Tag Archives: King Saul

Feeling a Little Broody?

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courtesy pixabayWhile researching chickens for a novel I am writing, I came upon some interesting information concerning broodiness.

Broodiness is a hen’s instinct to hatch eggs. A hen that’s thinking of brooding may cluck like a mother hen when she gets on or off the nest. On the nest she will puff out her feathers, growl; yes, growl, and peck your hand if you reach under her for an egg.

Just because a hen is sitting on a nest doesn’t necessarily mean she’s setting on eggs. She may be thinking about eggs she recently laid, or she may be hiding from some bully that’s higher in the peck order.

Although there are honest to goodness broodies as well as wanna be broodies, there iscourtesy pixabay a way to test for true broodiness. Gently reach beneath the hen and remove any eggs you find.

If she runs off in an hysterical snit, she’s not broody. (Just moody.)

If she pecks your hand, puffs out her feathers or growls, then she’s actually setting on her soon-to-be-hatched chicks.

The book I read on the subject said clucking is one sure sign of broodiness. It also said broody hens hiss like snakes when annoyed and disturbed, warning anyone near to stay away. Broodies’ growl is a harsh sound usually accompanied by feather-ruffling that indicates defensiveness and distrust which can also include a peck that means don’t mess with me.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve known my fair share of broody, clucking, huffy-puffy people. And if I’m truly honest, I’ve had my fair share of broody, clucking, huffy-puffy moments as well.

The Bible lists many broodies, but the first one that comes to my mind is spear-chucking, feathers-ruffling, hissy-fit-throwing King Saul.

Multiple times the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel mentions Saul got angry, lost his temper, and threw a spear at either David, or Saul’s son Jonathan’s head. Not to mention the episode where he had eighty-five priests killed at one time.

courtesy pixabaySaul puffed himself up and gave himself credit for accomplishments even when the great deeds weren’t his to claim.

He hissed, growled, and pecked at those around him who were a threat.

He killed those he felt threatened by and relentlessly tried to destroy David, God’s chosen future king.

Seems to me Saul fit the description for both a true broody hen and a wanna-be broody. He sat on something worth protecting, his dynasty, but by the end of his reign God removed his kingdom from him, and all that remained was wishful thinking.

Next time we find ourselves feeling broody, how about we make sure what we are protecting is worth fighting for and not just a bad case of ruffled feathers.

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Jonathan asked his father, “Why should David be killed? What wrong has he done?”  Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan, trying to kill him. So Jonathan knew that his father really wanted to kill David. 1 Samuel 20:32-33 (CEV)

You can find my November Inspire a Fire post here. Please stop by and read it.

I wish you well.

Sandy

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Sunday Scriptures – Where Does Our Worth Lie?

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by Sandy Kirby Quandt

I love the stories told in the two books of Samuel, especially those stories about Saul and David.

Saul was chosen by God to be Isreal’s first king after the people begged God to give them one. They wanted to be like the nations around them. They wanted to fit in, not be set apart for God as God intended.

When the prophet Samuel went to Saul at God’s direction and told the future king God tapped him for the job, Saul told Samuel he must be mistaken. Surely Saul was not king material, despite the fact God was the one who chose him.

Do we ever think as Saul did when God calls us to take up a job for him? I’m a nobody. What have I got to offer? Surely you are mistaken, sir.

Fears and insecurities pull us back and keep us from boldly stepping into God’s plan for us. We falsely believe our worth lies in the things of the world and man’s opinion of us, instead of the truth our worth is found only in Jesus.

For the record, Saul wasn’t a “nobody”. He came from a wealthy and powerful family. He was tall at a time when being tall instilled confidence and commanded respect. Yet, even after God gave Saul many victories as king, Saul continued to be jealous and obsessed with people’s opinion of him. He was insecure, deceitful, and arrogant to his own detriment.

It wasn’t enough God thought him worthy to be king, what people thought of Saul; his image, was more important to him to the point it cost him his kingship.

God can use each of us when we are willing to be used by him, realizing if he’s called us to something, he must think we’re capable of completing it through his power and grace.

The world’s standards of success or lack of are not the measuring stick Christians should use to measure our worth. Our worth lies in the favor we have found through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. The only one whose opinion matters.

Instead of looking at what we lack, as Saul did, let’s look at what God gives us, and thank him for those things.

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“Pardon me, sir,” Saul replied. “I’m from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of the tribe! You must have the wrong man!” 1 Samuel 9:21 (TLB)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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Incomplete Obedience is Not Obedience

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by Sandy Kirby Quandt

During a recent study of King Saul’s incomplete obedience to God’s word found in 1 Samuel 15, once again I was reminded there is no right way to do the wrong thing. To obey is better than sacrifice.

No matter how much we rationalize or kid ourselves, incomplete obedience is not obedience. As my minister said during a sermon on this topic last year, “If we refuse to listen to and obey God, we choose to stand outside of God’s blessing and purpose for our lives.”

When we do not fully carry out God’s directions, we make the choice to stand outside God’s blessing and purpose for our lives.

That’s what King Saul did.

When Saul fought the Amalekites, he choose to do things his way; not God’s way. God told Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites and their property.

However, Saul believed he knew better than God, and spared the Amalekite king, Agag, plus the best of the livestock, and everything else that appealed to Saul and his men.

When the prophet Samuel confronted Saul with his sin, Saul tried to justify his disobedience by saying he kept the best animals for a sacrifice to God. Doubtful.

Saul was a great military leader. This could have been his greatest victory with many more to follow. If only he obeyed God completely. God gave Saul and his men victory over the Amalekites. God expected complete obedience. King Saul obeyed partially, and falsely believed God would be okay with that.

Because Saul disobeyed, he removed himself from God’s best for his life.

As a result of Saul’s disobedience God removed Saul’s crown and the kingdom of Israel from him.

God wants our obedience given out of grateful hearts for all he has done, will do, and is doing in our lives. Through obeying God we show God we trust he knows what’s best for us. We show we believe God is a loving, kind, and good father.

When we disobey, even partially, it’s still disobedience. Disobedience says we think we know better than the God who spoke the world into being, and knit us together in our mother’s wombs.

It’s easy to justify and rationalize our disobedience, isn’t it?

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But Samuel answered, “What pleases the Lord more: burnt offerings and sacrifices or obedience? It is better to obey God than to offer a sacrifice. It is better to listen to God than to offer the fat of male sheep. 1 Samuel 15:22 (ICB)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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Sunday Scriptures — Rizpah

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by Sandy Kirby Quandt

Crows flew over the backyard and I thought of Rizpah.

Rizpah was King Saul’s concubine. The woman who shooed wild beasts away from the bodies of her two sons, and other family members, after they were murdered out of vengeance by the Gibeonites. Because Saul broke a promise made to them, the Gibeonites hung the men and left their bodies for the wild animals to finish off. (2 Samuel 21:1-14)

Gruesome. I know.

It was her love and devotion that caused brave Rizpah to spend day and night shooing the vultures and carnivorous beasts away from the corpses. We aren’t told exactly how long she stayed there protecting her loved ones’ bodies before King David heard about it, and ordered the bodies taken down and buried. We’re only told that it was from the beginning of the barley harvests until rain fell once again on the earth.

Rizpah’s devotion…love…courage…chutzpah, has always impressed me. I can’t imagine being in such a dreadful situation.

With the way my mind chases thoughts and ideas, as I thought about Rizpah, I couldn’t help but think of people we may know who don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus as their Savior. I thought of them as the sons’ bodies that were left to the wild beasts. I thought of those of us who are secure in our salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross as Rizpah.

I believe Christ calls those of us who belong to him to leave our comfort zones, go out in his strength and power to those who don’t know him, and shoo the vultures and carnivorous beasts away so they can have life eternal through him. I don’t know how long that may take from the beginning of the barley harvests to when the rain falls, but I do believe it is what Jesus wants us to do. Whatever that may look like for each of us.

Don’t you?

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Try to help those who argue against you. Be merciful to those who doubt. Save some by snatching them as from the very flames of hell itself. And as for others, help them to find the Lord by being kind to them, but be careful that you yourselves aren’t pulled along into their sins. Hate every trace of their sin while being merciful to them as sinners. Jude 22-23 (TLB)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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