#421 He Also Glorifies

Then Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead, and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.” 2 But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all your right eyes, and thus bring disgrace on all Israel.” 3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days' respite that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves up to you.” 4 When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, they reported the matter in the ears of the people, and all the people wept aloud.

5 Now, behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. And Saul said, “What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?” So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh. 6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. 7 He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of the messengers, saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen!” Then the dread of the Lord fell upon the people, and they came out as one man. 8 When he mustered them at Bezek, the people of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. 9 And they said to the messengers who had come, “Thus shall you say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have salvation.’” When the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, they were glad. 10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.” 11 And the next day Saul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
The Kingdom Is Renewed

12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” 13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.” 14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom.” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. 1 Samuel 11 ESV

Those that in the past would not stand for justice, in alliance with their neighbors, against the evil done to other citizens, will now prepare to give up their physical perception of depth, without a fight. They will turn over their kingdom to Lot's children, will resign to suffer, each one of them, the loss and pain of half their sight. It is not enough for the Ammonites to have the arms and legs of Jabesh-Gilead to carry their loads and pick their crops, but they must leave them with a handicap and shame as well. Thank God in their passive resignation, they at least asked for 7 days, that they could send out to Israel a plea for help. What's amazing is that they here give the reason why to their oppressor and say that they will turn themselves over if there is no one to save them. They had already resigned to slavery, but for the pain of their right eyes, they will at least ask. It must be not so difficult to ask as it is to expect to be helped. They of all people would want a king, who had some interest in them, for they do not seem able to take up their own cause nor willing to assist their neighbors in the past. We should all understand a lack of means though and be willing to help our neighbors with what means we have. It is strange again, or must be the expectation of Nahash, that he doesn't just take over now by force must well mean that he does not expect a savior for Jabesh-Gilead. If their is no redeemer to step in, then this will strengthen the hand of Nahash all the more. This people will just give up and wear their shame, every face will tell the story that they asked for help and none came, every face will reinforce that there is no hope. Blessed are the poor in spirit though, for they are empty, and may not see good reason for an answer, not within themselves, but they pray anyway. Ask for help, if you are low in spirit, if you are weak, if you are sick, if you are lost, we have not because we ask not, and when those who are "entitled" ask, they ask for the wrong things. Don't forget the weightier matters, the donkeys are already found. Ask for faith, a desire for God, know that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, ask for hope for those that have faith, who have been born again will find much reason to hope. Ask for love, for those that have faith and hope will see the fruit of it. They will be less easily offended, less preoccupied with worldly matters for the object of their affection will be Christ and feeding His sheep. They will find humility and see that yes this is the same neighbor who refused to help me, but I should be like my Father in heaven has been to me. 

Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12: 8-10

The state of this people is not lost upon those that hear, and they weep with those who weep, but as a nation could they not intervene? When Saul hears he is angry, and sends the message of the severed ox, and this like the concubine who died in his own land, is the call to Israel. If you do not come with me, if you let this atrocity take place and do not intervene, then this shall be the state of all your oxen. If God can raise a king from the least of tribes, can forgive the greatest offenses, restore a brother, then how shall the king turn his back upon the place of their mothers? For is not this place dear still to his heart, did God not use them, even in their obstinacy to help restore Benjamin? They would not help with soldiers so they paid with wives. But now the spirit of God is upon Saul and they follow him to the defeat of the Ammonites, an eye for eye, I will repay says the Lord. Some were not so certain of Saul, including Saul himself, but whom the Lord justifies them He also glorifies. So it is with everyone that has been truly born again, not those who have jumped upon a band wagon, professed conservativism, joined a church, thought themselves a good person or good enough at least. No, it is by grace you are saved, through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God less any man should boast. It is sad knowing the end of this tale, one could read this only thinking ahead to the end of Saul's kingdom, but there was much good here for a time, many beautiful lessons to be learned. When Saul was most dependent on God, unsure of himself, asking for Samuel's aid, still working in his fields, he was at his best. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up. If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, I will hear their prayer, and heal their land. Saul is being sent as the answer to their prayer, and the Spirit has caused him to hunger and thirst for God's righteousness. He will not even repay evil to those who spoke evil of him, not even at the request of others. This is wise, for they were not so quick to defend his honor at God's anointing by His prophet, but after the glory of a victorious battle, their teeth have grown sharp. We quickly forget that the worst of us is just us openly, unfiltered. True faith always produces good works, forgiveness and the desire to restore. He holds his peace. They take him to Gilgal, offer up peace offerings to God, and acknowledge Saul as king. God, help our rulers, those who govern, help them to be humble and after they find humility, let them stay there. Help them to love righteous, to seek justice for the people, not to bend to the squeaky wheel or flavor of the day. Let us all love charity, but not encourage laziness, and still let us not be puffed up. God, let us be clean before you, purify our hearts, save our children, our friends, let us be a light. I beg for faith, for wisdom, for hope and love. Praise the Lord Jesus for such mercy, Praise God for such holiness that I cannot even comprehend, and thank you for your Holy Spirit producing that work inside of us. To You be all glory and honor and praise, amen.

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the [a]course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Brought Near by His Blood

11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Christ Our Peace

14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
Christ Our Cornerstone

19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2