100 - The Lord looks on the heart

Saul and David

Chareen's Thoughts
1 Samuel 16 - 17

•  I enjoyed this conversation between the LORD and Samuel. It shows the depth of God's love and His desire for our fellowship!
  THE LORD said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided for Myself a king among his sons. Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take a heifer with you and say, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you. 1 Samuel 16:1-3
• But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7
•  Samuel anointed David to be the next king of Israel. 1 Samuel 16:12-13 Jesse sent and brought him. David had a healthy reddish complexion and beautiful eyes, and was fine-looking. The Lord said [to Samuel], Arise, anoint him; this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. ...
• I must confess the following verse has bothered me since the first time I read it: But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented and troubled him. 1 Samuel 16:14 The part that bothers me is: an evil spirit from the Lord
• One of the young men said, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who plays skillfully, a valiant man, a man of war, prudent in speech and eloquent, an attractive person; and the Lord is with him. 1 Samuel 16:18  I pray our sons would be known this way.
• David is now in the service of Saul and Saul admired and trusted him so much he has made David his armour bearer.
• It is at this point that Goliath challenges the Israelites. For forty days Goliath challenged Israel and then David arrived in camp with food and supplies for his brothers from his father. He asks:  And David said to the men standing by him, What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?

It's amazing to read about the heart of David and his attitude. Look at the Psalms he wrote about the Lord our God.

 Psalm 19

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

 ¹THE HEAVENS declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork.^{(A)    2}Day after day pours forth speech, and night after night shows forth knowledge.

    ³There is no speech nor spoken word [from the stars]; their voice is not heard.

    ⁴Yet their voice [in evidence] goes out through all the earth, their sayings to the end of the world. Of the heavens has God made a tent for the sun,^(B)

    ⁵Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; and it rejoices as a strong man to run his course.

    ⁶Its going forth is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the ends of it; and nothing [yes, no one] is hidden from the heat of it.

    ⁷The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the [whole] person; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

    ⁸The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure and bright, enlightening the eyes.

    ⁹The [reverent] fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

    ¹⁰More to be desired are they than gold, even than much fine gold; they are sweeter also than honey and drippings from the honeycomb.

    ¹¹Moreover, by them is Your servant warned (reminded, illuminated, and instructed); and in keeping them there is great reward.

    ¹²Who can discern his lapses and errors? Clear me from hidden [and unconscious] faults.

    ¹³Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then shall I be blameless, and I shall be innocent and clear of great transgression.

    ¹⁴Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 8

To the Chief Musician; set to a Philistine lute, or [possibly] to a particular Hittite tune. A Psalm of David.

 ¹O LORD, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory on [or above] the heavens.    ²Out of the mouths of babes and unweaned infants You have established strength because of Your foes, that You might silence the enemy and the avenger.^(A)

    ³When I view and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained and established,

    ⁴What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him?

    ⁵Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor.

    ⁶You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet:^(B)

    ⁷All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field,

    ⁸The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

    ⁹O Lord, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your name in all the earth!

Blessings
Chareen

99 - The fear of man brings a snare

Saul Reproved by Samuel
for Not Obeying the Commandments of the Lord
John Singleton Copley

Chareen's Thoughts

1 Samuel 13-16

• Today we continue reading about Jonathan and King Saul.
• Jonathan is a man of courage and is with his father King Saul leading the army. We read how he goes forward and slays 20 men on his own.
• Unknown to him his father takes an oath and forbids everyone from eating till they have conquered. Jonathan eats some honey and is condemned to death but the people save him from Saul.
• The Lord instructs Saul to destroy Amalek, all it's people, animals and city.  The people destroy the city and all people accept it's king and they keep some of the animals.
• When Samuel challenges Saul about this disobedience he passes the blame to the people and justifies his actions ....
• Samuel replies: Samuel said, Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim (household good luck images). Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.
• Saul then tries to repent.  Samuel kills the king from Amalek and they part ways.
• Samuel mourned Saul and the LORD regretted He had made Saul king over Israel.

Such a small thing yet it destroyed one man and averted what could have been.

The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever leans on, trusts in, and puts his confidence in the Lord is safe and set on high. Proverbs 29:25  

You can see the evidence of this in the life of Saul.

At his own coronation as king: Therefore they inquired of the Lord further, if the man would yet come back. And the Lord answered, Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage 1 Samuel 10:22
When he is declared king the word says:  But some worthless fellows said, How can this man save us? And they despised him and brought him no gift. But he held his peace and was as if deaf. 1 Samuel 10:27.
In Samuel 13 the people are fearful and he waits for Samuel to come and sacrifice but after 7 days he does not see Samuel and the people start to leave in fear he makes a sacrifice himself to encourage the people.
In Samuel 14 He forbids the people to eat and takes an oath, then before the people declares: For as the Lord lives, Who delivers Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But not a man among all the people answered him.
When he finds out it is his son and prepares to kill him But the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan, who has wrought this great deliverance to Israel, die? God forbid! As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of his head perish, for he has wrought this great deliverance with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die. 1 Samuel 14:45.
Then when he is sent to destroy Amalek and is challenged we read: 1 Samuel 15:9 Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, oxen, fatlings, lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; but all that was undesirable or worthless they destroyed utterly. and this excuse 1 Samuel 15:15 Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but the rest we have utterly destroyed. Lesson learned you can not lead well and will sin if you fear the people.

• Whoever despises the word and counsel [of God] brings destruction upon himself, but he who [reverently] fears and respects the commandment [of God] is rewarded Proverbs 13:13

Be blessed today as you walk humbly before your God
Chareen

94 - In favour both with the LORD, and also with men

The Calling of Samuel
Joshuar Reynolds 1776

Chareen's Thoughts

• Samson is now married and gives a feast and at this feast presents a riddle to be solved. 
• The men at this feast can't work it out and so threaten his wife who in turn wears Samson down for the answer. Samson is so angry that he walks away and abandons his wife and returns home.  Her father in turn gives her to one of the guests at the feast. Judges 14:15-20
• After a while Samson wants his wife back and discovers that she has been given away.
• Now Eli's sons were wicked men and had no regard for the Lord.
• Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.  Every year his mother would visit and bring him a new garment. Each year Eli would pray a blessing over Elkanah and his family: And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, May the Lord give you children by this woman for the gift she asked for and gave to the Lord. Then they would go to their own home. And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she bore three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord. 1 Samuel 2:20-21
• And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men. 1 Samuel 2:26
• The Lord sent a warning to Eli because of the sin of his two sons. 
• Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, says, I did promise that your house and that of your father [forefather Aaron] should go in and out before Me forever. But now the Lord says, Be it far from Me. For those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. 1 Samuel 2:30  
• Saul is born during this time.
• Samuel served the LORD in Eli's presence and served Eli the priest.  It was during this time that the Lord called Samuel and spoke to him for the first time.
• Samuel grew; the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.^(A)And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord continued to appear in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh through the word of the Lord.1 Samuel 3:19-21.
• Yesterday we met Jephthah who was kicked out of home because his mother was not married to his father.  Today we read how the elders of Gilead go to him and ask him to lead and help fight against the Ammonites.  He agrees on condition that if they win he becomes their leader.
•  He attempts to make peace and reason with the Amonites. 

And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men. 1 Samuel 2:26
Blessings
Chareen

93 - For the Lord is a God of knowledge

Samson Slays a Lion.

Chareen's Thoughts

• And the woman [in due time] bore a son and called his name Samson; and the child grew and the Lord blessed him. Judges 13:24-25. Did you know the name Samson means like the sun ?
• Jephthah was a great warrior who had been kicked out by his brothers because he was the son of another woman. As a result of this Jephthah fled to the land of Tob where some lawless men joined him.
• During the time when Eli's two sons: Hophni and Phinehas were the LORD'S priests Elkanah and his family would make an annual pilgrimage to sacrifice and worship the Lord.  
• Now Hannah was barren and deeply loved by Elkanah.  At this time she was deeply hurt and went to the temple: And [Hannah] was in distress of soul, praying to the Lord and weeping bitterly. She vowed, saying, O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your handmaid and [earnestly] remember, and not forget Your handmaid but will give me a son, I will give him to the Lord all his life; no razor shall touch his head. 1 Samuel 1:10-11 In fact her distress was so deep that Eli the priest thought she was drunk! But Hannah answered, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I was pouring out my soul before the Lord.  ... Then Eli said, Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.
• The Lord blessed Hannah with a son within the year and she named him Samuel [heard of God], Because, she said, I have asked him of the Lord. She did not go with her husband to worship but stayed home to nurse Samuel till he was weaned.
• When Samuel was three years old and weaned Hannah kept her word to the Lord and took the boy to Shiloh and dedicated him to the Lord and said: For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted my petition made to Him. Therefore I have given him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is given to the Lord. And they worshiped the Lord there.
• Hannah then prayed. 
• HANNAH PRAYED, and said, My heart exults and triumphs in the Lord; my horn (my strength) is lifted up in the Lord. My mouth is no longer silent, for it is opened wide over my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation.1 Samuel 2:1 Talk no more so very proudly; let not arrogance go forth from your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed. 1 Samuel 2:3 The Lord slays and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. 1 Samuel 2:6 The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and He lifts up. 1 Samuel 2:7 He will guard the feet of His godly ones, but the wicked shall be silenced and perish in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. 1 Samuel 2:9
• Due to Israel's sin of idol worship and not doing as He had commanded they were oppressed by the Ammonites and Phillistines. Psalm 106:34-46
• After this time the Israelites repented and got rid of their foreign gods and worshiped the Lord and cried out to Him for deliverance.
• Now Samson had been down to Timnah and seen a beautiful Philistine woman and wanted her for a wife.  He asked his father to get her for him. His father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord, and that He sought an occasion for assailing the Philistines. At that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. Judges 14:4

Today I was impacted with Hannah's Prayer.   Her words are beautiful and you can see a little more of the Heavenly Father and His character in her prayer.
Talk no more so very proudly; let not arrogance go forth from your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed. 1 Samuel 2:3


May you be blessed with a sense of who He is.
Blessings
Chareen