Thought for Today: Wednesday March 15:
May your day today be filled with opportunities to love others, in ways that genuinely translate YHVH’s care for them even in the smallest ways. Thank You Adonai Yeshua, for the way You have blessed my life and shown me how to be a blessing to others. Let my heart be a continual harvest of kindness, generosity, joy and love.
SERIES J --- THE WARRIOR KING --- LESSON 12
SAUL HONOURED
DAVID LEARNS OF SAUL’S DEATH
From 2 Samuel 1
Three days after David returned from slaughtering the Amalekites, a man who had been in Saul’s army came to him. As this man approached David, he bowed low as a sign of great respect. His clothing was torn and he had dirt on his head to show that he was mourning. ‘Where have you come from?’ David asked him. ‘From the army of Israel,’ the man answered. ‘I have escape with my life.’ ‘How are things there? Tell me!’ ’The army has run away. Many have died on the battlefield, including Saul and his son Jonathan.’ ‘How do you know they are dead?’ David insisted. ‘I was there on Mount Gilboa at the time,’ the man answered. ‘I saw King Saul leaning against his spear while the Philistine chariots came closer and closer. When he saw me, he called to me. ‘Who are you?’ he asked. ‘An Amalekite,’ I answered. ‘Come here and kill me,’ Saul begged. ‘I am weak and anguished, but I am still alive.’ ‘I went to him and killed him,’ the man continued. ‘I was sure that he could not live long. See, I have brought you the crown from his head and a bracelet which he wore on one arm. They are for you, my lord.’ David tore his clothing when he heard that Saul had died. The men with him tore their clothing also, showing their grief for their fallen king. Then they all wept, mourned and fasted for Saul, his son Jonathan and the other men of Israel who had died in battle. ‘Where are you from?’ David asked the young man. ‘I am an Amalekite,’ he answered. ‘And you felt no wrong in killing YHVH’s chosen king?’ David demanded. Then David ordered a young man who was with him to kill this Amalekite. ‘Strike him down!’ he said. The young man struck him down with his sword and as he died, David said to him, ‘you have sentenced yourself to death, for by your own mouth you have said that you killed YHVH’s chosen king.’ David wrote a song which he used in mourning for Saul and Jonathan. He also commanded that this song be taught to the people of Judah; it was written into the Book of Jashur, also called the Book of the Upright.
Your people of glory, O Israel,
Lie dead upon the hills;
The mighty men have fallen.
Tell it not in Gath,
Publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
Lest the women of the Philistines rejoice,
And those heathen women offer praise.
Let no dew or rain come upon you,
O Mount Gilboa!
Let no fields of grain grow there,
For the shield of mighty Saul Was defiled in death,
And he is no longer YHVH’s chosen king.
The sword of Saul and the bow of Jonathan
Did not leave the battle without reward,
For the blood of mighty foes was spilled.
Saul and Jonathan,
Beloved and lovely,
United in life and death!
Swifter than eagles were they!
Stronger than lions!
Daughters of Israel, weep for Saul,
Who clothed you in fine scarlet
And adorned you with golden ornaments.
How these mighty men have fallen in battle!
Jonathan lies slain upon the hills!
I grieve for you, my brother Jonathan,
For you have been a dear friend to me.
Your love was wonderful,
Greater than the love of women.
Yes, the mighty have fallen,
And their weapons of war are vanquished.
COMMENTARY
WATER FOR THE LAND
In the dry, sun-baked lands of the ancient Middle East water was a symbol of life itself. Where it was abundant, the earth bloomed and men and animals thrived. Where it was lacking, people, herds and fields died. This dependence on water forced ancient man to settle wherever he could find a natural water supply. In Mesopotamia the first great cities grew up on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, while in Egypt human civilization developed along the course of the Nile. But gradually people learned to store and direct water for their own purposes. A great network of dikes and canals made it possible for the Assyrians to break their ties to the river banks and extend their settlements inland. But Palestine had no major river to flood the land, and the country was too rough and rocky for the building of a system of canals. The people of this land were dependent upon natural springs, dew and rain for their supply of water. The earliest settlements in Palestine were built near underground springs whose water emerged on the surface. Eventually the people learned to tap these underground springs even where they remained hidden below ground. By digging deep wells, they found a valuable supply of water for their fields and flocks. In other areas well water was scarce, and people were forced to rely on water collection systems. During the winter months they caught rain water in man-made cisterns lined with a water-tight coat of plaster. During a year of plentiful rain enough water could be stored to last through the dry summer months. Most large cities depended on a system that used one or more of these sources of water. Many homes drew from their own cisterns in addition to the public one. Public pools were also dug inside the city walls. A few of the best-fortified cities even dug underground tunnels to reach outside springs during times of battle.
“Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God:
depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.”
Ps 139
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This is a book I wrote this past year, I hope it would be a blessing to this community. Please share.
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Q82: Who was the first prophet in the Bible?
#quiz
PS: Discussions are very welcome, but please do not give the answer away in your discussions.
Deuteronomy 18
https://tube.ttn.place/watch/8Rh82w3tsmpGaSS
Join me for a free training on Monday, March 20 at 7 PM Eastern! Let's learn how to use the Bible to teach ANY subject! Gain a firm foundation for a quality education, with ideas on how to fix any difficult spots in your home school before this school year ends. Attend and get my NEW study guide, "Use the Bible to Teach Any Subject."
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We all have strengths and weaknesses. Nobody is the best at everything and nobody is the worst at everything. We need to support each other to make up for our weaknesses and we need to focus on our strengths to be the best we were created to be.
A lesson on Proverbs 30:24-31.
https://rumble.com/vfyltl-of-m....ice-men-ants-and-lio
SERIES J --- THE WARRIOR KING --- LESSON 11
SAUL’S DEATH
THE DEATH OF KING SAUL
From 1 Samuel 31; 2 Samuel 4:4; 1 Chronicles 10
The time of battle came and the Philistine army closed in on the army of Israel. The Israelites were terrified and fled from the Philistines, for they were being slaughtered in great numbers on Mount Gilboa. When the Philistines recognized Saul and his sons, they caught up with them and killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinidab and Malchishua. The archers pursued Saul and wounded him badly. ‘Draw your sword and kill me,’ Saul ordered his armour bearer. ‘If you do not, these ungodly Philistines will capture me and torture me to death.’ But the armour bearer could not kill Saul, for the thought of killing his king went against him. Saul then took his own sword and fell upon it so that it pierced through him. When the armour bearer realized that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died. Saul died that day with his three sons, his armour bearer and many of his soldiers. As soon as the Israelites at the other end of the valley and those across the Jordan River heard that the army had run away and that King Saul and his sons were dead, they fled from their cities and the Philistines came and occupied them. When morning came, the Philistines went out to the battlefield to strip the dead of their valuables. They found Saul and his three sons dead on Mount Gilboa. They cut off his head, took off his armour and sent messages to report his death throughout their land, especially in their temples. They put his armour in the temple of Ashtaroth and fastened his body to the wall at Beth-Shan. When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what had happened, some of their brave warriors went by night and took the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-Shan, brought them to Jabesh and burned them there. Then they buried their bones under a tree at Jabesh and fasted for seven days. Saul died because of his disobedience to Adonai and because he looked for direction from a medium instead of from Adonai. That is why Adonai let him be killed and gave his kingdom to David the son of Jesse. The news of the death of Saul and Jonathan soon reached the capital from Jezreel. When the nurse who took care of Jonathan’s five-year-old son Mephibosheth heard what had happened, she grabbed the child and ran away. In her haste she stumbled and fell, dropping the child. Mephibosheth became a permanent cripple because of this accident.
COMMENTARY
BETH-SHAN AND THE TEMPLE OF ASHTAROTH
More than three thousand years before Moshiach, the first settlers were attracted to the site of Beth-Shan by its location and rich natural resources. Situated at a major crossroads on the eastern edge of the Jezreel valley, it controlled the entrance to the fertile northern lowlands. The rich soil and plentiful water supported the city’s rapidly growing population. The original mud-brick village was soon replaced by a larger city of stone. As generation followed generation, Beth-Shan was rebuilt many times. Today its history is preserved by eighteen layers of rubble that stand more than thirty stories high. Archaeologists have uncovered impressive ruins from the years of Beth-Shan’s Egyptian domination. The remains of earlier generations are dwarfed by the huge city wall and the large temple district built by the Egyptian pharaohs. During the reign of Ramses III [1198-1166 B.C.], a double-temple complex was erected in the city’s sacred district. Long after Egyptian power had been replaced by Philistine control, the twin temples continued in use. They still dominated the city’s high point when King Saul’s reign came to its tragic end. The Philistines dedicated the southern half of the double-temple complex to Dagon, their grain god. His shrine was connected to the northern half, which was dedicated to Ashtaroth, the goddess of fertility. Ashtaroth’s worshipers offered sacrifices to the goddess in vessels adorned with sacred doves and snakes. After Saul’s death on the battlefield of Gilboa, the Philistines placed the king’s weapons among these sacred vessels as a triumphant offering to Ashtaroth.
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