by Gary L. Evans
95 — Who killed Saul?
“Saul took his own sword and fell upon it…. Thus Saul died… (1 Samuel 31:4-6)
1Sa 31:1-6 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa. And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons. And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers. Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it. And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him. So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.
An Amalekite slew him (2 Samuel 1:1-16)
2Sa 1:1-16 Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag; It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance. And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped. And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also. And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead? And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I. And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me. So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord. Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him: And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword. And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite. And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD’S anointed? And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died. And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD’S anointed.
The Amalekite had lied that he had killed Saul. But he had obviously seen Saul’s body, taken Saul’s Crown and Arm Bracelet. But since he claimed that he had killed King Saul, no doubt believing that David would give him a reward, David had him executed.
96 — Does every man sin?
Yes. “There is no man who does not sin” (1 Kings 8:46; see also 2 Chronicles 6:36; Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesiastes 7:20; and 1 John 1:8-10)
1Ki 8:22-26 And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven: And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart: Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him: thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day. Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me. And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father.
This was Solomon’s Prayer. This was before The New Covenant was available for man. This was before Christ Jesus walked this earth, and He was without sin.
1Ki 8:44-50 If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, whithersoever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the LORD toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I have built for thy name: Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name: Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause, And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:
2Ch 6:36 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near;
This is the parallel passage in Chronicles of Solomon’s Prayer shown above.
Pro 20:9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
We do not have the ability to “make our hearts clean.” Only God can heal us, giving us a new heart and mind through The New Covenant.
Ecc 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
Only the Man Christ Jesus was without sin.
1Jn 1:5-10 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
We have all sinned in the past. But anyone who continues to sin cannot have Fellowship with The Father and The Son. John is making it perfectly clear. We cannot continue to commit sin and claim to be in Christ, that is, to be a Christian. We must enter the New Covenant in order to be saved from Sin and Death by The Blood of Christ. Otherwise, we will remain dead in our sins.
Why is it impossible for man in his flesh nature to be perfect in obedience to God’s Law? The Lord told us why:
Deu 29:2-4 And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles: Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.
The Lord did not give us Eyes to see and Ears to hear. Our hearts are lawless by their very nature. If anyone wants to know what is the CONTRADICTION described in The Bible, meditate on this fact, my friends. WE ARE THAT CONTRADICTION. But even though we cannot make ourselves perfect in order to gain Eternal Life by our own works, all things are possible with God.
No. True Christians cannot possibly sin, because they are the children of God. “Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God. (1 John 5:1).
1Jn 5:1-3 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
God’s Love for us is in His Law and that we keep His Law. And God’s Law is not a burden but a blessing. God’s Law is The Law of Love.
“We should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:1).
1Jn 3:1-6 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
“He who loves is born of God” (1 John 4:7).
1Jn 4:7-13 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
“No one born of God commits sin; for God’s nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God” (1 John 3:9).
1Jn 3:6-10 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
The word “seed” is from the Greek “sper’-mah” and means “something sown, that is, seed (including the male “sperm”); by implication offspring; specifically a remnant (figuratively as if kept over for planting).”
So the “seed” is God’s Offspring, The Only Begotten Son of God, Whose Heart and Mind dwell in us by The New Covenant in His Blood.
After a new believer repents and prays that The Lord will let them enter into The New Covenant, The Lord gladly receives them and sends them The Holy Spirit, their New Heart and Mind, The Mind of Christ. Then they are a New Creature, with Christ dwelling in them. And they cannot sin, because Jesus does not sin and He dwells in them.
But, then again, Yes! “If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8)
1Jn 1:8-9 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Sins committed in ignorance can be forgiven upon repentance. We do not know all things, knowledge of God’s Law and knowledge of everything around us. We are as new born babies when we first enter The New Covenant, and babies must grow and learn in order to become mature men and women in the likeness of Jesus Christ. So we can act in error through ignorance of The Law or by being caught off guard by something around us. We must remain humble before The Lord and be quick to repent.
For examples: Perhaps we have had evil thoughts about someone who wronged us. That is a sin of Uncleanness. We must ask The Lord to forgive our uncleanness and cleanse us of all resentments. Or a new Christian may eat pork just as his family has done since he was a child. Then he reads Leviticus chapter 11 and learns God’s Dietary Laws and realizes that eating unclean things is sin. If he repents and cleans up his diet, his past sins done in ignorance are forgiven. (And his physical health and strength will dramatically improve also.) Until we study God’s Law, we are living our lives in the dark, not knowing what sin is and what sin is not. As we study and learn God’s Law, we will realize things we have done that are transgressions. Therefore we must immediately repent and ask our Father to forgive us. God Loves us so much. He will forgive us. And in this way, we keep ourselves purified from any sin.
Please be forewarned, my friends, never commit wilful sin, after you know that God has forbidden it. Because wilful sin is unforgivable.
Num 15:29-31 Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them. But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.
Always remember: He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. But now we are of God, my friends.
97 — Who will bear whose burden?
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2)
Gal 6:1-3 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
The word “burdens” is from the Greek “bar’-os” and means “weight; in the New Testament only, figuratively a load, abundance, authority: – burden (-some), weight.
Dr. Bullinger states: “burdens. Greek. baros. Compare Gal_6:5. Baros is the burden we can bear by help and sympathy.”
What kinds of “burdens” can be helped by “sympathy”? Emotional distress that weighs us down. With these we can help others overcome their sadness from loss or suffering from chronic illness by spending time with them, empathizing with them, sharing Scripture to encourage and comfort them.
And if a member of the assembly shows that another member is guilty of something, then be gentle, nonjudgmental, and helpful, showing in the Scripture what he or she needs in order to gain knowledge and repent. That way everyone in the assembly can grow in their knowledge of The Truth.
“Each man will have to bear his own load” (Galatians 6:5)
Gal 6:4-5 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.
If we say that we love God, then let us prove it by demonstrating our love one to another in word and deed. And spending quality time with one another, especially when someone is suffering a hardship, is one way to show our love for one another. And if someone is sick and unable to perform basic chores like cooking and cleaning, one or more Christian friends can help by coming over to take care of them.
98 — How many disciples did Jesus appear to after his resurrection?
Twelve (1 Corinthians 15:5)
1Co 15:1-8 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
Dr. Bullinger states: “the twelve. Joh_20:19, Joh_20:24. The term is used officially.”
So the use of the term “twelve disciples” refers to their official number when Jesus called them. But we know that Judas Iscariot had died soon after Jesus was crucified.
Eleven (Matthew 27:3-5 and Acts 1:9-26, see also Matthew 28:16; Mark 16:14 footnote; Luke 24:9; Luke 24:33)
Mat 27:3-5 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
Yes, just simple math: 12 – 1 = 11.
Act 1:24-26 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Mat 28:16-17 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
Mark 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
Luk 24:7-9 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words, And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.
Luk 24:32-34 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
These are interesting facts, but no contradiction.