Putting Under the Ban Part 1

# 200 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:2,3 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. 3 'Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'" (1 Sam 15:2,3) This is one of those verses that atheists love to pounce on to justify their rejection and hatred of God. In the next couple of days, Lord willing and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I will try to clarify this difficult biblical concept of what is literally called “putting to the ban.” We read of this “ban” in Le 27:29 'No person under the ban, who may become doomed to destruction among men, shall be redeemed, but shall surely be put to death.” The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord , often by totally (as in this case) destroying them. Don't miss the term, “irrevocable.” This destruction cannot be overturned. This destruction was sometimes commanded in the Old Testament because those who were singled out for destruction had crossed a line. In God's sovereignty view of the situation, they were unredeemable. This destruction serves as an example for us today. Jude 1:5,6 speaks of this as well, “But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed (put to the ban) those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains (put to the ban) under darkness for the judgment of the great day;” The devil and his angels were “put to the ban” they had crossed a line just as the idolatrous Canaanites had crossed and were “put to the ban,” Rather than question God's right to put “people to the ban” perhaps we should be more concerned about our own standing with the Lord. The only escape from being put under the ban, (read that going to hell,) is faith in Jesus Christ. As Jesus said, “fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Mt 11:28) In other words fear the only One who is able to put you under the ban.

Pray For Those In Authority

# 199 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:52-15:1, “Now there was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man, he took him for himself. 15:1 Samuel also said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the LORD. (1 Sam 14:52-15:1) The Holy Spirit reminds us here of the prophecy which Samuel spoke concerning the rule of kings in 1Sam 8:11, "This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots.” Saul, in his continual battles with the Philistines strengthened his army by drafting all strong and valiant young men into his service. Having built up his army Samuel approaches Saul with a command from God. He reminds Saul that he is only king because God appointed him king, and as His appointee, He is to carry out God's orders. Oh that all rulers and government officials would understand this and serve God with willing hearts. As it says in Ro 13:1b, “there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. God has given His appointed authorities every opportunity to rule in accordance with His will, but sometimes He will intervene and use the king as His pawn. Pr 21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. A classic example in Scripture is Cyrus, who God called by name a full 150 years before he was even born and God said of him, Isa 44:28 “He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure,” And he did, as he was used of God to help rebuild Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity. Is it any wonder we are commanded to pray for those in authority. Pray for every government official from President to police officer, that they may remember who put them in office and therefore steadfastly seek to rule in line with God's will.

Real Words, Real People, A Real Savior

# 198 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:49-52, “The sons of Saul were Jonathan, Jishui and Malchishua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal. 50 The name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul's uncle. 51 Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel. 52 Now there was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man, he took him for himself. ( 1 Sam 14:49-52) As chapter 14 wraps up. We get a glimpse into some of the characters in Saul's family. Many of whom will enter into the unfolding of the story of Saul and David. Jonathan would become David's best friend. Michal would become David's wife. And Abner would become Saul's commander in chief. But in addition to introducing some of the other characters in this story, these biblical family tree passages and genealogies afford an opportunity to put real skin on the words of Scripture. Though the names Jishui and Malchishua mean nothing to you and I, imagine someone seeing those names in Scripture who did know them or know of them. “Hey remember Jishui?” “Oh yeah, I went to school with him.” “He was such a level headed guy” I wonder what happened to him! These genealogies add a special touch of reality to the Holy Bible, and of course the genealogies of Christ found in the gospel of Matthew and Luke affirm all the prophecies concerning the seed of the Messiah. These trips into the family trees aren't exactly exciting reading for you and I, but think of them in terms of reading a high school yearbook. Real people, known and touched and loved by other real people. They all meant something to somebody just as you and I do. And what an honor to have your name and family included in the eternal Word of God. What an honor to specifically be named in the Book that is all about Jesus. Father, thank You for genealogies. May they always reminds us that the Bible is the very real Word of God, with real people, and a real Savior from our sins.

Godly Impact

# 197 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:46-48, “Then Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place. 47 So Saul established his sovereignty over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the people of Ammon, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he harassed them. 48 And he gathered an army and attacked the Amalekites, and delivered Israel from the hands of those who plundered them.” ( 1 Sam 14:46-48) The Philistines went to their own place. I am reminded of Jesus' victory over the devil in the wilderness as He withstood the devil's temptations. Lu 4:13 says, “Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.” The Philistines would live to fight another day. In the meantime, Saul established his sovereignty, his reign, by unifying the people in the quest to secure their borders. He harassed the enemies on every side, much like the enemies harassed Israel. This harassment by Saul's armies allowed the people to enjoy safety and peace. It kept the enemy from getting any ideas about attacking Israel. This is one of the benefits of good government, and something that Christians are encouraged to pray for. 1Ti 2:1-4 says, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” This quiet peaceful life is a life without inner fears or outward harassment. An absence of fear and turmoil allows for the Christian witness to shine forth in reverent and godly behavior, which is perhaps our greatest witnessing tool. Just a caution here, as God answers this prayer, let us not spend our peace and tranquility on our own selfish desires, but rather spend it on God's desire, which is for all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth. People are saved by hearing the Word of God and observing the godly, reverent, impact it has on us.

Be A Jonathon

# 196 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:41-45, “Therefore Saul said to the LORD God of Israel, "Give a perfect lot." So Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped. 42 And Saul said, "Cast lots between my son Jonathan and me." So Jonathan was taken. 43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." And Jonathan told him, and said, "I only tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand. So now I must die!" 44 And Saul answered, "God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan." 45 But the people said to Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, who has accomplished this great deliverance in Israel? Certainly not! As the LORD lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day." So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.” (1 Sam 14:41-45) The lot falls on Jonathan and he confesses what he did to his father. Saul then in effect says, “yes, Jonathan you will die and if I don't carry out this oath may “more also” happen to me. At this point, the people step in with their own oath. “As the Lord lives, we will not allow one hair on his head to be harmed.” Their reason for rescuing Jonathan was that he had “worked” with God that day and given them victory over the Philistines. The King James says that Jonathan “wrought” with God, that is, he and God worked together to accomplish something in accordance with God's will. In this case the defeat of the Philistines. This is one of the great privileges of being a Christian. Sinners that we may be, yet God desires to use us to carry out His will. He gives us an opportunity to cooperate with Him as He carries on with the business of running the universe. We cooperate with Him and His will as we seek to live according to His Word and act on His promises. He longs for us to be co-workers with Him every day, as it says in Ro 12:1. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” Be a Jonathan present your body to His service today and enjoy the privilege of working with God.

Silence of the Lambs

# 195 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:38-40, “And Saul said, "Come over here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see what this sin was today. 39 "For as the LORD lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But not a man among all the people answered him. 40 Then he said to all Israel, "You be on one side, and my son Jonathan and I will be on the other side." And the people said to Saul, "Do what seems good to you." (1 Sam 14:38-40) Saul had already made one rash oath and now he makes another. His first rash oath was to place a death sentence on any of his troops who ate during the day of the battle, and now, to show that he means business in this regard, he swears that even if it is his son Jonathan who committed sin, he shall die. You could've heard a pin drop. The people knew that Jonathan had unknowingly violated Saul's first oath when he ate of some honey while pursuing the Philistines. They knew that Saul was in essence sentencing his own son to death. But it seems that no one dared to speak up! Instead, they allow Saul to proceed with the casting of the lot, saying, “You do what you want to do Saul.” I am reminded of Ec 3:7b, where we are told that there is “A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;” This may have been one of those times to speak up. We too, are often faced with that dilemma. Should we speak up or clam up? But how do we know when to speak and when not to speak? A good rule of thumb is to always be ready to speak to injustice. Pr 31:8 says, “ Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die.” Hmm, kind of makes you wonder why we are not hearing more voices in the church speak out against abortion? Legalized abortion has allowed for over 54 million appointments with death since 1973 in America alone! Would someone please tell me the crime of the unborn child? Speak up people! This is a “silence of the lambs” we (and unborn children) can do without! And remember as you speak, be sure to include the message of forgiveness for those who may have aborted their child. There is no sin, Jesus did not pay for.

You Might As Well Speak Your Prayers Into the Bottom of a Garbage Can

# 194 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:37,38 So Saul asked counsel of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?" But He did not answer him that day. 38 And Saul said, "Come over here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see what this sin was today. (1 Sam 14:37,38) As Saul inquires of the Lord through the Urim and Thummin he gets no answer. As we mentioned last time, the word “Thummin comes from a Hebrew word for “innocent” So it's likely the Urim tumbled out which meant guilt. There is sin in the camp that must be dealt with before they will hear from God. Sin is a roadblock in the matter of prayer. We cannot deny the Scriptures in this matter. Ps 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.” And Pr 28:9 says, “One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.” It can't be much plainer than that. To turn your ear away from the Law is to live a life without restraint. Sin doesn't matter to the one who turns away from God's Law, and should such a one even bother to pray, his very words are detestable to God! Those who cherish iniquity in their heart, that is, they refuse to let go of it through confession and repentance, well, they might as well speak their prayers to the bottom of a garbage can. Ever felt like that? Like your speaking to a brass ceiling when you pray? Have you taken the time to examine how you are living? Do you just pick and choose the Laws of God that you like? When God is silent in your life, don't complain about Him, let Him complain about you as you allow the Holy Spirit to examine your life against the standards of God's Law. David knew how vital this is and so he prayed in Ps 139:23,24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” Will you fall short of God's standards? Of course you will, but God promises to forgive your shortcomings through Jesus and if you sincerely desire, He will help lead you away from sin and to the path of everlasting life.

Urim and Thummin

# 193 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:36-38, “Now Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light; and let us not leave a man of them." And they said, "Do whatever seems good to you." Then the priest said, "Let us draw near to God here." 37 So Saul asked counsel of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?" But He did not answer him that day. 38 And Saul said, "Come over here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see what this sin was today. (1Sa 14:36-38), Saul calls for his weary men to attack the Philistines at night, but the priest intervenes and says, “don't you think it might be a good idea to check with God about this?” And so the Urim and Thummin were brought out again. These two stones were carried in the breastplate of the ephod worn by the priest and were used to get answers to specific yes or no questions. They could also be used to determine innocence or guilt. The procedure was fairly simple. The questions were prayerfully asked, the priest then reached into the ephod and pulled out one of the stones. These stones must've been exactly the same size and weight or the priest could manufacture his own answer. It's puzzling to me, that it would be possible to get “no answer” as they did here. It was “yes” or “no” “guilty” or “innocent,” there was no third stone used for “wait.” It's puzzling until you realize that the word “Thummin” comes from a Hebrew word for “innocence,” Therefore if it was drawn out innocence was declared. If Urim were drawn guilt was declared. I would imagine that innocence was a green light, guilty was not. I'm guessing that the Urim (guilty) was drawn here, because Saul immediately inquires about what sin was committed in Israel this day. There would be no “yes” or “no” from God until the sin was dealt with. Confession of sin and repentance is vital to the Christian because the presence of sin hinders our fellowship with God and consequently our prayer life. We'll talk about that truth next time.

Spilling the Beans To Jesus

# 192 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:33-35, “Then they told Saul, saying, "Look, the people are sinning against the LORD by eating with the blood!" So he said, "You have dealt treacherously; roll a large stone to me this day." 34 And Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, 'Bring me here every man's ox and every man's sheep, slaughter them here, and eat; and do not sin against the LORD by eating with the blood.'" So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night, and slaughtered it there. 35 Then Saul built an altar to the LORD. This was the first altar that he built to the LORD. (1 Sam 14:33-35) The Israelites have won a great victory over the Philistines, and to the victor goes the spoil. Unfortunately in their haste to eat (because of Saul's order to fast all day) they ate of the blood of the animals. This was strictly forbidden by God! Saul seeking to rectify the situation orders that a huge stone be rolled to him, for the purpose of properly slaughtering the animals and letting their blood drain out before eating them. And he sends messengers out to tell the people to bring the animals to him for proper slaughter. Then we are told that Saul also erected an altar. These are all good measures. Saul's intentions were good, but one has to wonder, where was his consultation with the priest or Samuel in this matter? Why not call Samuel in and spill the beans to him? Tell him of your rash decision to call a fast and how that led the people to sin grievously by eating the blood of the animals, and then seek his counsel on what to do next. Sometimes we are so like Saul. We make unwise choices that lead to other serious consequences and then we come up with our own ideas about how to rectify the situation. How much better to “spill the beans” to Jesus and then search the Scriptures or seek counsel from mature Christians for instructions as to what to do next. This involves humility and patience. A humility and patience that comes from a heart submissive to the Lord.

Rightly Communing

# 191 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:31 Now they had driven back the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. So the people were very faint. 32 And the people rushed on the spoil, and took sheep, oxen, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood. 33 Then they told Saul, saying, "Look, the people are sinning against the LORD by eating with the blood!" So he said, "You have dealt treacherously; roll a large stone to me this day." (1 Sam 14:31-33) This is not good. Blood of animals was not to be ingested because the blood of animals serves a very special purpose in the Old Testament. It is a foreshadowing of the precious blood of Jesus that would be shed for the sins of the world. Le 17:10,11, says, “'And whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. 11 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.' And as it says in Heb 9:22, “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. But the Israelites were famished after their long day of pursuing the Philistines, and when the sun set, they tore into the animals blood and all. They gave no thought to the preciousness of the blood, no thought to the covenant with God. Saul rightly points out that they have “dealt treacherously with the Lord,” They have transgressed, violated the covenant. This is a serious matter, even today. The blood of the covenant is still with us whenever we celebrate the Lords Supper, and the partaking of the Lord's Supper is not to be rushed into. 1Co 11:28,29 says, “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. To mindlessly participate in the Lord's Supper is to deal treacherously with the Lord.

Oozing With Joy

# 190 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:29,30, “But Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. Look now, how my countenance has brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 "How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?" ( 1 Sam 14:29,30) At first glance it appears that Jonathan's remark is a little disrespectful toward his father and king. Perhaps it is. How about we let God straighten that one out? Remember, Jonathan was not aware of the order when he ate of the honey, and his remarks here may be just some observations he has made. His observation comes from the noticeable countenance of the troops. They all had “troubled” looks. The word means roiled up or disturbed. Have you ever seen the look on someones face when they are disturbed about something? This troubled look comes upon all who are pre-occupied with other things. In this case they were pre-occupied with hunger brought on by Saul's command.. Jonathan says, Look at me, I ate. How does my countenance look. The inference being that his face has a brightness to it....some joy if you will. He was not pre-occupied with the command of Saul not to eat. Dare we say that he was not under the Law but under grace? Those who live under the yoke of the Law have a dourness about them, but those who live in grace have an air of joy. I am reminded of the words in Ne 8:10, “Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." The joy of the Lord flows from the overabundance of His grace and our desire to share it with others. It is this joy that gives us strength in our own spiritual battles. If an unbeliever were to look at your face, what would they see? Dourness or joy? You may be able to hide dourness, but you can't hide true joy, it oozes like Jonathan's honey from those who have it. Joy that comes from knowing your standing with God by grace through faith in Christ. Joy in knowing your sins are forgiven.

Follicle Follies

# 189 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:24-28, “And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had placed the people under oath, saying, "Cursed is the man who eats any food until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies." So none of the people tasted food. 25 Now all the people of the land came to a forest; and there was honey on the ground. 26 And when the people had come into the woods, there was the honey, dripping; but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath; therefore he stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his countenance brightened. 28 Then one of the people said, "Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, 'Cursed is the man who eats food this day.'" And the people were faint. (1 Sam 14:24-28) Again, we see the ineptitude of Saul as a military commander/king. He foolishly orders his troops to a total fast on the day of battle. His logic apparently being that to take time to eat would slow them down in their pursuit of the Philistines. On top of that, he adds the punishment of death for anyone who breaks his order and eats. To a man, his army was distressed, the word means “to drive as cattle.” Having been driven like cattle the men were weak and hungry, and the very thing they needed was being withheld from them by this foolish order. Jonathan, unaware of his father's order grabs some honey and is immediately strengthened for battle. The rest of the soldiers are terrified at his act. They know that Jonathan has signed his own death warrant through his innocent snack. These Old Testament oaths almost always involved life and death repercussions for those who would violate the oath, and we see how foolish such oaths are in light of what Jesus says in Mt 5:34 "But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35 "nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 "Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 "But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' The power and impact of an oath must not be in the hands of sinful man, but rather such power belongs only in the Holy hands of God. I mean just think about a God so powerful, so minutely involved with the affairs of men that He is able to selectively color your hair one follicle at a time. Ask your hair stylist to try that sometime. It ain't gonna happen. If any oaths are to be made, let them be made by God, as for you and I, Let us be seek to be trustworthy people. Let's let our yes or no be sufficient.