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1 Samuel 31 Bible Study - Pastor Daniel Batarseh · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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Well, we've arrived the last chapter of our study in the book
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of 1st Samuel. And so I hope you have your
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Bibles because we are going to cover this verse by verse First
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Samuel chapter 31. Last week, you and I received a
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glimpse of David's life. A final glimpse of his life in
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this story and it was themed by repentance renewal restoration
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and that should encourage our hearts.
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Because as we come to the close of this book, we know that David
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was fully restored in his walk with the Lord, But the holy
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spirit before the curtain completely Falls and the lights
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turn off on this stage of this section of an epic, Redemptive
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portion of God's history and his work.
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In the world, we are going to get a glimpse of Saul's final
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moments of his life. Not in the same way of David
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because David is going to be reintroduced to us and second
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Samuel, but that is not the case for Saul.
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This chapter is where it all ends for the men.
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This is where we will never see him again.
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This is a detailed account of Saul the first king of Israel's
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death, And just like every other portion of scripture though it
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is a historical account, it still has so much to offer us
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regarding our own walk with the Lord, especially the life of
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Saul who lacked that walk with the Lord and it should cause us
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to cling to the Lord, all the more, when we see just what is
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possible. When we turn away from God, when
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we walk away from our King and we choose to be Sovereign over
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our own lives. It is a very very dangerous
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direction, that one would head in two.
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But I think it's fitting that. As we as we close this book
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tonight that we would just pray. Thank God and ask him to help us
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in the remainder versus here and then trust that he will speak to
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us as he has in the past few months.
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Can we pray together? Let's pray.
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God, we thank you for this book. Lord.
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We are so prone to forget all that we hear even even by
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tomorrow, we can forget what we hear but we ask that you would
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be so gracious to us and that these things would be etched on
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our hearts. Lord, write them on the tablet
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of our hearts. Let them be remembered.
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Let them make such an impression on us that it would change the
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course of Our Lives. Lord, we pray.
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Oh, how we need the presence of the Holy Spirit.
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How we need the power of God lord, we confess our weakness.
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We confess that a church service can be so dead, they can be so
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repulsive because it lacks your presence, Your Truth.
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Your love in our hearts, Lord, breathe.
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He's on us, a fresh breath of God.
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Breathe on us. You alone can make dry bones
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live again. You alone can bring a Reviving
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to our hearts. You alone can ignite a fire in
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our bosom. And we just ask that your word
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would do that. Because Jeremiah says, it is
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like a fire and Jeremiah says, it is like a hammer that smashes
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The Rock. Lord, we just pray that this
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Bible study would not become like an ordinary study, just a
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transfer of data, but no life Lord, let life be known here.
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We beg of you. We just pray that tonight would
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be a Monumental Not Just moment for this ministry but for our
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own lives, only you can do it. Only, you can do it.
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Lord, Jesus, in your name, we pray.
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Amen. Let's read verse 1.
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Now, the Philistines were fighting against Israel and the
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men of Israel fled before the Philistines, and fell slain on
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Mount gilboa and the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons and
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the Philistines struck down Jonathan and have been a dab and
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malky schewe, the sons of Saul the battle pressed hard against
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Saul and The Archers found him and he was badly wounded by The
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Archers, then saw said to his armor Bearer, draw your sword
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and thrust me through with it. Less these Um, sighs come and
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thrust me through and mistreat me.
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But his armor Bearer would not for he.
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Feared greatly there for Saul took his own sword and fell upon
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it. And when it's armour-bearer saw
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that saw was dead. He also fell upon his sword and
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died with him. Thus Saw died and his three sons
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and his armor Bearer and all his men on the same day together.
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There's so much that will be said that could be said, I would
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tell you ahead of time that we may not be able to cover all
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that these verses can offer and that is certainly true.
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When we revisit tax to the Holy Spirit, seems to bring new
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light. But look at verse one with me
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very quickly. This is what I take out of it.
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When there's a summary of what's happening in this verse now, the
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Philistines were fighting against Israel and the men of
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Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on
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melt gilboa. The first thing that my mind
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goes to and perhaps, Oops, your mind goes somewhere else is how
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David was planning to be a part of this war.
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It's almost Unthinkable that that righteous man was going to
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participate in this battle against his own people, that
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David was actually going to have blood on his hands because he
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would be associated with those who have killed the Lord's
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anointed and his sons and the people of Israel all together.
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It's just a horrific thought, but you've heard it so many
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times when we came to that study of where our hearts can take us,
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when we separate ourselves from God's Rule and law and his
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spirit Control over us. We can we can do unspeakable
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things. I can tell you that there are
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Christians who have done things, that even the world hasn't done
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because they have left the comfort of the Holy Spirit and
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his fear and even Paul have seen that.
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Remember, when Paul with the Corinthian Church?
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He says this is this is not even stuff that the world does in 1st
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Corinthians 5. He said, how are you guys even
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tolerating this in the world were the world would blush at
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this? And so, when I look at this, I
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not only think of what David could have been doing.
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I also think of God's mercy because the only reason why
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David is not participating in this activity is because God
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intervened with his love God. Providentially came in with his
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power and created a conflict so that when David was with the
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Philistines, the leader says you gotta get out of here.
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You have no right to be with us and you and I see it through the
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lens of God's power and control. And we recognize that was God
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that That was the Lord, making sure that David would not move
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forward in his sin and his sin. And you and I know something of
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God's mercy, the greatest manifestation of God's grace and
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our lives. The thing that has put a stop to
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us heading towards destruction on that Broad Road is the cross
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of Jesus Christ. And if we're thinking, what
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could have David done? If God had not intervened, what
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could have shame would he have brought to his name?
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What kind of what kind of consequences could have
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resulted? If he had participated in this
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war? Once you do something
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devotional, and ask yourself, where do you think you would be
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if you did not realize God's mercy in the cross of Jesus
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Christ, have you ever thought about that?
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Have you ever thought where you would be right now on a Friday
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night? If Jesus Christ didn't change
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your heart. Have you ever thought where you
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would be, what kind of decisions you would be making?
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What kind of consequences you would be living with if Christ
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did not come and flood your heart with the revelation of his
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love? I wonder My heart ever becomes
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dull. I tend to think about it.
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Lord, where would I be right now?
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In this very moment this hour, what would I be thinking?
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Who would be in my company? What would my decisions?
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Look like, what would what would my convictions be?
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What kind of scars would I have inherited?
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And David, if you were to ask him, where would you be apart
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from the grace of God? He would tell you, I probably
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would have such a wretch of a testimony because I would have
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been part of a great Act of treason and disgrace.
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And you, and I can think, and think often of how God's mercy
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has saved us from, so much save this from so much.
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But we read here in verse 2, before we recognize that Saul
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and learn of his death, we are told that his sons have died.
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Three of his sons have died. Jonathan have been a dab and
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malky schewe. Now here's the thing.
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I can understand Saul dying. To be honest, I don't really
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have much issue with it. That man, had it coming.
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All the blood that he shed his have died.
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Three of his sons that seems just That seems right that
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punishment would come with no repentance after so many chances
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you still resist, this makes sense but my heart is a little
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honest with you and I maybe it's true and it resonates with your
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own heart. Why his sons Why did they have
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to die the same death as their father?
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Now we could take a further and say abinadab malky.
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Sure, I don't know much about them.
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I'm going to make the conclusion that they were and full
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participation with their father that they were willing to join
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him on his quest to hunt for an innocent man.
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The Lord's anointed in David and so they had that coming to your
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Allegiance is with evil. You'll inherit evil that just
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makes sense. But oh Jonathan Precious
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Jonathan God-fearing. Jonathan humble, Jonathan.
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How can this man be numbered among the transgressors?
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How can this man be found on the same Hill bloodied and bruised
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and destroyed among the wicked? You know, what?
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Some people say, the popular interpretation of this.
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Is that God for saw the trouble? That would come if Jonathan had
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continued to live. In other words, there would have
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been a potential division in Israel.
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If Jonathan Saul's son continue to Live While David occupied the
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throne, perhaps there would have been a civil issue in Israel
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concerning who the true successor was And so God spared
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much much, much trouble knowing ahead of time.
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What was to come about? And so he removes Jonathan off
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the scene in order that David's Journey not just to the throne
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but on the throne would be much easier and less turbulent.
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That is the popular interpretation.
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I don't know if I can, I can lean towards that.
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Why would that be the case? Maybe you agree with that and I
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can give you at least two reasons why I don't number one
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hasn't Jonathan already proven his loyalty.
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If Jonathan really wanted to get rid of David, it was it was when
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his dad was in power. No.
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That's the time when you're going to do it.
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Now, when David becomes king and he has everybody on his side,
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you want to do it when it's in seed form that would make sense.
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But we see the exact opposite he humbles himself.
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He says, I want to be second in command.
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I want to be by your side. I want to be your eighth.
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I recognize God's hand on your life makes sense, but there's
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even a second reason I believe and it's a very strong one if
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God really. Lee wanted to eliminate the
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threats from Saul's line that potentially could cause issues
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down the road, with David being on the throne.
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Then why didn't he take care of the other one?
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How many sons were killed in the battle?
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Is that all of Saul's Sons? Would you like to know the
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answer? It's in second.
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Samuel chapter 2, just a few chapters to the right?
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And notice what happens. In second Samuel chapter 2 verse
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8. But Abner, the son of nerve
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commander of Saul's Army, took ish bichette the son of Saul and
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brought him over to Mahon Ian and made him King over Gilead,
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and Ash rights and just real and Ephraim him and Benjamin and all
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Israel. So there was another son of Saul
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who for whatever reason was not in battle on this particular day
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and when Saul was eliminated Abner the commander of his army
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took ishka chef and made him King over the remainder lands of
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Israel. So hold on for a second.
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If the popular interpretation is God wanted to remove the threats
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and David's life, moving forward then he missed somebody.
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No. Maybe you agree, I don't know.
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We can talk about it afterwards. So then why?
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Why? Why did why did Jonathan died?
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Here's my answer. I don't know.
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You can appeal to mystery sometimes.
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Because there are some things. That we just don't know.
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And that troubles us especially when it comes to the righteous
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suffering. When there is something that's
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premature concerning someone's life, whether its death or
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disease, or trauma, we wonder why a lot of things have
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explanation. You made sinful choices that led
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to this. But when you have a man who had
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moments where he showed greater Faith than even David, who is
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willing to risk so much to be associated with him to be taken
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at such a young age at the prime of his life and let's take it
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even further. I think David could have really
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used Jonathan and his life moving forward.
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Jonathan offered so much to David and I'm sure he had so
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much yet to offer with all the challenges that lay ahead.
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With all the Temptations that lie ahead, if he was able to
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speak into his ear at critical moments of his life, that
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changed his vision and gave him Faith.
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Why would God removes somebody so precious and beneficial to a
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man of God like David, Here's the here's the answer, I don't
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know. I don't know.
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And sometimes that's where we will find ourselves with, with
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God's leadership in our lives or in other people's lives.
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We're almost stunned. He was in the prime of his
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ministry. Why did God take him?
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She was a mother of two young children.
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Why is she gone? Serving the lord with everything
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within them. This generation could have used
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that Voice, we just don't know and sometimes the scripture
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gives us hints. Let's uh speak into God's mind
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to see that. He obviously knows something
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that we do not and he calls us to just rest in the way he
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orchestrates. His people in this life, can I
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show you? One example of that.
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It's a powerful portion of scripture that actually has
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brought many answers to these conflicts in my own heart.
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Not giving me the exact commentary on every particular
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circumstance. But enough for me to say God,
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you clearly know what's happening.
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And you are incredible in your dealings with, man.
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Even though it may, it may cause some friction to my faith.
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Isaiah chapter, 57. Take it to your to your heart
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and let it live there for the rest of your life and 57:10.
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And to look at this glorious Insight of how God deals with
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the righteous and mysterious ways.
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And yet at the same time, let's just get a little glimpse into
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the way he works. Notice what it said, in Isaiah
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57 verse 1, the righteous man perishes and no one lays it to
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heart, devout men are taken away.
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While no one understands for the righteous man is taken away from
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what calamity. I like, how the King James puts
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it. That the righteous man is taken
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away from the evil to what to come.
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He enters into peace, they rest in their beds, who walk in there
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uprightness. You understand what the Lord is
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saying here? We don't understand why devout
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men are taken away. We don't understand why the
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righteous are taken away, the righteous and the land.
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And here's one reason, among a thousand.
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For the righteous man is taken away from a future evil that
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will come, and God wants to spare them from that suffering.
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God does not want certain people to endorse certain kinds of
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Evil's whether it's societal or personal and so death for the
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righteous is a means to rescue them so that they can be
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protected from something that otherwise could have caused
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unnecessary harm or pain. That's just a drop in the
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bucket. Of how God works in the lives of
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the righteous. So why did God take Jonathan?
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I don't know. But all I do know according to a
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verse like this among many others is that there is
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something very good that he has in mind for doing.
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So I hope that blesses your heart never forget that
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scripture. And so three of his sons died.
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Including Jonathan, it is tragic, but God is wise and he
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is still in control and he's still righteous and we read on
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and what do we see that the battle pressed hard against
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Saul? And then in verse 4 we read
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something interesting. Saul said to his armor Bearer,
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draw your sword and thrust me through with it.
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Leslie's uncircumcised, come and thrust me through and mistreat
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me. But he wouldn't do it.
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He says he would not do it for he feared greatly.
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And so just imagine this king with arrows in his body bleeding
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knowing that he's going to die and so he calls upon his armor
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Bearer his assistant and he says, just finish me off.
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Rid me of the Earth, let me die. And there's some irony here.
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He would not touch him because he feared greatly and listen,
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the fear that this armor Bearer had this unnamed man was a
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righteous, holy fear. He would not touch Saul.
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Do you know how? I know that this was a good fear
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because when you go to chapter one of the next book, notice
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what David says? Because apparently, somebody did
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touch Saul. Somebody did do what this armor,
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bear would not do and kill Saul, even though he was, and his
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dying moments and the News came to David and when David heard
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it, he condemned the man who did it by saying, what and first and
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second Samuel 114. David said to him, how is it?
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You were not. Not Afraid.
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Not afraid to put out your hand, to destroy the Lord's anointed
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He condemned it, he didn't commend him.
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He rebuked him. In fact, he had him executed and
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so you take that truth with this armor bear and what he did not
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do and you realize that what he did was a very good thing, a
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very holy thing. And it's because he possesses
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something that saw himself lacked a fear.
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A holy righteous fear something that you've heard many times
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from this pulpit. And here's just one example of
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how this fear, the sense of reverence, this awareness of
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God's ability to hold us. Accountable for what we do, what
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we don't do it prevents you from moving forward and doing certain
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things. It paralyzes you in a holy way.
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Wrong fear paralyzes, you from doing, right?
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Good. Holy fear.
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Paralyzes you from doing that. Which is wrong.
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Do you understand it freezes you in that moment?
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And you realize, I can't move forward and makes makes your
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feet as though. It was just swallowed with
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cement and I can't keep going in this Direction.
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That's what that's what holy fear does and Saul act it his
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whole life and because he lacked it, he had come to this moment
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where he's asking, somebody to assist him in his suicide, If
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Saul had with this armor Bearer had, perhaps he would not be in
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this desperate devastating situation asking to be helped to
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kill himself. And so, this armour-bearer.
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Is someone to be more noble and honored than this King?
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He is more royalty than this leader.
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I don't care what kind of crown he was wearing.
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I don't care what kind of Throne.
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He sits on this armor. Bear was more Rich, more
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prosperous, More Valiant and more strong than King Saul ever
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was, because he had something that King Saul never had a fear
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of God, fear of God. Get this fear, ask God to make
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this fear real in you and you will see the great prevention
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and protection. That will come from.
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It one that saw obviously did not have and it led him into
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great danger. But notice the motive of why
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Saul is asking for this. This armor Bearer to slay him.
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He says, so that these uncircumcised come and thrust me
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through. I don't want them to mistreat
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me. I don't want them to humiliate
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me and it makes you wonder if he remembered the days of Judges
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when when Samson was taken by the Philistines, and he was made
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a fool, he was turned into a clown.
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Saul says, I would not have it. kill me, kill me so that they
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would not have a chance at me, but I think it's even more than
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that, so that The story would be told that I died in this way and
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not in a way that would humiliate my name.
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For the rest of History. Do you know what I see here?
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Saw since we've known him except for the first few steps of his
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rule as a king. Had a priority in life that
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superseded all other motives all other desires and that was this.
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I want to win the honor of man. No matter what it costs me, I
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want people to love me. I want people to praise me.
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I want people to adore me so much, so that, even if it costs
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me to displease God, I will do it.
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And he has proven it in so many ways.
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He took the credit from his own son, Jonathan when he took over
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a Garrison of the Philistines, he said Saul has done this move
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forward and what happens Saul himself?
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Elf creates a monument after a failed attempt to take over the
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amalekites. Move forward a little bit after
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that when Samuel rebukes him and says you disobeyed God saw was
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not concerned by the fact that he sinned against God.
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He says, okay, okay, I sent but would you walk with me back?
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So that the elders and the rest of the people know that I still
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have favor with you and favor with God though, he had
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fractured his relationship with the Lord.
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It wasn't about the relationship of the Lord.
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It was my reputation, Samuel, please.
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Let's go to the house of God together so people don't think
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that you're angry with me. Saul spent years chasing a man
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because they sang more about him than himself.
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And here's Saul listen to this. In his final moments of Life,
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what's rushing through his mind. I want to make sure that I die
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with a certain dignity. What should have you been doing
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saw? Crying out to God.
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For Mercy, you're about to meet your maker.
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And God was merciful enough to you to tell you prophetically
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that you were going to die in this way.
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And yet, with all the heads up and all the warning, you were
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still concerned about how your name will be treated, how your
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body will be handled, what kind of dignity you will die with.
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So this man went to the Grave with this self-absorption, with
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this longing for his legacy to be recognized in a certain way.
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And so severe was this. So cancerous was this desire,
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you know what he's willing to do?
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He's not now willing to kill a man like David, he's willing to
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kill himself. I'm willing to kill myself.
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So that I can, I can leave behind a certain taste in
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people's mouths. You know, when I looked at this
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I thought it is no different today.
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The Great Lengths that people are willing to go to in order to
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win the approval of man. The praise of, man, the love of
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man, the recognition of man. You know, we've come to a point
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in our society. That the things that go viral
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today are just people embarrassing themselves.
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The United recognize that things that are viral today, are not
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talented things, they're not Noble things, they're not holy
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things, they're stupid things. And sometimes they destroy that
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person's reputation, sometimes it destroys their own bodies.
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The Great Lengths that people are willing to go to do you know
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that even suicide attempts, listen to how messed up.
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This, is that when people kill themselves they do it for
27:54
attention. That they didn't get any
27:58
recognition throughout their lives.
28:00
So they think to themselves at least when I do this, I can get
28:03
some people to recognize my life and recognize me and to mourn
28:06
over me and to lament over me. So, I will kill myself.
28:13
And so I want to tell you today, that there is nothing.
28:17
That I can think of apart from sin itself.
28:21
That is more deadly than to be dominated by this desire.
28:25
Of people would just love me all that people would just recognize
28:28
me. And I just need this attention.
28:32
You headed for some dangerous decisions.
28:36
This man went from willing to destroy his family, destroy
28:39
David to, now willing to kill himself for the sake of not
28:43
being known as a failure. I don't want to read too much
28:45
into this but I'm wondering. Saul's calling.
28:50
According to 1st, Samuel 9 was that he was anointed to take
28:53
care of the Philistines to get rid of them.
28:56
That's exactly why he was anointed.
28:58
And here he is being overtaken by the Philistines.
29:00
He's a failure. He's a failure.
29:06
And he rather be known as dying from his own man than dying from
29:09
his enemies, the enemies that he was anointed to destroy.
29:14
But, no concern about eternity. No concern about meeting God.
29:17
All these concern about is me, me me until his dying moments.
29:24
If you and I think that it will take a deathbed for somebody to
29:28
truly repent. You're wrong.
29:32
People will die with their pride.
29:35
People will die with their love for money.
29:39
People will die with their lust. People will die in their sin.
29:46
We scroll down and notice something in verse 6, thus all
29:51
died and his three sons and his armor Bearer and all his men on
29:57
the same day together. On the same day, saw his sons
30:03
and his army were annihilated And that's a very Grim picture.
30:10
But you know what? I see something quite amazing
30:14
about it all his men. And this is the beauty about
30:17
studying the Bible. This is the beauty about being
30:19
familiar with the text because in your devotional time, you're
30:23
not just getting something. In the immediate context, you're
30:26
connecting true that you've gathered over the weeks and then
30:30
you're able to come to certain Revelations.
30:32
So here's an example of that, I read this the Saul died and his
30:36
three sons and his Armor Bearer and all his men.
30:39
And this thought comes to mind except 600 of them who were once
30:43
pledged to him, but fled him and were now joined to David,
30:51
Remember that man, that band of men, right?
30:53
600 men who were once under, the rule of Saul, who decided this
30:59
man is not God's chosen one, he is God's chosen one.
31:03
And so we will leave with our families to join and pledge our
31:06
allegiance to him, no matter what it costs us and it cost
31:10
them a lot. For years, they went from cave
31:15
to Cave living in discomfort Misery, the fear of the unknown
31:21
for years. They didn't know what was going
31:22
to happen. Next, there was challenging
31:25
circumstances, they didn't know how they were going to feed
31:27
their families. They didn't know where they were
31:28
going to settle. They didn't know when this was
31:30
going to come to an end. and with all of that, when you look
31:36
at the end of the story, Was it worth it?
31:41
Was it worth it to disconnect from Saul and to choose David.
31:45
And the answer is obviously to the same person.
31:48
Yes. Because judgment came, and they
31:54
were rescued from that judgment because of one decision that
31:56
they made years ago, we will side with David, the anointed
32:01
one of God. And you're a believer that has
32:06
pledged your allegiance to the anointed one of God.
32:08
Have you not? And the person of Jesus Christ.
32:14
And you and I even in the promised land America are still
32:18
in a wilderness. And there is much trouble being
32:23
associated with this Jesus. It is unpopular at times.
32:27
It is uncomfortable at times. It invites trials and
32:30
tribulations that perhaps you would have not walk through if
32:33
you just lived for your little American dream and your nice
32:37
little stuff and your sin. But the same way that it was
32:43
worth it for these men so shall it be with those who are under
32:47
King Jesus Rule and Reign today? Because just around the corner,
32:53
David is going to be exalted and he's going to sit upon a throne
32:58
and he will Usher in peace and security and surely, these men
33:02
will know a certain reward for choosing to serve David when it
33:07
costs them so much. So now it's hard now, it's
33:13
difficult. You have to put up with a lot,
33:15
but what is this brief moment? It is literally a breath and
33:19
compared to Eternity and there is a time when Jesus will come
33:23
and Rule and reign in this world and he will rid of Satan who has
33:28
been ruining this world as he's running this world and you and I
33:32
will know a sigh of relief that will echo down into the ages and
33:37
we will I'm sure if our minds allow us to to think to
33:42
ourselves. Why did We complain?
33:45
Why did we Pat out though that I would have suffered more o that
33:50
I would have sacrificed more and light of the glories that we are
33:53
enjoying today. We are not judged for all
33:55
eternity. We are spared and not just spare
34:00
but we are enjoying the riches of Christ being exalted.
34:03
Like these men will enjoy so much reward for choosing David
34:08
and not being among those who were slain And so we see that.
34:14
Yeah, all his men did. But there was a little Remnant,
34:17
a small little pocket of men who avoided it.
34:20
Who avoided it? Yes, a small little pocket.
34:23
You know, the more I walk with Jesus, the more I realize how
34:25
narrow the narrow road is man. It's really narrow more narrow
34:30
than I thought when I start walking with Jesus, But what
34:35
keeps a Believer walking when they feel their shoulders
34:39
rubbing against? The very narrowness of that
34:43
path. What's to come?
34:46
It'll be worth it when we see Jesus exalted. and so we see
34:52
that in verse 7, We're not going to cover that men of Israel,
34:57
fled certain men. Knowing what happened in the
34:59
Philistines came and occupied certain regions, but look at
35:02
verse 8, the next day, when the Philistines came to strip, the
35:06
slain, they found Saul and his three sons, fallen on Mal
35:09
gilboa. So they cut off his head and
35:13
stripped off his armor and sent Messengers throughout the land
35:16
of the Philistines to carry the good news to the house of their
35:19
idols. And to the people, So, it's all
35:24
you're worried about being mistreated.
35:30
They decapitated you and they're about to hang you like an
35:32
ornament in their walls. But I looked at this, and a
35:37
certain portion of its stood out to me in the King James and new
35:42
King. James, it doesn't say to carry
35:44
the good news. It would just say to publish it,
35:46
which is the same concept that he is to be in the nasb would
35:49
say. They came to carry the good news
35:52
to the house of their idols. And to the people we killed saw,
35:55
we killed his sons. We got their King.
35:57
We got their leader. And here's what came to mind
36:01
when I read this today. What was good news for the
36:06
enemies of God is bad news for the people of God.
36:11
What was good news for the enemies of God.
36:14
Is bad news for the people of God.
36:17
Now flip it. it is often the case that what is good news,
36:23
what is good news for the people of God is seen as horrific news
36:30
for those who are unbelieving and are enemies of God, And I
36:34
can't think of a more relevant application to that principle
36:38
than the recent leak. Of the document from the Supreme
36:44
Court that is planning to overturn.
36:46
Roe v-- Wade. Me want to see how an Old
36:48
Testament story can apply to today, there is one example.
36:52
Oh, do you think that Wicked people are some Fringe minority
36:56
that live and maximum security prisons.
37:00
Now all you got to do is just take a little peek into society
37:03
itself and realize that people who have nice jobs and nice cars
37:07
and nice little white picket homes are exploding with rage.
37:11
Because they have just learned that, it's now, possible for
37:14
them to not have the easy access to murder babies.
37:17
Like they would like to Evil. Is in your neighborhood.
37:26
Wickedness is just around the corner.
37:31
And you see it in the ancient times where he was good news to
37:36
kill those who belong to the true.
37:38
God, you and I are seeing it today and we will see it only
37:43
intensify in the days to come. But I want to tell you that this
37:48
warped. Mentality is a result of the
37:51
same result of what these men are doing, worshiping, false
37:55
gods. In the form of idolatry or in
37:58
the form of self worship. When you do that and you deviate
38:03
from the Lord, you inherit strange ways of thinking and you
38:09
believe and fight for that, which is evil, and that which
38:12
God condemns When this whole thing was really at its peak and
38:18
I'm sure it's going to revisit us when it really comes closer
38:20
to the date where they're going to actually make this law.
38:23
I thought to myself, all these people chanting, we must defend
38:27
a woman's right to choose. I thought you couldn't Define a
38:30
woman. Oh no.
38:33
But men have no right to weigh in on the abortion issue will?
38:37
I thought men can now get pregnant.
38:41
Well, you know, a fetus Is Not a Human Being, or really.
38:44
So why is it that in many places?
38:46
You can be prosecuted for double homicide if you kill a pregnant
38:50
woman? This is the inconsistency, the
38:55
self-sabotaging logic that a society inherits when they
38:59
reject God. They can't even keep up with
39:02
themselves. And I'm telling you, if you
39:06
think it's ridiculous today, it's only going to get crazier.
39:10
It's only going to get more maniacal and evil and twisted,
39:14
and warped. Let me give you an example.
39:17
I want you to actually answer this question on What occasion
39:20
would you give a gift to somebody?
39:25
Christmas birthday. Yeah, happy occasions for you
39:33
Romantics when you just want to surprise your loved one and just
39:36
give something to show your appreciation, right?
39:39
Have you ever thought about giving gifts to someone?
39:41
Because to preachers died and they're happy that they don't
39:44
have to hear your sermons anymore?
39:50
Some of you look stunned. I didn't just come up with that
39:52
that's in the Bible. Yes, let me show you just an
39:56
example of what we're headed towards you.
39:57
Think we're living in evil days today.
39:59
Go to Revelation chapter 11, I want to show you something
40:01
that's quite astounding. In Revelation 11 verse 9.
40:05
We read, if we read of these two witnesses that have unusual
40:08
power and ability during the end times who will preach in a
40:13
certain way and even perform certain Miracles that will be a
40:16
testimony to a generation that the true God is, in fact alive
40:21
and well. And he commands for your
40:23
repentance and he calls for you to turn from your ways before
40:27
it's too late but in God's. Perfect Sovereign plan.
40:31
He after their testimony is Pleat will allow Satan to kill
40:35
these two witnesses and we're not going to cover who these
40:38
Witnesses could be. There's a principle that we want
40:40
to see here after these two witnesses are slain.
40:44
Notice what happens in verse 9 of Revelation, 11 for three and
40:48
a half days, some of the peoples and tribes and languages, and
40:52
Nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refused to let them
40:56
be placed in a tomb. It's why we got to read our
41:00
Bibles slowly think about it, peoples and tribes, and
41:04
languages, and Nations is that one nation or plural Nations.
41:09
Can you explain how John? Just under a hundred years
41:15
before Christ or after Christ. Saw something.
41:19
Where Nations at the same time, we're able to look at one event
41:23
in one part of the world and be able to simultaneously at the
41:27
same time, get a feed of what's Happening.
41:33
Any idea. Yes, the very thing that's in
41:36
your phone in some in our hands. And so, John even foresaw that
41:42
there is going to be an ability for Nations and tribes and
41:45
peoples to look at one event at the same time and and leading up
41:51
to our day processing. What is John seeing and now it's
41:54
like oh yeah, it's the iPhone. The Bible is amazing, isn't it?
42:02
And verse 10 and those who dwell on the earth Will Rejoice over
42:06
them and make Merry and exchanged presence because these
42:10
two prophets have been a torment to those who dwell on the Earth.
42:15
So not only are they going to broadcast it live?
42:18
The people around the world were it's going to be so depraved, so
42:22
ugly. So dark that when these two holy
42:26
righteous, men who will perform Miracles are finally dead, they
42:30
will send gifts to each other as though it was Christmas.
42:37
And I looked at that word torment, they were a torment to
42:41
those who dwell on the earth and that were torment is not used
42:45
often in the Book of Revelation. And when I said, where else is
42:48
tormented, use the exact same word, where is it used in the
42:51
even in the original and I realized just three chapters
42:55
later, you see it again and notice the context in which the
42:58
same word torment is brought up when it speaks about hell.
43:03
To those who take the mark of the beast, to those who worship
43:08
the Antichrist and verse 10 of Revelation, 14.
43:11
Look what the Bible says, he will also drink.
43:13
This is the consequence that judgment the wine of God's Wrath
43:18
poured, full strength into the cup of his anger and he will be
43:22
tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the Holy
43:27
Angels and in the presence of the Lamb, the same word torment,
43:31
so make the connection. Check this out.
43:35
The word used to describe the, the horrible pain and suffering,
43:41
that will come upon those who reject Christ and embrace.
43:44
The Antichrist is the very same word that is used to describe
43:48
the reaction of those who hear the preaching of two Godly men.
43:54
It was held to them. They don't want to hear the
43:59
truth. They didn't want to hear that.
44:01
They needed to repent. They didn't want to hear that.
44:04
God was coming. And so it was held to their
44:08
soul. The same way, it will be
44:11
literal. Hell for those who reject
44:13
Christ. Can you imagine that?
44:15
Can you imagine being so depraved to be tormented by
44:20
something that is happening right now?
44:23
I've seen some really disappointed faces while
44:26
preaching I've seen some but I've never seen somebody
44:30
tormented. That day is coming.
44:34
Consider that. And we scroll down here and are
44:38
taxed as we close very briefly, very soon.
44:42
Rather and verse 10, they put his armor in the temple of
44:46
ashtaroth and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.
44:51
But when the inhabitants of Jabez Gilead heard what the
44:54
Philistines had done to Saul all the Valiant men are rose and
44:58
went all night and took the body of Saw and the bodies of his
45:00
sons from the wall of Beth Chan and they came to jabish and
45:04
burned them. They're the reason why they
45:05
burned them. It's perhaps the stench.
45:09
There were so decomposed, they were so rotting.
45:11
That the best thing to do is to just burn them, it wasn't
45:14
because that was their primary choice.
45:17
Verse 13 and they took their bones and buried them under the
45:21
tamarisk. Tree and jabish and fasted 7
45:24
days. Look at verse 12.
45:29
All the Valiant men arose. Very dark chapter.
45:38
I mean, it's ends the book in a low. but there's a glimmer of
45:43
hope here and somebody made the wonderful observation, remember,
45:47
Saul, the king died, all of Israel's Army vanquished, yet at
45:53
the same time though, it seems such so despairing and so,
45:59
Filled with hopelessness. God had a king ready to be
46:04
exalted. He's waiting there.
46:07
And so these men thought that they had the king and the
46:10
kingdom, Destroyed and yet God and in a moment has another king
46:16
ready to be raised up destroyed all the armies of Israel.
46:21
Well looking for swallow, there are there are Valiant men still
46:24
in Israel. And here's the point, God always
46:27
has a people God always has a people listen.
46:35
I don't know about you that bless me especially with the
46:39
condition of the church in the west.
46:41
When all we've been seeing is a highlight reel of failures in
46:44
ministries, and administers always seen is one giant fall
46:49
after the next, some, even questionable in their walk with
46:52
the Lord to begin with. But who have a name big enough
46:56
to cause the, the Philistines of Our Generation.
46:59
To boast in their gods and boast in their way of life to say.
47:03
This is what this is the failure that the people of God are we
47:05
want nothing to do with them. They are weak.
47:07
They can't even stay consistent with our own convictions.
47:10
With all of that that's happening.
47:12
God still has a people. God is still raising up faithful
47:16
anointed leaders and God still has a remnant of valiant
47:20
courageous God-fearing. People always throughout all of
47:24
history that has always been the case, the choice you and I have
47:29
is whether we Want to be a part of that or not, and we all have
47:32
that choice. But here's my question, why the
47:37
men of Jabez Gilead? Why did they honor Saul?
47:42
Why did they show this? Great respect even risking their
47:46
own lives to go into enemy territory and to try to pull
47:48
down their bodies. Why any idea
48:02
Very good. Lord.
48:03
Did you hear the answer? This is not the first time that
48:05
we see JBS Gilead. In fact, jabish Gilead.
48:09
Is found just a few moments after Saul was truly anointed to
48:14
be king. And that's in first Samuel, 11,
48:17
and I want you to turn there very briefly, just to see what's
48:19
happening there. And first Samuel 11, The
48:24
ammonites threatened, a group of Israelites from jabish Gilead.
48:30
In verse 1. Then the hash the am and I went
48:32
up and besieged jabish Gilead and all the men of jabish.
48:35
Said than the hash make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.
48:39
But in the hash, the ammonites said to them on this condition,
48:42
I will make a treaty with you that I gouge out all your right
48:45
eyes and thus bring disgrace on all Israel.
48:48
You want to make a deal, here's the deal.
48:49
I won't kill you. Just let me make you all blind
48:51
at least with half your vision. They bring this news to saw the
48:56
spirit of God rushes upon Saul and he brings a mighty
48:59
Deliverance for the citizens of Jabez Gilead.
49:04
Years passed by saw looks a lot different than he did in first
49:09
Samuel 11. And yet in his death.
49:14
The citizens and the inhabitants of Jabez Gilead said he
49:17
delivered us. We must honor him.
49:21
We must respect him, he did something for us, we must do
49:26
something for him. Now we can apply that principle
49:29
in our need to honor on a horizontal level but what
49:34
greater motivation than to realize, what we what we must
49:38
give to Christ. We must give to him.
49:43
He is not an imperfect King. He is not a sporadic King, he
49:48
always is faithful. He doesn't just deliver us at
49:52
one time, he continues to deliver us and save us and
49:57
rescue us. And if that is the case, then
50:00
should we not risk it all to honor him?
50:05
Should we not? I remember when I first got
50:07
saved. And we did some little thing at
50:11
a church, a little skit. And they asked me to do as I
50:13
can. Okay, I'll do it.
50:15
So I just wanted to be nice. And they asked me to share a few
50:19
lines at the end of The Skit. So I did and it was all about
50:22
how Christ sacrificed for us and so I made the point if Christ
50:27
had sacrificed so much for him for us.
50:30
How much more should we sacrifice for him?
50:35
Amen. Amen.
50:35
Amen. Currents close.
50:37
You know and then I guess somebody in the crowd didn't
50:40
like what I said. And so they came up to me and
50:44
they said You know, you said, if Christ sacrificed so much for
50:49
us, what should we sacrifice for him?
50:53
And he said, brother, Christ's sacrifice everything.
50:55
We don't need to do anything for him.
51:00
And I had so many questions in that moment.
51:03
But I thought to myself, do you understand the depth of his
51:06
sacrifice? Do you understand the depth of
51:10
his sacrifice? Does it make you a mobile?
51:15
Is that the Revelation that you have that it makes you just sit
51:19
on your your hands? You see what Jeb has Gilly.
51:24
I did this great campaign. To honoring Saul was all pumping
51:31
from a heart filled with one thing and that's gratitude.
51:36
And that is the greatest quality of service to Christ when it
51:41
comes from the stream of Thanksgiving.
51:46
If not you will burn yourself out, if not, you will easily
51:51
fall into the pit of legalism. If what we're doing is not from
51:56
the place of Thanksgiving them. Why are we doing it?
51:59
Is it performance-based, is it? Because it's our duty?
52:04
What everything that you and I do comes from gratitude and the
52:09
depth of our gratitude comes from the depth of the revelation
52:11
of what he's done and that will affect the depth of our service
52:14
to him. So when somebody says something
52:18
like that to me just I don't know what it was but Only thing
52:24
I left from there was perhaps this man does not understand
52:26
what Christ deserves. Yes, we don't work to save
52:29
ourselves, that's that's basic. But what comes about in your
52:34
life when you reflect on what he's done and what jabish Gilead
52:37
is doing with something that happened years ago and you and I
52:41
likewise do something today based on what happened, 2,000
52:45
years ago, that affected you now that change you now, I would
52:50
love to end there but there's a verse left and verse 13 and
52:54
that's where I would like us to end and they took their bones
52:57
and buried them under the tamarisk.
52:59
Tree and jabish and fasted seven days.
53:03
The Bible does not give details for no reason.
53:05
Sometimes the Revelation is in the small minut details and
53:09
here's the detail. Why do I need to know what kind
53:11
of trees saw was buried under? Do you know why?
53:20
Because this is not the first time that a tamarisk tree.
53:25
Is mentioned alongside with Saul.
53:29
And it's very significant to realize the last place where
53:32
Saul is mentioned sitting under this kind of tree and connecting
53:36
it with where he ends his life. The last time where Saul is seen
53:41
with a tamarisk tree, is in 1st Samuel, 5:40, and that is the
53:45
official. Last verse of this Bible study?
53:48
When you go there, you'll notice something quite powerful. 22:6.
53:54
Now Saul heard that David was discovered and the men who were
53:58
with him saw was sitting at gibeah under the tamarisk tree
54:02
on the height with his spear in his hand and all his servants
54:05
were standing about him. Do you remember this study?
54:09
Saul was at one of his greatest Heights or you can say greatest
54:13
Lowe's. With his jealousy and his pride
54:17
in his envy and here he is sitting underneath this tree
54:19
with a spear in his hand. And he is so consumed with rage
54:25
and so overwhelmed with evil that he even commands the priest
54:33
from knob to be slaughtered because he thought that there
54:36
were conspiring against him by helping David.
54:40
And so this man who's sitting in this position of authority but
54:44
not just Authority, who is sitting and using his authority
54:47
to perform. Great evil to satisfy his pride
54:50
to satisfy the lust of the flesh.
54:52
Check this out. God has a, such a wonderful
54:56
sense of humor. Kills him.
55:01
And has him buried by the bones, under the same type of tree.
55:08
And I think there's a statement there.
55:11
And here's the statement. God knows how to Humble the
55:17
proud. And the very same place, where
55:23
you exercised, your evil and your sin, and thought that you
55:28
were Untouchable and thought that you were surrounded by
55:31
supporters and thought you had so much Authority.
55:34
That very same place. Can become your grave, Listen,
55:41
God knows how to Humble the proud and he can do it in very
55:47
creative ways. And so he would not be known as
55:53
the great commander, who sat under the tamarisk tree, he
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would be known as the man who was decapitated, brutalized who
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failed in his mission and was buried under the tamarisk tree.
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May God help us finish? Well, May God help us finish?
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Well, I don't want to just start really well.
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I want to finish well. I want to finish with on or not
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before men. I want to finish with with God's
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Commendation in my life. What use is it what use is it if
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men right about you or praise you who cares?
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But to know that we bring a smile to his face face because
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no matter what's all new in his life, no matter what kind of
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satisfaction that he would enjoy with the moments that he
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received some kind of recognition.
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All of that would fade as he stood before the glory of God.
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God. So keep that in mind as we end
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this book, what better way of ending it with the thought of
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Lord, help me finish. Well, And please, if you are
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sitting in a position like Saul was at one point where you think
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you can hold onto your sin and cos more sin.
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And entertain it with no Consequence.
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The Lord is so merciful, he will get your attention.
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He will let you experience his Mercy.
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He will wake you up with his goodness.
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All these things will come about but there comes a point where he
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says enough is enough. Have to put an end to this.
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And he did it with Saul and what awaits us.
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What awaits us saw was the big problem, right?
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He's out of the way, he's out of the way.
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It's done. Now, it's just going to be a
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Utopia and Israel. No, no.
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We have a whole nother book with a brand new challenges with
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brand new Revelations that come with it.
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Let's just ask the Lord to help us.
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Lord, we thank you for this study.
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And we asked you from the bottom of our hearts.
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Oh God. Please, please help us live for
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you, right? Thank you.
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Lord, that you still have a Remnant, thank you, Lord, that
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you still have a plan that in these dark days, Laura things
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are still under your control. Lord, we just ask that in these
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times, we would be found among those who are courageous and
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faithful unto you. Although we thank you for Jesus.
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We choose to live for him now before Heaven, before painless
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existence, before glories, that will in rapturous Lord, when
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it's difficult when it's hard, when it's challenging, we choose
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to pledge our allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ.
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And even if it's a small number or God, we still want to be in
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that number. Lord, let these truths change
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us, and Lord, prepare us for this next study, be with us as
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you've been with us, in 1st Samuel in Jesus mighty name we
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pray, amen. Amen.
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Even before we sing, here's, there's benefit to this from
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time to time. Sometimes, I don't want us to
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just go with the routine because we go on autopilot mode, just,
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just where you're sitting right now.
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As we end this book, Reflect on all that you've heard in the
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past few weeks and months. I know it can be overwhelming to
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think about but just something that you maybe even just from
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today. Apply it and then bring it
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before the Lord, and just speak to the Lord.
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And just, we'll just spend a few moments doing that.
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Lord. I believe you're the same God
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that, I, that I just heard about and Lord, I'm just asking you to
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do a work in my heart. And even if your dull and even
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if you were distracted, this entire Bible study, which is
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very possible. Tell him tell him to help you
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tell him to rescue from that place.
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After that, we will fellowship and we will laugh and we will
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enjoy ourselves, but just in this moment between you and God
1:00:02
and just if you guys can play softly, just something softly,
1:00:04
just even the guitar and then we will sing together and then we
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will move forward, okay? Just fellowship with the Lord.