E-pistle for June 24, 2016
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e-pistle
FreeWay Foundation June 24, 2016
The tragic end of saul and his sons
(I Samuel 31:1-13)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. The Philistines and the Israelites fought a fierce battle on
Mount Gilboa; Saul's sons were killed, and Saul was severely
wounded, vv. 1-3.
2. Saul ordered his armor bearer to kill him, but he refused; Saul
then committed suicide, and his armor bearer also killed himself,
vv. 4-6.
3. When the Israelite troops saw that Saul and his sons were dead,
they fled; the Philistines found Saul's body and cut off his head,
which they displayed along with his armor in one of their pagan
temples; they fastened Saul's body to the wall of the city of Beth
Shan, vv. 7-10.
4. The inhabitants of the Israelite city, Jabesh Gilead, came by night;
they burned the bodies of Saul and his sons, and they buried their
bones during a 7-day period of mourning, vv. 11-13.
II. Meditation: on the consequences of Saul's sins against God
1. Saul forfeited his own life, "for the wages of sin is death,"
Romans 6:23.
2. Saul's sons also were killed, and his whole family suffered sorrow
and loss.
3. Saul's servant and many soldiers died following their wicked leader;
Israelite cities were taken, and the entire nation suffered humiliation.
4. The enemies of Israel's God celebrated the victory, giving glory and
honor to their heathen gods.
III. Revelation: on the spiritual truths seen here
1. In death, as in much of his life, Saul revealed a fatal weakness of
character; he took the easy way out (suicide), rather than bravely
facing capture, humiliation, and torture.
2. Defying Saul's direct order, the armor bearer refused to do any harm
to God's anointed king; he was "greatly afraid" because it was his
sworn duty to keep the king alive, not to kill him.
3. Wars, in addition to other events in history, always have a spiritual
impact . . . bringing either glory to the Lord or glory to Satan.
4. In spite of King Saul's sinfulness, the citizens of Jabesh Gilead
remembered his saving their city from the Ammonites in his first
military campaign (chapter 11); they risked their lives to demonstrate
their thanks and loyalty to their fallen leader.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Courageously face life and death, both of which are in the hands of
Almighty God.
2. Refuse to take any aggressive action against one of the Lord's anointed
leaders; God alone has the authority to judge and discipline them.
3. Whatever I do, "do all to the glory of God," I Corinthians 10:31.
4. Honor the office of my spiritual and governmental leaders, even though
the persons holding those offices may be dishonorable; treat them with
dignity and respect, Acts 23:1-5; Romans 13:7.
stir up the gift of god
(II Timothy 1:6-7, 11-14)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on "the gift of God" (v. 6)
1. The gift is an undeserved favor . . . a present for which man has not
worked, not a wage. (See Acts 2:38; II Timothy 1:14)
2. It is a blessing from God and "OF" God . . . meaning that the gift is
God, the Holy Spirit. (For example: "a gift of money" does not mean
that the gift is "FROM" money, but that it is money.
3. It is possible for the gift to be "stirred up" . . . encouraged, revived,
rekindled . . . implying that it is also possible for the Holy Spirit's
work within a believer to fade and become practically dormant.
4. It is possible for one Christian to bestow the filling (baptism) of the
Holy Spirit upon another believer . . . "through the laying on of my
(Paul's) hands," v. 6. or "by prophecy with the laying on of the
hands of the eldership," II Timothy 4:14.
II. Meditation: on the characteristics of God's gift (v. 7)
1. Not a spirit of fear . . . but of courage and faith.
2. Not a spirit of weakness . . . but of almighty, resurrection power.
3. Not of indifference or hatred . . . but of love for God and man.
4. Not atheistic foolishness of intellectual pride . . . but a "sound mind"
. . . one enlightened to perceive God and to understand His destined
purposes for a believer's life.
III. Revelation: on the "Blessed Assurances" of this gift of God (vv. 11-14)
1. The assurance that God has a definite purpose to accomplish through
my life, v. 11.
2. The assurance that God will sustain His saints through suffering and
persecution, v. 12.
3. The assurance of intimately and personally knowing and experiencing
God. v. 12.
4. The assurance of eternal security of the believer's soul, which Christ
is able to keep until that (judgment) day, v. 12.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Praise and thank God for His gift of Himself to me.
2. "Stir up" my spiritual life in the Holy Spirit by Bible study, prayer,
meditation, and unselfish, God-honoring service.
3. Exercise my "Holy Spirit gift" with courage, power, love, and spiritual
perception.
4. Live with the blessed assurance that God holds me and my future in
His almighty hands.
"Run when you can,
Walk if you have to,
Crawl if you must,
Just never give up."
--Dean Karnazes
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