1st Samuel 15
This is an important chapter for many reasons. First of all, God directed Saul to kill every man, woman, child and all livestock of the Amalekites because they fought against Moses and God's people when they were leaving Egypt (Deut 25:17-19).
Also, they had remnants of the giants with them, and God wanted those satanic hybrids to be destroyed. This is the main reason for killing all the people, instead of just the men. There was an evil culture in those people, both in their blood, and in their customs. They were pagan and satanic, and God didn't want them to influence His people away from Him. My kids ask, "Couldn't God control that?" I tell them He would've, but He did give us free will, so in order for the Jews to truly follow Him, they needed to obey and strive to be holy.
God has His reasons and purposes, and if we look into this, we catch a glimpse of why God wanted Agag and his people destroyed. We will see later, that the Amalekites took credit for the death of Saul, and during the time of Esther, Haman was a descendant of Agag. Haman killed many Jews and wanted to kill all of them.
(v.11) Much like in Gen 6:6, God was saddened by His people. He so wanted them (and wants us now) to love and follow Him. Samuel was sad as well, and we see here that Samuel actually loved Saul.
(v.13) Saul digs his own grave by building a monument for himself, and telling Samuel that the reason he got the livestock, was to offer to God!
(vv.15,21) I take notice with my kids that Saul, when speaking to Samuel, referred to God as Samuel's God...not "our God." This is quite telling of Saul's spirit. He went along with things, but he truly didn't believe in God. We can all think of friends and family who are like Saul. They may go to church, but there is no intimacy with God and passion that comes from one who is born-again.
(v.22) This is very telling to all of us...God wants us to live for Him by His commandments, than rather live a worldly life and go through the confessions and rituals without repentance. God forgives if we repent...He doesn't forgive before we repent.
This is another opportunity to teach my kids the meaning of repentance. It doesn't mean that you feel bad, and ask for forgiveness. It is a literal turning your back on your worldly actions of the past, and facing God again. Repentance is returning to God.
If there is a lifestyle or sin that keeps us stumbling, then we just can't feel bad and do it again thinking that God will forgive. He will forgive, but only if we change and turn away from that sinful lifestyle or deed.
I remind my kids that we all stumble back into our old ways now and again, but it will happen less frequently, and will not control us if we have His Spirit in us.
(v.33) This is how bad it got...a priest, Samuel, had to do the job king Saul should have done. Samuel shows an example of righteous anger here, and obeys God.
1st Samuel 16
(v.1) Samuel mourned for Saul, but God tells him that He has a true king to rule over His people. Jesse is a grandson of Boaz, and a descendant of Judah. As Jacob prophesied in Gen 49:10, the kings shall rule from the tribe of Judah. Jesus is to be in this line of kings.
(v.4) Along with Micah 5:2, we see that Bethlehem is the little town that would produce two kings...the first David, and then the King of Kings, Jesus!
Once again, God uses the little things and little people for big purposes! The firstborn status was given to the youngest of the sons, David. Like Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses...God uses the least likely sons to do great things.
I love how both Moses and David were shepherds...they both are types of Christ...our Great Shepherd.
(v.14) Here we see that God's Spirit left Saul...what a tragic thing to read! In the OT, God had not sent His Spirit to indwell amongst believers, but to come upon them. His Spirit was done with Saul, and never again came upon him...how sad and tragic.
(v.21) David knew that God was going to make him king, but he still showed respect and love for Saul...the current king. This is a great example to us today...we may have a boss, a politician or some other authority that we don't like, but we are still to respect and obey all that God puts into authority.
This is an important chapter for many reasons. First of all, God directed Saul to kill every man, woman, child and all livestock of the Amalekites because they fought against Moses and God's people when they were leaving Egypt (Deut 25:17-19).
Also, they had remnants of the giants with them, and God wanted those satanic hybrids to be destroyed. This is the main reason for killing all the people, instead of just the men. There was an evil culture in those people, both in their blood, and in their customs. They were pagan and satanic, and God didn't want them to influence His people away from Him. My kids ask, "Couldn't God control that?" I tell them He would've, but He did give us free will, so in order for the Jews to truly follow Him, they needed to obey and strive to be holy.
God has His reasons and purposes, and if we look into this, we catch a glimpse of why God wanted Agag and his people destroyed. We will see later, that the Amalekites took credit for the death of Saul, and during the time of Esther, Haman was a descendant of Agag. Haman killed many Jews and wanted to kill all of them.
(v.11) Much like in Gen 6:6, God was saddened by His people. He so wanted them (and wants us now) to love and follow Him. Samuel was sad as well, and we see here that Samuel actually loved Saul.
(v.13) Saul digs his own grave by building a monument for himself, and telling Samuel that the reason he got the livestock, was to offer to God!
(vv.15,21) I take notice with my kids that Saul, when speaking to Samuel, referred to God as Samuel's God...not "our God." This is quite telling of Saul's spirit. He went along with things, but he truly didn't believe in God. We can all think of friends and family who are like Saul. They may go to church, but there is no intimacy with God and passion that comes from one who is born-again.
(v.22) This is very telling to all of us...God wants us to live for Him by His commandments, than rather live a worldly life and go through the confessions and rituals without repentance. God forgives if we repent...He doesn't forgive before we repent.
This is another opportunity to teach my kids the meaning of repentance. It doesn't mean that you feel bad, and ask for forgiveness. It is a literal turning your back on your worldly actions of the past, and facing God again. Repentance is returning to God.
If there is a lifestyle or sin that keeps us stumbling, then we just can't feel bad and do it again thinking that God will forgive. He will forgive, but only if we change and turn away from that sinful lifestyle or deed.
I remind my kids that we all stumble back into our old ways now and again, but it will happen less frequently, and will not control us if we have His Spirit in us.
(v.33) This is how bad it got...a priest, Samuel, had to do the job king Saul should have done. Samuel shows an example of righteous anger here, and obeys God.
1st Samuel 16
(v.1) Samuel mourned for Saul, but God tells him that He has a true king to rule over His people. Jesse is a grandson of Boaz, and a descendant of Judah. As Jacob prophesied in Gen 49:10, the kings shall rule from the tribe of Judah. Jesus is to be in this line of kings.
(v.4) Along with Micah 5:2, we see that Bethlehem is the little town that would produce two kings...the first David, and then the King of Kings, Jesus!
Once again, God uses the little things and little people for big purposes! The firstborn status was given to the youngest of the sons, David. Like Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses...God uses the least likely sons to do great things.
I love how both Moses and David were shepherds...they both are types of Christ...our Great Shepherd.
(v.14) Here we see that God's Spirit left Saul...what a tragic thing to read! In the OT, God had not sent His Spirit to indwell amongst believers, but to come upon them. His Spirit was done with Saul, and never again came upon him...how sad and tragic.
(v.21) David knew that God was going to make him king, but he still showed respect and love for Saul...the current king. This is a great example to us today...we may have a boss, a politician or some other authority that we don't like, but we are still to respect and obey all that God puts into authority.
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