5/27/2010
9:46:55 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: A
foolish vow
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 1
Sam. 14:24-35
Message
of the verses: “24 ¶ Now the men of Israel were hard-pressed on
that day, for Saul had put the people under oath, saying, "Cursed be the
man who eats food before evening, and until I have avenged myself on my
enemies." So none of the people tasted food. 25 All the people of the land entered the
forest, and there was honey on the ground. 26
When the people entered the forest, behold, there was a flow of honey;
but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard when his father
put the people under oath; therefore, he put out the end of the staff that was
in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and
his eyes brightened. 28 Then one of the
people said, "Your father strictly put the people under oath, saying,
’Cursed be the man who eats food today.’" And the people were weary.
29 Then Jonathan said, "My
father has troubled the land. See now, how my eyes have brightened because
I tasted a little of this honey. 30
"How much more, if only the people had eaten freely today of the
spoil of their enemies which they found! For now the slaughter among the
Philistines has not been great." 31
They struck among the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And
the people were very weary. 32 The
people rushed greedily upon the spoil, and took sheep and oxen and calves, and
slew them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood. 33 Then they told Saul, saying, "Behold,
the people are sinning against the LORD by eating with the blood." And he
said, "You have acted treacherously; roll a great stone to me today."
34 Saul said, "Disperse yourselves
among the people and say to them, ’Each one of you bring me his ox or his
sheep, and slaughter it here and eat; and do not sin against the LORD by eating
with the blood.’" So all the people that night brought each one his ox
with him and slaughtered it there. 35
And Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first altar that he
built to the LORD.”
Today’s SD begins the second main
point in chapter five of Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on the book of 1 Samuel. He entitles this section
“Foolish words bring trouble,” and this section covers verses 14-52 of chapter
fourteen of 1 Samuel. He begins this
second main section with these words, “The spiritual conditions of our hearts
are revealed not only by the actions we perform but also by the words we
speak,” He goes on to add this, “When
you read King Saul’s words recorded in Scripture, they often reveal a heart
controlled by pride, foolishness and deceit.
He would say foolish things just to impress people with his
‘spirituality,’ when in reality he was walking far from the Lord.” I will now begin the commentary on today’s
section “A foolish vow.
Jonathan sums up his father’s
actions concerning the foolish vow that he imposed on all of his soldiers when
he said, “29 Then Jonathan said, "My
father has troubled the land. See now, how my eyes have brightened because
I tasted a little of this honey.” It is
evident that Jonathan was a man of great spiritual insight and actions and it
is also evident that he knew that his father was not of great spiritual insight
and actions, for this vow that he forced on these men cost them a great victory
as Jonathan went on to say when speaking more about his father.
Later on when the sun went down and
a new day began, (as the Jewish day begins at sunset), the men were so hungry
that they began to eat meat with the blood in it which was against the Law of
the Lord. Saul then again tries to show
his spirituality by building an altar and offering the animals on it for a
fellowship offering so that the men could partake of some of these
offerings. This again was foolishness on
Saul’s heart. Ecc. 5:2 gives insight
into the words of Saul, “Don’t shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think.
Don’t be too quick to tell God what you think he wants to hear. God’s in
charge, not you—the less you speak, the better (Message).”
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: The older
that I get the more I want to guard my tongue as the Proverbs says, “When there
are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is
wise.” As I read about the words that
King Saul said along with the commentary that Dr. Wiersbe has I begin to
realize how foolish a man he really was.
There has always been a debate as to whether or not Saul was a believer,
and I guess that I can’t go against what my wonderful Pastor Jack Jacobs told
me that he was sure that Saul was a believer.
If this is true he is not one that I want to pattern my life after. The OT does not hid any of the sins that are
written in it, but the sins that were recorded there are for the learning of
those in the NT era in order to cause them to grow closer to the Lord so that
they do not commit them.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
1. “ When there are many words, transgression is
unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise. “
2. “Do not be rash with your mouth,
And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven
and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.”
5/27/2010
10:27:43 AM
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