Beloved God’s children in Christ,
The children of Israel requested to appoint a king to them like other nations. Because of that, God made Saul as a king over Israel. Saul was very humble before he was appointed as a king. Even after he was appointed as a king, while children of Belial despised him, he ignored it and held it in peace. This is a good characteristic of him. He is anointed by God over the inheritance of God’s children. In the beginning God brought deliverance to the children of Israel through Saul. After one year of ruling, Saul acts proud in God’s ordains. He rejected the counsel of the man of God. He fulfilled the commandments of God not fully but partially, yet wanted to have praise and acknowledgement. David was also anointed by God over the inheritance of God’s children as a leader. He also anointed as per order like Saul. But he didn’t turn into pride from his humbleness. He stayed humble before the Lord throughout his life.
These days in churches, many follow Saul. While continuing authority, humbleness flees away. Good counselors like Samuel are being despised. “I should please God by anyway” is the only desire in the beginning. But now they are thinking to satisfy themselves and the people around them. The primary purpose of the election of Saul is to deliver his people from the hands of primary enemies like the Philistines and Amalekites and help them to live peacefully. In the beginning Saul did these things, but later spent forty years considering his own people as enemies and stopping them from growing and trying to destroy them. Other enemies strengthened, but God’s people weakened. People in high ranks are acting vigorously in opposing and humiliating God’s children like David, instead of opposing the real enemy Satan and his deeds. How pathetic is this! The real enemy is laughing loudly. Even today we see the hands of Saul in the spiritual realm which is driving David away. For them anyone can come up but not David. No one should praise David. That’s primary aim for them. Saul is even ready to kill the people who praise and love David. Even if it’s a priest who wears ephod. How daring! He killed innocent priests who were dedicated to God. But David supported and honoured priests. David conquered Philistines. He always focused on destroying the enemies of God’s children. After Saul became a king, the people around him and enjoyed the benefits of the power are from his tribe. He used to ask them repeatedly,”Sons of Benjamin, will you enjoy these privileges if David becomes king?”.When David became king, the people with him were the people who suffered with him and who proved themselves with mighty deeds. The leader should not desire to have his relatives around them. Relatives must be eligible to stand there. David said on that day, “Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites, he shall be chief and captain.”Because of this his relative Joab becomes the captain. People around David are wise and valiant. People around Saul are valuable relatives who are not able to save Saul and Israel. The water Jug and the part of his garment was lost because of them. The people around Saul got into deep sleep. Leader needs people around them who are watchful. These people not work for power or money, but they sacrifice their life and work because they love the Lord. Keep Not having proven and good people around the leaders and having self supporters is one of the important reasons for not growing. When we say leaders, it includes all leaders. This includes church pastors. Though Saul reigned for many years, he never thought of building a temple to God nor he gathered things for it.
He wasted all his life to blame and destroy the man who was elected by God. Immediately after David came to power, he established the Ark of Covenant in its place. Very much willing to build a temple for God. Though he didn’t get the permission to build the temple, he acquired materials for building the temple. He dedicated his best to God. The focus of the leaders should be on building the church and related activities. Fines of the possessions are not to keep for himself but to be given to God. Many today have the three pronged fork which sons of Eli had and by using it, they choose the best part for themselves. They think “ Who will enquire about our wrong doings?”. Even no one asks, God is looking from above, how God’s money is spent lavishly for personal welfare. Many don’t have this knowledge. In the beginning they suffer in ministries. Once the ministry is grown, they start living luxurious lives reasoning about their past sufferings. They wanted to live a life which is not given by God. Saul wanted sacrifice from spoil. But David didn’t want to sacrifice free, but paid for it. Saul reigned for forty years. David also reigned for forty years. In the period of Saul many times Israelites are weak to stand before their enemies. But David had full power over his enemies throughout his reign. How many years we were in position is not important, but how we lived in those times is important. Today many are focusing on how many years. Even if in position for a year, we must be able to say “I did the will of God”. When there is plague or suffering over people, David didn’t put lot like Saul but said.”I am the sinner, these sheeps are harmless”,and pleaded for mercy from God.
God brought His people from Egypt to worship Him. Till the days of judges proper worship was not conducted. Even after Saul becomes a king, no step is taken to establish a proper worship. But when David became king, he made many instruments and trained many people to play them and sing to praise and worship God. He himself wrote many spiritual Psalms. In the days of adversaries, Saul didn’t humble him and not seek God, but searched for seers. But David sought God’s counsel and succeeded in all troubles. The end of saul is suicide, pity! About David it’s written, “after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; Acts 13 : 36. Even today spiritual warfare is going on in the spiritual realm. This will continue till the return of our Lord. But as mentioned in the Bible “Spiritual people (Family of David) become stronger and stronger. People of flesh (Family of Saul) will grow weaker and weaker(2 sam 3:1).Even today the child born of flesh persecutes the child born of spirit.
Let people like David flourish in church. May the hands of Saul who drive away David grow weaker. Today’s fight is, Saul or David?.
