Introducing Saul (part 1)

Weekly Bible Study - I Samuel 9:1-16

The people of Israel want a king. God in his mercy and his overall sovereignity prepares one for them. We get a first glimpse of him in this passage.

Saul has a number of striking attributes. He is from a prominent family (albeit from a small tribe), he is impressive - "a young man without equal among the Israelites" - and tall, standing a whole head taller than all the others.

We are introduced to Saul when he goes looking for his father's donkeys. While he obeys his father, we do not see fruit. The donkeys are not found by him and instead since he and his servant have been wandering for some time, he says that they had better start for home since his father would begin worrying about them.

Contrast this to David, who we will be meeting later - a young man who we see consistently and faithfully (and fruitfully) fulfilling his father's commands.

When Saul decides to go back, we start to get our first glimpse of who Saul is on the inside.

Saul's servant suggests that they meet the man of God who lives in the local town. Saul seems to have no idea about the greatest Judge - Samuel. Saul's spiritual poverty is further shown when he says that he has nothing to give the man of God. It looks like Saul is used to giving fees for spiritual services.

Contrast this ignorance with God's choice of Saul. Before he meets up with Samuel, God has told Samuel that the man to be made leader of Israel would meet Samuel the next day.

God had told Samuel that He had heard the cry of the people of Israel and that Saul would deliver the people from their Philistine oppressors.

Look at the difference between this first king of Israel - and the King of Kings - who was to come and fulfill the Kingship that God has established.

Jesus was born to a royal family - but one without any standing - a poor carpenter / builder (what we call a 'Mistry') who was unable to pay for a lamb to offer at his dedication in the temple. Jesus' family lived in an obscure part of the country and as a small child he fled with his parents into exile because an evil king wanted to kill him.

Jesus was not handsome. The only reference we have to his appearance is the prophetic picture in Isaiah 53.2b which says: "he had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him." Jesus' appearance was plain (by our twisted human standards) in contrast to Saul's handsome, striking appearance.

Jesus, the King of Kings, knew his destiny. He was not like Saul who was chasing donkeys only to stumble upon a man of God. The gospel tells us that Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, in favour of God and man (Luke 2.52). As a 12 year-old Jesus knew enough of the scripture to be able to ask deep questions and amazed the religious leaders of the day. But yet, with all his knowledge he still humbles himself and obeys his earthly parents - returning to the dusty village of Nazareth.

Where are you and I in this picture? We are all much like Saul in so many ways. Dripping with talent and potential - but largely fruitless in our lives. In the presence of God's people but ignorant about the most basic spiritual truths. Being given so many privileges but unable to make any lasting use of them.

May we be transformed into who Jesus is.

As we continue to learn about Saul, let us do so with humility and fear - knowing that we are so very very like the man. And let us make real steps to allow God to change our hearts so that we may love him totally, even as his love is poured out into our lives.

We want a King!

Weekly Bible Study: 1 Samuel 8

At the end of Samuel's career he does what every proud father want to do: he appoints his two sons to succeed him in the same job. But the character of the two men quickly becomes clear - they are swayed by money and show that they are corrupt judges.

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People - even sinful people - know when their judges are crooked. Samuel's sons failed the test - and the elders come to Samuel and say: we want a king.

There is a lot here to unpack, but we will just look at two aspects of the story: Samuel's reaction and God's to the demand for a king.

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Samuel's reaction

How do you feel when someone does not appreciate you or your work? Are you hurt? Samuel was. He does not contest the failure of his sons. But when God talks to him God tells him that it is not Samuel the people have rejected but God. Having served all his life as a judge and priest - to have heard from the people that we do not want another judge but a king must have been taken as a slap in the face for Samuel.

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But look what Samuel does.

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He talks to God. The Bible said: "this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord."

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How many of our problems could be nipped in the bud if we followed this example. Samuel speaks to God and tells Him what is on his heart. And while talking to God he is able to listen to what God tells him. How much we need to be in this place. Listening. Hearing. Allowing God to speak to us. Allowing Him to give us consel and comfort.

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God frames the picture for Samuel. Its not about Samuel after all. Its all about the people's relationship with Him. These are good friends talking to each other. A lifetime of talking to God for Samuel. A lifetime that you and I can also enjoy - if we choose to.

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God's reaction

Look at the great patience God has. Samuel has just finished an exemplary life of service. The Israelites have experienced God's power in their lives. But instead of turning to God and reaffirming their allegiance to Him as the one true God, we see that they have their eyes fixed on the nations around them.

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The solution to all their problems - according to the Israelites - was to have a physical king. Note the fantasy element here. They say that they want a king "to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles" (v 20). How totally opposite to real kings. Its the young men of the people who are drafted into the army and herded off to fight the battles for the kings. Its the blood of the young who pave the way for the king's power time and time again.

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Samuel speaks from God and tells the people what the kings will do. They will take the hard earned produce of the people for themselves. They will conscript their sons into the army and into labour, their daughters to make pastries and other luxuries for the king and his court. They will live off the fat of the land and the sweat of the people's brows.

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But the people are dead set on having their fantasy. They reject God's kingship over them. A kingship that sets Israel apart from all the nations - in favour of the dominant model of a human king and a royal family.

God could have rejected his people, but He tells Samuel to listen to the people and give them their wish. God's plan already has laid the foundations for a royal kingship - for a representation of a regent who will rule as God's chosen one.

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This is the humility and greatness of God. He allows the fickle foolish demands of the people to be a vehicle for His wonderful plan of salvation for all people.

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Many years later and from the royal line of David - of Judah (fulfilling the prophecy in Gen. 49.10) comes the Saviour - Christ the Lord - King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Thunder after repentance

Weekly Bible Study

1 Samuel 7.2-17

Though we are still very much in the 'times of the Judges' - when everyone did as he saw fit' (Judges 21:25) - we now have a big change take place among the Israelites.

They start to seek the Lord - and they mourned.

20 years after the ark of the covenant had been returned to Israel - they seek the Lord - and He answers them through Samuel. Samuel boldly tells them to rid themselves of all images they were worshipping. A huge national revival meeting is held. Samuel says that he will interede with God for them...

Can you imagine yourself publicly praying to God for your whole nation - asking forgiveness and seeking restoration of the relationship between God and His people? That's what Samuel did. The boy had now grown into a man - and an acknowleged prophet - who fulfilled the job of judge as well. The people fasted and confessed.

But into this happy party some uninvited guests show up: the massed troops of the Philistine army!

A change has taken place though. Instead of fleeing. Instead of cravenly surrendering to this army, the people of Israel told Samuel - don't stop praying to the Lord our God! Their hearts had genuinely changed to understand the foundational reality of God in every situation (cf 1 Peter 1:6-7) - even a desperate one in which the massed troops were closing in on them.

Where do we turn in times of trouble? When things scare us? When everything seems to be falling apart? Do we try to work things out on our own... or hide? Do we talk to God directly - or seek out a trusted person in the church?

Our God is not silent. He showed it by thundering so loud, tht all the amassed army of the Philistines turned heel and fled in terror.

Samuel then sets up a stone which he called 'Ebenezer' saying 'Thus far has the Lord helped us'.

Where have we put up 'Ebenezers'? (I am not talking about the grand old building in Mulund!). Do we actually have any? Are our lives experiencing God's goodness in new ways - and are we being open about making this known to a dying world around us? Are we expecting God to really change situations?

Lord - please change us deeply, so that we may be able to allow Jesus to be more and more the Lord of our lives - in every matter and area.

Hooray!

Excellent to see the most excellent posts by Thomas and Ryan! Keep it up!

Anyone else out there who would like to become an author and upload what God has been telling you? If so, please contact us and we will send you an invite.

For those from our other fellowships (we have a strong Church at Samanta Nagar presence so far) - please do post! We want to hear what you are discovering in and through the Word!

Comments are also very welcome. Anyone can add comments at the bottom of the posts! Do comment!

Lets keep a dialogue going - and share how we have been growing!

what Nehemiah taught me

This is something that we learnt in Church a few weeks back. We read thro' the book of Nehemiah .I will be sharing some of the thoughts.

Nehemiah lived at a time when the Israelites had returned from exile. Nehemiah himself served at the King's palace in Persia. Then someone tells Nehemiah
about the situation back in Jerusalem- the city was not fortified ,as the city wall had not yet been rebuilt ; as a result the Jews were losing intermarrying with outsiders
and mixing in with foreign culture, and thus losing their identity.
What happens next is noteworthy -Nehemiah mourned , fasted and wept before the Lord . Nehemiah was cupbearer to the king , a very important position .So this really shows a part of what Nehemiah was on the inside - he was humble , and was concerned about the things that mattered to God.
Next, we read that Nehemiah manages to get the king's approval to go back to Jerusalem and start the rebuilding process. Ch 3-6 describes how the wall was completed. But it doesn't stop there; the people of Israel confess their sins before God and make a pledge to obey Him.

When you reflect on all of this, we see that building the wall was not "the thing" for Nehemiah; it was just a part of it. He had come to turn the hearts of his people back to God. Anyway what security can a wall provide if God is not with you!
God used Nehemiah mightily. These days’ companies hire the best of managers and specialists in order to get the best results. But that's not how God looks at people .God saw in Nehemiah a man who was dedicated to do His will, a humble man who was willing to stoop down from his high position to do such a thing as building a wall. And when God called him, nothing on earth could stop him.
There is an important lesson to learn from this: We need not possess great skills to do great things .God only expects that we serve Him faithfully in whatever we do- that's what God considers great.
This line of thought is so contrary to the world's set of ideas .But then this is what sets the Bible apart from other ideologies.

To sum it up, I would say that living for God's glory and responding to God's calling is the greatest thing you can achieve in life. Nehemiah could testify to this. Can we say the same about our lives too?

Fish

This week I was reading the story of the calling of Peter, Andrew, James & John from Luke 5.

At first the most striking incident in this passage appears to be the great haul of fish. Jesus asks Peter to lower his net in deep water.Peter ,though reluctant does what Jesus asks. And then they catch this amazing amount of fish that fills 2 boats so that they begin to sink.

But this time I read this passage I found something even more amazing. Notice what these fishermen did with this fish.Did they sell it for a huge sum of money?Or did they eat to their hearts content?No they left it and followed Jesus.Why??

Peter and his fishing mates saw the hand of God behind this catch.They were no longer interested in their catch. They had found something better.They had found someone greater.

Something I asked my self,

"Am I too interested in the fish??"

Chai Chats with the Eichers: Cleft palate

Chai Chats with the Eichers: Cleft palate

Playing with fire

Weekly Bible Study: 1 Samuel 6 (contd.)

We ended up the last post with the good news that the ark was home. Rejoicing all around. The hapless cows sacrificed at the great rock in the field of a man called Salvation.

Everything seems perfect.

But then things go horribly wrong.

The men of Israel want to see what is inside the ark.

These men will have undoubtably heard what was going on in the neighbouring Philistine cities over the past 7 months. But hearing about the strong hand of God was not enough. They had to see what was inside.

God's anger burns against them. At least 70 die.

These are priests - descendants of Aaron. But their actions are similar to those of Eli's sons at the beginning of 1 Samuel. They treated what was holy with contempt.

God does not create 'holy objects' as such. He was quite willing to let the ark fall into Philistine hands when the Israelites believed that the ark would save them and lead them to victory.

But God will not allow his glory to be tampered with. These priestly men should have known better. The hand of God was heavy upon them - just like it was on the Philistines - God shows no partiality here.

And their response is also just like the Philistines - they ask that the ark be taken away - saying "who can stand in the presence of the Lord - this holy God?"

How tragic - and how current. So many times we do not want to be in the presence of a holy God. How often do we 'send God away'. We must remember that God will never force Himself on anyone. He respects our wills to an amazing level. Oh may we seek him with all our hearts!

The question that the Israelites ask is still the same today: who can stand in the presence of such a holy God?

The answer is found in God's word. The psalmist, writing in Psalm 24:3-6 answers by giving the qualities of the person who is able to stand in His holy place:

"He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol,
or swear by what is false" Ps. 23:4

Do any of us fulfill these conditions? No. We have all fallen astray and are rebellious to God. But praise be to God - He accepts the goodness of Christ on our behalf - and is transforming us into His nature! By His death and resurrection - we are able to stand before God!

At the same time, we must also be very careful that we do not take God for granted. We can just as much play with fire today as the men of Beth Shemesh!

God has given us many very precious and holy things. His word. His reputation. His name. His commands. His rememberance at the Lord's supper. Each one of these things is very precious. Many have died rather than deny their Lord. But what do we do? So often we take them for granted. So often we allow sin to rule in our lives - and pour contempt on that which is holy. Is it any surprise when our lives are so shallow and defeated? When our efforts end up so apparently fruitless?

We are warned in 1 Corinthians 11 to be very careful when we partake in the Lord's supper. The issue of people falling ill and dying because they took part in an unworthy manner is not just Paul making a rhetorical point. It is part of God's high standards - made even higher because of His great gift of salvation for each one of us!

Have mercy on us Lord! Forgive us for playing with fire! Mend our hearts and fellowships in the way you desire.

Does God accept wagers?

Weekly Bible Study: 1 Samuel Chapter 6

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We learned a lot at our Bible study last night, but here is one thought.

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The Philistines had had enough with the ark of the covenant. Seven months in their territory had brought only troubles. Boils and rats. Hardly pleasant stuff.

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They finally called a conference to get rid of this ark. They knew it needed to go, but the problem was how to send it away. If the God of the Israelites was so powerful, surely He needs to be appeased in some way. Interestingly, the Philistines clearly remembered how God had caused the plagues on the Egyptians - a good 300 plus years previously. Strange that those who did not worship God would remember his power. The comment they make is telling "...pay honour to Isael's god. Perhaps he will lift his hand from you and your gods and your land" (v.5).

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But at the same time, even with all these demonstrations of power, there was no turning to God - rather the Philistines wanted to send God away. Also there was a snide question - did this all happen by chance? Richard Dawkins is certainly not new - questions about chance and divine intent are as old as the hills - which is why it is so refreshing to read the Bible.

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The Philistines set up a challlenge to God. Three levels of difficulty: First: will a cart carrying the ark go back to Israel, or will it wander around willy-nilly. Second: will two cows who were never yoked (who yokes cows anyway?) pull the cart? Third: will they do so if their calves are taken away from them?

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Does God accept wagers? He certainly doesn't have to. We know that we are told "not to put the Lord our God to the test."

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But look at the mercy of God.

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He could have squashed these five Philistine rulers and their mystical (and apparently semi-agnostic) advisors.

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Instead he intervenes. The cart moves in a straight line - up the road to Israel. The cows do not move to the left or the right. They go "lowing all the way" - they are not going willingly - but are protesting loudly against whatever force is moving them away from their calves.

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And here is the icing on the cake:

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1) God doesn't take the ark to any old city in Israel - but to Beth Shemesh - a city given to Aaron's descendents - the priests of Israel (Joshua 21:13-16). If anyone is qualified to receive the ark it is these men who God has set apart for His service.

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2) The ark arrives at harvest time - when everyone is out in the fields. No hidden slipping over the border. Everyone can see with their own eyes that this has happened.

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3) The ark stops in a field of a man named Yeshua (Joshua). The ark stops in a place owned by a man called "Salvation".

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Could God have given a more fitting answer to the wager placed before Him? Sadly, the Philistine rulers - having seen God's power - turn back to their gods. How many people today do the same - having seen God's power we turn back to the second rate, the less than God, because we are more comfortable with that?

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The story could end here with all of us feeling very happy.

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But that is not the end of the story .... more in the next post.