowed his men to keep all the best of the sheep and cattle from the plunder.
So Samuel had called out Saul and challenged his assertion that he had obeyed God fully. But Saul was ready for him and we get a sense that Saul had been preparing his excuse ever since he sinned. For he answered Samuel saying, “The soldiers brought them (the sheep and cattle) from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.” Saul was only making his initial sin worse. Not only was he lying about fully keeping the Lord’s commands but he now used God as a part of his excuse…trying to convince Samuel that the best of the sheep and cattle were only taken to give to God as sacrifices. The problem with this was that God didn’t order Saul to do this. Had God wanted the best sheep and cattle to be kept for sacrifices, He would have told Saul to do so.
Well…we read where Samuel gets fed up and abruptly tells Saul to “Stop!” before sharing with Saul what the Lord had told him the night before. Note how Samuel is not speaking on his own behalf but for the Lord’s. Saul would have been much better served to place the Lord first in his life as well. If he had, he would have done as the Lord commanded.
So Samuel tells Saul the following:
“Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And He sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.’ Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”
In his words, Samuel speaks a lot of wisdom, not only to Saul but us as well. Here are the key points to remember:
1. God and God alone brings us to greatness.
Samuel tells Saul, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel.”
Indeed, Saul was from the smallest of the Israelite tribes and the least of the clans within that tribe. If one were going to predict where the king of Israel would come from, no one would pick the tribe of Benjamin let alone Saul’s clan and family…no one except God that is.
God selected Saul and placed him in an important position of leadership… a position where Saul was expected to represent the Lord honorably. But Saul did everything but that. Saul disregarded how much he had been blessed and got caught up in his power and accomplishments, so much so that he saw himself as more significant than the One who made him significant.
As we go through each day of life that the Lord blesses us with, we need to stay grounded in Him and realize that everything we have achieved and everything we get to do…all of it has come by the grace and providence of God who has taken sinners like us and lifted us up toward opportunities of greatness…but greatness in His name and His name alone.
2. Once God brings us greatness, He sends us forth to do His work.
Once Saul was “anointed…king over Israel”, God “sent (him) on a mission”. Saul was told to “Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.”
But Saul didn’t carry out the mission as ordered. Instead, he modified the mission to suit his desires and the desires of his men. Such was Saul’s arrogance and disrespectfulness in the sight of God.
Well, just as God sent Saul on a mission, He does the same to all those He has called into service. And because of this truth, we should always be seeking His will for us in whatever our circumstances and then be obedient to the guidance He gives us. God doesn’t bring us to greatness for us to be idle. He calls us to greatness and then calls us to action…action that He will always make clear to us and action that demands our obedient response.
3. God does demand and expect our obedience and complete compliance with His commands.
Once Samuel reminds Saul that God had selected him and elevated him to greatness, expecting Him to obediently carry out the mission He gave him, he asks Saul, “Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”
Indeed, why? This is what God would ask each of us as well. Why would be decide to turn from God and His will for us? Why would we refuse to give Him all the credit and glory in our lives? Why would we sin and then lie to try and cover it up? Why would we ever willingly decide to do evil instead of good in the eyes of the Lord?
Why? Why? Why?
Indeed, why?
So did Saul get a wake up call from the words of the Lord shared by Samuel? The answer is no. Instead, he chose to continue to lie and try and justify his sinfulness. For Saul said to Samuel:
“But I did obey the Lord…I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”
Saul just didn’t get it. He wasn’t going to give up until Samuel bought his story. He found out that Samuel wasn’t about to give up either until Saul gave up his ruse and came clean. For Samuel told Saul:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king.”
Again, Samuel speaks great words of wisdom, providing Saul and us with additional points to ponder:
4. The Lord delights the most in our obedience.
We’ve seen where disobedience grieves God and certainly Saul had done that. But Samuel takes this a step further and personalizes it to apply to Saul’s lie. For Samuel asks Saul, “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?” Samuel tells Saul that He doesn’t…for “to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”
Indeed, we can’t feel like doing good things for God will balance out our decisions to do what we desire over what he does. No…God expects our obedience. He expects that we heed His commands and expectations. And THEN, He wants us to go forth in His purpose, carrying out His mission and following His guidance fully…without deviation.
5. Rebellion and arrogance are evil in the eyes of God.
As we have seen in the scriptures, God despises divination for the diviner is seeking guidance from other spiritual sources outside of Him. And God had made it very clear that there would be no others gods before Him. A diviner, in denying trust in the one true God, was equivalent to a rebeller…one who chose his own way over God’s and thus why Samuel drew the parallel between the two in his words to Saul.
He also touched on the subject of arrogance…something else that Saul had displayed …comparing it to idolatry. For many people in the Old Testament period of Judges worshipped idols instead of God. These idols were material items that had no spiritual value outside of the mind of the one who worshipped it.
Such was the case with Saul…who decided to erect a monument in his own honor…and in doing so, worshipped himself above God. Saul had idolized himself and, in doing so, became evil in God’s sight.
6. Willful disobedience, rebellion and arrogance unto God will result in rejection.
Saul’s actions were reprehensible and inexcusable in God’s eyes. And so Saul, the man He selected to lead His people, lost all the authority given him. For Samuel concludes his words to Saul saying, “Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king.”
The message here is clear. God will not tolerate any person rejecting Him. He is God and is only to be praised and worshipped…lifted up high and honored…respected and obeyed. Nothing short of this is acceptable. And if we so choose to reject Him and His word, then we can expect to fall from glory ourselves…fall from the only glory that matters…and that’s His glory.
Back to the passage…for after Samuel’s second dissertation, Saul realizes he needed to confess telling Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions.”
It sure would have been a lot easier had Saul just confessed and repented earlier. Better yet, it would have been so much better if Saul had just chosen to be an obedient leader…one who honored God and God alone by strictly obeying His word, will and way. But that didn’t happen for Saul had chosen the path of arrogant rebellion…and he paid a heavy price for that choice.
Friends, we have a choice to make ourselves. We are God’s children…created in His own image and called by Him to obedient service.
How are we going to respond to Him? Will we be like Saul and choose arrogant rebellion, even though the scriptures have shown us that this leads us down to the path of sinful destruction and God’s rejection? Or will we learn from the mistakes of Saul and fully apply ourselves to obey everything that God asks us to do, fully heeding His commands and word.
The choice is up to us. Righteousness or evil? Obedience or sin? Favor or rejection?
What will it be for you? God is watching and waiting for your answer. 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
Thursday, December 18, 2008
GRIEVING GOD
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.
Samuel said to Saul, 'I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.' '
So Saul summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim — two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah. Saul went to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the ravine. Then he said to the Kenites, 'Go away, leave the Amalekites so that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.' So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.
Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, to the east of Egypt. He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs —everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.
Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: 'I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.' Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the Lord all that night.
1 Samuel 15:1-11
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As 1st Samuel, Chapter 15 opens, Saul is visited by the prophet Samuel…the one who anointed Saul king over Israel…the one who also brought messages to Saul and others from God. And scripture shows us that Samuel had another message for Saul from the Lord as he said to him:
'This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.' '
And with that order, Saul 'summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim…two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah'…before going to the 'city of Amalek and (setting) an ambush in the ravine'. But before Saul attacked the Amalekites, we read where he showed mercy to the Kenites because they 'showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.' And so the 'Kenites moved away from the Amalekites' and were spared.
Then Saul and his men 'attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, to the east of Egypt'. Everything had gone just as God had ordered. But then, things started to go bad as Saul and his army began to turn from God’s expectations.
For we read where Saul 'took Agag king of the Amalekites alive' while killing 'all his people…with the sword. 'Saul and the army' also 'spared…the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs', keeping 'everything that was good' while totally destroying 'everything that was despised and weak'. Why? Because 'they were unwilling to destroy completely'. Or in other words, they were disobedient…more willing to meet their own desires than God’s.
And scripture shows us the end result of this disobedient action by Saul and his men…it grieved the Lord. We know this because He told Samuel, 'I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.' And in turn, Samuel was troubled, crying 'out to the Lord all that night'.
Friends, how often are we like Saul and his men? We are chosen by God to carry out His word and will…and then are given instructions by Him as to how to complete what He wants us to do. And then, we either completely fail to do what He wants or we only partially complete what he asks us to do, mostly because we think that just doing part of what He wants is good enough.
It isn’t.
For God demands and expects nothing but our full compliance with anything and everything He wants us to do. Nothing short of this is acceptable. God won’t take our second best. He gives us His best always and wants ours in return.
So what happens when we fail? Well, we saw in our passage today what happens.
God grieves.
He grieves when we let Him down. He grieves when we choose our own selfish desires over His. And He grieves when we fail to give Him our all as He gave us…especially in the way of His Son, our Savior, Jesus.
Question: Are we really willing to grieve God with the way we live our lives?
Let us today recommit to full obedience to God…and live our lives in a way that only blesses Him, glorifies Him and brings Him the fullest joy possible. 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
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Samuel said to Saul, 'I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.' '
So Saul summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim — two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah. Saul went to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the ravine. Then he said to the Kenites, 'Go away, leave the Amalekites so that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.' So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.
Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, to the east of Egypt. He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs —everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.
Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: 'I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.' Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the Lord all that night.
1 Samuel 15:1-11
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As 1st Samuel, Chapter 15 opens, Saul is visited by the prophet Samuel…the one who anointed Saul king over Israel…the one who also brought messages to Saul and others from God. And scripture shows us that Samuel had another message for Saul from the Lord as he said to him:
'This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.' '
And with that order, Saul 'summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim…two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah'…before going to the 'city of Amalek and (setting) an ambush in the ravine'. But before Saul attacked the Amalekites, we read where he showed mercy to the Kenites because they 'showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.' And so the 'Kenites moved away from the Amalekites' and were spared.
Then Saul and his men 'attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, to the east of Egypt'. Everything had gone just as God had ordered. But then, things started to go bad as Saul and his army began to turn from God’s expectations.
For we read where Saul 'took Agag king of the Amalekites alive' while killing 'all his people…with the sword. 'Saul and the army' also 'spared…the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs', keeping 'everything that was good' while totally destroying 'everything that was despised and weak'. Why? Because 'they were unwilling to destroy completely'. Or in other words, they were disobedient…more willing to meet their own desires than God’s.
And scripture shows us the end result of this disobedient action by Saul and his men…it grieved the Lord. We know this because He told Samuel, 'I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.' And in turn, Samuel was troubled, crying 'out to the Lord all that night'.
Friends, how often are we like Saul and his men? We are chosen by God to carry out His word and will…and then are given instructions by Him as to how to complete what He wants us to do. And then, we either completely fail to do what He wants or we only partially complete what he asks us to do, mostly because we think that just doing part of what He wants is good enough.
It isn’t.
For God demands and expects nothing but our full compliance with anything and everything He wants us to do. Nothing short of this is acceptable. God won’t take our second best. He gives us His best always and wants ours in return.
So what happens when we fail? Well, we saw in our passage today what happens.
God grieves.
He grieves when we let Him down. He grieves when we choose our own selfish desires over His. And He grieves when we fail to give Him our all as He gave us…especially in the way of His Son, our Savior, Jesus.
Question: Are we really willing to grieve God with the way we live our lives?
Let us today recommit to full obedience to God…and live our lives in a way that only blesses Him, glorifies Him and brings Him the fullest joy possible. 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
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
DEVOTED TO ONE ANOTHER
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.
Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, "Cursed be any man who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!" So none of the troops tasted food.
The entire army entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground. When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out, yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. Then one of the soldiers told him, "Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, 'Cursed be any man who eats food today!' That is why the men are faint."
Jonathan said, "My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?"
That day, after the Israelites had struck down the Philistines from Micmash to Aijalon, they were exhausted. They pounced on the plunder and, taking sheep, cattle and calves, they butchered them on the ground and ate them, together with the blood. Then someone said to Saul, "Look, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating meat that has blood in it."
"You have broken faith," he said. "Roll a large stone over here at once." Then he said, "Go out among the men and tell them, 'Each of you bring me your cattle and sheep, and slaughter them here and eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood still in it.' "
So everyone brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there. Then Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first time he had done this.
Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive." "Do whatever seems best to you," they replied. But the priest said, "Let us inquire of God here."
So Saul asked God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel's hand?" But God did not answer him that day.
Saul therefore said, "Come here, all you who are leaders of the army, and let us find out what sin has been committed today. As surely as the Lord who rescues Israel lives, even if it lies with my son Jonathan, he must die." But not one of the men said a word.
Saul then said to all the Israelites, "You stand over there; I and Jonathan my son will stand over here." "Do what seems best to you," the men replied.
Then Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, "Give me the right answer." And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared. Saul said, "Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was taken.
Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." So Jonathan told him, "I merely tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now must I die?" Saul said, "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan."
But the men said to Saul, "Should Jonathan die—he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God's help." So the men rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death.
Then Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and they withdrew to their own land. After Saul had assumed rule over Israel, he fought against their enemies on every side: Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment on them. He fought valiantly and defeated the Amalekites, delivering Israel from the hands of those who had plundered them.
Saul's sons were Jonathan, Ishvi and Malki-Shua. The name of his older daughter was Merab, and that of the younger was Michal. His wife's name was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of Saul's army was Abner son of Ner, and Ner was Saul's uncle. Saul's father Kish and Abner's father Ner were sons of Abiel.
All the days of Saul there was bitter war with the Philistines, and whenever Saul saw a mighty or brave man, he took him into his service.
1 Samuel 14:24-52
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
It had been quite a day for Saul, his son Jonathan and the Israelite army. Jonathan and his armor bearer had single-handedly defeated a Philistine outpost and Saul and his men had great success in their own attack on the Philistines after God had shook the ground and thrown the Philistine soldiers into confusion. With these accomplishments, you wouldn’t think there was anything that could spoil things for Israel…but there was.
For despite all the favorable events of the day, there were two others that counter-balanced those events and brought Israel into a negative light before God.
The first matter involved Saul’s imposed fast on his army. Scripture tells us that “Saul had bound the people under an oath” telling them that any man who ate before evening would be cursed and so “none of the troops tasted food” and because of it “were in distress”.
On the surface, there wasn’t anything wrong with Saul’s intent. It was common practice to fast during times that required focus and a reliance on God…and Saul wanted his men’s attention to be on defeating the Philistines, not what they would eat. The demand was not unreasonable since it was only for the day and the men would be able to eat in the evening.
But there were two problems with Saul’s demand.
First, his men were not devoted enough to keep it and, second, not everyone received his demand because you’ll recall that Saul’s son, Jonathan, and his armor bearer were off fighting and defeating the Philistine outpost during the first part of the day.
And so, as the “entire army entered the woods” and saw “honey on the ground”, they refused to eat it “because they feared the oath” but Jonathan, unaware of his father’s command, “reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb” before eating it and seeing “his eyes brightened”. The honey had given him energy…something the rest of Saul’s army lacked.
We read where one of the soldiers told Jonathan, "Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, 'Cursed be any man who eats food today!' That is why the men are faint." Jonathan, in a display of disrespect for his father, admonished him in front of his men saying, “My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?" Jonathan unknowingly eating the honey against his father’s oath was not something that could be held against him. He didn’t know. But to undermine his father in front of his men was wrong and sinful…even if Jonathan showing support and sympathy for the army would benefit him in the end.
The second problem with Saul’s demand is that his men were not strong enough to keep it. We know because scripture tells is that the Israelites, exhausted after striking down “the Philistines from Micmash to Aijalon”, “pounced on the plunder and, taking sheep, cattle and calves, they butchered them on the ground and ate them, together with the blood”, a sin against God’s command to ensure all blood was drained from meat before eating. Scripture tells us that the sinful behavior was brought to Saul’s attention and he took immediate action, calling all his men together and giving them the following order:
"You have broken faith…Roll a large stone over here at once...(and) Go out among the men and tell them, 'Each of you bring me your cattle and sheep, and slaughter them here and eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood still in it.' " So everyone listened to Saul and brought an ox that night, slaughtering the animal there. “Then Saul built an altar to the Lord…the first time he had done this”. By his actions, even if he had never built an altar and sacrificed before, Saul showed that he wanted to make things right with God and seek pardon for the sins of his army.
So at this point, Saul thought things were worked out and he was ready to go back into battle with the Philistines. He told his men, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive." It was a common practice to attack at night where the element of surprise would usually give the attackers a benefit.
Saul’s men were ready to follow him but the priest intervened and injected spiritual wisdom telling Saul that they should inquire of God in the matter. And so scripture tells us that Saul asked God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel's hand?", only to not receive a reply from God on that day.
Saul sensed something was wrong. Why would God not answer?
Saul sensed that someone in his army had sinned and thus taken him out of favor with God so he summoned all the “leaders of the army” and told them they needed to “find out what sin (had) been committed”. And in what would be an ironic tragedy, Saul adds, “As surely as the Lord who rescues Israel lives, even if it lies with my son Jonathan, he must die." His words struck the hearts of his army who knew Jonathan had eaten against the oath but the men remained silent, not saying a word.
So how would they find out who had brought God’s disfavor on Israel? Saul decides to cast lots, first having all the Israelites stand separate from him and Jonathan and, as Saul asks God in prayer to give him the answer, the lots are cast and the army is cleared of any wrongdoing.
Thus it came down to Saul and his son, Jonathan, and when the lots were cast again, they indicated that it was Jonathan who was guilty. Saul asks Jonathan about what he had done and Jonathan tells his father, “I merely tasted a little honey with the end of my staff” before asking, “And now must I die?" It just didn’t seem right or just to Jonathan for his to have to perish when he wasn’t aware of the oath given.
Saul had to be torn in what to do but, in the end, he felt his loyalty to God and the oath taken was more important than pardoning his son and so he said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan." Note that Saul never asked God what he should do. Granted, God didn’t answer him the last time he sought him but that didn’t mean God wouldn’t answer him under the present circumstances. We’ve read over and over in the scriptures about how God is a righteous God of justice. Surely God would grant pardon in this case and spare Jonathan. But Saul never turned to Him…and as we’ll see, the call for proper justice had to come from a different place.
For we read where Saul’s men say to their leader and king, “Should Jonathan die — he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God's help." Jonathan and his armor bearer had defeated the Philistine outpost because they turned to God who brought them victory. And because he carried out God’s plan and desire, the Lord saved Jonathan as Saul’s men kept him from being put to death.
I can’t help but think God had a hand in the words spoken by Saul’s men. For their selfless compassion for Jonathan spared his life and ensured proper justice was carried out. They weren’t afraid to speak up and ensure the right thing happened, even if it meant challenging their king.
I wonder if we would be as bold as Saul’s men to speak up against injustice when we see it in our lives. Would we be as compassionate and caring…as selfless and loving?
We would if we stayed obedient to God’s word. For Paul wrote important words for us in his letter to the Romans. These words, drawn from a series of exhortations for the Christian church, serve as a primer for us as we seek to discern how to handle matters when we need to stand up for others. Paul said:
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:9-10
Saul’s men were sincere in their love for Jonathan and showed it in their willingness to speak up in his defense. The men were clinging to what was good and right…for Jonathan deserved pardon and received it. Jonathan had to sense the devotion and brotherly love felt for him as well as the humility displayed by the men who were willing to place Jonathan above themselves.
O, what a better world we would have to live in if all peoples would embody these principles…to love sincerely…to hate what is evil and cling to good…to be devoted to one another in love…and to honor others above ourselves.
Come to think of it, Jesus was all of this and more. It’s why we admire and respect Him…why we love and desire Him…and why we follow and seek to emulate Him. It’s also why we were called to make disciples of Him, teaching all to obey what he commanded (Romans 28:18-20).
Yes, this world can be a better place to live in…but it’s only going to be that when everyone turns their hearts, minds and souls over to Jesus…the Savior, Redeemer and Friend…the One who was devoted to us first so that we might know how to be devoted to one another. 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
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, "Cursed be any man who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!" So none of the troops tasted food.
The entire army entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground. When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out, yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. Then one of the soldiers told him, "Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, 'Cursed be any man who eats food today!' That is why the men are faint."
Jonathan said, "My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?"
That day, after the Israelites had struck down the Philistines from Micmash to Aijalon, they were exhausted. They pounced on the plunder and, taking sheep, cattle and calves, they butchered them on the ground and ate them, together with the blood. Then someone said to Saul, "Look, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating meat that has blood in it."
"You have broken faith," he said. "Roll a large stone over here at once." Then he said, "Go out among the men and tell them, 'Each of you bring me your cattle and sheep, and slaughter them here and eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood still in it.' "
So everyone brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there. Then Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first time he had done this.
Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive." "Do whatever seems best to you," they replied. But the priest said, "Let us inquire of God here."
So Saul asked God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel's hand?" But God did not answer him that day.
Saul therefore said, "Come here, all you who are leaders of the army, and let us find out what sin has been committed today. As surely as the Lord who rescues Israel lives, even if it lies with my son Jonathan, he must die." But not one of the men said a word.
Saul then said to all the Israelites, "You stand over there; I and Jonathan my son will stand over here." "Do what seems best to you," the men replied.
Then Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, "Give me the right answer." And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared. Saul said, "Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was taken.
Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." So Jonathan told him, "I merely tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now must I die?" Saul said, "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan."
But the men said to Saul, "Should Jonathan die—he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God's help." So the men rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death.
Then Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and they withdrew to their own land. After Saul had assumed rule over Israel, he fought against their enemies on every side: Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment on them. He fought valiantly and defeated the Amalekites, delivering Israel from the hands of those who had plundered them.
Saul's sons were Jonathan, Ishvi and Malki-Shua. The name of his older daughter was Merab, and that of the younger was Michal. His wife's name was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of Saul's army was Abner son of Ner, and Ner was Saul's uncle. Saul's father Kish and Abner's father Ner were sons of Abiel.
All the days of Saul there was bitter war with the Philistines, and whenever Saul saw a mighty or brave man, he took him into his service.
1 Samuel 14:24-52
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
It had been quite a day for Saul, his son Jonathan and the Israelite army. Jonathan and his armor bearer had single-handedly defeated a Philistine outpost and Saul and his men had great success in their own attack on the Philistines after God had shook the ground and thrown the Philistine soldiers into confusion. With these accomplishments, you wouldn’t think there was anything that could spoil things for Israel…but there was.
For despite all the favorable events of the day, there were two others that counter-balanced those events and brought Israel into a negative light before God.
The first matter involved Saul’s imposed fast on his army. Scripture tells us that “Saul had bound the people under an oath” telling them that any man who ate before evening would be cursed and so “none of the troops tasted food” and because of it “were in distress”.
On the surface, there wasn’t anything wrong with Saul’s intent. It was common practice to fast during times that required focus and a reliance on God…and Saul wanted his men’s attention to be on defeating the Philistines, not what they would eat. The demand was not unreasonable since it was only for the day and the men would be able to eat in the evening.
But there were two problems with Saul’s demand.
First, his men were not devoted enough to keep it and, second, not everyone received his demand because you’ll recall that Saul’s son, Jonathan, and his armor bearer were off fighting and defeating the Philistine outpost during the first part of the day.
And so, as the “entire army entered the woods” and saw “honey on the ground”, they refused to eat it “because they feared the oath” but Jonathan, unaware of his father’s command, “reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb” before eating it and seeing “his eyes brightened”. The honey had given him energy…something the rest of Saul’s army lacked.
We read where one of the soldiers told Jonathan, "Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, 'Cursed be any man who eats food today!' That is why the men are faint." Jonathan, in a display of disrespect for his father, admonished him in front of his men saying, “My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?" Jonathan unknowingly eating the honey against his father’s oath was not something that could be held against him. He didn’t know. But to undermine his father in front of his men was wrong and sinful…even if Jonathan showing support and sympathy for the army would benefit him in the end.
The second problem with Saul’s demand is that his men were not strong enough to keep it. We know because scripture tells is that the Israelites, exhausted after striking down “the Philistines from Micmash to Aijalon”, “pounced on the plunder and, taking sheep, cattle and calves, they butchered them on the ground and ate them, together with the blood”, a sin against God’s command to ensure all blood was drained from meat before eating. Scripture tells us that the sinful behavior was brought to Saul’s attention and he took immediate action, calling all his men together and giving them the following order:
"You have broken faith…Roll a large stone over here at once...(and) Go out among the men and tell them, 'Each of you bring me your cattle and sheep, and slaughter them here and eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood still in it.' " So everyone listened to Saul and brought an ox that night, slaughtering the animal there. “Then Saul built an altar to the Lord…the first time he had done this”. By his actions, even if he had never built an altar and sacrificed before, Saul showed that he wanted to make things right with God and seek pardon for the sins of his army.
So at this point, Saul thought things were worked out and he was ready to go back into battle with the Philistines. He told his men, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive." It was a common practice to attack at night where the element of surprise would usually give the attackers a benefit.
Saul’s men were ready to follow him but the priest intervened and injected spiritual wisdom telling Saul that they should inquire of God in the matter. And so scripture tells us that Saul asked God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel's hand?", only to not receive a reply from God on that day.
Saul sensed something was wrong. Why would God not answer?
Saul sensed that someone in his army had sinned and thus taken him out of favor with God so he summoned all the “leaders of the army” and told them they needed to “find out what sin (had) been committed”. And in what would be an ironic tragedy, Saul adds, “As surely as the Lord who rescues Israel lives, even if it lies with my son Jonathan, he must die." His words struck the hearts of his army who knew Jonathan had eaten against the oath but the men remained silent, not saying a word.
So how would they find out who had brought God’s disfavor on Israel? Saul decides to cast lots, first having all the Israelites stand separate from him and Jonathan and, as Saul asks God in prayer to give him the answer, the lots are cast and the army is cleared of any wrongdoing.
Thus it came down to Saul and his son, Jonathan, and when the lots were cast again, they indicated that it was Jonathan who was guilty. Saul asks Jonathan about what he had done and Jonathan tells his father, “I merely tasted a little honey with the end of my staff” before asking, “And now must I die?" It just didn’t seem right or just to Jonathan for his to have to perish when he wasn’t aware of the oath given.
Saul had to be torn in what to do but, in the end, he felt his loyalty to God and the oath taken was more important than pardoning his son and so he said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan." Note that Saul never asked God what he should do. Granted, God didn’t answer him the last time he sought him but that didn’t mean God wouldn’t answer him under the present circumstances. We’ve read over and over in the scriptures about how God is a righteous God of justice. Surely God would grant pardon in this case and spare Jonathan. But Saul never turned to Him…and as we’ll see, the call for proper justice had to come from a different place.
For we read where Saul’s men say to their leader and king, “Should Jonathan die — he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God's help." Jonathan and his armor bearer had defeated the Philistine outpost because they turned to God who brought them victory. And because he carried out God’s plan and desire, the Lord saved Jonathan as Saul’s men kept him from being put to death.
I can’t help but think God had a hand in the words spoken by Saul’s men. For their selfless compassion for Jonathan spared his life and ensured proper justice was carried out. They weren’t afraid to speak up and ensure the right thing happened, even if it meant challenging their king.
I wonder if we would be as bold as Saul’s men to speak up against injustice when we see it in our lives. Would we be as compassionate and caring…as selfless and loving?
We would if we stayed obedient to God’s word. For Paul wrote important words for us in his letter to the Romans. These words, drawn from a series of exhortations for the Christian church, serve as a primer for us as we seek to discern how to handle matters when we need to stand up for others. Paul said:
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:9-10
Saul’s men were sincere in their love for Jonathan and showed it in their willingness to speak up in his defense. The men were clinging to what was good and right…for Jonathan deserved pardon and received it. Jonathan had to sense the devotion and brotherly love felt for him as well as the humility displayed by the men who were willing to place Jonathan above themselves.
O, what a better world we would have to live in if all peoples would embody these principles…to love sincerely…to hate what is evil and cling to good…to be devoted to one another in love…and to honor others above ourselves.
Come to think of it, Jesus was all of this and more. It’s why we admire and respect Him…why we love and desire Him…and why we follow and seek to emulate Him. It’s also why we were called to make disciples of Him, teaching all to obey what he commanded (Romans 28:18-20).
Yes, this world can be a better place to live in…but it’s only going to be that when everyone turns their hearts, minds and souls over to Jesus…the Savior, Redeemer and Friend…the One who was devoted to us first so that we might know how to be devoted to one another. 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
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
A LORD WHO RESCUES
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 panic struck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties—and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.
Saul's lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions. Then Saul said to the men who were with him, "Muster the forces and see who has left us." When they did, it was Jonathan and his armor-bearer who were not there.
Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God." (At that time it was with the Israelites.) While Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the Philistine camp increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."
Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords. Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined the battle in hot pursuit. So the Lord rescued Israel that day, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven.
1 Samuel 14:15-23
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
At the start of Chapter 14, we saw where Jonathan and his armor bearer defeated a Philistine outpost. After their victory, the Philistine army was in disarray, struck by a panic that scripture tells us was “sent by God”. As the “ground shook”, the whole army…“those in the camp and field…in the outposts and raiding parties”…were seen by Saul’s lookouts as “melting away in all directions”.
So Saul mustered his forces and found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were missing before commanding the priest Ahijah to “Bring the ark of God”. Meanwhile, the “tumult in the Philistine camp increased more and more”…so much more that Saul assembled all his men and went to battle where they “found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords”. Scripture tells us that Saul and his men were joined by the “Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp” as well as “all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim”. The “Philistines were on the run” as the “Lord rescued Israel that day”.
Note the word of God here. For the Lord rescued Israel. Not Saul. Not Jonathan. Not any man or woman. No…God was the One who did the rescuing. He did it then and He does it today.
We need to keep this in mind as we face difficulties in our lives. We serve a God who rescues us and with that rescue, brings us so much more. Consider these scripture passages:
1. The Lord provides us support and rescues us because He delights in us.
He (the Lord) reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me. Psalm 18:16-19
We can’t rescue ourselves. We need a rescuer, someone who will support us when we are in distress…someone who can snatch us away from danger and move us to a more secure place…someone who loves and delights in us enough that He desires for us to be saved.
This is the God we serve. Always there for us. Always ready to intervene and save us. Always loving us.
2. The Lord avenges us, subdues our enemies and exalts us over our foes.
He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me, who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O Lord; I will sing praises to Your name. Psalm 18:47-49
Many people will come against us in life but we need never worry about our foes because we serve a God who rescues and avenges us, exalting us above our foes. In Him, we are protected and lifted up.
Truly, if God is with us who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) The answer is no one and this is why we, like the Psalmist should praise God among the nations and sing praises to His name…now and forever.
3. The Lord hears our cries, saves us from distress and heals us with His word.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent forth His word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. Psalm 107:19-21
How often do we find ourselves in need…looking for help? And how often do we find ourselves turning to the Lord, our refuge and ever present help (Psalm 46:1), in those times?
We turn to the Lord because we know He’s the only One who is ALWAYS there for us…every day and every night. And because He is with us always, He is always there to hear our cries for help, come to us in our distress and heal us through His word…a word that would ever tell us to not be afraid for He is with us. No one else can do this for us and this is why we give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and wonderful deeds for us.
4. Ultimately, the Lord rescues all of us through His Son.
For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14
We can’t talk about the Lord and the matter of rescuing without talking about Jesus...the Son that God loves…the Son that God sent to rescue us from darkness and bring us redemption…the One who brought us deliverance from our sins and the opportunity to enter the God’s Kingdom to share life forever with Him and His Son.
Do you know that you are rescued by God today through His Son? Better yet, do you know your Rescuer…your Savior, Jesus Christ?
If you know Him, continue to grow in Him this advent season as we once again anticipate the celebration of His coming.
If you don’t know Jesus, there’s no better time to get acquainted with Him than now. He’s waiting for you and ready to rescue you forever. And there’s no better gift you’ll receive this year than your salvation. Trust in that. 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
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Then panic struck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties—and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.
Saul's lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions. Then Saul said to the men who were with him, "Muster the forces and see who has left us." When they did, it was Jonathan and his armor-bearer who were not there.
Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God." (At that time it was with the Israelites.) While Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the Philistine camp increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."
Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords. Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined the battle in hot pursuit. So the Lord rescued Israel that day, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven.
1 Samuel 14:15-23
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
At the start of Chapter 14, we saw where Jonathan and his armor bearer defeated a Philistine outpost. After their victory, the Philistine army was in disarray, struck by a panic that scripture tells us was “sent by God”. As the “ground shook”, the whole army…“those in the camp and field…in the outposts and raiding parties”…were seen by Saul’s lookouts as “melting away in all directions”.
So Saul mustered his forces and found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were missing before commanding the priest Ahijah to “Bring the ark of God”. Meanwhile, the “tumult in the Philistine camp increased more and more”…so much more that Saul assembled all his men and went to battle where they “found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords”. Scripture tells us that Saul and his men were joined by the “Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp” as well as “all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim”. The “Philistines were on the run” as the “Lord rescued Israel that day”.
Note the word of God here. For the Lord rescued Israel. Not Saul. Not Jonathan. Not any man or woman. No…God was the One who did the rescuing. He did it then and He does it today.
We need to keep this in mind as we face difficulties in our lives. We serve a God who rescues us and with that rescue, brings us so much more. Consider these scripture passages:
1. The Lord provides us support and rescues us because He delights in us.
He (the Lord) reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me. Psalm 18:16-19
We can’t rescue ourselves. We need a rescuer, someone who will support us when we are in distress…someone who can snatch us away from danger and move us to a more secure place…someone who loves and delights in us enough that He desires for us to be saved.
This is the God we serve. Always there for us. Always ready to intervene and save us. Always loving us.
2. The Lord avenges us, subdues our enemies and exalts us over our foes.
He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me, who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O Lord; I will sing praises to Your name. Psalm 18:47-49
Many people will come against us in life but we need never worry about our foes because we serve a God who rescues and avenges us, exalting us above our foes. In Him, we are protected and lifted up.
Truly, if God is with us who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) The answer is no one and this is why we, like the Psalmist should praise God among the nations and sing praises to His name…now and forever.
3. The Lord hears our cries, saves us from distress and heals us with His word.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent forth His word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. Psalm 107:19-21
How often do we find ourselves in need…looking for help? And how often do we find ourselves turning to the Lord, our refuge and ever present help (Psalm 46:1), in those times?
We turn to the Lord because we know He’s the only One who is ALWAYS there for us…every day and every night. And because He is with us always, He is always there to hear our cries for help, come to us in our distress and heal us through His word…a word that would ever tell us to not be afraid for He is with us. No one else can do this for us and this is why we give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and wonderful deeds for us.
4. Ultimately, the Lord rescues all of us through His Son.
For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14
We can’t talk about the Lord and the matter of rescuing without talking about Jesus...the Son that God loves…the Son that God sent to rescue us from darkness and bring us redemption…the One who brought us deliverance from our sins and the opportunity to enter the God’s Kingdom to share life forever with Him and His Son.
Do you know that you are rescued by God today through His Son? Better yet, do you know your Rescuer…your Savior, Jesus Christ?
If you know Him, continue to grow in Him this advent season as we once again anticipate the celebration of His coming.
If you don’t know Jesus, there’s no better time to get acquainted with Him than now. He’s waiting for you and ready to rescue you forever. And there’s no better gift you’ll receive this year than your salvation. Trust in that. 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
Monday, December 15, 2008
NOTHING CAN HINDER THE LORD
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.
Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Micmash. Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual, another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboim facing the desert.
Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!" So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plowshares, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened. The price was two thirds of a shekel for sharpening plowshares and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.
So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Micmash. One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man bearing his armor, "Come, let's go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side." But he did not tell his father.
Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod's brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord's priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left.
On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez, and the other Seneh. One cliff stood to the north toward Micmash, the other to the south toward Geba.
Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, "Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few."
"Do all that you have in mind," his armor-bearer said. "Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul."
Jonathan said, "Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them see us. If they say to us, 'Wait there until we come to you,' we will stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, 'Come up to us,' we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands."
So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. "Look!" said the Philistines. "The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in." The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, "Come up to us and we'll teach you a lesson."
So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, "Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel." Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.
1 Samuel 13:16-23, 14:1-14
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As Chapter 13 of 1st Samuel ends, we find the Israelites at a disadvantage because the Philistines took control of all blacksmithing and charged an exorbitant price for “sharpening plowshares and mattocks…forks and axes and for repointing goads”. So Israel, “on the day of the battle”, was left with “not a soldier…(having) a sword or spear in his hand”. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had a suitable weapon. Jonathan put his to use as Chapter 14 opens.
For we read where Jonathan “said to the young man bearing his armor, ‘Come, let's go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.’ " And so he went but didn’t tell Saul who was “staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron” with “six hundred men”.
As Jonathan and his armor bearer traveled to the Philistine outpost, they came to a pass they needed to cross that had a cliff on each side, “one…(standing) to the north toward Micmash, the other to the south toward Geba”. At the pass, Jonathan makes an important statement to his armor bearer saying, “Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few." And the armor bearer replied, “Do all that you have in mind…Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul." And with that they prepared to cross over but not before Jonathan shared another important matter with his accomplice.
For Jonathan further said, “Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them see us. If they say to us, 'Wait there until we come to you,' we will stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, 'Come up to us,' we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands."
And so the stage was set. Jonathan and his armor bearer “showed themselves to the Philistine outpost” and got the Philistine’s attention. We read where a challenge is issued as the Philistines “shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, ‘Come up to us and we'll teach you a lesson.’ "
The Philistines soon found out they had it wrong. For it was Jonathan and the armor bearer who taught the lessons on this day.
For Jonathan took action after the Philistine challenge telling his armor bearer to “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel." And so they climbed up and the “Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him”. The results were devastating for the Philistines for in the first attack, “some twenty men in an area of about half an acre” were killed. Truly, the Lord had handed the Philistines into their hands.
So what does this teach us? The key comes in Jonathan’s words about the Lord in Chapter 14, verse 6, as he says, “Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few."
Jonathan knew that he and the armor bearer would be outnumbered by the Philistines at the outpost. They could have faced certain death at the hands of a more superior opponent, and yet, they went forth boldly and in confidence because they had something the Philistines didn’t. They had the Lord on their side…a Lord who can’t be hindered from saving.
Indeed, we serve a Lord who can’t be hindered…period. He and He alone is a Lord who cannot be hindered from saving. He and He alone is a Lord who cannot be hindered from protecting. He and He alone is a Lord who cannot be hindered from blessing. And He and He alone is a Lord who cannot be hindered from loving.
We could go on and on but let’s just sum it up by saying, We serve a Lord who cannot be hindered from doing anything that he wants to do. He is unstoppable because He is God and no one or nothing is at His level.
Jonathan believed that he could do anything as long as the Lord was with him because the Lord cannot be hindered from saving. And the Lord delivered.
Paul believed that he could do all things through the Lord because nothing can hinder His strength from helping us through any and all circumstances. (Philippians 4:13) And the Lord delivered Paul time and time again as he labored for the gospel.
And we should never doubt or lose faith in the Lord’s ability to do anything in our lives as well. For God’s word assures us that nothing can hinder Him…nothing. In Him, all things are possible (Luke 1:37). Thanks be to God for that. 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
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Micmash. Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual, another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboim facing the desert.
Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!" So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plowshares, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened. The price was two thirds of a shekel for sharpening plowshares and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.
So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Micmash. One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man bearing his armor, "Come, let's go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side." But he did not tell his father.
Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod's brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord's priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left.
On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez, and the other Seneh. One cliff stood to the north toward Micmash, the other to the south toward Geba.
Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, "Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few."
"Do all that you have in mind," his armor-bearer said. "Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul."
Jonathan said, "Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them see us. If they say to us, 'Wait there until we come to you,' we will stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, 'Come up to us,' we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands."
So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. "Look!" said the Philistines. "The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in." The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, "Come up to us and we'll teach you a lesson."
So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, "Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel." Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.
1 Samuel 13:16-23, 14:1-14
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As Chapter 13 of 1st Samuel ends, we find the Israelites at a disadvantage because the Philistines took control of all blacksmithing and charged an exorbitant price for “sharpening plowshares and mattocks…forks and axes and for repointing goads”. So Israel, “on the day of the battle”, was left with “not a soldier…(having) a sword or spear in his hand”. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had a suitable weapon. Jonathan put his to use as Chapter 14 opens.
For we read where Jonathan “said to the young man bearing his armor, ‘Come, let's go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.’ " And so he went but didn’t tell Saul who was “staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron” with “six hundred men”.
As Jonathan and his armor bearer traveled to the Philistine outpost, they came to a pass they needed to cross that had a cliff on each side, “one…(standing) to the north toward Micmash, the other to the south toward Geba”. At the pass, Jonathan makes an important statement to his armor bearer saying, “Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few." And the armor bearer replied, “Do all that you have in mind…Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul." And with that they prepared to cross over but not before Jonathan shared another important matter with his accomplice.
For Jonathan further said, “Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them see us. If they say to us, 'Wait there until we come to you,' we will stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, 'Come up to us,' we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands."
And so the stage was set. Jonathan and his armor bearer “showed themselves to the Philistine outpost” and got the Philistine’s attention. We read where a challenge is issued as the Philistines “shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, ‘Come up to us and we'll teach you a lesson.’ "
The Philistines soon found out they had it wrong. For it was Jonathan and the armor bearer who taught the lessons on this day.
For Jonathan took action after the Philistine challenge telling his armor bearer to “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel." And so they climbed up and the “Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him”. The results were devastating for the Philistines for in the first attack, “some twenty men in an area of about half an acre” were killed. Truly, the Lord had handed the Philistines into their hands.
So what does this teach us? The key comes in Jonathan’s words about the Lord in Chapter 14, verse 6, as he says, “Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few."
Jonathan knew that he and the armor bearer would be outnumbered by the Philistines at the outpost. They could have faced certain death at the hands of a more superior opponent, and yet, they went forth boldly and in confidence because they had something the Philistines didn’t. They had the Lord on their side…a Lord who can’t be hindered from saving.
Indeed, we serve a Lord who can’t be hindered…period. He and He alone is a Lord who cannot be hindered from saving. He and He alone is a Lord who cannot be hindered from protecting. He and He alone is a Lord who cannot be hindered from blessing. And He and He alone is a Lord who cannot be hindered from loving.
We could go on and on but let’s just sum it up by saying, We serve a Lord who cannot be hindered from doing anything that he wants to do. He is unstoppable because He is God and no one or nothing is at His level.
Jonathan believed that he could do anything as long as the Lord was with him because the Lord cannot be hindered from saving. And the Lord delivered.
Paul believed that he could do all things through the Lord because nothing can hinder His strength from helping us through any and all circumstances. (Philippians 4:13) And the Lord delivered Paul time and time again as he labored for the gospel.
And we should never doubt or lose faith in the Lord’s ability to do anything in our lives as well. For God’s word assures us that nothing can hinder Him…nothing. In Him, all things are possible (Luke 1:37). Thanks be to God for that. 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
Sunday, December 14, 2008
WAIT ON THE LORD
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.
Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.
Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Micmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes.
Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, "Let the Hebrews hear!" So all Israel heard the news: "Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines." And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven. When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's men began to scatter. So he said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings." And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
"What have you done?" asked Samuel.
Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering."
"You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord's command."
Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred.
1 Samuel 13:1-15
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Up to this point in 1st Samuel, all has seemed well with Saul, the king selected by God to lead Israel. But we can’t forget the warnings that God gave His people as they asked for a king…warnings that would indicate that Saul wouldn’t turn out as well as first indicated. In chapter 13, we see this begin to come to fruition.
For as Saul is encamped at Micmash and near the hill country of Bethel with two thousand men from Israel, his son, Jonathan, attacks a Philistine outpost at Geba…an act that angers the Philistines who “assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore”. So while Saul sends word to the Israelites that a battle is soon to happen with the Philistines, all Israelites were “summoned to join Saul at Gilgal”. Ironically, the Philistines assembled at Micmash, where Saul had just left.
So the battle lines were drawn and the sheer number of Philistine troops resulted in panic among the Israelite troops. Scripture tells us that some men “hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns” while others “crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead”. Meanwhile, “Saul remained at Gilgal” and “all the troops with him were quaking with fear”. The situation wasn’t looking good for Israel but note one important thing. No one, including the king, was turning to the Lord for guidance or help. Instead, we see a flaw in Saul revealed as he decides to follow his own judgment before God’s…and in doing so, refuses to wait on the Lord.
How often do we do this as well? When situations in life tend to get difficult, we tend to turn from trusting that God will help us get through our challenges and instead try and take control of our situations ourselves. And the Lord will allow us to do this, just to show us how much we can mess up things when we try to take control. He teaches us that we are far better ahead with Him than we are without Him.
There are several scriptures that speak to us about the matter of waiting on the Lord. Allow me to use them in breaking down Saul’s actions at the end of this passage and in doing so, teaching us to not repeat the mistakes he made.
Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
As the Philistines assembled and prepared for their assault on Israel, Saul waited at Gilgal for Samuel. You’ll recall that Samuel told Saul to go there and wait seven days for him, at which time Samuel would tell Saul what to do. (1 Samuel 10:8)
Now given that Samuel was a prophet, we know that when he spoke he was speaking messages from God Himself. And so when Samuel told Saul to wait for him to come and tell him what to do, Samuel was essentially telling Saul to wait to receive word from God as to what he should do. And so Saul “waited seven days…but Samuel did not come to Gilgal”. Meanwhile, “Saul's men began to scatter”. Saul’s situation was starting to unravel as he faced a growing enemy force while his own was fleeing. He decided he could no longer wait and so he demanded that the “burnt offering and the fellowship offerings” be brought to him and instead of waiting for Samuel, Saul “offered up the burnt offering” himself.
Saul’s actions showed he wasn’t very strong nor willing to take heart and wait for the Lord. He felt he could act and bring the victory himself. After all, he was the king. As we will see, his actions would be the start of his downfall. And we will find as well that we will fail and fall as well, every time we decide to not wait for the Lord in our circumstances.
Psalm 130:5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and in His word, I put my hope.
Scripture tells is that “just as (Saul) finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him”. Sensing that something was amiss, Samuel asks Saul, “What have you done?"
Saul tries to justify his actions to Samuel saying, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering." His reasoning did not set well with Samuel who told Saul that he had acted foolishly because he had not “kept the command the Lord gave (him)”.
As we saw before, Saul had grown impatient to the point where he decided to not wait on the Lord. As we continue to study this passage, we see where he made a second error as well…for he failed to place his hope in the word of the Lord. If he had, then he would have waited for Samuel to come and tell him what he should do…or in other words, what God wanted him to do.
Friends, we need to remember Saul’s error and never fail to place our hope in God’s word. For in His word, we find the strength, power and faith to persevere and carry on through whatever difficulties we go through. His word instructs us, guides us, comforts us and strengthens us through life’s circumstances…and helps us to wait on the Lord…to wait for His will and way to be revealed to us.
Isaiah 30:18b …For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him.
So Saul had chosen to not trust in the Lord…to not place his hope in God’s word. Going back to our passage from 1st Samuel, we see where Saul will now face the consequences for his actions…for the Lord is a God of justice. Samuel passes the sentence to Saul from God.
First, Samuel tells Saul what could have been. For had Saul trusted in God and waited for His word to come, then the Lord would have “established (Saul’s) kingdom over Israel for all time”. But Saul failed to wait and his error would not cost him just a little…but his entire kingdom. For Samuel tells Saul that his “kingdom will not endure” because “the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of His people, because you have not kept the Lord's command." The Lord will not tolerate someone who decides to lead His people separate from Him and so since Saul had decided to turn from God, God would now turn from Saul and to a man after His heart…a man we know as David.
So this passage leaves us with a stern warning. We should never forget that we serve a God of justice…a God who will discipline us as a father might discipline his child when they error. He is after all our Heavenly Father. Saul lost his kingdom because he failed to wait on the Lord and place his hope in His word. We can expect consequence as well if we do likewise.
My prayer is that we all will choose to never stop waiting for the Lord to do mighty works in our lives…to reveal His power and goodness to us as we trust Him to help us through whatever might trouble us. For His word assures us that “Blessed are all who wait for Him”.
Let us all ever stay blessed. We will if we simply wait…wait on the Lord. 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
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.
Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Micmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes.
Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, "Let the Hebrews hear!" So all Israel heard the news: "Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines." And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven. When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's men began to scatter. So he said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings." And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
"What have you done?" asked Samuel.
Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering."
"You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord's command."
Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred.
1 Samuel 13:1-15
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Up to this point in 1st Samuel, all has seemed well with Saul, the king selected by God to lead Israel. But we can’t forget the warnings that God gave His people as they asked for a king…warnings that would indicate that Saul wouldn’t turn out as well as first indicated. In chapter 13, we see this begin to come to fruition.
For as Saul is encamped at Micmash and near the hill country of Bethel with two thousand men from Israel, his son, Jonathan, attacks a Philistine outpost at Geba…an act that angers the Philistines who “assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore”. So while Saul sends word to the Israelites that a battle is soon to happen with the Philistines, all Israelites were “summoned to join Saul at Gilgal”. Ironically, the Philistines assembled at Micmash, where Saul had just left.
So the battle lines were drawn and the sheer number of Philistine troops resulted in panic among the Israelite troops. Scripture tells us that some men “hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns” while others “crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead”. Meanwhile, “Saul remained at Gilgal” and “all the troops with him were quaking with fear”. The situation wasn’t looking good for Israel but note one important thing. No one, including the king, was turning to the Lord for guidance or help. Instead, we see a flaw in Saul revealed as he decides to follow his own judgment before God’s…and in doing so, refuses to wait on the Lord.
How often do we do this as well? When situations in life tend to get difficult, we tend to turn from trusting that God will help us get through our challenges and instead try and take control of our situations ourselves. And the Lord will allow us to do this, just to show us how much we can mess up things when we try to take control. He teaches us that we are far better ahead with Him than we are without Him.
There are several scriptures that speak to us about the matter of waiting on the Lord. Allow me to use them in breaking down Saul’s actions at the end of this passage and in doing so, teaching us to not repeat the mistakes he made.
Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
As the Philistines assembled and prepared for their assault on Israel, Saul waited at Gilgal for Samuel. You’ll recall that Samuel told Saul to go there and wait seven days for him, at which time Samuel would tell Saul what to do. (1 Samuel 10:8)
Now given that Samuel was a prophet, we know that when he spoke he was speaking messages from God Himself. And so when Samuel told Saul to wait for him to come and tell him what to do, Samuel was essentially telling Saul to wait to receive word from God as to what he should do. And so Saul “waited seven days…but Samuel did not come to Gilgal”. Meanwhile, “Saul's men began to scatter”. Saul’s situation was starting to unravel as he faced a growing enemy force while his own was fleeing. He decided he could no longer wait and so he demanded that the “burnt offering and the fellowship offerings” be brought to him and instead of waiting for Samuel, Saul “offered up the burnt offering” himself.
Saul’s actions showed he wasn’t very strong nor willing to take heart and wait for the Lord. He felt he could act and bring the victory himself. After all, he was the king. As we will see, his actions would be the start of his downfall. And we will find as well that we will fail and fall as well, every time we decide to not wait for the Lord in our circumstances.
Psalm 130:5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and in His word, I put my hope.
Scripture tells is that “just as (Saul) finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him”. Sensing that something was amiss, Samuel asks Saul, “What have you done?"
Saul tries to justify his actions to Samuel saying, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering." His reasoning did not set well with Samuel who told Saul that he had acted foolishly because he had not “kept the command the Lord gave (him)”.
As we saw before, Saul had grown impatient to the point where he decided to not wait on the Lord. As we continue to study this passage, we see where he made a second error as well…for he failed to place his hope in the word of the Lord. If he had, then he would have waited for Samuel to come and tell him what he should do…or in other words, what God wanted him to do.
Friends, we need to remember Saul’s error and never fail to place our hope in God’s word. For in His word, we find the strength, power and faith to persevere and carry on through whatever difficulties we go through. His word instructs us, guides us, comforts us and strengthens us through life’s circumstances…and helps us to wait on the Lord…to wait for His will and way to be revealed to us.
Isaiah 30:18b …For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him.
So Saul had chosen to not trust in the Lord…to not place his hope in God’s word. Going back to our passage from 1st Samuel, we see where Saul will now face the consequences for his actions…for the Lord is a God of justice. Samuel passes the sentence to Saul from God.
First, Samuel tells Saul what could have been. For had Saul trusted in God and waited for His word to come, then the Lord would have “established (Saul’s) kingdom over Israel for all time”. But Saul failed to wait and his error would not cost him just a little…but his entire kingdom. For Samuel tells Saul that his “kingdom will not endure” because “the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of His people, because you have not kept the Lord's command." The Lord will not tolerate someone who decides to lead His people separate from Him and so since Saul had decided to turn from God, God would now turn from Saul and to a man after His heart…a man we know as David.
So this passage leaves us with a stern warning. We should never forget that we serve a God of justice…a God who will discipline us as a father might discipline his child when they error. He is after all our Heavenly Father. Saul lost his kingdom because he failed to wait on the Lord and place his hope in His word. We can expect consequence as well if we do likewise.
My prayer is that we all will choose to never stop waiting for the Lord to do mighty works in our lives…to reveal His power and goodness to us as we trust Him to help us through whatever might trouble us. For His word assures us that “Blessed are all who wait for Him”.
Let us all ever stay blessed. We will if we simply wait…wait on the Lord. 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
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