Mon.’s Devo - Resurrection!

Read: 1 Samuel 26:1-28:25; John 11:1-53; Psalm 117:1-2; Proverbs 15:22-23
Once again Saul was bent on killing David. Jealousy doesn’t just die if left unattended: it grows. This time David knew where Saul was and went with his volunteer, Abishai to Saul’s camp. Everyone in Saul’s camp had been put into a deep sleep from the Lord so David was able to go right up to where Saul was sleeping and steal his sword and his water jug. David waited till he got far enough away for his own safety then called out to Saul’s bodyguard, Abner. He accused him of not doing his job. Saul awoke and recognized David’s voice and once again realized that he could not fight God. Again God had delivered his life into David’s hand and David had chosen not to kill him. His reputation would be shot if he killed David now. That would be so dishonorable. So they parted and David knew for certain that the only place he would be safe was out of Israel. David deflected to the Philistines.
There he had favor with Maoch, king of Gath who gave David the city of Ziklag to settle his men and their families. David and his men would go out and kill Israel’s enemies which were a part of Maoch’s kingdom. He would tell Maoch that he had raided the land of Judah. He would cover his tracks by killing everyone in the places he raided so no one could tell on him. The king believed David’s story and felt he was totally loyal to him and had abandoned his own people. Nothing could be further from the truth.
When it came time to fight Israel, Maoch wanted David to be his body guard because he so trusted David’s loyalty. In the meantime, Saul was not so certain about this battle. He had consulted all his means of hearing from God and God wasn’t answering him. He resorted to finding a medium to bring Samuel up from his grave so he could ask him. When Samuel came up, he was angry with Saul and told him that Israel would not win and he and his sons would die in the battle. His kingdom would be handed over to the Philistines.
In John, another man is brought up from his grave. It was Lazarus, who was the brother of Mary and Martha and a close friend of Jesus’. Jesus waited four days till Lazareth was good and dead before he returned. Jesus wanted to prove to them that he was the resurrection and the life so he resurrected Lazareth to give them evidence.
Some of the blind on-lookers went and told the Pharisees that Jesus had raised Lazareth from he dead as if he had done something terribly wrong. They had a meeting and were afraid that everyone would believe in Jesus and the Romans would come and take their place and their nation. Caiphas, the high priest said, “you know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” He meant that they needed to kill Jesus then their problem would be solved, but God meant that killing Jesus would bring salvation to all. They didn’t realize that they were falling right into God’s plan for the nation.
Lord, help us to realize that what we do matters to not only us, but for generations to come. We are planting good seed or bad seed and it is our choice. Help us to plant good seed. Thank you that you are the resurrection and the life!