Power

David and his men had been protecting Nabal's sheep from thieves (1 Sam 25).  On a day when the kindness of David should have been repaid, Nabal scoffed at David's men and refused their request for some food.  They returned to David to inform him of the news.  David's response was decisive, "every man gird on his sword." (!)  The weight of the injustice must be measured in full upon Nabal.  Get him!

Without any notable delay, David was at the head of 400 men hurrying through the wilderness toward Carmel.  He was convinced of his mission and rehearsed the injustice.  (ever been there?)  "Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him.  And he has repaid me evil for good.  May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light."  They made there way down the side of a hill toward the valley floor at the bottom.  It seems to have been a noisy band of testosterone - beards, sweat and all.  Go David!  Get him!  Charge!

Suddenly, a woman appeared.   She was ready for him, but he was not ready for her.  She dismounted from her donkey, fell on her face before David, bowed down to the ground and fell at his feet.  "On me, my lord, me . . this iniquity . . . "  Panting and confused, the men looked to David.  "Halt!"  David was just accosted with wisdom.  First, she went low.  She immediately injects something new into the scene.  It knocks the anger in David's heart off the throne.  Then, Abigail diverts the target of David's anger from Nabal to herself.  On me she says, on me.  One woman stopped a small army!  

Just One

Jesus was sometimes found on the road.  Mark recounts one event when a young man came running to him "as He was going out on the road." (Mark10:17)  The young man was a running man who became a kneeling man, and according to Luke's account, he was a ruler of some sort.  He had some good things going for him!  His question for the Teacher was clear - "what must I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  A good question.  Solid.  He was ready for an answer from the One who had answers.
Jesus responded with a list of commandments that were readily known by the man.  Jesus answered indirectly.  "You know the commandments . . ."  The man responds by saying, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth." The word "kept" is used for the activity of a watchman.  His whole adult life apparently was spent in an ongoing state of watchfulness to keep these commands.
Jesus looks at him - a fixed gaze is the word - eyes holding eyes . . . and loved him.  Jesus has an increase in affectionate love for this man.  He had been watching from his youth.  It must have been such a tender moment for the young man.  He had pleased the Teacher.  He followed the rules.  He had "done" right.  It is the next line which provides such insight to our Teacher.  "One thing you lack . . ."  There was one area of life that he had fallen behind in, an area that was wanting.  Jesus tells him to sell whatever he has and give to the poor . . and come, take up the cross, and follow Him.  Such nearness, such triumph abruptly changed.  His glow became a gloom.  It was "at this word" that he went away sorrowful because he had a sizable measure of wealth.  Aaack!
It was his one thing that kept him from truly following Christ.  There was just one thing.

What the eye sees

1 Samuel 17 is truly legendary.  David, Goliath, a stone.  That old enemy of Israel, the Philistines, had gathered its armies together to battle.  Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together as well.  Both forces camping in their respective places.  At that time, Israel arrayed itself on one mountain side while the Philistines stood on the other mountain side with a valley (more correctly - a ravine) in between.
The Philistines had a champion named Goliath.  He stood over nine feet tall.  He had a bronze helmet, a coat of mail, bronze armor on his legs, a bronze javelin and a spear - and all of it was very heavy and imposing.  All he wore or carried said "power".  He was outfitted to the hilt.  A visible display of force / domination.  He also had a loud mouth and cast insults toward the Israelites and demanded engagement on his terms.  He was big, loud and angry.  Such can be the enemies of God's people.
I suspect that each day the Israelites would roll out of their tents and survey the morning horizon.  Each day, there he would come again.  Just to confront them.  Their eye would be drawn to him.  Possibly, they would look to the side, but in the back of their mind, they could not escape him.  This Goliath.  Morning by morning, still there.
Then, one day a tender youth arrived.  "Let no man's heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine."  He would run to the enemy and say, "I come to you in the name".   Young David had his eyes on Someone else.

Places to Hide

The book of Samuel lays bare Israel's transition from a theocracy to a monarchy.  Their heart had cooled to their God.  So, they demanded a person to reign over them instead of God.  They wanted a layer of humanity between them and divinity.  Their demand spoke of their longing to be like other nations (1Sam 8:20) and their rejection of their God (1Sam 8:7).

Well, a man after their heart is chosen by God.  A man named Saul.  Head and shoulders above the rest of them, surely he is a leader!  And . . he was attractive.  That's the guy.  Everything about his outward appearance is exactly what they wanted.  

In time, their new king would find himself battling Israel's old enemy - the Philistines.  The Philistines ruled over Israel in those days.  Israel was in bondage - again.  In chapter 13, the battle lines are precisely drawn.  Jonathan attacks the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba.  The ruling Philistines sound the alarm.  These uppity Hebrews think they can overcome us!  The enemy response is overwhelming.  A multitude of chariots, horsemen and people "as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude" arrive at the doorstep of Saul's army which is gathered at Gilgal.  As someone has said, Israel "poked the bear."  

It must have been quite a sight.  Israel looking up the rocky slopes from the plain just northwest of Jericho where Gilgal was toward the hills of Benjamin.  Michmash and Geba were up there.  The silhouettes of the enemy filled the skyline.  Chariots, horsemen, officers, soldiers.  Israel felt the danger.  They were afraid.  It caused them to hide.  They hid in caves . . in thickets . . in rocks . . in holes . . and in pits.  Some simply high-tailed it out of there.  Sprinting toward the Jordan and lands beyond.  So many places for the people of God to hide.  

Saul must be taken out of the way

1 and 2 Chronicles

Chronicles is not a repetition of Kings. It is a view of Israel's history during the same time period but views those elements that are distinctly redeemable. To me, it lingers on those events that remain (works that would align with 1Cor 3:14). It has a priestly focus. The temple. The worship of God. Acts of faith.

Though we are in the second half of 2 Chron, there are some notes that I wanted to share. 1 Chron 1-9 are taken up with Chronicling God's earthly people. Who was the son of who, brothers and sisters etc. Each name (and therefore person) pondered by God and placed in the list. Each had their unique contribution to the big family.

Chapter 10 recounts the end of Saul - that picture of self, of flesh, of weakness (Mr. "I forced myself" 1Sam 13:12). In it, we read of that famous battle on Mount Gilboa. Saul is hit. Saul is wounded. Saul is dying. Saul dies. God comments on the reason for his death in verse 13. He "died for his trespass which he committed against the Lord, because of the word of the Lord which he did not keep and [a second thing] . . . therefore [God] killed him.

Verse 14 concludes with the transfer of the kingdom to David. 14 verses on Saul followed by 19 chapters on David. This speaks to me about the hearts of these men. Chronicles focusing on the Temple, the Priesthood, the worship of God, the heart of Israel. It is no wonder that David takes up so much space.

The story is often like that. Saul must fall first for David to rise. As long as Saul is in power, very little story is written. But when David takes the throne, the wide vistas of God's work have just begun.

No more Saul.

How beautiful is an open flower

David has come and gone (Acts 13:36).

The kingdom was transferred to his son. It was an awkward transfer, but in time Solomon was firmly placed on the throne. It was Solomon who was the builder of the temple. That unique place where God chose to dwell. A house really.

How valuable and how focal was the sanctuary / the house of God. Such a primary object in Israel. The place where God dwelt. The central place of worship for the entire nation. So should God's residence be in my heart. A well kept place, a great place, a beautiful place, a pre-eminent place.

I Kings 6:29 tells me of some of the carvings that were found in the house. His house. "He carved all the walls of the house round about with carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees and open flowers, inner and outer sanctuaries. . . "

Verses 32 and 35 repeat these carvings.

Open flowers. Open flowers. This caught my eye. They were open. Life, beauty, nothing hidden. The flower had arrived at its created purpose. It had reached its full display. Much as a flower opens to the sun as it courses the sky, so is the heart that dwells in the shadow of the Almighty. In God's presence, there is fullness of joy. In God's presence, I find a fully open life. In God's presence, people finally explode with all of the richness and purpose of life.

Time to bloom!

Make Me A Servant

The Judges with all of their instruction for us are fading from view. The final four chapters of Judges showed how low people can go when they simply do what is right in their own eyes. Painful. Ruth followed and what a breath of fresh air her story was.

1 Samuel provides the background for how Israel came to have kings. They went from a Theocracy with God as their King, to a monarchy with a man as their king. Their first king was a notably handsome man. He was "choice and handsome, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel." Wow! Sounds like someone who should be on the cover of magazines in our day. "From his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people." (9:2). Sign him up!

If there should be leadership in a man, it would seem to be housed in such a body, no? His name was Saul. As I begin to read of him, the first thing I find is that he is looking for lost donkeys. Further, his dad wants him to take a servant along to go with him to find them. After some time searching, they did not find them. Saul proposed that a return trip was in order to calm dad's anxieties. All in all, there is nothing remarkable about this story. That is what makes this future king's story so alarming. Nothing spoke of noble character, lofty vision, or loving leadership.

But something comes into the story - or someone. In verse 6, it is the servant's turn.

In this city "there is a man of God, " he says. (Oooh, let's find out what God has to say)
Saul replies, "but what shall we bring the man?" (Decisions, decisions, decisions)
The servant pulls out some money from his pocket and says, "I will give it to the man of God." (Personal sacrifice)
"Well said," said Saul.

"Well said" is right. The servant was wiser and crisper about things of life than Saul. He knew what was required and knew what to do to get there. This is a leader. I wonder if dad knew this trouble spot about his son. "Take now with you one of the servants."

The servant has such a small place in the Scripture. But, he helped me see Saul.
King Saul. The king which they had chosen. There he is, Israel. Your king. The king after your heart. Well, he certainly looks like a king! (cf. 1Sam 16:7) What would be the outcome of this king's reign? So many decisions would need to be made. Decisions, decisions.
He had the servant tell him what was right. He did not ask for God when he could not find what he was looking for. He wondered how to pay for advice from the man of God. He watched someone close to him voluntarily offer money on his behalf. He heard the good decision. He finally concluded, "well said, let's go."

Make me a servant, today.