The annual extravaganza known as March Madness, or the NCAA Basketball Tournament is over. It’s always a fun event although I must admit I found that watching games between teams I didn’t care anything about was boring. BUT, there is always excellence, and excellence should be honored.

There were the usual surprises. My school, Clemson, actually won three games – a shocker! Kentucky, a perennial contender, 3-seed this year, got bumped in the first round by Oakland University (who?), a 14-seed. Turns out they had a graduate student, Jack Gohlke, who could shoot 3-pointers. They almost won their second game which went into overtime before NC State finally prevailed. NC State ended up going to the Final Four.

That’s what makes the tournament fun: teams and players you’ve never heard of and may never hear of again have their moment in the sun. Speaking of, one fun highlight reel was Audie Crooks, the freshman center for the Iowa State Women, 6′ 3″ tall but twice as wide as anyone on the court poured in 40 points to lead a come-from-behind effort against Maryland. She’s won three state titles in…wait for it…shot put.

And while we’re on the women’s game, all eyes were on Caitlin Clark of the University of Iowa who broke all scoring records this year. To get to the Final Four, Iowa had to beat LSU, who beat them in last year’s championship game. Jason Gay of the Wall Street Journal wrote a beautiful summary of that game. Here are a few snippets:

If you left me alone in a well-lit gym for the next 800 years, I could not do what Caitlin Clark did Monday night [April 1] versus LSU.

Sure, I could probably score a few points, dribbling around by myself. I could hit a few layups, maybe nail a jumper or two, throw up a 3-pointer and have it plummet like a dead goose through the net. I’ve been getting into shape—I’m confident I could run up and down the court at least four times before I stopped to call a doctor and a priest.

But to pull off what Clark pulled off, in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA women’s tournament, amid absurd hype and crushing expectations, against a fired-up rival and defending champion, the abrupt end of her historic, record-setting college career looming? 

…She’s bent the boundaries and angles of women’s basketball, with her extreme shooting and peerless vision. She takes five shots a game that would get mortals benched for the rest of the season, and hits at least three.

…I worship the passes—the full-court transition bombs; the crisp bouncers to a cutter running at the basket; the no-look, over-the-shoulder darts…

Let’s review the numbers versus LSU: 40 minutes (she played every minute), 41 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds, one block and 9 of 20 from the 3-point line and beyond. – Jason Gay, Wall Street Journal, April 2, 2024

Here are Caitlin Clark’s highlights from that game, worth the four minutes if you admire artistry. (She’s #22 in white.)

They got by UConn in the Final Four and lost the championship game, this year, to the best team in basketball, the University of South Carolina. It’s said that South Carolina’s second string is better than most team’s starters. Carolina finished the season 38 – 0. After the game, coach Dawn Staley had special words of praise for Caitlin Clark and appreciation for “lifting up our sport.”

Caitlin exited the arena, head high, smiling, flashing the heart sign to her fans.

On the men’s side, UConn took on Purdue, where both teams have centers over 7 feet tall. Purdue’s Zach Edey was college men’s player of the year, and he scored a game-high 37 points. But Purdue lost 75 – 60, just as Iowa lost with Caitlin Clark, women’s player of the year being the game’s leading scorer. Proving, once again, that great teams often beat teams with great players.

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ…standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel. (Philippians 1.27, ESV)

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9.24 – 27, ESV)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12.1, 2, ESV)

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4.7, ESV)

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. (Ecclesiastes 7.2, ESV)

Because we didn’t follow our original plan to drive to my daughter’s lake house in Arkansas for the eclipse, on Saturday, I was able to attend the memorial service for my friend Mike Schmid who passed on his 72nd birthday, March 5, 2024. I’ve written about Mike before.

Mike Schmid with his wife Lorelei.

Here are some highlights from the memorial service, conducted by my friend Tom Anthony. When Tom moved back to the Colorado Springs area after a few years on staff at Max Lucado’s church in San Antonio, Texas, he was on staff at the large church Mike was attending. I’m proud to say that I connected them, and it became a fruitful relationship for both.

• Mike became a believer at the Air Force Academy, and one of his colleagues there was Harry Durgin who spoke. Harry pulled out a Navigator memory verse card and said, “We’ve always been big on scripture memory. Here’s the scripture; I’ve lost the memory! Sorry Mike.”
• Jerry White, President Emeritus of The Navigators explained how Mike came to Christ:

Mike came to my Navigator Bible class at the Air Force Academy, thinking it was on navigating an airplane. Then he saw me, as a young major, teaching the Bible. He soon came to faith, influenced by other cadets.

• Jerry also said something that could be an answer to a question I’ve asked frequently lately: “Why does God take the good ones so early?” Jerry quoted Genesis 5.24:

And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. (Genesis 5.24, NKJV)

• Finally, Tom led us in a meditation on Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3.14 – 21, which I’ll share shortly. He said Mike’s main takeaway from his four-year battle with cancer was that God loved him. We often say something like “We serve God because we love God,” and that’s true. But Mike came to believe:

God wants my love more than he wants my service.

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians was that they experience God’s love. As Tom said, “A deep, relational, down-to-the-core love.” I close with Paul’s prayer, which was read at the beginning of the service and three times during Tom’s remarks:

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches

• he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
• so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
• And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,
• to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ
• to know this love that surpasses knowledge—
• that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3.14 – 21, NIV, parsed for clarity)

I hope you got to see at least part of the eclipse today. We didn’t drive into totality as we had planned, but we did get 67%, the fuzzy shadows, and the crescent shadows:

I grabbed a few screenshots off of the NASA feed, including the “diamond ring” over Dallas and Bailey’s Beads over Arkansas, two places we could have traveled to.

Finally, my cousin Dan in the Dallas area sent pictures he made from his backyard:

The heavens still declare the glory of God!

Other lessons? My son Mark said, “We made the best decision we could have based on the data we had.” True. In this case, the cloud predictions were (thankfully) wrong, and I’m happy for all the people who were able to see the eclipse. And, just as “a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (see Luke 12.15), a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his exotic experiences either. We saw a total eclipse in 2017 and an annular eclipse in October 2023. It would have been nice to see this one…nice but not essential.

Bob (left), Mark (far right), granddaughter Kesley (in front of me) and two other friends in 2017, western Nebraska. The “lifesaver” at the top of the picture is the total eclipse.

It’s Eclipse Day! A reminder of the regularity and precision of God’s creation and the creativity of our mathematicians and astronomers to figure it out. An Eclipse Is Evidence of Things Unseen by Christian astronomer Luke Leisman, published April 4 by Christianity Today is worth the read.

This eclipse location site is as good as any. Click on a city for information:

timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8

As I write this a couple of days in advance, Mark and I have scuttled our plan to drive to Fort Worth to see it. Cloudy weather is predicted for much of the eclipse’s path of totality.

If you are near the path of totality, and there are no clouds, do NOT be satisfied with 98% or something like that. There’s totality, and not totality, and there’s a huge difference. This cartoon captures it:

Annie Dillard, whom I have quoted before, also captures the difference in her own unique way:

A partial eclipse is very interesting. It bears almost no relation to a total eclipse. Seeing a partial eclipse bears the same relation to seeing a total eclipse as kissing a man does to marrying him, or as flying in an airplane does to falling out of an airplane. Although the one experience precedes the other, it in no way prepares you for it. – Annie Dillard, “Total Eclipse,” in Teaching a Stone to Talk

This is totality. We saw the “diamond” in 2017 and made plans then to see this April 8, 2024, eclipse. The center of the path of totality includes our daughter’s lake house in Arkansas…but, alas, clouds are predicted for there too. So this eclipse will happen without our being in totality.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. (Psalm 19.1, ESV)

Peter quotes Joel on Pentecost:

“In the last days,” God says, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Acts 2.17 – 21, NIV)

Today is proof of concept.

I hope you can see some of the eclipse. Remember to wear eclipse glasses or watch the shadow through a pinhole. Light diffused through trees sometimes reveals the moon’s shadow on the sun. We saw this phenomenon last October, and the folks from New York we met in New Mexico at the October 2023 eclipse are planning to take in the eclipse from the shore of Lake Ontario. Maybe they’ll send us a picture!

We come to the remarkable story of David and Goliath. So many lessons…

The enemy:

A giant nearly ten feet tall stepped out from the Philistine line into the open, Goliath from Gath. He had a bronze helmet on his head and was dressed in armor—126 pounds of it! He wore bronze shin guards and carried a bronze sword. His spear was like a fence rail—the spear tip alone weighed over fifteen pounds. His shield bearer walked ahead of him. (1 Samuel 17.4 – 7, MSG)

The Challenge:

Goliath stood there and called out to the Israelite troops, “Why bother using your whole army? Am I not Philistine enough for you? And you’re all committed to Saul, aren’t you? So pick your best fighter and pit him against me. If he gets the upper hand and kills me, the Philistines will all become your slaves. But if I get the upper hand and kill him, you’ll all become our slaves and serve us. I challenge the troops of Israel this day. Give me a man. Let us fight it out together!” (1 Samuel 17.8 – 10, MSG)

Of course, as Navigator Skip Gray pointed out, there’s no requirement that the Israelites accept his challenge. Charge, and let 10 guys take care of Goliath if necessary.

David the shepherd did not go to battle – just his three oldest brothers. David’s father, Jesse, sends him to the battle line, and he goes responsibly:

David was up at the crack of dawn and, having arranged for someone to tend his flock, took the food and was on his way just as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the army was moving into battle formation, shouting the war cry. Israel and the Philistines moved into position, facing each other, battle-ready. David…ran to the troops who were deployed, and greeted his brothers. While they were talking together, the Philistine champion, Goliath of Gath, stepped out from the front lines of the Philistines, and gave his usual challenge. David heard him. (1 Samuel 17.20 – 23, MSG, emphasis mine)

David’s perspective: this dude is challenging God!

David, who was talking to the men standing around him, asked, “What’s in it for the man who kills that Philistine and gets rid of this ugly blot on Israel’s honor? Who does he think he is, anyway, this uncircumcised Philistine, taunting the armies of God-Alive?” (1 Samuel 17.26, MSG)

There’s an ugly exchange with Eliab: big brother against the youngest, revealing something of Eliab’s character, but David ignores him (see 1 Samuel 17.26 – 30).

David’s experience. It seems that David is at least an older teenager, not the young boy often depicted in art for children:

Saul answered David, “You can’t go and fight this Philistine. You’re too young and inexperienced—and he’s been at this fighting business since before you were born.” David said, “I’ve been a shepherd, tending sheep for my father. Whenever a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I’d go after it, knock it down, and rescue the lamb. If it turned on me, I’d grab it by the throat, wring its neck, and kill it. Lion or bear, it made no difference—I killed it. And I’ll do the same to this Philistine pig who is taunting the troops of God-Alive. GOD, who delivered me from the teeth of the lion and the claws of the bear, will deliver me from this Philistine.” Saul said, “Go. And GOD help you!” (1 Samuel 17.33 – 37, MSG)

David takes his own weapons, not Saul’s:

Then Saul outfitted David as a soldier in armor. He put his bronze helmet on his head and belted his sword on him over the armor. David tried to walk but he could hardly budge. David told Saul, “I can’t even move with all this stuff on me. I’m not used to this.” And he took it all off. Then David took his shepherd’s staff, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s pack, and with his sling in his hand approached Goliath. (1 Samuel 17.38 – 40, MSG)

They trade trash-talk:

The Philistine ridiculed David. “Am I a dog that you come after me with a stick?…Come on. I’ll make roadkill of you for the buzzards. I’ll turn you into a tasty morsel for the field mice.”

David answered, “You come at me with sword and spear and battle-ax. I come at you in the name of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel’s troops, whom you curse and mock. This very day GOD is handing you over to me. I’m about to kill you, cut off your head, and serve up your body and the bodies of your Philistine buddies to the crows and coyotes. The whole earth will know that there’s an extraordinary God in Israel. And everyone gathered here will learn that GOD doesn’t save by means of sword or spear. The battle belongs to GOD—he’s handing you to us on a platter!” (1 Samuel 17.43 – 45, MSG)

Goliath didn’t have a chance. He brought a knife to a gunfight.

That roused the Philistine, and he started toward David. David took off from the front line, running toward the Philistine. David reached into his pocket for a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine hard in the forehead, embedding the stone deeply. The Philistine crashed, facedown in the dirt. (1 Samuel 17.48 – 49, MSG)

Artillery from a distance beats hand-to-hand combat every time, especially artillery launched by a Spirit-filled, God-empowered man.

A Psalm of David. Blessed be the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle–my lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and the One in whom I take refuge… (Psalm 144.1, 2, NKJV)

We come to 1 Samuel 16, source of another well-known verse:

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16.7, ESV)

“Man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” It’s about Eliab, David’s oldest brother, and we’ll see some of his heart tomorrow in the story of David and Goliath.

Saul has been rejected as king (1 Samuel 13.13, 14) and Samuel must anoint a replacement:

GOD addressed Samuel: “So, how long are you going to mope over Saul? You know I’ve rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your flask with anointing oil and get going. I’m sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I’ve spotted the very king I want among his sons.” (1 Samuel 16.1, MSG)

“Forgetting what is behind…” (Philippians 3.13)

God tells Samuel to go to Bethlehem to check out the sons of Jesse. Samuel’s reaction to Eliab, the firstborn, provokes the well-known verse we opened with:

When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Here he is! GOD’s anointed!” (1 Samuel 16.6, MSG)

Nope.

Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel. Samuel was blunt with Jesse, “GOD hasn’t chosen any of these.” Then he asked Jesse, “Is this it? Are there no more sons?” “Well, yes, there’s the runt. But he’s out tending the sheep.” Samuel ordered Jesse, “Go get him. We’re not moving from this spot until he’s here.” (1 Samuel 16.10, 11, MSG)

It’s interesting that when told, presumably, to bring all his sons to the sacrifice, Jesse brings only seven, leaving David behind. I heard a sermon in which the pastor speculated that David might have been the product of an affair that Jesse had. I don’t remember the details of his research. We don’t know if that’s true or not – some are adamant that it’s not – but it seems odd that David was left out. If true, it gives a meaning to Psalm 51.5, beyond “original sin.”

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

No matter, David is the one:

Jesse sent for him. He was brought in, the very picture of health—bright-eyed, good-looking. GOD said, “Up on your feet! Anoint him! This is the one.” Samuel took his flask of oil and anointed him, with his brothers standing around watching. The Spirit of GOD entered David like a rush of wind, God vitally empowering him for the rest of his life. (1 Samuel 16.12 – 13, MSG)

And the next verse sets up the conflict that will be with us all the way through 1 Samuel. David is filled with the Spirit of GOD. Saul?

At that very moment the Spirit of GOD left Saul and in its place a black mood sent by GOD settled on him. He was terrified. (1 Samuel 16.14, MSG)

Stay tuned.

For exaltation comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one and exalts another. (Psalm 75.6, 7, NKJV)

We come to 1 Samuel 15 which contains the well-known verse:

To obey is better than sacrifice. (1 Samuel 15.22, ESV)

The setup is simple. God orders a complete destruction of the Amalekites:

Samuel said to Saul, “GOD sent me to anoint you king over his people, Israel. Now, listen again to what GOD says. This is the GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies speaking: ” ‘I’m about to get even with Amalek for ambushing Israel when Israel came up out of Egypt. Here’s what you are to do: Go to war against Amalek. Put everything connected with Amalek under a holy ban. And no exceptions! This is to be total destruction—men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys—the works.’ ” (1 Samuel 15.1 – 3, MSG)

So he goes to war…

Then Saul went after Amalek, from the canyon all the way to Shur near the Egyptian border. He captured Agag, king of Amalek, alive. Everyone else was killed under the terms of the holy ban. Saul and the army made an exception for Agag, and for the choice sheep and cattle. They didn’t include them under the terms of the holy ban. But all the rest, which nobody wanted anyway, they destroyed as decreed by the holy ban. (1 Samuel 15.7 – 9, MSG)

Samuel catches up to Saul in Gilgal after Saul “set up a monument in his own honor” at Carmel. And we have this odd exchange:

As Samuel came close, Saul called out, “GOD’s blessings on you! I accomplished GOD’s plan to the letter!” Samuel said, “So what’s this I’m hearing—this bleating of sheep, this mooing of cattle?” “Only some Amalekite loot,” said Saul. “The soldiers saved back a few of the choice cattle and sheep to offer up in sacrifice to GOD. But everything else we destroyed under the holy ban.” (1 Samuel 15.13 – 15, MSG)

Samuel went on to remind Saul of the order, and Saul continued to defend himself:

What are you talking about? I did obey GOD. I did the job GOD set for me. I brought in King Agag and destroyed the Amalekites under the terms of the holy ban. So the soldiers saved back a few choice sheep and cattle from the holy ban for sacrifice to GOD at Gilgal—what’s wrong with that? (1 Samuel 15.20 – 21, MSG)

Then we get the unequivocal condemnation:

Then Samuel said, Do you think all GOD wants are sacrifices— empty rituals just for show? He wants you to listen to him! Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production. (1 Samuel 15.22, MSG)

As I read this, I wondered what the modern-day application is other than obedience. After all, we’re not often told to destroy people! But how do I compromise? The text is clear:

“Staging a lavish religious production” while not listening to God.

We work hard at our Sunday morning services, some of which are lavish productions, but often we’re not doing the basic things God requires. How about taking care of the poor?

I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. (Amos 5.21 – 24, ESV)

God has told us to care about justice for the poor, something Jesus included in his opening introduction:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. (Luke 4.18, 19, ESV)

I must tell you that I just read Letter from a Birmingham Jail (from which I quoted yesterday) in its entirety. Among other things, it includes a condemnation of churches and Christians complicit in racial oppression.

God also told us to equip saints for the work of ministry.

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,… (Ephesians 4.11, 12, ESV)

James echos Samuel:

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1.22, NIV)

Saul is king based on what? In the US, you just have to be able to get elected. What was Saul’s qualification? His daddy was a powerful man. Saul? He was tall. But the Spirit of God came upon him. When he had God’s power, he wasn’t a bad guy.

• “God changed Saul’s heart…” (1 Samuel 10.9)
• “The Spirit of God came powerfully upon him…” (1 Samuel 10.10, 11.6)

However, 1 Samuel chapters 13 and 14 report a series of bad decisions, beginning with this one. He was supposed to wait for Samuel – 7 days – to be blessed before going into battle, but he doesn’t, and it costs him the kingdom.

He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel. Samuel failed to show up at Gilgal, and the soldiers were slipping away, right and left. So Saul took charge: “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” He went ahead and sacrificed the burnt offering. No sooner had he done it than Samuel showed up! (1 Samuel 13.8 – 9, MSG)

“You didn’t come…so I took things into my own hands…” This is the guy who didn’t feel qualified to be king. Now that he’s king, he takes on priestly work too!

“That was a fool thing to do,” Samuel said to Saul. “If you had kept the appointment that your GOD commanded, by now GOD would have set a firm and lasting foundation under your kingly rule over Israel. As it is, your kingly rule is already falling to pieces. GOD is out looking for your replacement right now. This time he’ll do the choosing. When he finds him, he’ll appoint him leader of his people. And all because you didn’t keep your appointment with GOD!” (1 Samuel 13.13 – 14 MSG)

Then we come to chapter 14 where Saul’s son Jonathan takes initiative while Saul takes it easy:

Later that day, Jonathan, Saul’s son, said to his armor bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to the Philistine garrison patrol on the other side of the pass.” But he didn’t tell his father. Meanwhile, Saul was taking it easy under the pomegranate tree at the threshing floor on the edge of town at Geba (Gibeah). There were about six hundred men with him. (1 Samuel 14.1, 2, MSG)

And you have to love Jonathan’s armor bearer:

Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come on now, let’s go across to these uncircumcised pagans. Maybe GOD will work for us. There’s no rule that says God can only deliver by using a big army. No one can stop GOD from saving when he sets his mind to it.” His armor bearer said, “Go ahead. Do what you think best. I’m with you all the way.” (1 Samuel 14.6, 7, MSG, emphasis mine)

The two of them win a skirmish and start a winning battle:

Jonathan shouted to his armor bearer, “Up! Follow me! GOD has turned them over to Israel!” Jonathan scrambled up on all fours, his armor bearer right on his heels. When the Philistines came running up to them, he knocked them flat, his armor bearer right behind finishing them off, bashing their heads in with stones. In this first bloody encounter, Jonathan and his armor bearer killed about twenty men. That set off a terrific upheaval in both camp and field, the soldiers in the garrison and the raiding squad badly shaken up, the ground itself shuddering—panic like you’ve never seen before! (1 Samuel 14.13 – 15, MSG)

And, for once, Saul makes a good decision. There’s a battle going on. The enemy is running away, and Saul first calls for the decision-making Ephod. Then he corrects himself:

While Saul was in conversation with the priest, the upheaval in the Philistine camp became greater and louder. Then Saul interrupted Ahijah: “Put the Ephod away.” Saul immediately called his army together and they went straight to the battle.

Sahil Bloom said in a newsletter the other day:

[Sometimes] You don’t need more information, you need more action. Sahil Bloom, March 20, 2024

Saul…went straight to the battle – a good move!

When they got there they found total confusion—Philistines swinging their swords wildly, killing each other. Hebrews who had earlier defected to the Philistine camp came back. They now wanted to be with Israel under Saul and Jonathan. Not only that, but when all the Israelites who had been hiding out in the backwoods of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were running for their lives, they came out and joined the chase. GOD saved Israel! What a day! The fighting moved on to Beth Aven. The whole army was behind Saul now—ten thousand strong!—with the fighting scattering into all the towns throughout the hills of Ephraim. (1 Samuel 14.19 – 23, MSG)

Saul did something really foolish that day. He addressed the army: “A curse on the man who eats anything before evening, before I’ve wreaked vengeance on my enemies!” None of them ate a thing all day. (1 Samuel 14.24, MSG)

I don’t know why leaders feel compelled to make decisions or pronouncements or arbitrary laws. Why would you starve your army while they’re engaged in strenuous activity? To complicate things, Jonathan didn’t hear the stupid directive and had something to eat. Then Saul in his irrational state wanted to have him executed.

The soldiers rose up: “Jonathan—die? Never! He’s just carried out this stunning salvation victory for Israel. As surely as GOD lives, not a hair on his head is going to be harmed. Why, he’s been working hand-in-hand with God all day!” The soldiers rescued Jonathan and he didn’t die. (1 Samuel 14.45, MSG)

Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote:

…there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St Augustine that “an unjust law is no law at all.”  Letter from a Birmingham Jail

Saul will soon learn that obedience to God’s commands is of paramount importance. Stay tuned.

I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion….By me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just. (Proverbs 8.12, 15, NIV)

We interrupt the story of King Saul for a quick meditation on the importance of individuals.

I was talking today with my friend Ray Bandi, a discipleship coach who lives in New Hampshire, and Ray asked: is Matthew 28.18 – 20 addressed to individuals or to the general body of Christians?

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28.18 – 20, ESV)

I’m not sure that we take this text, popularly known as The Great Commission, personally. After all, isn’t disciplemaking the “church’s” job? But Jesus wasn’t talking to a “church,” at least not in the sense that we think of church. He was talking to his followers, the eleven remaining disciples plus, more than likely, others who had traveled with them. It was a group, but groups are composed of individuals, each of whom must pull their weight.

Symphonies are made up of a collection of musicians, and they all must play their part competently and together for the music to sound right. Sports teams are made up of individuals, who must work together, but the failure of one can derail the whole operation.

Few sports are more unforgiving than baseball. It’s early in the season, but the Colorado Rockies baseball team is off to a dismal start. They’ve won only one game of their first six as of today. In the opening game, a week ago, it was 16 – 1 after the third inning in which the opposing team batted around twice! They pulled starting pitcher Kyle Freeland in the middle of the third after he had given up 10 runs.

Yesterday the Cubs beat the Rockies 12 – 2. It’s been a week…so I wondered who the starting pitcher was. Yep. Kyle Freeland, and he was pulled in the fourth inning after giving up 7 runs. Ouch. One guy not doing his job can spell disaster.

But Kyle isn’t alone. After all, he played in only two games. What about the left fielder, Nolan Jones? He had already misplayed a routine fly ball in the Rockies’ loss to the Diamondbacks on Sunday.

Then on Monday, With one out, Christopher Morel slashed a single to left, and the onrushing Jones let the ball go under his glove and it rolled to the wall. Jones compounded the first error with a poor throw back into the infield, allowing all three baserunners to score. Colorado couldn’t overcome the “Little League homer.”

“It was just a routine ground ball,” Jones told MLB.com. “I came up hard and thought I was going to have a play at the plate and peeked up a little bit, and the ball snuck under my glove.” – Tim Stebbins on MLB.com.

That’s something I would have chewed out a 10-year-old for if I were coaching Little League.

Maybe Jones is in the lineup because he can hit. Nope. After six games, left fielder Nolan Jones is hitting .087 and has 11 strikeouts.

Nolan Jones is not contributing. Pitcher Kyle Freeland is not contributing. Back to the original topic: how many church members are not contributing? (I realize that this analogy breaks down a little bit because Freeland and Jones are trying. They are in the game. They’re just not competent right now. In the church, a lot of members aren’t even in the “game,” and others who would like to contribute, haven’t been trained to competence.)

Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. (Colossians 1.28, ESV, emphasis mine)

And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. (Acts 8.1, 4, ESV, emphasis mine)

Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word… Acts 11.19, ESV)

Back to our readings in the History section of the Old Testament. If you’re following the schedule, the blog is a bit behind because of Holy Week. I won’t try to write in detail about every event.

We’re moving into the monarchy phase of Israel’s history with the selection of Saul:

There was a man from the tribe of Benjamin named Kish. He was the son of Abiel, grandson of Zeror, great-grandson of Becorath, great-great-grandson of Aphiah—a Benjaminite of stalwart character. He had a son, Saul, a most handsome young man. There was none finer—he literally stood head and shoulders above the crowd! (1 Samuel 9.1, MSG)

“Stalwart character” is the word rendered “wealthy” in some translations. Kish was a mighty man, by whatever measure you want, but the text doesn’t say Saul was a mighty man of stalwart character. This goes with my observation from the beginning of chapter 8. The sons don’t always measure up to the father. Saul was tall and handsome. Maybe that’s all he had. We’ll see.

Saul starts in humility with a “Who, me?” moment similar to what we saw with Gideon:

“I’m the Seer,” said Samuel. “…At this moment, Israel’s future is in your hands.” Saul answered, “But I’m only a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel’s tribes, and from the most insignificant clan in the tribe at that. Why are you talking to me like this?” (1 Samuel 9.19 – 21, MSG)

Samuel anoints Saul at the beginning of chapter 10 and gives him three confirming signs, which take place as advertised. When he gets home, he doesn’t even tell his family what happened. And when the people gather to meet their new king, he’s hiding!

After Samuel got all the tribes of Israel lined up, the Benjamin tribe was picked. Then he lined up the Benjamin tribe in family groups,…and the name Saul, son of Kish, was picked. But when they went looking for him, he was nowhere to be found. Samuel went back to GOD: “Is he anywhere around?” GOD said, “Yes, he’s right over there—hidden in that pile of baggage.” They ran and got him. He took his place before everyone, standing tall—head and shoulders above them. Samuel then addressed the people, “Take a good look at whom GOD has chosen: the best! No one like him in the whole country!” Then a great shout went up from the people: “Long live the king!” (1 Samuel 10.20 – 24, MSG)

Saul starts humbly. We find him in chapter 11 back plowing the fields when he is called into action. Nahash, king of the Ammonites, threatened to gouge out the right eye of all the people of Jabesh Gilead.

The town leaders of Jabesh said, “Give us time to send messengers around Israel—seven days should do it. If no one shows up to help us, we’ll accept your terms.” The messengers came to Saul’s place at Gibeah and told the people what was going on. As the people broke out in loud wails, Saul showed up. He was coming back from the field with his oxen. Saul asked, “What happened? Why is everyone crying?” And they repeated the message that had come from Jabesh. The Spirit of God came on Saul when he heard the report and he flew into a rage. He grabbed the yoke of oxen and butchered them on the spot. He sent the messengers throughout Israel distributing the bloody pieces with this message: “Anyone who refuses to join up with Saul and Samuel, let this be the fate of his oxen!” The terror of GOD seized the people, and they came out, one and all, not a laggard among them. Saul took command of the people at Bezek. There were 300,000 men from Israel, another 30,000 from Judah. (1 Samuel 11.3 – 8, MSG)

Saul leads them to victory and gives the credit to God:

This is the day GOD saved Israel! Come, let’s go to Gilgal and there reconsecrate the kingship.” They all trooped out to Gilgal. Before GOD, they crowned Saul king at Gilgal. And there they worshiped, sacrificing peace offerings. Saul and all Israel celebrated magnificently. (1 Samuel 11.13 – 15, MSG)

A good start for Saul and a clear lesson: a leader can rally the entire population, and good things can happen if…

• The Spirit of God is on the leader.
• The terror of God falls on the people to follow him.
• There is a worthy cause.
• The leader gives credit to God.

Chapter 12 contains Samuel’s last address to the people, in which he declares his integrity. (See 1 Samuel 12.1 – 5.) Then Samuel closes with a promise and a warning:

And neither will I walk off and leave you. That would be a sin against GOD! I’m staying right here at my post praying for you and teaching you the good and right way to live. But I beg of you, fear GOD and worship him honestly and heartily. You’ve seen how greatly he has worked among you! Be warned: If you live badly, both you and your king will be thrown out.” (1 Samuel 12.23 – 25, MSG)

And, after a good start, things start to go downhill right away. Stay tuned.