Year 4, Day 310: 1 Samuel 24

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Character

• Character: Having the interior life that is necessary to support the work that God sets before a person.  It is hearing from God and obeying.  It is doing the right thing when nobody is looking.

This chapter is a great chapter into the heart of David.  We know so much about his failings in his later life.  There is the Bathsheba story.  There is the rebellion story of his own son, Absalom.  David’s humanity is quickly pointed out by many people – including myself.

So why does God call David a man after His own heart?  David comes within an inch of Saul’s life.  What more is that this happens when Saul is defenseless.  He is defenseless because he’s going to the bathroom and relieving himself.  As such, he probably doesn’t have his normal body guards there, either.  After all, who takes guards into a cave to go to the bathroom?  No, you post guards at the entrance to the cave and then go to the bathroom in private.  So Saul is truly defenseless here, prime for the picking had David wanted to pluck away his life.

But what does David do?  David cuts off a piece of his cloak.  David gets close enough to prove he could have hurt Saul had he wanted.  But he doesn’t intend any harm to Saul.  David respects life – even the lives of those who would desire to harm him.  I personally think that this is one of the most admirable traits of the soon-to-be-king.  David doesn’t intend harm to Saul even though Saul would intend great harm to him.  What is the character of God?  The character of God is to love those who do not deserve to know love.  That’s the David we see here, too, reflecting the character of his God.

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Year 4, Day 309: 1 Samuel 23

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: In

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.

In this chapter we see several interactions about which we can view the lens of In.  First of all, let’s take a look at David and the town that he rescues.  David hears that they are being attacked by the Philistines and wants to go to their rescue.  His people question, so he goes to God and confirms the action.  Yet, after the town is spared – Saul comes against him to trap him. 

Clearly Saul is not In for David.  But neither is the town that he just rescued!  You would think that they would be loyal to David, after all he just rescued them from the hand of the Philistines.  But the town plans to turn David over to Saul.  They are not In for David.  Just because we do something for the benefit of another person, do not think that they are In for us.

On the other hand, we get to view Jonathon and David.  Even after Saul pursues David, Jonathon comes to David.  Rather than side with his father, Jonathon continues to side with David.  In fact, here in this chapter we see Jonathon confess that the kingdom is David’s and he will be at David’s side.  Jonathon is voluntarily giving up on his claim for the kingdom in order to be In for David.

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Year 4, Day 308: 1 Samuel 22

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Chemistry

• Chemistry asks whether the person in question can work with the other people that God has called.

What a cool chapter to talk about chemistry.  Even as David is on the run from Saul we can see God working through David to collect people around him.  In spite of the fact that David is an enemy of the state, God is able to use him.

David starts to collect the people around him who need him.  The poor come to him.  The oppressed come to him.  The people who need a leader or a support network come to David.  The people who were in debt gather around David.  Notice that David doesn’t turn them away.  Many people in the world would turn away the world’s outcasts.  David welcomes them with open arms.  He has the chemistry to take them and shape them regardless of whatever baggage they may carry.

Second, notice David’s chemistry with the one remaining priest from Nob.  All of his family has just died.  He could have easily hated David for being the motivating cause that led Saul to have Doeg the Edomite kill the priests.  But David overcomes this.  David welcomes the priest.  He reminds the priest that they have a common enemy who wants them both dead.  Then he reminds the priest that he will always have a home.

That’s chemistry at work.  God works through David to bring all kinds of people around him so that when the time is right God can work through all of them.

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Year 4, Day 307: 1 Samuel 21

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Character

• Character: Having the interior life that is necessary to support the work that God sets before a person.  It is hearing from God and obeying.  It is doing the right thing when nobody is looking.

The last time that we looked at character was when we were talking about Saul and him becoming king over the Hebrew people.  As we transition to more and more stories about David, it is also appropriate to examine this idea of character from time to time.

There are two stories in this chapter, both of which lift up the questionable side of David’s character.  First, David lies to the priest about why he is away from the king’s palace.  Rather than tell the priest that he is on the run from Saul, David says that he is on a mission from the king.  Here is a terrible lie, and we’ll see the effects tomorrow.

In the second story, we see David go to Gath and lies some more.  He pretends to be insane so that the king of Gath won’t pay any attention to him.  What he is really doing is trying to use the Philistines to protect him from Saul without telling them the danger of having David so close at hand.  I’ve got to be honest here.  In these two stories I’m not impressed with David’s character.  Not that I’m in any place to judge, mind you.  I’ve got my own flaws.

However, I do want to say one thing about David.  In this story we do get a sense of why God can be so forgiving to David.  David shows his character flaws when he is talking about human politics.  But when it comes to the things of God – the holiness of the men with respect to the bread of the presence – David doesn’t mess around.  David takes the purity of the men very seriously.  So while David is certainly flawed and more than willing to lie about human affairs to get his way, David does take holiness seriously.  He is a flawed human being, but he is a flawed human being in a genuine relationship with God.

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Year 4, Day 306: 1 Samuel 20

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: King

• King: This is the pinnacle of the Kingdom Triangle.  When we look towards God’s position in the universe, we acknowledge that He is an omnipotent king.  Authority comes from Him.  Power comes through His authority.  He is looking for representatives for His kingdom.

Here is another really neat chapter – one in which we can take a very interesting look at the concept of king.  When we consider Jonathon and the idea of King, we have a few perspectives to explore.  We will end up in a place that shouldn’t surprise us, but it may.

Remember that Jonathon is Saul’s son.  Jonathon’s dad is his king.  Or, actually, maybe not.  If there is anyone who should be innately loyal to Saul, we would expect it to be Jonathon.  But when we look at this chapter, we see that Jonathon isn’t loyal to his dad as king.

Instead, Jonathon’s king is God.  Jonathon’s authority comes from God.  When Jonathon makes a vow, it is God that Jonathon asks to hold him accountable.  Jonathon seeks God’s heart, not the heart of his father.

We see Jonathon desiring to see Saul in the best light when the chapter opens.  Who doesn’t want to see their parents as good people?  But when Jonathon’s eyes are opened, there is no doubt who the king of Jonathon’s life is.  Jonathon chooses righteousness and God’s servant David over his own dad.  That takes guts.  It takes a faithful servant of God the true King to do that.

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Year 4, Day 305: 1 Samuel 19

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Protection, Provision

• Protection: In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray that God might deliver us from evil – even the Evil One.  Sometimes we need God’s protection from the sin around us.  Sometimes we need protection from the sinful people around us.  Other times we need protection from the sin that lies within ourselves. In any case, Jesus’ point is clear.  We need protection from the Father to make it through each and every day.
• Provision: God gives us what we truly need.  God knows our needs better than we can know them.  We learn to trust God to provide for us.

Provision is an amazing thing to watch.  Sometimes God provides in ways that we can foresee and anticipate.  Sometimes God provides in ways that we could never expect.  We see examples of all of these in this chapter.

We see Jonathon watching out for David.  Remember that Jonathon is Saul’s own son.  So when Saul says that he wants David to die, Jonathon has to choose between his father and his friend.  It’s pretty cool – and fairly rare – that a person would choose their friend over their family.  But God provides David with a great resource in Jonathon.

The neat thing is that God isn’t done working for David in Saul’s family.  God gives David Michal.  Michal is David’s wife, but remember that Michal is also Saul’s daughter.  When Saul sends out spies to David’s house in order to kill him, once again God provides a member of Saul’s own household in order to save David’s life.

The last person we see fulfilling a part of God’s provision for David is Samuel.  When David has nowhere left to turn, he goes to Samuel.  Samuel provides protection for David when he needs it.  Of course, the truth is that most of the protection actually comes from the very hand of God’s Spirit.  God does an incredible job protecting and giving provision for David when he needs it.

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Year 4, Day 304: 1 Samuel 18

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Identity

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.

In this chapter we are introduced to a beautiful friendship.  David and Jonathon become good friends.  In fact, they loved each other as much as they loved themselves.  Their friendship is built on a genuine respect for one another and what God is doing in their life.  We’ll have the privilege of watching this relationship grow over time.

But what is really neat about this chapter is that nowhere does Jonathon get jealous.  As David gains power and prestige among the people, it is actually Jonathon who should be worried as Jonathon is the person next in line to be king.  But we get no sense of jealousy here.

Furthermore, Jonathon doesn’t turn on David when it becomes obvious that Saul has it out for David.  Jonathon keeps his friendship with David.  In spite of his father’s feelings, David and Jonathon become quite close.

This is true In.  True In doesn’t get jealous of one another; they give God the glory for when things go well in your life.  True In doesn’t follow in party line, they make up their own allegiances and stay true regardless of the world around them.  True In helps us point to God and stay close to God.

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Year 4, Day 303: 1 Samuel 17

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Identity

• Identity: Our true identity comes from the Father.  Only when our identity comes from God can we be obedient in ways that satisfy our person to our core.

This chapter – while long – is a really neat chapter about identity.  You see, David knows his identity.  David hears about the battle when he is asked to bring some supplies to his brothers.  While he is there, he hears Goliath and becomes indignant.  He takes offense at Goliath’s insults leveled to God and sets out to resolve the issue.  He knows that he is God’s child and that he will find protection in the Lord.

This is a great perspective of identity.  Goliath is huge compared to this young David.  But David doesn’t get his identity from the world’s perspective.  David gets his identity from God and what God can do through him.  He could have easily believed that he was powerless against Goliath.  But through God, David knows that he is powerful.

Notice also that David refuses to wear the armor of King Saul.  David knows what his identity is not, too.  David knows that he is not a warrior.  David knows that he hasn’t tested the armor.  It doesn’t fit quite right. He cannot depend upon it.  So David casts off the armor and instead picks up 5 stones.  He only needs one – that’s how powerful God is.  But here is a clear case of David being successful because he knows what he is not.  He is not a warrior.  He doesn’t try to be one.  He focuses on his identity from God and lives that out.  And he finds success, because he is living as God would have him live.

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Year 4, Day 302: 1 Samuel 16

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: In

• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.

In is well-described as the people in our lives that give us spiritual counsel and whom we trust.  They are important people to us.  We all need people in our life who can speak truthfully and honestly in our life rather than people who just tell us what we want to hear.

This idea came across to me really well as I read this chapter.  Samuel comes to Bethlehem and the people are afraid.  Now, they aren’t afraid of his ability to conquer them or physically oppress them.  What they are afraid of is Samuel’s ability to speak truth.  They are afraid of Samuel’s ability to look at how they are living and convict them.  They are afraid of Samuel being able to do what true people of God can do.

So I wonder.  How many people do I have in my life that can challenge me like I should be challenged?  How many people in my life do I let that kind of truth come into my life through them?  Is that something that we as Christians in the Western World even value anymore?  Or do we want someone who will make us feel good, pat us on the back, and let us live the way that we want to live?

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Year 4, Day 301: 1 Samuel 15

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Appetite

• Appetite: We all have needs that need to be filled.  When we allow ourselves to be filled with the people and things that God brings into our life, we will be satisfied because our In will be in proper focus.  But when we try to fill ourselves with our own desires we end up frustrated by an insatiable hunger.

Today we get to see Saul’s third major sin against the Lord.  God tells Samuel to commission Saul to destroy the Amalekites.  Saul goes forward eagerly to do so.  However, when Saul is victorious he doesn’t destroy the Amalekites.  Saul destroys most of the Amalekites but allows their king to live.  Saul absorbs Agag’s wealth into his own rather than destroying it as God commands.

This is a sin of Appetite.  Saul doesn’t trust that God can provide for his whole life.  Saul sees wealth, animals, and provision in general.  Rather than allow it to be destroyed, Saul takes it for himself.  His appetite for accumulating wealth and being able to provide for himself guides his decision-making, not his faithful obedience to God.

Let’s be honest.  All of us do this from time to time.  But what makes Saul’s action egregious is that when confronted he lies about it.  Saul doesn’t repent.  He doesn’t confess.  He lies.  He tries to cover up his action.  His appetite takes over and he doesn’t want to get caught.  Saul is thinking about himself first and foremost.

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Year 4, Day 300: 1 Samuel 14

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Approval

• Approval: We all need to feel as though we are accepted.  When we seek the approval of God, our Up is in the right place.  But when we seek the approval of other people besides God, we open the door to pursuing false gods and risk putting someone or something other than God in our Up position.

Saul displays a horrible perspective of decision making here in this chapter.  He makes a rash vow that ultimately places his son in jeopardy.  When his son – who knows that the vow his father made was silly – is found to be guilty, Saul demands justice.  Saul could have acknowledge how poorly timed his vow was.  After all, what general starves his soldiers the day of a big battle?  But rather than admit how foolish the vow was, Saul demands that his vow be executed even if it means that His own son must die.

Saul is after approval in this passage.  Saul wants the people to see how seriously he takes his own words.  Saul wants the people to take their own words as seriously as he takes his words.  He wants the people to look at him and admire him for being willing to have the “law” apply to himself as much as it applies to everyone else.

But Saul is in the wrong.  The vow he made was foolish.  It was foolish on many levels.  If Saul wanted approval, he should have repented of the foolish vow and shown the people what repentance looks like.  That would have not only gotten him the approval of the people – who ransom Jonathon back from death anyways – as well as gotten him the approval of God.

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Year 4, Day 299: 1 Samuel 13

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Ambition

• Ambition: We all need a goal to which we can strive.  When our ambition comes from God, we find fulfillment in our obedience into that for which we have been equipped because our Out is in proper focus.  But when our ambition comes from ourselves, we find ourselves chasing after our own dreams and trying to find fulfillment in accomplishments of our own making.

Saul knows the Philistines are gathering against him.  He needs to be victorious.  After all, that’s why the people wanted a king!  The people want someone to rally the troops and follow.  So Saul feels the pressure of the situation.  He feels the pressure to succeed.

Saul’s ambition gets ahead of God.  Rather than waiting upon the Lord, Saul offers the sacrifice himself.  In his quest for ambition, Saul becomes impatient.  Because Saul wants to be victorious, he takes matters into his own hands.

Look at the consequences of Saul’s foolishness.  Saul’s son will not reign over Israel.  The line of kings will go through someone besides Saul.  Saul’s quest for ambition actually ends up thwarting his long-term ambition.  That’s how it often is with God.  When we take matters into our own hands, our efforts often act counter-productively to what God is actually doing.  We need to let go of our personal ambition and instead seek the Lord and His designs for our life.

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Year 4, Day 298: 1 Samuel 12

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Forgiveness

• Forgiveness: Forgiveness is when our sins are absolved by God.  We do not deserve this forgiveness, but God grants it to us anyway.  We cannot earn forgiveness, but God gives it to us anyway.  As we are forgiven by God, He also asks us to forgive others.  In fact, Jesus Himself teaches us to pray for our forgiveness in the Lord’s Prayer when He says, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Given everything that is going on, I find it absolutely amazing to hear these words from 1 Samuel.  The people have rejected God as their king.  They want a human king so that they can be like all the other nations.  God has every right to abandon them and forget about them.  God has every right to tell the people that they have made the covenant void.

But that isn’t what God does.  God has Samuel tell the people that God is still with them.  If they continue to follow God and God’s ways, it will go well with them.  God has every right to abandon them, but that isn’t what happens at all.  God sticks by them in spite of their rebellion.  God displays His desire to forgive rather than judge in wrath.

For that matter, so does Samuel.  Samuel follows God’s lead.  Samuel is saying farewell as the judge over the people in this passage.  But Samuel isn’t saying goodbye.  He will still pray for them.  He will still lift them up before God.  He might not be their leader anymore, but that doesn’t mean that he cannot pray that they find God’s will and obey it.  Although they have been rebellious, Samuel still prays for them.  That’s a man after God’s own forgiving heart!

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Year 4, Day 297: 1 Samuel 11

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Identity

• Identity: Our true identity comes from the Father.  Only when our identity comes from God can we be obedient in ways that satisfy our person to our core.

The Hebrew people make me laugh.  They were brought out of Egypt under Moses.  They conquered the Promised Land under Joshua.  All of this was put in motion by God.  But a few chapters ago they told Samuel that they don’t want God as their king – they want a human as a king so that they can be like the other nations.  I don’t know that there is a clearer statement of identity to be found.

Then we get to this chapter.  Saul goes out to battle and musters a huge force to go with him.  When he gets the victory, the people embrace Saul.  He can’t do wrong in their eyes.  In fact, they embrace Saul so much that they want to go out and kill the people who stood up and asked why Saul should reign over them!  They get swept up into a single momentous victory!

I heard someone say once, “The person who is in the position of victory always seems to be invincible at the moment.”  Victory comes and goes.

But it is interesting to see who desires to place their identity in being Saul’s supporters.  They rejected God.  They clearly don’t want their identity to be from God.  So they put their identity in the next successful human that comes along.  In their disobedience to God their identity shifts to a different source.

Of course, I’m not always any better.  I’m not judging the Hebrew people.  I’m learning from them.

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Year 4, Day 296: 1 Samuel 10

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Character

• Character: Having the interior life that is necessary to support the work that God sets before a person.  It is hearing from God and obeying.  It is doing the right thing when nobody is looking.

What a great place to look at character!  We get to pick up right where we left off.  Yesterday we saw God’s continual provision over the Hebrew people, over Samuel, and over Saul.  Here in this chapter we continue to see God’s provision.  God uses Samuel to prepare Saul for both prophetic utterings as well as to be king.  God’s provision is amazing to watch!

But how does Saul respond?  Saul prophecies when the glory of the Lord comes upon Him.  Who doesn’t like to be a part of those once-in-a-lifetime spiritual moments?  Who doesn’t like to be a part of those spontaneously cool spiritual moments?

But then Saul returns home. He says nothing about becoming king to his closest family.  He doesn’t share what God is doing in his life.  In fact, even when the tribes come together and the new king is selected – we find Saul hiding among the luggage!  Saul wants to be a part of the spiritual moments without taking ownership of what God is really asking him to do.

This speaks deeply to his character.  Saul doesn’t have the character to follow God with all of his heart.  Saul’s character wants the flair without embracing the hard work of day-to-day responsibility in a walk with God.  Saul shows us from the very beginning that his character is flawed.  Granted, who are we to judge, right?

What a great day to examine character.  Do we fare any better than Saul?  Should we not strive for God’s character while acknowledging the failings of our own character?  Let’s prepare today to follow God diligently and develop character as it should be developed.

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Year 4, Day 295: 1 Samuel 9

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Provision

• Provision: God gives us what we truly need.  God knows our needs better than we can know them.  We learn to trust God to provide for us.

You might think this is an unusual topic to study for this chapter.  But let’s stop for a moment and count just how many times God provides in this chapter.  Remember that the people have just rebelled against God and His kingship and instead demand a human king.  Still, God provides.

First, notice that God does provide a king in Saul.  Yes, Saul is a flawed human being – but who among us isn’t flawed?  But what does God provide in Saul?  Saul is a man who can save the people from the Philistines.  He’s a great military general with a good tactical mind.  He is a personable king, who will be able to rally the people around him.  All things considered as far as humans go, he’s not a bad choice for king.  God provides a capable person in spite of his flaws.

With respect to Samuel, God provides a message to him in order to make sure he got the message right.  God gives Samuel a warning to prepare a feast.  He even provides Samuel with the tribe from which the new king will come!  God provides Samuel with everything that he needs to be successful in his calling to recognize the chosen king.

Finally, let’s look at what God provides Saul.  God finds the missing donkeys for Saul so that he can take the time and feast with Samuel and partake of his faithful presence.  Perhaps even more importantly, God provides Samuel for Saul to have as a resource for when he steps into the kingship!  God gives Saul what he needs to be successful as a king.

It’s neat to see God provide so abundantly in the very next chapter after the people reject God.  He is a gracious God.  How has He provided for you?

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Year 4, Day 294: 1 Samuel 8

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: King

• King: This is the pinnacle of the Kingdom Triangle.  When we look towards God’s position in the universe, we acknowledge that He is an omnipotent king.  Authority comes from Him.  Power comes through His authority.  He is looking for representatives for His kingdom.

This is a natural chapter in which we can examine the concept of king.  We as human beings really enjoy living out of other people’s authority and power.  We like having people to make the tough decisions for us.  We like to have people against whom we can complain when things go wrong.  We actually need to have people provide structure and framework to bring order to the chaos of our lives.

The question, though, is this.  Do we live out of the authority and power of the one who is over us?  Or do we simply like to have someone bring order to our chaotic lives so that we can continue to do our own thing?  Are we really about serving God as King?  Or do we just want God to make our life okay so that we can live as we please?  Do we want a God to follow and obey or do we want someone to make all the hard decisions and protect us with no thankfulness from ourselves?

The Hebrew people wanted a king.  They wanted to be like other nations.  They wanted someone to make decisions and train an army and be the figurehead.  They wanted someone who would leave them alone if they just paid their taxes and didn’t rebel.  They don’t want to live out of the power and authority that comes from following God.  They want to be like the rest of their world and live as they choose.

Do we want God as our king?  Are we any different than the Hebrew people?

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Year 4, Day 293: 1 Samuel 7

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Up

• Forgiveness: Forgiveness is when our sins are absolved by God.  We do not deserve this forgiveness, but God grants it to us anyway.  We cannot earn forgiveness, but God gives it to us anyway.  As we are forgiven by God, He also asks us to forgive others.  In fact, Jesus Himself teaches us to pray for our forgiveness in the Lord’s Prayer when He says, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
• Obedience: Genuine and satisfying obedience comes out of our identity.  Our true identity comes only from our Father.

1 Samuel 7 is all about Samuel pulling the people back to God.  Samuel knows that this process is possible.  People can always return to God.  God is gracious and genuinely desires relationship with us.  It is impossible to be beyond God’s grace.

That being said, Samuel also realizes that repentant obedience is a part of the process.  Forgiveness can’t happen if we don’t put away our gods.  Repentance cannot happen if we do not confess our sins and take ownership of our sinful behavior.  A sacrifice needs to happen for our sinfulness to be wiped away.  What we see happening here is these very things.  Samuel takes the people through the process of forgiveness.  But he demands obedience.

The thing I love is that Samuel does not progress forward until the prior steps are completed.  I find that humbling.  Samuel had the authority and power to demand that this process was followed.  He would not lead them through confession until their gods were put aside.  He would not offer a sacrifice until they understood and confessed their sins.

The process is still the same for us.  In Christ, we can know forgiveness and relationship with the Father.  But we must put away our gods.  We must confess our sins and take ownership of our sinful nature.  We must sacrifice.  Thankfully, Christ is the blood sacrifice; but that doesn’t mean that we cannot follow the example of Paul in Galatians 2:19-20 and allow ourselves to be crucified with Christ so that it is Christ who lives within us.

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Year 4, Day 292: 1 Samuel 6

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Up

• Up: Up is the word we use for what we worship.  If we are following God’s will, God will occupy the Up position.  Our life, our identity, our mission, our family on mission is all derived from Up.  This is why God needs to be in our Up position.

This is a fairly harsh chapter, especially when we remember back to the fact that this chapter happens because Eli’s sons treated the Ark of Lord casually.  Eli’s sons did not go to the Lord and discern whether the Ark should go up.  Because they brought the Ark to a battle without the Lord’s permission it is captured among the Philistines.

After getting a pretty bad plague, the Philistines now want to send it back.  They don’t know how to handle the Ark, so they get some advice.  They send the Ark back with gold – an offering – and cattle – a sacrifice.  They likewise treat the Ark casually, although to their credit they are actually doing the best they can do since they proved yesterday they weren’t willing to change.

But then the Hebrew people get the Ark back.  Yes, they rejoice.  But they fail to treat the Ark as the seat of God should be treated.  70 people die because they treat the Ark casually.

All of this brings me back to the idea of Up.  Yes, God should be in our Up position.  But God should be revered.  We shouldn’t just be in a relationship with God, we should worship Him.  We do not need to be casual about our relationship with God.  If God is in our Up, then we need to live like it!

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Year 4, Day 291: 1 Samuel 5

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Competency

• Competency: Being able to accomplish what one is called to do.

This is a great chapter to look at the lens of competency.  The Philistines are certainly competent people.  They beat the Hebrew people in battle.  They managed to take the Ark of the Covenant – the prized possession of the Hebrew people and their God.  This is a statement to their competency with respect to human matters.

However, with respect to spirituality they lack competency.  God makes a demonstration in their midst.  First, God causes Dagon to fall down.  When they set Dagon back up the next day, God causes Dagon to fall down so that his head and feet are broken away from his body.  God is telling the Philistines that He is more powerful.  God is telling the Philistines that their god Dagon is incapable of acting in his presence.  God is actually inviting them into a time to walk away from Dagon and embrace Him.

This is where their spiritual incompetence comes into view.  Rather than change and follow a God who is powerful enough to work in their lives, they send away God and stick with Dagon.  They reject that which would require them to change just so that they can continue in what they know.  Instead of being competent in searching to truth in God, they find themselves only competent in searching out their own selfish desires.

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