Hmm, this week sort of got away from me. That seems to be happening more and more these days. We're entering Month #5 of the Year of the Bible--can you believe it? I guess my initial enthusiasm is waning a bit.
I bet I'm not the only one either. Are you have trouble keeping up with your reading these days? Can you think of something the church could do to help pump people back up again? Let me know if you have a suggestion!!
In the meantime, I'll try to catch us up on the Qs&As. . . .
Here's the question and answer from Tuesday:
What did Saul do that grieved God and Samuel so much? (I Sam 15)What did Saul do that grieved God and Samuel so much? (I Sam 15)
1 Samuel 15:9 9 But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs-- everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.
And for Wednesday:
David wants to fight Goliath. When he tries to talk Saul into letting him fight, what are the reasons he thinks he can beat Goliath? (I Sam 17)
1 Samuel 17:36-37 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you."
And for Thursday:
Who says to Jesus, “Even if all fall away, I will not”? (Mark 14)
Mark 14:29-30 29 Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not."
And for Friday:
What day was it when Jesus was crucified? (Mark 15)
Mark 15:42 42 It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath).
And here's the question of the day:
What signs will accompany those who believe? (Mark 16)
And here's a little reflection for today. . .
This is a fascinating little exchange between David and Saul in I Samuel 24, don't you think? A little graphic for some, I suppose, but wouldn't this be a wonderfully suspenseful scene in a movie?! Saul, needing to relieve himself, enters the very cave where David and his men and lying in wait to kill him. But rather than killing him, David simply cuts a corner off Saul's robe. Saul walks away, unaware and unscathed, thanks to David's compassion.
Revenge is a difficult thing to resist, wouldn't you agree? And yet, what a reward Saul gives to David out of gratitude for sparing his life!
I wonder what would happen if we resisted taking revenge. I wonder how those we perceive as our enemies might respond if they see us refrain from doing something that might injure them or their reputations. Might we be surprised, as David was, to receive grace from a foe? Would that perhaps start us down the road of reconciliation? And who knows where that road will lead us!!
Phew--I finished this just in time. Let's go PENS!
Allison
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteI also have gotten about a week behind. But I have noticed a few times that it says "an evil spirit from God" came upon Saul (or someone). That is challenging to me, in that I wouldn't have thought of evil coming from God. Any thoughts?
Hi!
ReplyDeleteWhat you asked about is very challenging indeed! I consulted my handy-dandy commentary and this is what one author wrote:
"Both Saul and David may have been anointed, but it seems that only one of them may possess the Lord’s Spirit at a time and thus be the legitimate anointed one in the eyes of God and on the throne of Israel. The evil spirit that plagues Saul seems to be some sort of affliction that comes and goes, since David’s playing can make it depart (v. 23). . . .
"The evil spirit here is more than just some ancient code for what we might call sickness or mental illness. Saul is a troubled man, and as the people’s king he reflects a troubled Israel (as we have seen in previous chaps., esp. 8 and 15). Both Saul and Israel are alienated from God. David is God’s solution for both. . . .
"We have noted that the Lord’s Spirit departs from Saul and that an evil spirit arrives to plague him (v. 1). Although God’s Spirit came more than once to Saul (10:10; 11:6), its departure here seems permanent. Possession of God’s Spirit was a sign of Saul’s status as God’s anointed one, and it is now David who possesses God’s Spirit (16:13). By contrast, the evil spirit can come and go repeatedly as the troubled mind and spirit of Saul are given healing attention, in the case of this account, by David’s music (v. 23). This is apparently some affliction that is not without precedent, for Saul’s servants suggest that a musician skilled with the lyre can soothe and bring relief to him (vv. 15-16). There is a possible known remedy for such troubling of the spirit. . . .
"That this evil spirit is attributed to God indicates that, for the author, Saul’s condition has a spiritual dimension. He is alienated from God and from the power of God’s Spirit for well-being. All things come from God, but the preceding chapters help us to understand that Saul’s actions have cut him off from the well-being that would be available to him in relationship to God."
What do you think about all that? Do you buy it?
Allison