Author Archives: John Sanzone

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MOM’S DAY. THE WIDOW OF ZAREPHATH. I KINGS 17:8-24. 5/10/20.

1 Kings 17:8-24 New King James Version (NKJV)

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ⁹ “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” ¹⁰ So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” ¹¹ And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” ¹² So she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” ¹³ And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. ¹⁴ For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’ ” ¹⁵ So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. ¹⁶ The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.

• Command performance
  • Three years of drought led to region-wide famine (as in days of Joseph)
  • This narrative precedes the showdown on Mt. Carmel in chapter 18
  • God commands a widow in Zarepath of Sidon to take care of Elijah
    • God often used the surrounding nations as a refuge for his servants (Jacob in Haran, Joseph in Egypt, Moses in Midian, toddler Jesus taken to Egypt,…)
    • We don’t know if the widow audibly heard from God or if God intuitively laid his will on her heart
  • Often guest stars pop into the biblical narrative out of the blue (Melchizedek, Zipporah, Naaman, Balaam, Barzillai, Shunammite woman, woman at the well, woman with the issue of blood, Tabatha…)
  • We do not know this widow’s name, background, beliefs, character…
• The encounter
  • Elijah sees the widow picking up sticks to make a fire outside the gate
    • Elijah discerns that this is the correct widow
    • Elijah doesn’t know her condition or anything about her
  • Elijah, without introduction, asks her to bring him water and some bread (hospitality was a major social obligation in biblical times in Near East)
  • The widow recognizes Elijah as a man of God (by his clothing? by revelation?)
    • The knowledge that Elijah is a man of God governs story
    • To trust God is to also trust the man that God has sent
  • A godly woman trusts God in all circumstances, no matter how dire (by Word, leading of Holy Spirit, and godly counsel)
  • The widow tells Elijah that his request is impossible (how God works)
    • She was a widow with a son and enough oil + flour for 1 meal
    • She was about to make their last meal and then starve
  • Elijah insists that she follow his instructions
    • Don’t fear (common admonition to God’s children)–Romans 8:28
    • Make a cake for Elijah 1st (take care of God’s man 1st)
    • God promises that the oil + bread will not run out until rain
  • Widow had to decide whether she trusted Elijah’s words
    • She already knew that he was a man of God (what kind?)
    • God would not have chosen her for this task if he had not also known that she would comply
      • God uses holy women who yield to him (Sarah, Rahab, Ruth, Esther, Abigail, Mary, Tabitha…)
      • A simple informed faith is a great tool of God
    • The widow complies, apparently without argument
  • Elijah, the widow, and her son eat for many days on a little oil and flour

¹⁷ Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so serious that there was no breath left in him. ¹⁸ So she said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?” ¹⁹ And he said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. ²⁰ Then he cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?” ²¹ And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.” ²² Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived. ²³ And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives!” ²⁴ Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth.”

• Testing & trusting
  • The widow’s son was her only source of joy
  • God takes her son’s life (no explanation)
    • This is the ultimate test of faith
    • Brings her to point of acknowledging her sins
  • Elijah takes the child and pleads for his life (God answers and child lives)
    • The miracle of oil + bread = fell short of complete faith
    • Now she knows Elijah is not just a preacher, but a prophet
  • God cares about women and particularly the widow (I Timothy 5:1-10)
    • He uses the humble and faithful
    • He tests the faithful and seeks to grow faith via the testing

Key Verse:

I Timothy 5:1-10 [New King James Version (NKJV)]¹ Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, ² older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity. ³ Honor widows who are really widows. ⁴ But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is [a]good and acceptable before God. ⁵ Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day. ⁶ But she who lives in [b]pleasure is dead while she lives. ⁷ And these things command, that they may be blameless. ⁸ But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. ⁹ Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, ¹⁰ well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work.

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GATEWAY TO GOODBYE. I SAMUEL 20:12-23. PM. #64.

I Samuel 20:12-23 [New King James Version (NKJV)]

¹² Then Jonathan said to David: “The Lord God of Israel is witness! When I have sounded out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day, and indeed there is good toward David, and I do not send to you and tell you, ¹³ may the Lord do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my father to do you evil, then I will report it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And the Lord be with you as He has been with my father. ¹⁴ And you shall not only show me the kindness of the Lord while I still live, that I may not die; ¹⁵ but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the Lord has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” ¹⁶ So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “Let the Lord require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”

¹⁷ Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul. ¹⁸ Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon; and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty. ¹⁹ And when you have stayed three days, go down quickly and come to the place where you hid on the day of the deed; and remain by the stone Ezel. ²⁰ Then I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target; ²¹ and there I will send a lad, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I expressly say to the lad, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; get them and come’—then, as the Lord lives, there is safety for you and no harm. ²² But if I say thus to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you’—go your way, for the Lord has sent you away. ²³ And as for the matter which you and I have spoken of, indeed the Lord be between you and me forever.”

• The Plan
  • David knows that his time in the palace of Saul had come to an end
    • Jonathan is hopeful that David can stay, but senses the end also
    • When hope fades, God closes one door to open another
  • When God closes a chapter in our lives, he opens a better one
    • Jacob flees to Haran and returns the father of a nation
    • Joseph is taken to Egypt in chains and ascends to govern it
    • Moses runs away to Midian and returns as a deliverer of Heb.
  • Both men sense that a parting was at hand
    • Their friendship held fond and prosperous memories
    • Parting of family and friends is inevitable, painful
    • Both men sense that this parting will be permanent
  • David is to hide in the field by the Stone Ezel
    • Jonathan is to return to Saul to see what his reaction to David’s absence is (acceptance or rage)
    • Jonathan will signal to David what Saul’s response was
    • Play on words: David is to sit at Ezel while his seat at the table remains empty
  • Jonathan will come to the field with arrows and a boy servant
    • If Jonathan shoots (literally, sends) 3 arrows short and tells the boy that the arrows are close near him, all is well
    • If Jonathan shoots 3 arrows far and tells the boy that the arrows are far beyond him then David is to flee for his life
  • Jonathan promises to send David away safely
• The covenant
  • Jonathan senses that his star if setting while David’s is rising
    • He knows that David is destined to take Saul’s place
    • Jonathan shows no jealousy, bitterness, disappointment, or opposition to what he sees happening
    • Whether God has revealed this to Jonathan or not, he knows it
    • The roles will be reversed: Jonathan will be at David’s mercy
  • Jonathan asks for 2 mercies: treat him and his descendants well
  • David covets that they will treat each other well
    • Later, when the Gibeonites, who were attacked by Saul, ask for 7 male descendants of Saul to execute, Jonathan’s desc. are spared (2 Samuel 21)
    • Of Jonathan’s siblings (Merab, Michal, Abinadab, and Malchishua) Merab, who had been promised to David twice, lost all 5 of her sons, and the concubine Rizpah lost 2 of hers
  • The covenant is before the Lord and can’t be broken without judgment
    • Jonathan promises to honestly report back to David
    • David is to treat Jonathan’s household kindly
• The Parting
  • As Jonathan departs Ezel both men know a permanent change is coming
  • When a sea change comes we are to trust and continue to serve
    • The fond memories will be there after the move, injury, disease, funeral, or traumatic event (not taken away)
    • Serving the Lord is always forward looking (Philippians 3:14)
  • To wallow in sorrow of the past is to lose effectiveness for future
  • The change could not diminish the bond between David and Jonathan
  • Tragic changes can lead to great ministry and glory to God (Joseph, Moses, Jesus on the cross)
  • Providence always furthers God’s kingdom

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Ephesians 4:29 [New King James Version (NKJV)]

²⁹ Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

Blest Be The Tie

Verse 1

Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above (Amen)

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PARANOIA OR PLOT VICTIM? I SAMUEL 20:1-11. PM. 05/03/20. #63.

1 Samuel 20:1-11 [New King James Version (NKJV)]

¹ Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and went and said to Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?” ² So Jonathan said to him, “By no means! You shall not die! Indeed, my father will do nothing either great or small without first telling me. And why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!” ³ Then David took an oath again, and said, “Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But truly, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.” ⁴ So Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you yourself desire, I will do it for you.” ⁵ And David said to Jonathan, “Indeed tomorrow is the New Moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go, that I may hide in the field until the third day at evening. ⁶ If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked permission of me that he might run over to Bethlehem, his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’ ⁷ If he says thus: ‘It is well,’ your servant will be safe. But if he is very angry, be sure that evil is determined by him. ⁸ Therefore you shall deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you. Nevertheless, if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?” ⁹ But Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! For if I knew certainly that evil was determined by my father to come upon you, then would I not tell you?” ¹⁰ Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me, or what if your father answers you roughly?” ¹¹ And Jonathan said to David, “Come, let us go out into the field.” So both of them went out into the field.

• Enemy of the State
  • David comes to Jonathan and wants to know what crime he has done
    • Saul is seeking his life even as David loyally served him
    • The unrighteous will hate the righteous for no just cause
    • The righteous are reminders of the God the wicked hate
  • The righteous must be careful not to become bitter or vindictive or self-pitying when unfairly and unreasonably treated
    • John 16:33 attacks will come (John 15:18-25)
    • I Peter 4 being attacked for Christ’s sake identifies with him
  • Jonathan is incredulous
    • He is unaware of Saul’s intention
    • Jonathan thought he solved the issue when he calmed dad down
    • Jonathan doesn’t know the David had to flee for his life
    • Jonathan believed that he was Saul’s confidante (all revealed)
    • Evil does not send a warning when it is going to strike
  • Jonathan wants to think well of his father
    • Those who want to think well of everyone are caught off guard and unawares (stunned and dismayed)
    • Being gracious doesn’t mean being naive (I Peter 5:8, II Chronicles 11)
  • David faces the dilemma of not being believed (Jonathan holds his fate)
    • Jonathan thinks that David was being paranoid
    • It is difficult not to be believed when you are threatened or falsely accused (no way to prove your case)          
      • Often, only God knows the truth
      • Many innocent men have been convicted, unable to prove their innocence
• The truth be known
  • Jonathan has to decide if David is telling the truth or overreacting
    • David swears that what he is saying is true
    • David reminds Jonathan of their covenant oath before the Lord
  • David postulates that Saul would hide the truth from Jonathan since Saul knew that Jonathan favored David (Jonathan doesn’t want to believe that his father would deceive him or not show signs of malice toward David)
    • David’s life is in the balance
    • David could see the conflict on Jonathan’s face
      • Jonathan is caught in the middle
      • Often events are forced upon us and we must act
  • Jonathan doesn’t know what to think
    • He refrains from dismissing David’s claims outright (it is wise to refrain from judgment until all the facts are in)
    • Jonathan needs more evidence before coming to a conclusion
  • David pleads for kindness (a partner in righteousness)
• The plan
  • David says that he is going to hide in the field for 3 days
    • He won’t attend the feast of the new moon with Saul
    • New Moon = begins Heb. month (29½ days; later Heb. alternated 29 and 30 day mon. and added extra mon. every 19 yrs.)
    • Jonathan = tell his father that David went to Bethlehem for the annual family sacrifice
  • If Saul reacts calmly all is well; if angered, David is in jeopardy
  • Jonathan accepts the plan, though he is still skeptical of David’s claim
  • Jonathan’s loyalty must be to righteousness (not Saul or David)
    • Luke 12:49-53 must decide between Christ and own family
    • A test of Jonathan’s faith, honoring dad, and covenant with David
  • If you have a solid foundation, you make the right tough decisions

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LABORERS FOR THE LORD. EPHESIANS 4:28. 26 APRIL 2020. #19.

Ephesians 4:28 [New King James Version (NKJV)]

²⁸ Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

• Cease stealing
  • Again, akin to lying, Paul commands us to stop thievery (klepto)
  • There are many ways to steal
    • Taking someone else’s possession or property
      • Outright thievery
      • Purloining (borrowing without returning item)
    • Stealing one’s reputation (gossip, false accusation, innuendos, speculation, mischaracterization, misquoting…
    • Stealing affection that does not belong to you (someone else’s spouse)
    • Taking credit for another’s efforts
      • We most often steal praise that belongs to God (Moses at the rock, Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom, Herod Agrippa I in Tyre–Acts 12)
      • Plagiarism, stealing another’s ideas
    • Stealing another’s hope and joy (1 Thessalonians 5:19 quenching the Spirit) through discouragement
    • Cheating on your taxes, in business dealings, or on loans
  • The context of this passage is narrow: stealing possessions and $
  • We are to stop cheating and stealing from others
• Honest labor
  • God designed man to be productive
    • Genesis 2 the first assignment God gave man was to tend the garden (even before he was given a wife)
    • 1 Timothy 5:8 man is to take care of his family
  • Paul emphasizes 2 aspects of earning a living:
    • Labor with your hands = to work with tools God gave you
      • Hand is a euphemism for productive labor of any kind (1 Sm. 5:11 the hand of God was heavy against the Philistines; Proverbs 21:1 the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord; Eccl. 9:10 whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all might unto Lord; Ecclesiastes 11:6 do not withhold your hand from sowing in the morning and evening; Is. 48:13 God laid the foundation of the earth with his hand and with his right hand he stretches out the heavens; Isaiah 64:8 we are the work of the hand of God)
      • We are not designed to be sluggards or idle (Proverbs 6)
  • Honorable work
    • Every honorable work done in an honorable way (fair and quality) is pleasing to the Lord (laborers, tradesmen, doctors, clerks, teachers…)
    • All labor must be done to praise of God
• Labor to give
  • The Bible gives us 6 basic uses for money:
    • Malachi 3:9-10 to give to the Lord
    • I Timothy 5:8 to provide for one’s family
    • Romans 13:1-7 to pay taxes and fees to whom they are due
    • Proverbs 13:22 a godly man leaves an inheritance for his children and grandchildren
    • Proverbs 3:27-28 (Jm. 2) to give to those in need
    • Proverbs 6:6-9 store up for future needs (consider the ant)
  • The biblical 6 expenditures must be met before anything else
  • By giving to those in need we lend to the Lord (Proverbs 19:17)
    • Can’t meet every need
    • Often the Lord gives us bounty to share with others
    • Not referring to give to those refuse to work and take advantage of others (2 THS. 4:6-15)
    • To meet legitimate needs as the Lord leads (Good Samaritan)
  • Go from thieving to working to giving (from taker to giver)
  • Stewards of Gospel, family, testimony, all we are given

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IS SAUL WITH THE PROPHETS? I Samuel 19:18-24. PM. 04/26/20. #62.

1 Samuel 19:18-24 [New King James Version (NKJV)]

¹⁸ So David fled and escaped, and went to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth. ¹⁹ Now it was told Saul, saying, “Take note, David is at Naioth in Ramah!” ²⁰ Then Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as leader over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. ²¹ And when Saul was told, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. Then Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also. ²² Then he also went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is at Sechu. So he asked, and said, “Where are Samuel and David?” And someone said, “Indeed they are at Naioth in Ramah.” ²³ So he went there to Naioth in Ramah. Then the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. ²⁴ And he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

• David seeks out protection from Samuel
  • David travels to Ramah, home of Samuel
  • Samuel represented divine help
    • Samuel was very old at this time
    • Samuel had left Saul after the botched Amalekite campaign
    • I Samuel 16 Samuel is told to anoint a new king, but he is fearful of Saul (God encourages Samuel)
    • Once Samuel anoints David as king, David is invincible until he becomes king and accomplishes God’s will for him
      • None can harm you until you finish your calling
      • David doesn’t seek help from his troops, but God
  • Notice the partnership between God and man
    • David did what he could be escaping and seeking godly help
    • David depended upon God to help him
  • We are expected to do what we can while relying on God’s help
  • David told Samuel all Saul had done
    • We have no record of Samuel’s response
    • Samuel was probably not surprised
      • Saul’s nature had not changed
      • Saul had not repented, nor shown signs of repent.
    • Saul does not know that David had been anointed as king
      • Saul knows that God’s favor was now on David
      • Saul knows that David is more popular than he is
      • Saul = not realized he fights against God (loses)
  • Since David is God’s choice as king, Samuel helps him
    • Samuel is very consistent in following God’s will
    • Samuel and David are kindred spirits, unlike Saul
• Messenger mania
  • 5 times Saul sent messengers to capture David
    • Twice he sent them to David’s house
    • Three times he sends mess. to Naioth (lit., dwellings or huts–dorms for the college of prophets outside Ramah)
  • Each time mess. reach Naioth they are turned into temporary prophets, prophesying with the regular prophets
  • Saul does not take “no” for an answer
    • Saul’s jealousy has moved to obsession (obsession is a very destructive force–$, relations, fame, possessions…)
    • Saul seams to take no notice that God protects David
  • God offers 3 levels of protection according to his purposes:
    • Divine protection (Joseph, Elijah, Daniel, Peter[Acts 12])
    • Martyrdom (John the Baptist, Stephen, James [Acts 12])
    • Delayed martyrdom (OT prophets, Peter, Paul, Rev. 6)
• Saul among the prophets
  • Saul goes after David himself
    • He doesn’t heed the warning God sends him (stops mess.)
    • Power of the king is not absolute (Nebuchadnezzar, Ahab, Herod…)
  • Saul is also turned into a prophesying prophet
    • 2nd time Saul has prophesied
      • 1 Samuel 10 as a confirmation of his calling
      • 1 Samuel 19 as a confirmation of his rejection
    • Saul is made to strip down and be exposed all night
  • A difference between humiliation and humility
    • Humiliation is circumstantial, but humility is a choice
    • Is Saul among the prophets? (slur-king or prophet?)
  • More lessons on humility are taught than learned
  • Proverbs 16:18 a person who refuses to be humbled, will be destroyed

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TONGUE and TEMPERAMENT. EPHESIANS. 4:25-27. 4/19/2020. #18.

Ephesians 4:25-27 [New King James Version (NKJV)]

²⁵ Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. ²⁶ “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, ²⁷ nor give place to the devil.

• Head, heart, and honesty
  • Paul answers the question, “What does putting off the old man and putting on the new man look like?” (Ephesians 4:22-24)
    • From Ephesians 4:25-5:33 Paul deals with how a spiritual believer acts (the largest portion deals with Christian husbands)
    • Luke 3 John the Baptist told audience what is entailed with repenting of one’s sins
  • Paul begins with honesty, the foundation of all relationships
  • “Put away lying” lit. is “put off falsehood (pseudo)”
    • More than just telling the truth
    • Notice “putting away” = stop doing what you are doing
    • Falsehood comes in many forms:
      • To cover wrongdoing
      • To hide motivations
      • Deceiving to obtain a desired selfish goal
      • To withhold important necessary information
  • To be an honest person, true to highest moral principles
  • Speak truth to neighbor (unlike versus 15, “speak” is in this passage)
    • Literally, “speak truth with your neighbor” (honest dealings)
    • Different use of neighbor than in Luke 10 (Good Samaritan)–refers to fellow believers in this context
  • We are members one to another
    • If we lie to fellow believers we lie to ourselves
    • Same concept as marriage (Ephesians 5:29-33 to be one flesh is to treat spouse as self)
  • Familial = to care for one another as a family
• A tempered temper
  • One can’t tell your spouse that the Bible commands you to be angry
    • The entire context = be angry, but do not sin
    • A direct quote from Psalm 4:4 (Be angry, and do not sin / Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.)
  • Anger is a natural emotion, at times unavoidable
    • God expressed anger against Israel in the Wilderness
    • Tension between Paul and Barnabas
    • Saul was angry against David
    • Jonah 4:1-11 – Jonah was angry that God refused to destroy Nineveh, but allowed his shadow gourd to die
  • Anger is a necessary emotion (vexation against adversity)
    • Anger is a reaction to tension or irritation
    • Three primary emotions: love, fear, and anger
    • Necessary anger: Moses exacting punishment at the Golden Calf fiasco; Jesus driving out the money changers
  • Selfish anger is sin
    • Genesis 4, Cain killing Abel
    • Saul killing the high priests
    • Jezebel threatening Elijah
  • Do not sin
    • Anger is not the sin; but a wrong response to it is sin
    • Anger calls for action (response, restraint, reflection)
    • James 1:19-20 a faith-based response furthers God’s will
    • Intent: be angry but do not sin
• Response in the sunshine
  • Anger needs to be dealt with promptly, so it does not fester
    • Should be dealt with quickly
    • Reconcile, rebuke, or turn it over to the Lord
  • Festering anger gives Satan an opportunity to use you to sin
    • Bitterness of soul leads to destruction (Cain)
    • Loss of perspective (Jonah)
  • Some anger must be dealt with before the throne alone
    • Romans 12:18 some people will not reconcile with you
    • Some violations leave deep scars (raping of Tamar)
    • Some irritations are ongoing (Peninnah mocking Hannah)

Key Verse:

Jonah 4 [New King James Version (NKJV)]

¹ But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. ² So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. ³ Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” ⁴ Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?” ⁵ So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. ⁶ And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. ⁷ But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. ⁸ And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” ⁹ Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!” ¹⁰ But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. ¹¹ And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”

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WIFE PROTECTOR. I SAMUEL 19:8-17. PM. 04/19/2020. #61.

I Samuel 19:8-17 [New King James Version (NKJV)]

⁸ And there was war again; and David went out and fought with the Philistines, and struck them with a mighty blow, and they fled from him. ⁹ Now the distressing spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing music with his hand. ¹⁰ Then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul’s presence; and he drove the spear into the wall. So David fled and escaped that night. ¹¹ Saul also sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and to kill him in the morning. And Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” ¹² So Michal let David down through a window. And he went and fled and escaped. ¹³ And Michal took an image and laid it in the bed, put a cover of goats’ hair for his head, and covered it with clothes. ¹⁴ So when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.” ¹⁵ Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” ¹⁶ And when the messengers had come in, there was the image in the bed, with a cover of goats’ hair for his head. ¹⁷ Then Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this, and sent my enemy away, so that he has escaped?” And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! Why should I kill you?’”

• A good link with bad results
  • Saul had tried to kill David, but Jonathan intervened
  • David then goes forth with more military success
    • Philistines are crushed, slaughtered, and routed
    • This produces more jealousy in Saul
  • David proved to be loyal, effective, and focused
    • David was not against Saul, nor after his position
    • Saul’s position was greatly enhanced by David’s success
• Saul’s tormented Soul
  • Once again Saul’s soul is engulfed by a tormenting spirit
    • Saul still does not repent (would remove torment)
    • Saul seethes as he grips his spear
  • David plays the harp to soothe Saul (another service to him)
    • Jealous people fume at the good deeds of others
    • Saul stews over David’s success and popularity
  • In a rage Saul attempts to pin David to the wall with his spear
    • David probably assumes Saul’s action was from madness
    • Saul’s actions were from rage and not insanity (personal)
• A protective wife
  • David escapes Saul’s presence @ night
  • Saul sent messengers to surround his house (Ps. 59:3 lay in wait)
  • David’s wife, Michal, warns David and helps his escape
    • Michal loves David
    • Saul expects his daughter to be loyal to him as Dad and king
    • Michal engineers David’s escape out a window (like Paul)
    • Michal claims David threatened her (to save her life)
    • David later makes the return of Michal to him as the condition for coming back to take the throne
    • David later rebukes Michal for rebuking him when he danced before the ark in his loin cloth upon its return
  • Michal’s actions buy David enough time to make good his escape
    • She puts an image (a teraphim–idol) under a blanket with goat hair sticking out where the head would be
    • She tells the messengers that David is sick
    • Saul commands that David be brought to him on his bed
  • Saul demands to know why Michal supports his enemy
    • Versus 5 Jonathan asked why Saul had made David his enemy
    • Saul imagined that David was his enemy
    • David does not view Saul as his enemy (supported Saul)
  • David is pro-Saul and pro-Israel
• The lot of the falsely accused
  • David had done right by Saul
  • Saul’s jealousy fueled his imagination
    • He presumed a false scenario in David’s heart
    • David could not prove his innocence of heart
  • 1 Sam. 16:7 only God can see a heart attitude
    • Proverbs 18:13 it is foolish to presume what is in someone’s heart
    • Hard to dissuade a person against a believed falsehood
  • David does not turn himself into Saul’s enemy
    • Romans 12:12-21 David could have responded in kind to Saul
    • David still honors Saul as Israel’s anointed king
  • David stayed true to Saul
    • He didn’t become bitter (destroy self and his calling)
    • He refused to take vengeance (Psalm 59 rescued in morning)
    • David continued to do what was right
    • David turned Saul and situation over to Lord (his way and time)

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Revelation 1:17-18 [New King James Version (NKJV)]

¹⁷ And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

• From Grave to Glory
  • We tend to view life based upon our present situation
    • Our health, finances, & relationships
    • Solomon’s goal was pleasure, but Job’s goal was worship & service
  • Revelation 1 puts John 19 into perspective (from cross to crown)
    • Puts John 3:16 in perspective
    • Places our lives in perspective (not just saving sacrifice, but glorious conquering king
    • We must look forward as well as backwards
  • This passage hinges on two tenses of the verb “to be”
    • Jesus was  dead
    • Jesus is alive (“I am alive”)
  • The end gives meaning to all that precedes it
    • Solomon’s end was disappointment
    • Judas’s end was destruction
    • Paul’s end was triumphant
  • There is no triumphant of death when death is a door & not a prison
• John on Patmos
  • When John was on Patmos (exiled there by Diocletian) he has a vision of the glorified Lord
    • John is overwhelmed (as was Paul in Acts 9 & Isaiah in Isaiah 6) — trembling in fear
    • John falls as if dead in terror & worship
  • John had met Jesus at several different stages of Jesus’ life
    • As a man while they were fishing (Isaiah 53:2 looked like an ordinary man)
    • In Samaria (John wanted to call down fire from heaven)
    • At the cross (John looked upon a dying & disfigured man)
    • In the Upper Room (resurrected, but not glorified)
    • At Patmos (glorified, enthroned Christ)
  • Christians are going to live either as if Christ came alive in the past or is seated in glory & power in the present
    • To celebrate the risen Christ without celebrating the glorified empowering Christ is to minimize his impact in our lives
    • John experienced a different level of the manifestation of Christ than he had 60 years earlier with Christ on earth
    • If believers live as if what Christ did was merely a past event they will miss his triumphant present power in their lives
• They live triumphantly
  • Not many believers live as if they are empowered by the reigning God of the universe (powerful, majestic, sovereign)
  • Romans 8:37 because He is the mighty conqueror we are more than conquerors in him (we are royalty)
  • Philippians 4:12 we are triumphant even when physically suffering, persecuted, and in need (must live triumphantly)
  • Who is king in your life? — circumstances, concerns, or Christ
  • Faith focused or feelings fastened?
  • Do we have to see what John saw to respond as John responded?
• Christ lifts us up
  • Jesus lifted up John (see God face to face)
    • He touched him (strengthen)
    • He calmed him (1 Jn. 4:18 casting out fear)
    • Gave John perspective (1st & last; middle also)
  • Alive forevermore = no going back (life to death to ∞life)
  • Christ holds the Golden Keys
    • Key to Hades to set the prisoner free
    • Key to Death to lock death away forever
  • Our life & future are secure in the hands of the living Lord

Please click here for the audio portion (and click here for video) on the evening portion of Apr 12, 2020.

I Samuel 19:1-7 [New King James Version (NKJV)]

¹ Now Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David; but Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted greatly in David. ² So Jonathan told David, saying, “My father Saul seeks to kill you. Therefore please be on your guard until morning, and stay in a secret place and hide. ³ And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you. Then what I observe, I will tell you.” ⁴ Thus Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you. ⁵ For he took his life in his hands and killed the Philistine, and the Lord brought about a great deliverance for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?” ⁶ So Saul heeded the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be killed.” ⁷ Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these things. So Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as in times past.

• The frustration of Saul
  • The Philistines had not killed David and Micah loved him
  • Saul decides to have David killed directly
    • Saul = given over to an tormenting spirit
    • Saul informs his son, Jonathan, and his servants that David must be killed (Jonathan and Saul’s servants love David)
    • Saul has a way out of this mess = REPENT!
  • Jonathan reveals Saul’s plan to David
    • Jonathan is caught between loyalty to his father and loyalty to David
      • Exodus 20:12 honor your father and mother
      • Acts 5:29 must obey God over earthly authorities
      • Jonathan had to decide if loyalty to God meant supporting his father or his friend, David (submission to God = the issue!)
  • Jonathan is in a difficult place
    • He was torn between supporting his father and king and doing what was right before God by protecting David
    • Jonathan had not chosen to be in this position
    • Often God places us in difficult positions to test us, use us, and to serve as an example to others
  • Jonathan neither shirked his responsibility nor betrayed his father
    • By serving God, Jonathan truly served his father (best interests)
    • We always do best by others when we put God first (even when the ones we are helping oppose God and us)
  • Jonathan hid David and spoke to Saul
    • Jonathan points out that David saved Israel via slaying Goliath
    • God was obviously with David
    • Saul had rejoiced in David’s victory
• Saul relents but still remains unchanged
  • Jonathan’s reasoning makes sense to Saul, so Saul is soothed
  • David is once again restored to good standing before Saul
    • Jonathan had injected common sense reasoning into father
    • Saul accepts the logic, but his nature had not changed
    • The same arrogance Samuel dealt with was still in Saul
  • Unless underlying causes are addressed, they will not go away
    • Sinful thoughts and behavior don’t leave on their own
    • A change of mind due to reason or change of situation is of the flesh, temporary, and undependable
    • James 1:5-8 vacillating between right and wrong is double-mindedness and instability (changeable and dangerous)
    • A desire to change does not produce a permanent change
• Permanent change comes from a regenerated nature
  • Character and attitude are not rational processes
    • What Saul decided based upon Jonathan’s reason Δ with mood
    • David was not safe, but trusted Saul’s word and honored him
  • Reason alone can’t control passion, pride, and pettiness
  • Irrational and foolish acts are impulsive with no benefit or logic
  • To assuage an angry man is only to delay his next outburst
    • Saul had not changed and did not want to change
    • Pride removes God from your life (exalt self or God)
• David, Saul’s loyal servant
  • The situation settles down briefly
    • Ironically, Saul opposes the one who benefits him most
    • Men oppose Christ, who benefits them the most (eternal)
  • David remained loyal to Saul as his king and God’s anointed to the end
    • Believers face irrational hatred, falsehood, and persecution
    • Believers must remain loyal to Christ and true to others