28 Oct 13, We choose to walk with God, no one else chooses for us

1 Sam 17:55-58 (ESV) As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, "Abner, whose son is this youth?" And Abner said, "As your soul lives, O king, I do not know." 56 And the king said, "Inquire whose son the boy is." 57 And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" And David answered, "I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite."

NOTE: It could be that Saul only knew David as a musician, recommended by a servant. So, the question of parentage in a land where tribe mattered much would not be unusual. Saul saw the young man's courage and assumed, as many do today, that the courage was a result of his up-bringing or status in society. Saul always viewed things from the human perspective. It's not clear how far Saul dug into David's background or if he knew, at least at this stage, that David was only a shepherd. It is natural to view a person's background as an indication of his worth or ability. Although, I think it is becoming less and less an effective measure today. And, history has always shown counter-examples. What makes a person different is the person inside. Additionally, David's faith made him different as well. God was a priority in his life. He found contentment in his relationship and he enjoyed God. David was very different from everyone around him, and parentage would have little to do with his sold-out life to God. And yet we expect godly parents to produce godly adults. It happens and it doesn't happen, but it is not because of parentage. It is a choice that individuals make as free-will beings. When it comes to spirituality, we choose our course of life, not our parents.

QT 25 Oct 13, We have a part and God has a part

1 Sam 17:48-54 (ESV) When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.

50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 And the people of Israel came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. 54 And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.

NOTE: As Goliath starts to approach, David runs toward Goliath. He gave one hundred percent, everything that he had. He wasn't sitting or dawdling or doubting or changing his mind. He was all in. David was skilled too. He knew how to use a sling and his aim was good. But to hit a moving man in the forehead, well that almost seems lucky. Of course, God was with him, and in David's words, God was fighting the battle. So we have two things going on. David is trained. David chooses to fight within his training. David chooses to confront evil rather than sit on the sideline. David enters the battle fully, he does not slide in slowly, but he runs to meet the challenge. And most importantly, David trusts God for the results. We do have a responsibility to act and perform. And God has a responsibility to provide the results as he sees fit.

I have been trained for a battle. I have acted in an honorable way. I have done the best that I could. I now wait upon God for the results.

QT 24 Oct 13, Faith is believing God has your best interests at heart

1 Sam 17:41-47 (ESV) And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. 42 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 43 And the Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field." 45 Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand."

NOTE: The only thing they seem to agree about is that they are going to feed the birds and the wild beasts with the other's body. David's statement is different in other ways. Goliath focuses on himself, that he is a "dog" to send such a weak opponent. For David, it has nothing to do about himself. Goliath has defied God. And God is the one who will deliver Goliath into David's hand. The result, is that all the world will know that there is a God in Israel, and that God saves not with a sword or spear, but his is the entire battle. Those are strong words of faith. I don't know if I could say those things, but the covenants are also different. The Old Covenant does promise physical blessing, but the New Covenant promises spiritual blessing. Paul and Peter were crucified for their faith. I suppose that my response would be closer to Shadrach and his friends, "if God does or does not deliver, we will still do the right thing." I don't know the future. Nor am I promised that things will go the way I desire. Faith is believing that God cares about me, and knows my needs completely. How he acts is not for me to say. I can respond to the situation because I have faith that he cares even when I don't get what I want.

Is God trying to tell me something? Is what I want, not going to happen? Will I still have faith when I am let down? I would hope so. But I really hope that this is not the test of that character quality. Instead I hope the answer to my prayer is yes, because it seems in so many respects as the best possible thing for me in my life. And not just me, but for how God has been using me.

Faith is believing God has your best interests at heart. But can we believe when we don't get what we want?

QT 23 Oct 13, Prudent is good but prayerful is better

1 Sam 17:38-40 (ESV) Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, 39 and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, "I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them." So David put them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.

NOTE: It wasn't that the armor was too heavy for David, despite his youth and stature relative to Saul, but he wasn't used to the armor. It was untested and uncomfortable. Instead he went with what he was comfortable with and also he went defenseless. God was his defense, but he was not without some prudence. He was comfortable without the armor and he had his sling. He clearly would be much faster than the heavily armored Goliath. He could easily maintain a distance and sling rocks until he hit him in the right spot. It was a good strategy. But it is not clear that David was strategizing. He was righting a wrong, and that wrong was Goliath. I wonder if he had second thoughts. If so, he does not show it. He was a man of emotions and not beyond fear, as he would later run from Saul in fear of his life. But at this point, he was just doing the right thing and letting things fall as they would. Also, the spirit of God rested upon him mightily and so he probably had a peace that few would understand.

All of us struggle as we approach difficult crossroads in life. Prayer is our tool to approach those difficult times with the peace that comes from God. We can always be prudent, but even more important is to be prayerful.

QT 22 Oct 13, Don't be weighed down by the externals, focus on God

1 Sam 17:26, 31-37 (ESV) And David said to the men who stood by him, "What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" . . .

31 When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine." 33 And Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth." 34 But David said to Saul, "Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God." 37 And David said, "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and the Lord be with you!"

NOTE: This is still a story of perception. Everyone looks upon Goliath and measures themselves to him physically. David sees it differently. Goliath is defying the armies of the living God. David is genuinely angry. He sees it as reproach against Israel and against God. Saul sees David, a boy, probably around 17, and does not see the physical ability or training to stand up against Goliath, who has trained for war since youth. But David views Goliath no differently than a lion or bear which has taken a lamb. It is wrong and the wrong needs to be corrected. And even more importantly, if God who can deliver him from the lion and bear, God can surely deliver him from this Philistine. Surprisingly, Saul listens to the argument, and agrees with David. Clearly, David shows spark and vitality. And who knows what might happen? David seems to remind Saul of trust in God, and Saul blesses him. Does Saul remember him as the harpist? Possibly, since the men might not have brought David so quickly to Saul without some connection. On the other hand, the previous passage on David becoming Saul's armor bearer may have more to do with the big picture overview of Saul and David, and now we get into the details. In which case, this event may be the actual event that results in David becoming Saul's armor bearer.

The application is not to focus on the external things, but to look to God for solutions. He can do more than we can ever accomplish.

QT 21 Oct 13, The world sees the external, the believer can see so much more

1 Sam 17:3-11 (ESV) And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. 4 And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 5 He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.6 And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him. 8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us." 10 And the Philistine said, "I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together." 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

NOTE: "Saul and all Israel … were dismayed and greatly afraid." It makes sense. Goliath is nine feet nine with a bronze helmet, mail armor weighing  156 pounds. His legs are covered with bronze armor. His spear's head weighed eighteen pounds. He was either incredibly slow with a short range attack, or incredibly strong. The latter seems to fit with the story most closely. Everyone was frightened because everyone viewed the problem from the external, with the perspective of the world. And that would seem the prudent thing to do. But the real answer to a problem that is surmountable is to go to God. And if God has called you to tackle the monster, then go in faith. Stop looking at the externals and start looking at the unseen. Israel's fear paralyzed them. And none seem to consider that God is on their side (and in this case, he is really is on the side of the Israelites). Another danger, and equally as great, would be too ignore God because the enemy is small and weak. This was Saul's problem when Jonathan started a rout in the Philistine army. It was too obvious and so he decided he did not need to inquire of God after starting to inquire of God. In all things, we need to present our requests to God. Whether big or small, we need to make an integral part of our lifestyle, not an add-on or an afterthought. I have been guilty of both extremes. Going to God in the difficult times and forgetting God in the easy times. Lord forgive me for such arrogance and selfishness. I need you all the time.

QT 15 Oct 13, God's idea of leadership is different from man's idea

1 Sam 16:1-3, 10-13 (ESV) The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." 2 And Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me." And the Lord said, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.' 3 And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you."
. . .

10 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen these." 11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here." 12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, "Arise, anoint him, for this is he." 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

NOTE: Fascinating that Jesse does not even include all of his sons. It is as if he only had seven sons, and the eight son was just a servant. Later on, even the attitude of the sons toward David suggest some lesser respect. I could be, as some have suggested, that David was illegitimate. If that was true, and that is a big IF, it would make the story much more interesting. God chooses what the world rejects or sees lowly to be important. But without this side story, he is still the youngest and the shepherd, hardly the stock of kings. But in God's economy, that is exactly the leader he was looking for--someone who did not think too highly of himself, someone who served others, someone who knew how to shepherd, and (as we will find out later) someone who love God deeply. That is God's idea of the perfect leader. There is a lesson for us here. If I get this job that I hope to get, and if it leads to leadership opportunities, I want to imitate David. 1) I don't want to act as if I'm important (ever). Everyone is just as important as me, from lead analyst to secretary to vice president to janitor. We are all human beings. 2) I want to serve others as a servant-leader. I live not to be served but to serve. And I want to set that example. 3) I want to care for others under my authority. I want to know what is happening in their lives. I want to pray for them. I want to help them achieve their goals. 4) I want to continue to put a priority on my relationship with God. I want to always make my time with God and my prayer time and important part of my day.

QT 9 Oct 13, If all God's commands made sense, then we would have to be God

1 Sam 15:1-3, 7-12a, 15-16 (ESV) And Samuel said to Saul, "The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. 3 Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'"

. . .  7  And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. 9  But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.

10 The word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11  "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments." And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night. 12 And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning . . . 15 Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction." 16 Then Samuel said to Saul, "Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night." And he said to him, "Speak."

NOTE: It is another test. Previously, chapter 14 ends with success on every front as Saul subdues the enemies of Israel. At the height of his success, God tests him. Saul reverts to applying worldly wisdom over and above the commands of God. In other words, doesn't it make more sense to do this than what God commands? Surely, God would see the wisdom I have applied versus the folly of his command. Maybe, God did not understand. Maybe God did not know. As I write these sentences, we are so foolish when we use our understanding to trump a command of God. His wisdom and knowledge far exceeds our puny brains. The fact that we don't understand what seems to be foolishness on God's part does not condemn God, but rather us and the limitations of our knowledge and understanding. Of course it might not make sense, we are comparing the knowledge of the infinite God against the puny .05 cubic foot of the largest human brain. Of course, it does not make sense, logically it probably shouldn't. It is a whole lot like trying to explain quantum mechanics to a two year old. If it does make sense, then something is wrong.

Secondly, Samuel starts to rebuke Saul, and Saul takes it very poorly. Samuel interrupts the king and tells him to "stop!" repeating his justification for disobeying God's command. Saul obviously takes it wrong, because he is the king. So, to reaffirm his authority over God's authority (and more specifically Samuel), he gives Samuel permission to continue, "speak." As if God needs our approval to rebuke us. That is what power does to us. It subtly pushes above everything that we recognized as authority before. The rules don't apply to us, only to others. And that is wrong. Father, forgive me when I let the sin of pride think that I am better than some rule of some other person. Forgive me for my pride.

QT 7 Oct 13, Religion is NOT the answer

1 Sam 14:24-30 (NIV) And the men of Israel had been hard pressed that day, so Saul had laid an oath on the people, saying, "Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies." So none of the people had tasted food. 25 Now when all the people came to the forest, behold, there was honey on the ground. 26 And when the people entered the forest, behold, the honey was dropping, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath, so he put out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes became bright. 28 Then one of the people said, "Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, 'Cursed be the man who eats food this day.'" And the people were faint. 29 Then Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found. For now the defeat among the Philistines has not been great."

NOTE: The obvious question regarding so much of Saul's actions is "why?" First, we see the ark traveling with the HQ unit, and now Saul adds a curse, as if by making things harder, Saul can curry the favor of God. Saul is the example of the religious guy. He doesn't really believe, but he is superstitious enough to go through all the motions of religion. He brings along good luck charms. He seeks God only when he is completely unsure of the next move. He adds pains to appease spiritual authorities.

Additionally, Jonathan's reaction is somewhat surprising. He does not berate his Father, but he does respond critically "my father has troubled the land … the defeat among the Philistines has not be great." He clearly disagrees with the false spirituality of his Father. And in contrast, his life exhibits an unwavering  trust of God. He goes into battle alone on the basis of one small sign, absolutely convinced that God would give him victory. His small battle causes the rout of the entire Philistine army. No wonder he becomes close friends with David -- they have the same spirit -- an enthusiastic belief that God was incredible and enjoyable. They are infection in their spirit and I'm sure their spiritual fellowship encouraged both of them to walk more deeply with God.

God calls religion dead (Rev 3:1). Yet so many are fooled by it. Lord, wake us up from our stupor. Revive our hearts. Let us live wholly sold out to the Lord Jesus.

QT 3 Oct 13, Go to God in the good times, just as much as in the bad times

1 Sam 14:14-19 (ESV) And that first strike, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, killed about twenty men within as it were half a furrow's length in an acre of land. 15 And there was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and even the raiders trembled, the earth quaked, and it became a very great panic.

16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude was dispersing here and there.  17 Then Saul said to the people who were with him, "Count and see who has gone from us." And when they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. 18 So Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here." For the ark of God went at that time with the people of Israel.  19 Now while Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."

NOTE: This passage gives us an interesting insight into Saul. Unbeknown to him, his son and armor bearer start a rout in the camp of the Philistines. Saul, who is carrying the ark around with them (you would have thought they would have learned that was wrong), asks the priest for divine guidance. He is either hesitant, scared, or genuinely wants to know God's will. But as it is obvious that a rout is occurring, he backs off on his need for divine guidance. Now one could say, God has given him his answer, and so his reaction is appropriate. And seeking God is never to be faulted. But Saul's actions could also be viewed as very worldly. As long as things look bad, he turns to God, but when things look good, he doesn't need God any more.

We always need God. We should never make choices without his involvement. Prayer should be part of the natural fiber in our life. Even a simple prayer said right in the moment is worth it, because it acknowledges the Lord in all things. Saul only looks to God to fix things which are out of his control, like the people leaving because Samuel doesn't show. Saul needs to place his trust in God in the good times as well as the tough times.

QT 2 Oct 13, Waiting upon God is hard

1 Sam 13:7b-13a (ESV) Saul, however, was still at Gilgal, and all his troops were gripped with fear. 8 He waited seven days for the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel didn't come to Gilgal, and the troops were deserting him. 9 So Saul said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings." Then he offered the burnt offering.

10 Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. So Saul went out to greet him, 11 and Samuel asked, "What have you done?"

Saul answered, "When I saw that the troops were deserting me and you didn't come within the appointed days and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash, 12 I thought: The Philistines will now descend on me at Gilgal, and I haven't sought the Lord's favor. So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering."

13 Samuel said to Saul, "You have been foolish. You have not kept the command which the Lord your God gave you.

NOTE: At first blush, it might appear that Saul did what was right. The problem was that he did not wait the full seven days. He started the sacrifice while they were still within the seventh day. That is confirmed by Samuel's words "… you have not kept the command which the Lord your God gave you." Apparently, God used the opportunity to test Saul. Yes, it did look bleak; yes, the troops were deserting; yes; Samuel had still not arrived and it was the seventh day. It went to the limit because it was a test. Would Saul trust God even when things were falling apart all around him?

Saul was given a fairly specific instruction. Often, we are not given such specificity in our own walk with God. How long do we wait? What is prudent action versus getting your sticky fingers involved? What is trust and what is my role in making something happen? In my current job situation, it is easy to wonder and struggle with my role. I'm not sure what it means to "wait upon the Lord." It is frustrating. But it might also be a test in much the same way as God tested Saul. God give me strength to hang on and to see you work your perfect will.

QT 1 Oct 13, Teaching with prayer is life- and community-changing

1 Sam 12:19-25 (ESV) And all the people said to Samuel, "Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king." 20 And Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22  For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. 23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24  Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king."

NOTE: 1 Sam 12:23 has always been a favorite verse for me. But having studied Samuel again and realized that his circuit teaching helped to turn Israel around, I now see verse 23 in a different light. It wasn't just the teaching, but it was his unceasing prayer for the people combined with the teaching that made the difference. I think sometimes I see the key as good teaching and forget that just as important is the need to pray for the people I teach. In one way, it would be a sin to think that just good teaching can change hearts. There is a need for the work of the HS in the hearts of the hearers so that they don't deceive themselves by just filling up on knowledge without actually applying truth to their life. Teaching without prayer is marginally effective. Teaching without application is deceptive. Teaching with prayer is life- and community-changing.