Moral clarity - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 Samuel 12:7,

"Now then, stand here, because I [Samuel] am going to confront you [the Israelites] with evidence before the Lord as to all the righteous acts performed by the Lord for you and your ancestors."

Living in a population, a nation, a world, that is bereft today of moral clarity, how refreshing it is for me to listen to a man of God speak truth. Clear, unadulterated truth, expressed without any further motivation than the truth itself. Samuel does not mince his words and he does not hold back in his indictment of the nation of Israel, clarifying just how unjust the people were to turn their backs on God, the God who had done so much for them.

Samuel outlines how God had delivered the Israelites from their oppressors, beginning with their enslavement in Egypt. God had provided Moses and Aaron, then, later, he provided the various judges: Gideon, Barak, Jephthah and himself. God delivered the people of Israel from those who oppressed them, yet, once delivered, they always turned their backs on their Deliverer.

The current state of affairs had not changed. When confronted with danger, rather than turn to God, the nation insisted on replacing God as the king of Israel for a human king... so they could be just like all the other peoples that surrounded them. They shied away from their status of being God's people, his representative on the international stage.

Samuel made the Israelites stand in his presence while he brought his indictment against them, truth by truth. No spin, no equivocating, no mincing of words. None of the "depends on what the meaning of 'is' is..."

Where we live in a day when truth is only to be used and manipulated to gain power and wealth, such that it rarely sees the light of day, and then often only to support some political agenda, etc. Samuel, as someone who was inspired and animated by God, demonstrated that when a man of God speaks, he does so with sharp, crystal clear moral clarity.

How we need such people today! Maybe if we asked God...

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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

God's Spirit inspired anger - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 Samuel 11:6,

"When Saul heard their [the people of Gibeah] words, the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger."

Saul's anger was directed toward the Ammonites who threatened to gouge out the right eye of all the Jews living in Jabesh Gilead if they did not surrender to them. I suppose it is possible he might have also been angry because the men of Gibeah were weeping at the threat to their countrymen, as opposed to actually preparing to do something about it (but that isn't clear to me).

In any event, the text communicates is was the Spirit of God that "came powerfully upon him" that prompted this anger that burned with Saul's heart. It was in this anger that Saul brought the Israelites together and slaughtered the Ammonites, "The next day Saul separated his men into three divisions; during the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together." Verse 11.

The Spirit of God is capable of doing all sorts of things in our lives, of motivating us in many ways, of moving us in different kinds of directions. I suspect many have a perspective that when one has had the Spirit of God come upon them, it should look a certain way. The Scriptures don't appear to support that kind of outlook. Where Saul here "burned with anger", others have been humbled (David), frightened (Paul), terrified (Isaiah) and so forth.

God accomplishes many things through those he uses, and to think the Holy Spirit does the same things, the same way, having an identical impact on each, is a misunderstanding of the workings of God.

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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

An Imperfect King - Ruminating in the Word of God

I'm sorry I sent the original accidentally before finishing it. Here is the finished version:

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 Samuel 10:6-7,

"The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you [Saul], and you will prophesy with them [a procession of prophets]; and you will be changed into a different person. Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you."

Samuel anointed Saul as king over Israel and told him he will be changed into a different person as the Holy Spirit will "come powerfully upon" him. We read in verse 9 that God changed Saul's heart, God's Spirit came upon him and he joined in the prophesying of this procession of prophets.

However, it is not long before we see Saul acting in an odd fashion. When confronted by his uncle as to where he had been, and although Saul had now been anointed king over Israel, was changed by God's Spirit and began prophesying, we are told Saul told his uncle nothing of it.

Also, when Samuel gathered the Israelites together to present Saul to the nation as their new king, Saul hid, "...he has hidden himself among the supplies." Verse 22. We are also told there were "some scoundrels" who despised Saul and failed to recognize him as king by not bringing him gifts. Saul's response? "...Saul kept silent." Verse 27.

Clearly this was going to be a flawed king. The Israelites rejected the perfect king for the nation, God himself, in their demands for a human king - so they could be just like everyone else.

Another point catches my attention this morning: Saul was anointed as king, was changed into a different person as the Holy Spirit came upon him, prophesied among the prophets of God, and yet, look at the flaws this man still had! I am reminded that in spite of all the advantages God may give us, when it comes to our lives in this age, we will always have those things we need to work on.

Perfection for us does not arrive until the resurrection!

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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just
respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

- Ruminating in the Word of God

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 Samuel 10:6-7,

"The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you [Saul], and you
will prophesy with them [a procession of prophets]; and you will be
changed into a different person. Once these signs are fulfilled, do
whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you."

Samuel anointed Saul as king over Israel and told him he will be
changed into a different person as the Holy Spirit will "come
powerfully upon" him. We read in verse 9 that God changed Saul's
heart, God's Spirit came upon him and he joined in the prophesying of
this procession of prophets.

However, it is not long before we see Saul acting in an odd fashion.
When confronted by his uncle as to where Saul had been, and although
Saul had now been anointed king over Israel, was changed by God's
Spirit and began prophesying, we are told Saul told his uncle nothing
of it.

Also, when Samuel gathered the Israelites together to present Saul to
the nation as their new king, Saul hid, "...he has hidden himself
among the supplies." Verse 22. We are also told there were "some
scoundrels" who despised Saul and failed to recognize him as king by
not bringing him gifts. Saul's response? "But Saul kept silent." Verse
27.

Clearly this was going to be a flawed king. The Israelites rejected
the perfect king for the nation, God himself, in their demands for a
human king so they could be just like everyone else.

Another reality catches my eye this morning. Saul was anointed as
king, was changed into a different person as the

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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send
me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are
receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just
respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

The things God chooses - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 Samuel 9:21,

"But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?"

The "thing" Samuel told Saul was that he would be the desire of all Israel, "And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?" Israel was demanding they be given a king, just like the surrounding nations had. God was to be the king of the nation, but they demanded a human king, and Saul was the chosen one.

The choice of Saul would not be a happy one for the nation, but when God's best is rejected for the desires of the heart, what else should be expected?

I find the choice of Saul instructive. Saul's comment above reminds me God often looks for things we do not. What we find important, God thinks otherwise. What God finds important, we often think otherwise. In 1 Samuel 16:7b the Lord tells Samuel, "The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

After the failure of Saul's reign, another king will be anointed by Samuel, David. The choice of David is similar in that God chose someone no one else expected. David's father had seven of his sons pass in front of Saul to present them as the possibilities that God had selected one of them. Not seeing who he was looking for, Samuel asked Jesse, David's father, "Are these all the sons you have?" Jesse told him the youngest, David, was tending the sheep. It never occurred to either Samuel or Jesse that the Lord had chosen David. David was not the tallest, David was not the oldest, David was left to the sheep while the rest of the family met with God's prophet... yet, David was God's choice to replace Saul.

I am reminded of something Paul would say a millennium later, "Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.'" 1 Corinthians 1:26-31.

Here is something to give real thought to.

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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

God "gives over" those who reject him - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 Samuel 8:21,

"When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. The Lord answered, 'Listen to them and give them a king.'"

This exchange Samuel had with the Lord took place following Samuel's warning to the Israelites as to what would happen to them if they pressed for a king to reign over them. The warning Samuel gave them was directed by the Lord. Here are some of the warnings the Lord gave Israel through Samuel if they were to push for a king:

A king would press their sons into his service in either the military or to work in his fields. He would press their daughters into his service to be perfumers, cooks and bakers. He would take the best of the Israelite vineyards, fields and olive groves to give to others. The king would tax the Israelites and give the revenue to his officials and attendants. He would take servants and the best of the livestock for his own use. Most notably, the Israelites would become the slaves of the king they demanded be placed over them.

The Lord predicted the Israelites would cry out to him for relief from a king they would choose. However, as the Lord pointed out to Samuel, the Israelite's demand for one of their own to be made king over them was an expression of their rejection of God as king over the nation. In 8:7-8, the Lord tells Samuel, "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you."

What catches my attention this morning is that the Lord "gave over" his people to their own devices in their demand for a human king. Although the Israelites would suffer great loss for themselves and although giving in to them facilitated a rejection of the Lord in the life of the nation, the Lord gave them over to their demand. The Scriptures repeatedly demonstrate how the Lord allows mankind to exercise the free will he himself has given them, and, along with allowing people to pursue their own will, he responds in his own way, his own judgment.

Consider this frightful observation made by Paul in Romans 1:22-24, "Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another." God gave them over!

See also the next few verses, "They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error." God gave them over!

Paul's next comment in Romans 1:28-32 outlines the terrible descent into human depravity people fall into as God gives them over to their sinful impulses in their rejection of him, "Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." God gave them over!

The judgment of God for rejection of him can, and often leads to his "giving over" of them, to their own sinful devices that result in their own misery, their own unhappiness and often their own destruction.

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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Forget religious trappings! Embrace the Lord! - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 Samuel 7:10-11,

"While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew
near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with
loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic
that they were routed before the Israelites. The men of Israel rushed
out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the
way to a point below Beth Kar."

The Lord "thundered with loud thunder" to provide Israel victory over
the invading Philistines. Here is a different picture altogether than
what we read of in 1 Samuel 4:10, "So the Philistines fought, and the
Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter
was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers."

Why the difference? Samuel pointed out the problems Israel had with
the Lord. He told them, "... rid yourselves of the foreign gods and
the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only,
and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." So the
Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord
only." 7:3b-4. Israel had turned her back on God and had even used the
ark as some kind of religious amulet in an attempt to extract a
victory over the Philistines, even while in rebellion against God.

At Samuel's direction, Israel returned to God with their hearts. Now,
rather than "using" God for their own purposes, they turned their
hearts toward him and he responded mightily to their plea for help
against the Philistines.

Wise direction for us in 1 Samuel: forget all the religious trappings
and turn to the Lord with our hearts! He alone can bring us what we
need!

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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send
me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are
receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just
respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com