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It's been a while since posting but I want to have one more thought about I Samuel before journeying into a different book. Strangely it's been on my mind since reading the first part of the book. It has to do with the position that Eli, a priest of GOD was in. Eli was a priest whose sons were acting horrible to the people. They took sacrifices meant for GOD and kept them for their pleasure. They even took advantage of the women who were near the temple, which in reality resulted in not just immoral living but idolatry. I say this because some of the religions of the time employed prostitutes as part of their worship. For the priests to involve themselves with such women (which I am presuming they did, otherwise they were taking advantage of women coming to the temple and that would be even more horrible) amounted into placing a priest of GOD into a union with paganism. So GOD comes down on Eli for knowing this was going on and not doing anything about it. That sort of struck me as showing it is important for a parent to correct the children and for a priest to do so as well to those who are priests. (possibly a warning for all of us to all our brothers as we are all considered to be GOD's chosen through CHRIST?) But the other thing that is really striking to me is that GOD tells Eli HE is going to punish the boys and Eli. Then GOD waits. Eli even acknowledges the warning when it comes through Samuel. and yet Eli does nothing about it. Finally GOD strikes them down. Yet an amount of time passed where they could possibly have amended behavior. They don't. Eli says "GOD is right." But doesn't change at all. He believes GOD will punish him and still doesn't change. GOD even gives him years. I don't know what GOD would have done had Eli fallen to his knees and said yes Lord. and then gone out grabbed his boys by the ear and done some serious correction. I would like to think that GOD would have shown mercy to him. I think that's why HE waited all the time that HE did. Now, HE didn't say if you change your ways then I will forgive you. But as a priest, I think Eli should have known that. I could be reaching here, but I think GOD didn't have to tell Eli what Eli already knew. If someone wants to argue and say, "Eli would have changed if GOD told him he was getting another chance, but he didn't because GOD didn't say that." I would find that hard to believe. True, GOD did punish Moses for doing something he shouldn't have. and true GOD does hold those who are in such positions to a higher standard. Still, as we see with David even a king could have things change with repentance. So Eli made for a horrible priest in many regards. Not only did he allow his sons to run rampant. Not only did he hear directly from GOD and not change. Worst of all, at least perhaps, he doesn't seem to even know the GOD he was serving. He doesn't seem to know that GOD was giving him time to set things right. or at least he didn't do anything about it. That is pretty serious. I wonder if it's any different with us who think we hear GOD telling us to do something differently, get something out of our lives, make a new direction etc. and then wait and not do it?

I have been dealing with the phrase striking while the Iron is hot. I don't know it's origen but I know that it means to act quickly. After all, a cold iron gets out no wrinkles. And if we don't act when GOD is speaking, then I can tell you for my ownself that I am not likely to do whatever I think GOD is speaking about. Personally it can be about anything. The more time I put between my action and HIS voice, the less likely I am to remeber HIS voice and the less likely I am to have any action.

posted by Darol at 2:50 PM

 
I want to think about Saul and David some. I am not the first to do so. In fact there is a great book by Luis Palau (I think) about David. His contention was that Saul and David did a lot of things similarly yet it was David who is the man after God's heart. Why? Luis contends that it's because when you look at the two of them, it is David who always confesses to GOD when he messes things up. I have been reading in 1 Samuel and there are some really interestesting things that come out. Samuel was annointed by GOD to be the first king of Israel even though he didn't want Israel to have a king. Yet the people wanted one so badly because everyone else had one. So HE gave them one. Saul was chosen by GOD and was successful for a while. But then he began to disobey--he offered a sacrifice when he wasn't supposed to. And then later when he was told by GOD to kill all of the enemies--Saul kept some stuff back and claimed he was going to offer it as a sacrifice. This promted Samuel to tell him that GOD wants obedience long before he wants sacrifice. I still didn't quite understand what was going on with Saul, though. After all, when Samuel confronts him about the issue Saul claims he did the right thing. Finally he confesses his sin, but he confesses it to Samuel. And then he goes on to beg Samuel to worship the LORD with him...so that the others will see them together. Maybe this is the real flaw within Saul. He seems to care more about what people think. I know we all care about what others think. But with Saul it was a drastic thing. He confessed his sin because he knew Samuel was listening to him. He made sacrifices instead of obedience because of the others (he even says this in 1 Samuel 15:30. I also found it interesting that later on when David is the one gaining all the attention, Saul begins to hate David because the people sing that Saul kills thousands and David ten of thousands. Is it jealousy? Of course. But I wonder if it doesn't run deeper than just jealous. Saul cared about others' opinions to the point that he was governed by them as if they were his power. Saul seems to believe that his power comes from what other believe. I also found it interesting that in vs 17 of the same chapter, Samuel tells him that though he (Saul) was once small in his own eyes, didn't GOD make Saul a king? That has really stayed with me. Maybe Saul never saw himself as being worthy of what GOD had given him. therefore he needed people to give him that reassurance. It would be so easy to get down on Saul for that except I find myself doing the same thing. God has said that I am HIS child now. Yet do I live as I am called or do I live to gain that acceptance from others? How often do I find myself having to attempt sacrifices to the LORD when I simply should have obeyed instead? All of the sudden Saul and I have an awful lot in common. GOD's presence left Saul. What stops that from happening to me? Well, I think this is where we go back to David. Did David do some of the same things? Yes. But in the end, what saved David the most was the fact that everytime he came back to GOD and said to GOD and for GOD---I sinned against you. See, when David stole another man's wife and then had the man killed, his realization was "GOD I have sinned against you." That doesn't mean he didn't sin against the man (Uriah,) as well. It means that David understood one thing about his position: GOD was the supreme head of life. We all get led astray by the desire for acceptance, riches, love, power, pleasure, etc. But when we are finally confronted with the truth of the situation or ourselves, do we admit what we need is from GOD (David did) or from others (Saul did). Interestingly, both were very honest at the end. Saul cared about the way people thought and David cared about what GOD thought. We have to make the same decision when confronted with our own self.
posted by Darol at 1:46 PM

 
As I was reading in Psalms I saw David, a person I like to relate to for all of his failings. Not only was he a man after God's heart, which a lot of us want to be, but he was a person who reads like a real human being in his prayers to the LORD. He continually speaks of the of the heartbreak he experiences when he realizes just how much he has failed the LORD. In Psalm 32:3-5 he speaks of the two greatest things a person can understand--(1)that he was a sinner and (2)GOD listened to and forgave him. That alone would be worth writing on for days without end. But another thing that came out while reading the Psalms was the reality of David, even as a servant of God. In Psalm 42 he talks about being downcast (deppressed is what I like to think of because that relates to me.) Now David talks about enemies around him that want him dead. He talks about the fear of running for his life. The brokeness of his heart for his own sins, and the general state of being down. At various points in the Psalms he makes mention of crying until his eyes are dry and his throat is rough. Yet he comes to a realization with GOD. David doesn't continually dismiss his depression, sadness, or fear. He does, however, say "BUT I will praise YOU, and thank YOU, and trust YOU." No matter how he felt there was a deeper realization that GOD was bigger and would lift up his soul, spirit, body. I don't think it was easy and I don't think that just saying a quick thank you suddenly took all of his depression away. Maybe there was a moment like when the disciples were with Jesus and everyone was leaving and Christ asked them, "Do you want to go too?" The answer was simple and powerful. Where else can we go? I don't know how they said those words. Maybe they were pumped up and boisterous. Maybe they were deep and solemn. Perhaps there was even a moment of saddness and realization that it isn't always fun and mirth but it was real with JESUS. I don't mean that it was a gee, this is sorry we have to stay with you type thing. I think it was an understanding that JESUS was the only way, even if the way wasn't fun and games. After all the crowds were dispersing and many were leaving because Christ had told them something very hard to understand about HIM being the food and drink they needed. And there is the fact that JESUS felt compelled to ask them if they were thinking about leaving as well. Yet they knew, as did David, that despite all of the things that were within them in terms of feelings, that still they must praise HIM. And David goes on to say that I will praise you (GOD) and that will lift my spirit. What else is a better representation of our GOD? We give HIM what he deserves-praise and as a natural by product HE gives us joy. We don't praise HIM to get joy yet by praising HIM we are given joy. No other god does that. Praise anyone or anything else and that's what you get--praise for them. Praise our GOD and you get joy for doing something you were created for---praising HIM.
posted by Darol at 12:54 PM

 
AS of late, I have been reading from PSALMS. While I struggle with much of it in terms of the themes there have been some interesting things that I think the LORD points out. In Psalm 29 there is continual mention of the power of the LORD's voice. HIS voice thunders (v.3) and breaks cedars (v.5). HIS voice can break cedars, yet we don't hear HIM. That is a paradox worth examining. Do we not hear HIS voice, or do we just ignor and drown it out with a thousand other little voices? For me, it's easily the second one. There is so much competition for my attention and listening that I don't process what is being said. Instead, the voice that breaks cedars becomes ignored and unlistened to. Imagine, a voice that is heard over the waters yet not heard over the tv. So then it becomes a question of is the tv louder than the waters? Is it louder than HIM? or is it that I (we?) listen to the other voice more? I wonder where that takes us? Certainly the LORD could speak over the tv or whatever conflicting voice is out there. But why should HE? I know HE cares for us and that is why HE does. However, could it be that sometimes we do hear his voice but just don't listen? I don't think HE gets tired of speaking. But HE surely wants an audience. And according to the Bible, HIS voice is also a still small voice. So a still small voice that break cedars. And the most amazing part of it all, is that HE chooses to speak with us. HE chooses to wait until we grow tired of listening to the tv or the other voices. The saddest part is that when I understand that I have missed out on listening to HIM, I see that I have missed out on what HE is offering. The loss is mine and yet I am the bigger fool for being distracted again by the other tiresome voices. I wonder what would happen if we reached the point where the voice of the LORD was the voice we pursued in the manner that we pursue our favorite tv shows, songs, activities? Cedars break. Oceans and storms are stilled. People get saved and loved on. All for listening to the voice of HIM who is our God.
posted by Darol at 3:48 PM

 
I should start by telling you that I am not a preacher. I hope that something on this page will be be a reflection of JESUS. If so then I can offer you a cup of cool water in HIS name. While I attempt to be the funny guy on the other page, I will do my best to be honest and offer something of real merit here. Onward and upward.
posted by Darol at 1:20 PM