THURSDAY October 31, 2019
Shame and Humiliation
So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. And they cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and sent word throughout the land of the Philistines, to proclaim it in the temple of their idols and among the people. Then they put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths, and they fastened his body to the wall of BethShan.
1 Samuel 31:8-10
The nation of Israel suffered a tremendous defeat. The Philistines came onto the battlefield to take the spoils off the dead. All of a sudden they came across King Saul and his three sons. The victorious enemy wanted to shame them in death. They cut off Saul’s head and stripped him of his armor. They placed the armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths––female deities––as a trophy.
Then the Philistines also proclaimed the victory in the temple of their other idols, such as Dagon––half human, half fish. Israel’s enemies hung the bodies of Saul and his sons on their wall of Beth Shan, north of Mount Gilboa, to shame and humiliate Israel.
The enemies of Israel rejoiced as they had won this great victory, but there would be a new, anointed king on the throne of Israel––David! He would go from strength to strength and be a force to reckon with. David would once again become strong, powerful and hard to defeat. Why? God was with David: And David became greater and greater, for the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him (2 Samuel 5:10 ESV).
Without God being Lord of your life, expect defeat. The enemies of God will rejoice over your downfall. However, if you abide in Christ (John 15), expect to grow in the Lord and be used by Him. Your life in Christ will go from strength to strength.
Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.
~Psalm 84:5-7~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit Somebodylovesyouradio.org!