The first chapter of the second book of Samuel in the old testament Bible, detailed the lamentation of David over the death of Saul. I believe it was not the death of Saul in itself that grieved David, because in the earlier conversation he had with that young Amalekite who brought the news, he already knew he was dead. It was the way and manner in which he died, how he ended the journey that caused him grief.
Firstly, he rated Saul as mighty and indeed he was, and he repeatedly wandered how such a mighty man of valor falls. In his assessment, there ought to be a type of death that the mighty should die, not a shameful and ignoble death. You wander why he had such a great and revered expectation on Saul. The answer is because he knew Saul was anointed. He felt strongly that the anointing should count for something.
You cannot tell David what it means to be anointed. He himself has a practical experience of the Anointing. He knew it was the anointing that Revealed him. He had had several encounters of silent victories before that were unannounced, uncelebrated and unnoticed. But when it happened that a seemingly natural conversation, unplanned appearance, unscheduled intention, turned around to announce him, he knew that it was the anointing that does that and he felt such anointing should count for something.
He knew that it was the anointing that brings down the opposition. He knew how many deaths he ought to have died but for the anointing. He knew that things rise against the anointed but they fall right before them because the anointed is not alone; he is a carrier of power and grace.
He also knew the anointed should not be stranded. There is a miraculous provision that reaches out to the anointed, and he knows about it. He was looking at his own life being a person who is anointed and he sees the terrible and terrific provisions that reaches out to him and he now imagined what it should be with King Saul who was anointed earlier than him. These and many other virtues of the anointed did David knew and that was why he wept saying with bitterness of soul, No! Something is wrong! This thing I carry cannot be treated this way. Saul died as if he was not anointed. How are the mighty fallen!
I would like to point out very impressively to you and please know this, that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, mighty in any man, except there is Mighty God that is backing him. Every man born of a woman, born in the flesh is ordinary, it is Christ in God that makes us extra ordinary and if we don’t know this, someday, there will be a show to announce us as ordinary after we lose touch with the power that fronts us as mighty.
I believe that as David was grieving, repeatedly questioning his heart, how are the mighty Fallen, heaven was saying, no! it is an ordinary man that fell, not a mighty man. The Mightiness has departed from him long ago, his mightiness is a memory, he does not carry it again. Painfuly shameful. If the mightiness went with him to the battle, he would not have fallen. Everything else falls and bows down before the mighty- Psa_24:8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. I believe something or somethings must have went wrong that the anointing Couldn’t speak again in the life of Saul. Certainly David is not aware, but Saul dear not say he does not know about it.
I also believe that before this shameful death, I trust that our heavenly Father must have been calling Saul’s attention to the things that makes mockery of the anointing he carried, calling him to attention about it, but perhaps he over-rated the anointing. He over-rated his reputation. He over-rated his ability. And he ended up real bad. My prayer for you today is not only to be anointed, but that you will walk all the days of your life in the pleasure of God that guarantees a glorious finishing.
May I therefore tell you how it is that God indeed want us to finish well. Everything God has began in our life, because His name is Alpha and Omega, He wants to gloriously begin it and more gloriously bring it to accomplishment. In the first chapter of Philippians verses 6, the Scriptures says, ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ’’. It suggests to me that nothing can interrupt what God has began, except us, not even the devil. When God started with Saul, oh! He meant well for him; he took him from the pit, from no body to somebody, from chasing donkey down the hills to leading a nation. God surprised him; he himself didn’t believe what was happening to him, but someday, somehow, he interrupted the flow, and stopped the flow of Mercy towards his life and he missed it completely.
Please open your mouth and declare this loud and clear; In the name of Jesus, I will not interrupt God’s flow of mercy upon my life. I will not stand against the good work that God has began in my life. I am preserved. I am protected. I am covered. I will not be exposed.
What therefore are the things that makes a man not to finish well?
1. Impatience- Critical to our journey brethren, our Christian Journey and pilgrimage of faith is the virtue called patience. Anyone who is not patient cannot walk with God. Didn’t you here what He says, ‘’wait upon the Lord and be of good courage’’. Those who cannot wait on the instructions and comandamnets of God, just like Saul, always loose out of the best of God for their lives. (I Sam 13:8-11, Heb 12:1, Romans 5:3, 2 Cor 6:4)
2. Disorderliness- God has set rules and boundaries for life. It does not matter who you are or how anointed you are, if you walk against the rules and commandments, you will be disqualified. I Corinthians 9:24 says know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. Therefore we have to strive lawfully. If you live anyhow, you will reap any anyhow harvest.
Beloved, there is no place where the eyes of God doesn’t reach, but there is a place where the hand of God doesn’t reach- the place of sin. Isa 59:1 Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear
The sinners that God saves are the one who are ready to receive His salvation. God wants you to end your journey well, he doenst want you to have good testimony in the beginning and a shameful one in the end, so he wants you to surrender your life totally to him.
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