1 Samuel 14 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Job - June 24, 2022

There are times when to speak is to violate the moment, when silence represents the highest respect. The word for such times is reverence, and the prayer for such times is “Hallowed be thy name.” Do not worry about having the right words; worry more about having the right heart. It’s not eloquence God seeks, just honesty.

This was a lesson Job learned. If he had a fault, it was his tongue. He talked too much. He defines God, explains God, reviews God. We’re thirty-seven chapters into the book of Job before God clears his throat to speak, and Job cannot help but get the point: only God defines God.

Job replies, “I am not worthy…so I will put my hand over my mouth” (Job 40:4 NCV). Before he heard God, Job couldn’t speak enough. But after he heard God, he couldn’t speak at all.

1 Samuel 14

Later that day, Jonathan, Saul’s son, said to his armor bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to the Philistine garrison patrol on the other side of the pass.” But he didn’t tell his father. Meanwhile, Saul was taking it easy under the pomegranate tree at the threshing floor on the edge of town at Geba (Gibeah). There were about six hundred men with him. Ahijah, wearing the priestly Ephod, was also there. (Ahijah was the son of Ahitub, brother of Ichabod, son of Phinehas, who was the son of Eli the priest of God at Shiloh.) No one there knew that Jonathan had gone off.

4-5 The pass that Jonathan was planning to cross over to the Philistine garrison was flanked on either side by sharp rock outcroppings, cliffs named Bozez and Seneh. The cliff to the north faced Micmash; the cliff to the south faced Geba (Gibeah).

6 Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come on now, let’s go across to these uncircumcised pagans. Maybe God will work for us. There’s no rule that says God can only deliver by using a big army. No one can stop God from saving when he sets his mind to it.”

7 His armor bearer said, “Go ahead. Do what you think best. I’m with you all the way.”

8-10 Jonathan said, “Here’s what we’ll do. We’ll cross over the pass and let the men see we’re there. If they say, ‘Halt! Don’t move until we check you out,’ we’ll stay put and not go up. But if they say, ‘Come on up,’ we’ll go right up—and we’ll know God has given them to us. That will be our sign.”

11 So they did it, the two of them. They stepped into the open where they could be seen by the Philistine garrison. The Philistines shouted out, “Look at that! The Hebrews are crawling out of their holes!”

12 Then they yelled down to Jonathan and his armor bearer, “Come on up here! We’ve got a thing or two to show you!”

13 Jonathan shouted to his armor bearer, “Up! Follow me! God has turned them over to Israel!” Jonathan scrambled up on all fours, his armor bearer right on his heels. When the Philistines came running up to them, he knocked them flat, his armor bearer right behind finishing them off, bashing their heads in with stones.

14-15 In this first bloody encounter, Jonathan and his armor bearer killed about twenty men. That set off a terrific upheaval in both camp and field, the soldiers in the garrison and the raiding squad badly shaken up, the ground itself shuddering—panic like you’ve never seen before!
Straight to the Battle

16-18 Saul’s sentries posted back at Geba (Gibeah) in Benjamin saw the confusion and turmoil raging in the camp. Saul commanded, “Line up and take the roll. See who’s here and who’s missing.” When they called the roll, Jonathan and his armor bearer turned up missing.

18-19 Saul ordered Ahijah, “Bring the priestly Ephod. Let’s see what God has to say here.” (Ahijah was responsible for the Ephod in those days.) While Saul was in conversation with the priest, the upheaval in the Philistine camp became greater and louder. Then Saul interrupted Ahijah: “Put the Ephod away.”

20-23 Saul immediately called his army together and they went straight to the battle. When they got there they found total confusion—Philistines swinging their swords wildly, killing each other. Hebrews who had earlier defected to the Philistine camp came back. They now wanted to be with Israel under Saul and Jonathan. Not only that, but when all the Israelites who had been hiding out in the backwoods of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were running for their lives, they came out and joined the chase. God saved Israel! What a day!

The fighting moved on to Beth Aven. The whole army was behind Saul now—ten thousand strong!—with the fighting scattering into all the towns throughout the hills of Ephraim.

24 Saul did something really foolish that day. He addressed the army: “A curse on the man who eats anything before evening, before I’ve wreaked vengeance on my enemies!” None of them ate a thing all day.

25-27 There were honeycombs here and there in the fields. But no one so much as put his finger in the honey to taste it, for the soldiers to a man feared the curse. But Jonathan hadn’t heard his father put the army under oath. He stuck the tip of his staff into some honey and ate it. Refreshed, his eyes lit up with renewed vigor.

28 A soldier spoke up, “Your father has put the army under solemn oath, saying, ‘A curse on the man who eats anything before evening!’ No wonder the soldiers are drooping!”

29-30 Jonathan said, “My father has imperiled the country. Just look how quickly my energy has returned since I ate a little of this honey! It would have been a lot better, believe me, if the soldiers had eaten their fill of whatever they took from the enemy. Who knows how much worse we could have whipped them!”

31-32 They killed Philistines that day all the way from Micmash to Aijalon, but the soldiers ended up totally exhausted. Then they started plundering. They grabbed anything in sight—sheep, cattle, calves—and butchered it where they found it. Then they glutted themselves—meat, blood, the works.

33-34 Saul was told, “Do something! The soldiers are sinning against God. They’re eating meat with the blood still in it!”

Saul said, “You’re biting the hand that feeds you! Roll a big rock over here—now!” He continued, “Disperse among the troops and tell them, ‘Bring your oxen and sheep to me and butcher them properly here. Then you can feast to your heart’s content. Please don’t sin against God by eating meat with the blood still in it.’”

And so they did. That night each soldier, one after another, led his animal there to be butchered.

35 That’s the story behind Saul’s building an altar to God. It’s the first altar to God that he built.
Find Out What God Thinks

36 Saul said, “Let’s go after the Philistines tonight! We can spend the night looting and plundering. We won’t leave a single live Philistine!”

“Sounds good to us,” said the troops. “Let’s do it!”

But the priest slowed them down: “Let’s find out what God thinks about this.”

37 So Saul prayed to God, “Shall I go after the Philistines? Will you put them in Israel’s hand?” God didn’t answer him on that occasion.

38-39 Saul then said, “All army officers, step forward. Some sin has been committed this day. We’re going to find out what it is and who did it! As God lives, Israel’s Savior God, whoever sinned will die, even if it should turn out to be Jonathan, my son!”

Nobody said a word.

40 Saul said to the Israelites, “You line up over on that side, and I and Jonathan my son will stand on this side.”

The army agreed, “Fine. Whatever you say.”

41 Then Saul prayed to God, “O God of Israel, why haven’t you answered me today? Show me the truth. If the sin is in me or Jonathan, then, O God, give the sign Urim. But if the sin is in the army of Israel, give the sign Thummim.”

The Urim sign turned up and pointed to Saul and Jonathan. That cleared the army.

42 Next Saul said, “Cast the lots between me and Jonathan—and death to the one God points to!”

The soldiers protested, “No—this is not right. Stop this!” But Saul pushed on anyway. They cast the lots, Urim and Thummim, and the lot fell to Jonathan.

43 Saul confronted Jonathan. “What did you do? Tell me!”

Jonathan said, “I licked a bit of honey off the tip of the staff I was carrying. That’s it—and for that I’m to die?”

44 Saul said, “Yes. Jonathan most certainly will die. It’s out of my hands—I can’t go against God, can I?”

45 The soldiers rose up: “Jonathan—die? Never! He’s just carried out this stunning salvation victory for Israel. As surely as God lives, not a hair on his head is going to be harmed. Why, he’s been working hand-in-hand with God all day!” The soldiers rescued Jonathan and he didn’t die.

46 Saul pulled back from chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines went home.

47-48 Saul extended his rule, capturing neighboring kingdoms. He fought enemies on every front—Moab, Ammon, Edom, the king of Zobah, the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he came up with a victory. He became invincible! He smashed Amalek, freeing Israel from the savagery and looting.

49-51 Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malki-Shua. His daughters were Merab, the firstborn, and Michal, the younger. Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz. Abner son of Ner was commander of Saul’s army (Ner was Saul’s uncle). Kish, Saul’s father, and Ner, Abner’s father, were the sons of Abiel.

52 All through Saul’s life there was war, bitter and relentless, with the Philistines. Saul conscripted every strong and brave man he laid eyes on.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Friday, June 24, 2022

Today's Scripture
1 Corinthians 1:18–25

     The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hell-bent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It’s written,

I’ll turn conventional wisdom on its head,

I’ll expose so-called experts as crackpots.

So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn’t God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.

22–25     While Jews clamor for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom, we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle—and Greeks pass it off as absurd. But to us who are personally called by God himself—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God’s ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. Human wisdom is so tiny, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can’t begin to compete with God’s “weakness.”

Insight

It’s believed that crucifixion originated in the sixth century bc and was in use as a punishment and crime deterrent until Constantine of Rome outlawed it in the fourth century ad. In Paul’s day, crucifixion was considered the very worst means of Roman execution, so repugnant that it wasn’t mentioned in polite company. Therefore, the idea that the Messiah died on a cross was offensive or ridiculous to most. However, Paul divided the world into two groups: those who consider the cross “foolishness” and those who view it as the “power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). What is “the message of the cross”? Jesus, an innocent man, willingly suffered crucifixion for crimes He didn’t commit to pay the price for our sins—and then rose again. All who turn to Him in sorrow for their wrongdoings will live eternally with Him. That’s the “power of God”! By: Alyson Kieda

The Message of the Cross

The message of the cross is . . . the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18

Zhang was raised with, in his words, “no God, no religion, nothing.” In 1989, seeking democracy and freedom for his people, he helped lead students in peaceful protests. But the protests tragically led to the government’s intervention and hundreds of lives lost. For his part in the event, Zhang was placed on his country’s most-wanted list. After a short imprisonment, he fled to an outlying village where he met an elderly farmer who introduced him to Christianity. She had only a handwritten copy of the gospel of John but couldn’t read, so she asked Zhang to read it to her. As he did, she explained it to him—and a year later he became a believer in Jesus.

Through all he endured, Zhang sees that God was powerfully leading him to the cross, where he experienced firsthand what the apostle Paul states in 1 Corinthians, “The message of the cross is . . . the power of God” (1:18). What many considered foolishness, a weakness, became Zhang’s strength. For some of us, this too was our thinking before we came to Christ. But through the Spirit, we felt the power and wisdom of God breaking into our lives and leading us to Christ. Today Zhang serves as a pastor spreading the truth of the cross to all who will hear.

Jesus has the power to change even the hardest of hearts. Who needs His powerful touch today?

By:  Alyson Kieda

Reflect & Pray

How did you view the message of the cross before you received Christ as your Savior? Who might benefit from hearing your story?

Jesus, thank You for leading me to You through the cross. I would be lost without You!

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, June 24, 2022

Reconciling Yourself to the Fact of Sin

This is your hour, and the power of darkness. —Luke 22:53

Not being reconciled to the fact of sin— not recognizing it and refusing to deal with it— produces all the disasters in life. You may talk about the lofty virtues of human nature, but there is something in human nature that will mockingly laugh in the face of every principle you have. If you refuse to agree with the fact that there is wickedness and selfishness, something downright hateful and wrong, in human beings, when it attacks your life, instead of reconciling yourself to it, you will compromise with it and say that it is of no use to battle against it. Have you taken this “hour, and the power of darkness” into account, or do you have a view of yourself which includes no recognition of sin whatsoever? In your human relationships and friendships, have you reconciled yourself to the fact of sin? If not, just around the next corner you will find yourself trapped and you will compromise with it. But if you will reconcile yourself to the fact of sin, you will realize the danger immediately and say, “Yes, I see what this sin would mean.” The recognition of sin does not destroy the basis of friendship— it simply establishes a mutual respect for the fact that the basis of sinful life is disastrous. Always beware of any assessment of life which does not recognize the fact that there is sin.

Jesus Christ never trusted human nature, yet He was never cynical nor suspicious, because He had absolute trust in what He could do for human nature. The pure man or woman is the one who is shielded from harm, not the innocent person. The so-called innocent man or woman is never safe. Men and women have no business trying to be innocent; God demands that they be pure and virtuous. Innocence is the characteristic of a child. Any person is deserving of blame if he is unwilling to reconcile himself to the fact of sin.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

To read the Bible according to God’s providential order in your circumstances is the only way to read it, viz., in the blood and passion of personal life. Disciples Indeed, 387 R

Bible in a Year: Job 1-2; Acts 7:22-43

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, June 24, 2022

Surviving the Floods - #9250

It was as late as mid-August that year and people in 24 states were watching the water rise. For so many months flash flood warnings or watches, and the rain just kept falling. We were in some of those monsoons. In a nearby community, the water rose a foot every ten minutes. I'd never heard of anything like that. I mean, there was barely time to get out.

Every time floods like these hit, so many of the resulting deaths didn't have to be. Because people drive across a flooded road, thinking they can make it, underestimating the power of that water to carry them and their vehicle away.

Of course time after time, what have we heard the weatherman say? "Turn around. Don't drown." But inevitably, some people just don't turn around. And they drown.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Surviving the Floods."

I've seen too many people I care about make that same mistake in their personal lives; underestimating the current and getting swept away.

That's how so many marriages have taken a painful hit or maybe even a fatal hit. Because someone thought they could just flirt a little...get a little "Hey, I've still got it" thrill...get closer and closer to someone who, you know, "really understands me." Suddenly - but not suddenly - a spouse has been betrayed, trust has been shattered, a family is in danger of being washed away.

Or the flood can come from what was, at first, just a small compromise of integrity. Selling out just a little to land that deal or to get ahead, spinning a couple of lies to cover your tracks, avoid conflict or get to a goal. But forgetting that "tangled web we weave" we start to deceive. Ultimately we end up trapped in the web we wove.

Taking on commitments that require you to neglect your family, saying yes to the party where you could wander out of bounds, just a couple of curious clicks, you know, to see what that titillating website shows. All part of believing that old self-deception that has sunk so many good people, "I can handle it."

No, we can't. We overestimate ourselves and we underestimate the current. In our word for today from the Word of God, 1 Corinthians 10 beginning at verse 12, the God who loves us warns us: "If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall." And then in 1 Thessalonians 5:22 He says, "so avoid every kind of evil."

The swirling waters of temptation look deceptively safe. But the Bible graphically reveals the disaster that lurks in that desire. It says, "After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death" (James 1:15). In other words, sin always kills - always.

There are people listening who so know the truth of this all too well. And the sad reality is that sin always takes you farther than you ever thought you'd go, keeps you longer than you ever thought you'd stay, and costs you more than you ever thought you'd pay.

Thank God, the flood that carries us farther and farther downstream doesn't have to be the end. Not if there's a rescue. And there has been for millions of us, because the God that we've pushed away loves us too much to lose us. Jesus jumped into the depths of sin's destructive hell-bound power to save us, to forgive us, to literally change our final destination from hell to heaven.

That's why there was a cross. It took Jesus dying for me to live. The Bible says, "The Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins to rescue us" (Galatians 1:3). With Him in my life, I don't have to be what I've always been, because the man who conquered death gives me His power to turn around and not drown.

I still remember the day that I realized He was reaching for me. And I grabbed His hand. I'm safe now. I'm safe forever! It could be that what you're feeling in your heart right now is Jesus reaching for you to rescue you. Will you grab His hand? Listen, I'd love to help you get started with Him. Just go to ANewStory.com today. Turn around. Don't drown.