Thursday Devo
Scripture:
1 Samuel 14:47–52
47 Now when Saul had secured his grasp on Israel’s throne, he fought against his enemies in every direction—against Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. And wherever he turned, he was victorious.[a] 48 He performed great deeds and conquered the Amalekites, saving Israel from all those who had plundered them.
49 Saul’s sons included Jonathan, Ishbosheth,[b] and Malkishua. He also had two daughters: Merab, who was older, and Michal. 50 Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. The commander of Saul’s army was Abner, the son of Saul’s uncle Ner. 51 Saul’s father, Kish, and Abner’s father, Ner, were both sons of Abiel.
52 The Israelites fought constantly with the Philistines throughout Saul’s lifetime. So whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army.
47 Now when Saul had secured his grasp on Israel’s throne, he fought against his enemies in every direction—against Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. And wherever he turned, he was victorious.[a] 48 He performed great deeds and conquered the Amalekites, saving Israel from all those who had plundered them.
49 Saul’s sons included Jonathan, Ishbosheth,[b] and Malkishua. He also had two daughters: Merab, who was older, and Michal. 50 Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. The commander of Saul’s army was Abner, the son of Saul’s uncle Ner. 51 Saul’s father, Kish, and Abner’s father, Ner, were both sons of Abiel.
52 The Israelites fought constantly with the Philistines throughout Saul’s lifetime. So whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army.
Commentary:
This short summary indicates that much more could have been written about the reign of Saul, and that the incidents related in detail have been selected with a purpose. A similar summary of David’s reign is given in 2 Samuel 8.
47–48. When Saul had taken the kingship is an unusual turn of phrase, marking the fact that there had been internal opposition to overcome (1 Sam. 10:27), while simultaneously he was engaged in defeating surrounding peoples, uneasy at Israel’s new status as a kingdom. Moab had not previously been mentioned, but the Ammonite threat had played an important part in Saul’s acceptance as king (1 Sam. 11:12–15). Edom, south of Moab, completes the campaigns to the east and south-east, while Zobah was a region to the north-east, north of Damascus. The Philistines to the west had played a central part in the story. This total list of campaigns, however, puts Saul in a new light. Israel’s king had won the allegiance of his men to the extent that they had followed him and fought off enemies far and near. Never before had Israel got the better of such a succession of potential invaders, and Saul did valiantly, winning high esteem. He was yet to undertake war against the Amalekites, at the express orders of Samuel. He … delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them sums up the satisfaction felt by many, no doubt, who had hoped for just such security when they agitated for a king. Saul became their ‘beloved captain’.
49–51. The names of Saul’s sons appear again in 1 Samuel 31:2 (and 1 Chr. 10:2) as Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua (cf. also 1 Chr. 8:33; 9:39, where the order is changed and Eshbaal is added). Ishvi and Eshbaal (or Ishbosheth, 2 Sam. 2–4) may be alternative forms of the same name, the former, a corruption of Ishiah, ‘the Lord’s man’, avoiding the ambiguous word ‘baal’ (which meant ‘lord’, but was also a male Canaanite deity). Saul’s daughters come into the story of David (1 Sam. 18:17–19), but his wife and father-in-law are not otherwise mentioned. It is interesting to discover that Saul’s general, Abner, was his cousin. The simplicity of Saul’s family life is in marked contrast with that of David, and even more so with that of Solomon.
Joyce G. Baldwin, 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 8, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 119–20.
47–48. When Saul had taken the kingship is an unusual turn of phrase, marking the fact that there had been internal opposition to overcome (1 Sam. 10:27), while simultaneously he was engaged in defeating surrounding peoples, uneasy at Israel’s new status as a kingdom. Moab had not previously been mentioned, but the Ammonite threat had played an important part in Saul’s acceptance as king (1 Sam. 11:12–15). Edom, south of Moab, completes the campaigns to the east and south-east, while Zobah was a region to the north-east, north of Damascus. The Philistines to the west had played a central part in the story. This total list of campaigns, however, puts Saul in a new light. Israel’s king had won the allegiance of his men to the extent that they had followed him and fought off enemies far and near. Never before had Israel got the better of such a succession of potential invaders, and Saul did valiantly, winning high esteem. He was yet to undertake war against the Amalekites, at the express orders of Samuel. He … delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them sums up the satisfaction felt by many, no doubt, who had hoped for just such security when they agitated for a king. Saul became their ‘beloved captain’.
49–51. The names of Saul’s sons appear again in 1 Samuel 31:2 (and 1 Chr. 10:2) as Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua (cf. also 1 Chr. 8:33; 9:39, where the order is changed and Eshbaal is added). Ishvi and Eshbaal (or Ishbosheth, 2 Sam. 2–4) may be alternative forms of the same name, the former, a corruption of Ishiah, ‘the Lord’s man’, avoiding the ambiguous word ‘baal’ (which meant ‘lord’, but was also a male Canaanite deity). Saul’s daughters come into the story of David (1 Sam. 18:17–19), but his wife and father-in-law are not otherwise mentioned. It is interesting to discover that Saul’s general, Abner, was his cousin. The simplicity of Saul’s family life is in marked contrast with that of David, and even more so with that of Solomon.
Joyce G. Baldwin, 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 8, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 119–20.
Questions:
The final verses of 1 Samuel 14 give us a summary of Saul's reign. He fought against Israel's enemies, won battles, conquered nations, and built a strong military. His accomplishments were impressive. From the outside, Saul looked like a successful king, but after everything we've read about his choices, his disobedience, and his growing pride, we know there was much more going on beneath the surface.
Brandon compared Saul's life to a tree that looks healthy on the outside but is slowly rotting within. The branches are full, the leaves are green, and everything appears fine, but the inside of the tree is decaying. Eventually, the damage becomes impossible to ignore. We can build a life that looks good from the outside while neglecting the most important part of it. You can work hard, take care of your family, meet your responsibilities, serve at church, and stay busy with good things. People may even look at your life and think you're doing great. But underneath all that activity, your relationship with Jesus may be getting less and less attention.
Saul's life is a warning about what happens when outward accomplishments become more important than the condition of the heart. He had military victories and a growing kingdom, but he repeatedly ignored God's Word. He was building his reputation while neglecting his relationship with the One he was supposed to serve.
Jesus asked a question in Mark 8 that puts our priorities into perspective. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world but lose their soul? We spend so much of our lives working toward things we can see and measure. We want to succeed at work, provide for our families, reach goals, and make something of ourselves. Those responsibilities can be good, but they can never take the place of knowing and following Jesus. One day, our accomplishments and recognition will be gone. What will remain is what we did with the life God gave us and whether we lived for His Kingdom.
Brandon compared Saul's life to a tree that looks healthy on the outside but is slowly rotting within. The branches are full, the leaves are green, and everything appears fine, but the inside of the tree is decaying. Eventually, the damage becomes impossible to ignore. We can build a life that looks good from the outside while neglecting the most important part of it. You can work hard, take care of your family, meet your responsibilities, serve at church, and stay busy with good things. People may even look at your life and think you're doing great. But underneath all that activity, your relationship with Jesus may be getting less and less attention.
Saul's life is a warning about what happens when outward accomplishments become more important than the condition of the heart. He had military victories and a growing kingdom, but he repeatedly ignored God's Word. He was building his reputation while neglecting his relationship with the One he was supposed to serve.
Jesus asked a question in Mark 8 that puts our priorities into perspective. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world but lose their soul? We spend so much of our lives working toward things we can see and measure. We want to succeed at work, provide for our families, reach goals, and make something of ourselves. Those responsibilities can be good, but they can never take the place of knowing and following Jesus. One day, our accomplishments and recognition will be gone. What will remain is what we did with the life God gave us and whether we lived for His Kingdom.
- Look at the past week. Where did most of your time and energy go? What did you make room for even when your schedule was full, and what kept getting pushed aside? What does that tell you about the place Jesus currently has in your daily life?
- Saul had plenty of accomplishments, but his heart was moving away from God. Are there areas where you're measuring how well life is going by what you've achieved, how much you've gotten done, or what others think of you? Have those things become more important to you than growing in your relationship with Jesus?
- What is one change you need to make so your relationship with Jesus receives more than whatever time and attention you have left? Be specific about something you need to add, remove, or rearrange. Start making that change today.
Prayer Topics:
- Ask God to show you where busyness, achievement, or recognition have taken priority over your relationship with Him.
- Confess the ways you've been maintaining the appearance of a healthy spiritual life while neglecting your heart.
- Thank Jesus for reminding us that our lives are worth far more than anything we could gain in this world.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help you order your time and priorities around knowing Jesus and living for His Kingdom.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
1. Who is Jesus? I believe Jesus is God because Jesus said He is God and proved it by rising from the dead and appearing to His disciples, His brother James, 500 others at one time, and Paul.
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
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