'Do I Hear Trumpets?'
'The Lamp of God Went Out in the Temple of the Lord'
"El Shaddai" The All Sufficient One
(Please be patient with the downloading of the image. It is a photograph and well worth the wait.)
It is often hard to distinguish who's who with identical twins. At first glance, we may even think we are seeing double. Then, through observing their behaviors, we realize they are in fact two entirely different people. They look alike, dress alike, sound alike; however, they may have distinct totally opposite personalities.
In our walk of life we can become extremely judgmental when we look at other people. Judging them by how they appear. Stereotyping by what they look like, where they live, how they speak, and even the color of their skin rather than who they truly are.
"Looks can be deceiving. You can't tell a book by it's cover." This is so true when it comes to people. They may look pleasant and sound appealing but they are not always what they appear to be on the surface. What looks pleasant and sounds appealing can often leave a bad taste in our mouth. In the end it can make our lips groan and our stomach totally unsettled. When we focus on the superficial aspects of human characteristics we fail to see what lies beneath the surface.
For three-hundred, fifty years Israel had been ruled by judges and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Giving no thought to the warnings of Moses and Joshua by the mouth of God, they transgressed and fell. Because of this God brought the nations that He had cast out before them to correct the error of their ways. Israel's focus now moved from the glory and strength of God to the glory and strength of the nations surrounding them. The glory and strength which they believed came from the king who commanded those nations.
God used these nations to test Israel and what they saw was a glorious king who commanded an army attired in battle array. They moved through their nation defeating them giving praise and adoration to their king and their gods. They became subject to the authority of those nations and began to question the authority of their God and King. Forsaking their God, they became focused on Samuel and his frailty.
Now the sons of Israel came to Samuel and told him that there were too many of them for him to judge. Pointing out that he was old and unable to control his own sons, they said, "We desire a king like all the other nations have a king." This displeased Samuel very much; however, in his distress he prayed to the Lord and made their request before Him.
*I Samuel 8:7 -18, "and the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king. And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day. Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles."
In the year 2980 Israel made a decision that altered the ruler ship of their nation. In their rejection of God they became vain in their own imaginations. Their foolish heart darkened, they exchanged the glory of an incorruptible God for the presence of a corruptible man. God sent Saul, a Benjamite, to Samuel and instructed Samuel to anoint him as king over Israel. When the people of Israel looked upon Saul and saw that he was taller than them all and of a handsome appearance they gladly accepted him as their king. So the trumpet was sounded throughout the land. Israel had a king just like the kings of the nations around them.
For forty years Saul reigned over the nation of Israel. He did not listen to the voice of Samuel nor obey the commandments of God. Because of this God allowed him to be afflicted by a spirit of melancholy, a thorn in his flesh. It moved him to jealousy, hatred, and fear causing him to make unwise decisions. Decisions that eventually divided his kingdom.
Seeking solace, he requested that his men find a minstrel who could soothe the spirit that oppressed him. A shepherd by the name of David, who had defeated the champion of Gath, was brought to him. Through his oppression and fear Saul began to focus his anger toward David, who he believed Israel desired as king in his place. Rather than pursuing the nations that afflicted them his only thought was to destroy David.
After the death of Samuel, Saul became distraught. Believing he had no one to turn to, he disguised himself and counseled with a witch with the intention of speaking to Samuel. Rather than repenting and seeking the wisdom of God he chose the counsel of a mediator. Saul's decisions led not only to his destruction but the death of his sons and the disposition of his kingdom.
In our walk of life we often choose to view people superficially. Judging them by what we see, how they look, rather than who they are. We fail to see those characteristics that reveal their true nature.
When Samuel looked for Saul to announce his choice as king the men found him hiding, cowering in a corner. An unlikely place for a bold, brave king who would judge the nation of Israel or lead them into victory. Nevertheless, Israel looked upon his appearance and gladly shouted, "God save the king." They had quickly forgotten their God and King Who had brought them out of the house of bondage into a land flowing with milk and honey. A God Who had provided them with everything they had need of. A God Who had gone before them and destroyed all their enemies. A God Who had fulfilled every promise that He had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
We as children never fully comprehend all that our parents provide for us until we become parents ourselves. We do not see the bills that are paid or the struggle they go through to provide for our food, our clothing, or our shelter. As far as humanly possible they try to shield us from any dangers that threaten our lives. They are our comfort when we are faced with disappointments and despair. They are our counselors when we need advice. In essence, they are the leaves of the book of our life from conception to adulthood and even beyond that until their death. But if our earthly father gives us good things how much more will our Father in heaven provide for those things which we need?
There is a God in heaven Who sees far beyond what our eyes can see. He knows the beginning and the end of all things. When we focus on God what we see in Him is truth. What we read of Him will and already has been done. He is an all sufficient God Who provides for our every need before we ask.
When you allow Him to be Lord and King over your life and set your focus on His qualities all things are pleasant and appealing. He can bring you through any trial that may come your way. He is your conquering hero when you are faced with an enemy that may seem like a giant. He is there with outstretched arms waiting for you to run to when you need a place of comfort. His wisdom and understanding are beyond what your mind can conceive. He is a rock that can never be moved Who has promised to be with you for all eternity.
P Throughout the course of history man's judgments have been based on the appearance of others and the way they speak. Arousing fear and animosity that have spawned prejudice, slavery, and wars. Since the days of Adam man has been exercising judgment over man, something that God never gave him the authority to do.
*February 12, 2006