Who is God? And, how can we find God - Bible answers.

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://lovingscripture.com/2021/11/11/1-samuel-20-commentary/

First Samuel 20 Commentary

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There are few chapters as deeply emotional as this one. The intense hatred by Saul is only paralleled by an opposite and rarest of friendly bonds. Jonathan and David have set such a high bar of friendship that one is tempted to think of it as a model representing the cross. Only quick reaction saves Jonathan from Saul’s ever-ready spear – all on behalf of a loved David. And as Saul puts it, by shielding David, Jonathan is risking his own throne. But who cares? Not Jonathan. He wouldn’t mind taking the second slot, only if the first is taken by his best friend.

The two friends communicate their emotions in an honest and plain manner. We admire their openness. They plant their commitment to each other in their common faith. The LORD God would watch over them. Friendships that are rooted in the LORD are to be admired.

This chapter is personal. It is emotional. It is so detailed that you suspect we are hearing from one of the participants. You would imagine this material came from the mouth of King David as he narrated the story to one of the Recorders at the palace. We hear of how the two planned to keep David informed of the ‘mood’ at the palace.

David is a hunted man. Jonathan eventually meets David and communicates the bad news in person. They embrace. They weep. David weeps more; probably because the news is fresher for him than for Jonathan. They again promise to keep the bond beyond themselves. It becomes a family situation. So Benjamin would always live under the protection of Judah for generations. Judah would always mean Judah (David) and Benjamin (Jonathan).

We are reminded of another similarly very emotional chapter in the book of Genesis. Joseph had threatened to imprison Benjamin because of the ‘stolen’ cup. Judah had stepped forward and offered himself to be imprisoned so that the beloved of Jacob could return to his father in one piece.

There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Haven’t we just seen a ‘type’ of this love, albeit imperfect?

“And do not ever cut off your kindness from my family—not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.” Accordingly, David did have rest at one point. His throne was firmly established. From this position of rest, he is able to reflect on the goodness of the LORD. The love of Jonathan is that special gift from the LORD that David remembers. It is probably when he brings Mephibosheth to the palace that he finds the chance to explain this love story we have read about to a Gad, a Nathan, or one of the Recorders at the palace. They probably needed to know why an unknown and lame person sat at the king’s table.

David bows down before Jonathan three times. We shall never see David do this again to a mortal, but he must honor the friendship and the man who has given him so much. David would live many years after this moment, as Commander-In-Chief, but another Jonathan, he never had. We pray the LORD makes us a Jonathan to someone in real need. Amen

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This episode is also available as a blog post: http://lovingscripture.com/2021/11/10/1-samuel-19-commentary/

First Samuel 19 Commentary

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One cannot achieve godliness by resolutions. The oath that King Saul made amounted to nothing. Salvation doesn't come by New Year resolutions. As Jeremiah puts it, people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps. Either the LORD or the evil one directs a man's life. There is no land in between. Saul may even be very genuine about his oath but he is not in charge. He cannot rule. The Adamic sin means man is no longer the ruler of himself. Saul exemplifies this very unfortunate situation perfectly.

All is well until David succeeds. This is instructive. This isn’t just mere jealousy. We get the picture of what the saint goes through as they surrender to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Many times these spiritual battles become physical. You actually wonder why you are sidelined or even hated at your place of work. The evil one possesses individuals and controls them like robots to cause pain and suffering in the lives of God’s people. On the other hand, the possession by the Spirit of God leads to humility.

In the process of pursuing David, Saul finds himself face-to-face with the presence of the LORD in the company of prophets led by an aged Samuel. Here he lies naked, without his kingly vestments. He is not standing anymore. He lies prostrate before the presence of the LORD. We are reminded of the text that, “at the mention of the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of those in heaven, those on earth and those under the earth and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father”

Saul’s knee not only bows but is ‘cut’ completely as he is left lying ‘naked all that day and all that night’. How you wish this was graceful possession by the man who once carried with him the anointing of the LORD! Will this moment stick forever? As we shall find out tomorrow, it didn’t. We can learn here that sensual experiences such as this one here for Saul cannot warrant godliness in a soul that is determined to sin. Emotional experiences at the place of worship are not the main thing for a decent Christian walk.

The man we are reading about here once had it: anointing, experience, and miracles. The LORD moved powerfully in his life. He prophesied. But that is it. It is all gone and cannot help him now. Now he is so possessed by the evil one that we hardly can tell the difference between Saul and the demon. Simple faith. Trust and obey. This is real godliness.

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This episode is also available as a blog post: http://lovingscripture.com/2021/11/09/1-samuel-18-commentary/

First Samuel 18 Commentary.

You can tell the character of a man by the company he keeps, so goes the saying. Jonathan's genuine love for David says a lot about the character of the man. He loved the courage and faith of David because he himself was courageous and full of faith. We remember how he single-handedly attacked a Philistine outpost and killed 20 men. The LORD honored his faith and brought about a great victory.

But the LORD provides for David. In addition to numerous escapes is a set of gifts from the prince, Jonathan. The heir to the throne gives David his robe, sword, bow, and belt. It actually feels like Jonathan passes on the throne to David. And he is just very happy to do it. Jonathan’s spirit is the rarest of jewels.

Such is the working of the LORD that no night is ever too long. There are always moments of refreshing, the showers of blessings that keep your spirit alive even in the valley of death. So David lives on to feature in the next chapter. If you are in the midst of the valley of death, battered and threatened, know that the anointing is still with you. It is well, to the glory of God.

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This episode is also available as a blog post: http://lovingscripture.com/2021/11/08/1-samuel-17-commentary/

First Samuel 17 Commentary

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See what difference the anointing makes. A freshly anointed Saul had burned with anger when he was told about Nahash's threats on Jabesh Gilead. Nahash's Ammonites were a formidable force. The Spirit of the LORD had come upon Saul so powerfully that he feared nothing and advanced against the Ammonites. Without the anointing, Saul was now a sitting duck, a cowering chicken, and a man without hope.

The anointing worked in a very different way. Goliath would be killed but not by strength as was the case for the Lion or the Bear. It is at this point that David typifies the Christ whose victory over sin was not won with human strength though very much available.

David is given human weapons but he failed to walk properly. He wasn’t used to them. The battle would be won but not with human weapons.

Goliath curses David by his gods while David approaches the Philistine in the name of the LORD God. This battle is no longer human; it is a battle of the gods. Every saint involved in warfare must understand this.

Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. Midian was defeated. Judges 6.

Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. The Ammonites were defeated. Judges 11.

Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. Judges 14

When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger. The Ammonites were defeated. First Samuel 11.

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. First Samuel 16. Under this anointing, first the Lion and the Bear, then Goliath; this would be David’s life.

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Hebrews 11.

Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, Samuel, and now David, are heroes of faith. But look carefully, who is the real hero?

If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke chapter 11 verse 13.

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This episode is also available as a blog post: http://lovingscripture.com/2021/11/07/1-samuel-16-commentary/

First Samuel 16 Commentary

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When the LORD speaks to Samuel about the next king, you sense in the tone that Samuel was deeply affected by Saul's downfall. It was a father's sorrow but the LORD doesn't want us to dwell in disappointments. The all-knowing God had been raising David for this very purpose. Samuel is commanded to anoint the shepherd boy as Israel's next king. But there is a problem.

In the process of emphasizing salvation as the function of grace, we end up with faith without works. It is a shame that we often ignore the fact that the LORD does scan through communities and families looking for suitable hearts. David is a suitable heart. One by one the elder brothers pass by and fail the test.

Shouldn’t we be looking at our hearts more than anything? Shouldn’t cleanliness of the heart be of uttermost importance to every saint? Won’t this be the right time to abandon the thought that the LORD uses probability to randomly select His tools? Shouldn’t we be flooding heaven’s mailbox with requests to have our hearts worked on?

The chapter gives us two parallel reports. In the first instance, the Spirit of the LORD comes powerfully upon David. In the second instance, the Spirit of the LORD departs from Saul. The consequence on David is that he grows into a brave warrior and a worshipper. Since the red carpet wasn’t laid for David immediately, David must have gone back to tending his sheep. It’s under this anointing that he killed both the lion and the bear on two different occasions. Remember and contrast the effect of the anointing upon both Samson and David. It’s under this anointing that David writes many beautiful psalms to His God.

The saint under the anointing should be writing and singing songs of praise to the Creator God. The Lion and Bear battles are symbolic of our battles with principalities and authorities in the heavenly realms.

There wasn’t such blessing power for Saul. The principalities descended on him. The evil spirits tormented him so much that the palace became concerned. And who should solve this problem other than David, the anointed?

“An evil spirit from God” statement may catch our attention. Israel had only one workspace and it was for God, their God only. His presence brought good. His absence brought evil. But today we understand more. By looking further into the scriptures, we have details that easily help us understand what may possibly occupy the absence of the LORD.

The chapter closes with David at the palace conducting ‘deliverance sessions’.

What catches our attention here is how the LORD is orchestrating events. Hannah’s pain in childbearing led her to surrender a Samuel that she would have otherwise kept and cherished. That is how the great prophet Samuel entered the public service at the national level. About the same time, another young man named Obed is born to Boaz and Naomi in Bethlehem. He would become the grandfather of King David. The saint does well to appreciate the fact that the LORD is at work in time and space. Indeed, His ways are not our ways. Simply awesome!

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This episode is also available as a blog post: http://lovingscripture.com/2021/11/06/1-samuel-15-commentary/

First Samuel 15 Commentary.

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Saul sets up a monument in his own honor. This would be a fitting title to this chapter. But it's not the most important moment.

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://lovingscripture.com/2021/11/05/1-samuel-14-commentary/

First Samuel 14 Commentary

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In chapter 13, we noticed how Saul shook with fear because of the Philistines that assembled against him. It is actually Jonathan, his son, who had initiated this trouble by attacking a Philistine outpost. In chapter 14, Jonathan's faith is on display again.

We know Saul isn’t alone. Today’s love for objects such as the rosary, holy water, and the anointing oil, takes you back to Saul’s cold and lifeless religious pursuits. On the other hand, Jonathan simply takes off believing the LORD can save by many or by few. He is so consumed by this faith that he fears less for his personal safety. Yet he is humble enough to state; 'let your will be done.'

The chapter closes with the statement that 'all the days of Saul, there was bitter war with the Philistines'. Firstly, this scenario wasn’t part of the script. The LORD had promised to eliminate these enemies completely. The fact that we are still talking about bitter battles here speaks of failure. The scripture seems to bring out the point that Jonathan’s simple faith could have achieved victory easily, and the statement on Saul’s bitter wars with Philistines was never going to be part of the scripture.

Secondly, the chapter seems to point out Saul’s sinful and poor decision-making as the reason for failure. It was never meant to end this way. A religious activity here and there; a first-timer altar builder; a wrongly taken religious oath; and a church talk here and there, without a real relationship with the LORD: it is this kind of Christianity which causes a lot of pain and suffering. God forbid.

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This episode is also available as a blog post: http://lovingscripture.com/2021/11/04/1-samuel-13-commentary/

First Samuel 13 Commentary.

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We can compare chapter 11 and chapter 13. They are exactly the two different ends of the magnet. In chapter 11 Saul is the hero who the LORD empowers to overcome Nahash’s military strength. Under the influence of the Spirit of God, Saul fears nothing and advances against the Ammonites at once.

In this chapter, Saul is shaking with fear and so is everyone else around him. In chapter 11, the Spirit of God had been the differentiating factor but here in chapter 13, we don’t have this special blessing. What has happened to the anointing? Samuel puts it straight: you have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. At this point, Saul is all by himself. His offense has nothing to do with the sacrifice that he hastily offers to the LORD, in the absence of the prophet. His offense is in not having a working relationship with the LORD.

It is easy for the saint to tell that they are drifting away from the LORD. Fear appears. To solve the fear problem, man turns to all sorts of things. Saul turned to sacrifices. He would be told, later, that to obey is better than sacrifice. Today many errant souls turn to charity works and gifts to the church as possible means to avert their inner fears. Christianity doesn’t have to be so complicated. Obedience is better than sacrifice.

What Saul did was foolish because it would not solve any of his problems. Turning to the LORD as one turns to a pagan god for favors is what the prophet calls foolishness. The Creator God demands that men live in a holy relationship with Him at all times. They shall not treat their God like an ATM machine to be consulted only when they face trouble.

The great prophet Samuel then announces that the LORD “has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people”. Probably the story of Saul should end with this chapter. Much of what remains of Saul would be fights within himself and fights against the chosen man, David. The next few chapters would still highlight Saul but only to show us what man becomes when the Spirit of God departs. In contrast, Jonathan, Saul’s son would shine a ray of hope in a palace that was now ruled by evil.

The story of Saul is truly sad. It stands as a warning to all that the Spirit of God is not a permanent installation. Every saint carries this label: delicate content. There is no permanent tenancy. Sin is a powerful eviction notice. Then you are on your own. When David committed adultery with Bathsheba, his greatest fear was the loss of the Spirit of God. He prayed, “Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me”. Psalm 51 verse 11.

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This episode is also available as a blog post: http://lovingscripture.com/2021/11/02/1-samuel-11-commentary/

First Samuel 11 Commentary.

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You would wish Nahash the Ammonite was joking. He wasn't. These times were marked by extreme brutality. From the N.I.V Bible notes, we learn that Nahash had inflicted similar brutality on the Trans-Jordan tribes of Reuben and Gad. His presence on the west seems to be a continuation of the same. The danger was real and present. The victory at Jabesh Gilead is therefore very important.

The nation is grateful to Saul but not to the LORD who provided the victory. It is a human problem. The LORD is never in the picture. A safe trip is because of the good weather. The pilot is well experienced. The doctor is good. I know the bank manager. It is everything else but God. We can feel it with the nation of Israel. Saul is the man!

For now, wisdom prevails. Saul’s opponents, the fellow Israelite men who have scorned his kingship are spared. We admire Saul’s nobility. Again, so far so good.

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This episode is also available as a blog post: http://lovingscripture.com/2021/11/01/1-samuel-10-commentary/

First Samuel 10 Commentary.

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Saul is a lucky boy. Look at all the signs that the great prophet Samuel gives him! Which saint hasn’t prayed for signs? Silence. Yes, silence. That is normally the answer. But here Saul is given several time-specific and event-specific signs – all in one day. What a start to ministry!

In addition to authenticating the calling, the signs are a message by themselves. The first sign is that the lost donkeys have been found. The message could be that the calling doesn’t necessarily lead to the loss of one’s life pursuits. The fact that they have been found without Saul’s search effort is important by itself. Seek the kingdom first and ‘these things will be added on to you.

The gift of bread may be speaking about the LORD’s special gift to Saul. The three men are going to worship the LORD at Bethel – Bethel actually means ‘the house of God’. One of them would offer Saul the bread which is actually meant to be offered to the LORD at Bethel. We can read into this sign with greater interest when we consider the importance of bread as an object of worship at the Sanctuary. And Saul should accept this bread.

The next sign is about the Gibeah of God. Standing in God’s territory is a Philistine outpost. This is a foreign object standing where it should not stand. Here Saul would join a company of prophets and prophecy. Saul’s integration into this family of believers is clear. Importantly, the LORD is pointing to his calling and what that calling stands for. Ideally, a leader is a prophet who stands in the shoes of the LORD and declares the LORD’s word to the people. This should be the new normal for Saul.

The Spirit of the LORD would come powerfully upon Saul. His life would never be the same. It is only at this point that he should launch out. LORD, we ask for a time like this in our lives.

Someone greater than the great prophet Samuel has commissioned you, as the gospels clearly teach. And the signs to follow your calling have been recorded for you.

The calling was followed by the public presentation. We can call it ordination or inauguration. An ordination ritual is never the calling but simply a display for the human eye.

The constitution is given to Saul and the people. Samuel writes and deposits the guidelines before the LORD. Samuel’s sense to keep this important record may just be evidence that we are probably reading about a man who the LORD used to compile, write, and probably preserve much of the text that we have read so far.

Immediately we read about the opposition to Saul’s kingship. His reaction is admirable. So far so good.

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