A Fool's Hope

Today's Daily Reading Is 1 Samuel 11:

What is going to be Saul's first test as king? And did Saul go looking for a fight as king? (v.1)

And how does this example reveal why it was necessary for them to have a king devoted to protecting the borders and boundaries of Israel? (v.2)

Why were they willing to gouge out their eye to make peace with Nahash?

Galatians 4:15–17 (NKJV)

15 What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I, therefore, become your enemy because I tell you the truth? 17 They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them.

And how does this demonstrate a lack of trust in God to do what is right for Jabesh?

Exodus 23:32 (NKJV)

32 You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.

Deuteronomy 7:2 (NKJV)

2 and when the Lord your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them.

Judges 2:2 (NKJV)

2 And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.' But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this?

And therefore, what does this say about how Nahash viewed Israel's presence in Gilead and the faith (in his own role) to play this game against them? (v.2)

Judges 2:22 (NKJV)

22 so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the Lord, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not."

Judges 3:4 (NKJV)

4 And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

And what makes Nahash believe he has the moral high ground on Gilead since he knows and understands Yahweh's purpose for Israel by boldly stating, "I will make it a reproach on all Israel?" (v.2)

Psalm 11:5 (NKJV)

5 The Lord tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.

Psalm 52:3 (NKJV)

3 You love evil more than good, Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah

Psalm 7:3–5 (NKJV)

3 O Lord my God, if I have done this: If there is iniquity in my hands, 4 If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me, Or have plundered my enemy without cause, 5 Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me; Yes, let him trample my life to the earth, And lay my honor in the dust. Selah

Psalm 7:7–10 (NKJV)

7 So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You; For their sakes, therefore, return on high. 8 The Lord shall judge the peoples; Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, And according to my integrity within me. 9 Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. 10 My defense is of God, Who saves the upright in heart.

Psalm 7:11–17 (NKJV)

11 God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day. 12 If he does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready. 13 He also prepares for Himself instruments of death; He makes His arrows into fiery shafts. 14 Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity; Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood. 15 He made a pit and dug it out, And has fallen into the ditch which he made. 16 His trouble shall return upon his own head, And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown. 17 I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

Again, how does Jabesh's cry scream for a fixed purpose for Israel to covenant within herself to centralize the nation on a principle of a united brotherhood of protection for each other's liberty of rights and for the securing of their inheritance given to them by God? (v.3)

Does Israel have the right and obligation to come together and organize to defend herself? Didn't they have this right before there was a king? But how does having a king give them the advantage of always being ready for a defense? (v.4)

1 Peter 3:13–17 (NKJV)

13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

What does this say about the spiritual attitude of the men of Gibeah since they were standing ready to defend their brothers? (v.5)

2 Timothy 2:4 (NKJV)

4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

1 Corinthians 9:7 (NKJV)

7 Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?

Is Saul's anger righteously justified since it was inspired and motivated by the Spirit of the LORD? (v.6)

Ephesians 4:26 (NKJV)

26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

Matthew 5:22 (NKJV)

22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.

What was it that kept the tribes from centralizing a defense of their borders sooner? And why did Saul use a yoke to make his point concerning their responsibility to come together as one to defend their borders? (v.7)

Numbers 32:5–8 (NKJV)

5 Therefore they said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan." 6 And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben: "Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? 7 Now why will you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord has given them? 8 Thus your fathers did when I sent them away from Kadesh Barnea to see the land.

Deuteronomy 2:25 (NKJV)

25 This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the nations under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.'

Deuteronomy 11:25 (NKJV)

25 No man shall be able to stand against you; the Lord your God will put the dread of you and the fear of you upon all the land where you tread, just as He has said to you.

And what is the difference behind and between Saul's threat and Ephraim's threat to the tribes when it came time to exercise a defense of their borders? (v.7)

Judges 8:1 (NKJV)

1 Now the men of Ephraim said to him, "Why have you done this to us by not calling us when you went to fight with the Midianites?" And they reprimanded him sharply.

Judges 12:1 (NKJV)

1 Then the men of Ephraim gathered together, crossed over toward Zaphon, and said to Jephthah, "Why did you cross over to fight against the people of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down on you with fire!"

Therefore is a government census of the people always wrong? (v.8)

Numbers 26:2 (NKJV)

2 "Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel from twenty years old and above, by their fathers' houses, all who are able to go to war in Israel."

1 Chronicles 21:17 (NKJV)

17 And David said to God, "Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O Lord my God, be against me and my father's house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued."

And what is the purpose of government if it is not to protect life, liberty, and (the individual's pursuit of happiness)? (v.9)

What was the total ignorance of the Ammonites to believe the word of the elders of Jabesh? (v.10)

Psalm 92:6–7 (NKJV)

6 A senseless man does not know, Nor does a fool understand this. 7 When the wicked spring up like grass, And when all the workers of iniquity flourish, It is that they may be destroyed forever.

Proverbs 10:23 (NKJV)

23 To do evil is like sport to a fool, But a man of understanding has wisdom.

Now, what is the king's commission responsible for doing but organizing and ordering his right to bear the sword and to execute good justice? (v.11)

Matthew 10:34 (NKJV)

34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.

Romans 13:1–4 (NKJV)

1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.

Do the people have the right to use Samual as the sword now that Saul was instituted to represent the voice of the people? And should the church ever be used to represent the voice of the people when she is called to represent the voice of God? (v.12)

((Samuel = He listens to God))

[shamaʿ /shaw·mah/] v n m. A primitive root; TWOT 2412, 2412a; GK 9048 and 9049; 1159 occurrences; AV translates as "hear" 785 times, "hearken" 196 times, "obey" 81 times, "publish" 17 times, "understand" nine times, "obedient" eight times, "diligently" eight times, "shew" six times, "sound" three times, "declare" three times, "discern" twice, "noise" twice, "perceive" twice, "tell" twice, "reported" twice, and translated miscellaneously 33 times. 1 to hear, listen to, obey. 1A (Qal). 1A1 to hear (perceive by ear). 1A2 to hear of or concerning. 1A3 to hear (have power to hear). 1A4 to hear with attention or interest, listen to. 1A5 to understand (language). 1A6 to hear (of judicial cases). 1A7 to listen, give heed. 1A7A to consent, agree. 1A7B to grant request. 1A8 to listen to, yield to. 1A9 to obey, be obedient. 1B (Niphal). 1B1 to be heard (of voice or sound). 1B2 to be heard of. 1B3 to be regarded, be obeyed. 1C (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon. 1D (Hiphil). 1D1 to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound. 1D2 to sound aloud (musical term). 1D3 to make proclamation, summon. 1D4 to cause to be heard. 2 sound.

Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong's Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.

Ezekiel 14:2–6 (NKJV)

2 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 3 "Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them? 4 "Therefore speak to them, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols, 5 that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols."' 6 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.

Therefore wasn't Saul right to intervene in their request and add no additional expense to justify his own name? (v.13)

1 Samuel 12:1–3 (NKJV)

1 Now Samuel said to all Israel: "Indeed I have heeded your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you. 2 And now here is the king, walking before you; and I am old and grayheaded, and look, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my childhood to this day. 3 Here I am. Witness against me before the Lord and before His anointed: Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes? I will restore it to you."

Therefore wasn't this about securing the inheritance of the LORD'S people rather than building himself an empire? And isn't that why the kingdom was to be renewed at Gilgal where they first sacrificed in the land of promise? (v.14)

Joshua 4:20 (NKJV)

20 And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.

Wasn't Saul already anointed king? (v.15)

1 Samuel 10:24–25 (NKJV)

24 And Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?" So all the people shouted and said, "Long live the king!" 25 Then Samuel explained to the people the behavior of royalty, and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.

Therefore why was it necessary to have another formal ceremony to crown him king? Wasn't it so they could all behold the foundation of their history and rejoice in their progress as a sanctified nation of priests? (v.15)

Exodus 19:6 (NKJV)

6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."