David A man after God's own heart

Good morning and Happy Sabbath!

I hate that I can't be there again this week, but NEXT week I'm back in my church with each of you and I can't wait.  I thoroughly enjoy traveling around and visiting other churches but without fail it highlights the gift I have in being part of the family at UCSDA that includes each of you! I MISS YOU!

So the question of the day: How has your church family enriched your life?

I get to go too! No matter where I am, no matter how crazy my life is, I KNOW that there is a small army of "family" that love and support me and most importantly are praying for me and that, THAT brings such joy!   Last night after vbs at the Sharon Church, Mark W., Tank, Robert and Summer showed up to pack up all the VBS decorations. Seeing them brought tears to my eyes, which I tried to hide...(didn't want to look like a sap!) I don't know how to explain it other than to say, I was that much closer to home! There was joy, strength, gratefulness, fun, laughter, and a connection I was desperately missing! No matter where your home church is, I hope it brings you comfort, joy, safety, understanding, and support.  I hope it is a place you can grow, fall down, be picked up, laugh, and most importantly see and experience Jesus. Happy Sabbath! (My reaction to seeing the guys and Summer last night is no reflection on Sharon, to have a positive reaction to my family doesn't mean anything negative about the location I was at.... I just needed my family!

As you pray today, will you remember the recruiting team and me!  I'm sick, tired, and facing a very long day.  I need your backing of prayers today! Thanks.


OK to the lesson.  Today, well today is perhaps one of my least favorite chapters ever.  I am not a girl who has ever enjoyed any kind of gore.  It is just not my thing.  I don't like scary movies or movies that have any kind of gore. I hate it.  So this chapter is a challenge.  But here we go.

READ:  1 Samuel 31

Saul Takes His Life

31 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. 3 The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.

4 Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through,or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.”

But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. 5 When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. 6 So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.

7 When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.

8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people. 10 They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.

11 When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all their valiant men marched through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them. 13 Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.

Before we get started discussing this I would like for us to read about this in Patriarchs and Prophets. 

Before the break of day he returned with his attendants to the camp of Israel to make ready for the conflict. By consulting that spirit of darkness Saul had destroyed himself. Oppressed by the horror of despair, it would be impossible for him to inspire his army with courage. Separated from the Source of strength, he could not lead the minds of Israel to look to God as their helper. Thus the prediction of evil would work its own accomplishment.

On the plain of Shunem and the slopes of Mount Gilboa the armies of Israel and the hosts of the Philistines closed in mortal combat. Though the fearful scene in the cave of Endor had driven all hope from his heart, Saul fought with desperate valor for his throne and his kingdom. But it was in vain. "The men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in Mount Gilboa." Three brave sons of the king died at his side. The archers pressed upon Saul. He had seen his soldiers falling around him and his princely sons cut down by the sword. Himself wounded, he could neither fight not fly. Escape was impossible, and determined not to be taken alive by the Philistines, he bade his armor-bearer, "Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith." When the man refused to lift his hand against the Lord's anointed, Saul took his own life by falling upon his sword.

Thus the first king of Israel perished, with the guilt of self-murder upon his soul. His life had been a failure, and he went down in dishonor and despair, because he had set up his own perverse will against the will of God.

The tidings of defeat spread far and wide, carrying terror to all Israel. The people fled from the cities, and the Philistines took undisturbed possession. Saul's reign, independent of God, had well-nigh proved the ruin of his people.

On the day following the engagement, the Philistines, searching the battlefield to rob the slain, discovered the bodies of Saul and his three sons. To complete their triumph, they cut off the head of Saul and stripped him of his armor; then the head and the armor, reeking with blood, were sent to the country of the Philistines as a trophy of victory, "to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people." The armor was finally put in "the house of Ashtaroth," while the head was fastened in the temple of Dagon. Thus the glory of the victory was ascribed to the power of these false gods, and the name of Jehovah was dishonored.

The dead bodies of Saul and his sons were dragged to Beth-shan, a city not far from Gilboa, and near the river Jordan. Here they were hung up in chains, to be devoured by birds of prey. But the brave men of Jabesh-gilead, remembering Saul's deliverance of their city in his earlier and happier years, now manifested their gratitude by rescuing the bodies of the king and princes, and giving them honorable burial. Crossing the Jordan by night, they "took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there, And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days." Thus the noble deed performed forty years before, secured for Saul and his sons burial by tender and pitying hands in that dark hour of defeat and dishonor.

I think it is important to take a moment to review Saul.  

What kind of man was he?
How was he chosen?
What happened to him?
What about his sons?
What kind of men were they?
What lead to the destruction of Saul?
We can't say it was just his actions, because if you look at David, he messed up big time over and over again.

Yesterday we (the recruiting team) was having worship and the idea of our sin affecting whether or not Christ lives in us came up.

We are all sinful. Right?
So what is the difference between Saul and David?
What can make a difference in our lives?

It isn't trying to live a sinless life!
Don't misunderstand me.
As Christ does a work in my life and heart, living for Him, living by his commands is a result, a relational work.

The big difference is a yearning need for God or not.

What was the result for Saul?

The result is always the same!

It is always a dark and gruesome end when we don't let God in!

I am SICK AND TIRED of SATAN's lie that God is the one trying to restrict us.  The lie that choosing God is the way of bondage.

Living a life for God is the only true freedom there is!  FREEDOM is living for HIM!

What are some of the commands that we too often see as "restriction" that are really freedom?

List at least 5.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Let's talk for a moment about Jonathan.

What was his end like?

Who was he?

Why then such a dark end?

Why was he part of this all?

There are times when others get caught in our bad choices.  Infact I would argue that there is no way that our choices don't affect those around us.

Sin and Love are both that way.

When we chose sin, it hurts those and is devastating to those around us.

When we choose love, when we chose God, what then?

In the first paragraph in the passage from Patriarchs and Prophets White writes, "Separated from the Source of strength, he could not lead the minds of Israel to look to God as their helper. Thus the prediction of evil would work its own accomplishment."  

As I work with my students this summer this sentence is a huge warning.  I hope it is for all of us! If we separate ourselves from the source of strength we not only hurt ourselves, it will be tragic for those around us.  We have a responsibility, not to have it all right all the time, but to be connected! To be connected to the source of strength that we give us what we need to fight the fight.

Too many times we see our sin, our disconnection, our lack of devotional time, our lack of prayer time, our passivity as a personal issue.  It is... but it is so much more!  When we chose to not make time for God, when we chose to separate from the source of strength we hurt those around us too.

At the end of this chapter because of the earlier version of Saul, some chose to give him an honorable burial.  

What a beautiful part of this story.

When we let Jesus in.  When we let him reign in our lives, the effects of that are lasting regardless of what we do.  Why?  Because it is His work not ours.  What those men were responding to, was what God had done.

The work of God in lives is transformative!

So as we close this lesson and the book of 1 Samuel, I want to ask that we each reflect on who and what we are choosing.

I want us to answer the following questions:

1. Today do I choose Jesus?
2. What does that look like?