”Then Samuel died; and the Israelites gathered together and lamented for him, and buried him at his home in Ramah. And David arose and went down to the Wilderness of Paran.“ I Samuel 25:1 NKJV
a. Then Samuel died: This great man who was dedicated to the LORD and served Him from his youngest days, was now dead. As godly as he was, it did not save him from an earthly death because he was still a descendant of Adam. But God’s work in Israel did not end when Samuel died. God’s work never is dependent on only one man.
i. If it is written then Samuel died, it is also written and David arose. God’s work may begin with a man, but it never ends with one man. God continues and sustains His work as He pleases.
b. The Israelites gathered together and lamented for him: Samuel seemed to be unappreciated by Israel during his life (1 Samuel 8:1-7) but at least he was honored in his death.
i. Samuel’s heritage lived on in a remarkable way. 1 Chronicles 9:22 suggests he organized the Levites in the service of the sanctuary which was completed by David and Solomon. 1 Chronicles 26:27-28 says Samuel began collecting treasures for building the temple in Solomon’s day. 2 Chronicles 35:18 reports that Samuel remembered the Passover and kept Israel in remembrance of God’s great deliverance. Psalm 99:6 and Jeremiah 15:1 commemorate Samuel as a man of great intercession. Hebrews 11:32 puts Samuel among God’s “Heroes of Faith.” (Guzik)
Dash!
Then ______ died.
The “dash” on your tombstone represents the life we lived between our start date and our end date.
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” (Marker Twain)
The Dash – By Linda Ellis
I read of a man who stood to speak at a funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on the tombstone from the beginning… to the end.
He noted that first came the date of birth and spoke of the following date with tears, but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.
For that dash represents all the time they spent alive on earth and now only those who loved them know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not, how much we own, the cars… the house… the cash. What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.
So think about this long and hard; are there things you’d like to change? For you never know how much time is left that still can be rearranged.
To be less quick to anger and show appreciation more and love the people in our lives like we’ve never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile… remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.
So when your eulogy is being read, with your life’s actions to rehash, would you be proud of the things they say about how you lived your dash?
Paul said:
”For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.“
Romans 8:18-23 NKJV
Your “dash” matters!
Are you living your “dash” as an adopted child of God?
Blessings
https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/romans-8-23
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