Month: May 2018

Re:Verse reading–1 Samuel 28:3-20; 31:1-6 (day one)

“A man who hardens his neck after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.”–Proverbs 29:1

“Be careful how you listen; for whoever has (by means of listening), to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have (by means of not listening), even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.”–Jesus (Luke 8:18)

Reflection on Saul’s life and death brings one clear conviction to my heart.  I must be careful to listen to God.  Must pay attention to what He is saying, not assume that I know, or give equal heed to others.  I must treat HIS words with holy respect.  His WORDS.

Saul never learned this lesson and the lack of it led him (and his family) to emptiness and destruction.

“My words are Spirit and life” said Jesus.  Saul’s story creates urgency and hope in me–in every situation to seek the Lord and listen to Him.

Re:Verse reading–1 Samuel 25:1-34 (day seven)

Nabal claims he does not know who David is:

v.10 But Nabal answered David’s servants and said, “Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are each breaking away from his master.

But surely Nabal knewDavid.  The only way Nabal wouldn’t have known David is if he completely ignored everyone around him:

v.15-16 Yet the men were very good to us, and we were not insulted, nor did we miss anything as long as we went about with them, while we were in the fields. They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the time we were with them tending the sheep.

Abigail knew who David was:

v.30 And when the Lord does for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and appoints you ruler over Israel.

Now there is a chance that Nabal was as foolish as his name sounds, and he did not know who David was, but I imagine this was just one more excuse in a life of excuses.  Nabal was not going to help anyone because helping another would lower his take.  So, he did what we do when we don’t want to do something: come up with an excuse. There is always a reason not to do good when you don’t really want to do it, but beware, even the greatest excuses do not work on God.

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.'”-King David, Psalm 14:1

Nabal seems to be an intelligent man. He runs a sizable business; he’s done very well for himself. Not to mention, he clearly knows a good woman when he see one. But for all his wealth and discerning eye, the Scriptures make it abundantly clear that Nabal is a fool through and through. There are many signs that give this away in the story. He is known to behave badly, he doesn’t listen, he’s unreasonable, he’s a drunkard, etc. But the clearest indication of his foolishness is this-he rejects the coming king. He doesn’t just say “no” to the soon-to-be-king’s request, no he goes even further in his foolishness and refuses to acknowledge who David is.

Now, that’s foolishness, rejecting the requests of the coming king and pretending he doesn’t even exist. Let’s not be foolish.

Re:Verse reading–1 Samuel 25:1-34 (day five) I often ask this question to help find meaning and application in scripture, “Is there and example for me to avoid or follow?” In this passage, David provides both. His reaction to Nabal’s insult is highly emotional. David has quickly forgotten the lesson he learned and taught his soldiers in chapter 24 (the provision and sovereignty of God). We should respond not react to unkindness and lack of respect.  However, David gets it right just a few verses later. He is willing to listen and learn from Abigail. He is teachable, approachable, and hears the Lord in her humble plea. May we listen for the Lord in the words of others. May we recognize that the Lord will use the counsel and perspective of those around us to help us hear His voice and will. 

Re:Verse reading–1 Samuel 25:1-34 (day four)

In our last chapter, David demonstrated discernment of God’s direction over the counsel of his men.  This week, in chapter 25, we have several examples of people demonstrating discernment.  The first were the young men who worked for Nabal.  They recognized Nabal’s foolishness and wisely informed Abigail of his folly.  Abigail exercised discernment when she intervened for her husband with David.  David recognized that Abigail’s counsel, unlike his men in the cave, was accurate to God’s directions.  David blessed her for her discernment.  (v. 33)  Discernment is accurately seeing the truth of a situation, regardless of the competing noise of bad counsel.

How do we learn discernment?  John MacArthur has said, “Through the Holy Spirit, God dispenses His wisdom to believers.  His Word is so comprehensive, so effective, and so complete that, 1 Corinthians 2:15 says, believers can judge ‘all things.’  Christians who know Scripture can have such a comprehensive ability to discern things because they have ‘the mind of Christ.’”

Re:Verse reading–1 Samuel 25:1-34 (day three)

“May you be blessed for your good judgment.” 

When all the ideas that attract your attention start to sound like counsel you would give to yourself, when searching for guidance becomes seeking permission, when your mentor becomes your cheerleader, stop.  You’re about to fall off the cliff.  It will happen soon.  A wise man gives good advice.  A wiser man recognizes good advice.  Look at David’s life and start taking notes.

Re:Verse reading–1 Samuel 25:1-34 (day two) Then Samuel died; and all Israel gathered together and mourned for him, and buried him at his house in Ramah. vs. 1a

Samuel: prayed for before birth, dedicated to the service of the Lord, clearly discerned the voice of the Lord as a child, lived a life with unwavering faith.

Much of what we read about Samuel deals with his frustration regarding Israel. He was often encountering roadblocks or stubborn hearts. Rarely do we hear of Samuel celebrating a triumph of faith, or rejoicing in the nation’s obedience to God. Through it all, however, Samuel is undeterred. His commitment is not based on the approval of men. Even as the people around him ran counter to the will of God, he was faithful. How do we measure our effectiveness for the kingdom? What happens if things don’t turn out the way we plan? Samuel continued to chase after God. Whether kingdoms rise or fall on our watch is not so much the point as how we serve.

Re:Verse reading–1 Samuel 25:1-34 (day one)

“Let this gift. . .be given to the young men who accompany my lord.  Please forgive the transgression of your maidservant.”–v 25-28.

Not unusual, I suppose.  A beautiful, intelligent woman is married to a surly, foolish man.

1 Samuel 25 tells Abigail’s story.  When her husband makes a decision that endangers the family, Abigail intervenes with the skill of a diplomat.  She does not cover for Nabal (no excuses for him) but neither does she allow herself and family to be victims of his foolish choices.

When the Bible teaches a wife to be submissive to her husband, it does not mean for her to be paralyzed or passive.  Just as David found a way to honor Saul’s authority but to stay away from his anger (1 Samuel 20), so Abigail illustrates for us a path that is both submissive AND shrewd.”

“The children of this age are (often) more shrewd than the children of light”–Jesus (Luke 16:8)

 

 

Re:Verse reading–1 Samuel 24 (day seven)

1 Samuel 24:20 “Now, behold, I KNOW that you will surely be king, and that the Kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand.”

Saul finally said out loud the reality that they had been living for a long time.  Saul finally said, “I know”.  I know what God is doing in this situation.  Sometimes it takes us decades and scars to figure out the will of God, but when we finally look up and say, “I know”, what then?

How are we to respond to God when our hard heads finally realize that God is at work in a situation?  The faithful thing to do would be to immediately drop everything and get in line with God.  More realistically though, we walk the other way like Saul did, going back to the comfort of our own homes.  We are going to face days in our lives when the will of God is contrary to our own desires, when our flesh just wants to run home.  Don’t run.  Resist the flesh by trusting the will of God, and you will see the Kingdom of God in ways you never thought possible.