Category Archives: Faith / Trusting God

All Knowing, Angels, Dreams, Faith / Trusting God, Guide, Obeying God, Omnipresent, Prophecy, Submitted / Servant

Obedience to our Father Is Crucial

It is always important to obey our Father, YHWH. There are times where it is absolutely crucial. We need to get in the habit of obeying Him all the time. He is not surprised by whatever will happen. He already knows what will happen.

In Matthew 2, we see a good example that demonstrates this principle. YHWH is guiding Joseph to protect Yeshua in His earthly body. YHWH is fulfilling prophecies along the way which is a great reminder that He is not surprised by any of these events. He will not be caught off guard by anything we will face either. He is omnipresent (past, present, future all at once) and omniscient (all knowing).

Matthew 2:13-23

The Flight to Egypt

      13Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.”

      14So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. 15He remained there

until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON.”

Herod Slaughters Babies

      16Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. 17Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

      18“A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH,
WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING,
RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN;
AND SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED,
BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE.”

      19But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, 20“Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” 21So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, 23and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Faith / Trusting God, Prophecy, Prophecy, Protector / Deliverer, Thankfulness

When YHWH Says He Will Do Something, He Will Do It

When YHWH says He will do something, He will do it. We can count on it. Sometimes it is not obvious at the time how or when. I love how Solomon makes the point in 1 Kings 8 while addressing the people. He blesses the people and YHWH. He points out how YHWH has brought about what He told David about building a temple.  The focus is not just about Solomon, or even the temple, but about YHWH and how He does what He says He will do.

1 Kings 8:12-21

Solomon Addresses the People

      12Then Solomon said,
“The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud.

      13“I have surely built You a lofty house,
A place for Your dwelling forever.”

      14Then the king faced about and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15He said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David and has fulfilled it with His hand, saying, 16‘Since the day that I brought My people Israel from Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that My name might be there, but I chose David to be over My people Israel.’ 17“Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 18“But the LORD said to my father David, ‘Because it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. 19‘Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who will be born to you, he will build the house for My name.’ 20“Now the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 21“There I have set a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD, which He made with our fathers when He brought them from the land of Egypt.”

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Obeying God, Purposeful / Intentional

Preparing a Place for YHWH to Dwell Among Us

Preparing a place for YHWH to dwell is not something to be taken lightly. Solomon took his time to get it right when building the temple. But part of the preparation was not just about the building. It was about Solomon and the people and their hearts and obedience toward YHWH.

In the midst of 1 Kings 6, in which Solomon is physically building the temple, we also see YHWH speak to him in verses 11-13 about the relationship they will have. Don’t miss this one, as it applies to all of us. If we want YHWH to dwell among us, then we must walk in His statutes, ordinances and commandments. To make a point, He cares about our obedience to His ways. It is important and we should not assume, like many teach today, that He does not care what we do so long as we claim Him in name. That is not what grace is about (Romans 6:1-2).

In fact, if we now understand that our bodies as followers of Yeshua are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), then this is even more personal. If we want the LORD to dwell among us, then we should obey His statutes and commands, which means we have to read and study them to understand them. We should each take this very seriously and prepare our bodies to be a temple that the Spirit will want to dwell in. We should take great time and care to live our lives in a way in which the Spirit will want to dwell among and in us.

Perhaps it is an interesting perspective to consider more broadly. Let us be in a hurry to begin what YHWH calls us to do, but let us not be in a hurry to finish. To accomplish something truly magnificent and worthy of YHWH will often take time. For Solomon, this applied to building the Temple. For each of us, it may apply to whatever YHWH calls us to to. It could be ministering to a certain person or establishing a ministry or anything really. It certainly applies to how we prepare our minds and bodies to be a place for the Spirit to dwell with us.

1 Kings 6

The Building of the Temple

      1Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD. 2As for the house which King Solomon built for the LORD, its length was sixty cubits and its width twenty cubits and its height thirty cubits. 3The porch in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits in length, corresponding to the width of the house, and its depth along the front of the house was ten cubits. 4Also for the house he made windows with artistic frames. 5Against the wall of the house he built stories encompassing the walls of the house around both the nave and the inner sanctuary; thus he made side chambers all around. 6The lowest story was five cubits wide, and the middle was six cubits wide, and the third was seven cubits wide; for on the outside he made offsets in the wall of the house all around in order that the beams would not be inserted in the walls of the house.

      7The house, while it was being built, was built of stone prepared at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built.

      8The doorway for the lowest side chamber was on the right side of the house; and they would go up by winding stairs to the middle story, and from the middle to the third. 9So he built the house and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and planks of cedar. 10He also built the stories against the whole house, each five cubits high; and they were fastened to the house with timbers of cedar.

      11Now the word of the LORD came to Solomon saying, 12“Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will carry out My word with you which I spoke to David your father. 13“I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.”

      14So Solomon built the house and finished it. 15Then he built the walls of the house on the inside with boards of cedar; from the floor of the house to the ceiling he overlaid the walls on the inside with wood, and he overlaid the floor of the house with boards of cypress. 16He built twenty cubits on the rear part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the ceiling; he built them for it on the inside as an inner sanctuary, even as the most holy place. 17The house, that is, the nave in front of the inner sanctuary, was forty cubits long. 18There was cedar on the house within, carved in the shape of gourds and open flowers; all was cedar, there was no stone seen. 19Then he prepared an inner sanctuary within the house in order to place there the ark of the covenant of the LORD. 20The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in height, and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid the altar with cedar. 21So Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold. And he drew chains of gold across the front of the inner sanctuary, and he overlaid it with gold. 22He overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. Also the whole altar which was by the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.

      23Also in the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 24Five cubits was the one wing of the cherub and five cubits the other wing of the cherub; from the end of one wing to the end of the other wing were ten cubits. 25The other cherub was ten cubits; both the cherubim were of the same measure and the same form. 26The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was the other cherub. 27He placed the cherubim in the midst of the inner house, and the wings of the cherubim were spread out, so that the wing of the one was touching the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub was touching the other wall. So their wings were touching each other in the center of the house. 28He also overlaid the cherubim with gold.

      29Then he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, inner and outer sanctuaries. 30He overlaid the floor of the house with gold, inner and outer sanctuaries.

      31For the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood, the lintel and five-sided doorposts. 32So he made two doors of olive wood, and he carved on them carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread the gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees.

      33So also he made for the entrance of the nave four-sided doorposts of olive wood 34and two doors of cypress wood; the two leaves of the one door turned on pivots, and the two leaves of the other door turned on pivots. 35He carved on it cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold evenly applied on the engraved work. 36He built the inner court with three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams.

      37In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid, in the month of Ziv. 38In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished throughout all its parts and according to all its plans. So he was seven years in building it.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, Fear / Reverence for God, Heaven and Hell, Through Prophets, Visions

The River and the Tree of Life

The scene documented in Revelation 22 is wonderful. A crystal clear stream coming from YHWH and Yeshua waters the tree of life. There is no more curse, I presume associated with sin and disobedience, because there is no more sin and disobedience. YHWH is so bright, there is no longer a need for the sun and there is no more night. Whether that is literal or metaphorical, it speaks volumes. The LORD once again rules and lives among His people. What a scene to look forward to.

We also see another reminder, several in Revelation, that we are not to worship angels, but only YHWH Himself.

Revelation 22:10-10

The River and the Tree of Life

      1Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; 4they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.

      6And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true”; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place.

      7“And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.”

      8I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9But he said to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God.”

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, Learning To Pray Effectively, Obeying God, Protector / Deliverer

Seek the LORD When Facing Battles

Seek the LORD in regards to battles you face. Whether literal or figurative, battles we face can be very disruptive and intimidating. We should remember to seek the LORD on “if” and “how” we fight.

2 Samuel 5:17-25

War with the Philistines

      17When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek out David; and when David heard of it, he went down to the stronghold. 18Now the Philistines came and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. 19Then David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?” And the LORD said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” 20So David came to Baal-perazim and defeated them there; and he said, “The LORD has broken through my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore he named that place Baal-perazim. 21They abandoned their idols there, so David and his men carried them away.

      22Now the Philistines came up once again and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. 23When David inquired of the LORD, He said, “You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees. 24“It shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall act promptly, for then the LORD will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.” 25Then David did so, just as the LORD had commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faith / Trusting God, Grace / Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell, Justice / Judgment, Salvation, Submitted / Servant, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

We All Face Judgment Before YHWH

The dead will rise again to face judgment and a second death. We will all stand at the judgment seat of YHWH and be judged based on our deeds while alive.

Revelation 20:10-15

Judgment at the Throne of God

11Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

There are varying levels of reward in heaven (GotQuestions.org/treasure-heaven) or punishment in hell (GotQuestions.org/levels-hell). This may be part of the judgment at the throne of YHWH. Of course, many focus more on the simple “do I go to heaven or hell” question.

We are all guilty and none deserve to be saved (Romans 3:10).  However, those of us who are saved, are saved not by works, but by grace.

Ephesians 2:8-10

8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

It is by faithful submission to YHWH through Yeshua that we are put in the Lamb’s book of life.

John 3:16-21

   16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21“But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Faith / Trusting God, False Prophets / Teachers, Protector / Deliverer, Purposeful / Intentional, Tribulation, Visions, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Yeshua Will Return and He Will Defeat the Wicked

Yeshua came as a suffering servant and was sacrificed for our sins. When he next returns He will come as a conquering king. Do not think of Him only as a meek and mild, but also infinitely strong and coming to make war with the wicked. Spoiler alert, we know how it ends. He wins and so do those who are with Him. We should live with this knowledge in our heads on a daily basis. Whatever the world looks like now, in the end we win. Live like that today. Be bold and confident in our faith. Do not compromise with wickedness.

Revelation 19:11-21

The Coming of Christ

      11And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

      17Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, 18so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.”

      19And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.

Doom of the Beast and False Prophet

      20And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. 21And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

 

Faith / Trusting God, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Protector / Deliverer, Provider

YHWH Does Not Promise Everything Will Be Easy

David knew he was to be king. YHWH had anointed him through Samuel. Saul finally died and David knew he would. So now, it should be all easy, right? Nope. Imagine the potential disappointment David may have felt when Israel raised up another king against him and he was only made king of Judah. There would have been potential for him to complain to YHWH or get frustrated or downhearted. He seemed to simply take each step as it came.

For us also, not everything will go as smoothly or as quickly as we like, even when YHWH is directing the outcome! Just because it is hard does not mean it is not what YHWH is calling us to do. He does not promise to make everything easy.

2 Samuel 2

David Made King over Judah

      1Then it came about afterwards that David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” And the LORD said to him, “Go up.” So David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “To Hebron.” 2So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 3And David brought up his men who were with him, each with his household; and they lived in the cities of Hebron. 4Then the men of Judah came and there anointed David king over the house of Judah.
And they told David, saying, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.” 5David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, “May you be blessed of the LORD because you have shown this kindness to Saul your lord, and have buried him. 6“Now may the LORD show lovingkindness and truth to you; and I also will show this goodness to you, because you have done this thing. 7“Now therefore, let your hands be strong and be valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

Ish-bosheth Made King over Israel

      8But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. 9He made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, even over all Israel. 10Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he was king for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David. 11The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

Civil War

      12Now Abner the son of Ner, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon with the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul. 13And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, one on the one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool. 14Then Abner said to Joab, “Now let the young men arise and hold a contest before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” 15So they arose and went over by count, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. 16Each one of them seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon. 17That day the battle was very severe, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

      18Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel; and Asahel was as swift-footed as one of the gazelles which is in the field. 19Asahel pursued Abner and did not turn to the right or to the left from following Abner. 20Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.” 21So Abner said to him, “Turn to your right or to your left, and take hold of one of the young men for yourself, and take for yourself his spoil.” But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him. 22Abner repeated again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?” 23However, he refused to turn aside; therefore Abner struck him in the belly with the butt end of the spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died on the spot. And it came about that all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.

      24But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and when the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is in front of Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. 25The sons of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one band, and they stood on the top of a certain hill. 26Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long will you refrain from telling the people to turn back from following their brothers?” 27Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then the people would have gone away in the morning, each from following his brother.” 28So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people halted and pursued Israel no longer, nor did they continue to fight anymore. 29Abner and his men then went through the Arabah all that night; so they crossed the Jordan, walked all morning, and came to Mahanaim.

      30Then Joab returned from following Abner; when he had gathered all the people together, nineteen of David’s servants besides Asahel were missing. 31But the servants of David had struck down many of Benjamin and Abner’s men, so that three hundred and sixty men died. 32And they took up Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb which was in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men went all night until the day dawned at Hebron.

Faith / Trusting God, Fear / Reverence for God, Submitted / Servant

Respect the LORD’s Anointed

David clearly took very seriously the LORD’s anointing on Saul. Not only did he refuse to kill Saul despite Saul’s wrongful efforts to kill David, but even when he hears of Saul’s death from an Amalekite he mourns rather than celebrates. He even slays the messenger who admits killing Saul, though the messenger thought he was being a help to Saul by killing him at the time.

David seems to genuinely mourn the death of the LORD’s anointed. This gives me some reason to pause and reflect. Though we may take issue with some who are called by YHWH to pastor or fill leadership positions, let us respect that they are called and not constantly bicker and pick on them, but rather respect and support and pray for them. Of course, not everyone who claims to be anointed or called by YHWH is truthful. Many are full of deceit for self gain. We must use discernment and lean on the LORD for understanding and clarity. We must judge their actions against scripture and the ways of the LORD.

And just for clarity, it is about the LORD choosing the person and not the oil that is put on their head during a literal anointing. It is about the anointing with the Holy Spirit (Ruach Chodesh in Hebrew).

2 Samuel 1

David Learns of Saul’s Death

      1Now it came about after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, that David remained two days in Ziklag. 2On the third day, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul, with his clothes torn and dust on his head. And it came about when he came to David that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself. 3Then David said to him, “From where do you come?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” 4David said to him, “How did things go? Please tell me.” And he said, “The people have fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.” 5So David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” 6The young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and behold, Saul was leaning on his spear. And behold, the chariots and the horsemen pursued him closely. 7“When he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I said, ‘Here I am.’ 8“He said to me, ‘Who are you?’ And I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9“Then he said to me, ‘Please stand beside me and kill me, for agony has seized me because my life still lingers in me.’ 10“So I stood beside him and killed him, because I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown which was on his head and the bracelet which was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”

      11Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so also did all the men who were with him. 12They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan and for the people of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 13David said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?” And he answered, “I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite.” 14Then David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the LORD’S anointed?” 15And David called one of the young men and said, “Go, cut him down.” So he struck him and he died. 16David said to him, “Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD’S anointed.’”

David’s Dirge for Saul and Jonathan

      17Then David chanted with this lament over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18and he told them to teach the sons of Judah the song of the bow; behold, it is written in the book of Jashar.

      19“Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places!
How have the mighty fallen!

      20“Tell it not in Gath,
Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
Or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice,
The daughters of the uncircumcised will exult.

      21“O mountains of Gilboa,
Let not dew or rain be on you, nor fields of offerings;
For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,
The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.

      22“From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty,
The bow of Jonathan did not turn back,
And the sword of Saul did not return empty.

      23“Saul and Jonathan, beloved and pleasant in their life,
And in their death they were not parted;
They were swifter than eagles,
They were stronger than lions.

      24“O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
Who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet,
Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.

      25“How have the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle!
Jonathan is slain on your high places.

      26“I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
You have been very pleasant to me.
Your love to me was more wonderful
Than the love of women.

      27“How have the mighty fallen,
And the weapons of war perished!”

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Faith / Trusting God, Justice / Judgment, Protector / Deliverer, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

The LORD’s Judgment Is Final; What He Says Will Happen

When YHWH tells you something He will make come to pass, you can trust Him. It may take longer than you like or take so long you start to doubt, but look to the example of David and wait patiently and faithfully on the LORD. He was anointed king and then resisted multiple opportunities to kill Saul, when he could do so claiming self defense! He waited for the LORD to deal with Saul because he was the LORD’s anointed. The LORD delivers in His own timing.

Let us also pause and reflect at this point that Saul’s downfall was driven by his disobedience to the LORD.  In 1 Samuel 31, we see Saul finally face his full judgment from the LORD.

Reflecting on both David and Saul while reading this passage creates a real contrast. There is one who was faithful through adversity and now has promise fulfilled to become king. The other was king and disobeyed and now the judgment is fulfilled to remove him and his sons.

1 Samuel 31

Saul and His Sons Slain

     1Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua the sons of Saul. 3The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was badly wounded by the archers. 4Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised will come and pierce me through and make sport of me.” But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it. 5When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him. 6Thus Saul died with his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men on that day together.

      7When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, with those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; then the Philistines came and lived in them.

      8It came about on the next day when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9They cut off his head and stripped off his weapons, and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. 10They put his weapons in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. 11Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12all the valiant men rose and walked all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. 13They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.