I Samuel 9:3-27 - Samuel Meets Saul

I Samuel 9:3-27

About this time tomorrow I will send you a mean from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel; and he shall deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines. For have regarded My people, because their cry has come to me.

Message: Samuel Meets Saul

Time: This book is a biography of Samuel's life and career up to his death. It took place over a period of about 110 years, stretching from the closing days of the judges, when Samuel was born (ca. 1120 BC) through the death of Saul (1011 BC).

What the Lord is Saying: Tabletalk lesson on this passage begins by talking about God's providence with the premise that God "works all things according to the counsel of his will" (Eph. 1:11). Nothing is random. According to Westminster Larger Catechism 18 (Completed 1647) -- "God’s works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving, and governing all his creatures; ordering them, and all their actions, to his own glory."

Ps. 145:17 - The Lord is fair in everything he does and full of kindness. 

Ps. 104:24 - O Lord, what a variety you have made! And in wisdom you have made them all! The earth is full of your riches. 

Isa. 28:29 - The Lord Almighty is a wonderful teacher and gives the farmer wisdom. 

Heb. 1:3 - God’s Son shines out with God’s glory, and all that God’s Son is and does marks him as God. He regulates the universe by the mighty power of his command. He is the one who died to cleanse us and clear our record of all sin, and then sat down in highest honor beside the great God of heaven. 

Ps. 103:19 - The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything there is. 

Matt. 10:29-31 - Not one sparrow (What do they cost? Two for a penny?) can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t worry! You are more valuable to him than many sparrows. 

Gen. 45:7 - God has sent me here to keep you and your families alive, so that you will become a great nation. 

Rom. 11:36 - For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory. To him be glory evermore. 

Isa. 63:14 - Like cattle grazing in the valleys, so the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. Thus he gave himself a magnificent reputation.

I found these verses on a website in support of the catechism. They speak of the Lord being fair, that creation is made with God's wisdom and He regulates the universe which he orders it or keeps it in the direction it should go. He rules and the father knows it all. God sends people to achieve outcomes. He knows all that will occur. Everything is for His glory. Cattles graze, the Spirit directing them. Proverbs 16:9 - The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. So man plans, but the Lord directs the outcome. I suppose this takes me back again to God's sovereignty and understanding what this means. It is like I read these words and then wrestle with their meaning. 

I mean, I have studied this previously and seen this. It is said that God is infinite and God cannot be explained by man. We attempt. The whole subject of free will is presented and how do these ideas fit with free will. Man sins and God cannot be an author of sin and man cannot come to God on his own, as a sinner. God must intervene and direct man to Himself. Man can't make Himself on his own right with God. God makes Him right through the sacrifice of His Son - Jesus Christ. 

So God regulates all but not man's sin. He knows His Sin. He determines a path, man makes a choice, God knows the choice and while this outcome is directed by God or ordered by God, with the free will that He has given man, man is still responsible for the action. That is the idea I think. God is not responsible of man's sin but instead man is responsible and yet God orders the result of the sin which He knew would occur. I see that. 

Here is my thought: 

Man has a choice. It is A or B. There will be a result - C. God knows the result. Man chooses B. It is God's will for man to choose B, but man still makes the choice and man alone is accountable to God for that choice even though choosing B was God's will.

A is a choice for good. B is sin and man is completely responsible for this. God cannot sin and does not author sin. But God knows man will sin and it is His will for man to choose sin at times. The B choice results in an outcome of C - death. 

But for some chosen by God, instead of man receiving C, man receives D which is life. But that gift of life came about when God interceded and made it possible for man to choose A - good. Left to himself, man will always choose B. Man is incapable of choosing A without God intervening. And yet for many choosing A will still result in C - death. D only occurs when God determines that person's choosing of A will result in D for that person.

I am simply trying to understand this, but not sure if I do. For me, it is based upon the idea that all good in this world is of God. All the evil of this world is not of God because God cannot sin, but He allows the evil to occur. 

Any good that happens in this world is because of God. When I look at the fruit of the Spirit - Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control. People in this world are capable of exhibiting these. And yet, how? The presence of the Spirit is only in the believer. The believer is filled. My non-Christian friends can be people of Love, Joy, Peace, etc. But perhaps what they are choosing there is not necessarily of God, but only human acts. To forgive like Jesus forgives then that person needs to be filled with the Spirit of Christ. 

I still struggle with these ideas. I read of them but then upon dissecting them don't quite understand. 

I need to get back to the lesson here. 

I Samuel 9:3-27 - Saul is now on the scene. He is the one that the people want. The description of Saul in verse 2 is one of his appearance. That is what stands out. Not who he is on the inside, but rather his appearance. 

Verse 3 begins a story -  Donkeys owned by Kish, Saul's father are lost and Saul is to go search for them. Saul begins the trek through Ephraim, Shalishah, Shaalim, and the land of Benjaminites, but nothing. In the land of Zuph, Saul thinks they need to go back thinking his father will be concerned for Saul and others, moreso than finding donkeys. Saul knows of a man of God in this City and plans to go to him for help. And yet they need to bring him something, a gift or something for payment I suppose. The servant states that he has a shekel of silver to give. In verse 11 they arrive at the city and there are women there drawing water and they ask them for the location of the man. The young women tell them the man is coming to the city to bless a sacrifice that is taking place and this will be an opportunity to see him. The man that is coming is Samuel. The Lord had already been preparing Samuel to anoint Saul to one day deliver His people (Israel) from the hand of the Philistines. Samuel spoke to Saul, telling him the donkeys had been found. And tells him to go to the place and Samuel will come and meet with him there. A meal is prepared for Saul, a special one as Saul was placed at the head of the 30 men that were there. And Samuel speaks to Saul on the roof, proclaiming a word of God to him. 

This lesson points back to the idea started here and that is God directs events for his good purpose. Events that look like coincidences can be part of his plan. The donkeys were lost so that Saul's father would send Saul to find them and on this long trek of not finding the donkey Saul is then led to seek out a spiritual man that ends up being Samuel. And the Lord had already been preparing Samuel for this encounter. 

God directs our encounters and guides the events of our lives. He does this to bring us to a particular place for His purposes. God can use unexpected situations to bring us closer to Him. Therefore, this gives the idea that God is working all things for his good pleasure as Romans 8:28 mentions. The random events in our lives are not random. 

Do we possibly need to think of our lives differently? To not question so much why things are happening the way they are. But to keep trusting God and believing that He has a reason for these events. We keep praying which shows our dependence on Him. 

Summary: Saul's father lost donkeys and sent Saul to find them. He ends up in a city and is led to a seer which is Samuel who is there to give a special word from the Lord to Saul.

Promise: God is working out His good plans for His people even when we cannot see how all the pieces fit together.

Prayer: Lord, increase my faith. Lord, when do I make things happen and when do I not get involved in people's lives. Lord, there is a situation in my life and I feel a need to let you be master over it rather than me interjecting my solution through it. It is hard to know what to do when not doing something results in someone's hardship or intense trial. Lord, it is difficult to balance it all. There are so many with needs. It has taken me so long to get through this lesson Lord. But I thank you for the journey. I want to keep praying and talking to You. Help me to not get in the way and think it doesn't matter. Thank you for making it all work together for good. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

John 18:38b-40 - Exchanging Jesus for Barabbas

John 18:38b-40

38b And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in Him. 39 But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?” 40 So they cried out again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas.” Now Barabbas was a robber.

Message: Exchanging Jesus for Barabbas

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)." 

What the Lord is Saying: I am at the end of John 18. After going to a garden with the disciples, Judas arrives as well bringing Roman officers, chief priests and Pharisees to arrest Jesus. Jesus willingly goes. It's time, but Peter isn't ready to see Jesus leave and pulls out a sword, striking the high priest's slaves ear. Jesus tells Peter to put the sword away. Jesus is taken to a court for interrogation, first to Annas, then Caiaphas, then Pilate. Peter follows, and yet when questioned about being a disciple is recorded as being questioned by 3 people of his affiliation with Jesus and 3 times denies being a disciple/follower. Jesus had predicted this. Jesus proceeds to defend Himself from the officials questions. Throughout He speaks truth. The accusations seem unclear. Jesus wonders what is being asked of Him and defends His mission: to speak, teach in the synagogues, and be open to people. He is King, but his Kingdom is not of this world, but He has entered this world to speak Truth. 

Truth is what I see everyone wants in life. Defining themselves. Our jobs are about doing truth. Doing things right where we are planted. I am a Men's Retreat and we are seeking truth. This is who John has presented to us in His Gospel. The man of truth. It has been a simple message.

• Believe (3:12)
• Believe in Jesus (3:16)
• To enter - born of water and Spirit (3:5)
• Drink of Him, His water (4:13-14)
• Worship (4:23)
• Jesus is doing His Father's will on earth (4:34)
• Do not sin (5:14)
• Jesus gives life to whom He wishes (5:21)
• Believe and have eternal life (5:24)
• Receive Him who God sent (5:43)
• "I am the bread of life" (6:35)
• To come to Jesus, must be drawn (6:44)
• The world hates Jesus because He speaks of their evil deeds (7:7)
• If thirsty, go to Jesus and drink (7:37)
• Believe in Jesus and innermost being will flow rivers of living water (7:38)
• Follow Jesus, the light of the world, and you will have the light of life (8:12)
• Not believing results in dying in your wins (8:24)
• Abide in Jesus' words (8:31)
• Enter through Jesus, the door, to be saved (10:9)
• Jesus will lay his life down and take it up again (10:17-18)
• Jesus sheep hear His voice (10:27)
• Believe and there is life even if one dies (11:25)
• The Son of Man will be glorified (12:23)
• To believe in Jesus is to believe in God (12:44)
• Love one another (13:34)

At this point, the tone shifts to Love. It is as if people have believed and now Jesus focuses on His love and our need to love others and in the process bear fruit (15:8)

• A Helper will come (16:7) 
• He will guide you into all truth - to Glorify Jesus (16:13-14)
• Jesus wants us with Him (17:24)

This is the Truth. At least the truth John speaks of Jesus in His Gospel. And it is because of these words that when given the opportunity to release one prisoner during the Passover - Barabbas or Jesus -- Barabbas being a criminal who most likely murdered someone, they chose to release Barabbas, resulting in Jesus being condemned to death -- though not really guilty of any crime - and yet not a friend to the world, but one focused on a broader goal -- Truth for eternity. 

Interesting dichotomy here. 

People of this world are indeed stuck in this world. 

Part of me wants to absolve Pilate of being responsible for Jesus' death because He does state that he finds no guilt in Jesus. Yet, at that moment, he does not let Jesus go. I think of most scenes in a court and when a judge pronounces someone innocent, he is let go. But Pilate does not do that and instead knows that the Jews need to let someone go who is guilty. 

Verse 39 mentions a custom of releasing someone. Leviticus 16:5-10, "5 He shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. 6 Then Aaron shall offer the bull for the sin offering which is for himself, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household. 7 He shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 8 Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9 Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the Lord fell, and make it a sin offering. 10 But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat." In this scenario, there is determine to be one scapegoat or one that escapes the offering. And the process of choosing will be casting lots. Casting lots appears to be random. Proverbs 16:33 however says, "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord." What appears to be random is not random. It is a decision from the Lord. And in that decision results in one dying and one not. 

Is there anything random in this life? While up at the men's retreat, after playing guitar, the guitar player dislocated his finger and had to leave to go back to town to the emergency room. This happened while he was in bed. Someone later called it a freak accident. Yet, I wonder if it was random. Often, we think of cancer or aliments that people get as being random because you do not know when they will strike, and yet I wonder if it is all indeed random or if there is intention of the Lord. Maybe at the time we see it as being random and yet, in His perfect plan of working all things out for good (Romans 8:28) he takes seemingly random events and makes them good. Yet, how can we say this about a school shooting, a hurricane that takes the lives of thousands, a terrorist bombing, a genocide, the World War II concentration camps? Do we prefer to conclude these are random events? Perhaps it makes us feel better to not think that God could have been involved in all of this for some purpose that He decides. Those events occurred due to the choices from man, we could conclude following the result of Adam and Eve's sin. But not all. Hurricane's, Tsunami's, earthquakes, happened according to nature and winds and atmospheric pressure - yet, all of these set up by the hand of God - created as part of this world. 

Scapegoat - A person or group that is blamed for something wrong that someone else did, or made to suffer in their place. For example, "Politicians have used the financial sector as a scapegoat for the global economic crisis". In the Bible, a goat that symbolically took on the sins of the people during the Yom Kippur ceremony and was then sent into the wilderness. The term was coined in 1530 by Protestant scholar William Tyndale during his translation of the Hebrew Bible into English.

Other Verses:

Leviticus 19:4 - Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods; I am the Lord your God. 

Matthew 27:15-21 - 15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. 17 So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over. 19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. 21 But the governor said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.”

Luke 23:18-25 - 18 But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” 19 (He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder.) 20 Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, 21 but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!” 22 And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” 23 But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. 24 And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted. 25 And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will.

I John 5:21 - Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

Interesting that these others verses that accompany this reading are references to idolatry. In choosing Barabbas, the one chosen was not the real thing, but an impostor. So on one hand, their was a chose, a rather obvious one in that the innocent one was not chosen. And yet as mentioned earlier, it was not random. Thus, in the choosing, in what appeared to be random - it wasn't. 

Summary: Pilate states Jesus is innocent, but he remains a prisoner and the chief priests must determine between Jesus and Barabbas, the murderer. Barabbas is chosen to be spared. 

Promise: Both this (Jesus) and the other goat (Barabbas) typified Christ; this in his death and passion for us, that in his resurrection for our deliverance.

Prayer: Lord, I am still trying to understand this passage of scripture and how it relates to Leviticus 16. But, I do know you were chosen as it would seem, though innocent, to take on our sin. The lot fell to Barabbas to be set free and yet as the thief, his sin and all of our sin was transferred to Jesus, the ultimate scapegoat for the sins of all people. Thank you God for knowing what we need always and in all things I submit and surrender to You and accept what You provide. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

Proverbs 16:33 - Lord Over Chance

Proverbs 16:33 - The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.

Message: - Lord Over Chance

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

As I read through scripture it is clear that the mind of God is different from the mind of man. Man tends to reason most of the time that in order for God to be real then he must fit into our thinking. The fact that He is different and stands outside of our reasoning abilities and knowledge makes many think he is therefore not real. Again, there is the trust and belief that there is something greater than yourself. The Christian believes that the only way to define life is through a Creator. The non-believer often makes the assumption that life is not left to a creator but from natural phenomena. 

It is interesting and in this verse, in Proverbs, both sides of the coin--lot/chance and ordained from God--seem to be presented. 

The lot is cast
This was a common form of divination in the ancient world in order to determine the divine will of certain matters. We do this today thinking often if we flip open the Bible, the verse it lands on will be our verse for the day or even for our life. And gambling has become such a way of life for many people; the whole idea with gambling is chance and this thinking then seeps into life as well.  

This is one of the things I find interesting about life. There are constantly different messages that are sent in life and they all play into the way we live life and make decisions and think about our lives. the more we spend our time away from the Bible and away from the things of God, the less we think about God and His ways and the more our lives end up getting defined by the world.

I feel a slave to this more and more. I let things happen versus being more intentional for things to happen.

The casting of lots was a common form of divination in the ancient world, a device used to discover the will of the gods. This method of discerning the will of the true God was not forbidden in ancient Israel, for the Lord ruled even over lots. 

Every decision is from the Lord. 
When the lot was properly used the answer was not a matter of chance, but came from God. It is not that casting lots is wrong or bad. Proverbs 18:18 says, "the cast lot puts an end to strife and decides between the mighty ones." Decisions need to be made in life and the casting of lots provides a decision.

What this verse states is the casting of lots is a decision from the Lord. I think often in life we just feel it is easier for our brains to state that outcomes are by chance or even based upon karma (from Hinduism or Buddhism whereby the sum of a person's actions is this life or a previous life are seen as deciding their fate in future existences, which could be this life or another life). I think we often have these conclusions because we are comfortable with the thought that we decide our fates.

It reminds me of those pictures that I have seen: there is the one where one person sees an old lady while another sees a young girl. Both are looking at the same picture and both are seeing two different types of women. As I read scripture it seems clear that God has determined outcomes and he has knowledge of results. But, also as I read scripture I see that man, based upon his own reasoning abilities, thinks he will reap what he sows. Can these ideas coexist? I think so. I think man can see and define things from his own perspective, but ultimately, he can also see that God is in charge. I don't think man can take on a passive approach to life and not try. I believe God uses man to effect change. He doesn't have to, but he does. I don't think God intends man to not be involved in His outcomes.

Note: I think this is a difficult text for my finite mind to comprehend. It is difficult for me to think that God does ordain all activity. So, is there no free will? Just our perception that there is. Our brain is finite so this is how we think and live, but this verse gives the impressions that every decision is from the Lord. That seems hard to fathom. There are horrible atrocities that have occurred throughout human history. There are many things that have occurred that we have no knowledge of. There are many trying to make sure these things don't happen again. There is the phrase, "The human spirit" which gives the idea that man is desiring for things to be more holistic and purposeful and preserving life. But, is this actually God in man exerting his will of things more for his glory? God definitely intends his people, that He created and made in His image, to see that their lives are under His control. Is that man's purpose? Does God give man the faculty to think and live, but all the while "every decision is from the Lord." Those are two ways of looking at life that do seem hard to wrap my mind around. Ephesians 1:11 says, "also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will." It is clear Paul believed this. His words speak of being "predestined" or "called" or "created for good works which God decided beforehand." And then the whole idea of Christ dying for us means that salvation is not of us, but of Him alone. 

Promise: From TableTalk, "February 18, 2015" - "There is no ultimate randomness in the world. Even outcomes that seem to be pure chance, such as the casting of a lot (throwing a pair of dice) are divinely ordained." Though I question events and circumstances and outcomes, my goal always is to trust God for his outcome.