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God’s message to me: God always provides a way for us to do right. David was never forced to face Saul in direct battle. God gave him opportunities to make a choice. He could have executed the King easily and without danger to himself or he could do something to embarrass the king and show that he was honorable enough not to attack the Lord’s anointed. David made the latter choice. He was never forced to defend himself directly.
David knew the embarrassment wouldn’t stop Saul for long and decided to hide in the land of the Philistines in order to avoid having to constantly run away or risk death at the hands of the king’s men. In order to ensure his safety there he asked the king to provide him a place in a small town somewhere for him and his men to live outside of the royal cities so they wouldn’t seem like a threat. In order to provide for his men David attacked the people God had told Israel to destroy when they came into the land and, after destroying the entire population of the cities he attacked, he took the loot back to the town of Ziklag which the king of the Philistines had given him. The Philistine king would ask who he had attacked and, since the enemy didn’t survive to tell the king about the fight, David would claim he had attacked or raided an Israeli settlement. That made the king happy and convinced him that Israel would hate David so that David could not be a threat to the Philistines. The king was convinced he had just gained a strong general who would be forced to serve him forever because he had nowhere else to go.
Promises: God will protect his people and provide them prosperity in adversity. Saul’s desire to kill David was unreasoning and foolish. David’s ability to show this publicly was interesting to say the least. Cutting off the corner of the king’s robe while he was “doing his business” and then showing it to him publicly to prove he could have killed him but refused was one thing. Embarrassing both the king and his general in front of the army was equally effective. David and his friend snuck into the heart of the camp and stole the kings canteen and spear from beside his royal head while he slept with his general next to him. Then he showed the entire camp what he had done and how he had refused to kill the king.
Commands: Use your brain. David could have reacted to the king’s threat with lethal force and saved himself some trouble but he chose to think things through and take tactical victories to divert attack. He could have simply hidden among the Philistines but chose to take advantage of his situation to destroy those God had condemned. He could have continued to work in secret but instead made the Philistines believe he was improving their position when he was actually doing God’s work on behalf of Israel.
Timeless principles: When God makes a decision it’s final. God took his blessing from Saul because of Saul’s disobedience. He promised to take the kingdom from Saul. After delivering that message to the king Samuel never visited him again until he died. When Saul sought God’s council in battle God would not answer as He had promised. Saul sought a medium to get council from Samuel and Samuel’s spirit simply reminded the king of what God had already said. The kingdom would be taken from him and given to David and the king and his son’s would be killed in battle.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: It is always wise to treat people well who have done good for you. David and his men had protected Nabal’s men in the wilderness. They had provided defense and friendship to the shepherds and others who had been working in dangerous territories. They treated them well and made no demands of them nor had they made any attempt to harm or rob them. As a feast day approached David asked Nabal, as their employer, to show hospitality to his men.
Nabal refused to return the favor David’s men had shown and, in doing so, insulted them. Nabal’s wife, recognizing the honor of the men who had protected her husbands servants and flocks, gathered some servants and hurried to show David the hospitality her husband had refused.(Nabal, by the way, means fool and the man lived up to his name.)
Abigail’s actions kept David from attacking Nabal and killing all the men in his house. Nabal, who had thrown himself a feast after turning David away, died 10 days after learning what his wife had done. Saul had given David’s wife to another in the course of his actions against the young hero and his multiple attempts at murder and his efforts to harm David had become well known in Israel so that David was seen as the future king and Saul was disliked. Having lost his wife and having met an intelligent and wise woman who no longer had a husband to provide her with a home and inheritance, he married Abigail. Then he married Ahinoam and began a habit of polygamy that would not make life easy in the future.
more to learn for in-depth study: Reading the books of Samuel you can glean two basic facts: First, the books were not written by Samuel(he dies in chapter 25), but about Samuel and the events that surround his life. Second you can see they were written after the time of Solomon and after the Nation of Israel had been divided.(there are multiple references to the people of Israel and the people of Judah which implies it was written after these two groups began operating as separate kingdoms. That didn’t happen until after Solomon died.)
Saul had been told that the Lord was no longer with him. When the Philistines came against Israel, he sought God’s council but received no answer. The prophets and priests could not give him an answer, the Urim gave no answer, and no dreams came to direct him. In desperation, he went looking for a medium. All mediums and witches and soothsayers, etc. had been driven from the land by Saul’s command in accordance with God’s law but, fearing defeat, he went looking for answers from someone the Lord had forbidden. He granted her immunity in exchange for her services and she called Samuel to council the king. Samuel gave his last prophecy from beyond the grave when he told Saul that he and his sons would be killed in the battle the next day and that the armies of Israel would be defeated and captured by the Philistines.
tomorrow: First Samuel 29-31
Showing posts with label Saul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saul. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
First Samuel 17-18
God’s message to me: One man, serving God has an army outgunned. David was a young teen. If the average soldier of Israel is 5’10” in that time period, Saul is about 6’7” and Goliath is 9’9” David is seen as a small youth so you can imagine he’s no more than about 5’8” and not powerfully built. That makes David just a little over half Goliath’s height. When Goliath mentioned sending him sticks, he might have been referring to David's staff but, given the size difference, it might have been a way of insulting David as being little more than a toothpick for the giant. David walked away from the battle without a scratch on him and carrying the head and sword of Goliath in his hands.
Promises: The Battle is the Lord’s. When God is on your side, there is no one who can stand against you. this doesn’t mean it’s wrong to prepare. David couldn’t handle the sword and armor of the king, it was to big for him to use effectively. He did take his staff and sling into battle. While it may not seem like much, he had used these weapons to kill both lions and bears while defending his flock.
This mismatched battle would be like a kid with a .22 rifle going out to battle “Hulk” Hogan in Body armor and packing a small arsenal of military grade assault weapons. No one would expect the kid to come home but imagine the reaction when the kid fires one shot then drags home “Hulk’s” M60 machine gun and helmet. God can use what you have to overcome whatever the enemy brings after you.
Commands: Trust in the Lord to provide your needs. Stand up for His Majesty and let no one denigrate your God or those who serve Him. David offered to kill Goliath, not to gain fame but to shut the big bullies mouth. Goliath had been standing in that field for 40 days yelling about how incapable the people of Israel were and how powerless God was because no one was willing to fight him one on one. David trusted that God would not let that sort of bragging stand and accepted the challenge to battle.
Timeless principles: “If God be for us, who can stand against us” This old saying is as true today as it was when it was first said. While it may not have been those exact words the sentiment dates back at least to Abraham. God doesn’t allow His enemies to denigrate his name and claim victory over Him. They may gain a brief advantage but it is always the prelude to a defeat so overwhelming that none can honestly deny God provided the victory.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Stand up for God. There is no reason to ever allow anyone to insult God, your faith or you for His sake. Not everyone who stood for God survived but, God has never failed to avenge Himself. Never has there been a victory over those who serve Him that wasn’t followed by massive defeat so powerful that it’s supernatural origin was undeniable. God makes certain that no one can honestly say He is powerless.
more to learn for in-depth study: Describing Goliath of Gath: The cubit is the length from the tip of your elbow to the tips of your fingers and the standard is about 18 inches. Cubit is measured differently in different cultures at the time and could be between 18 and 25 inches but, since it is the most likely, I will use the standard 18” cubit for comparison of size. A span is the distance between the tip of your thumb and the tip of your pinky when your hand is spread out. By these measures Goliath was 9foot 9 inches tall. Using any other measure of the cubit and span used in that time would only make him bigger so we can safely say he was at least 9’9”.
His Chain mail was about 156-157 pounds. The spear head alone weighed almost 19 pounds and the shaft of a standard spear would be longer than the soldier was tall. A javelin of bronze on his back refers to the shorter, lighter spear soldiers would carry just for throwing. Just to make things interesting, David took 5 stones from the brook because Goliath had 4 brothers. Described elsewhere in the bible, Goliath was the runt of the litter and his brothers were quite a bit larger.
David’s rank: David was a captain of thousands. In modern terms that would make him a Brigade commander for most militaries with the rank of at least brigadier general (one star). Saul had become fearful and mistrusting of David and wanted him dead. He put him in the military to make him face the enemy. He offered his daughter in marriage so he could force him into battle by David's own choice. David killed twice as many soldiers as Saul commanded and married the kings daughter.
KINGS: David’s relationship with the kings daughter is growing. the king has tried to kill him on a couple of occasions and sees him as a danger to his rule. He has gone from private to Captain overnight and given the job of press liaison or official spokesman for the entire military.
tomorrow: First Samuel 19-21
Promises: The Battle is the Lord’s. When God is on your side, there is no one who can stand against you. this doesn’t mean it’s wrong to prepare. David couldn’t handle the sword and armor of the king, it was to big for him to use effectively. He did take his staff and sling into battle. While it may not seem like much, he had used these weapons to kill both lions and bears while defending his flock.
This mismatched battle would be like a kid with a .22 rifle going out to battle “Hulk” Hogan in Body armor and packing a small arsenal of military grade assault weapons. No one would expect the kid to come home but imagine the reaction when the kid fires one shot then drags home “Hulk’s” M60 machine gun and helmet. God can use what you have to overcome whatever the enemy brings after you.
Commands: Trust in the Lord to provide your needs. Stand up for His Majesty and let no one denigrate your God or those who serve Him. David offered to kill Goliath, not to gain fame but to shut the big bullies mouth. Goliath had been standing in that field for 40 days yelling about how incapable the people of Israel were and how powerless God was because no one was willing to fight him one on one. David trusted that God would not let that sort of bragging stand and accepted the challenge to battle.
Timeless principles: “If God be for us, who can stand against us” This old saying is as true today as it was when it was first said. While it may not have been those exact words the sentiment dates back at least to Abraham. God doesn’t allow His enemies to denigrate his name and claim victory over Him. They may gain a brief advantage but it is always the prelude to a defeat so overwhelming that none can honestly deny God provided the victory.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Stand up for God. There is no reason to ever allow anyone to insult God, your faith or you for His sake. Not everyone who stood for God survived but, God has never failed to avenge Himself. Never has there been a victory over those who serve Him that wasn’t followed by massive defeat so powerful that it’s supernatural origin was undeniable. God makes certain that no one can honestly say He is powerless.
more to learn for in-depth study: Describing Goliath of Gath: The cubit is the length from the tip of your elbow to the tips of your fingers and the standard is about 18 inches. Cubit is measured differently in different cultures at the time and could be between 18 and 25 inches but, since it is the most likely, I will use the standard 18” cubit for comparison of size. A span is the distance between the tip of your thumb and the tip of your pinky when your hand is spread out. By these measures Goliath was 9foot 9 inches tall. Using any other measure of the cubit and span used in that time would only make him bigger so we can safely say he was at least 9’9”.
His Chain mail was about 156-157 pounds. The spear head alone weighed almost 19 pounds and the shaft of a standard spear would be longer than the soldier was tall. A javelin of bronze on his back refers to the shorter, lighter spear soldiers would carry just for throwing. Just to make things interesting, David took 5 stones from the brook because Goliath had 4 brothers. Described elsewhere in the bible, Goliath was the runt of the litter and his brothers were quite a bit larger.
David’s rank: David was a captain of thousands. In modern terms that would make him a Brigade commander for most militaries with the rank of at least brigadier general (one star). Saul had become fearful and mistrusting of David and wanted him dead. He put him in the military to make him face the enemy. He offered his daughter in marriage so he could force him into battle by David's own choice. David killed twice as many soldiers as Saul commanded and married the kings daughter.
KINGS: David’s relationship with the kings daughter is growing. the king has tried to kill him on a couple of occasions and sees him as a danger to his rule. He has gone from private to Captain overnight and given the job of press liaison or official spokesman for the entire military.
tomorrow: First Samuel 19-21
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
First Samuel 12-14
God’s message to me: Be certain that your brain is in gear before you engage your mouth. Think before you speak. Saul demanded that no one eat until he had revenge and he made everyone swear to it. His son didn’t know about the oath and he ate. Obviously he couldn’t take an oath he didn’t know about but, then he led those around him into sin by telling them they should eat. Famished after a long day of fighting without eating, the army took it’s first opportunity to kill and eat animals plundered from the enemy. They didn’t drain the blood or cook the meat and sinned against God by eating the blood.
Saul insisted on continuing the attack through the night but, when he was reminded to ask God’s council, he was given no answer from God. He drew lots to see if the sin blocking communication came from the army or from him and his son and the lot fell on him and his son. Jonathan told him about eating the honey and, true to his word he decided to execute his son. The army prevented him because it was Jonathan’s initial attack that put the enemy on the run.
Saul stopped people from eating when his army needed the energy to fight. Jonathan ate the honey and told the soldiers around him his father’s command was stupid and should be ignored. The army of Israel ate blood. Saul pursued battle well beyond reasonable limits for his army. Saul rashly called for the death of whoever countermanded him. The sins of this day were universally sins of impatience and unthinking reaction. People acted and spoke without considering consequences.
Promises: When God’s people move wholeheartedly to gain what God has promised he will not fail to give it to them. The surrounding people of Canaan had oppressed Israel for generations because they had not pursued the destruction of these enemies when God told them to. Saul led the army of Israel to beat back these enemies, knowing that he was made king to lead Israel in defeating oppression. God was with the army and Israel defeated it’s enemies on all sides in battle. So long as Saul continued to follow God’s command and wipe out the enemies of Israel they did not fail in battle.
Commands: Be patient. Do not take on yourself the duties that don’t belong to you. DON’T ASSUME. DON’T PRESUME. Saul waited for Samuel but when Samuel was late he decided to make a sacrifice to God without him. This was not his place, duty, privilege or station. It was no better than offering to a false god because the sacrifice was made outside the bounds of God’s law.
You see this mirrored in the first episode of KINGS. The king is ready to begin the ceremony celebrating the beginning of his new capitol city and Rev Samuels is late arriving. The king decides that his son should make the opening prayers so that they don’t keep the people waiting. Rev Samuels tells him the same thing Samuel told Saul. You and your family could have been rulers forever but, you did wrong in God’s eyes and he has replaced you. God has chosen someone who is after His own heart to lead his people and replace you as commander of His people.
Timeless principles: “I gotta do something even if it’s wrong.” I hear this line a lot and it’s as stupid as it sounds. Don’t just do something, STAND THERE. Acting without patience or thinking and doing things you shouldn’t do just because you think they need done will do nothing but make your life worse. God has His own timing and His own choice for who will accomplish what. Jumping the gun out of impatience just means your interfering with God’s plan and that doesn't work. No one can change God’s plan or step outside it. Doing things that are outside the plan will not interfere with it those things will simply fail. Often they will fail dramatically and with dire effects on the person who chose his own timing over God’s.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Wait On GOD. “Be still and know that I am God.” This isn’t just comforting words it’s a command. When things seem off the rails and you think you have to go outside the boundaries to fix them, it’s time to stop and pray. If God wants you to do something it will be clear what to do. If not then you need to stop, remember that the one in charge created everything you know in 7 days, nothing you can do is going to rearrange His plan and, no matter how much you worry, it won’t change anything. “What man among you can, by worrying, add one cubit to his height.” Stop trying to help God. He is there to help you. You are there to obey Him. He has the power, you have only the ability He gives you.
more to learn for in-depth study: In the dawn of the age of kings, Samuel reminds the Israelites of their history.
When the Israelites were oppressed in Egypt God raised up Moses and Aaron to lead them to the promised land. When they forgot the Lord, He gave them into the hand of Sisera, commander of Hazor’s army, the Philistines, and the King of Moab. When they cried out for forgiveness of their idolatry and asked God’s help he sent Jerubaal(Gideon), Bedan, Jephthah and Samuel to deliver them from oppression.
When the king of the Ammonites came the Israelites said “No, but a king shall reign over us”, but the Lord God was their King. This demand for a human king was an affront to God but, he appointed a king to rule the Israelites. He chose Saul. Like Gideon he came from the least of the tribes to the highest position. Saul was easily noticed as he was head and shoulders taller than all the other Israelites. His bearing and good looks made it easy to see him as king. Saul, on the other hand, took a while to get used to the idea. Once appointed king, he went home to plow the family farm.
God warned that the people and the king must continue to follow the commands of God or be given over to oppression again as in the past until they learned to turn back to the Lord.
The first and primary purpose of government is defense. Israel had always had it’s militia. Every man of fighting age, who wasn’t afraid, recently married, recently purchased land, etc. was expected to go to war to defend the land when called. Saul fulfilled God’s warning by drafting 3,000 Israelites into a standing army that was established outside of war time. 2,000 were garrisoned with Him and 1,000 with his son.
tomorrow: First Samuel 15-16
Saul insisted on continuing the attack through the night but, when he was reminded to ask God’s council, he was given no answer from God. He drew lots to see if the sin blocking communication came from the army or from him and his son and the lot fell on him and his son. Jonathan told him about eating the honey and, true to his word he decided to execute his son. The army prevented him because it was Jonathan’s initial attack that put the enemy on the run.
Saul stopped people from eating when his army needed the energy to fight. Jonathan ate the honey and told the soldiers around him his father’s command was stupid and should be ignored. The army of Israel ate blood. Saul pursued battle well beyond reasonable limits for his army. Saul rashly called for the death of whoever countermanded him. The sins of this day were universally sins of impatience and unthinking reaction. People acted and spoke without considering consequences.
Promises: When God’s people move wholeheartedly to gain what God has promised he will not fail to give it to them. The surrounding people of Canaan had oppressed Israel for generations because they had not pursued the destruction of these enemies when God told them to. Saul led the army of Israel to beat back these enemies, knowing that he was made king to lead Israel in defeating oppression. God was with the army and Israel defeated it’s enemies on all sides in battle. So long as Saul continued to follow God’s command and wipe out the enemies of Israel they did not fail in battle.
Commands: Be patient. Do not take on yourself the duties that don’t belong to you. DON’T ASSUME. DON’T PRESUME. Saul waited for Samuel but when Samuel was late he decided to make a sacrifice to God without him. This was not his place, duty, privilege or station. It was no better than offering to a false god because the sacrifice was made outside the bounds of God’s law.
You see this mirrored in the first episode of KINGS. The king is ready to begin the ceremony celebrating the beginning of his new capitol city and Rev Samuels is late arriving. The king decides that his son should make the opening prayers so that they don’t keep the people waiting. Rev Samuels tells him the same thing Samuel told Saul. You and your family could have been rulers forever but, you did wrong in God’s eyes and he has replaced you. God has chosen someone who is after His own heart to lead his people and replace you as commander of His people.
Timeless principles: “I gotta do something even if it’s wrong.” I hear this line a lot and it’s as stupid as it sounds. Don’t just do something, STAND THERE. Acting without patience or thinking and doing things you shouldn’t do just because you think they need done will do nothing but make your life worse. God has His own timing and His own choice for who will accomplish what. Jumping the gun out of impatience just means your interfering with God’s plan and that doesn't work. No one can change God’s plan or step outside it. Doing things that are outside the plan will not interfere with it those things will simply fail. Often they will fail dramatically and with dire effects on the person who chose his own timing over God’s.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Wait On GOD. “Be still and know that I am God.” This isn’t just comforting words it’s a command. When things seem off the rails and you think you have to go outside the boundaries to fix them, it’s time to stop and pray. If God wants you to do something it will be clear what to do. If not then you need to stop, remember that the one in charge created everything you know in 7 days, nothing you can do is going to rearrange His plan and, no matter how much you worry, it won’t change anything. “What man among you can, by worrying, add one cubit to his height.” Stop trying to help God. He is there to help you. You are there to obey Him. He has the power, you have only the ability He gives you.
more to learn for in-depth study: In the dawn of the age of kings, Samuel reminds the Israelites of their history.
When the Israelites were oppressed in Egypt God raised up Moses and Aaron to lead them to the promised land. When they forgot the Lord, He gave them into the hand of Sisera, commander of Hazor’s army, the Philistines, and the King of Moab. When they cried out for forgiveness of their idolatry and asked God’s help he sent Jerubaal(Gideon), Bedan, Jephthah and Samuel to deliver them from oppression.
When the king of the Ammonites came the Israelites said “No, but a king shall reign over us”, but the Lord God was their King. This demand for a human king was an affront to God but, he appointed a king to rule the Israelites. He chose Saul. Like Gideon he came from the least of the tribes to the highest position. Saul was easily noticed as he was head and shoulders taller than all the other Israelites. His bearing and good looks made it easy to see him as king. Saul, on the other hand, took a while to get used to the idea. Once appointed king, he went home to plow the family farm.
God warned that the people and the king must continue to follow the commands of God or be given over to oppression again as in the past until they learned to turn back to the Lord.
The first and primary purpose of government is defense. Israel had always had it’s militia. Every man of fighting age, who wasn’t afraid, recently married, recently purchased land, etc. was expected to go to war to defend the land when called. Saul fulfilled God’s warning by drafting 3,000 Israelites into a standing army that was established outside of war time. 2,000 were garrisoned with Him and 1,000 with his son.
tomorrow: First Samuel 15-16
Monday, March 23, 2009
First Samuel 8-11
God’s message to me: God can accomplish great things under any circumstance. Following His leadership we can have the benefit of His victory without a great burden of leadership. By following the worlds way and appointing others over us, we force ourselves into submission to those authorities regardless of their foolish ways. Even in the United States, where our representative Republic resembles the leadership of the judges by having representatives instead of rulers, we still find ourselves submitted to oppressive law. Anyone who believes our government is without oppression should try dealing with the IRS, Dept of Motor Vehicles, Social Security Administration or any other bureaucracy that has authority to make decision over you. Compare your experience with those who can decide what you do and don’t get with your experience at McDonald's, where their survival as a business depends on you being a happy customer. It won’t be hard to see what God meant about having kings.
Promises: God promised a draft and victory over the enemy. When those who didn’t trust Saul looked for a peace treaty on their own they were offered peace in exchange for mutilation and humiliation. When Saul heard of it he was still tending fields as a farm boy rather than leading as king. God changed that on the spot. Saul’s anger was such that he chopped up his own cows and sent the parts around all of Israel with word that the same would happen to all the cattle of the people who didn’t come out to join the fight against Israel’s enemies. (sound like a draft?) He then led the 330,000 man army into battle, divided into three companies. They started killing Ammorites at sunrise and continued until the heat of the day by which time the army of the Ammorites was on the run and so scattered that you could not even find two Ammorites running together. WHEN GOD MAKES A PROMISE YOU CAN COUNT ON IT.
Commands: This is implied through out the bible but never said directly. It’s God’s way or the Hard way. For some reason we are always prone to choosing the hard way.
Timeless principles: Even among the great heroes of the bible, it is often true that the children do not live up to the reputation of the father. Samuel was a good and just man who served the Lord through his entire life. As he was getting old and couldn’t continue to travel the circuit he used to travel judging Israel, he appointed his sons to be judges. His sons did not follow God’s ways, they took bribes, looked for dishonest gains and perverted justice to their own ends.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Christ tells us that his burden is light. Doing it God’s way is a lot easier than doing it our way. There is a way that seems good to a man but it’s end is destruction. No matter how politically, logically or seemingly correct our ideas may be they can never be easier or more successful than doing it God’s way even if God’s way seems insane, impractical or impossible. This is where faith really comes into play. God has left ample evidence so that proving the gospel is easy. It doesn’t take a lot of faith to look at overwhelming evidence and say, “I believe”. The real leap of faith is in saying, “I don’t know how your going to do this Lord, but you promised me you would and I believe.”
more to learn for in-depth study: As God had predicted centuries before, while giving the law through Moses in the wilderness, the people demanded a king. God told Samuel to warn them what it meant. A king would draft their children into the military. A king would appoint commanders at all levels to ensure his orders were carried out. He would take people to tend his fields, make his arms, cook his food, make his perfumes and bake his bread. He would take the best of the peoples fields, vineyards, olive groves and flocks and herds and give it to his servants. He would take a tithe of the grain and wine to pay his officers. The best of the peoples servants, cattle, pack animals, and young men would be put to work for the king. The people would be servants to their king and would cry out over the oppression of the king they demanded.
The people didn’t listen to the warning. Saul wasn’t a great king but he wasn’t a major oppressor. David was better but still continued to lead the armies to war. Solomon ruled in peace but held the largest army and the most wealth of any king of Israel. After Solomon, all the predicted evil of kings and more was visited on Israel by the various self centered and abusive kings that ruled.
tomorrow: First Samuel 12-14
Promises: God promised a draft and victory over the enemy. When those who didn’t trust Saul looked for a peace treaty on their own they were offered peace in exchange for mutilation and humiliation. When Saul heard of it he was still tending fields as a farm boy rather than leading as king. God changed that on the spot. Saul’s anger was such that he chopped up his own cows and sent the parts around all of Israel with word that the same would happen to all the cattle of the people who didn’t come out to join the fight against Israel’s enemies. (sound like a draft?) He then led the 330,000 man army into battle, divided into three companies. They started killing Ammorites at sunrise and continued until the heat of the day by which time the army of the Ammorites was on the run and so scattered that you could not even find two Ammorites running together. WHEN GOD MAKES A PROMISE YOU CAN COUNT ON IT.
Commands: This is implied through out the bible but never said directly. It’s God’s way or the Hard way. For some reason we are always prone to choosing the hard way.
Timeless principles: Even among the great heroes of the bible, it is often true that the children do not live up to the reputation of the father. Samuel was a good and just man who served the Lord through his entire life. As he was getting old and couldn’t continue to travel the circuit he used to travel judging Israel, he appointed his sons to be judges. His sons did not follow God’s ways, they took bribes, looked for dishonest gains and perverted justice to their own ends.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Christ tells us that his burden is light. Doing it God’s way is a lot easier than doing it our way. There is a way that seems good to a man but it’s end is destruction. No matter how politically, logically or seemingly correct our ideas may be they can never be easier or more successful than doing it God’s way even if God’s way seems insane, impractical or impossible. This is where faith really comes into play. God has left ample evidence so that proving the gospel is easy. It doesn’t take a lot of faith to look at overwhelming evidence and say, “I believe”. The real leap of faith is in saying, “I don’t know how your going to do this Lord, but you promised me you would and I believe.”
more to learn for in-depth study: As God had predicted centuries before, while giving the law through Moses in the wilderness, the people demanded a king. God told Samuel to warn them what it meant. A king would draft their children into the military. A king would appoint commanders at all levels to ensure his orders were carried out. He would take people to tend his fields, make his arms, cook his food, make his perfumes and bake his bread. He would take the best of the peoples fields, vineyards, olive groves and flocks and herds and give it to his servants. He would take a tithe of the grain and wine to pay his officers. The best of the peoples servants, cattle, pack animals, and young men would be put to work for the king. The people would be servants to their king and would cry out over the oppression of the king they demanded.
The people didn’t listen to the warning. Saul wasn’t a great king but he wasn’t a major oppressor. David was better but still continued to lead the armies to war. Solomon ruled in peace but held the largest army and the most wealth of any king of Israel. After Solomon, all the predicted evil of kings and more was visited on Israel by the various self centered and abusive kings that ruled.
tomorrow: First Samuel 12-14
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