Sunday, April 10, 2011

Day 100-11

VII The Reign of Saul - 1065-1025 B.C. ~ cont.
A. Events in Saul's reign prior to David's acceptance as king (35 years) ~ cont.
6. Jonathan's victory over Philistines - 1 Samuel 14:1-46
7. Continual war with Philistines - 1 Samuel 14:47-48, 52
8. Birth of David (32nd generation) (2 Samuel 5:4)
9. Saul's second rejection as king - 1 Samuel 15:1-35
{pages 439 - 444}

Jonathan's faith:

And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.  (1 Samuel 14:6)

Fulfillment by God:

And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.  (1 Samuel 14:14)

Ongoing battle with the Philistines - Saul had commanded his people:

And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.  (1 Samuel 14:24)

Re-reading that verse, it dawned on me that Saul took it personally, rather than they were the enemies of God.  What did David say when facing Goliath?

To his fellow Israelites - take away reproach and Goliath is defying the armies of the living God (1 Samuel 17:26).  Spoken to Saul, Goliath defied the armies of the living God (1 Samuel 17:36).  Finishing up with:

Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.  (1 Samuel 17:45-47)

Cursed - H779 - A primitive root; to execrate.

Execrate - –verb (used with object)
1.
to detest utterly; abhor; abominate.
2.
to curse; imprecate evil upon; damn; denounce: He execrated all who opposed him.

Cursed is used 63 times in 52 verses.  First curse?  Genesis 3:14 God curses the serpent.

From there God curses the ground then Cain, Lamech acknowledged that God had cursed the ground, Noah cursed Canaan, God will curse those who curse Abraham, Isaac proclaims a reciprocal curse on anyone who curses Jacob (feigning himself to be Esau), Jacob curses Simeon and Levi's anger, God instructs Israel to NOT curse their ruler, a woman suspected of adultery drinks water of the curse, Balak requests Balaam to curse Israel, Deuteronomy curses by 1/2 of the tribes of Israel, Joshua invokes a curse on anyone who rebuilds Jericho, Joshua curses the Gibeonites with servitude, inhabitants or people of Meroz cursed by the angel of the Lord, anyone who gave a wife to Benjamin was cursed, David to Saul concerning his being driven from his inheritance if it were of men, Jezreel was a cursed woman, Job on cursing the day, the proud are cursed, God curses those who do not obey the words of the covenant (Jeremiah), God curses those who trust in men rather than Him, Jeremiah curses the day of his birth, those who do the work of the Lord deceitfully, Lord curses those who are deceitful, HE curses those who will not give glory to HIS name, curses those who have robbed HIM.

Jonathan's response for eating contrary to his father's command?  Confession and acceptance of penalty.

Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.  (1 Samuel 14:43)

Manning up to the plate.  Would that more men (and women) would acknowledge our transgressions and accept the punishment.  Lord help us to have a heart that desires to walk in holiness, honesty and truth.

I thought it interesting that the people withstood the penalty being executed against Jonathan...but not the young girl?  The difference?  A vow to the Lord for fulfillment versus a curse against disobedience?

It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.  (1 Samuel 15:11)

repenteth - H5162 - A primitive root; properly to sigh, that is, breathe strongly; by implication to be sorry, that is, (in a favorable sense) to pity, console or (reflexively) rue; or (unfavorably) to avenge (oneself).

Used 108 times in 100 verses.  Ironically the first verse usage also has the word curse in it.

And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.  (Genesis 5:29)

The last usage:

For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.  (Zechariah 10:2)

When I hear the word repent I always think there has been sin.  Though in looking at the definition for repent, to pity or to avenge oneself, the initial verse of God repenting gives me a better understanding of what HE was doing/meant.

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?  (Numbers 23:19)

and


And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.  (1 Samuel 15:29)

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