Good News, Received and Shared
And they stripped him (Saul) and took his head and armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to carry the good news to their idols. (I Chronicles 10:9)
I Chron. 10:1-13; Isa. 40:9, 52:7, and 61:1; Luke 2:10; Rom. 1:16 and 5:1-2
What Is God Saying?
The rise and fall of King Saul is one of the Bible's sad and tragic stories. He was so promising and so disappointing. Perhaps I Chronicles 10:13-14 is enough at this point to summarize the elements of his downfall. Saul is not the first nor is he the last who did not seek guidance from the Lord, and, going his own way, failed. His life was a rocket, rising in power, bursting in splendor, then falling to earth a spent, dying ember.
His death was good news to the Philistines. He was a great warrior and he was the symbol of authority in a nation they dearly hated. So, flushed with victory, the Philistines sent messengers with the good tidings. Their idols would be so happy to hear the news! Of course, their lifeless idols could neither hear their jubilant cries nor wear a smile of approval, but that mattered little, the good news had to be shared, first with the gods, and then with those who had kept the home fires burning.
How Does This Apply To Us?
We also have Good News. The Philistines took the report of their triumph on Mt. Gilboa to their dead gods. We receive our Good News from the living God through the triumph of Christ on Mt. Calvary. Notice the eagerness with which the Philistines shared their story of a conquered king, ‘They sent messengers throughout the land to carry the good news to their idols.’ A fallen king was their good news! A risen King is our Good News! Yet how eager are we to share our Good News throughout the land? Ours is a living and loving God who is not willing that any should perish, and those who could hear our Good News are not lifeless idols in a shrine. They are living (and dying) people in the post office, the bank, and the supermarket. This illustration, taken from an instance of humiliating defeat and tragic failure long ago and far away, does say something to us. We have far more reason to carry the Good News, we have a greater victory to celebrate, and we have the message of a far greater King who died to bring us salvation and rose to give us eternal life.
Pray With Me
Lord, I thank You for Jesus Christ through whom the Good News of Your saving power has been brought to the world. I thank You that it was the desire and plan of the only wise God, our Savior, to bring Good News to us.
How sad it is when someone must carry the good news of his victory to some deity of their own making. How empty to share the gladness of victory before a face whose expression can never change. It is far better when the Good News of redemption is brought from the living God, through the risen Christ, to those who are dead in trespasses and sins.
Let the knowledge that You have brought me good news fill my heart with deep love for You. Help me share the Good News with others who have never been convinced that God lives and loves and cares. Then the good news that I will bring to You, loving Father, will never be that of pride cruelly avenged or of opponents violently subdued. My good news to You will be that, through Christ, I have been subdued and others for His sake have been loved into the kingdom.
You have not brought Good News to me so that I may keep it in a safe, secret place. I am to share it with conviction and joy. Then I will return to You with that good news that can make even the angels sing. Here, Lord is one grateful and forgiven sinner who has been found and rescued by hearing and believing the Good News of the blessed God.
In the name of Him whose deathless love is the everlasting Good News. Amen.
Moving On In The Life of Prayer
The Good News is the light that shines on our souls with a lingering benediction as we pray; the song that puts a melody in our hearts when we lift them in prayer to God; the peace that floods our being as we contemplate the powerful and deathless love of Jesus; the grace that is sufficient for us in every trial; the truth that gives us a steady step; the love that gives us a willing hand when we rise from prayer.
‘We are justified by faith, we have peace with God and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God’ (Romans 5:1-2). That's Good News. Let's share what we have received.
