2 Samuel 1 - David Mourns for Saul

In the final chapter of 1 Samuel, we saw the Israelites defeated by the Philistines, Saul’s sons were killed, and he was mortally wounded. He asked his armorbearer to kill him so the Philistines wouldn’t torture him, but his armorbearer would not. So, Saul attempted to take his own life by falling on his own sword. This was all to fulfil the word of the Lord through Samuel. In 1 Chronicles it states, “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the Lord; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.” (1 Chron 10:13-14) It was the Lord that put Saul to death, not Saul himself. Saul even tried to take his own life, but as we will see, the Lord would not allow him to do so. It would be an Amalekite that would finish him off.

As we pick up in the first part of 2 Samuel, the scene again shifts back to David at Ziklag. He and his men had been there two days, and on the third day, a man from Saul’s camp came to David mourning with his clothes torn and dust on his head. He fell on his face before David. David asked him where he came from, and the man replied he had escaped from the camp of Israel. David asked him how the battle went, and the man told him what had happened and that Saul and Jonathan were dead also. David asked him how he knew they were dead? The man replied that he had seen Saul on Mount Gilboa leaning on his own spear, and how Saul had called out to him and asked him who he was. The man replied to Saul that he was an Amalekite. I wonder if those words stung Saul more than the Philistine arrows and his own spear? The man continued that Saul requested him to kill him since he was in anguish, yet his life was still in him. The man then told David that, because he saw that Saul would not live, he killed him and brought David Saul’s crown and bracelet.

When David heard this, he and his men tore their clothes. They mourned, wept, and fasted until evening for the death of Saul and Jonathan and for the defeat that the people of the Lord and Israel had experienced at the hand of the Philistines. Probably as though to make sure he had heard correctly, David asked him “Where are you from?” The man replied that he was the son of an alien, an Amalekite. Those words probably stung David as well. He had just defeated the Amalekites who had taken all the wives and children of him and his men. David told the man, “How was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed,” and he told one of his men to go and execute the Amalekite. Apparently, David didn’t agree with mercy killing. He said to the man, ““Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s anointed.’” Even at Saul’s death, David still had a high respect for Saul and the anointing the Lord had on his life.

Next, David does something we might not expect. One might think David would have rejoiced that his enemy was dead and that he would no longer be on the run from the relentless pursuit of a man who wanted to murder him, but David did not rejoice. Instead, he mourned the death of Saul and Jonathan his son. He lamented over them, and he told his men to teach the children of Israel the song of the bow:

“The beauty of Israel is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen! Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon—Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. O mountains of Gilboa, Let there be no dew nor rain upon you, nor fields of offerings. For the shield of the mighty is cast away there! The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil. From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not turn back, and the sword of Saul did not return empty. Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with luxury; who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan was slain in your high places. I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; you have been very pleasant to me; your love to me was wonderful, surpassing the love of women. How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!”

Notice how David had nothing bad to say of Saul; he took the opportunity to highlight the good that Saul had done in his lifetime. Everyone knew the bad Saul had done, so there was no need to focus on that now. What is said during a time of mourning is to help and comfort those left behind in their time of grief. Despite making a wreck out of his life and his kingdom, Saul was still a man who had been chosen and called by God, and this deserved recognition. He referred to Saul and Jonathan as the beauty of Israel, for the calling of God on someone’s life is beautiful. David did not want the enemies of Israel to know lest they should glory in the tragic defeat of the people of the Lord. David prayed there would be no dew or rain on Mount Gilboa, and it is barren unto this day. When current-day Israel was reforesting this region, they left Mount Gilboa unforested because of this curse. He praised Jonathan and Saul for their military might, and grieved their falling in battle. He called them beloved and pleasant, and recognized they were united in their death. He commanded the daughters of Israel to weep over Saul who had clothed them with luxury. He addresses Jonathan directly in his lamentation by stating that Jonathan had been very pleasant to him and that his love for him was wonderful, surpassing the love of women. This was not a sexual love as some have attempted to say. No love can surpass the self-sacrificial love that believers can demonstrate to one another, just as Christ has done for us. Jonathan truly demonstrated this type of love for David.

Wow! This was quite the lamentation for someone who has been your enemy for the last decade or more. These were not mere words of flattery, but David mourned for Saul and Jonathan because he loved them. It takes a godly man who is full of the Spirit to morn someone who relentlessly sought his life for the last 10+ years. How are we doing in loving our enemies? What would we say at their death. Would we lament them? Would we praise them for the good they did in their lives, or would we still find fault? I think it is important to point out that there is a difference between love and forgiveness. Love and forgiveness are closely related, but they are not the same thing. Real agape love is given regardless of one’s actions, and truly is in spite of them just like God’s love for us is in spite of us. Forgiveness, on the other hand, is given upon repentance. Jesus told His disciples, “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” The Lord does not forgive us if we do not repent, so I do not believe He would ask us to do something that not even He would do. Not forgiving someone simply says I have something against you. If you molest my child, I can and still should love you, but I cannot allow you around my children or any other children for that matter because you have not truly repented. The challenge for us is not having hatred in our hearts for someone who has done something as heinous as this. Even if they have repented, it can still be a challenge to love and forgive people who have truly wronged us. There are certain hurts and grievances that are very difficult, if not impossible to forgive, without the Lord’s help. It is the work of the Spirit in our lives as we meditate on the word of God and what Jesus has done on the cross for us to set us free from the law of sin and death that will help us love and forgive others in these situations.

Well, this was a long and hard stent for David, and his troubles were far from over, but the man who had spearheaded his demise was gone. God had taken care of the situation; David did not have to do anything. David was just hanging out in Ziklag with his men, and did not know that Saul’s end was so close. This is often how it is: we worry, fret, and run from our troubles, but God is about to turn the tables in our favor. 

1 Samuel 31 - The Tragic End of Saul

Last time in 1 Samuel, we saw David return to Ziklag to find the city burned with fire, and all their women and children had been carried away captives. David and his men were greatly distressed, and David’s men even spoke of stoning him. However, David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. He could have chosen to be angry and bitter, but instead, he drew near to the Lord to seek His counsel. The Lord told David they should pursue after the Amalekites, and that they would recover all. David did so, and gave a portion of the spoil to his men and to the people in the areas where he and his men were accustomed to stay.

Now, the scene returns to Saul and the nation of Israel preparing for war with the Philistines. If we recall, Saul had visited a medium the night before to ask counsel of Samuel, and Samuel had told him that he and his sons would die in battle. Saul was so distressed at this, that he could not rise off the ground until the medium and his servants compelled him to eat. He was in no shape to fight a battle the next day.

When the Philistines fought against Israel, Israel fled from before them. They were slain on Mount Gilboa, meaning they retreated back to their own camp. The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and killed Saul’s sons. Next, they mortally wounded Saul, and Saul, thinking he would not live, said to his armorbearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and abuse me.” When his armourbearer refused to do so out of fear, Saul fell upon his own sword.

One might think that Saul, seeing he was about to die, would make his peace with God, but there was none of that from Saul. There is no telling what the Lord might have done for Saul if he had repented, but he chose to hold onto his sin until the bitter end. Apparently, his own attempt at suicide did not even succeed, for we are told in 2 Samuel that an Amalekite finished him off. I think it is interesting that the Amalekites that the Lord had told Saul to destroy that he chose not to, were the ones who killed him. It was as if the Lord was bringing him back to that unrepentant sin that marked his downfall. I don’t know if it was as much for Saul’s benefit as it is for ours, for Saul was on his way out. However, you and I can look and learn from his example. This is what unrepentant sin always does: it comes back to bite us eventually. We have a tendency to think we can get away with certain sins because we don’t experience immediate consequences, but the Scriptures teach that there will be consequences. They state, “…be sure your sin will find you out.” (Numbers 32:23) And, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” (Galatians 6:7-8) True repentance does not alleviate all consequences, but it certainly can lessen them.

I believe this is an appropriate time to write about suicide. There are three examples of suicide in the Bible: There was Saul, Ahithophel, and Judas Iscariot. When you examine their lives, all three were in direct rebellion against God. We have already learned of Saul, Ahithophel counseled Absolom in trying to overthrow David as king, and Judas, motivated by greed, regularly stole money from Jesus’ ministry and betrayed Him to the Jewish leaders. All three chose taking their own life rather than truly repenting. I wonder what would have happened if Saul had repented? If Ahithophel had repented, I wonder if David would have shown him mercy? If Judas had repented, I know the Lord would have forgiven him. Suicide is still murder, folks. As I have heard it said, it is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. It is the wrong solution. They are thinking of no one but themselves, and they do not care what everyone who is left behind thinks or feels. It is truly a selfish and sinful thing to do. It is murder, because it is still killing someone who was made in the image of God Genesis 9:6). God is the only one who has the right to take a life, except for those instances in which He has given permission for us to do so. So, does someone who commits suicide lose their salvation? My theology has changed somewhat on this subject over time. If you were to tell me you believed you had good reason to question their conversion based off their decision to take their own life, you may have a fair argument. Genuine faith produces a changed life that no longer wants to live after the flesh. It’s especially difficult to imagine someone who walks into a place, murders several people, and then takes their own life is not demon-possessed. I think many who do these types of things probably are possessed, or at the very least, heavily influenced by demonic forces. However, if someone was truly born again, they have been saved by placing their faith in Jesus alone for salvation, and therefore, no sin can take it away from them. If sin could take it away, then not sinning would have had to have helped secure their salvation in some way. Believing that one can lose their salvation by sinning somehow ultimately translates into a works-based salvation, and makes us no different than the cults that teach you must believe in Jesus plus do good works to go to Heaven. The only sin that will condemn us is not believing on Jesus Christ for salvation (see Jn 3:18 and Jn 16:9.

When the Israelites on the other side of the valley and on the other side of Jordan saw the soldiers fleeing and that Saul was dead, they forsook their cities, and the Philistines dwelt in them. The next day, when the Philistines went to strip the slain, they found the dead bodies of Saul and his sons. They beheaded Saul, and published the tidings in the temples of their idols and among the people (probably carrying his head around on display). They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths, and fastened his body to the wall at Beth Shan. This was a public disgrace to do this to Saul’s dead body, and when the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard of it, the valiant men went all night and took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan. Then they burned their bodies and buried their bones under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh. If we recall, Saul, at the beginning of his reign, had helped the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead against the Ammonites, and won a great victory. Despite Saul’s failings and tragic ending, these men still proved their loyalty to their king out of gratitude for what he had done for them.

Saul’s end was a tragic one that could well have been different if he had only chosen to yield to the Lord’s will instead of his own. His reign, although having some positive notes, largely goes down as a failure, and this is what we should expect when insisting on living a life of sin rather than one of obedience to the Lord. Saul reigned for 40 years, so it may seem as though the Lord was standing idly by while he played the fool and mad man by murderously pursuing David and the priests of the Lord. However, everything the Lord said would happen to Saul did come to pass. The Lord was being gracious to Saul by giving him that time to repent. All this should serve as a good object lesson for you and me. Despite all this, we will see David’s response to Saul’s death, which will be different than we might expect. 

The Personification of Wisdom Part I.

Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?  She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.  She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.  Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.  O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.  Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.  For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.  All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.  They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge. (Proverbs 8:1-9)

 

Here we find out more about what wisdom looks like practically.  As we have seen previously, wisdom is from God, and His intention is to give it liberally to mankind when requested out of a prayer of faith.  When wisdom speaks it is not meaningless or of no value, but it is excellent (very good).  It is also right; wisdom will never speak something that is not in accordance with the Scriptures.  It is always truthful.  Since its giver is God, it never lies even if its end is noble and just.  “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19) Wickedness is an abomination to wisdom; by its virtue it hates evil.  We see later in verse 13, The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.”  Wisdom is from God, and because God is good He hates sin.  If we truly fear (reverence) God we will hate sin also.  This is not in a self-righteous sense that looks down on others’ faults as a means of making ourselves look better, but a sincere hatred of sin because of what it does to us and to others.  This can also be said of our love for the Lord.  Many people will say they love the Lord, but have no intentions of obeying Him.  Jesus told His disciples, “If ye love me, keep my commandments,” and “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.” (John 14:15, 15:10) So to the degree that we hate evil and walk in obedience to the Lord is the degree that we fear and love God.  Again, when wisdom speaks, it is always in righteousness; it will always direct us to and instruct us in what is right.  To those who already possess understanding and knowledge, more wisdom will be plain and right to them.  It will not be mysterious or difficult to understand, but it will just make sense.  In closing of this section I wanted to include the New Testament compliment of this passage: “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” (James 3:17-18)

Are we walking in wisdom today?  Are the things we think and talk about excellent and right?  Are we truthful with the Lord, with ourselves and with others?  Do we fear and love God by hating evil and purposing to walk in obedience to the Scriptures?  None of us are where we ought to be, but Jesus again told His disciples, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5) If we abide in Him by faith, He produces the much good fruit of righteousness in us. 

1 Samuel 30 - David Strengthens Himself in the Lord

Previously in 1 Samuel, the Philistines were readying their armies for battle with the Israelites. As they were numbering their troops, the lords of the Philistines saw David and his men among them. They became angry with Achish, and told him to send David away so that he would not fall away to Saul in the battle. David appeared to be disappointed with this, but nonetheless, Achish sent him and his men back to Ziklag the following morning.

It took them about three days to get back to Ziklag, so they would have traveled about 25 miles a day. This would have left them tired and hungry, and they would have been looking forward to coming home to their families. However, when they got there, things were not as they had hoped. While they were gone, the Amalekites had attacked Ziklag, carried away all their wives and children as captives (David’s wives included), and burned the city with fire. If we recall, the Amalekites were among the groups that David attacked while living in Philistine country, so this was likely an act of retaliation. God had gotten David out of the mess of fighting with the Philistines, but there were still consequences for his decisions over the last 16 months.

When the men saw the city and that all their wives and children were gone, they wept until they were out of strength to weep any longer. The men were so embittered by what had happened that they spoke of stoning David. They had entrusted David as their leader, and in David’s attempting to please Achish, he overlooked the possibility that the Amalekites would take revenge on him for what he had done. David was greatly distressed, but it states he strengthened himself in the Lord his God. This was a difficult time for David, but it was an important test before he would take the throne. David needed correction, and he needed practice of what to do when everyone turns on him. I have heard it said that you don’t really know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have. David made the right choice in strengthening himself in the Lord his God, for the Lord is the only one who can truly give men strength when they are weary.

This is the first time in 16 months that we have record of David seeking the Lord. So far, he has been running from the Lord’s people and doing what seemed good in his own eyes, but now he is seeking the Lord for direction. He called Abiathar the priest to enquire of the Lord, and the Lord said “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” It is a wonder that the cruel Amalekites did not harm any of the women and children, but this was the Lord’s mercy on David and his men. David made some wrong choices in a tough spot, but the Lord was merciful because He knew David’s heart was in a state where he would respond to His correction.

After this, David and his men pursued after the Amalekites, and they came to the brook Besor where he left 200 of his men because they were too weary to go any further. David was now left with only two thirds of his men. Then they found an Egyptian in the field who had not eaten food nor drunk water in three days, for he had gotten sick and been left behind by the Amalekites. So, David gave him some food and water, and his strength revived. The Egyptian told David what had happened, and David asked him if he could take him down to where the Amalekites were. The Egyptian said that he would do so if David would swear to him by God that he would not kill him or deliver him into the hands of his master.

When the Egyptian brought David and his men down, the Amalekites were celebrating their victory over the Philistines and over the tribe of Judah with a big party. They assumed they were safe, since the Philistines and Israel were preparing for battle further to the north. David attacked them by surprise, and killed them until evening of the next day. None of them escaped except for four hundred men who fled away on camels. David and his men recovered all; nothing was lacking from their wives, children, or goods. In addition, David took the Philistine’s spoil, and returned to the 200 men that were left at the brook Besor.

When they got back to their camp, the wicked men among them said that because the 200 men did not go with them into battle, they would not share the spoil with them. They would give them their wives and children, and then have them depart. However, David said that they should not do so. The Lord had delivered their enemies into their hands, given them back their wives and children, and given them the spoil, so they should share with everyone. So, David made a statute and ordinance for Israel that “as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike.” There is so much that the Lord has given us out of His sheer goodness, and as a result, we should be willing to share that with others. Also, these men were too weak to go any further. Paul wrote to the Romans that those who are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak (Rom 15:1). David knew what it was like to be weary, and he wanted to show mercy to those who had been too weak to go with him.

David also sent a portion of the spoil to the elders of the tribe of Judah and to the other places he and his men were accustomed to stay. His own tribe had not always been good to him, for if we recall, the Ziphites had betrayed him twice to Saul. However, he returned this with kindness from the abundance the Lord had given him. David did not know this, but Saul was already dead by this point. It would be soon after this that the tribe of Judah would rally around David, and he would rule over them as king for seven and a half years.

Are we like David who was weary? At the worst possible time in our lives, has everyone turned on us, blamed us (justly or unjustly), and sought to do us harm? Sure, we probably don’t have people who want to stone us, but people can certainly make our lives difficult when they have a mind to. If so, let us be like David who strengthened himself in the Lord his God. The Scriptures state, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) Jesus is truly all we need; everything else is icing on the cake. Let us also show kindness to those who are weak and weary, remembering how the Lord has helped us in our time of need. In the final chapter of 1 Samuel, the scene will shift back to Saul and Israel’s battle with the Philistines. 

1 Samuel 29 - David Rejected by the Philistines

 

Previously in 1 Samuel, we saw the Philistines gather their armies together at Shunem, and Saul gathered Israel together at Gilboa. Saul was able to look down on the hosts of the Philistines, and he trembled with fear. He sought counsel from the Lord, but the Lord would not answer him. As a result, he sought out a medium to call up Samuel from the dead to find out what he should do. Normally, a medium would only talk to an evil spirit that would impersonate the dead person, but it appears in this instance that the Lord allowed Samuel to be called up as a witness against Saul. Whatever the case, visiting a medium is strictly forbidden in the Scriptures. Samuel reminded Saul that the kingdom had been taken from him because he refused to obey the Lord by destroying the Amalekites, and that it was given to his neighbor, David. Samuel told him that all Israel will be delivered into the hand of the Philistines, and that tomorrow Saul and his sons would be with him. In other words, Saul and his sons would die in battle. This pronouncement of judgment was likely a direct response to Saul’s decision to visit a medium rather than repent from his sins, and his choice will unfortunately affect his sons and the rest of the nation as well.

Next, the scene shifts back to the Philistines and to David and his men. If we recall, Achish wanted David and his men to go into battle with him, and David agreed to do so. We do not know what David’s true intentions were here: was he planning on fighting with the Philistines against his own people, or was he planning on turning on the Philistines in battle? Either way, his options did not look good.

The Philistines gathered their armies together at Aphek, and the Israelites gathered together near a fountain in Jezreel. As the Philistines numbered their men, they saw David and his men, and said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” Achish replied that it was David, and that he had found no fault with him since he had defected to him more than a year ago. However, the lords of the Philistines were angry with Achish, and told him to send David back to his appointed place so he would not turn on them in battle. They saw the inherit risk here, and understandably so. David could finally win Saul’s favor with the heads of some Philistines. They remembered several years earlier when David had killed their champion, Goliath, and how the women sang, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”

Achish called David, and told him that he had to return back to Ziklag. He said that as the Lord lives, he knew that David was upright and he had not found any evil in him, but he did not want to displease the lords of the Philistines. It is interesting that Achish is invoking the name of the Lord here. This could be out of respect for David, or maybe David’s presence there had some positive influence on Achish. David should not have been there, but the Lord can still bring good out of our sinful choices. David objected to this, stating, “But what have I done? And to this day what have you found in your servant as long as I have been with you, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” Again, this could mean David was actually intending on fighting against his own people, or he was lying to Achish as before to further his plan to reconcile himself to Israel and to Saul. Achish replied, “I know that you are as good in my sight as an angel of God; nevertheless the princes of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ Now therefore, rise early in the morning with your master’s servants who have come with you. And as soon as you are up early in the morning and have light, depart.” So, David and his men departed in the morning, and the Philistines headed up to Jezreel.

David was about to make a terrible choice that could have jeopardized his kingdom and possibly his life, but God got him out of the mess. The Lord used rejection to accomplish His will in  this situation; He used the ungodly Philistine’s rejection of David to get David back where he was supposed to be. Rejection never feels good in the moment, but especially when it comes from the ungodly, there is usually a good reason for it. I’m so glad the Lord gets us out of our messes at times. I think back on some of the choices I have made, and how God either kept me from going through with it or He spared me from all the consequences of my actions. This is just the kindness and mercy of God at play here in David’s life. The Lord knew David would make these mistakes when He anointed him king, but He also knew David’s heart. He knew that David would respond to His discipline and turn back to Him, and that is what we will see in the following chapter.

Jesus, the Reason for the Season

Christmas means a lot of different things to different people. For some, it’s about decorations and gifts, for others it’s about spending time with family, and for others it’s about extending goodwill toward mankind. Those things are all great in their proper place, but to focus on any of those things alone or together falls short of the true meaning of the holiday as it has been celebrated for centuries. I want to take the time in this post to write about the real reason we celebrate Christmas, and to do so, I want to begin in the book of John.

John begins his gospel by writing “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Jn 1:1) Right away, he establishes that the Word (Jesus Christ) was in the beginning, before time began. The word beginning in the original language carries with it the idea of being an origin or an active cause. Next, we see that the Word was with God (the Father), and that the word was God. So, Jesus is the origin or active cause of creation, He was with God, and He was Himself God. John restates that He (Jesus) was in the beginning with God (V 2). These verses should immediately take us back to the very first verse of the first chapter of the Bible where it states, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Gen 1:1) For time’s sake, I won’t go into great detail, but the word for God here is in the plural, meaning three or more. So, the first time the word God appears in the Bible, we see reference to the trinity. We are all probably familiar with this passage that appears around Christmastime: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2) This word for everlasting means the days of eternity or beyond the vanishing point. Jesus was co-existent with the Father and the Holy Spirit from eternity past.

John continues, “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” (Jn 1:3) In other words, Jesus is the person of the godhead that is primarily responsible for creation. John is emphatic that Jesus created all things, and that without Him nothing was made that was made. This means everything, including the angels. So, this Jesus who we remember as coming as a babe in a manger at Christmas time is the God and creator of the entire universe and everything in it. This should fill us with awe and wonder.

Many of us know what happened next. Eve was deceived by the serpent into eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and then she gave some to her husband as well. This plunged the entire human race into sin. The Bible and the rest of history tell the story of the downfall and depravity of mankind as they have rejected God for their own selfish pleasures. All the horrible atrocities that have been committed throughout Antiquity, and even to the present, have been from Man’s rejecting God and His laws. However, God had a remedy from the foundation of the world, and it was about two thousand years ago that He put this plan into action.

The God and creator of the entire universe humbled Himself, stepped off His throne, left His glory behind, and took on human form. Not only this, He was born in the lowliest of conditions. He was born in a barn, wrapped in swaddling (grave) clothes, and laid in a feeding trough by His mother who was seen in the eyes of many as an adulteress or fornicator. John again writes, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Jn 1:14) The word for dwelt is tabernacled, and speaks to Jesus’ earthly body that He took on. It’s important to note that Jesus did not give up His deity (godhood), but simply added humanity to it. The author of Hebrews writes, "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Heb 1:1-3) Here, we see that Jesus radiates the glory of the Father, and is Himself the express image or exact imprint of the person of the Father. It is this divine essence which He shares with the Father that is the foundation or undergirding of His humanity. He is both fully God and fully man. It is through this God man whom the Father has seen fit to speak to us in these last days.

This begs the question, why did God do this? Why did Jesus leave His throne in Heaven to take on human form.  First, He wanted to show mankind who God is in a way we could relate. As we have already seen, Jesus is the exact imprint of His Father, inscribed with the very same nature and character as Him. While on earth, He told Philip and the other disciples, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (Jn 14:9) Back in chapter one, John tells us that Jesus came full of grace and truth. He is a perfectly loving and perfectly holy God. In our finite minds it is difficult at times to grasp this, but sinners liked being around Jesus. He showed them kindness and compassion, while still telling them the truth about their sin. In this He demonstrated the heart of His Father.

Second, He wanted to walk in our shoes. He lived a life facing all the same temptations and challenges that we do, yet He did it without sin. The author of Hebrews again writes, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb 4:15) In this, we have a compassionate High Priest who experienced firsthand what it is like to be a human being, and because of this, we can approach the throne of God with boldness to ask for grace to help in time of need.

Third and most importantly, he wanted to redeem us from our sins. The incarnation of Jesus Christ was truly an extraordinary miracle, but it was only a means to an even greater miracle, that is the cross. Because of His love for mankind, Jesus went to the cross to pay a debt that was never His, and He did so to save you and me. Both Father and the Holy Spirit are credited with raising Jesus from the Dead, but Jesus stated He had the power to raise Himself. He stated, “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” (Jn 10:17-18) Jesus raised Himself from the dead, and He offers this same resurrection life to all who will believe on Him. This is the chief reason He came, to save sinners like you and me.

My intent in writing this post is not to draw anyone with persuasive words of human wisdom, but that the Holy Spirit would demonstrate His power by drawing you to Jesus Christ if you are not a Christian. We have all sinned, and the only way to be right with a holy God is through faith in the Jesus Christ of the Bible for salvation. When the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas what they must do to be saved, they responded, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31) That’s it; it is really that simple! This belief is not a mere intellectual acknowledgement that Jesus exists, for even the demons believe that and tremble. It is a belief that places one’s complete trust and confidence in Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross to save them from their sins. If you have not done this, please do so today. The world is ripe for the judgment of God, and Jesus is the only way to escape this judgment. If you are a believer, draw near to the Lord during this Christmas season. If you have allowed sin into your life, confess it to him, for He is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. If you harbor bitterness toward someone for something they have done, forgive them as God, for Christ’s sake, has forgiven you. Remember, He is not a babe in the manger any longer, but is the God man who by Himself has purged our sins, and is now seated on the right hand of the Majesty on high. Thank Him for taking on human form, for walking in our shoes, and thank Him for going to the cross and rising again to save us from our sins.

 

The following is a story told by Paul Harvey, and helps to illustrate God’s desire to take on human form:

“The man to whom I’m going to introduce you was not a scrooge, he was a kind decent, mostly good man. Generous to his family, upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn’t believe all that incarnation stuff which the churches proclaim at Christmas Time. It just didn’t make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn’t swallow the Jesus Story, about God coming to Earth as a man. “I’m truly sorry to distress you,” he told his wife, “but I’m not going with you to church this Christmas Eve.” He said he’d feel like a hypocrite. That he’d much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. And so he stayed and they went to the midnight service. Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper. Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound…Then another, and then another. Sort of a thump or a thud…At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against his living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They’d been caught in the storm and, in a desperate search for shelter, had tried to fly through his large landscape window. Well, he couldn’t let the poor creatures lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter, if he could direct the birds to it. Quickly he put on a coat, galoshes, tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light, but the birds did not come in. He figured food would entice them in. So he hurried back to the house, fetched bread crumbs, sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail to the yellow-lighted wide open doorway of the stable. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs, and continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them…He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around them waving his arms…Instead, they scattered in every direction, except into the warm, lighted barn. And then, he realized that they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me…That I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them. But how? Because any move he made tended to frighten them, confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him. “If only I could be a bird,” he thought to himself, “and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to safe, warm…to the safe warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see, and hear and understand.” At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind. And he stood there listening to the bells – Adeste Fidelis – listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. And he sank to his knees in the snow.”

1 Samuel 28 - Saul Visits a Medium

Previously in 1 Samuel, we saw David flee into Philistine country out of discouragement and doubt of the Lord’s plan for his life. While there, he began making some sinful choices in order to gain the favor of Achish, the king of Gath. David destroyed some of the cultures that God had previously told the children of Israel to wipe out, but he brought all the loot back to Achish and deceived him into believing he was attacking his own people. Achish was so pleased with this, that when it came time to go to war with Israel, he wanted David to go with him into battle. Surprisingly, David agrees to this. He was either planning on turning on Achish in battle, or, even worse, going to fight against his own people. Either way, he was in a predicament: Saul already wanted to kill him, and if he turned on Achish in battle, then the Philistines would want his head as well. David was in Philistine territory for 16 months, and this was probably one of the lowest times spiritually for him.

In light of this imminent war with the Philistines, the scene returns back to Saul. We are reminded that Samuel was dead, and that he had been buried in his own city of Ramah. We also are told that Saul had put all the mediums and spiritists out of the land (put them to death), a fact that will be relevant a bit later. This was in line with the Scriptures, but Saul had a tendency to be hard on everyone else’s sin except his own.

Then the Philistines gathered together, and encamped in Shunem, while Saul and all Israel encamped at Gilboa. Shunem was about 20 miles north of the northern most Philistine city of Aphek, and was in the valley of Jezreel. This gives us some indication of how far the Philistines had made an inroad into Israeli territory. Saul was being boxed in. Gilboa was just south of the sea of Galilee, and overlooked Shunem in the valley of Jezreel. So, Saul was able to look down and see the armies of the Philistines, and it states he was afraid, his heart greatly trembling. He sought counsel from the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him, neither by dreams, the priests, or the prophets. The Lord would not answer Saul, because Saul refused to get right with him. Saul was not looking to get right with the Lord, but a way to avoid being defeated by the Philistines.

Rather than humbling himself, Saul resorted to occultic practices to seek counsel of what to do. He told his servants to find him a medium that he could go and inquire of her. They replied that there was one in En Dor, a city that was nearby. The devil often has a trap or snare waiting nearby in case he can succeed in convincing us to take it. This woman was a necromancer, someone who claims to make contact with the dead. In reality, she was demon-possessed, and this demon would speak through her when she conducted the séance. These demons would often impersonate the dead person that the individual was wanting to call up.

So, Saul disguised himself, and he and two men went to her by night. He asked her to conduct a séance for him, and to call up whoever he names. The woman objected, saying that he knew what Saul had done in putting to death all the mediums in the land, so why was he laying a snare for her life? She was making sure this was not some sort of sting operation. Then Saul swore by the Lord, saying, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” Notice the confusion again in Saul: he’s visiting a medium, and then swearing by the Lord. Using the right spiritual jargon does not mean anything if it is not accompanied by obedience to the word of God. We may have seen some of these people on television: they praise Jesus, but then they fleece people for money. Well, the woman agreed to go ahead with the séance, and asked Saul who he wanted her to bring up? He told her to bring up Samuel for him. Saul is really desperate and confused here: God will not answer him, so he wants to call up Samuel, a prophet of the Lord, as if that would turn out better for him.

When the woman saw Samuel, she shrieked, which gives us an indication this wasn’t normal for her. It wasn’t common practice for her to actually call up someone from the dead, especially a believer. The most straight-forward interpretation is usually the correct one, and since the Bible states it was Samuel, I believe it was. God allowed it to take place in this instance as a witness against Saul. She also knew somehow that it was Saul. She asked him why he had deceived her, and he told her to not be afraid. He asked her what she saw? She said that she saw gods ascending out of the earth (probably her pagan way of describing what she saw). She told Saul that she saw an old man with a mantle. Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and stooped down with his face to the ground. It would appear that Saul could not see Samuel, but he would be able to hear him.

Samuel asked Saul why he had disturbed him by bringing him up? Samuel would have been in a place called Abraham’s bosom, a place of rest and comfort that believers went to before Jesus died on the cross. Both Abraham’s bosom and Hell were in a place called Sheol, and according to Jesus’ account of the rich man and Lazarus, there was a great gulf between the two places. Saul answered, “I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do.” Samuel responded, “So why do you ask me, seeing the Lord has departed from you and has become your enemy? And the Lord has done for Himself as He spoke by me. For the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord nor execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”

This was not the answer Saul was hoping for, but what could he expect? God had departed from Saul, but only because Saul had departed from him first. God was Saul’s enemy because Saul had made Him so by his own failure to repent from his sins. The Lord would later speak through Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-2) He reminded Saul that the Lord had fulfilled his word by taking the kingdom from him, and giving it to his neighbor, David. The identification of David was an addition to Samuel’s original prophecy, but it was a confirmation of what Saul already knew. The Lord did this because Saul had not obeyed His voice by executing His fierce wrath on Amalek. The Lord was taking Saul back to where his downfall began, that unrepentant sin that Saul had carried with him for the last 15 years or so, and that led to so many other sins. Samuel had told him then that rebellion was as the sin of witchcraft, and that stubbornness was as iniquity and idolatry. Oh, how true that was, for Saul was spending the last few hours of his life visiting a medium. As a result, Samuel told Saul that he and the rest of Israel would be delivered into the hands of the Philistines, and that the next day he and his sons would be with him (Samuel). Visiting a medium and other occultic practices are strictly forbidden by the Scriptures, and in doing so, Saul was inviting a curse on himself: “‘And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.’” (Leviticus 20:6)

So, did Saul go to Abraham’s Bosom or to Hell? Granted, Old Testament believers were not saved in the same way we are today, but Saul did seem to have somewhat of a conversion experience when the Lord gave him a new heart (1 Samuel 10:9). Some would argue that when Samuel told Saul he and his sons would be with him, Samuel was referring to the general place of Sheol, not the exact place that he was. However, given the fact that Abraham’s bosom and Hell were so drastically different and that there was a great gulf between the two, makes it seem more likely that Samuel was referring to Abraham’s bosom rather than referring to death and Sheol in a more general sense. You might ask, “how could a man like Saul, an angry violent man who committed horrible atrocities, go to Abraham’s Bosom which would later mean going to Heaven? This gets back to the question of whether or not we are saved by our faith or our works? If we can lose our salvation based off committing sin or a series of sins, then we would have had to gain it by not sinning. This contradicts numerous New Testament passages, Ephesians 2:8-9 for starters, which states, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” In order for Saul to go to Abraham’s Bosom, his faith in the Lord must have remained intact, despite his sinful choices. This is why I believe we should be careful in judging definitively that a person is or is not saved based off their fruit or lack thereof. We can see the outward evidence that something is definitely wrong, and even question the authenticity of their conversion at times; however, the Lord is the only one who truly knows the heart.

After Samuel was done speaking, Saul fell down on the ground, and was dreadfully afraid. He had no strength, for he had not eaten anything all day and all night. When the woman saw how troubled he was, she offered him food, but he refused it. Then she and his servants together urged him to eat, and he agreed. She killed a fatted calf, made unleavened bread, and they all ate before they left on their way. You may ask, “if what Saul did was so wrong, why did he get a steak dinner out of it? The devil may offer a lot of nice perks in exchange for getting us to commit sin, but what he has to offer is only for this life. Even at that, his perks are temporary and fleeting. I’m sure that steak dinner was of little consolation to Saul who was just told he would die in battle at the hands of the Philistines the next day.

Reader, are you desperate to hear from the Lord, and He is not answering? It could be that it goes back to some previous sin that you have not dealt with. The Lord may allow you to be in dire straits, like He did with Saul, in order to humble you to a place where you will repent. Remember, the Lord’s hand is not short that He cannot save, nor is His ear heavy that He cannot hear, but it is your iniquities and sins that have separated you from him that He will not answer. If this is you or me, we have a choice in that moment: we can take advantage of that opportunity the Lord has so graciously given us, and we can be restored to fellowship with Him through repentance. Alternatively, we can be like Saul by turning away from the Lord to even worse sins. This was it for Saul: yes, he could have repented even after visiting the medium, but I don’t know if it would have changed his outcome as predicted by Samuel. Unfortunately, he will not repent, even at his death. If this is us, let us go back to those sins we know we have committed, and take them to Jesus who is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It is then that we can count on the Lord’s saving hand and listening ear. In the next chapter, we will see the scene shift back to the Philistines who are preparing for war, and how they will deal with David and his men.