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.