Read: 1 Samuel 12:1-13:22; John 7: 1-29; Psalm 108:1-13; Proverbs 15:4
Samuel was about to turn over the headship to Saul so he gathered the people together and reminded them that he hadn’t taken a cent of their money or behaved unrighteously. Everything he had done, he did as a servant to the people. This would be a stark contrast to what the kings would do in the future. Samuel made the people agree with him that he had ruled them fairly. He reminded them of their steps of rebellion and how it was their request to have a king. Samuel called down rain to prove that God was displeased with their request for a king. Samuel left them with a warning to follow the Lord only.
Saul had reigned over Israel only two years when he faced his first battle. He appointed an army of 3,000 men. He took 2,000 of them to the hill country of Bethel and Jonathan, Saul’s son, took 1,000 of them to Gibeah to guard their borders. Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba and killed its governor making the Philistines want to retaliate. Saul took the credit and told the people he had done it. The Philistines showed up with 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen and an enormous army.
Samuel had told Saul to wait for seven days and he would come and offer a sacrifice so they would have favor in the battle. Saul waited on the seventh day until the people were getting restless and leaving. Saul, impatiently offered the sacrifice himself. Immediately, Samuel showed up and asked Saul why he couldn’t wait. He explained that the people were leaving so he “forced” himself to offer it. Samuel was so upset with Saul. He told Saul that if he had waited, his kingdom would have been established forever but now it would be given to a man after God’s own heart. Saul was after the people’s heart.
By this time, Saul only had 600 men left in his army. He and Jonathan were the only ones with swords since the Philistines had ordered all of their metal workers to stop working and if they needed their plows sharpened they had to pay a Philistine. We will have to wait until tomorrow to see how this battle ended.
In John, it was the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. The feast lasted for seven days. Jesus knew that the Judeans were out to kill him so he waited till the middle of the feast before he went to the temple and began to teach. The people had been talking about Jesus and the Judeans had been looking for him also…to kill him. When he started teaching and no one did anything the people wondered if the Judeans had had a change of heart and maybe they were contemplating him being the Messiah.
The thing that tripped them up was the fact that the prophets had said that no one would know where the Messiah came from and everyone knew that Jesus came from Galilee. He actually came from Bethlehem, but no one asked him. Jesus knew what they were thinking so he explained that they only thought they knew where he was from. He didn’t come on his own accord but was sent by someone they didn’t know.
Jesus cracks me up! He was not afraid to call a spade a spade. He was not afraid of man or his opinion. He was the exact opposite of Saul.
Lord, help us to be uncompromising to the truth in the spirit of love.
No comments:
Post a Comment