22/12/11

The Book of the Upright

2 Samuel 1:17,18 - And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son: (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)


In Psalms and in the first book of Samuel we find the relationship between Saul and David was not good. There are many times that Saul tries his best to kill or harm David and then there are times that David too tried to kill Saul but then when he did get the opportunity, he refrains from it.

Saul back-slided like Balaam but their ends are different. Both were Men of God and did great work. If one understands the prophetic words of Balaam one would be surprised that the first mention of the end of the Lord coming in glory and to judge were first spoken through the mouth of Balaam. It is a paradox that the Lord chose an evil mouth to speak of their consequences.

David knew something about Saul that caused him to respect him as a Man of God even though for a short period the Lord had forsaken him. When I was wondering what David knew about Saul that caused him to respect him evil though he hated him; the Lord revealed this to me through the words the spirit of Samuel spoke to Saul just before his end.

This example has caused me not to judge people by their actions but only by what the Lord reveals. There were times before when I was asked by others to pull up or rebuke strongly the actions of brothers who did serious wrongs even though being a Man of God, but I had refrained and instead was very mild it telling them. But then there were times when I have been led by the Lord to strongly rebuke Men or Women of God for doing things which may seem very small in the eyes of man.

We need to understand we are not allowed to judge for we do not know, but the Lord and His Word can. We should be happy if the Lord Judges and rebukes us directly or through His Messengers, before His Word does. Jesus as man never judged but warned at the end when He comes back His Word will judge us.

Things about Saul were written in the book of the upright even though he was forsaken for a brief period by the Lord, but the rebuke of Samuel had caused Saul to change and once again become a Man of God just before his death. It was this reason David out of respect for Saul he got very anger and acted with great aggression when he heard about what they did to the body of Saul a Man of God.

The Lord is telling us, we may be struggling in our sinful ways or may have back-slided from our relationship with the Lord but then there is hope for us if we repent from our ways and know who we are in Him. We need not be like Saul who repented the last minute but let us repent today and allow the Lord to use us so as to bless us with a great harvest and a crown in Heaven. Let us get ourselves in the book of the upright, today.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, although our righteousness is like rags yet You take pleasure in the little we do and You call us your righteous and record us in your book of the upright. Lord, with You there is hope even in the worst or in the darkest of darkness. Lord, we pray that we be recorded in the book of the upright; correct us, work on us if we have strayed from your ways but let us not be like Balaam who did your work but hardened his heart and became a disaster for ever...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
1 Samuel 28:15-20
15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.
16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
17 And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:
18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.
19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.
20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

1 Samuel 31:3-6
3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.
4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

Joshua 10:12-13
12 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

Numbers 24:15-24
15 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor saith, And the man whose eye was closed saith;
16 He saith, who heareth the words of God, And knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, Who seeth the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, and having his eyes open:
17 I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh: There shall come forth a star out of Jacob, And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, And shall smite through the corners of Moab, And break down all the sons of tumult.
18 And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession, who were his enemies; While Israel doeth valiantly.
19 And out of Jacob shall one have dominion, And shall destroy the remnant from the city.
20 And he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; But his latter end shall come to destruction.
21 And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling-place, And thy nest is set in the rock.
22 Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted, Until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.
23 And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this?
24 But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim, And they shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber; And he also shall come to destruction.

2 Peter 2:12-16
12 But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed, railing in matters whereof they are ignorant, shall in their destroying surely be destroyed,
13 suffering wrong as the hire of wrong-doing; men that count it pleasure to revel in the day-time, spots and blemishes, revelling in their deceivings while they feast with you;
14 having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; enticing unstedfast souls; having a heart exercised in covetousness; children of cursing;
15 forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing;
16 but he was rebuked for his own transgression: a dumb ass spake with man's voice and stayed the madness of the prophet.

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