Mon.’s Devo - Jesus, Our Advocate

Read: 1 Samuel 14:1-52; John 7:31-53; Psalm 109:1-31; Proverbs 15:5-7 Saul and his 600 men were camped outside of Gibeah. Jonathan took his armor bearer and went secretly to spy out the Philistine outpost. To get there Jonathan had to go between two cliffs that stood for glory (blessing) and suffering (curse). Jonathan had great faith that God was with them and would help them. *** They found the outpost and let the Philistines see them. Jonathan had told his armor bearer if the Philistines said they were coming to them to kill them, then they would know to run; but if they challenged them to come fight them, then they would know God had given them into their hands. *** The Philistines challenged them to come to them so they went to fight them. Jonathan fought those in front of him and his armor bearer fought the one behind him. They killed twenty men. This threw the whole Philistine camp into panic. Then God shook the earth with an earthquake and scared them even more. *** Back at the Israelite camp the lookouts noticed that the army of the Philistines were melting away in every direction. Saul had no idea who could have caused this. He called the roll, and Jonathan and his armor bearer were the only ones missing. *** Saul wanted to inquire of the Lord, but it happened so fast that they left to fight before they could hear from the Lord. They found the Philistines killing each other. Ones who had defected to the Philistine camp were fighting for Israel. Men who had gone home came out and fought. God saved Israel that day. *** The army of Saul was exhausted. Saul had put a curse on any one who ate anything till they had finished fighting that evening. Jonathan hadn’t heard the vow so he ate some of the honey that was abundant in the forest. One of Saul’s men saw him eating it and told of the curse. Jonathan thought it was a foolish thing Saul had vowed. *** The men were so hungry by the time the curse was lifted that they sinned and ate meat without draining the blood first. Saul rolled a stone over for them to kill their animals on and drain the blood. Then he built an altar to the Lord. He had the priest ask if they should continue fighting the Philistines the next day but God didn’t answer. Saul knew something was wrong and someone must have sinned. *** Saul had the priest draw lots between him and Jonathan, and the people to see who had sinned. The lot fell on him and Jonathan. Saul had said that whoever had sinned must die, even if it was Jonathan. The lot fell on Jonathan. Jonathan told what he had done. Saul was going to have him killed but the men stood up for him and advocated for his life. Jonathan was the reason for their great victory. He did not deserve to die. Jonathan was allowed to live. *** This is exactly what Jesus did for us. Under the law, we should die, but Jesus stood up for us and took our death for us. He advocates for us still. *** Saul had three sons and two daughters. His army officer was his cousin, Abner. *** Saul fought the Philistines all his life and drafted any able man he saw. *** In John, the people stood up for Jesus saying that Jesus was doing the miracles they would think the Messiah would do. When the Pharisees heard what the people were saying they sent the Temple guards to arrest Jesus. Jesus told them that he would only be with them a little longer because he was returning to the one who sent him. They would search for him but not be able to find them because they couldn’t go there. This confused them so much, they didn’t arrest him. *** On the last day of the festival they did a water libation where the priest would carry water from the pool of Siloam to the altar. The High Priest would then pour it at the foot of the altar. While this was going on, Jesus stood and shouted that anyone who was thirsty should come to him. All who believed and drank from his waters would have living water flowing from their hearts. This stirred up the crowd. Some believed in him and others wanted him arrested. No one laid a hand on him. *** When the temple guards returned without Jesus they explained that they had never heard anyone speak like he did. The temple leaders mocked them. When Nicodemus spoke up for Jesus, they mocked him also. *** Lord, help us to stand up against a mocking world that doesn’t believe. Help us to be light in the darkness.