#441 Grow Apple Trees and Honey Bees

Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. 3 The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.

4 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. 5 When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. 6 So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.

7 When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.

8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people. 10 They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.

11 When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all their valiant men marched through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them. 13 Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days. 1 Samuel 31 NIV

There is always a reckoning whether for righteousness or unrighteousness sake. I would rather suffer for the former, but Saul stands tall for the latter. When I read this in the light and life of this flesh, my heart breaks for Jonathan, as David's must have mourned him. It always comes down to some form of this, one way or another, that I am not the Author. Was Jonathan not good enough to keep alive, wouldn't he have supported David's claim to the throne? David could have used such a friend as him. If I were to write such a tale then Jonathan would have been saved, but this just records what happened to him, not what we want or suppose. This is always the problem for me, the delusion of merit in passing from one kingdom to the next. I don't know what happened to the soul of Jonathan; it is my hope that God preserved such that David and he sit not so far apart at the table of the Son of David. Again though, that is not an educated guess, a glimpse at anything to come, for my hope is built on nothing less than Christ. My faith comes from hearing, and my hearing comes from the Word of God. I know of certainty from that, that there is nothing meritorious about such a bridge and the invitation to that table, that I could earn. I could give my body to be burned, could paint a flag with a cross upon it and march with it, keep the law the best I could, and still fall short of that table. In fact, to think myself good is to make my self so unworthy, it is to call Him, Who sent His only Son, perfect and blameless, to live the life I could not live and die not only upon the cross, but suffer the infinite, just and Holy wrath of God poured out upon Him, a liar. It is to beg the approval and applause of men over the necessary blood of Christ. It is to look upon the cross as such a meaningless and pathetic event. He looks right through me, my thoughts are not off limits to Him, and He ask, is anyone in here not guilty, is anyone in here not a murderer? Now, who was it again that I said was good enough to stand before a Holy and Just God? I'm not so sure now, I'm afraid to answer that. 

What would Saul say? He saw his sons die, and even now his own broken view of honor, of right and wrong, is more valuable to him then God's pardon. He would rather not be mistreated by men though, that he cannot tolerate the thought of, and so he falls upon his own sword. The hope of Israel, the king, whose armor bearer will not oblige him but will die a copycat, dies as he has lived, screaming, "it's my life." Really, where were you when God created all life, when did He ever need your counsel? Run me through, so these uncircumcised fellows can't, the people who have made themselves enemies of God, who disobey God, who follow other gods and after their own deceitful hearts. Those guys, so different than myself, I cannot bear the thought of them abusing me. So much the same as you, God is delivering you into their hands, and the real shame, is that they will not give credit to Whom it is truly due. They couldn't have touched you unless God allowed it, and your honor, you threw it away. Here is your king Israel, headless, paying homage to idols, your hope is now hanging on the wall, fast, mourn. One day, oh one blessed day, your Hope will be hanging on a tree, and sadly, you will not mourn, you will not think yourself so poor in spirit, you will say, not my king. He will take the abuse, he will march quietly, he will refuse the bitter wine, and drink the cup of God's wrath instead. Where is all your wisdom now, your hope, your good, where is your earthly king, which system, how tall is your tower this time? God, please take my arrogance from me, no matter what it takes, let me glorify You, let my honor be Yours.

Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 1: 20-31