Bible In One Year-Day 106 (Wednesday, April 16, 2014)

Commentary: 1 Sam7-9. 2 Corinthians 6:14 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” Ignorance of God’s sovereignty is no excuse for room mating Him with darkness, the result is what we see in chapter5; the BATTLE BETWEEN GODS. In the first place, the Ark was captured because of sin. Sin is a banner of defeat which should not be seen in the hand of any child of God. Though the hand of the living God troubled those who captured the Ark until they returned it, the Israelites did not have peace either on receiving it;

1 Samuel 7:2 “And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.”

It was as if God had abandoned them. Samuel stood up to carry out his first recorded ministry to the Israelites in verse3 to tell them why their situation was like that; they had other gods with them, Isaiah59:1-3. Samuel preached repentance and restoration to them in Mizpah before praying. The message of Samuel was repent, forsake and ye shall be restored. The Philistines went beyond their bounds by trying to ridicule God through the capture of the Ark, they paid dearly for it. This is true for any repentant sinner; if you allow the Spirit of God inside of you, fully (i.e. under His control), no spiritual prison can hold you. Paul and Silas couldn’t be held captive for long in the prison, Peter received angelic deliverance. The Philistines had no option, but to return the Ark with trespass offering. The Egyptians paid back the unpaid labor to the Israelites as they were living Egypt. When the finger of God starts fighting for a child of God, his deliverance brings results beyond bargain;

Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”

Unfortunately, what happened to Eli was about to happen to Samuel; his sons behaved just like the sons of Eli. That is, there are similarities between Eli and Samuel concerning family issues. At old age their children were perverted, rebellious and treacherous in the things of God. God rejected Eli because of his children’s misdirected ways while the people rejected Samuel for the same reason. Samuel’s children were perverted in justice but, probably, still respected God’s tabernacle unlike Eli’s children who defiled the Tabernacle, 1Sam2:22. Samuel was a busy man, going from city to city judging right and building altars for God, 1Sam7:15-18. Eli was conscious of his children’s perversion; God told him about it but never took any step to correct it. COMPLACENCY was the real problem of Eli and we could see this even when he asked Samuel what God said, his reaction was an “I don’t care” attitude, 1Sam3:18; unlike Samuel who went to meet the Lord when he had about his children attitudes. The rebellion and the attitude of his sons made the Israelites to demand for a king to judge them. Their request was granted in chapter9. Just like Gideon who thought he was unfit for favor, God made Saul the desire of Israel. Saul was looking for the father’s lost donkey, but by the time he left Samuel’s place, he was the one they were looking for. Power changed hands instantly. Saul’s legs were in agreement with his destiny, they carried him to where God had left His words;

1 Samuel 9:17 “And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.”

According to verse16, logically, the Donkey was lost but the activation code for Saul’s destiny (or password to open his destiny) was what was in Samuel’s hand.

May you be divinely connected in the name of Jesus. What are these passwords and activation codes? Let’s go to the next reading 1Sam10-12. Keep the fire burning and alive. GOD IS GREAT, Isaiah 40:29 “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.”