1 samuel

Finished Samuel. Stand out points:

The way the lord blessed the Jewish people with a King even tho it went against his better judgement. It showed their disobedience and lack of trust in him, by demanding someone else to be in charge.

It was them conforming to this world and wanting a ruler like the other nations who would lead them into battle and victories. Rather than the God appointed prophet like Samuel. They were rejecting the heaven model and conforming to the worldly model. And yet he let them have their way. Why? Free will.

Saul, ruled like a worldly king. His rule became all about him and not the LORD. He gave the appearance of obeying the LORD and at crucial times did things which on the surface looked like obedience. But it was not what the LORD had asked him to do. A perfect example of doing something good for God does not equate to doing what God wants you to do.

He was replaced by someone who had the LORD's heart in mind, David.

Three stand out characters in Samuel - David, Abigail and Jonathan.

Jonathan for his faithfulness and lack of ill-feeling, jealousy or arrogance. He was just himself. He gave credit where credit was due. He didn't have any false illusions about himself. He knew that David would be a better and more deserving King. Unlike his Father, he didn't try to hold on to what was not his, he accepted who he was and the future the LORD had for him.

He thought of future generations of his line and did what he could to protect them by making a convenant with David. He believed in the LORD and stepped out in faith.

Abigail was a woman of wisdom, strength and action. She did what she could to protect her family from her husband's stupidity. She took control of the situation and was rewarded by David. She became one of his wives. If I were him I would have had her as one of my advisers because she was a serious problem solver.

David everyone knows about. What cracks me up is the physical description of him. He is someone who did not hesitate to do what he thought was right. He ran into battle against Goliath, full of confidence in his LORD. He had opportunites to kill Saul but did not. He was wise enough not believe Saul and to surround himself with trustworthy people, like Jonathan and Abigail.

He spent so much time on the run and even tho he was afraid he didn't give up. The LORD rewarded his persistence and faithfulness.

And yet I know that his unfaithfulness caused the death of an innocent man, Uriah, because he lusted after Uriah's wife - Bathsheba. How can someone who is described as having the LORD's heart in mind, do something so opposite to the LORD?

Maybe this is an answer to my question before...in a previous post. What is the strength associated with this weakness - sexual temptation. I think men who think they can do anything keep pushing the bondaries of what they can do. It comes hand in hand with confidence. You become over-confident and think because you can do anything then it's ok to do whatever you want.

It reminds me of that verse in corinthians everything is permissable but not everything is beneficial. Because I can do anything does not make it good for me.

David could do whatever he wanted. He knew no boundaries. Every man wants to be like this. To be king in their little world, to be able to do anything they want.

my niv notes describes David as having an indomitable spirit which according to my dictionary means unyielding, untiringly persistent. He never gives up but keeps trying until he succeeds. This shows up the story of him throwing himself at the LORD's mercy to save his child born out of his adultery. He didn't give up until the child died. Then he dusted himself off, ate and went back to his life.

David was not someone who dwelt on his mistakes. He stuffed up, asked for forgiveness and moved on. The LORD showed how AWESOME and faithful he is...he truly does forgive us...David's son Solomon became King. Solomon was his second son to Bathsheba. But all this isn't in 1 Samuel, I just know David's story!