In Scripture, darkness is a metaphor for negative, fearful human experiences. There are roughly two hundred references to darkness in Scripture, nearly all of which are used as a contrast to the God of the Bible—the source of love and life. It is no surprise, then, that death, the threat of death, and the realm of the dead itself are linked to supernatural entities expelled from God’s presence and service. Michael Heiser
Scripture
But Samuel replied, “Why ask me, since the Lord has left you and become your enemy? The Lord has done just as he said he would. He has torn the kingdom from you and given it to your rival, David.”
Observation
The Philistines gather for war against Israel. Saul is filled with fear and seeks the Lord, but the Lord refuses to answer.
Saul finds a medium, a woman at Endor, and he asked her to summon up the spirit of Samuel. Samuel tells him that the Lord has done just what he said He would do. He is about to hand the kingdom over to his rival, David,and the next day Saul and his sons will be dead.
Application
The Bible consistently condemns those who seek to consult with the spirits of the dead. Earlier, Saul had banned this practice, but now in desperation, he consults a medium.
With very few exceptions, once a person dies, they are not able to return to this world or to communicate with the living. So any apparent message from “the other side” is a demonic deception. It is a kind of counterfeit prophecy .
We don’t need to talk to the dead. We have a living Saviour who died but rose again. We know that we who are saved will also rise with Christ to eternal life.
When people consult with fortune tellers, mediums, Ouija boards, and the like, they are opening themselves to being overwhelmed by evil spirits. It is best to stay right away from these practises .
Prayer
Thank you Father that you delight to communicate with your children. We can talk with you anytime and any place. Amen.
A nice ride this morning. The edge has gone off the heat, so very pleasant. A highlight was a very close encounter with a peewee flying across the road – he misjudged the trajectory and came within cms of hitting my face 🦅🚲😁
First, most of what we claim to know about the powers of darkness does not derive from close study of the original Hebrew and Greek texts. Second, much of what we think we know is filtered through and guided by church tradition—not the original, ancient contexts of the Old and New Testaments. Michael Heiser
Scripture
Achish believed David and thought to himself, “By now the people of Israel must hate him bitterly. He will hhave to stay here and serve me forever.”
Observation
David decides to move to Gath to avoid Saul permanently. Achish the king of Gath, welcomes him, his wives, and his army.
One-day, David asks Achish if he can move to a smaller town. Achish give him Ziklak where they live for more than a year.
David and his men conduct raids on people who live down towards Egypt. They kill all the people in the villages, and take away their livestock and clothing.
David tells Achish that he has been raiding the south of Judah, causing Achish to believe that David will never be able to go home.
Application
David was a master strategist, always looking at the long-term outlook in planning his steps.
We might wonder if his wholesale taking of human life, and the lies he told to deceive Achish. The truth is said he was living in a very hostile environment, and his violence was towards the enemies of Israel.
In one parable, Jesus seem to approve of the actions of the dishonest steward who defrauded his employer for his own interests.
We should not judge the actions of Bible characters on the basis of our own comfortable lifestyles. The important thing is to seek God’s path whatever our circumstances are.
Prayer
Lord, I thank you that I live in a peaceful society. Please help me to glorify you in all I do. Amen.
The Magi, or Wise Men, are mysterious characters in the Christmas Story. We don’t know exactly where they came from, although Babylonia is a strong character, and we don’t know exactly how many of them there were, or even when they turned up in Bethlehem.
I was preaching abut this last Sunday as recorded in Matthew 2:1-12.
As I read the passage in church, I was struck by the NLT rendering of v. 1:
Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”
Over recent years, it has been common to point out that the Magi could have taken up to 2 years to come and worship Jesus. This is based on a number of factors, including the word for “child”, the fact that the family was now in a house, not a stable, and Herod’s order to kill babies under the age of 2 years. Herod was a ruthless character who was not afraid of killing potential rivals, so the age of the babies being killed would have been arbitrary.
But then the NLT says this happened “About that time” i.e. close to the time of Jesus’ birth. What’s happening here?
Short answer is it is a poor translation choice. Most of the English translations, as well as the original Greek text, do not use this. For example the NIV has “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem…”
No translation of Scripture is perfect. We are blessed to have such an abundance of translations in English, and they mostly do a good job of making the Bible accessible to people of all reading, education and cultural backgrounds. I love the NLT as an easy to understand translation, but they got this phrase wrong.
The lesson here is never build a doctrine on a single phrase, a single verse, a single translation.
Nice ride ahead of a predicted hot day. Maximum is supposed to be 38 C, a bit of a shock in our unusually cool summer #cycling #Narrabri
We have to admit that we are prideful and we forget that it’s His greatness in us that causes the miraculous intervention of God to manifest in our lives. Becky Dvorak
Scripture
“No!” David said.” For who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord’s anointed one?”
Observation
Saul takes 3000 of Israel’s elite troops and resumes his hunt for David.
David goes over to Saul’s camp under the cover of darkness. David takes Abishai with him into the camp.
They find Saul asleep in his tent with a spear and a jug of water next to his head. David takes the spear and jug and sneaks out of the camp.
He wakes up Saul’s men and points out that he again has had a chance to kill Saul, but refuses to lift a hand against the Lord’s anointed one.
Application
This verse is often used in the context of church disputes, particularly those involving a pastor.
While there are times when it is right for a congregation to dismiss a pastor, the general principle is that we should not undermine, attack, or move against the “Lord’s anointed one.”
Even in this case, where David is being hunted down by a demon possessed King Saul, David refuses to attack the Lord’s anointed.
Rather than attacking a pastor that you disagree with, we should try to see what God is doing in the situation. Is the pastor actually doing or saying what is necessary? Is there some lesson the Lord is trying to teach us? How can I use this situation to grow in my love for the Lord?
When it does come to a point of removing a leader, the church must always act in a way that honours Christ. Everything must be done accordance with God’s order and, above all, love must reign.
Prayer
Lord, conflict is hard at times. Please help me to handle disagreements in a way that honours you. Amen.
A breeze this morning made riding more challenging, although it helped on the way home. Nice ride to the end of Haire Drive
New Life Narrabri 