Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
Well...I am under drs orders to 'rest and hydrate' ...and take the prescribed meds...for the next few days to try and beat back an ear/sinus infection. But I don't think writing a blog post is going to be too strenuous; although the foggy brain may make things a little less well ordered than is normal. But this is intended to be kinda raw anyway, so, it is what it is, lol. It's a long narrative, but without the narrative the isolated verses don't make much sense. So bear with me here...
Anyway, our look at the words heart/hearts in the Bible has brought us to a transition point in Israel's history. Samuel's sons did not serve God and actually perverted justice, accepting bribes and the Israelites (justifiably) rejected them as leaders, but instead of praying and seeking who the new leader should be, they came to Samuel and demanded that he appoint a king to rule over them, 'such as all the other nations have.' (1 Sam. 8:5).
Red flag. It's always a bad thing if God's people want to be 'like everyone else'.
Samuel is ticked, but God reminds him that the people aren't rejecting him as their leader; they are rejecting the leadership of God. God is going to allow them to have what they want, but he instructs Samuel to solemnly warn the people just exactly what it will mean to have a king ruling them.
Samuel warns the folks (1 Sam 8: 10 - 18) but the people refuse to listen and insist that they want a king. God instructed Samuel to give them a king, and Samuel told the people to go home.
Now, a day or two later a guy from the tribe of Benjamin had had some donkeys wander off, and his tall, rather good-looking son, Saul, was out looking for them with one of his father's servants. Samuel had a word from God on the previous day that a Benjamite would come to him, and Samuel was to anoint this man as king. So, when Saul and his servant wandered into town looking for the seer, so they could offer a coin and hopefully get a prophetic word about the location of the donkeys, God pointed him out to Samuel as the one he'd spoken about. When Saul approached him, asking for directions to the seer's house...
"I am the seer," Samuel replied. Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart." - 1 Sam. 9:19 (Heart : H 3824)
Samuel told him the donkeys had been found, so there would be no problem with him staying. They ate together and talked on the roof of Samuel's house for some time; in the morning, Samuel sent the servant ahead while he privately anointed Saul as king, and gave him some instructions and told him of several prophetic events that would happen that day to confirm the word of God to him.
As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day. -- 1 Sam 10:9 (Heart: H 3020)
Despite all the prophetic confirmation, Saul didn't tell anyone what Samuel had said to him, and when the people were called together so Samuel could introduce them to their new king, he was actually found hiding among the baggage...not a terribly impressive first meeting. But he was tall and good-looking and most of the people were pleased. Samuel went over the regulations regarding the king. Then he sent everyone home, including Saul:
Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched. --- 1 Sam 10:26 (Hearts: H 3020)
Almost immediately, the Ammonites attacked Jabesh Gilead. With the people of that area under dire threat, word came to Saul and the Holy Spirit fell upon him and with surprising decisiveness for a man who tried to hide from the kingship, he slaughtered the oxen he was working with and sent the pieces throughout Israel, summoning them to battle. Saul showed himself a capable battle strategist, and the Ammonites were slaughtered in their camp. This victory convinced the holdouts that Saul was indeed the man for the job of king, and everyone went to Gilgal to reaffirm Saul as king.
As part of the meeting, Samuel released his leadership over to Saul, confirming with the people that he had always acted with integrity, and he went over a bit of the history leading up to Saul's appointment. After mentioning it was the time of the wheat harvest (apparently that's the dry season?), he asked God to send rain and thunder to show the Israelites that they had actually done a great evil by insisting that God give them a king.
Then Samuel called upon the LORD, and that same day the LORD send thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the LORD and of Samuel. The people all said to Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king."
"Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart" - 1 Sam 12: 18 - 20 (heart: H 3824)
Samuel reassured them that God would not destroy them for his own name's sake, exhorted them to resist idolatry, reassured them he would pray for them and continue to teach them 'what is good and right,' then concludes:
"But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away." -- 1 Sam 12:24-25 (heart: H 3824)
So, as I pondered through this story, I had a few thoughts pop up...
1) How would I respond if a prophet of God told me s/he would 'tell me everything in my heart'? I kind of think I'd be shaking in my boots. That's going right to the quick, there. Oh, it would be a good thing...a marvelous thing... for a prophet to address the hidden questions and desires of my heart and tell me God's perspective on those things, but I don't know if I could handle someone looking into my heart and seeing those things that I'm trying to ignore. Of course, a true prophet would be doing that sort of thing with the interest of growth and freedom, so it would still be a good thing but...that might hurt a bit, you know?
2) God's change in Saul's heart was something that Saul had to grow into; he prophesied at once, but kinda shook it off and fell back into old patterns (hiding in the baggage). But when the Spirit of God came upon him, he became a man of action.
3) God gave Saul 'valiant men' who supported him in his position....an aside, I kinda suspect one of these guys was Abner, who became one of Saul's top generals...but God didn't leave Saul to learn the ropes of leadership alone.
4) The people did, finally, realize what they had done was a serious offence against God. But God, in his mercy and grace, reiterated the promise that all will be well if the people serve him whole-heartedly. No compromise with 'useless idols'...things valued by the unbelieving societies around them.
Mayhap next week I will be less rambly, lol.
No comments:
Post a Comment