January 31, 2023 Tuesday
1 Chronicles 10 and Judges 9
In both of these chapters you have kings that sought to keep their position power of authority and wealth but of impure motives and sought to kill those who were a threat to them continuing in their life of self glory authority wealth and pleasure. There is a general principle of leadership raised up of God with pure motives that does not seek power and authority coming out of the corrupted structure of those that do. There is also the principal of identity in a group or a leader and one another taking precedence over identity in God that results in division and a denominated mindset that limits God. All of these principles of corruption are the opposite of love that only can be the bases on an everlasting kingdom under the headship of Yahweh the Almighties, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
1Chr 10:2-6 (KJV)
2And the Philistines followed hard after Saul, and after his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.3And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him, and he was wounded of the archers.4Then said Saul to his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. So Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.5And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on the sword, and died.6So Saul died, and his three sons, and all his house died together.
1Chr 10:13-14 (KJV)
13So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;14And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.
Judges 9:5-20 (KJV)
5And he went unto his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.6And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.7And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.8The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.9But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?10And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us.11But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?12Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.13And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?14Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.15And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.16Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands;17(For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:18And ye are risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)19If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:20But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.