Human Woodpeckers

# 217 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king." We've talked about rebellion, now let's talk about the idea of stubbornness being as iniquity and idolatry. The word “stubbornness” in the Hebrew, means “to peck.” My first reaction to that is....what? What has pecking got to do with stubbornness? Let's see what Merriam Webster has to say about this. To be stubborn is to be “perversely unyielding” Ah, now we are getting somewhere. Not just unyielding, but perversely unyielding. That definition ties into the concept of iniquity very nicely. Observe the birds, whether they are pecking on the ground for food, or the woodpecker incessantly tapping on a tree, they are relentless. They peck until they find what they want. This is the story of those who refuse to yield to God. They are persistently disobedient, and to stubbornly continue to seek their own way is iniquity and idolatry. What about iniquity? Iniquity is defined as “panting to exert oneself to sin.” When we are being stubborn, we will wear ourselves out seeking justification for feeding our fleshly nature. We will peck here and peck there seeking gratification and security in anything and everything other than God. These anythings and everythings are idols. Oh beloved, do you see how silly we must look to God? Human woodpeckers and human birds looking for seeds and gnats to satisfy our soul, when the God of the universe wants to fill us with Himself. Ac 17:28 says, "for in Him we live and move and have our being,” this is where true fulfillment comes from. Quit your stubbornness and yield to Him today.

It's God Who Will Be Casting the Stones

# 217 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:23a For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft," (1 Sam 15:23a) The Holy Spirit likens the sin of rebellion (picking and choosing what you will obey and believe from Scripture) to witchcraft. This sin of witchcraft was an abomination in the sight of the Lord and those who practiced the black arts were to be put to death. Le 20:27 says, “A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them.'" And in Ex 22:18 we read, "You shall not permit a sorceress to live.” And in Dt 18:10,11, “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 "or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. The penalty for practicing these things was death. Now please, before you run out to pick up some stones, remember things have changed in the New Testament. Never forget the words of Jesus to those who were about to stone the woman caught in the act of adultery (another capital offense) "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." (John 8:7b) Jesus will do the final judging of sinners, not you or I. Our job is to warn and (when necessary) put biblical church discipline into practice. Remember too that these things in the Old Testament were written for us to serve as examples or types, and this stoning was a type or an example of the end of those who practice the black arts. Stoning served as a picture of God's eternal punishment for unrepentant sinners. In the end, it is God who will do the stoning, not you or I. Re 16:21 says, “and great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.” Sounds like God will be doing the stoning, .....not us. With that and mind, is it really wise for us to engage in rebellion against God? Is it really wise to engage in the occult? Is it really wise to “do what is right in our own eyes?”

In the Service of Demons

# 216 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:23a For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,” (1 Sam 15:23a) Last time, we defined the sin of rebellion as resisting authority to the point of wanting to be your own authority. The Holy Spirit likens this sin of rebellion to witchcraft. The biblical commentator Paul Kretzmann calls witchcraft “the service of demons in any form.” We better let that sink in a little. When you and I determine what is right and wrong, rather than allowing God to determine right or wrong, we are in reality serving demons! What does the Bible say about this sin of witchcraft? De 18:9-12 "When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. 10 "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 "or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 "For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you.” Witchcraft is an abomination. It, and all these other things are detestable in the sight of God. Sacrificing children (abortion) an abomination. Engaging in or practicing any of the black arts, an abomination. Ouija boards, seances, physic hotlines, horoscopes...all of these things put you in the service of demons. Oh come on Duane, what harm is there in reading your horoscope? Well, let me ask you this, “Who is behind that horoscope? Who is behind those tarot cards? Who's really on the other end of the hotline? It's the demons telling you what you want to hear, and isn't that exactly what we do when we set ourselves up as the ruling authority in our own lives? We read the Scriptures through the lens of picking and choosing what we want to believe and obey. No wonder the Holy Spirit calls the sin of rebellion witchcraft! It's the same thing! The solution? Same for all sins. Confess them, take them to the cross, receive God's forgiveness, and turn from them. Stop serving demons, rather serve the one who loved you so much He sacrificed His life for you.

The Sin of Rebellion

# 216 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king." (1 Sam 15:23) This is one of those passages that I feel is useful to break down into language you and I can understand. Words like, “witchcraft, iniquity, and idolatry,” are often passed over when we read scripture. We read them, they register in our brain, but we don't consider what they mean to us in our own day and age. The sins of Saul cost him dearly and it would be wise for us to learn from them, and if we are guilty of them, then we must confess them as sin, and flee from them. The first sin mentioned is rebellion. What is rebellion? Simply stated it is resisting authority to the point of wanting to be your own authority. It is the audacity of a anyone making themselves out to be God. This was the sin of Satan. He wanted to be his own authority. It was the temptation he placed before Eve in Ge 3:5 "you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Which is another way of saying, “you will determine what is right and what is wrong. You will be the authority.”) It was the prevailing sin of the people in the book of Judges where, “every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” (Ju 21:25) and the Holy Spirit warned us in 2Ti 4:3, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” Beware the sin of rebellion beloved. Don't engage in cafeteria Christianity, where you pick and choose what you will obey and what you will believe, that would make you a rebel. Beware of using excuses like Saul did, “others are doing it,” or “I'm not all that bad,” Every act of willful disobedience is an act of rebellion against God. The solution? Take your rebellion to the cross! Confess your sins, turn from them immediately and purpose in your heart to yield to the authority of God and His Word in all things. Seek to be a loyal subject, rather than a stiff-necked rebel.

Don't Say "Lord, Lord. Live Lord Lord"

# 215 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:22 Then Samuel said: "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. (1 Sam 15:22) Samuel asks Saul a rhetorical question to which the answer is no. The Lord does not have as great of delight in a worship service as he does in children who obey and heed. You may have the finest pipe organ, the grandest liturgy, the most amazing choir, a phenomenal soloist, a worship team that seems to usher you into the very presence of the Lord week after week after week, but as good as all that stuff may be, it always plays second fiddle to obedience. In this day and age where people seem to be searching different churches to find the greatest worship experience, perhaps we should let this passage sink in. If you have found a church with a great worship experience, congratulations, you have found a church with the second best thing. The real question is how are you and your church doing with obedience. Which is the higher priority? Worship or a desire to be compliant to God's Word? Oh come on Duane, that's legalism! That's Christianity with nothing but rules. Well, it may seem like that, and it certainly can turn into that if one is not careful. But let's be clear here. The kind of obedience that God seeks is the kind that flows from His grace and then our gratitude for what He has done for us through Jesus Christ. It is not obedience to earn salvation, but rather obedience from thankfulness for salvation. We love Him because He first loved us, and Jesus said if we love Him we will keep His commandments, that is, we will treasure them, and if we treasure them, we will desire to obey them. Living a life that says “Lord, Lord, is more important than just saying “Lord, Lord.”

Don't Throw the Baby Out With the Bath Water

# 214 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:22 Then Samuel said: "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. (1 Sam 15:22) Every time I read this passage I think of one of Keith Green's songs called “To Obey Is Better Than Sacrifice” Here are the lyrics: To obey is better than sacrifice, I don't need your money, I want your life And I hear you say that I'm coming back soon, But you act like I'll never return Well you speak of grace and my love so sweet How you thrive on milk, but reject My meat And I can't help weeping of how it will be If you keep on ignoring My words Well you pray to prosper and succeed But your flesh is something I just can't feed To obey is better than sacrifice I want more than Sunday and Wednesday nights Cause if you can't come to Me every day Then don't bother coming at all To obey is better than sacrifice I want hearts of fire Not your prayers of ice And I'm coming quickly To give back to you According to what you have done According to what you have done According to what you have done.” Keith was never one to mince words.....and neither is the Lord. This passage from Samuel can be simply restated as follows: “Doing church is good, but obeying My words is better.” Some people make a mistake and say, “I don't need to “do church,” I just need to be obedient.” But read the passage carefully. The Lord has great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifice (doing church) but He just happens to delight even more in obedience. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water! This passage is not a testimony against organized religion, rather it is a testimony against hypocrites. Sadly, there will always be hypocrites in church, but to allow a hypocrite to keep you away from something the Lord delights in and commands, (“not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together) (Heb 10:25) makes you just as big a hypocrite of the ones you despise in church.

The god In the Mirror

# 213 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:20,210 And Saul said to Samuel, "But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21 "But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal." (1 Sam15:20,21) Call it self-deceit, or self-justification, the fact is, it's something we all have to struggle with. Saul truly believes he has done what the Lord asked of him. First he says, “I went on the mission didn't I? I brought back proof of my total victory in the person of King Agag didn't I? As far as the livestock goes, well that was the people not me, and there intention was to offer it up to God as a sacrifice. What's wrong with that?” So full of excuses, yet God's command still stands, “utterly destroy them.” Anything less is disobedience, and the presence of Agag and the animals serve as witnesses against Saul. Saul wanted to be known as a great king. He wanted that more than He wanted to serve God. It's why he built a monument to himself after his victory over the Amalekites, and it's why he carried King Agag around like a trophy. And by the way, great kings always swooped down on the spoil don't they? Yes, in his own eyes, Saul would be like all the other great kings. I heard a spot on the radio the other day where a man was shopping for a god that would work for him. After discarding several different feel good gods offered by the clerk he finally settled on the god he would serve. He bought a mirror. De 10:12 says, "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,” This is the God we must love and serve, and we can't do that when we yield to self-deceit to justify our actions.

Your Life-long Mission

# 212 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:18,19, "Now the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, 'Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.' 19 "Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the LORD?" (1 Sam 15:18,19) “The Lord sent you on a mission.” I love the picture that the Holy Spirit is trying to paint here for you and I. The Hebrew word for “mission” means “a course of life.” When you and I came to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, God sent us on a mission, a course of life to follow. No, we are not to go out and utterly destroy sinners, remember these Amalekites serve as a type of “sin” for you and I. Our mission is to do battle with what they represent, namely sin, and we are to battle sin in our life until it is consumed, that is, until it is brought to an end in our life. This battle will rage till our dying breath or the return of our Lord. Saul's mistake is he thought he could co-exist with some sins and so he okayed the taking of the spoil. The question for you and I is this. What have we allowed to become spoil in our lives? What sins have we given up on and simply decided to co-exist with? Don't give up the fight my brother and my sister. The struggle is the course of the life of the Christian, the mission we must undertake. Learn from another Saul, renamed Paul in the New Testament who spoke of his ongoing struggle with sin in Ro 7:19 , “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” His solution? 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!” The solution is Jesus Christ. He alone obliterates sin in our lives. He alone can give us victory over our besetting sins. Sin is put to death by a daily routine of confession and trust in the power of the blood of Jesus to wipe the slate clean. Eph 1:7 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Believe it! Live it! It is your life-long mission!

The Gateway To Grace

# 211 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:16,17 Then Samuel said to Saul, "Be quiet! And I will tell you what the LORD said to me last night." And he said to him, "Speak on." 17 So Samuel said, "When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the LORD anoint you king over Israel? (1 Sam 15:16,17) Samuel, the mouthpiece of God, tells Saul to put a sock in it. If you recall, Saul was already pouring out all sorts of excuses for not obeying the command of the Lord to wipe out the Amalekites. He immediately follows that up with one of the greatest spiritual truths in all of Scripture. In fact, it is a common thread throughout all of Scripture. It is the concept of kingdom advancement by humility. “When you were little in your own eyes,” God advanced you Saul! It is the same for you and I. This is vital, to the follower of Christ, and it is also a constant struggle because our flesh is always interested in self-advancement. Remember when Jesus told the story of the publican and the Pharisee in prayer? The Pharisee stood before God and rattled off all the wonderful things he did for God. It kind of made you wonder how God could function without him. Then the publican looked down on the ground and beat his breast and asked, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.” Then Jesus speaking of the publican said, "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Lu 18:14) And in Job 22:29, we read, “When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person. “ Remember, "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." (Jam 4:6) Humility is the gateway to God's grace, and without God's grace (divine influence on our heart,) we cannot enter His kingdom nor advance in it. Desire humility. Recognize the fact that you and I are sinners in need of God's grace.

The "They" and "We" Syndrome

# 210 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15: “And Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed." It's the old “they” and “we” syndrome. I suspect you know it all too well in your own life. I know I know it in mine. Here's how it works, when things don't turn out right it's “they”, but when they turn out well, it's “we.” Saul realizes that he has been caught red-handed by Samuel, and immediately he breaks out his excuses. HE didn't bring back the livestock, “THEY” did. And he felt they had a legitimate reason to do so, namely to sacrifice them to the Lord. But God was not interested in the tainted sacrifice of what had been the Amalekites, and He wasn't interested in Saul's excuses. His command was to utterly destroy anything connected to them. Since Saul was the authority that had been appointed by God to do His will, the buck stopped with Saul. He was responsible for the “they.” It's just like it was in the Garden of Eden. Adam was the authority figure. He allowed Eve to taste of what was forbidden and the buck stopped with him. Remember his response to God? He blamed Eve. Remember her response? She blamed the serpent. Will someone step up to the plate here and take responsibility? When David was confronted with his sin with Bathsheba, he didn't look for a scapegoat, he said, “I have sinned against the Lord.” In Ro 14:10-12 we read, “But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written: "As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." 12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” On that Day, it won't be about “they”, it'll be about you! If you duck your sins now, you will pay in spades later, spending eternity in hell. Rather hear and believe this: 1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So when the Holy Spirit confronts you with sin in your life, stop excusing it. Confess it, and receive God's forgiveness through Jesus Christ. And when your time of accounting arrives, remember only those who are found in Christ will be found not guilty.

Those Doggone "Buts"

# 209 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:13,14, “Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the LORD." 14 But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" (1 Sam 15:13,14) Saul, couldn't wait to tell Samuel of his obedience to the Lord's command. He starts off with a little schmoozing of Samuel. “Hey Samuel, you're the man!” “Look I have accomplished what the Lord told me to do, I have wiped out the Amalekites!” “BUT Samuel,” (oh those doggone “but” words of the Bible.) And Samuel pulls out one of God's favorite ploys. He asks a question that God and Samuel already know the answer too. “What is this sound of animals I'm hearing?” Saul is busted, he has some “susplaining” to do. God asks us these questions out of love. He gives us an opportunity to examine our motives for our actions. When Adam and Eve sinned, God came walking in the garden and asked, “Adam, where are you?” He knew perfectly well where Adam was, but Adam needed to know where he was and so God asks. Saul may have felt that he had accomplished all the Lord told him to do, but the noisy animals gave him away. He had not “put them to the ban” as the Lord commanded. We have a similar command in Eph 4:31 Let ALL bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be PUT AWAY from you, with all malice. (My caps) Dear Christian, have you put these things away in your life? “Oh yes I have!” Then what are these Facebook posts I am reading denigrating our president, or an ex-spouse, or other people who do not agree with your viewpoint. And what is this bleating gossip that I am hearing at the water cooler in the office? We have a choice here. We can either make excuses as Saul did, or we can get on our knees and ask God for forgiveness and the help of the Holy Spirit to put these actions away from our lips today and every day.

Give the Glory To God

# 208 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:12 So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, "Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal." ( 1 Sam 15:12) After praying all night for Saul, Samuel seeks him out to deliver the news to him concerning God's judgment against him. He is told that Saul had gone down to Gilgal, but before he went he had set up a monument to himself at Carmel. Gilgal was a very special place, if you recall, it was at Gilgal that Saul was initially inaugurated as king. It was at Gilgal that Joshua had put a monument of twelve stones to commemorate God's miraculous parting of the Jordan River. We are told in Jos 4:24 why he did this: "that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever." Please note that before Saul went to Gilgal to honor God, he first honored himself by erecting a monument at Carmel. According to the Hebrew wording here, this monument was very likely in the shape of a hand or an arm which is the symbol of power. (Even now Jesus is seated at the RIGHT HAND of the Father, He is in the position of power.) In erecting this statue of a hand or arm, Saul was warning others of his military and personal power and giving all glory and honor to himself rather than to God. This is arrogance before God, and we must never forget that He alone distributes power. When Jesus' disciples asked for positions of power in Mr 10: 37, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory." He responded in v40 with this, “to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared." Even when Pilate was about to sentence Jesus, Jesus said in Joh 19:11, “"You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above.” If there be any good thing accomplished in our lives today, let us not be like foolish Saul and seek credit, rather let's fall on our knees, lift our hands to the heavens and thank the good Lord for His power in whatever our situation may be.

When God Sighs

# 207 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:10,11 “Now the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, 11 "I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments." And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all night.” (1 Sam 15:10,11) Three words you don't want to hear from God, “I greatly regret,” The King James puts it this way, “It repenteth me that I have set Saul up to be king,” This same word is found in Ge 6:6 before God destroyed the earth with the flood. “And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.” The word means to sigh deeply. I think we've all heard that sigh at one time or another, it is usually associated with extreme disappointment over something we did or didn't do, and is a precursor of action that must be regrettably taken by someone in authority over us. This “repenting of God” is simply God's expression of the truth found in Eze 33:11 "Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?' God was sighing over what He was going to have to do to Saul because of his continued disregard for God's commands. Samuel knew what that sigh meant and note his reaction. He stayed up all night grieving over Saul and no doubt interceding for him. We could learn from that. When we hear of someone who has rejected God or fallen into deep sin we are often quick to condemn them to eternal hellfire, but would it not be better to “sigh” with God and Samuel and get on your knees and pray for mercy? God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked and neither should we.

Cafeteria Christianity

# 206 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:7-9, “And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed. (1 Sam 15:7-9) Initially it sounds like Saul was very successful in carrying out God's command against the Amalekites....then we read verse 9. “But” King Agag was spared along with the best of the livestock. We read that the people were “unwilling to destroy them.” Well, what's the big deal right? It is a big deal because when God puts something to the ban, He means all of it. This is a picture of what we are to do with sin in our own lives. It must be “put to the ban.” Now, pay attention to what the people chose to do and learn from it. They chose to destroy only those things that they deemed worthless, and to keep those things they valued. Friend this is an Old Testament illustration of what is called “cafeteria Christianity.” It's a Christianity that picks and chooses what it will obey and conform to in the Word of God. It picks and chooses what it wishes to believe and it is a huge problem in the church today. I think we are all guilty of it to some degree. It's easy to like that command to not kill, but not so easy to like that command about letting go of anger and unforgiveness and gossip. It's easy to blast homosexuality while our own sexual appetites find an outlet in fornication, adultery, and pornography. This should not be so, we must not pick and choose, rather we should pray daily, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts; 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. Ps 139:23) Pray this with your whole heart and then allow God to help you make those tough choices you face every day.

Be A Kenite

# 205 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:4-6, “So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley. 6 Then Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. Saul readies his troops for the battle with the Amalekites, but there's a problem. Some of the Kenites were living with the Amalekites at the time and since Saul's orders were to destroy everything the Kenites would be destroyed too. So he warns them to get out of town before the battle starts. There is not a lot said about the Kenites in Scripture, but we do know that Moses father-in-law was a Kenite, and we also know that he had a special connection with the Israelites and their God. Ex 18:12 says, “Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.” It wouldn't do to “put these God-fearing Kenites to the ban” and so they were warned to leave before the total destruction began. Although we aren't told of any specific act of kindness, the word “kindness” here means “merciful love.” Somewhere along the line, these people prompted by their faith in God, demonstrated the God-like quality of unmerited love among the Israelites. We should go and do likewise, and we should also heed the warning to remove ourselves from the things of this world that are doomed to destruction just as Lot and his family heeded their warning before Sodom and Gomorrah were put to the ban. Re 18:4,5 says, “And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. 5 "For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Beloved, be a Kenite. Be loving and merciful, but never a partaker of sinful lifestyle of the world. As the saying goes, “Be in the world, but not of the world.”

WE ARE the Amalekites!

# 204 - 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) God, in His Sovereignty, has decided that the time has come to “put Amalek to the ban.” This was spoken of back in De 25:19 "Therefore it shall be, when the LORD your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget.” Why? What was Amalek's crime? Here it is: They had pounced on the Israelites soon after they had left Egypt and attacked the rear ranks, (this is the place of the weary and the defenseless. We read about it in De 25:17 "Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, 18 "how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear, when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God. Understand this, attacking the weary and defenseless shows a total lack of the fear of God. Can you lack a fear (reverence) of God and still claim to have saving faith? This total destruction of the Amalekites was to serve as a picture of the end of those who do not fear God. This act of the Amalekites should cause us to wake up in America! For we too have mounted an attack against the weak and defenseless through legalized abortion. Over 54 million defenseless unborn babies have died through legalized abortion since 1973. In this regard, WE ARE the Amalekites, and I'm afraid it's going to get worse for the weak and defenseless as we embrace selective and expedient health care. Do you think God's attitude toward the weak and defenseless has changed? Wake up America! Thankfully, His love for us has not changed either and He will forgive us of our sins if we find and embrace true repentance. God have mercy on us and forgive us in the Name of Jesus. Amen. Remember, beloved, there is no sin that Jesus did not pay for on Calvary.

Putting To the Ban Part 4

# 203 - 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 command seems unduly harsh to us and thankfully we are no longer authorized to carry out this kind of judgment in the physical sense. But God had His reasons for “putting entire peoples and their property to the ban” In De 20:16-18 we read, “But of the cities of these peoples which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive, 17 "but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the LORD your God has commanded you, 18 "lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the LORD your God.” These hard-hearted unredeemable peoples were judged harshly by God so that we might learn how much God hates sin. Johann Arndt in his book “True Christianity,” sheds interesting light on this subject. He reminds us that “God gave the whole of the Holy Scriptures in spirit and in faith and everything in them must happen to you (and I) spiritually.” For instance in the account of Cain and Abel, we discover what each child of God MUST face, namely the battle between the murderous devil and the Holy Spirit. In Noah we see that the flood MUST occur in us, namely the drowning of the old man in baptism, and in these battles of the Israelites against the pagans we see the reality of the battle between the flesh and the spirit which we MUST engage in. These harsh commands of the Old Testament are to serve as reminders to each of us to not compromise with sin. Col 3:5 says, Therefore put to death (put to the ban) your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Instead of doubting God's love and mercy when reading of these things, see His mercy and grace at work on your behalf in using these things and all of Scripture for preparing you and I for the realities of spiritual warfare.

Putting To the Ban Part 3

# 202 - 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) We have been talking about the concept of “putting to the ban” that is, deeming something for destruction because God in His omniscience, has determined it has been tainted beyond redemption. Sodom and Gomorrah and Jericho are classic examples. God chose to spare righteous Lot and Rahab in these mass destructions of cities, He is God and that is His prerogative. He says in Ro 9:15, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." Idolatry and all it's associated sinful practices were one of the reasons that God “put entire cities to the ban.” De 13:12-17 says, "If you hear someone in one of your cities, which the LORD your God gives you to dwell in, saying, 13 'Corrupt men have gone out from among you and enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods"' -which you have not known- 14 "then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination was committed among you, 15 "you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword-utterly destroying it, all that is in it and its livestock, with the edge of the sword. 16 "And you shall gather all its plunder into the middle of the street, and completely burn with fire the city and all its plunder, for the LORD your God. It shall be a heap forever; it shall not be built again. 17 "So none of the accursed things shall remain in your hand, that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of His anger and show you mercy, have compassion on you and multiply you, just as He swore to your fathers,” Note the words “true and certain.” No destruction would be carried out unless the people were certain that the abomination had been committed. On the last Day when God decides who will be “put to the ban,” you can be sure that His judgment will be “true and certain,” for He knows the heart! Again, these mass destructions of cities, people and goods serve us today solely as reminders of the end that awaits all who turn away from God. Thankfully, we no longer have authorization to carry out such punishment. However we do have a responsibility to serve as watchmen, warning others to turn from their wicked ways and believe the Gospel, lest God put them to the ban on the Last Day. And this “putting to the ban” serves as a reminder to you and I to “put to the ban” all forms of idolatry in our own lives. Col 3:5 says, Therefore put to death (put to the ban) your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. May the Holy Spirit ever help us in this regard.

Putting To the Ban Part 2

# 201 - 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) I want to continue the discussion of God's commands to wholesale annihilation found in the Old Testament because Christians struggle with the idea that a loving God could order such wholesale destruction and atheists use these incidents as excuses to dismiss any reason to put their trust in a god. I'm not here to defend God. He doesn't need to be defended, (He is God) but Christians do need a better understanding of this policy called “putting to the ban” found in Lev. 27:29. The command to annihilate an entire population does not reflect a primitive concept of God which gives way to a more humane New Testament God. God is immutable, He doesn't change. He still PERMITS natural and man-made catastrophe's that wipe out masses of people without discrimination of age or sex. Think of the attempts of genocide and victims of natural disasters that we have seen throughout the New Testament age in which we live. Genocide is horrific and no human agent can claim divine AUTHORIZATION for such actions because no human agent is in the position of God's Old Testament people. The Old Testament incidents were unique, never to be duplicated situations that God used as examples for us today. 2Pe 2:6 says, “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; Remember, the ULTIMATE purpose of disasters rests in God's will and providence. No human speculation about the nature of God should attempt to give any other answer. God is God and He knows what He is doing. Even believers are victims in these disasters and attempts at genocide, but God knows the heart, and the innocent victims, (those in Christ) are taken up to be with Him and the guilty are “put to the ban” in hell. When disaster of any kind strikes Jesus tells us how to rightly view it as He commented on the time the tower of Siloam fell and killed 18 people He said in Lu 13:5b “unless you repent you will all likewise perish." (Be put to the ban) The suddenness and total destruction prevalent in disasters and calamities are reminders to all, to be ready. Therefore, repent!