1-Samuel 13
Waiting Wisely
Saul is now recognized as a king throughout the whole land of Israel. In this chapter we know he is much older because he now has a son who is old enough to have military leadership position.
Israel's main enemy is still the Philistines. They have almost total control of Israel, they control their goods and production. Philistines had all the blacksmiths so Israel have no weapons, only Saul and Jonathan had weapons. Israelites would go to Philistines to get or sharpen an axe or a sickles or any thing metal.
Jonathan and Saul were trying to defeat Philistines.
"Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land saying, "Let the Hebrews hear." (verse 3)
Philistines gathered their army and they had 30,000 troops and 30,000 chariots to go against Israel. Saul's army was significantly smaller, even after Jonathan and his army came along.
"When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, and some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan...Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling." (verses 6-7)
Before any battle people of Israel had to ask God weather or not God would provide victory and if they should go into battle. Before Saul we see judges who obeyed this commandment and had many victories and others who ignored it which resulted in Israelites surfing devastated losses.
Samuel was the priest who had the authority to bring the sacrifice and ask God weather or not Saul should go into battle with Philistines.
Samuel appointed for Saul to wait for seven days, and then Samuel would come and bring the sacrifice and pray to God.
"He[Saul] waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him." (verse 8)
Saul didn't want to go into the battle without the sacrifice so he decide to do it himself. And he did, and when he was done, Samuel comes and says "What have you done?" Saul explains himself, saying "When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.' So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering." (verses 11-12)
Samuel answered "You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue." (verse 13-14)
From there Saul and his people (600 men) went out to meet the army and Samuel went to Gilgal.
Today...
What can we take away from this chapter for ourselves that we can use today?
I want to focus on waiting. Saul was waiting on Samuel. Saul saw how his army was fleeing, how Philistines only got closer and closer, and he saw no other choice but to bring the sacrifice himself. When Samuel arrived Saul was already done with the sacrifice and with that ended his God chosen kingship.
It seems like Saul panicked and what God said seemed not important anymore to Saul.
Waiting is sometimes the hardest thing to do. Right now we're waiting on the second coming of Jesus Christ when He will come and judge the world and take those that are His with Him. While we wait we are called to be spiritually alert and awake.
Sadly many, many Christians today have used this time of God's grace to relax and have put their guards down.
We know that Satan is being described as a hungry lion who is searching for some food, and his food is only the true followers of Christ, because Satan already has the rest of the world under his control, he doesn't worry about them, his main goal is to get the followers of Christ on to his side "eat them". And sadly today there are some people who think and even believe that they are following God, but really they are doing Satan's work for him.
It is important not only to know this but also to constantly check our own lives and actions, and see by our fruits which side are we on, God's or Devil's? Do our words bring encouragement, advice and honesty or destruction and arguments? What fills our minds? Thoughts about how miserable our life is, and why this happen and why that happen, or are we thankful for things that we have, and pray about those around us?
This time of waiting is meant to be used wisely, not to sit around and literally just wait for God to come, not doing anything.
We know a parable of the master who gave his servants talents(money) and went away for a while. We know that two of them brought profit and were rewarded for it and one of them just kept what the master has given him, and did nothing with it. Master ordered to throw that last servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Talking an example from the first two servants we should strive to bring something to God with what He has given us. Some of us have the talent of singing and we should use that to spread the word about God. Some of us have the talent of teaching, and we should use that to reach people who are lost in their lives and bring them into the light and introduce them to Truth...people are so different and so diverse we have different things that God has given us, with which we should strive to bring as much people to God as possible.
It's our responsibility to show and share and theirs to either reject or receive.
Let's use this time of waiting wisely only then we will be sure that we will be ready when God comes.
Saul is now recognized as a king throughout the whole land of Israel. In this chapter we know he is much older because he now has a son who is old enough to have military leadership position.
Israel's main enemy is still the Philistines. They have almost total control of Israel, they control their goods and production. Philistines had all the blacksmiths so Israel have no weapons, only Saul and Jonathan had weapons. Israelites would go to Philistines to get or sharpen an axe or a sickles or any thing metal.
Jonathan and Saul were trying to defeat Philistines.
"Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land saying, "Let the Hebrews hear." (verse 3)
Philistines gathered their army and they had 30,000 troops and 30,000 chariots to go against Israel. Saul's army was significantly smaller, even after Jonathan and his army came along.
"When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, and some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan...Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling." (verses 6-7)
Before any battle people of Israel had to ask God weather or not God would provide victory and if they should go into battle. Before Saul we see judges who obeyed this commandment and had many victories and others who ignored it which resulted in Israelites surfing devastated losses.
Samuel was the priest who had the authority to bring the sacrifice and ask God weather or not Saul should go into battle with Philistines.
Samuel appointed for Saul to wait for seven days, and then Samuel would come and bring the sacrifice and pray to God.
"He[Saul] waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him." (verse 8)
Saul didn't want to go into the battle without the sacrifice so he decide to do it himself. And he did, and when he was done, Samuel comes and says "What have you done?" Saul explains himself, saying "When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.' So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering." (verses 11-12)
Samuel answered "You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue." (verse 13-14)
From there Saul and his people (600 men) went out to meet the army and Samuel went to Gilgal.
Today...
What can we take away from this chapter for ourselves that we can use today?
I want to focus on waiting. Saul was waiting on Samuel. Saul saw how his army was fleeing, how Philistines only got closer and closer, and he saw no other choice but to bring the sacrifice himself. When Samuel arrived Saul was already done with the sacrifice and with that ended his God chosen kingship.
It seems like Saul panicked and what God said seemed not important anymore to Saul.
Waiting is sometimes the hardest thing to do. Right now we're waiting on the second coming of Jesus Christ when He will come and judge the world and take those that are His with Him. While we wait we are called to be spiritually alert and awake.
Sadly many, many Christians today have used this time of God's grace to relax and have put their guards down.
We know that Satan is being described as a hungry lion who is searching for some food, and his food is only the true followers of Christ, because Satan already has the rest of the world under his control, he doesn't worry about them, his main goal is to get the followers of Christ on to his side "eat them". And sadly today there are some people who think and even believe that they are following God, but really they are doing Satan's work for him.
It is important not only to know this but also to constantly check our own lives and actions, and see by our fruits which side are we on, God's or Devil's? Do our words bring encouragement, advice and honesty or destruction and arguments? What fills our minds? Thoughts about how miserable our life is, and why this happen and why that happen, or are we thankful for things that we have, and pray about those around us?
This time of waiting is meant to be used wisely, not to sit around and literally just wait for God to come, not doing anything.
We know a parable of the master who gave his servants talents(money) and went away for a while. We know that two of them brought profit and were rewarded for it and one of them just kept what the master has given him, and did nothing with it. Master ordered to throw that last servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Talking an example from the first two servants we should strive to bring something to God with what He has given us. Some of us have the talent of singing and we should use that to spread the word about God. Some of us have the talent of teaching, and we should use that to reach people who are lost in their lives and bring them into the light and introduce them to Truth...people are so different and so diverse we have different things that God has given us, with which we should strive to bring as much people to God as possible.
It's our responsibility to show and share and theirs to either reject or receive.
Let's use this time of waiting wisely only then we will be sure that we will be ready when God comes.
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