The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Chronicles 10:13-14,
"Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse."
Israel was God's covenant people. Paul enumerates a few of the unique advantages Israel had as God's chosen nation. In Romans 9:4-5 we read, "Theirs [the people of Israel] is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised!"
The advantages Israel had and has, as God's chosen people are many. In Romans 3:2 Paul looks at simply one of the many, "First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God." The importance of this cannot be overstated. We have a Bible because the Lord chose the people of Israel to be the custodian of his communication with mankind.
Israel was chosen by the Lord because of Abraham. Abraham was a man of faith, and that faith Abraham had is exactly what the Lord looks for in each of us to determine our acceptance into his family. See Romans 4.
The reason God chose a people for himself when he entered into his covenant with Abraham and his offspring was that he had decided to roll out his plan of redemption of all mankind through a specific people he would use. Saul's unfaithfulness rendered him unfit to fulfill what it was the Lord intended, longer term, so David was chosen to replace him.
The replacement of Saul with David was not simply because Saul was sinful. David himself was sinful. It was because Saul had placed himself outside of the usefulness the Lord intended longer term. David was a man of faith, Saul was not.
Short term, Saul was useful to the Lord to teach Israel a valuable lesson (don't demand a king to be like the neighbors when God is your king). Having provided that lesson, it was now time to move on with a new leader, David. In the broader perspective, these actions by the Lord were with a view toward using the nation to carry out his strategy of redemption of all mankind - to populate a kingdom, a family, a people for himself - populated by those of faith in him.
"Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse."
Israel was God's covenant people. Paul enumerates a few of the unique advantages Israel had as God's chosen nation. In Romans 9:4-5 we read, "Theirs [the people of Israel] is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised!"
The advantages Israel had and has, as God's chosen people are many. In Romans 3:2 Paul looks at simply one of the many, "First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God." The importance of this cannot be overstated. We have a Bible because the Lord chose the people of Israel to be the custodian of his communication with mankind.
Israel was chosen by the Lord because of Abraham. Abraham was a man of faith, and that faith Abraham had is exactly what the Lord looks for in each of us to determine our acceptance into his family. See Romans 4.
The reason God chose a people for himself when he entered into his covenant with Abraham and his offspring was that he had decided to roll out his plan of redemption of all mankind through a specific people he would use. Saul's unfaithfulness rendered him unfit to fulfill what it was the Lord intended, longer term, so David was chosen to replace him.
The replacement of Saul with David was not simply because Saul was sinful. David himself was sinful. It was because Saul had placed himself outside of the usefulness the Lord intended longer term. David was a man of faith, Saul was not.
Short term, Saul was useful to the Lord to teach Israel a valuable lesson (don't demand a king to be like the neighbors when God is your king). Having provided that lesson, it was now time to move on with a new leader, David. In the broader perspective, these actions by the Lord were with a view toward using the nation to carry out his strategy of redemption of all mankind - to populate a kingdom, a family, a people for himself - populated by those of faith in him.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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