The Conquest (1 Samuel 11:4-15)

5/14/2010 9:48 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  The conquest

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  1Samuel 11:4-15

 

            Message of the verses:  “4  Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and spoke these words in the hearing of the people, and all the people lifted up their voices and wept.

    “5 ¶  Now behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen, and he said, "What is the matter with the people that they weep?" So they related to him the words of the men of Jabesh. 6  Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul mightily when he heard these words, and he became very angry. 7  He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, "Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen." Then the dread of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out as one man. 8  He numbered them in Bezek; and the sons of Israel were 300,000, and the men of Judah 30,000. 9  They said to the messengers who had come, "Thus you shall say to the men of Jabesh-gilead, ’Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will have deliverance.’" So the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad. 10  Then the men of Jabesh said, "Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you." 11  The next morning Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp at the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.”

            “12 ¶  Then the people said to Samuel, "Who is he that said, ’Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death." 13  But Saul said, "Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has accomplished deliverance in Israel." 14  Then Samuel said to the people, "Come and let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there." 15  So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. There they also offered sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.”

            In this section the best of Saul is seen, but it won’t be long in the study of his life that he will fail a much simpler test and he will loose his kingdom.  Saul was a man of many emotions, which would get him in trouble all throughout his career as king of Israel, and it will eventually cause his death. 

            In this section while Saul is back on his farm the people of Jabesh came to tell him their problem and the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul in a way that he became very angry over what was being done in the nation of Israel and so he took actions in order to bring together an army of 330,000 men who would come upon the Ammonites and surprise them in a daring night time raid and kill many of them to ensure the victory for Israel.  After this there was a great revival in Israel and they all went to Gilgal and make Saul king over Israel.  Even though this had already been done this was like a coronation for Saul, and it was a great revival for the nation.

            There are a couple of quotes that come from Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary about this section that I wish to use.  “The will of God will never lead us where the grace of God can’t keep us and use us.”  There is one more quote from this section:  “Saul passed his first test, but it wouldn’t be long before he would fail in a much simpler test and loose his kingdom.  Saintly Andrew Bonar used to say, ‘We must be as watchful after the victory as before the battle.’  Saul won his first battle, but he would lose the victory.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  In this section Saul has the Spirit come upon him in order to give him understanding to see what harm was being done to Israel, and he became very angry over the injustice and sin that was about to come upon some of the children of Israel.  I wish that this kind of working of the Spirit would happen to me and would happen to all of the Church in America in order to bring a great revival upon this nation that will bring much honor and glory to the Lord.

            One of the things that I wish to do is to go on a Daniel fast for twenty-one days in order to seek the Lord as to what He wants done in my life as far as where I am to live, and where I am to work, and where I am to worship.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. Trust the Lord with all of my heart and lean not upon my own understanding, in all of my ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct my path.

 

5/14/2010 10:24 AM