Day 21: 1 Samuel 16-28, The End of Saul, The Beginning of David

Okay, I know I've said it a lot, but I really think this is my first time really reading the Bible.  I mean I'm reading it without another agenda.  I'm reading it to read it, to see what God has to say.  I'm not reading it for academia or to dissect or even to get out of it what it has for me and my life.  Again, I'm not saying there is anything terribly wrong with those approaches, but there is smackings of selfishness to them and that is what we need to be wary of as we read God's word.  It's like I'm reading anew with open eyes and God being God, He does not disappoint.

So if there were any doubts as to God looking at the heart of a person, just read 1 Samuel 16:7.   ⁷ But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

God chooses David and David in turn chooses God, he seeks him again and again.  The Spirit leaves Saul and he is plagued by an evil spirit from God.  I don't think this says that God is evil, but it does speak to the fact that God is in control of all things, just as God hardened Pharaoh's heart.  Both Pharaoh and Saul also made choices, they chose to harden their own hearts.  Saul chose to disobey God and seek the affirmation of men instead.  That is the difference between Saul and David.

Every time Saul is confronted with the truth of who God is, he recognizes it.  David has opportunity to kill Saul twice, but he knows that is not truly what God wants.  He confronts Saul with this and each time Saul sees the truth and asks forgiveness, and yet, Saul goes back to his wicked ways.  If Saul wanted to truly repent, I think he would have, but the mere fact that he recognizes God is not enough, it must be total transformation.  It is interesting that David is presented with opportunity twice to kill Saul and does not and Saul is presented with the same opportunity and chooses to always seek to kill David.  Interesting...

God gives us many gifts and one of those is deep friendship and community.  David and Jonathan, men who I believe both sought after God's heart.  Jonathan could see the wickedness of his father, but he honored his father, which I think is perhaps what God wanted him to do.  Still he was also faithful to his friend, David and they made a covenant with one another.  This was not a homosexual relationship, but deep and true friendship, which can only be found as a gift of God and blessed by him.  Think about that and disagree with me if you'd like, but I believe it is true, I have experienced it myself.  I've also dishonored those relationships at times by sin and have thus destroyed those relationships.  When they are honored, though, they are a true gift of God.

Lastly, we live in a spiritual world, good and evil are present.  The dead are also still present, just not living with us now.  We need to be aware of those things.  I am not saying this to have people seek out mediums or to have people trying to talk to the dead like the Ghost Whisperer.  Indeed what I am saying is the exact opposite, but we must recognize that there is more to this life than simply what we can see and touch.  God is spirit and that is a completely different realm.  Don't seek out the dead, honor them, remember them, learn from their life that they lived with us.  Seek out the LORD and seek to do his will.