What Must We Do for Revival? - If My People Humble Themselves

Second, the Lord says we need to humble ourselves.  The Lord says a lot about pride in the Scriptures.  Consider the following passages: “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2), “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18), and “…for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble” (1Peter 5:5).  First, pride can keep us from salvation.  If we cannot admit we are wrong, and have sinned against God, then we will not see our need for a Savior.  Perhaps maybe we can admit we are wrong, but we are too proud to profess faith in Jesus Christ for fear of what others may think.  However, Jesus said, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33) Pride can be a problem for the believer as well.  Pride says the principles found in the Scriptures do not apply to me.  We often make exceptions for ourselves, while holding others to a higher standard.  Pride says I’m a good person, and keeps me from receiving correction when it is based upon Biblical truth.  If you or I are proud we will have difficulty admitting when we are wrong, and the message of correction will be offensive to us.  Most importantly, it will keep us from receiving the Lord’s correction, and thereby will stunt our spiritual growth.  None of us enjoy being corrected, but it is a necessary part of life and of the Christian walk.  Proverbs says, “Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.” (Proverbs15:10) We all have pride to one degree or another, but a good measure of how much pride we have is how offended we become once we receive Biblical correction.  If we want to see revival, we need to humble ourselves before a great and mighty God, and remember that He is the potter who wants to shape us as the clay into His image.  Humbling ourselves is the first action required, because pride will prevent us from taking the next steps. 

The Righteous Judgment of God

Recently, I read the 50th Psalm, and it struck me as to the relevance that it has for us today. The world is rushing head-long into judgment, and it does not even know it. It pays no mind to its sins and to sin’s consequences, but believes things will simply continue on as they always have. Sadly, large segments of the Church are going right along with it under the guise of love and grace. So, let’s take a look at Psalm 50, and see what the Lord has to say about this.

The Psalm begins by stating, “The Mighty One, God the Lord,” and is a combination of the names of God. As one commentator put it, “The psalm begins with a majestic heaping together of the Divine names, as if a herald were proclaiming the style and titles of a mighty king at the opening of a solemn assize…. Each name has its own force of meaning. El speaks of God as mighty; Elohim, as the object of religious fear; Jehovah, as the self-existent and covenant God.” Interestingly enough, we also see a reference to the trinity here (Elohim meaning three or more). This triune God has called out to the earth from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same. He has called out to us through His creation that bears witness to His invisible attributes (Rom 1:18-20), He has called out to us through the law and the prophets, and He has also spoken to us in these last days by His Son, Jesus Christ Heb 1:1-2)

The Psalmist speaks of a future time when this Mighty King will rule from Jerusalem. Asaph likens this appearance to the Lord’s appearing on Mount Sinai, as we see God speaking and a devouring fire going before Him. He is coming in judgment, not of the world in this context, but first of His own people. He states, “Gather My saints together to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” The Lord Himself is judge, and the Heavens declare His righteousness. Contextually, the Jewish people are in view here, but the principles taught can also be applied to the Church. Peter applies this principle to the Church as he states, “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Pe 4:17) So, if God, the mighty King, is coming in judgment, what type of people ought we to be?

The first call is to the carnal believer. The Lord says, “Hear, O My people, and I will speak, o Israel, and I will testify against you; I am God, your God! I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are continually before Me. I will not take a bull from your house, nor goats out of your folds. For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all its fullness. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” God is speaking to us, and He wants us to hear. He wants to testify against us, and He wants us to take heed to what He says. He is our God, so He has a right to do so. He ultimately is not interested in our sacrifice. He doesn’t need our money, our time, or our gifts, for the earth is His and everything in it. He has an endless supply of resources available to him; in fact, He is the endless supply of everything we need. It’s not that these things don’t have their place, because they do. However, it doesn’t compare to a life of grateful obedience to the Lord. Our lives should be lived with thanksgiving to Him for what He has done for us, and we in turn should naturally want to obey Him. He wants us to call upon Him when we are in trouble so that He can deliver us, and we can glorify Him. In David’s prayer of repentance, He stated, “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; you do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise.” (Psa 51:16-17)

The Lord’s next call is to the wicked. These are not the wicked outside the Church, but those inside it. These are professing believers, but their conduct proves them to be otherwise. these even seem to be the religious leaders or those who have a platform to influence others. The Lord says of them: “What right have you to declare My statutes, or take My covenant in your mouth, seeing you hate instruction and cast My words behind you? When you saw a thief, you consented with him, and have been a partaker with adulterers. You give your mouth to evil, and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son. These things you have done, and I kept silent; you thought that I was altogether like you; but I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes. “Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.” These individuals take up the Scriptures, but they do so in vain. Rather than conforming their lives to them, they twist the Scriptures to fulfil their own lusts. They have no right to declare the word of God, for, truthfully, they hate what it says and have cast it behind them. As a result, they have openly embraced and promoted sin. They not only practice it themselves, but take pleasure in those who do. They steal, commit sexual immorality, speak evil, lie, and slander others. On the day of judgment, the Lord will rebuke them and lay out their sins before them.

You may ask, is this a fair assessment of the Church today? Although certainly not across the board, in many instances in our nation and around the world it is. Prior to reading this Psalm, I listened to a couple segments of interviews of the lead singer of Jars of Clay, Dan Haseltine, and what he had to say was quite concerning. In one segment, he was being interviewed by Semler, a professing believer who identifies as queer. He proceeded to apologize to her for people’s disapproval of her sinful choices, and stated how there are many in the Christian music industry who agree with him but are afraid to make it known for fear of backlash. Haseltine has made some other concerning comments over the years: "I don't think scripture 'clearly' states much of anything regarding morality," "I don't particularly care about Scriptures stance on what is 'wrong.' I care more about how it says we should treat people." And, "Just curious what 'condoning a persons [sic] homosexuality' does. Does it change you? Does it hurt someone? What is behind the conviction?” As we can see, his weak stance on the Scriptures makes possible his condoning of sin.

I know some of this is old news, but this is relevant because Haseltine is also involved with “The Chosen,” a TV series depicting the life and ministry of Jesus. As some of you may know, Dallas Jenkins has had his own problems with this topic. In addition, Dan and Katie Haseltine are involved in contemplative prayer and the New Age (see here). Come to find out, the Jenkinses have had a close relationship with the Haseltines over the years, and they have endorsed Katie’s book on contemplative prayer. Like many, I was excited and intrigued by “the Chosen” when it first came out, but as time went on, more and more things kept coming to the surface that were concerning. In commenting on the series, Dan Haseltine remarked how he appreciated its depicting Jesus as having human flaws to make him more relatable. Haseltine’s words are blasphemous, folks! He has misinterpreted God’s silence as His approval, and made the mistake of thinking that God is like him. It should come as no surprise though when he is into contemplative prayer and finding that inner authority that transcends external authorities such as the Scriptures.

Haseltine’s comments on the Christian Music industry made me curious what Christian bands aligned with his views. After researching, I discovered some big names with beliefs that ranged from ambiguous to stating outright that they weren’t sure. When Lauren Daigle was asked if she thought homosexuality was a sin, she said, “I can’t honestly answer on that. In a sense, I have too many people that I love that they are homosexual. I don’t know. I actually had a conversation with someone last night about it. I can’t say one way or the other. I’m not God.” Bart Millard, the leader of the band Mercy Me, said the following about same-sex marriage, “People have asked me ‘What do you think of gay marriage?’ I wish there was a loophole that says it was okay because that would make life easier for all of us, but I can’t find it. I try not to go there because that shuts the door so fast to having the ability to show grace.” Both Lauren and Bart, at least at the time, were at the very least, fearful to say what they really believe, or they were confused. If the latter is true, they simply need to read their Bibles for what the Lord says about sin and grace. God is clear in His word on what is sin, and making any sin okay or hoping to find a loophole never makes life easier. Sin always brings destruction and death, and that’s precisely why God in His love says, “No.” Earlier I mentioned Semler. She is a professing Christian, musician and song writer, and she identifies as queer. She has been “married” to another woman and subsequently divorced, and prefers the pronoun “they.” She has climbed to number 1 on the Christian music charts on streaming platforms like iTunes and Spotify. According to her, she has even been given the green light to get air time on K-Love, a popular Christian radio station. This is confusion, Folks! She is confused on who God is and what it means to be a Christian. Quite honestly, if she thinks she is a “they,” she may need to have a demon cast out of her.

It is sad that the Christian entertainment world that could once be trusted to give us wholesome entertainment can no longer be trusted. It is also sad that some very talented musicians have given themselves over to sin. For example, Jennifer Knapp produced some solid songs back in the day. Looking back though, you can hear her struggles in some of her lyrics. Unfortunately, she has now given up the struggle and has embraced the homosexual lifestyle. To be clear, I’m not talking about people who get caught up in a particular sin and are later repentant, but those who are promoting it as good and giving a platform to others to do the same. I know there are still godly artists and entertainers out there, but it’s easy to see that the wheels are beginning to fall off the Christian entertainment industry. Many who don’t agree with sin don’t want to say anything, so the only voices left are the ones riding the fence or outright promoting it. I don’t say these things to slander anyone, but to sound a warning about what is going on in hopes that it will prevent people from being deceived and mislead by their lies. My prayer is that these individuals will get saved and repent from these false teachings. Until they do however, the best thing I believe we can do as it relates to their content is turn it off. Money speaks, and the more we pay for and share their material, the more it tells them to keep on producing. Also, we run the risk of desensitizing ourselves and others to the sins they are promoting, as well as opening ourselves up to the same demonic deception.

Are these individuals and others like them carnal believers or the wicked among the people of God? My guess is that there are both, but the Lord knows. All I can say is that the unrighteous (those who practice sin) will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Co 6:9-10), and that we are not to be deceived, for the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience (Eph 5:5-7). According to Asaph, God says He is going to tear them in pieces. I think words fail to describe how terrible that day will be. It is a day we don’t want to be found on the wrong side. We should not mistake God’s silence for His approval of our behavior, for His silence means His mercy. It is His time granted to us that we can repent and get right with Him. In this we should be thankful for His silence, for He is not willing that any should perish, but that all come to repentance.

Reader where are you today? Are you not saved? It does not matter what church you go to or what other good deeds or religious rituals you perform, you are still counted among the wicked. On the day of judgment, God will rebuke you and lay out your sins before you. The good news is, you don’t have to stay in that camp. You can switch sides. God loves us enough that He has provided a way out, and that way is putting your faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ for eternal life. Bow your knee to Him and confess Him as your Lord today.

Are you a carnal believer? The Corinthians were carnal, but Paul still called them brethren. Sometimes, we lose sight of what the Lord has done for us. We think that because we give to the Church, serve on the worship team, or help out with the Sunday school class that we’re okay. Our good deeds and religious rituals have a funny way of making us feel okay about what we are doing, but they only mask the sins that are beneath. The rest of the week we’re living in a way we ought not, saying and doing things we know we shouldn’t. If this is you or me, the Lord is speaking to us through this Psalm to get right with Him. The Lord may allow us to be in a place of trouble until repentance becomes more desirable to us. It is the Good Shepherd’s way of correcting a wandering sheep (Psa 51:8). If we find ourselves in this camp (and all of us do at times), we need to offer a true offering of thanksgiving to the Lord for what He has done for us, and out of this attitude of gratefulness, repent and make obedience to the word of God more of a priority in our lives. One of the evidences of a true believer is that sin bothers them. As I stated previously, the Corinthians were carnal, but they repented after reading Paul’s letters. Jesus is coming soon, and we want to be ready (1 Jn 3:1-3). We love the Lord because He first loved us, and we want to be like Him. The Psalmist ends by saying, “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.” True worshipers of God do so  in spirit and truth, walk in obedience to the Word, and will receive the salvation of God.

If My People

First the Lord says “if my people, which are called by my name.”  Who are the Lord’s people?  They are not those liberal politicians, university professors, those in Hollywood, or the drug dealer on the street.  Those individuals do need to repent, but that is not who the Lord is referring to in this passage.  In Solomon’s day it was the Children of Israel, in our day it is the Church (both Jew and Gentile).  The apostle Paul stated in Romans 11 that the Gentiles, as the wild branches, have been grafted into the olive tree.  They are those who profess faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior for the forgiveness of sins.  It is not enough just to believe in God, for even the demons believe in God and tremble (James 2:19).  We must believe on Him.  This means to put our complete reliance and trust in Him and what He did by shedding His blood on the cross for our sins. If you are reading this today, and you have not chosen to place your faith in the Lord Jesus, you have no basis for which to call yourself a Christian, nor can you expect to benefit from the promises and blessings found in His Word.  The Scriptures say, “Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2) Choose this day to place your faith in the Lord Jesus and receive eternal life.  So we can see then that the Lord’s people who are called by His name are those who are born again by faith in Jesus Christ.  The Lord addresses His people first, because judgment must first start at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17). As believers, we are not under the Old Covenant, but I believe these principles carry forward into the New Testament and thereby can be applied to us. 

What Must We Do for Revival?

When we take a look at what is going on today in the world, in our country, and even in the Church, we do not have to look far to see that we are in a sad state. Sexual immorality, violent crimes, and almost every evil imaginable are being promoted as good. Our governments are out of control and seem bent on taking away our freedoms that have been fought so hard for. This begs the question, what should be our response to this as believers? As with all important questions in life, the answer is found in the Scriptures.

After Solomon had dedicated the temple in Jerusalem, the Lord appeared to him in a dream. He told Solomon that if His people had turned away from Him, and as a result were experiencing national discipline, the Lord would offer them a means of escape. He said to Solomon, “If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14) Let’s go ahead and examine this passage a bit closer.

The Lord says “If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people.” This very passage is proof that the Lord does use weather, natural disasters, and pestilence as a means of discipline for a nation if they are going astray. I think it is interesting that people today attribute strange weather to global warming or Mother Nature, but the Scriptures are full of examples of the Lord using weather and other natural disasters to accomplish His will. In the days of King David, there was a famine in the land because of King Saul. Saul had killed the Gibeonites whom the children of Israel had made a peace treaty with in the days of Joshua. Proper justice had not been executed, and the Lord brought the famine on the land for three years until the house of Saul had been properly dealt with. (2 Samuel 21:1-21) For the wicked king Ahab and his wife Jezebel, the Lord withheld rain for three and a half years from the land of Israel for their leading the entire nation into idolatry in the worship of Baal  (1Kings 18). The Lord sent rain after Elijah had executed all the prophets of Baal. While we cannot attribute every natural disaster or trial in life to the Lord’s discipline, we can see that the Lord does use these things at times to get our attention.  I have often wondered if these massive tornados and hurricanes that have hit the United States, or the horrible fires that have swept through the Northwest in the last several summers are the Lord trying to get our attention (see Joel 1:19-20). Even COVID-19 is a pestilence, and the  Lord, for some reason, allowed it to escape out of the lab in Wuhan.  To explain all these things away to climate change, Mother Nature, or coincidence is an indication of the hardness of our own hearts to spiritual things.  Unfortunately our human nature is far too prone to straying into sin, and it is through these types of things the Lord uses to awaken us out of our slumber.  We get so wrapped up in what we are doing, and we need to be sobered up a bit.  These things may be a warning signal that we are going astray, and that we are about to head into certain peril if we do not change course.  The good news is that the Lord’s discipline is always remedial in nature.  His goal is to provide temporary pain on a smaller scale in order to avoid far more serious consequences in the future.  Much like the child who insists on playing in the street, his loving parents will discipline him to prevent him from becoming seriously injured or worse.  It is in these times of trials that, if we are wise, we will cry out to the Lord and ask Him to search our hearts.  The Lord then lays out the conditions for which he would bring revival to His people (if we do, then He will respond). 

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.