… ‘bad’ news, but …

“Where have you come from?” David asked him.

He answered, “I have escaped from the Israelite camp.”

“What happened?” David asked. “Tell me.”

“The men fled from the battle,” he replied. “Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”

Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”

(JOURNEYING FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION; 2 SAMUEL  1)

---

When you hear that bad news be careful! It should have been a rejoicing time for David, but he did not 26 24 , as Micah said,  8 Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.” You can become that report, so be careful! There is day, and there is night! 16

Have you ever become a report your heard, because of the judgement you passed, and how you reacted when you heard the report before? We always want to hear a certain news, and the details of the news; and we always have a certain way of accepting the good and the bad news in our hearts! We hear good news, and we hear bad news, and we must always mind our reactions towards the reports we hear,  2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Mind how you take things, for good intentions breed something, and wicked intentions produce something; faith attracts something, and doubt also gets a certain result,

Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

19The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

At the appointed time; at the appointed time; at the appointed time! God works with time and timing; and He knows when to act the words He speaks, for He speaks to act! Just as Saul thought he was really living his plans, regardless of the warnings from Samuel, so it is in our days; we may think God Almighty is weak because of His silence; we may think God Almighty is powerless because of His silence; we may think God Almighty is out of reach because of His silence, … But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.” 43

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,  but only the Father.  As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

42“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him

Let us be careful how we are living our lives today, for when God pronounces His vengeance, He acts upon His words as it is written, 5“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him; and David revealed, 6And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold ^c refined seven times.

Think of the lessons from time and timing of God with Jeremiah; This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a linen belt and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water.” So I bought a belt, as the Lord directed, and put it around my waist.

Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time: “Take the belt you bought and are wearing around your waist, and go now to Perath  and hide it there in a crevice in the rocks.” So I went and hid it at Perath, as the Lord told me.

Many days later the Lord said to me, “Go now to Perath and get the belt I told you to hide there.” So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from the place where I had hidden it, but now it was ruined and completely useless.

Then the word of the Lord came to me:  “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt—completely useless! 11For as a belt is bound around the waist, so I bound all the people of Israel and all the people of Judah to me,’ declares the Lord, ‘to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.’

Did Saul ever think he will meet such an end when he was starting with joy, and prophesying among the prophets? 24  23

 Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:

41“ ‘Look, you scoffers,

wonder and perish,

for I am going to do something in your days

that you would never believe,

even if someone told you.’

We ought to mind our words very well, for it is written, 21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.  ” Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” And He added, “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Be careful when people ‘interrogate’ you! Be careful when speaking much, for you can betray yourself by your own words; let your words be few then 2 !  David said to the young man who brought him the report, “Where are you from?” “I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite,” he answered. David asked him, “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” Then David called one of his men and said, “Go, strike him down!” So he struck him down, and he died. 16For David had said to him, “Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed.’ ”

Oh mortal man, fear thy Immortal God Almighty, for He speaks the end from the beginning, and He knows the very end of everything! 13  14    Walter C. Smith (1867)  says, He is

1 Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.

2 Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
thy justice like mountains high soaring above
thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

3 Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
all praise we would render; O help us to see
’tis only the splendor of light hideth thee!

 

Do you truly know how your end will be reported? Rely on God Almighty! Do not rejoice because you see the end of your neighbor, for time changes with time! Imagine what makes a man weep, and think of what could cause David with a brave heart to lament because of Saul and his bosom friend Jonathan? We must have that true empathy; we must have that understanding! Solomon says,

17Do not gloat when your enemy falls;

when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,

18or the Lord will see and disapprove

and turn his wrath away from them.

not thy sacrifices; not thy works, but thy true obedience

Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.”

But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.

(JOURNEYING FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION; 1 SAMUEL  31)

---

It is far better for us to obey God, than for us to to think, by our sacrifices, we can ‘compensate’ God! Are you using the name of the Lord in vain, thinking you are doing something for Him? Mind the end of Saul, and remember it is written, 7“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Are you oppressing a child of God? Ye not know that He is the avenger general, though compassionate and loving?  22“Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.”. Is God Almighty weak enough to punish wrongs of mankind? 18  19Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” ^d says the Lord.

There is a sure set time for the vengeance of God, leave things to God! David had the opportunity to end Saul earlier, “But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless? As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “the Lord himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let’s go.” Some people cannot repent until they meet that vengeance of God, as Isaiah says, 10Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. ^a Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

We have two main options: either we are truly living an obedient will of God Almighty,  or we are disobeying him thinking we are living for Him  2! The hand of God had shifted from Saul,14  but he still thought God was with him just because he was still a king, and therefore pursued David, leaving his true duties. In the end, God will separate true worshipers from worshipers; when the trumpet sounds, only they that are truly obeying God’s will will meet Jesus Christ! In the end, it will not be like Saul’s end, but eternal punishment for disobedience! 32

The sorrows of Saul: disobedience 2 ! The bad ending of Saul and sons: disobedience! Saul pursuing David for ‘no apparent reason’: disobedience to the will of God 13 “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time! There are some people who think they can ‘bribe’ God with big sacrifices 10 , or pursue others to please Him 3 ; be ware of impatience 12 ! There are certain people who think they are stronger 13 than God,8  and therefore above certain uncertainties of the future, but think of Saul and sons dying the same they and fear the Sovereign Lord God Almighty, obeying His simple commands for mankind, in truth and in Spirit, knowing that surely, there is a certain day for accountability and the vengeance of God ahead, 24For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

When you disobey God, He gives you a different standard of battle; something to make your true strength your true weakness! 4Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.” Where are they that think they are standing? Let them take a lesson from Saul’s ending! Just as Saul thought he was pursuing David, not knowing He was dealing with God, many are pursuing God unknowingly in our days, but to a certain end of sorrow and bitterness 2 6 ! Why would Saul not realize how he was going contrary to God’s demand of Him? Saul thought he was on the right path because of what he had done, 22 But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”

Who is David that Saul should leave his true duty toward God and pursue? David suffered a great ordeal 14  in the hands of Saul, but God knew the end of Saul! Can we ever let our conscience tell us the very wrongs we are doing 5 ? David did not want to do the wrong thing with his hands, but Saul was determined to ‘win’ at all cost; but he forgot he was at war with God Almighty, who knows how to set a good stage for punishment and to cause the true battle that will end Saul sorrowfully! Where are the oppressors of our days? Many subject others to indentured servitude, but God watches the deeds and works of all! Let us not forget that a day of true accountability truly exists; Jesus Christ is coming again, but for rewards and punishment!

Are there not some who were ‘stronger’ and now ‘weaker’? James says, “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. ^a 6You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you” Isaiah says,

1Woe to those who make unjust laws,

to those who issue oppressive decrees,

to deprive the poor of their rights

and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,

making widows their prey

and robbing the fatherless.

What will you do on the day of reckoning,

when disaster comes from afar?

To whom will you run for help?

Where will you leave your riches?

4Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives

or fall among the slain.

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,

his hand is still upraised.

 

Rejection is sometimes for a purpose; we only need understanding; Solomon said, in all thy getting, get understanding 7 ! David wanted to go for the battle, but God knew he would have been a strong target of Saul, and so he prevented David from going, though David did not understand! Not your will, but the will of God 7 ! Do not worry when things fail to go according to plan, or your wishes; you may never know how God is protecting you by that! You may be rejected somewhere, but somehow somewhere, some people may truly need you! 53 56 David left,  but he became a rescuer somewhere in  Ziklag 3

Achish called David and said to him, “As surely as the Lord lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. From the day you came to me until today, I have found no fault in you, but the rulers don’t approve of you. 7Now turn back and go in peace; do nothing to displease the Philistine rulers.”

John H. Sammis (1887)  says,

1 When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2 Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss,
not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey. [Refrain]

3 But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]

4 Then in fellowship sweet
we will sit at his feet,
or we’ll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey. [Refrain]

simple question: are we truly obeying God Almighty in our days?