Readings for today: 1 Samuel 14, John 7:31-53, Psalms 109, Proverbs 15:5-7
One of the most important gifts we can exercise is an ability to discern between right and wrong. Good and evil. God’s will and our own will. Saul is now king over Israel. He is the man God is going to use to deliver His people. He is a strong man. A valiant man. Sadly, he is not a wise man. He makes rash decisions. He takes vows in the name of the Lord that come back to haunt him. He is often his own worst enemy.
In today’s reading, Jonathan wins a great victory for Israel. He and his armor bearer undertake a dangerous, potentially even suicidal, mission. They invade the camp of the Philistines. They kill twenty men and the result is chaos. The Philistine army starts panicking and racing in every direction. Saul sees the confusion and takes advantage of it. He marshals the rest of his army and sends them after the Philistines. God gives them a great victory. However, in his zeal, Saul issues an edict that no Israelite shall eat until their defeat of the Philistines is complete. The battle is hard. The fighting is fierce. God’s people grow faint. In the midst of it all, Jonathan - who didn’t know about his father’s command - eats a some honey and it strengthens him. He openly questions his father’s wisdom. The people follow his example, slaughtering animals for a feast. The news gets back to Saul. He interprets their actions as sin. He attempts to talk to the Lord who remains silent through the whole episode. In response to God’s silence, Saul casts lots to determine who has broken his command. It’s Jonathan. In his foolishness, he decides to kill him but the people of God stand in his way.
The whole story is a mess. It’s a confusing jumble and hard to follow. And it points to what happens when human beings take matters into their own hands. When we fail to discern the difference between God’s will and our own. How often do we make this mistake? How many times over the course of my life have I pursued something out of pride or selfish desire, foolishly assuming it to be God’s will? How often have I grown impatient and rushed into a decision I later regretted? If I am completely honest, there have even been times in my life where I chased something I knew to be sin but did it anyway, hypocritically asking God for forgiveness in advance.
How do we discern the will of God? First, we have to know God’s Word. We have to know God’s law. We have to commit ourselves to obedience to His commands. It is NEVER God’s will that you disobey Him. It is NEVER God’s will that you live out of alignment with Jesus. Second, we have to ask God for wisdom. The wisdom to follow Jesus. He promises in James 1:5 to give this wisdom generously to all who ask. So we pray in faith, trusting God to keep His promises. Finally, we learn through constant, daily practice to discern the difference between good and evil. Right and wrong. God’s will and our will. There is a process of trial and error here as we get better at listening to God’s voice above our own or the voices in our world.
I love what Hebrews 5:12-14 says, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” Discernment rests on our ability to become “skilled in righteousness” or skilled in God’s ways. If we walk in His love. If we obey His commands. If we submit our lives to Him, we can know the will of God for our lives.
Readings for tomorrow: 1 Samuel 15-16, John 8:1-20, Psalms 110, Proverbs 15:8-10