a. Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul: It was time for Saul to act and God was with him. The Spirit of God came upon Saul, but it did not come to entertain him or to thrill him. It came to equip him for service so that he could do something for the LORD.
i. This is always God’s pattern. He doesn’t want us to seek the Spirit selfishly, but to be empowered and used by Him to touch others.
b. And his anger was greatly aroused: This was good and Spirit-led anger within Saul. The Bible says we can be angry, and do not sin (Ephesians 4:26), but most of our anger is selfish. Saul’s anger was not out of a personal sense of hurt or offense, but out of a righteous concern for the cause of the LORD among His people.
c. So he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces: In doing this, Saul delivered a clear threat to the people of Israel. The manner of the threat seemed more from the Mafia than from the people of God, but Saul wanted it clear that failure to step up and defend the cause of God at this time was sin and it would be punished as sin.
i. When the cause is right and the need desperate, it is wrong to do nothing. Doing nothing in such cases is sin, and when it comes to the sin of doing nothing, be sure your sin will find you out(Numbers 32:23).
d. Whoever does not go out with Saul and Samuel to the battle: “Saul’s inclusion of Samuel implies that he expects the prophet to accompany him into battle in view of the fact that Saul is responding to the Spirit of God.” (Baldwin)
e. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent: Saul’s bloody threat worked. When those hunks of ox-flesh came special delivery, all Israel knew there was a leader in Israel who was serious. They knew the LORD called them to do something about the crisis at Jabesh Gilead. (Guzik)
It Is Wrong To Do Nothing!
My fourth great grandfather was sitting in church one Sunday when his pastor addressed the congregation that the British soldiers were raping and pillaging the population and the men needed to do something because it is wrong to do nothing! The men of the congregation joined the American Revolutionary War that very day.
Some will say of the Ten Commandments, thou shall not kill, but the proper translation is, thou shall not murder and we shall soon study in the coming verses what Saul and his army do to the enemy with the help of the Lord.
Below is the history of the church and the names of the men that joined the revolutionary war that include my fourth great grandfather.
Revolutionary War Soldiers of the Catholic Presbyterian Church
A memorial stone was place August, 30, 1933 that lists these names as Patriots of the Revolution:
Rev. William Martin, Capt. Hugh Knox, Capt. Benjamin Land, William Anderson, John Bailey, James Bankhead, Joseph Barber, John Brown, Sr., John Caskey, Alexander Chestnut, thomas Garrett, James Graham, Parick Harbison, Robert Harper, William Hicklin, James Jamieson, John King, William Knox, John Corder, Thomas McCalla, Matthew McClurken, Hugh McDonald, Willaim McGarity, James McKown, Moses McKown, William Nesbit, David Robinson, William Starmount, William Stinson, William Stroud, Thomas Stroud, John Stoud, Capt. John Nixon, Capt. John Steel, Samuel Adams, Robert Archer, John Bankhead, James Barber, Hugh Boyd, George Caskey, George Crawford, Samuel Chestnut, David Graham, James Harbison, William Harbison, Andrew Hemphill, Arthur Hicklin, John Johnson, James Knox, M.D., John Lee, David McCalla, John McClurken, Thomas McClurkin, William McDonald, Alexander McKown, John McKown, John McWaters, James Peden, Thomas Stanford, Thomas Steele, Andrew Stevenson, William Stroud, Jr., Hampton Stroud, Thomas Thorn. (and perhaps others).
https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=245568
One day Jesus will return to judge and make war against mankind that rejected Him and to bind Satan!
”Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. Revelation 19:11-16 NKJV
Our world races towards destruction, please tell everyone about Jesus because time is short.
Blessings
I found this on the life of Reverend William Martin.
http://ballymoney.rpc.org/the-rev-william-martins-covenanting-zeal/
But noticed a problem with the birth date on the Revolutionary War Plaque and then found this.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/43699843/william-martin
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