I Samuel 13
Saul reigned as king for two yearsverse 1
Saul reigned one year
and when he had reigned two years over Israel
Saul had army of three thousandverse 2
Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel
whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash
and in mount Beth-el
and a thousand were with Jonathan in
Gibeah of Benjamin
and the rest of the people he sent
every man to his tent
Saul summons Israel to fight Philistinesverses 3-4
And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines
that was in Geba and the Philistines heard of it
And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land
saying
Let the Hebrews hear
And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten
a garrison of the Philistines
and that Israel also was had in abomination
with the Philistines
And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal
Philistines came with a large armyverses 5-7
And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel
thirty thousand chariots – six thousand horsemen
and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude
and they came up – and pitched in Michmash
eastward from Beth-aven
When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait
(for the people were distressed)
THEN the people did hide themselves in caves – thickets
rocks – high places – pits
And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of
Gad and Gilead
As for Saul – he was in Gilgal
and all the people followed him trembling
Saul sacrificed the burnt offeringverses 8-9
And he tarried seven days
according to the set time that Samuel had appointed
BUT Samuel came not to Gilgal
and the people were scattered from him
And Saul said
Bring hither a burnt offering to me
and peace offerings
And he offered the burnt offering
Saul sees Samuel at the end of offeringverse 10
And it came to pass that as soon as he had made an end of offering
the burnt offering
BEHOLD – Samuel came
And Saul went out to meet him – that he might salute him
Saul gives excuse why he offered offeringverses 11-12
AND Samuel
said
What have you done?
And Saul
said
Because I saw that the people were scattered from me
and that you came not within the days appointed
and that the Philistines gathered themselves
together at Michmash
Therefore said I
The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal
and I have not made supplication to the LORD
I forced myself therefore
and offered a burnt offering
Samuel condemns Saul’s actionverses 13-14
And Samuel
said to Saul
You have done foolishly
you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God
which HE commanded you
for now would the LORD have established your
kingdom on Israel for ever
BUT now your kingdom shall not continue
the LORD has sought him a man after HIS OWN heart
and the LORD has commanded him to be captain
over HIS people
BECAUSE you have not kept
that which the LORD commanded you
Saul was left with six hundred menverses 15-16
And Samuel arose – and gat him up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin
and Saul numbered the people that were present with him
about six hundred men
And Saul – and Jonathan his son – and the people that were present
with them abode in Gibeah of Benjamin
BUT the Philistines encamped in Michmash
Philistines sent spoiler to spoil Israelverses 17-18
And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies
one company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah
to the land of Shual
And another company turned the way to Beth-horon
and another company turned to the way of the border that looked
to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness
No blacksmiths in Israelverses 19-22
Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel
for the Philistines
said
Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears
but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines
to sharpen every man his share – coulter
ax – mattock
Yet they had a file for the mattocks – coulters – forks – axes
and to sharpen the goads
So it came to pass in the day of battle – that there was
neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the
people that were with Saul and Jonathan
BUT with Saul and with Jonathan his son
was there found
Philistines watched the passage of Michmashverse 23
And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. (5065 “distressed” [nagas] means to be hard pressed, treated harshly, harassed, pertaining to experiencing hardship and trouble, or tyrannize)
DEVOTION: What do you do when you are stressed? What should we do when things don’t seem to be going right in our life? The answer is not what the children of Israel did on this occasion.
Instead of turning to the LORD they went into hiding away from each other. They should have gathered together and asked the LORD for help. The children of Israel were not really prepared to follow the LORD yet. The problem is that we feel the same way sometimes when we face a trying circumstance in our life. We run away from the problem rather than turning to the LORD in prayer. Or we try to handle it ourselves and make a mess of it.
Followers of the LORD are consistent in their ways of handling things even when they have seen the LORD work in the past. Here we find that the LORD has given them victories but they don’t seem to think HE can do it again.
What would you think if you were in a battle and you saw all your fellow believers hiding? Would you go with them to hide or would you ask the LORD for help?
We have to face our problems with the LORD not away from the LORD. Once we learn this way of doing things we will be able to show others the way to victory. We are promised victory by the LORD over all our trials if we depend on HIM alone. We should not depend on ourselves because we are not almighty like the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Each day we can either run and hide or face what the LORD allows in our life and ask for HIM.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now on me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. (662 “forced” [‘aphaq] means to contain, abstain, or restrain)
DEVOTION: One of the problems that all followers of the LORD face is waiting for HIM to act. Here we have an instance where Saul was waiting for Samuel to come to offer their sacrifices to the LORD. Samuel was the priest and the prophet for Israel. Saul was a king.
Saul got tired of waiting for Samuel. They had set a time for Samuel to come but he was late. His army was running away and he wanted to keep some of them together.
His only thought was that he had not offered an offering to the LORD. He didn’t want to go to battle without honoring the LORD. He thought if Samuel wasn’t there he could do it.
He could not control himself. He could not refrain himself. He lacked the self-discipline to act only when God told him to act. He lost control of himself.
He offered a sacrifice to the LORD. The only one who could offer a sacrifice was the priest. Samuel confronted Saul about the offering. Saul offered the excuse that the people were running away and the Philistines were coming. He didn’t want to admit that he was impatient.
We don’t want to admit that we are impatient with God. We want HIM to act now!!! Because Saul couldn’t wait, he lost the kingdom to David. What have we lost because we couldn’t wait for the LORD to act in HIS timing?
We can be like Saul and do things ahead of the LORD. Remember that there are many places in the Word of God that tell us to “wait on the LORD.” Let us wait for HIM. HE always does things at the right time!!!
CHALLENGE: The next time we want something to happen and it isn’t happening in our time frame, what are we going to do? Wait on the LORD? Or take action into our own hands? Resist the temptation to take actions into your own hands.
: 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue; the LORD has sought HIM a man after HIS own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be captain over HIS people, because you have not kept that which the LORD commanded you. (1245 “has sought” [baqash] means to discover, find, to attempt to do, to try to locate or discover, to seek to secure, to desire, to require, or request)
DEVOTION: There are theologians today that say that God only knows the past. HE doesn’t know what is going to happen in the present until it happens. Finally, HE doesn’t know the future. So when things happen in the present and in the future they are a surprise to HIM. This theologian is a false teacher. There are many false teachers in our world. They sound good and sometimes appeal to people who don’t want the LORD to have omniscience or complete knowledge of the past, present and future.
However there are many places in the Word of God where we are told that God knew the future. Here is one of them as HE knew that Saul was going to offer the sacrifices that it was not permitted for him to do. It was only the priest that could offer sacrifices and remain true to the LORD.
The LORD knew that HE would have to find a replacement for Saul. HE had to find a king who was one whose heart was toward HIM rather than toward himself. That future king was David.
Saul was told that he would have to be obedient to the LORD but he chose to not obey and do what he thought was best rather than what the LORD thought was best.
Samuel confronted him and told him what was going to happen in the future. It did happen but not right away. Samuel was the one who anointed the next king over Israel. It was written that David had a heart for God.
CHALLENGE: Do you have a heart for God? Obedience is the key to our life in HIM. The LORD is still looking for individuals who put HIM first.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 19 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears. (2796 “smith” [charash] means craftsman, someone who works metal, artificer, an engraver, workman, maker, or armorer.)
DEVOTION: The enemy knows how to keep us weak. The children of Israel had to come to the Philistines to have their farm instruments sharpened. They didn’t allow them to have any tools to make weapons to fight with them.
So, with no blacksmiths in the land the only ones who had any swords were Saul and Jonathan. They had to use an army with no weapons like the Philistines could use against them.
It seemed like a lost cause for the Israelites to go up against an army that had weapons that worked while the Israelites only had farm tools. Yet one of the things that the Israelites didn’t understand was that they didn’t need any weapons. They had the LORD!!!
We need to realize that we are fighting an enemy every day if we are a genuine follower of Jesus Christ. Our enemy has many weapons against us. In fact, the Bible says that he is shooting arrows at us all day long. However, the Bible gives us what we need to take the arrows down. We have the armor of God that we are to put on each day. Who is providing the armor of God? It is God Himself. HE has provided Jesus Christ who is our armor against all the arrows the enemy, Satan can fire at us.
The children of Israel needed to know the truth about the real weapons they had against the Philistines. It was the power of God. HE was the only weapon they needed to defeat any enemy that came against them.
CHALLENGE: Are we fighting our battles with the armor of God?? HE will provide the means to defeat the enemy.
: 22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan, but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found. (4421 “battle” [milchamah] means war, fight, instruments of war, combat, hand-to-hand fighting, or a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war)
DEVOTION: The children of Israel were not prepared to fight a battle with an army that was well equipped for war. The Philistines made sure that the children of Israel didn’t have any weapons to fight with them that were better than the ones they had.
The enemy sometimes seems to have an advantage over those who are following the LORD. It seems that we are the weaker ones and those who serve the devil have better weapons and an advantage over us.
This is a deception of the devil because if we have the LORD, we have all the weapons we need to defeat any enemy. Too often we fall for the devil’s tricks. He wants us to think that we are weak and he is strong.
Once we realize that with the LORD, we are stronger than any enemy we will be thinking correctly. Our thinking has to be based on the Word of God. Samuel was the one who was bring the Word of God to the Israelites but they were not waiting as they should for HIS servant to arrive.
Too often we depend on what we think we have to win a battle. We think that we can gain a advantage if we do things ourselves without waiting on the LORD through prayer and confession.
Saul thought that as long as he had two swords it was enough. He thought the he was ready for battle without waiting for a word from the LORD which was coming from Samuel.
The enemy is always ready to fight but we have to wait on the LORD for the genuine strength we need to win the battle.
We have to ask the LORD if we are depending on HIM or on some weapons, we have to fight the battles HE allows in our lives.
CHALLENGE: Always wait on the LORD. Even when it seems like the enemy is at our doorstep. Waiting in not easy but it what the LORD wants us to do. HE is coming to give us victory.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Supplication to the LORDverse 12
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Burnt offeringverses 9, 10, 12
Peace offeringverse 9
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Commandment of the LORD your Godverse 13
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah)verses 12-14
God (Elohim)verse 13
LORD your Godverse 13
Commandment of the LORD thy Godverse 13
LORD sought a man after HIS own heartverse 14
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Philistinesverses 3-5, 11, 16-21, 23
Garrison of Philistines in Geba defeated
Thirty thousand chariots
Six thousand horsemen
People as the sand
Pitched in Michmash – eastward from Beth-aven
Spoilers came out in three companies
Didn’t want smiths in Israel to make swords and spears
Garrison of Philistines in Michmash
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Distressedverse 6
Tremblingverse 7
King offering offeringsverse 9
Acting foolishlyverse 13
Not keeping commandments of the LORDverses 13, 14
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Man after God’s own heartverse 14
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Saulverse 1
Reigned two year
Blew the trumpet throughout land
Let the Hebrews hear
Smitten a garrison of Philistines
Gathered to Gilgal
Offered a burnt offering (sin)
Offered excuses to Samuel
You didn’t come
People were scattering
Philistines gathered
I made supplication to the LORD
Not kept what the LORD had commanded
Numbers men with him 600
Israelverses 2-4, 6, 19
Let the Hebrews hear
Abomination to Philistines
Distressed at number of Philistines
Hide
Hebrews went to land of Gad and Gilead
No smith found in land of Israel
Saul and Jonathan only had swords
Setting the battle plansverse 2
Saul had 2,000 men at Michmash
and in mount Bethel
Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin
Johathanverses 2, 3, 16
At Gibeah of Benjamin
Smote garrison of Philistines
in Geba
Samuelverses 8, 10
Set a time of seven days to come
Asked Saul: What have you done?
Said that Saul had done foolishly
Not kept commandment of the LORD
LORD could have established Saul’s kingdom
Went from Gilgal to Bibeah
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Foreververse 13
QUOTES regarding passage
Samuel’s curt response in the form of a question—“What have you done?” (v. 11; cf. Gen 3:13)—makes clear that the prophet was not interested in social niceties at this time. Saul responded to the question defensively, blaming three other parties for his act of disobedience: his soldiers, who “were scattering”; Samuel, who “did not come at the set time”; and the Philistines, who “were assembling at Micmash” (v. 11). He was “compelled” (lit., “forced himself”) to perform the sacrifice because he feared that the Philistines would attack him before he had “sought the Lord’s favor” (v. 12). It is ironic—and symptomatic of Saul’s spiritual dullness—that the king believed he could obtain the Lord’s favor through an act of disobedience. (Bergen, R. D. (1996). 1, 2 Samuel (Vol. 7, p. 150). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
The events included in the telling of this episode serve to create a tragic parallel between Saul and Adam (cf. Gen 3). Both men were the heads of their respective social institutions; both violated commands given them by the Lord; both expressed an unwillingness to take personal responsibility for their actions. Because of sin Adam lost the opportunity for eternal life in the garden; for the same cause Saul lost the opportunity for an enduring dynasty in the Promised Land. These parallels are not accidental but result from a consistent theological perspective that views loss of position and privilege as inevitable consequences of violating the Lord’s commandments. (Bergen, R. D. (1996). 1, 2 Samuel (Vol. 7, p. 151). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
There Saul waited for Samuel to come and offer sacrifice (13:8) as he had been told to do two years earlier (10:8; see comments on 13:1–2). But on the seventh day, the day Samuel was to arrive, Saul could wait no longer and unlawfully took on himself the priestly task of offering community sacrifice. Then Samuel came and when he knew that Saul had taken liberties by offering the sacrifice, he rebuked him with the words, You acted foolishly. Because of this deed, Samuel said, Saul’s dynasty would come to an end (Your kingdom will not endure), and that of another man would take its place, a man after God’s own heart. The severity of God’s judgment on Saul must be seen in the light of God’s holiness. As in the instance of the people’s careless handling of the ark at Beth Shemesh, so Saul had now violated the holy standards of the Lord by disobeying the Law of Moses (Lev. 6:8–13) and the word of His Prophet Samuel (1 Sam. 10:8). That there was the possibility of the eternal duration of Saul’s dynasty is clear from 1 Samuel 13:13, but this in no way teaches that the rise of David’s dynasty was contingent on the fall of Saul’s. All Samuel said was that Saul’s kingship would end and someone else’s would begin. (Merrill, E. H. (1985). 1 Samuel. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 445). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Deception (1 Sam. 13:10–12). As Saul decays in character, we shall see him deceiving himself and others more and more. His first deception at Gilgal occurred when he greeted Samuel cordially and expected Samuel to give him a blessing. Saul was playing the hypocrite and acting as though he had done nothing wrong. “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth” (1 John 1:6, kjv). His second lie consisted in blaming Samuel and the soldiers and not himself. It was Samuel’s fault for arriving late and the army’s fault for deserting their king. His words, “I saw” indicate that Saul was walking by sight and not by faith. He lied a third time when he said that he had to force himself to offer the sacrifice. Could he not have “forced himself” to pray or to call together some of the officers to beseech the Lord for His help? The will is the servant of the mind and heart, but Saul’s thinking and desiring were totally out of the will of God.
People who are good at making excuses are rarely good at anything else, and those who are quick to blame others shouldn’t complain if others blame them. When God confronted our first parents with their sin, Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent, but neither Adam nor Eve said humbly, “I have sinned.” Throughout his career, King Saul was adept at minimizing his own sins and emphasizing the faults of others, but this isn’t the way a man of God leads God’s people. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2001). Be successful (p. 66). Colorado Springs, CO: Victor/Cook Communications.)
13:11 Because I saw. Saul reacted disobediently based upon what he saw and not by faith. He feared losing his men and did not properly consider what God would have him do. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (1 Sa 13:11). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 11. And Samuel said, what hast thou done? &c.] This question he put to bring him to a confession of what he had done, otherwise he guessed at it by his countenance; or rather, by the prophetic spirit he was endowed with, he knew it certainly that he had offered the sacrifices without waiting for him: and Saul said, because I saw the people were scattered from me; they were deserting, and he feared, if he stayed any longer, they would all leave him; this was one reason of doing what he did: and that thou camest not within the days appointed; seven days were appointed, and because the seventh day was come, though it was not gone, he concluded Samuel would not come at all; and that was another reason why he did what he did; and by this would have laid the blame on Samuel, as if he did not keep his time; whereas it was Saul’s impatience that hurried him to this action: and that the Philistines gathered themselves together to Michmash; where his station before was, and from thence he might quickly expect them at Gilgal; and this was another reason why he hastened the sacrifice. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, pp. 474–475). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
10–12. Observe, under what specious pretenses Saul covered the motives of his conduct; like the first sinners in the garden of Eden: self-justification, even to the last, we find in their apology. Gen. 3:10–13. But Reader! do not in the conduct of Saul overlook the picture it affords of the human heart. How doth every man attempt to justify himself in his actions under the false covering of some supposed good, until the film of self-deception is taken from off his eyes by the Holy Ghost; and never until he is convinced of sin doth he seek justification in the righteousness of Christ. (Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: Deuteronomy–2 Samuel (Vol. 2, p. 524). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST
And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
Luke 2:40
The Scriptures also teach about Christ’s humanity. Take, for instance, what you read in 1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” He is described as “the man.” Notice–you cannot have read the Gospels without noticing–the frequency with which the term “the Son of man” is used about Him. It is used over eighty times! Now the Son of man, of course, is a very special term, and it has a very special significance.
Then the Scriptures make abundantly plain and clear that Christ had a typical human, physical nature. Take that statement in Hebrews 2:14, where we are told that because “the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same.”
Another very striking bit of evidence under this heading is that He obviously looked like a man. Not only that, we also have evidence to prove that He looked like a typical Jew. You remember what we are told of the incident of the woman of Samaria meeting our Lord at the well, and how she expressed her astonishment that He should speak to her: “How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?” (John 4:9). She had no idea who He was, but when He spoke to her, she at once recognized that He was a Jew.
Then, under this same heading of His physical frame, the Scriptures teach us that He still had this human body even after His resurrection. When He appeared to the disciples, when Thomas was present in the room and He was anxious to prove to Thomas that He was the same person, He said, “Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing” (John 20:27).
A Thought to Ponder: Christ obviously looked like a man. (From God the Father, God the Son, pp. 271-272 by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones.
“If we lose freedom here, there is no place to escape to. This is the last stand on Earth.”
– President Ronald Reagan
Deuteronomy 3
The transfer of authority from Moses to Joshua is announced.
INSIGHT
The past is a picture of the future. When trying to determine what will be, it is important to know what has been.
Throughout the wilderness journey, God reminds Israel what He has done in the past-to give them courage and hope for the future. As the reins of leadership are passed from Moses to Joshua, the Lord encourages Joshua with a review of history: “Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two [past] kings; so will the Lord do to all the kingdoms through which you pass” (Deuteronomy 3:21).
The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. When we face the giants in our lives, we can take heart from the Lord’s words to Joshua: “You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights for you” (Deuteronomy 3:22). Our giants are not flesh and blood. They are spiritual and emotional. But the Lord must still defeat them. Trust! (Quiet Walk)
Desperate Solutions
You did not . . . have regard for the One who planned it long ago.
|
GOD FORGIVES SIN
God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5
God, being God, cannot simply forgive sin. Now the common idea about God, the one that we have instinctively, is that when we admit we have sinned, all that is necessary is that we should come to God, say we are very sorry, and God will forgive us. But according to the Bible that is impossible, and I do not hesitate to use that word. As a preacher of the Christian Gospel, I am compelled to say this, and I say it with reverence: God, because He is God, cannot just forgive sin like that.
If you want me to prove what I am saying, this is how I do it. If God could have forgiven sin just by saying, “I forgive,” He would have done so, and Christ would never have been sent into this world. The work that was given to Him to do, this work, this assignment, this task, was given to the Lord Jesus Christ because, I say again, without it God cannot forgive sin. He must not only justify the ungodly—He must remain just. The way of salvation must be consistent with the character of God. He cannot deny Himself; He cannot change Himself; He is unchangeable. “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). He is “the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). He is eternally the same, and He is absolutely righteous and holy and just. He cannot remain that and simply forgive sin.
It is wrong to say, “God is love, and because He is love, He will forgive me.” My friend, He cannot, because He is God! The work of Christ was essential because of the character of God, and it was essential because of man being in sin; something had to be done to render man fit for God.
A Thought to Ponder: God, being God, cannot simply forgive sin.
From Saved in Eternity, pp. 99-100.
Visit our Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.