James McNaught: January 2014

1 Samuel 14:47–52, “So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them. And he gathered an host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them. Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchishua: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal: And the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle. And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel. And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.”

After these convincing victories, Saul established himself as the anointed king of Israel. He knew the warnings that Samuel gave the people when they first asked for a king and claimed his rights. (1 Sam 8:11–18, “And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.”) Saul conscripted any likely looking man into his armies and went to war. He had previously had a victory against Nahash, the Ammonite, but now went over the Jordan River and invaded Ammon, he also invaded Edom, Zobah and the Philistines. He would come to regret the fact that he hadn’t finished the Philistines after the great victory that Jonathan inspired because he had to keep fighting them as they were Israel’s sworn enemies and extremely warlike. Saul was also married, as was required for a king who wanted to develop succession plans, in spite of the Lord’s promise. He had three sons and two daughters. His uncle was the senior commander of his armies but they had to battle with the Philistines all the time that Saul was king.

Shall Jonathan die?

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 14:36–46, “And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God. And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day. And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day. For, as the LORD liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him. Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee. Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped. And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken. Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die. And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan. And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not. Then Saul went up from following the Philistines: and the Philistines went to their own place.”

Israel had just achieved a convincing victory against the Philistines and Saul wanted to follow this up by attacking them in their homes and hiding places. This would make the victory complete rather than allowing the Philistines to regroup. Even though Saul knew that he had been rejected from fathering a dynasty of Israeli kings, he still wanted to ask the Lord for guidance. After his previous experience, Saul knew that he would have to consult the priest so he called the priest and asked him the question. “Should we follow the Philistines and complete our victory?” The Lord didn’t give an answer and Saul realised that there was some sin among his soldiers. He consulted the priest and decided to ask the Lord who had sinned. Using Urim and Thummim, as the Lord had commanded, Saul discovered the Jonathan was responsible for the sin. Jonathan explained that he had eaten food when Saul had placed a ban on eating during the battle. Saul decided that Jonathan should be executed for his sin but the people decided to prevent Saul from carrying out his sentence. After all, Jonathan was primarily responsible for the great victory they had won and to execute for his father’s foolishness didn’t make any sense. Jonathan was saved but Saul didn’t go and complete the task that Jonathan had started. The Philistines were allowed to go home, regroup and plan their revenge.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Cursed be the man that eateth

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 14:24–35, “And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food. And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the ground. And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath. But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened. Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day. And the people were faint. Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines? And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and the people were very faint. And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground: and the people did eat them with the blood. Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have transgressed: roll a great stone unto me this day. And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against the LORD in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there. And Saul built an altar unto the LORD: the same was the first altar that he built unto the LORD.”

Saul tried to take credit for the victory and told the Israeli soldiers that anyone who ate any food before the battle against his enemies was finished would be cursed. They had to fight all day without eating any food. The battle past through a small forest, where there were many hives and plenty of honey that was dropping onto the ground. Jonathan had started the battle and didn’t hear his father’s command so he took some of the honey and ate it. After this he was refreshed and lost his haggard, tired look. The other soldiers who were fighting with him told him about the curse. Jonathan remarked that his father had made a mistake. The soldiers needed to be able to eat and strengthen themselves so that they could finish the task and deliver a comprehensive victory. When the battle was finished they were so hungry that they slaughtered some of the stock they had captured without letting the blood run out onto the ground. They ate meat that still had the blood in it and disobeyed one of the Lord’s commandments. Someone told Saul they were disobeying the commandment so he told them to set up a proper place so that the meat could be killed in the proper manner so that the soldiers could eat their meat without the blood. After that Saul built an altar and to honour the Lord.

Jonathan was not there

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 14:16–23, “And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another. Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there. And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel. And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand. And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture. Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan. Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle. So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Bethaven.”

When the Philistine soldiers heard the noise of the battle they panicked and began to fight against each other as well. Saul’s soldiers looked across the valley and saw that the Philistine army was starting to melt away as some panicked and killed each other while others ran away. Saul counted his men and found that Jonathan and his armour bearer had gone. Saul told the priest to bring the ark. He still thought of the ark as some kind of talisman that should be taken into battle like the other nations would take their gods to battle with them. He was very much like the kings of the neighbouring nations. They realised that Israel was winning the battle so they joined the battle. There were some Israelis who had already surrendered to the Philistines but when they saw that the battle was going their way they began to fight as well. The people who had hidden away came as well andIsrael convincingly won the battle. This happened while the men in the Israeli army had no weapons of war.

Come up to us

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 14:1–15, “Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father. And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men; And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’S priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone. And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah. And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few. And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart. Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them. If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them. But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us. And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves. And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel. And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him. And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow. And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.”

Saul’s son, Jonathan had much better spiritual and emotional qualities for leadership than his father did. Saul was afraid and probably sulking a bit because Samuel had told him that the Lord would not establish a royal dynasty with his family. Saul, the priests and some royal guards were waiting a long way away from the Philistines while the Philistines were waiting to go into battle. Jonathan, on the other hand, went out with his armour bearer, or his batman, to see what was going on. The Philistines saw them coming and mocked them because most of the other Israelis were hiding in caves. Jonathan knew about the Lord and how He was able to bring bring victory by many or by few. He asked the Lord for a sign, if the Philistines called them to come up and fight then they would, if not they wouldn’t. Jonathan and Saul were to only Israelis with weapons but, because Jonathan was a royal prince, Jonathan’s batman went with him to carry his ceremonial weapons. Or so the Philistines thought. They called out to Jonathan to come up so that they could show him how to fight. Jonathan climbed up steep bank and they began to fight the Philistines. The rest of the Philistines couldn’t see what was happening but they could hear the noise of a battle and felt the ground tremble as though a great army was marching towards. Jonathan and his armour beard killed about twenty of the men who wanted to show them how to fight.

There was neither sword nor spear

1 Samuel 13:15–23, “And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men. And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual: And another company turned the way to Bethhoron: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears: But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found. And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.”

After Samuel had told Saul that he had disqualified himself from being the head of a lasting dynasty of Israeli kings, he went away to the south because he didn’t have anything more to say to Saul. Even though Saul had previously had an army of three thousand men, he discovered that he only had six hundred men left. The Philistine armies had come up into the highlands and were encamped to the north of Saul’s small army. The Philistines divided their army into three groups and came to attack Israel from three different directions. No army like to fight on more than one front if they have inferior numbers so this, strategically, was the best battle plan. The groups were coming towards Israel form the north, east and west. The situation was even worse because the Philistines had been oppressing Israel for some time and they had made sure that Israel had no one who could make or repair any kind of military weapon. The Philistines were heavily armed but the Israelis had not military weapons, apart from Saul and Jonathan. As the king and the prince they were allowed some weapons for ceremonial purposes. This was the situation when the Philistines headed out to fight against Israel.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

A burnt offering

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

1 Samuel 13:8–14, “And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.”

Before this time Saul had only fought battles with Samuel’s help. He arranged with Samuel to come and pray and offer sacrifices before they went to war, as he had done before. Samuel had promised that he would not stop praying for Israel as long as he was alive. Saul was afraid but waited until the time that Samuel had set. At the end of the seven days, when Samuel hadn’t arrived Saul was beginning to panic. He could see the huge army and imagine what they could do to his fast dwindling army. He became impatient and decided to offer the sacrifice to the Lord himself. In Israel kings were meant to be kings and priests were the only people qualified to offer sacrifices. Saul had not be anointed as a priest and he was not trained in the practice of sacrificial offerings. In spite of this, Saul offered the sacrifice to the Lord. This was actually a test for Saul. He was the best qualified man to be a king like the other nations but he wasn’t the Lord’s choice for king. When Saul failed his test and took matters into his own hands, Samuel arrived and asked him what he was doing. Saul tried to blame the people rather than accepting the responsibility for his actions. Samuel told Saul that he was a fool. A fool is simply someone who acts in a self destructive way and Saul had acted against the Lord’s commandments. If the king didn’t know how to obey the Lord then how could he lead the Lord’s people as they needed to obey the Lord’s commandments to maintain tenure of the Promised Land?Saul showed that he wasn’t spiritually qualified to lead the nation so Samuel told Saul that his dynasty would end with his death and his family would not sit on the throne of Israel. Anyone who wanted to be king of Israel had to be a man after the Lord’s own heart rather than someone who went his own way.

Three thousand men

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 13:1–7, “Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal. And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven. When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.”

Even though Saul was king and he had defeated Nahash in a big battle, Israel was still oppressed by the Philistines. They lived on the Plains by the Mediterranean Sea and there was an important pass coming up into the highlands near Jerusalem, which was still a Jebusite city. They would come up and down at will and take whatever they wanted from the Israelis. After two years as king, Saul decided that it was time to do something about the Philistines. He chose an army of three thousand men and divided them into three battalions. One battalion was in the north, one in the middle and the last in the south of Israel. Saul’s son, Jonathan, was in command of the battalion in the south. Jonathan was a courageous man and a great military leader. He took his battalion down to a Philistine city and won a comprehensive victory. This was an extremely provocative action. The Philistines mustered their armies to seek revenge against Israel. When Saul heard that they were mustering their armies he mustered his army at Gilgal. The Philistines had heavy armour in the form of battle chariots, cavalry and many battalions of infantry as well. Israel had to face this massive army with a much smaller army. When the Israeli soldiers looked at this huge army they were afraid and ran to hide themselves in caves and anywhere else they could find cover. Some of them even went over the Jordan to hide. Saul stayed in Gilgal with the remnant of his army and they were all afraid.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

A great storm

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

1 Samuel 12:16–25, “Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes. Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king. So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king. And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart; And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people. Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.”

Just to remind Israel of their tendency to abandon their contract with the Lord and the fact that they had asked for a king, Samuel promised to show them a great miracle. It was wheat harvest time and everyone knew that there would be no rain. Samuel promised them that the Lord would bring a great storm. This was to show Israel that the Lord is Almighty God and they were completely at His mercy even though He was willing to give them all the good things He could if they would obey Him. Before long the great storm came, unexpectedly, and everyone was suitable afraid. After all, it wasn’t that long since the Lord had helped them to defeat the Philistines with a great storm as well. They asked Samuel to pray that the Lord would be gentle and not destroy them. Samuel told them that they had nothing to fear as long as they remembered that they belonged to the Lord and would always obey Him. After all, the Lord is always consistent and will never break any contract that He has made.

I may reason with you

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 12:6–15, “And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers. When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place. And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. And they cried unto the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee. And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe. And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God was your king. Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you. If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God: But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.”

Samuel had called the people back to Gilgal to remake their contract with the Lord under the new king that they had chosen so that they could be like the neighbouring nations. However, the Samuel pointed out to Israel that the Lord had the right to tell them what to do because He brought them out of the land of slavery. He told the Israelis to wait for him while he reminded them of all the other good things that the Lord had done for them as well. In this context, when Samuel spoke about Jacob, he was referring to Jacob’s descendants, the nation of Israel, who had gone down to Egypt with Jacob when Joseph was Grand Vizier. After Joseph’s death, Jacob’s descendants were enslaved but the prayed to the Lord and He delivered them from that slavery. In spite of the fact that the Lord saved Israel, they forgot him and He gave them what they had chosen and they were occupied by other nations who served the gods that they chose instead of the Lord. Every time they sinned and the Lord gave them what they chose, they confessed their sinned and called out to the Lord and the Lord sent leaders to save them from their oppressors. Even though they now had a king to unite them as a nation, they were still obliged to obey the Lord and keep His commandments.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Though hast not defrauded us

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 12:1–5, “And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you. And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day. Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you. And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand. And he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.”

This must have been a hard moment for Samuel. He had been the faithful leader of Israel for many years, had obeyed God and taught the people to follow the Lord. At the end of his life the people came and asked him for a king. He felt rejected but the Lord told him that they weren’t rejecting him. He was an old man and had been serving in the Temple since he still just a young child. Never the less, he was able to stand before the people and ask them to say if he had done anything wrong all the days of his life. No one was able to point to any act of corruption or even an act of selfishness. They were all able to say that even the Lord wound’t be able to find fault with his behaviour as leader of Israel. This is a sobering thought. How many leaders today could stand before the people and ask if anyone could show even one act of selfishness all during the time of their leadership. Particularly if they had been a leader for decades? We cannot answer this question but each of us need to search our own hearts and see if we can say that before the Lord.

Not a man be put to death

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 11:12–15, “And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death. And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel. Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there. And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.”

When Saul was anointed as king there were some people in Israel who refused to accept him as king. After all, he was unknown in Israel and came from the smallest and most rebellious of the tribes. If this situation had been allowed to continue, Israel may well have fallen apart as a nation long before it actually did. However, the Lord intervened, as only He can, and ensured that there was a significant victory to unite the nation. There is always a sense of confidence and unity after a victory, whether it is in battle or in some kind of sport. The Israelis were on a “high” after defeating Nahash so convincingly when they came back. Some people remembered that there were unscrupulous people who had refused a acknowledge Saul as king and wanted to execute the rebels for treason. However, Saul was in a forgiving mood and refused to allow anything like this to happen. Samuel called the people to Gilgal, the famous place where Israel remade the covenant after they entered the Promised Land. (see Josh 5:9–10, “And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day. And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.”) This was another time for them to corporately acknowledge the Lord’s goodness to Israel and His grace in giving the a secure Land.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Bezek

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 11:5–11, “And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh. And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly. And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent. And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabeshgilead, To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and shewed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad. Therefore the men of Jabesh said, To morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you. And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.”

Saul was out in the fields with his herd when the messengers arrived so he was surprised to find his neighbours weeping. He wanted to know why everyone was so sad and they told him. Saul was very angry and knew that he had a responsible to do something because he was the anointed king of Israel. The Lord filled Saul with His Spirit so that he could complete the task ahead. Saul took some oxen, used for ploughing, and killed them and cut them up. Saul lived in a day of significant gestures and he thought that this would make the rest of the nation angry as well. He sent pieces of the oxen to all the towns in Israel and told them to come or face execution. The people all came together and mustered their army at a place close to Jabeshgilead. Saul also sent messengers back to Jabeshgilead telling them that he would come and rescue them. The people from Jabeshgilead told Nahash that he could come and remove their right eyes on the next day, at the time that Saul and his army of 300,300 men. Nahash came out to complete his threat but Saul, showing a good understanding of military tactics, divided his army into three groups and attacked the Ammonites. They were not prepared for a battle, just a time of cruel torture and Saul’s army soundly defeated them in the battle. Nahash’s army was completely destroyed.

Nahash

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 11:1–4, “Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee. And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel. And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days’ respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee. Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.”

As soon as the Lord made Saul Israel’s king, He also gave Saul a battle to fight so that Saul could establish himself as the military leader of the nation. In this case someone came from Ammon and threatened to insult Israel so grievously that their international reputation would be completely destroyed. The Ammonites were descended from Lot and the incestuous relationship that he had with one his daughters, after they had made him drunk. (see Gen 19:31–38, “And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.” These people lived on the eastern side of the River Jordan and south of the territory occupied by Manasseh. The went north to Jabeshgilead and threatened to destroy the city. The people from Jabeshgilead said they were willing to become vassals of the Ammonites rather than fight a battle. In order to insult the nation of Israel, Nahash, their leader said that he wanted to take every person’s right eye out. This was deeply offensive but the people in the city knew they couldn’t win a battle against the Ammonites. They asked Nahash to give them seen days to see if they could find anyone to help them. Nahash was supremely confident that he could defeat any army that Jabeshgilead could find so he told them that he would wait the seven days. After this, the people sent a message to Saul, the newly crowned king of Israel and asked him for help. The people who lived in Gibeah, Saul's home town, knew the significance of the threat so they wept for their brothers on the other side of the River Jordan.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

The children of Belial

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 10:17–27, “And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh; And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you: And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands. And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken. When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found. Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff. And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king. Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched. But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.”

Mizpeh was an important place in Israel. However, there were at least four Mizpehs (sometimes called Mizpah). Samuel called the people to this Mizpeh when the fought against the Philistines and also when important decisions were made. (1 Sam 7:5–12, 15-17, “And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD. And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh. And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines. And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines. And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the LORD: and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel; and the LORD heard him. And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel. And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Bethcar. Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us…And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places. And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the LORD.” They were faced with a significant moment in their history as Samuel was to reveal their king to them. Firstly, Samuel reminded Israel of why the Lord had the right to give them Laws, commandments and regulations. He was the One Who had brought them out of Egypt and given them the Promised Land. Next they used Urim and Thummim, these were part of the priestly accoutrements. They were two stoned that the Lord used to communicate with Israel. They were chosen from a hidden place and one of the stones meant “Yes!” while the other one meant “No!” By using this process, Saul was eventually singled out to the anointed king of Israel. When Samuel went to look for Saul, he couldn't be found but the Lord told Samuel that Saul was hiding among the baggage that the people had brought with them. When the people saw Saul most of them were excited because he was taller by a head than anyone else in Israel, at that time. He was surely a likely candidate for king, just like the kings of the nearby nations. However, some people were jealous that one of their clan hadn’t been chosen and acted churlishly.

The matter of the kingdom

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 10:9–16, “And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day. And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets? And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place. And Saul’s uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses: and when we saw that they were no where, we came to Samuel. And Saul’s uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you. And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.”

Samuel gave Saul some specific things to look for and Saul experienced everything that Samuel told him in the exact order. He met the prophets and joined them. In those days, there were prophets who went about speaking in ecstatic ways, that is, languages that people couldn’t understand, and Saul joined that group and spoke with them. On the other hand, Samuel, the prophet who brought the Lord’s message, spoke in the regular language of the day so that people could understand exactly what he said and was called a seer. Saul didn’t ever become a seer and needed Samuel to give him instructions from the Lord. Saul’s uncle found Saul and his servant and asked them where they had been. Saul only told his uncle about the experiences that his servant could confirm and said nothing about his secret meeting with Samuel. That was to be revealed at an appropriate time and place.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

A vial of oil

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 10:1–8, “Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance? When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel’s sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son? Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine: And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands. After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy: And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee. And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do.”

Even though Samuel knew that he was giving his job, one that he enjoyed, to another man, he obeyed the Lord and did as he was told. He anointed Saul to be king over Israel, culturally and spiritually this was a highly significant event and, later, it changed the course of David’s life. In order to confirm that this was from the Lord, Samuel told Saul what events would transpire in the immediate future. Samuel told Saul that he would meet two men at Rachel’s tomb, an important landmark, who would tell him that the donkeys had been found and his father was now concerned about him. Saul would then meet there men, one carrying kids, one carrying bread and the third carrying a bottle of wine. These men would give him some of the things they were carrying and then finally Saul would meet some prophets who and he would join them in prophesying. Remember that Samuel had not met Saul before that day and Saul didn’t even know who Samuel was so it would have been impossible to arrange all these things beforehand. However, everything that Samuel predicted happened. After that Saul was to go to Gilgal and wait for Samuel. Gilgal was a very important place because this is where the Israelis renewed their contract with the Lord after they entered the Promised Land. (Joshua 5:9, “And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.”) At that stage they no longer had any of the stain of their slavery in Egypt, where the Egyptians tried to commit genocide by killing all the baby boys. This was the place chosen where Israel would be introduced to their new king and become, for the first time in the history, a monarchy with the king of their own choice. (compare Deut 17:15, “Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.”) They would soon have their own king but not the king that the Lord had chosen.

The chiefest place

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 9:18–27, “Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer’s house is. And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart. And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father’s house? And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me? And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons. And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee. And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day. And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house. And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad. And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God.”

It is interesting to note, again, that Saul had no idea of who Samuel was. Samuel was the Judge of Israel but Saul hadn’t even heard of him, let alone know what he looked like. This is a sad commentary on the state of the nation at that time. We do know that Samuel followed a circuit from year to year and should have been well known and that Benjamin, as a tribe, didn’t want to be part of the structure of greater Israel so the fact that Saul didn’t know Samuel was more likely to be because Saul’t tribe tried to stay away from the rest of the nation. It is also important to remember that the people asked Samuel to give them a king like the nearby nations. These people selected their kings, or perhaps the kings selected themselves, on their size and their ability to lead the nation in battle. Saul was good looking and a big man so he was selected on the criteria used by the nearby nations like Israel had asked. When Saul asked Samuel about the seer, Samuel told Saul that he was the seer. As Samuel had been warned by the Lord of Saul’s arrival he was prepared to meet him. In fact, Samuel had already arranged a civic reception for Saul to attend and had selected the choicest cut of meat for him. Saul’s most pressing issue was the whereabouts of the donkeys so Samuel put his mind at ease and told him that the donkeys had been found. Saul was surprised at the attention given to him because he wasn’t from an important tribe or family so he was surprised. Never the less, he attended the civic reception where he was put in the place of honour. Later Samuel called Saul for a private meeting and told him to come alone, without his servant.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Is the seer here?

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 9:11–17, “And as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here? And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, he is before you: make haste now, for he came to day to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people to day in the high place: As soon as ye be come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that be bidden. Now therefore get you up; for about this time ye shall find him. And they went up into the city: and when they were come into the city, behold, Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the high place. Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying, To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me. And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.”

This passage has enough colour to let us know that it was written by an eyewitness to the events. We know that these records were compiled into a longer history much later but they compilers used original eyewitness accounts. This is true of the entire body of early Israeli history as we find in the Old Testament. Why would someone say that they they met some young women who were going to get water unless this was recorded by someone who what happened at the time? Saul and his servant asked the young woman if the seer was there. They told him that the seer, we find out that the seer is actually Samuel later in this eyewitness account. Perhaps Saul and his servant lived outside Samuel’s regular circuit and were unfamiliar with the fact that he was the Judge. The also belonged to the tribe of Benjamin who had a record of being rebellious. The girls told Saul that Samuel was going to perform a sacrifice on a local altar so they would have to hurry. We discover that this wasn’t a mere coincidence but that the Lord had moved the people in this historical episode as a person might move the pieces on a chess board. Samuel knew that these young men were coming and when they appeared on the scene the Lord confirmed to Samuel that this was the man who would save Israel from the Philistines. He was the man that Samuel was to anoint as king of Israel.

Lost donkeys

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1 Samuel 9:3–10, “And the asses of Kish Saul’s father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses. And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not. And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us. And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go. Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we? And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way. (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.) Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of God was.”

Having been introduced to Saul, a man who was very good looking but came from the smallest of all the tribes. The tribe of Benjamin had almost been completely destroyed after they defended their men who had followed Sodom’s sin but had just been saved so they were still rebuilding by the time Samuel was Judge of Israel. Moving from an introduction, we seem to head into the mundane. We read about a man who lost his donkeys and sent his son to find those donkeys. This gives us and idea of Saul’s importance in the scheme of things. His family had some status because they had servants but they didn’t have sufficient contacts to help them look for their lost donkeys. Benjamin’s land was next to Ephraim’s so Saul had to go away from his home territory and move into an area belonging to another tribe. They didn’t find the donkeys there so they kept looking but eventually Saul realised that they had been looking for the donkeys for quite a while so they should go home so that his father wouldn't worry about him rather than the donkeys. Saul’s servant knew that there was a man of God living nearby so they decided to ask this man if he knew anything about the donkeys. Saul knew that such people didn’t work for nothing, for the Law required that priests be paid for their work. The servant said that he had some money so they decided to give that to the man of God. They went up towards the place where the man of God lived.

Friday, January 17, 2014

There was not a goodlier person

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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1 Samuel 9:1–2, “Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.”

Samuel was praying to the Lord to give Israel a king. While this was happening we are introduced to a character who fitted all the physical characteristics that one would expect of a king. The king, in those days, would be expected to lead his armies into battle so who would be better than the tallest man in the Land? This man, Saul, was tall and good looking and, no doubt, would inspire the people and make them feel courageous under his leadership. Later, we see that the Lord chose another king, not because of his physical characteristics but because of his spiritual characteristics. (Compare 1 Sam 16:7, “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”) Whenever a person wants to lead the Lord’s people that person must be qualified in an emotional and spiritual way rather than physically or materially for bad leadership will always lead to the destruction of any group of the Lord’s followers. The group may continue and look prosperous but when judged by the behaviour according the Lord’s standards they may just be leading people away from the Lord.

Make us a king

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