Shabbat Shalom Tribe of the Most High!

My wife bought me this magnificent mug!

I shall call him Mr. Muggly. ☕️

#goodmorning #shabbatshalom

SERIES I --- THE NATION UNITES --- LESSON 13

SAUL’S FAILURE

SOUND THE ALARM THROUGH ALL THE LAND

From 1 Samuel 13

In the second year of his reign, Saul chose three thousand of his men to fight the Philistines. Two thousand went with Saul to Michmash and the hill country near Bethel, while a thousand stayed with Jonathan, Saul’s son, at Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. The others who had been with Saul and Jonathan were sent home. On one occasion, Jonathan attacked the Philistine garrison at Geba and completely destroyed it. The Philistines were furious, so Saul had trumpets blown to sound the alarm through all the land of Israel. ‘Let all our people know about Geba!’ Saul proclaimed. The news spread throughout Israel that Saul’s forces had destroyed the Philistine garrison at Geba and had brought the wrath of the Philistines upon them. The men of Israel were summoned to leave home and join Saul at Gilgal. As the Israelites expected, the Philistines called their men to arms, assembling thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen and troops too numerous to count. This vast Philistine army gathered at Michmash, east of Beth-aven. When the Israelites saw this great army gathering, they were filled with fear and ran away, hiding in caves, thickets, cisterns and among the rocks. Some waded across the Jordan River, hiding in the territory of Gad and Gilead. But Saul stayed at Gilgal, along with his faithful followers, who trembled when they thought about the Philistine hordes. For seven days Saul waited there for Samuel to come, as he had said that he would. As time passed, more and more of Saul’s men ran away in fear. At last, Saul made plans that he, not Samuel would offer the burnt offering. ‘Bring the burnt offering and the peace offerings here to me,’ Saul ordered. Saul had just finished making these offerings when Samuel came. Saul hurried to meet Samuel, hoping that Samuel would approve of his offerings. ‘What have you done?’ Samuel demanded. ‘The people were running away!’ Saul argued. ‘The Philistines were gathering at Michmash and you didn’t come, so I had to make the offering myself.’ ‘You have been very foolish!’ Samuel said. ‘You have not done what YHVH Commanded you to do. If you had, YHVH would have appointed you and your heirs as kings over Israel forever. But now He will take away your right to rule and give it to a man He has already chosen, a man who will obey Him. He will do this because you have not followed His Commands.’ After Samuel told Saul this, he went to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. When Samuel was gone, Saul counted the men who had remained with him. There were only six hundred! But Saul set up camp with these men and his son Jonathan, at Geba in the land of Benjamin, while the Philistines kept their camp at Michmash. From the Philistine camp three bands of raiders left; one toward Beth-horon, another toward Ophrah in the land of Shual and the third toward the border overlooking the Zeboim Valley toward the desert. In those days there was no blacksmith in all Israel, for the Philistines would not permit any, lest an Israelite blacksmith make swords and spears for his people. The Israelites had to take their ploughshares, mattocks, axes or sickles to the Philistines to have them sharpened. The charge for sharpening a ploughshare or mattock was a pim, worth about twenty to sixty cents, while the charge for sharpening an ox goad, axe or sickle was a third of a shekel, worth about ten to thirty cents. It happened that the Israelites were caught without a sword or spear when the Philistines gathered for battle. Saul and Jonathan were the only Israelites who had iron weapons. In addition, the mountain pass near Michmash was held by the army of the Philistines.

COMMENTARY

WEAPONS OF IRON AND BRONZE

Smiths of the ancient world had experimented with iron hundreds of years before Saul’s time. Working with iron was difficult and different from any other metal. Both copper and tin could be melted and cast into moulds and bronze was a mixture of the two. But metalworkers of that time could not build fires hot enough to melt iron. It merely softened to a red-hot mass and had to be hammered into shape. By Saul’s time, smiths had discovered that heating iron many times and cooling it in warm water each time made the metal much stronger. The Philistines were the first to bring this new process to Canaan, but were careful to keep it a secret. The bronze swords and spears of the Israelites were a poor match against iron daggers, arrowheads and chariots. This imbalance helped keep them under Philistine control. Not until David defeated the Philistines did the Israelites begin to make iron weapons for themselves.

Why do the wicked prosper and cheaters win? Jeremiah believed in God's promises despite the evidence. Sometimes bad people triumph for a time because God is using them for a greater good or because God wants to make an example of them. God lets them win temporarily for His own purpose. Everyone eventually gets what he deserves. Their end is always bad even if we don't witness it.
Jeremiah 12, 17:9

Psalm 2:10—11, “Therefore be wise, O kings; be admonished, O judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” These words need to be remembered by every political world leader. They have all forgotten to be wise and they no longer fear our Creator.

It is commanded for us to set apart (or make "holy") the Sabbath, and one of the best ways I can think to do that is to read my Bible. In other words, worship on Sabbath starts with listening to the voice of His Words. What are you planning to read today? https://archive.aweber.com/new....sletter/awlist642586

Thought for Today: Shabbat March 04:

Have you ever asked yourself why it is so hard to apologise? One of the reasons is pride: We hate to admit when we are wrong. But Scripture says that pride is sin. [I hate pride and arrogance] – Proverbs 8:13. So, if apologizing is difficult for you, ask YHVH to help you overcome pride – or whatever else is holding you back. Seek out those who you may have hurt and say very simply {I am sorry}. The more you do this, the easier it gets to apologise.

SERIES I --- THE NATION UNITES --- LESSON 12

SAMUEL’S FAREWELL

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM A WISE OLD MAN

From 1 Samuel 12

In his last address to the people of Israel, Samuel reminded them of their responsibilities to Adonai. ‘Listen to me! I have given you a king, as you wanted,’ said Samuel. ‘I have chosen him instead of my own sons to rule over you, even though I have served you faithfully from the time I was a lad until now when I am old and gray. ‘As I stand before your king and Adonai, testify against me if I have wronged you. Have I ever stolen an ox or donkey from any of you? Have I ever cheated or oppressed you or taken a bribe from any of you? Speak up! If I have, I will make it right with you.’ ‘You have never cheated or oppressed us,’ the people answered. ‘You have never taken a bribe from any of us.’ ‘Then Adonai and His king are my witnesses that you have found no wrong in me,’ Samuel told his people. ‘Let it be so!’ the people agreed. ‘Adonai Himself appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors from Egypt,’ Samuel reminded the people. ‘Now stand reverently here before Adonai as I tell you again of the wonders of Adonai which He has done for you and your ancestors. When the Egyptians oppressed Jacob’s descendants in Egypt, these people, who were your ancestors, cried to Adonai for help and He sent Moses and Aaron who led them from Egypt to this homeland. But they forgot Adonai, so He gave them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the armies of King Jabin of Hazor and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them. Then your ancestors cried to Adonai and confessed their sin. We have turned against You, they said and served the Baal and Ashtaroth gods. Save us from our enemies and we will serve You. Adonai sent Gideon, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel to rescue you and you have lived safely because of them. When King Nahash of the Ammonites became a threat, you said, we must have a king, even though Adonai was already your King. Here is the king you wanted, whom YHVH has given to you. If you and your king will listen to Adonai and serve Him and will not rebel against Him, then all will be well with you. But if you rebel against Adonai and refuse to listen to Him, then Adonai will be against you and your king. Now watch carefully as Adonai sends a great miracle for you to see. This is the season of the wheat harvest, a time of the year when it does not rain. But when I call on Adonai, He will send thunder and rain to show you what a great evil you have done when you asked for a king. When Samuel prayed, Adonai sent thunder and rain and the people feared both Adonai and Samuel. Pray to Adonai for us, so that we will not die, the people cried. We have sinned because we asked for a king and have added this sin to all our others. You must not be afraid; Samuel told his people. Although you have sinned, you may still please Adonai. Worship Him with all your heart and stay away from worthless idols which will do nothing for you. Adonai will not forsake His people and bring shame to His own Name, for Adonai chose you as His people because He wanted to. I will never stop praying for you, for that would be a sin against Adonai; I will continue to teach you what is good and right. With all your heart, honour Adonai and serve Him faithfully and think about the wonderful things He has done for you. However, if you still continue to sin, you and your king will be set aside.’”

COMMENTARY

RAIN

Samuel as judge, had brought justice to Israel as well as spiritual leadership. Now Israel had a king, so Samuel retired from his judgeship. In Samuel’s farewell, he urged the people to obey Adonai, as the record showed that he had done. Their desire for a human king had been a rejection of YHVH as King. Yet if they served Adonai faithfully in the future, Samuel told them, He would bless them. Few things were more important to the people of Canaan than rainfall. They did not think of the year as having four seasons. Instead, the year passed in cycles of rain and drought, the rainy season and the dry season. Harvest time was during the summer. But those five months passed without rain. The soil became parched and barren. Streams trickled dry and village wells ran dangerously low. As the harvest season came to an end, brief showers restored life and activity to the land and the thunderstorms of October and November broke the summer drought. These {early rains} softened the sun-baked fields. Only then could farmers plough and plant the first grain crops. If the showers were late, the growing season would be short and yield a small harvest. The heaviest rainfall came during December and January. Often these storms were so intense and fast that the water ran off before the ground could absorb it. As it turned hot, the rainfall began to decline. March and April showers were called {later rains} because they were the last of the year. Heavy rainfall promised full harvests, but if the rains were slight the crops might wither before they had ripened. After years of such farming and waiting on the rains, the Israelites were familiar with every small change or shift of the seasons. Few events would startle them as much as a thunderstorm in the middle of the dry harvest season.