Loyalty, honor and kindness are characteristics that come from someone who has been miraculously set free. These individuals have an appreciation for what was done for them. They seem to live in Holy remembrance and deep gratitude, like most, they want to live in peace, enjoying personal rights and liberty. However, we find ourselves in a hostile encounter with a dark opposing force. This attacker wants to foster shame and steal our desire for peace and prosperity. Our archenemy wants us to believe that we don't have a deliverer so that we'll simply give in and resign ourselves to the powers at be.
I've been profoundly touched by the narrative in 1 Samuel Chapter 11:1-11. This compelling story gives us a framework for hope. Wickedness doesn't have rules in fact it seems to initiate a violent hatred towards the people of God. Human rights, human dignity and human worth was being challenged by king Nahash's brutality. In fact, Nahash's name means snake. However, we witness the men of Jabesh (which means dry) making an agreement with this wicked King. There is a spiritual principle that we all must learn here, and that is, when we are spiritually dry we should never make any kind of negotiations with the our adversary.
Decisions made from the place of His presence are what build hope and freedom, decisions from the place of fear only end in humiliation and the loss of vision.
Our opponent wants to bring disgrace upon us and rob us of our sense of destiny, we must trust that the Lord will bring a solution to our dilemma. In this narrative, Nahash agreed to a truce as long as he could have the right eye of everyone and degrade all of Israel. This is a prophetic parable of the deep hatred and emotional assault that the enemy bombards Christian's with, (the loss of dreams and a great uncertainty about their future).
For the people of Jabesh, all they could do was break into tears because no one was there to save them. Since losing their right eye meant the loss of identity, what were they to do? Will someone come to their rescue? After reading these verses I hear the same cry ringing from the people of God in our era. They need deliverance from the negative emotional traffic that robs them of joy and the ability to imagine what God has for their future. Certainly there is a real threat, but I believe God is moving upon His sons and daughters right now.
While self respect gets lost in the sea of guilt, our Lord is raising up men and women throughout the earth to break the spirit of oppression. We find in this powerful drama that King Saul, who although made some foolish choices in his life, actually started off very focused. He hears the weeping of a nation and begins to ask what is wrong. I have no doubt that a generation is also hearing the weeping of the nations of the earth and they too begin to ask why. Asking the right questions touches the heart of God because those kind of questions originate from a heart that has a holy burden for humanity. By being sensitive to the plight of others, the Lord begins to act. He will then release many that will become His instrument of healing and salvation to communities and nations.
1 Samuel 11:6 "When Saul heard this, the spirit of God suddenly seized him; in anger".
Beloved, not only did Saul hear this, he literally felt their grief, and then suddenly God captured him. Saul isn't just seized by human need, he is seized by a sense of divine justice. Around the globe today people are getting on a cultural bandwagon, completely unsettled about what they don't agree with. You see, God's desire is to send His presence and power upon the people to accomplish His will. Beloved, God feels divine emotion for those who have been threatened and manipulated by the enemy.
The question we need to ask ourselves is "have we been seized by the presence of God or are we just upset"? And yes, there are many social ills that need attention, however, unless we have been truly captured by the anointing and not just a cause, our communities and nations won't experience the redemptive power of God. I believe Godly leadership is being raised up to end the humiliation and impart a right perspective. Arguably, we could make the assumption that God is angered by the oppression, so in response to divine anger, the Lord seizes men and women. Beloved, Saul isn't seized by a cause, he is seized by the spirit of God.
Can we imitate a posture of compassion and humility so that the pleas of those who are victims of demonic brutality get answered? Saul did, he rallied a nation, delivered a community, and they never forgot what had been done for them. Because forty years later when king Saul's body had become a Philistine trophy, the men of Jabesh Gilead rescued this King and honored him.
Sincerely,
John
