Pru226

Q3. (1 Samuel 17:47) Why do we so often forget that “the battle is the Lord’s”? What does that phrase actually mean? How can we avoid the arrogance of pulling God into our battles (“God is on my side”), rather than engaging in His battles (“I am on God’s side”)? Personally, I think because he is not tangibly in front of me and often I am quick to "react". So when I am in a reactive mode, I have not thought to stop and bring God in to my situation. It means I do not need to take matters into my own hands, that if God wants something for me and their is an obstacle in my way, then I can go to him to provide the win. Stopping to think and evaluate the situation at hand. What are the things that are in my hands that God needs me to do and what things do I need to put in Gods hands.

What does David's explanation to Saul of his combat experience say about David's faith? How lethal is David as a warrior? Why do you think Saul allows him to go out to battle Goliath? Does Saul have faith? If so, what is the source of it? That he puts God first over his personal decisions\benefits. He is stealth enough to maintain a hiding place and that he can be in the same room as you and you have no idea of his presence. Saul still recognizes that Goliath's daily taunt is discouraging his men. When he sends David out for the battle, I do not feel like he is going to hold true to the agreement "If I win, you are my slaves and if you win, we will be yours"...as neither party (Philistines or Israelite's) keep those words as they continue to war and go into eachothers territories on multiple occasions. I think he sends him out w/ no expectation. I think faith for these men are completely different as they have will interactions w/ God and they have prophets and priest around to go directly to God and get answers, plus their families generations\lineage does not go back that far from first hand encounters w/ God and his demonstration of power. So to me it is not a question of faith as much as Saul is thinking what is God going to do next.

Why is David so upset about Goliath’s taunt? Why is Eliab, David’s brother, so upset with David? What does this teach us about David’s faith? What does it teach us about Eliab’s character? His comments are offensive and derogatory about his God and beliefs. I think he is upset for a couple of reasons...1) Little brothers are nosy and annoying 2) There has to be a lingering of jealousy since Samuel anointed David (the baby brother) over him the eldest. That had to hurt his ego and what he feels he is entitled to as the eldest. For me I am not surprised. I think this is a typical sibling response annoyance and jealousy.

Q4. (1 Samuel 16:14-23) From Saul’s perspective, why is David summoned to court? From God’s perspective, what seem to be the reasons for this service in Saul’s court? What things tend to prevent us from learning from God in the midst of the circumstances in which we find ourselves? What might make us more teachable? Saul believes he is summoned for personal use- to calm him down when the tormenting spirit is aggravating him. God wanted him to begin to be exposed to "palace life", and get used to the culture and way things work. I think our minds create a huge mental block- putting in imagined (yet somehow very real to us) limits. Then our minds begin to mull over and over all logical answers -what is possible/not possible and work ourselves up before even trying to attempt tasks. Being more familiar with promises that God has made to others and to us directly. For example, I have been holding on to 1 Chronicles 28:20, when they are discussing the plans to build Gods temple to "Don't be frightened by the size of the task, for the Lord my God is with you". So that way I have a reassurance to "try" first.

Shows we can easily get it wrong. Samuel saw Eliab and had an instinctive "gut" feeling that "Surely, this is the Lords chosen one"...and he was wrong. In society we are taught so much to trust our gut, not to stop and wait for the Lords confirmation. I think Samuel is blessed and it almost feels like he has such an advantage over us because he can hear Gods voice so clearly and quickly that he didn't hold on to his gut feeling for too long!! God clearly pointed out that it was David. We go by outside appearance of base decisions on our own understandings of what we think God would want and then we just do. Rarely do I take the time to listen and confirm with God. I think just bringing into our awareness that we need to ask him for a confirmation is huge. We don't like to wait and instantly want to move on to the next item or purpose of our business, we don't bother to ask anything. I think we have to pose our question to God and learn how he speaks to us...purposefully look for his answer.

Rebellion to me is when you are given a clear directive and you purposely go against it because it does not line up with what you desire to do and\or your thoughts and beliefs on a subject. When I think of the "witchcraft" practice, I think rebellion is compared to that because when you seek out a medium, tarot, witchcraft, etc. you are looking for answers from a source that is not God. And since we are blessed to know of Gods existence and have been given Jesus and the Holy spirit as a way to speak directly to God, then when we go to this alternate source for an answer, we are consciously rebelling because we are very much aware we need to go to God for our answers. You are purposely choosing what you desire over a directive. Take the time to reflect and be fully aware of it...repent, and ask God for help to obey him. Especially if you are aware and don't feel the "need" to change your course of action to align with Gods will. We are walking a dead mans path.