Always Love

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

ALWAYS LOVE

1 Samuel 14:36-46

36 Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive." "Do whatever seems best to you," they replied. But the priest said, "Let us inquire of God here." 37 So Saul asked God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel's hand?" But God did not answer him that day. 38 Saul therefore said, "Come here, all you who are leaders of the army, and let us find out what sin has been committed today. 39 As surely as the LORD who rescues Israel lives, even if it lies with my son Jonathan, he must die." But not one of the men said a word. 40 Saul then said to all the Israelites, "You stand over there; I and Jonathan my son will stand over here." "Do what seems best to you," the men replied. 41 Then Saul prayed to the LORD, the God of Israel, "Give me the right answer." And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared. 42 Saul said, "Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was taken. 43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." So Jonathan told him, "I merely tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now must I die?" 44 Saul said, "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan." 45 But the men said to Saul, "Should Jonathan die — he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God's help." So the men rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death. 46 Then Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and they withdrew to their own land.

NIV

Once again, Saul makes a decision even though the LORD did not answer him. The men of Israel even told him to do what he thought best. What is wrong with these people? Do they not know the Lord is the Almighty God, the creator of the whole universe, although it is doubtful they are aware of anything other than the earth, sun, and moon? Even though they did not fully grasp a round Earth that circles the sun yet, they make their choices as if they are in charge of their lives, but acknowledge the existence of a God they don’t really know. Saul makes this charge that someone sinned because the LORD did not answer him that day. Then how rash can Saul be to ask the LORD to give him the right answer? But the Lord did set Saul and Jonathan apart, clearing all the leaders of Israel from being guilty of sin, and then the lot fell to Jonathan. Was that really the choosing of the LORD? Yet, the men of Israel defended Jonathan because what he did was a righteous act for the benefit of Israel, and it was Saul who treated Israel wrongly with that oath of fasting until night, which allowed the men of Israel to become faint. We continue to see poor leadership from Saul, plus acting as he saw fit. We constantly see this same lesson about not moving forward until the Lord gives the command, and then advancing forward with great gusto when the Lord tells us to move. However, we also see another truth when the men of Israel defended Jonathan against the will of Saul. They built up Jonathan as the one who brought about the great deliverance in Israel. That was true, but the point is that it is always right to build others up, not tear them down. Saul was thinking he had the right to kill the man who sinned, not against the LORD, but against his command regarding his unwise oath. We do not have the right under any circumstances to judge another’s sin, or the consequence they should pay. All judgment is reserved only for the Lord, and for those who have accepted the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and the work of God, raising him from the tomb, will not be judged guilty of sin. Jesus paid it all. We are free of accusation, free from any penalty, because of Jesus. Of course, we are not to continue to freely or willingly sin, so that God’s grace may abound. However, when we do fail perfection and sin, which is inevitable as long as we live in this flesh, he does not condemn, but forgives. Saul did not want to forgive, but the men of Israel forced his hand, as they stood by Jonathan, building him up, loving him.  We are always supposed to forgive any offense against us or the Lord. First, because the Lord said that as we forgive those who trespass against us, he forgives us. But if we do not forgive, he will not forgive us. Second, how do we pick the speck from our brother’s eye when we have a log in our eyes? Are we not all sinners saved by grace? God is the only one who can judge, and we have already been judged as holy and pleasing in his sight, because we are in Jesus and He is in us. Still, we are supposed to build each other, as we are commanded to love one another, and love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Saul failed to love others, but only himself. Let us always protect each other, always trust one another, always hope in each other, and persevere with each other. We must always love.