Saul Defeats the Ammonites
11:1 Then Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead, and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.” 2 But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all your right eyes, and thus bring disgrace on all Israel.” 3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days’ respite that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves up to you.” 4 When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, they reported the matter in the ears of the people, and all the people wept aloud.
5 Now, behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. And Saul said, “What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?” So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh. 6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. 7 He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen!” Then the dread of the Lord fell upon the people, and they came out as one man. 8 When he mustered them at Bezek, the people of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. 9 And they said to the messengers who had come, “Thus shall you say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have deliverance.’” When the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, they were glad. 10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.” 11 And the next day Saul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
The Kingdom Is Renewed
12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” 13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.” 14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom.” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. (ESV)
12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” 13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.” 14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom.” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. (ESV)
Sounds like REVIVAL to me in the last four verses! The nation of Israel realized that they reject God as their king! Saul is looking to be a great king so far although it changes near the end of his reign! This chapter makes me think that we should give thanks to God in our prayer and thank Him for what He has done in our lives!
Nice post KJ! I’m praying that God will use us all to bring revival onto all of our campus’s!
These people truly feared the Lord. In our society today, it is normal to regard God lightly, or not at all. THere is no fear and no reverence. As Christians, we need to be aware of this fear we should have in order to keep us from sinning. Our high acknowledgment of God will be really obvious to people if we always act this way and a great testimony for them.
mmm amen! Great point Kelly!
1 Sam 11:13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”
Proper gratitude! Thank You Lord for salvation! Please come soon and find us ready – let Your Spirit guide us today to be pleasing to You because You have saved us!
11 And the next day Saul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
As I read SOTD this morning it stood out to me how good God is to His people. The Israelites had recently rejected Him as king and pleaded for a human king, which God graciously granted. Then, when the men of Jabesh needed deliverance from Nahash the Ammonite, God gives Saul and the Israelites victory over them. While Saul is celebrated as the hero, the true hero is God. Today I am inspired to look at all the good things God has given me in my life and give Him the praise and credit for them all. God is gracious to me, His child, even when I don’t deserve it and for that I am eternally grateful.
11 And the next day Saul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
At first, the Ammonites seemed threatening to the men of Jabesh. They were scared and they felt that they might have to give in to the Ammonites and let them gouge out all of their right eyes. Yet when word got to Saul, he gathered an army. And the men he had gathered came to aid the men of Jabesh, and the Ammonites were defeated. The very few of them who did survive scattered, no two of them left together. With God on Saul’s side, deliverance and victory were brought to the Israelites. And this is true of any situation. When wills for one army to win a battle, he will provide aid and they will win. When he wants to teach a nation a lesson in losing a battle, he will let them be crushed in battle. As the omnipotent Lord, all-powerful, God has the power to make things happen. Whatever he will to happen will happen. And so when God is on one’s side, that man will not fall. For there is nobody and nothing that can stand against the LORD. I need to always keep my confidence in the LORD. When I am following after what he wants me to do, I know that I am doing what I should be doing, and I know that his will will always be done. And sometimes things won’t go the way I wanted them to, or the way that I had expected, but I always need to trust in God’s perfect plan and in his perfect timing! Without God, I can never overcome anything, but with his power I can stand to live a life for him and make war against the flesh! And that is a battle that I know he will aid me in!
ELLO… I read
I like verse 13,”But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.””
I like this verse because it talks about Saul not seeking revenge on those who hated him without reason. Instead of putting to death those who hated him when everyone else wanted to he said that he would not. I need to make sure that I am always forgiving even if the whole world wants me to do something out of revenge I need GOD’s held to not fall into the desire of revenge for revenge is for the LORD.
CYA
It is interesting that as soon as Saul becomes king the Ammonites start attacking Israel. This seems to be a test for Saul right out of the gates. He ends up victorious and is affirmed by the people as king as the doubters are silenced. When trials come in life I need not always dread them. Though it is never fun (neither was being attacked), if I turn to God and trust God through it, I can be victorious and God can work good as a result.
13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”
Wow this chapter again shows God’s power and how awesome He is! God is definitely to be feared! I love how forgiving Saul is in this verse. Despite the fact that some people once wanted him dead, he is willing to put that behind him and forgive those people that didn’t believe in him as a leader. Saul also has wisdom because of the Spirit of the Lord. Saul’s forgiveness reminds me to not hold grudges against what others say and to forgive them. Salvation is what we need to focus on, not past words or revenge. Marantha
13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.
I think it’s awesome that God can reign and exalt his power and not have to kill many men. So many people today, with all the action and violence movies out today, think that a powerful person has to demean others. That’s not true. God is the most powerful of all and we should, as Christ’s followers, lift others up, not demean them.
yum just finished my cereal.
P Anyways!
Notice how angry Saul gets when the Spirit comes upon him…GOD WAS ANGRY! He was pissed offfffff. Sinful people were ready to take over the Israelites..and they were willing to give in! yikes! Gouging out your right eye….how painful would that be? Wouldn’t they rather trust in the Lord than go for that? Obviously not!…But it reminded me of how I can forget to trust God..it haaaas to make Him angry. Like Kelly said, I need to remember to be fearful of the Lord and to trust in Him. THAT is a must God is not the nice Jesus that you see in all the pictures right now..He has a double edged sword coming out of His mouth, with eyes that blaze like fire, and He glows so bright, you probably can’t even see Him! Just looking at Jesus would kill you! Now that is scary! That image needs to stay in my mind, 24/7. He is a merciful God…let’s praise Him for it!
Morning everyone!
5 Now, behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. And Saul said, “What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?” So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh. 6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled.
I forgot about this part of Saul’s life. It so easy to forget that Saul actually did some good things! And then he turned around and rejected the Lord…But seeing this fervor in him for the Lord is refreshing. It makes me think of the other Saul, who was turned into Paul, who became one of the greatest apostles ever. That brings me comfort to know that no one is too far gone.
hey dude remember me?!?! anyways nice post!
Dude!!! whats up? how have you been?
And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled.
I like this verse because it shows that Saul was not doing the work of the Lord on his own. It was the Holy Spirit working in him. (now of course Saul’s lifetime problem was working outside of God’s will). Whatever I do I need to make sure that I’m in accordance to God’s will and following his direction and the lead of the Holy Spirit. And to ensure that I always will follow God’s will it so important that I am praying daily, reading my bible daily, attending church, and meeting with my accountability partner. I am praising God for Compass Bible Church and True North today!!
13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”—I loves Saul’s forgiveness in this chapter. The Israelites were giving into the Ammonites and the Spirt came upon Saul and he became angry!! In the end he saw the good the God had done and the salvation he brought and he had forgiveness on the people even when they didn’t listen to him. I need to remember to fear the LORD and listen to EVERYTHING he is telling me to do! If I have complete trust and faith in him, he will protect me and use me for good! Like Bethany said, I can’t be thinking of Jesus just as the “loving everyone is my friend” Jesus. He is very loving but Jesus is also very jealous and I need to know that his word his true and he has a perfect plan for me so there should be no reason for me not to follow every command!
MARANATHA!!
13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.
I like reading about how powerful the Lord is. This verse just shows that He is in control of everything big or small!
I also really like what Kelly said. It seemed in this chapter that everyone had a fear of the Lord. Today that is the total opposite. People are not even afraid of hell or where they go when they die. This chapter was a good reminder to not get caught up in forgetting about fearing the Lord and recognizing all of his attributes.
15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
I loved this verse because of how the Irsraelits rejoiced in God! To me its a great reminder to always be happy and joyful not to mention thankful of what the Lord has done in my life! God is constantly working miracles in our lives, and we all need to remember to NEVER be selfish. We need to remind ourselves that what we have been given is great, and even though we may not have more than others; its ok.
We dont need things of this world to satisfy us, all we need is Jesus! 
5 Now, behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. And Saul said, “What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?” So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh. 6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled.
This is a great verse. Here we see an example of righteous anger, kind of like when JESUS turned over the tables of the money changers in the temple. Saul did not want to see his people disgraced, and he listened to GOD and GOD allowed him to do great things.
10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.”
I’m lovin the Iraelites attitude here! Talk about submission! They didn’t have to respond like this, but they did. There is no me, myself, i ,or we, only you. That is awesome! And, it relates perfectly to the sermon this weekend that I should be submissive to others. That is an attitude I need to have all of the time!
NOICE comment my good friend, way to find application from today’s sermon!! ;D
6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled.
I saw the same thing that Murphy mentioned about righteous anger!! Righteous anger is completely different than worldly anger. Worldly anger is sin, while righteous anger is good. This reminds me of sitting in class on Friday, listening to all of my classmates liberal views. It made me mad thinking about how they did not see that God is against many of the proposals they are in favor of. On the other hand, this is way different from me getting angry at my sister for dumping stuff all over my bed yesterday for me to put away!! XD I need to check my own actions more often to see if I have a selfish anger, or a righteous anger.
I liked this quote,
13)and Saul said, not a man shall be put to death today for today the Lord has made salvation in Israel.
I just liked that rather than using his ultimate power in violence but use it to save the people of Israel.
6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled.
The Spirit of God causing anger. Hmm… This would seem correct. The men of Jabesh were in trouble and Saul was angry because the Ammonites’ lack of mercy. The Israelites rescued them and Saul was crowned king of Israel.
Saul correctly acknowledged the reason for victory: God.
Proverbs 21:31
The horse is made ready for the day of battle,but the victory belongs to the LORD.
Maranatha!
Hey thanks for reminding me Spencer. I had a brain fart today.:/
6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled.
In this passage, Saul gave God all the glory, something that I need to do. Also, this verse brings up a good point about anger. Righteous anger is completely different than worldly anger, and it is important to control that anger.
Nice Post billy!
ya bill!!!
13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”
Saul seems like he is totally fired up about God and praising His name. I wonder what happened to change his heart so much in the future. This proves that even the people that seem like they are christains may not be. We have to be careful and pay attention to who shows the fruits of the spirit and true proof that they are christains.
6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled.
we talked about anger this week in small groups and had a great discussion on when it is a sin or not…we found out that 9.99 times out of 10 our anger is not righteous anger and that although we may fool ourselves through justification we are still in sin when we become angry. i pray that God will give me the strength to kindle my anger this next week. FINALS WEEK! ahhhh! HELP JESUS! <3
6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. 7 He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen!” Then the dread of the Lord fell upon the people, and they came out as one man.
I love how God works through Saul in this chapter. If you think about it Saul is threatening the people into submission. Not through their fear of Saul or Samuel do they submit but through their fear of The Almighty God. This fear is something that many Christians lack today. We simply do not see God as angry or terrifying God we only focus on the side of God that we wish to see, which is God’s gracious and fatherly side. God is so much more than Gracious. He alone deserves our fear.
13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.
I agree with the previous posts about how awesome it is reading about how powerful the Lord is! Fearing God is something that should be taken seriously, and I know that I should always fear God rather than men. God is powerful and he has the power to save! I am so thankful to have assurance knowing that I get to spend eternity with God in heaven forever! While I am on this earth, I want to praise and exalt his name on high! He deserves everything, and I want to tell everyone of his word and truth!
God put in sertan placeses for a reason and we have to live for him all the way to the full extent of things no mader what happens like lossing our rep to get the word out there to make God happy about what we did and say when we meet him in the sky good job faithful servent.
13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”
God proved his power to Israel by giving them the strength to drive out the Ammonites. Then, Saul acknowledges that the Lord saved them through His salvation. He is so powerful and amazing!! Thank you Lord for your amazing salvation and your mighty power that can defeat my enemies anyday!!
13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”
It’s so cool to read about the things God has done and how he SAVED people and that we have the opportunity to live in eternity with him. But it kills me to know people have the opportunity to be a child of the Lord and never take advantage of God’s mercy. I am so thankful that i have my parents and Brett to guide me along the right path and help me grow in my faith! God saved us and as Christians, in return we should share the amazing grace that he has provided us with and the salvation we can receive in Christ.
13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”
Amen! Praise God Almighty for His works of salvation everyday!
It’s amazing how God works.
The Israelites completely rejected God, yet His mercies overcame their hate and skepticism and rejection and they were saved.
I hate being rejected, so when people say no to me and my offerings, I’ll never offer them anything again.
I’m SO GLAD God doesn’t live by the same policy, or else at least I would be in BIG trouble.
Our God is an ever gracious God of second chances.
Praise Him who saved ME when I turned Him away!
God is so good and I can’t wait to see how He works in me to better His kingdom
13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.
Out of the whole chapter I found this verse to stick out the most. It is so great to have the gift of salvation!! God sent his one and only son to die a horrible death!!! Then he rose from the dead!!!!! He defeated death!!!! Because of that we can repent and put or trust in him!!!!! I am so thankful for the love and mercy God has shown to me!!!
Maranatha
13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”
Great Scripture!
This verse really sticks out to me, because it really shows that Saul was a forgiving King. That he had been lead through the holy spirit to win the battle. That revenge and more bloodshed was not the answer, but forgiveness was. I know that sometimes I hold a grudge against someone for what they did. Sometimes it’s really hard not to. I know that I should step up to the plate and straight up forgive what the person did. Not hold it against them.
Great comment, Collin. I was thinking about this same issue.
I read…
Verse 13… “But Saul said, ‘Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.’”
I am amazed at how the context of the Scriptures back in the OT still applies today, but in a different manner. In this time period, Saul was gracious to the Ammonite King and did not put Him to death in thanks to the Lord for how He had saved them. It applies today because God has even worked a greater wonder, the possibility of salvation for everyone. I thank God for His saving grace: that He would think of me even is His great glory that we will never comprehend until we see Him.
Have a great week at school! See you at revival! CANT WAIT!
6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled.
Wow God is so good to his people. They rejected him as king, yet he gives them what they request, a human king, and then, when they are attcked he saves them from the Ammonites. God used Saul and his anger at what the Ammonites were doing went through to Saul. God loved his people and wanted to protect them and works through Saul. God is so good that he did that even though the Israelites rejected him! That also happens today for me. God is so good to me even though I sin against him and disobey him. I am so thankful for such a good and loving God, but that makes me focus on his holiness and how much he hates sin. God is so good to me and I want to obey him and serve him with all I have!
10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.”
this reminds me of what pastor ben said this weekend about submitting to our authorities. even when we don’t want to, its important to remember that disobeying authorities is disobeying god. and that is something i never want to do!
7…Then the dread of the Lord fell upon the people, and they came out as one man.
This kind of unity is something that we need to see a lot more of in Christianity. People sometimes talk about how wonderful it would be if we had a small group of Christians who were actually on fire for the Lord, and how much they could accomplish. But the truth is, this kind of resolve is not something for a small group of elite; it is a COMMAND for EVERY believer. If we truly believed this, the desire to serve Christ – backed by a fear of judgement for disobedience – would really be enough to turn the world upside-down for the Lord. I need to have this mentality all the time, of wanting to do everything I can to further the Gospel and bring glory to God, rallying other Christians with me to take Laguna Hills (and wherever else I might be) by storm.
There they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. (ESV)
This verse got me thinking about how many things God does for me and I just forget about them. I need to remember to rejoice and praise my Lord.
12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” 13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”
Another good moment for Saul in this chapter. After taking it to the Ammonites big-time, Saul could have easily bragged about his victory and gotten revenge on all of those doubters from the previous chapter. Instead, he rightly gives credit where credit is due, and he doesn’t hold any petty grudges (too bad this humble behavior doesn’t last). Like Saul, I need to always remember that my successes in life come from God and He deserves the glory and honor. And those who wrong me will be judged by God; it’s not up to me to seek justice and revenge. Romans 12:17-20 speaks very clearly on that point.
6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled.
The Spirit of God was on Saul. Did Saul go to heaven, I don’t know, but I know that God used him. Even though Saul turned out to be a bad king God still used him. This ties into Ben’s sermon about treating our leaders with honor and respect. This was hard for me to grasp as I don’t not agree with President Obama with most things, but I still need to respect him. This is still something I need to work on, but verses like this help remind me to.
6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled.
Just as the Spirit gave Saul the power o do great things, we as members of the household of Jesus Christ can do great things. When Jesus left, he gave us a great gift, THE HOLY SPIRIT. Now we have the power to defeat sin in our lives (just like Saul beat up on the Ammonites). I can do all things through HIM who gives me strength.
15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
I need to be praising God and thanking Him for all He does for me…what kind of ‘offerings’ and ‘sacrifices’ am i giving up to the Lord?Its important to remember that each day. I need to praise Him in all situations- good and bad
Maranatha!
God’s compassion for His people is amazing. He fuels Saul with passion to fight for the Israelites and God Himself gives the victory to Israel. On top of all that, He also hands Saul the kingdom with great popularity and support. For a country that rejected the Lord as their king, this is an abundant list of blessings. Praise the Lord for being a loving, compassionate, gracious God!
Good Evening!!!
I owe a thanks to Spencer. (;
Verse 11
“And the next day Saul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.”
Saul was probably recognized here as the most powerful and strongest man in all of Israel at this moment. The only way Saul mustered all this drive, power and righteous anger was through the HOLY SPIRIT rushing upon and into him through the FATHER. GOD is the strength and power that is in this ‘great’ man, Saul. He was merely a tool. GOD is the real KING.
Haha yeaa I’m just glad your on here!
here they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
Its really cool to see how these people viewed God. Back then God required animal sacrifices as an atonement for sin, and the people definitely did that. They had this amazing fear of God where they knew that their sins were going to be punished some day. They feared God with a trembling fear, and that probably made them sin less. I need a fear of God where it makes me sin so much less because I am afriad of his punishment!
13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”
It seems like Saul started out his kingship well. He gave glory to God for the victory over the Ammonites. But he did not keep standing. He fell quickly and God gave his kingship to another. I want to make sure that I always give God glory for what he has done in my life and not take the credit for myself.
9 And they said to the messengers who had come, “Thus shall you say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have deliverance.’”
Our God is so faithful! I really like 1 Samuel (if i havent already mentioned that in previous posts) because it is revealing to us a lot of the amazing traits of our Lord! For example, his faithfulness. Everytime Israel is delivered into the hands of their enemies, God provides and rescues them! Our God is so amazing
15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
Like others have already said, this passage totally reminds me that I need to be worshiping God for the blessings in my life. After the victory, the Israellites went and offered sacrifices of thanksgiving to Him. Likewise, I need to make sure that I am remembering to praise him for his goodness and provision in my life! To him be the glory!
12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” 13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”
How i remember Saul as not such a nice guy. After reading this i now remember how wise and godly he was. When I was reading this I caught myself thinking…is this what Israel wanted when they asked God for a king? If you remember in chapter 11, they wanted a king so they could be “like all the nations”…I wonder what they think of having a king now?
13 …for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.
here saul recognizes the ultimate reason why israel was able to survive. it was not because of their own strength, or anything on their own, but rather the power and sovereignty of God. and today that is the reason why we are saved, whether it be from physical situations, or things like spiritual death. i know that i am saved because God has worked out salvation in me, just like He saved israel. this should lead me to humbleness before Him knowing His plan for me and His power!
AMEN!! Awesome comment! That is so important to keep in perspective and on the forefront of our minds daily! Thanks Cameron.
.” 13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”
A lot of times I hear people label God in the OT different than in the NT. But God is the same and never changes. Here it shows how God has saved His people. I think that is so awesome. He must have felt grieved because they wanted another king but he still went and brought salvation to them peacefully. I can relate to them – even though God is more than enough for me, it isn’t too hard to get distracted by things other people have especially in the OC. I’m going to remember all the good things God has done and will do!
13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”
Saul showed mercy to these people. These reminds me of how God has shown mercy to us! And like we talked about today at True North, remembering that God has shown mercy to us should cause us to treat others with courtesy and respect!
I can’t believe Revival:Winter Edition is so close.
Im sure that when saul and the people beat down the amorites they had full faith that God was the one making it possible. in the same way while i faight in my war against sin i must have full faith that God is the real power making it possible. no glory to me, only to HIM.
MARANATHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AMEN!!
I need to offer my body as a living sacrifice to the Lord Jesus Christ. What am i doing to represent Christ in my life each and every day?
Its a new week! And only one more till revival winter edition! (:
God is so good to his people! Even though they rejected him! He is so completely constant, he will never leave us. Like Mady said, I like how this book of the Bible shows many of God’s attributes that show what a truly awesome God we serve! He is to be praised! I am so thankful for God’s faithfulness and for the salvation he has given me. I want every day to be about praising him for his goodness.
13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”
Saul is like a “type” of Jesus by saving his people from the wicked and showing mercy on his people.
I thought it was so cool about Saul getting together over 300,000 men. that is so awesome!!! God gave saul as the king and just being able to get that many peopl shows Gods power throgh Saul. and the cool part about that is that the power that was shown through Saul is notthhinnnggg at all compared to the power that God has. He is such an awesome god and I am so glad to be His servant for eternity.
Funny how there is always that someone who is able to sneak a ‘MARANATHA!’ at the end of their comment, no matter what the subject is. I’m feelin’ that. dB- D
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God does amazing works for his people, as shown by this chapter, which leads me to a question: why did God originally only choose the Jews to be his people?
anyways, MAAARRAAAANNAATTTTTHHHHHAAAAAAAA!!!
Like others have said, God is the one who gave the victory and Saul realized it in this chapter. He allowed His Spirit to enter Saul and made them conquer the Ammorites. Seeing God choose the Israelites people and show them mercy is encouraging. All blessing and grace is from the Lord and I am in awe of the way God works. May my heart overflow with thanksgiving and rejoice with praise in Him.
Pslam 20:7
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
this chapter speaks to me as the power that God gives Saul so he can go out do God’s will. Saul is a holy man that God trust so God gives Saul tremendous power and 300,000 men so Saul can rebuild Israel. i would like to be an instrument that God can use to seek out and acomplish his will through me.
13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”
I like how Saul, deep down wanting to take revenge on the people he had captured, did not conform to what his earthly desires wanted but did what he knew God would want him to do!!! That is true obedience to God right there!!!!!
MARANATHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled.
This is cool seeing how God worked through Saul to save his people. Even after Saul defeats the ammonites he says that the victory was Gods work and not his.
13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”
Something incredible happened to Saul that day. He hears the news, and immediately takes action. And what do you know, he ends up organizing a massive army in a day or so and marching on his enemies, who were very quickly routed. Just like that. The men of Jabesh must have been so thankful and filled with joy toward him. Those who doubted that he could rule doubted no longer. It was a great victory. But Saul realized that it was not anything of his doing that won them the day. He realized that it was really God who had won for them; without Him, they would have failed. Saul didn’t just sit there, basking in the glory of the moment; he gave the glory to whom it was due: God.
Lord, please give me a humble heart as well, just like Saul had at first, so that–instead of growing more prideful–I might give you the glory that you deserve. Praise the Lord for the things He has done in the past, is doing right now, and will do in the future!
13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”
As it says in verse 6, the spirit of God was in Saul at this time. As a result, God not only showed mercy (through Saul) to the Ammonites, but also showed mercy to the Israelites by causing them to win the battle. The Israelites did not win on their own, but by God’s strength. I am so grateful for the amount of mercy God has shown me in my life, and that I can know that I have the all powerful Lord of the universe on my side. I need not fear anything but him! This past week, I was totally stressing out over finals, but of course, God got me through it and it went well! I just need to trust in him always that he has the power to help me through all trials I face. And most importantly I am so thankful for the amazing grace that he shows me every day, as I deserve absolutely nothing but eternal punishment. God is so great!
MARANATHA!!!!!
1 Samuel 11
7 He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen!” Then the dread of the Lord fell upon the people, and they came out as one man.
What an awesome display of the power of God. The Lord God assembled a great army of 330,000 men who were not fighting men but slave workers. I love how the passage reads that they came out as one man. That is impossible with man but with God all things are possible. This is the power of the God that we serve and worship. I love feasting on the Word of the Old Testament because we can put our Lord into his proper perspective. I pray that we don’t let the limits of our mind and understanding limit our view of the Living God. Our God is the same yesterday in the Old Testament as He is today. God delivered Israel out from the injustice of the Ammonites just as He has delivered us his chosen people. The Lord our God is faithful to his people even after they turned their back on him. That’s True Love!
12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.”
I thought this was crazy intense, how some people were complaining and doubting Saul’s power to rule so later people proposed that they be put to death. This just contrasts when I don’t feel any qualms to complaining about authorities like my teachers and parents. I think there is actually a verse about people being put to death for disrespecting their parents, yet we do it all the time. I pray that God would help me to not get bitter or complain about the authorities in my life but rather serve in obedience and trust that God has put them there according to His perfect plan.
These men really feared the Lord! I need to have this same fear that would scare me to do righteousness and lead me to be completely devoted to God in all of my actions with a clear conscience!
Maranatha!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then the dread of the Lord fell upon the people…
When the fear of the Lord grips a group of people…it is always a good thing! I agree with many of the comments today that we need to have a higher view of God and take what he says in his Word more seriously. I am praying that we will experience this at Revival: Winter Edition next weekend. Praying for all who are taking finals this week! With Revival coming there is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel!
3 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”
In the end, God’s plan IS PERFECT! It’s truly incredible to see how he works! Saul completely give the acknowledgment that God deserves and glorifies Him! Being reminded in yesterday’s chapter of how God changes hearts whichever direction HE wants them to go in order to fulfill his flawless plan! It is totally displayed in this chapter! I am so thankful that He has His plan, and that He is faithful!
“Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.”
These little phrase reminds me of salvation. Christians make a treaty with Christ by repenting of our sins and devoting our lives over to Christ and giving up everything for Him. So if we make a treaty with God, then we must also serve Him! duhh!! i need to be better about serving the Lord and acting as a slave. I need to serve my God and worship Him because he deserves so much more! Praise the Lord<3
5 DAYS!!!!!!!!! (:
See, now, I’m not seeing that they feared the Lord so much…until they reached the end of their rope!
11:1 Then Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead, and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.”
It’s not good when we look to make alliances with the enemies of God. Fear, selfishness, ulterior motives, and all kinds of other sin motivate us to look to something else other than our good and faithful God. We need to always be fixed on Him. We could spare ourselves so much pain in keeping faithful in our trust in the Lord. This is my prayer for us.
6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words,
I always find it interesting in the Old Testament when the Holy Spirit is mentioned because I remember that the people of the old testament did not have the holy spirit with them at all times. The spirit only came upon them for a certain time for a certain purpose. I am so thankful that now because of Jesus we have been sealed with the Spirit of God, and we have him all the time. We don’t have to wait for a certain time or circumstance we he is with us all the time. He is our councilor, comforter, truth defender, he gives us wisdom and we have power to fight sin because of the Spirit. Thank you God that under the new covenant we have been given your Spirit to be with us and walk with us to guide us and help us. How truly grateful I am for that gracious gift.
“And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words”
It seems to be a theme that God is behind Saul’s leadership abilities. Was it not just last chapter that Saul was anointed King? And here he is plowing oxen again, rather than leading. But when the Spirit of God comes on him, he jumps to action and into his God-appointed role. If it weren’t for God’s Spirit, Saul could never have been the leader he was.
The same thing happens today when the Spirit of God comes on someone! They jump into His service. They pursue their God-appointed role as a Christian. We should consider it strange, even dangerous, if we think the Holy Spirit is in us and we want to live for ourselves or anything but Him. I’m excited to see the power of the Holy Spirit work itself out in my life as I give myself fully to the work of the Lord!
I liked verse 13. It reminds us how powerful Gods wrath is and how we should fear him everday until judgment day. So many people don’t know too much of Gods wrath. That where come in handy. We are the voices that echos him throughout the world. Just the simple little conversation can mean a lot to one person. Just like someone at True North talking to people at his work brought someone closer to God. I think that’s what we need more of.
5 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
We have SO much to rejoice for! God is sooo good to his people and it’s so evident in our lives. I love reading the OT and seeing God’s hand at work in every single situation. It’s going back to his promise that he’ll never leave us and we can rest in that. We just need to do our part and live a life that pleases him and he’ll honor it. It doesn’t mean that our lives will be perfect, but we’ll know that God’s gonna get us through it.
13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”
I think this verse is awesome because instead of taking revenge on them physically, he left it in the hands of the LORD, and for that I give Saul major brownie points
10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.”
We need to submitt ourselves to authorities and give our selves up to God. God is so good to us and we need to give our lives to Him. We need to obey our parents and older authority for they know whats best.
I really am enjoying samuel and enjoyed the messages that we learned over the revival.
37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!
Just as God delivered David from the Bear and Lion, He will deliver us from the roaring Lion looking for whom he can devour. God always provides us an escape from sin and wants us to take it just as David defeats Goliath in this chapter. This is something that I’m going to remember this week to give me strength in the fight against sin.
“2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
God allows us to have this craving desire to read his Word and fulfill his desires, of opposed to our flesh’s, by the Holy Spirit. Romans 3 tells us that no one can seek God, but passages like Psalm 70 suggests that people seek do indeed seek God, and this is a work of the Holy Spirit which enables us to do this awesome thing. Praise God that he has performed heart surgery on me and has given me a completely new heart that can seek God! Still there will definitely be conflicts between my flesh and Spirit and I need to seek out God and follow every inclination of the Holy Spirit working in my life.
Maranatha!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry I was on 1 Peter 2 but for some reason it commented on here?
“They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.”
This just says it all! When we disobey the word, it’s not BECAUSE we stubled but its WHY we stumbled! Just obeying the Lord’s word saves us. and thats truly all we need
thank you so much Lord for this great salvation and the law of your word!!