1 Samuel 11:15: “So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. There they made sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.”

May 20th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

This was probably the finest spiritual moment in King Saul’s entire life. It wasn’t because he had succeeded in assembling the nation for war, nor that they had won a great victory over the Ammonites. This was his finest moment because he chose to overlook criticisms and deal fairly with some of his own people who had spoken against his reign. The king could have taken his revenge, but he refused to dampen the spirit of the day with self-serving actions. Best yet, King Saul was unwilling to take personal credit for the victory over the Ammonites. He acknowledged that it was God who had given His people the victory, and he allowed his detractors to go unpunished.

At this moment it seemed that Israel had a good king ruling over them, but the clouds were already gathering. The Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 5:17: “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” How we must continue to fight this battle that wages back and forth, every day, in each and every one of us.

There is a familiar old fable that speaks clearly about this struggle. One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson, “My son, there is a battle between 2 wolves inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good. It is love, joy, peace, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, nobility, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. His grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked, “Which wolf wins?” The old Cherokee replied, “The one you feed.”

“LORD, help us to feed our spirits and not our flesh, making good choices. We want to grow in You this day.”

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1 Samuel 11 KJV

¹ Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh-gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee. ² And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel. ³ And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days’ respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee. ⁴ Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept. ⁵ And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileththe people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh. ⁶ And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly. ⁷ And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.  ⁸ And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. ⁹ And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and shewed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad. ¹⁰ Therefore the men of Jabesh said, To morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you. ¹¹ And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together. ¹² And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death. ¹³ And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel. ¹⁴Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there. ¹⁵ And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.