The King by Linda Rios Brook

Author:Linda Rios Brook [Brook, Linda Rios]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Christian, Suspense
ISBN: 9781616382445
Google: lqzwAgAAQBAJ
Amazon: B0061NHQPM
Publisher: Realms
Published: 2011-10-29T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 21

SAMUEL CALLED IT right when he described Saul as impetuous and reckless. Saul’s mind wasn’t large enough to contain emotion and logic at the same time: enter emotion, exit logic. Like the time he decided to motivate his fighting men by vowing that none of them would have food and water until the battle was won and anyone who broke the vow would be executed. His whole army almost collapsed from heat exhaustion. Since one bad idea usually sires another, he set up his son Jonathan for execution through the same vow.

Jonathan was unaware of the lengths to which Saul had gone with his ridiculous mandate, so he ate some honey, regained his strength, and became a hero in the battle. Saul would have likely followed through and killed him if the soldiers hadn’t intervened in Jonathan’s defense.

Saul was forever asking God about this or that, but a lot of the time God didn’t answer him. Saul interpreted no answer as a yes and jumped right into the thick of things, believing God was on his side when many times that wasn’t the case at all. I watched Saul for many years, and I knew for sure a day of reckoning was coming for his kingship. It was only a matter of time till Saul would reach his level of incompetency. God was bound to give him an assignment that would make him or break him as king. The morning I saw Samuel making his way to Saul’s house for an unscheduled visit, I knew the assignment was about to arrive.

“Samuel, my father, I’m surprised but happy to see you.”

“I’m not your father, and I’m here on business. Consider this a midterm performance review. As a king, you’ve often let your passions get ahead of your brains. You’ve been fortunate that no disaster has befallen you. You’ve won some battles, but you haven’t always been faithful to obey God in everything. I’m giving you a new word from the Lord today, and you must be careful to obey Him in every command.”

“I will obey Him to the smallest letter of His word,” Saul promised. “Yes, well, let’s hope so. Now listen carefully. Thus says the Lord this day, ‘I’m about to bring judgment on Amalek for ambushing Israel when Israel came up out of Egypt.’”

“Is He serious? That was a long time ago,” Saul interrupted.

“And so?” Samuel was annoyed that Saul had interrupted the word.

“I’m just surprised, that’s all. Why bring judgment now for something that occurred decades ago? The people who were involved are all dead.”

“Saul, listen to me and learn. Time does not erase sin. The sins of the father are visited on the children to the third or fourth generation. Repentance and restitution erase sin—nothing else. Now let me finish.”

Samuel closed his eyes trying to remember his last sentence.

“Now where was I? Here’s what you are to do; go to war against Amalek. Kill Agag the king, and put everything connected with Amalek under a holy ban, with no exceptions.

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