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Friday, July 18, 2008

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:57:47 GMT

Samuel said, "Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has turned away from you and become your enemy? The LORD has done what he predicted through me. The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the LORD has done this to you today. The LORD will hand over both Israel and you to the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also hand over the army of Israel to the Philistines."

Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel's words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and night. 1Samuel 28:16-20

Samuel said, "Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has turned away from you and become your enemy?” These words must have come as a shock to Saul. He was expecting some kind words from Samuel. But instead, Samuel wanted to know why Saul did not consult him when he was alive or listen to his advice. Now that all doors seemed to be closed, Saul was bringing Samuel up from the grave. There is no doubt that Samuel was not pleased with the King of Israel resorting to seeking information from dead people. His excuse did not hold water for Samuel.

It is not normal for the Lord to be an enemy of the King of Israel. Something must have happened to cause that particular state of affairs. Samuel wished that Saul would reflect a little more on the events that had precipitated the crisis. It is easy to put the blame on others, instead of thinking through the situation and seeing how we may have contributed to the state of affairs. The problem was not God or the Prophet of God. It was Saul who had moved away from the Lord.

Now it was time for Saul to hear the truth that he had been running away from. The Lord had a hand in what was happening. The kingdom was going to be taken away from Saul and given to David. “The Lord has torn the Kingdom from your hands and given it to one of your neighbors”. These were the very words of the prophet and to keep Saul from any suspense, Samuel added the name of who it was who was going to reign after Saul. This was the very thing that Saul had feared all along.

Samuel had no reason to be afraid of what Saul could do now. He could not run away from the battle and go chasing after David. The die was cast for the King. He was informed that Israel was going to be defeated by the Philistines the next day and that he and his sons were going to die in that battle.

The words were more than any human being could bear, and so Saul fainted on the spot. The reason given by the prophet for this turn of affairs was that Saul had failed to obey the command of the Lord against the Amalekites. Indeed, to obey is better than to sacrifice. Let us trust and obey the words of the Lord.

Blessings,

Brother Seth

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:21:13 GMT

The king said to her, "Don't be afraid. What do you see?" The woman said, "I see a spirit coming up out of the ground." "What does he look like?" he asked. "An old man wearing a robe is coming up," she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.

Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?"
"I am in great distress," Saul said. "The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do." 1Samuel 28:13-15

Saul was definitely out of his league when he decided to delve into occultism. He was desperate enough to dabble in an area of spiritism that he knew very little about. He thought he could assure the medium not to be afraid, but the truth was that he was not seeing what the woman was seeing. The spirit of Samuel was coming out of the ground and, from the look of things, the woman observed something that scared her.

Saul in his ignorance wanted to know what the medium was seeing. The description he was given convinced him that Samuel was indeed the one coming out of the ground: "An old man wearing a robe is coming up.” Saul had seen the man of God in those robes on several occasions, and he had no doubts about the identity of the person who was being described by the medium. So, Saul bowed down and prostrated himself before Samuel. That must have been a sight to watch. Most likely the men who were with Saul followed the example of their King and did the same.

The words that came out of Samuel’s mouth signaled that this was not going to be a pretty meeting. After all, Saul refused to listen to the advice of the Prophet when he was alive. Moreover, he caused the man of God to be afraid for his life. Now that Samuel was beyond the realm of the living, he could tell the King what everyone had been afraid to say. He first made the King realize that his peaceful rest had been disturbed by this attempt to communicate with the dead.

Saul indicated that he was in great distress and this was his last option to get some direction from God or from a man of God who could be trusted. The words of Saul say it all! It paints a picture of desperation: "The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do." But there were a few things that Saul needed to get right.

He had put himself at the center of the conflict, and the Lord was someone outside to be consulted when things got beyond his abilities. He believed the Philistines were out to fight him. He did not see that the battle belonged to the Lord. He also failed to address the reason why the Lord would turn away from him at such a crucial time.

God is more eager to meet with us than we are to enter God’s presence. But we cannot use God as a security blanket to be called upon when things get tough.

Blessings,

Brother Seth

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:58:04 GMT

But the woman said to him, "Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?" Saul swore to her by the LORD, "As surely as the LORD lives, you will not be punished for this." Then the woman asked, "Whom shall I bring up for you?"
"Bring up Samuel," he said.
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!" The king said to her, "Don't be afraid. What do you see?"
The woman said, "I see a spirit coming up out of the ground."
1Samuel 28:9-13

The medium at Endor could see a trap set for her. But who would do such a thing and what would be the reason for setting such a trap? It could be agents of Saul who were still on their crusade to erase all spiritists and mediums from the land. The woman had good reason to be afraid because the art that she was practicing was against the dictates of scripture.

Saul assured the woman that she should not be afraid. He swore to her by the Lord that she would not be punished. Saul’s words offered enough assurance to the woman that she felt she could go ahead and meet the request of her clients. So she asked the question: “whom shall I bring up for you?” King Saul mentioned the name of Samuel. That name should have rung a bell for the medium, but she went ahead and brought up the spirit of Samuel. When the woman saw Samuel, the pieces came together for the medium. She knew immediately that she was in the presence of King Saul and the Prophet Samuel. The woman realized that she had been deceived, so she confronted the King about the deception.

King Saul avoided the issue and told the woman not to be afraid. The spirit of Samuel appeared in response to the invocation. People have wondered about the reality of the spirit who appeared. Was it the spirit of Samuel or was it a personification of Samuel? What this passage teaches is the reality of the spiritual world. There are forces that are beyond the human realm. The ability to operate in this spiritual realm is something that is beyond human understanding.

The fact that Saul would invoke the spirit of Samuel does not justify the invocation of spirits. Saul was right in affirming scripture and eliminating the practice of witchcraft in the land. Unfortunately, Saul could not live by what he preached. He decided to do the very thing he had condemned.

Compromising under pressure is not the way of Christ.

Blessings,

Brother Seth

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:01:45 GMT

When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. Saul then said to his attendants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her."
"There is one in Endor," they said. So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. "Consult a spirit for me," he said, "and bring up for me the one I name." But the woman said to him, "Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?" 1Samuel 28:5-9

Fear can make people do things that they would not do under ordinary circumstances. The sight of the Philistine army was enough to throw the King of Israel into a panic. Things got worse when he realized that there was no direction or answer from God. It was at that point that Saul started grabbing at any straw that he could lay his hands on. The King wanted some word about his future so badly that he was prepared to turn to a witch or medium to foretell it for him. He told his attendants: "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her."

This was, indeed, a desperate action by a man who had been taught that mediums were evil and, he believed scripture to the degree that he banned this practice in the whole of Israel. This meant that all those who practiced witchcraft had to go underground to practice their trade. Now that the King was in need, however, he was ready to resort to the very practice that he had banned.

Saul was informed that there was a witch at Endor. The King immediately made preparations to visit this medium with the sole purpose of seeking guidance. The King had to disguise himself and then go at night to visit the medium at Endor. Saul did not want people recognizing the hypocrisy behind his actions. He also was afraid that if the woman recognized him, she would not go forward to practice her act of divination.

When Saul made his request, he wanted the woman to promise that she would do exactly what he wanted. The woman reminded her visitors of the decree of the King that all those who practiced the art of divination ought to be put to death. She was reluctant to disobey the order of the disguised King. The woman likened the request being made of her as a death sentence if someone heard about what had transpired.

Saul did not want to give much detail about his request until the woman had committed herself and agreed to invoke the spirit of whomever he would name. Saul knew very well that his request would betray his identity, and that is why he wanted an assurance from the medium.

Saul had compromised his stand, and when one begins to go down that slope there is no telling how far down one might go.

Blessings,

Brother Seth

Monday, July 14, 2008

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:04:51 GMT

In those days the Philistines gathered their forces to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, "You must understand that you and your men will accompany me in the army." David said, "Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do." Achish replied, "Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life."

Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land. The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all the Israelites and set up camp at Gilboa. When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. 1Samuel 28:1-6

David had successfully hidden among the Philistines in their cities and he was therefore beyond the reach of King Saul. With the Philistines ready to fight Saul and his army of Israel, the King of Gath approached David and asked him to accompany him into the battle and to fight on his side against Israel. Earlier, David had pledged his loyalty to King Achish in exchange for permission to live among the Philistines. It was now time for David to prove his loyalty. David not only said the right words to convince the Philistine King of his loyalty, but they also prompted the King to make David his bodyguard for life.

The narrative takes us back to the death of Samuel. Although he was the man who had been God’s messenger in establishing monarchy in the kingdom of Israel, the event seemed to have passed very quietly because of the strain between Samuel and Saul. The two men had lived separate lives, and Saul did not try to consult the Prophet and Priest even during difficult times. The impending war with the Philistines, however, was one of the occasions that Saul would have swallowed his pride and gone in search of Samuel. The armies of the Philistine kings that had gathered against Israel numbered more than anyone had seen before.

When Saul saw the armies of the opposing side he was afraid. That fear paralyzed him, and what made matters worse was the fact that the Lord was silent when Saul sought him. He was unable to consult the Lord by the regular channels that were always open to the leaders of Israel. Saul had refused to listen to the advice of the prophets and priests, but now that he was in trouble, he was desperately looking for help. When people refuse to listen to the directions of the Lord, they get to a place when God seems too far away to them.

It must be terrifying when the Lord seems to be silent to human need and pain because people have chosen to go their own way. We all have to be sensitive to the directions of the Lord all the time. The Lord is near to us at all times, and we have to learn obedience in the good times as well as in the difficult times.

Blessings,

Brother Seth

Monday, July 07, 2008

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:45:41 GMT

Then David said to Achish, "If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?" So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since. David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months. Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur and Egypt.) Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish. When Achish asked, "Where did you go raiding today?" David would say, "Against the Negev of Judah" or "Against the Negev of Jerahmeel" or "Against the Negev of the Kenites." He did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, "They might inform on us and say, 'This is what David did.' " And such was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory. Achish trusted David and said to himself, "He has become so odious to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant forever." 1Samuel 27:5-12

David went to the King of Gath, one of the Philistine cities and sought permission to be given a place of his own so that he could settle there with his six hundred men. He was given Ziklag. The King of Gath was very much aware of the movements of Saul in pursuit of David, so he did not consider David a threat so long as Saul was alive. David was wise in seeking to be a bit removed from the city of Gath so that all his movements could not be easily monitored.

David had to make secret raids to conquer other towns so that he could keep his men occupied and also provide for them and their families. But David had to operate in secrecy so as not to incite the suspicion of King Achish on David’s real intensions. All that David needed at this time were security and shelter. He was simply waiting until things changed in Israel so that he could return to his homeland. On the other hand, King Achish saw him as an ally against his enemy.

We are told that Achish trusted David, but all indications point to the fact that David did not trust Achish and knew that his relations with the Philistine King were only temporary. Even as he took refuge among the Philistines, David did not do anything to harm the people of Israel. He knew who he was and he knew the God who was protecting him.

Whatever happens in life, the people of God should not forget their identity. When the circumstances in life change, our spiritual relationship with the Lord should be steadfast.

Blessings,

Brother Seth

Saturday, July 05, 2008

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:56:44 GMT

But David thought to himself, "One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand." So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maoch king of Gath. David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him. 1Samuel 27:1-4

Despite Saul’s confession and his expression of remorse, he still returned to his court without David. He had extended an invitation to David to return home. It sounded sincere and all the signs of repentance were present in King Saul’s words. But David had heard similar words before, and he had also witnessed the King going back on his word. The issue was not what Saul was saying. but what was behind his words.

David knew first hand what happened to Saul when an evil spirit entered the King. Saul became an irrational person under those circumstances. At one time, he was ready to kill his own son just because Jonathan attempted to reason with him about the innocence of David. So everything pointed to the fact that Saul, at some point, would try to kill David again. In that context David thought to himself, "One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel”.

David decided to take action and went to live in the territory of the Philistines. Saul could not come looking for David or kill him without first provoking a war between the people of Israel and the Philistines. That was indeed a God inspired decision. It had become apparent to David that he had to accept the reality that this was not going to be a quick fix. Saul was not going to leave the scene without God stepping in. He, David had had two opportunities to kill the king and had refrained because he knew that was not the will of God. So it was better for him to settle somewhere with his fighting men and his two wives until the Lord opened the right door for him.

David is teaching us all a lesson in patience and waiting for the will of the Lord to be accomplished without human manipulations. The temptation to hasten events will always be there. But it would be prudent to settle down and say, “Not our will” and “not in our human time frame”. God will always be God.

David did not just think about himself, but also about the men that were with him.

Stay blessed!

Brother Seth

Friday, July 04, 2008

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:56:21 GMT

Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly." "Here is the king's spear," David answered. "Let one of your young men come over and get it. The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. The LORD delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. As surely as I valued your life today, so may the LORD value my life and deliver me from all trouble." Then Saul said to David, "May you be blessed, my son David; you will do great things and surely triumph."

So David went on his way, and Saul returned home. 1Samuel 26:21-25

Now, the words of David struck a cord in the heart of Saul. He had had an opportunity to reflect on the unfolding events. Saul came to the conclusion that it was time to openly confess the wrong he had done in seeking to kill David. It was time to make an open confession in the hearing of all. Saul did the unthinkable; in the sight of all his troops and commanders he said: “I have sinned”. Saul gave his reasons for coming to that conclusion. David had spared his life because of the anointing of the Lord. Saul realized that he had acted as a fool in seeking David’s life. He promised not to try to harm David again.

David offered to return the King’s spear and asked one of the young men to come and fetch the King’s belongings. He had taken the high road in his dealings with the King. He noted that the God that he worshipped would reward the righteous and the faithful.

Saul blessed David and indicated that David would do great things and triumph. These are words from the mouth of Saul who had been pursuing David for a year in fear that these very words that he was uttering might come true. What that tells us is that Saul was under the control of the Holy Spirit as he said these words. God is able to overcome our human resistance to the truth of God. Let us not be afraid because we know that the Lord who is in charge can put words in the mouth of the enemy that would surprise everyone.

When the Lord blesses, we are blessed indeed!

Brother Seth

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 06:55:21 GMT

Saul recognized David's voice and said, "Is that your voice, David my son?" David replied, "Yes it is, my lord the king." And he added, "Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done, and what wrong am I guilty of? Now let my lord the king listen to his servant's words. If the LORD has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. If, however, men have done it, may they be cursed before the LORD! They have now driven me from my share in the Lord’s inheritance and have said, 'Go, serve other gods.' Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the LORD. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea—as one hunts a partridge in the mountains." 1Samuel 26:17-20

Saul recognized David’s voice and he heard everything that David said. It was apparent that he no longer had a spear; neither did he have a water jug. These items were on the other side of the hill in the hands of David -- the very person he was out to destroy. The best that Saul could do was to ask: “Is that your voice, David my son?” In asking that question, Saul was extending an olive branch to David. He remembered the voice of David in the courts of the King and probably was reflecting a little on what had caused the sour turn in their relationship.

David replied to the King with as much respect and tact as he could muster. He emphasized his servant role when it came to his relationship with the King. David also decided to be assertive by causing the King to reflect on why he was being pursued like an obnoxious fly. David wanted to know what wrong he had done to warrant this attempt to pursue him to his death. The words of David to the King could not be ignored because he wanted to know if the King was acting for God or because others had incited him to do this.

David appealed to the King to think through what was happening because one of the results of this man-hunt was that David and his men were being pushed away from their worship of the God of Israel as they lived among a people with foreign gods. One of the things that David missed most was worshipping God in the house of God. It is true that God could be worshipped in the desert and in the fields. But nothing beats the fellowship of sharing in the worship of God with people who share the same faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Stay Blessed!

Brother Seth

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:43:19 GMT

So David took the spear and water jug near Saul's head, and they left. No one saw or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up. They were all sleeping, because the LORD had put them into a deep sleep. Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the hill some distance away; there was a wide space between them. He called out to the army and to Abner son of Ner, "Aren't you going to answer me, Abner?"

Abner replied, "Who are you who calls to the king?"

David said, "You're a man, aren't you? And who is like you in Israel? Why didn't you guard your lord the king? Someone came to destroy your lord the king. What you have done is not good. As surely as the LORD lives, you and your men deserve to die, because you did not guard your master, the Lord’s anointed. Look around you. Where are the king's spear and water jug that were near his head?" 1Samuel 26:12-16

David and Abishai took the spear of King Saul and his water jug and left the camp. All the men with Saul were fast asleep and did not wake up nor did they hear the intruders in their camp. We are now given the real reason for what happened. It was not normal for an army that was on a mission and guarding the King of Israel to fall into that type of deep sleep. “They were all sleeping because the Lord had put them into a deep sleep.”

David took a step of faith going into Saul’s camp. And the Lord honored his faith by intervening to put the soldiers surrounding the King into a sedated sleep. David had no way of knowing what the Lord was going to do, but the Lord was a step ahead of him all along. That is the assurance that we get from having a relationship with Emmanuel. But it is also important to note that David did not take the grace of the Lord for granted. He did not wake the sleeping soldiers up to show that God was able to protect two men against three thousand soldiers.

David crossed over to the other side and put distance between his men and the men of Saul. Then he went up on a hill and called out to the commander of the army of Israel. He chided the soldiers for failing to protect the anointed one of Israel. He told the commander that he and his men deserved to die after bringing out proof that he had been able to slip through their ranks to take the spear of the King and his water jug. He even described where these items were placed in the camp. There was no doubt that he had entered their sleeping quarters that night.

David made sure that he did not say anything against the King. He directed all his comments to Abner and his men who were supposed to guard the King. David did show maturity and sensitivity to the King of Israel. I pray that all of us have a mind-set that would not humiliate others.

Blessings,

Brother Seth