May 02, 2014 - Friday

Start Time: 6:01 A.M.

End Time: 6:23 A.M.

Title: Saul Takes His Life

Scripture: 1 Samuel 31:1 – 13

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→ Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua.  The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.  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.When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.

NOTES:

Ø God is no killer or murderer of His chosen people! Death is not God’s punishment! God does not condemn! Not even God took Saul’s life!  God chose Saul for a purpose but even when he didn’t fulfill his purpose, God did not take his life.  Despite of all his wrong decisions and choices, God did not take matters into His own hand.  His love for Saul is still there until the end.  It was Saul, Himself, who took his life away and God allowed it. Here you can see the love of God for Saul, one of His anointed king.  This only tells us that when God chose us, His love is greater than His anger towards us no matter what.  And even if He has a different plan already, which means our existence may not be of value in our own eyes, God still sees us valuable!  The same way as He sees Saul.  He warned Saul of his future and when it is coming to pass and Saul didn’t want to be captured and suffered torture in the hands of his enemies, God allowed him to take his own life.  What a great love God has for Saul!  A disobedient man and foolish one too…this is the love of our Father to us.  So let us not twist His character by portraying Him a God of wrath.  Yes God does get angry but He is angry at sin and is mad with it.  Let’s see God as who He is and not how our minds set Him to be.  Thank You Lord for revealing this truth!  Praise You forever!

→ 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. The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 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. They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.  When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,  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. Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.

NOTES:

Ø God does not allow our enemies to gain victory over us!  The Philistines did win over the Israelites in this battle but despite of their obvious success, God did not allow Saul, His anointed king, to die in their hands.  This is how God protects us and His love always follows us even when we decided to quit or choose the other side.  He will not allow our enemies to touch us and take our own life as victory for only He can do so because we are His people!  Thank You Lord because we can be assured that You will not allow our enemy to take our lives and proclaim victory over our death because only You have the right to do that.

Ø God will always give the proper honor and respect, His anointed one deserves!  Saul is already dead and the Philistines wanted to make a joke of him and so they cut off his head and stripped off his armor.  They fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.  Upon hearing this, Jabesh Gilead, a tribe of Israel, risked their lives to take Saul’s body burned it and buried it as he deserved.  God will ensure that we are honored and respected when we are living and even in our death.  God even made sure that people mourned for Saul by fasting for 7 days.  Hallelujah!  Thank You Jesus!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, amazing God and wonderful King!  Thank You because Your heart is on Your people.  Thank You because You are not a God who takes revenge on His people or make cruel judgment but instead Your love is abounding and great upon us.  You are no murderer as what the devil portrays You.  Your grace and love is stronger than any anger You feel towards us.  Thank You because Your love continues and remains for us even when we choose to be on the wrong side of this battle, even if we disobey You, or abandon You.  You remain faithful and true to us.  Thank You that Your word as our protector and deliverer is true until the end even when we choose or make wrong decisions or decisions that You do not agree on.  Thank You because You will always give proper honor and respect to us even when we no longer really deserve it, Your grace is still there for us and ensures that we are properly treated even when death already consumed us.  Thank You Jesus because You are true to Your words of being our Saviour and deliverer.  You do not allow our enemies to lay a hand on us even in times when we are one with our enemy against You.  Hallelujah!  What love is it that You have for us Lord?  I cannot comprehend it.  My mind is amazed of how great is Your love for us.  May I have the same for You.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!