And then
Philistine Retaliation and Israel's Fear
notice the retaliation by the Philistines in verses six to seven. Well, verse five is interesting. Then the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen and people as the sand, which is on the seashore and multitude. Now this is just an incidental note or something that is an aside.
Very often in the book of revelation, we hear about this final battle in revelation 20 and the numbers themselves. suggest this epic sort of thing, but it's the same sort of convention that we find here. In Revelation 27, now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth. Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea." I think it's an idiom simply to highlight the reality, it was a lot of people. We see it in Joshua, we see it in Judges, we see it here in 1 Samuel.
So when we get to Revelation chapter 20, we ought to assume that what is going on is an idiomatic use of this particular phrase. But the Philistine threat is formidable. Notice what happens when they gather together to fight with Israel. The numbers are large.
And in verse 6 it says, When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger, for the people were distressed, then the people hid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits. And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. That means they crossed the river to go into the Transjordan. So what's going on here is that what Jonathan does is successful.
It is a good thing. But then the Philistines retaliate. The Philistines man up. And the Philistines now pose this threat to the Israelites.
And they are basically quaking in their boots. We already see something of the demoralization coming along. We'll see more of that as we move through the passage. But
Rejection of God's Word
notice, secondly, the rejection of God's word. not only central in terms of the narrative, but central in terms of what we ought to be taking away.
Saul's Unlawful Sacrifice
Notice the sacrifice by Saul. As for Saul, at the end of verse 7, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him, trembling. Then he waited seven days according to the time set by Samuel. Now, specified in 1 Samuel 10.8.
Some say that that reference in 10.8 is to this particularly. Others say not necessarily. It could have been a pattern. It could have been the case when Samuel went about his circuit, this was the way that he would ordain to meet with these particular people.
Be that as it may, notice, he waited the seven days according to the time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from him. So Saul said, bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me. and he offered the burnt offering. Now, some would suggest that what he did here was cross the border or cross the line in terms of assuming a priestly function. In other words, the king was not authorized to offer up sacrifices in terms of a burnt offering.
As we follow the narrative, however, that's not the issue. The issue is that he didn't wait for Samuel. When the prophet of God says, wait, guess what you're supposed to do? You're supposed to wait.
There are other instances, specifically in 2 Samuel 24, 25, and in 1 Kings 3, 4, where kings were over sacrifice that was going on. They are not condemned as a result of that. Now, typically, the priests were the ones tasked with offering up the sacrifices, no doubt. But the text or the narrative here specifies very clearly what Saul's infraction was.
He was impatient. He did not want to wait anymore, and so he took matters into his own hand. In other words, he was an innovator. He was creative.
And when we look at the passage, it is suggestive that what he wants to do is quite pious. What he wants to do is godly, at least on its appearance. What he wants to do is to make supplication to the Lord. So when we read this particular passage, the temptation might be to say, well, you know, what's the big deal?
Saul wanted God's help. Saul offered up sacrifices. Saul seems to be on the up and up. Saul genuinely desires to do those things which will benefit the nation of Israel.
Well, I would suggest that if Saul violated God, rejected God's word, in this instance, the same thing could be true of us. in our pious desires and in our zeal to glorify God that never gives us warrant to disobey what God says. In other words, we are always bound to obedience. We are always bound to faithfulness. And if the Lord God Most High tells us to wait for Samuel, We need to wait for Samuel.
If the Lord God tells us we are to regulate worship in a particular way in the church, we are to regulate worship in a particular way in the church. If the Lord God tells us, as young people, that we're not to marry unbelievers, then we're not to marry unbelievers. We are to obey the word of the living God as it's written, as it's revealed. We are not to add to it.
We are not to take away from it. We are certainly not to be innovative. We are not to be creative. And we certainly ought not to try and justify ungodly rebellion by acts of piety.
Well, we wanted to do the godly thing. We wanted to do the righteous thing. We wanted to do that which was holy and blameless. When you disobey God, you cannot justify it in the name of piety.
You see, this is precisely what's going on. Saul says, verse 9, bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me. And he offered the burnt offering. Now it happened as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering that Samuel came.
Saul, you should have waited. Why is it that you couldn't wait? Why is it that you had to do this? Then Samuel comes, Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him, and Samuel said, what have you done?
It wasn't like, wow, I'm glad you've taken matters into your own hand. Samuel's not congratulating Saul on this venture. Samuel's not saying, oh, your piety and your godliness and your righteousness and your desire to make supplication before the Lord is commendable. I give you mad props for the goodness that you have engaged in.
That's not what Samuel is doing. Samuel says, what have you done?
Saul's Self-Justifying Reply
Notice Saul's reply in verse 11. When I saw that the people were scattered from me, This is emergency. This is crisis. This is a bad thing.
The Philistine threat is formidable. They have 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, such that the 2,000 persons that are with me are hiding in holes. They're hiding in thickets. They're hiding in pits.
They're trying to run. The ones that have remained that haven't gone across the Jordan are quaking in their boots. Isn't it interesting that Saul has 2,000 troops? When we get to verse 15, how many does he have?
He has 600. You see, as far as Saul is concerned, This is a national emergency and a huge crisis. Again, I think he's trying to facilitate what he has done. And I think, brothers and sisters, that Christians do this sometimes.
Maybe not any Christians you've ever met. Maybe not that Christian that you sometimes look at in the mirror. But we do things. We sin against God, but we try to write it off under a cause or under a purpose or under a justification that somehow seems so holy and noble and pious.
Yes, I shouldn't have done that, but it was for such a godly thing. I shouldn't have gone there, but it was for this noble purpose. You see, Saul is in the business here of trying to defend his action. When I saw that the people were scattered from me, national emergency, crisis, threat, doom, gloom, horrible things, and that you did not come within the days appointed.
You know, Samuel, this could have all been avoided if you would have shown up on time, you see. You see, when we get to this reproof and Samuel says you have rejected God the Lord, we're not to interpret this as if God the Lord is going overboard. You see, Saul has in him now rebellion. He has done that which he was not commanded to do.
And now he's in the spin cycle. He's trying to spin it so that it looks right. When I saw that the people were scattered from me and that you did not come within the days appointed. It's almost like Adam in the garden.
He blames God, doesn't he? The woman whom thou gavest me. What's the implication? God, if you hadn't given me this woman, we wouldn't be in this mess.
And what does the woman do? She's noble, pure, and doesn't blame anybody. It was the serpent, you see. We always try to spin it.
We always try to defend it. We always try to resist just coming clean. You see, brethren, I am absolutely convinced that Proverbs 28, 13 is in the Bible for a reason. He who covers his transgression shall not prosper, but whoever confesses it and forsakes it will find mercy.
Have you ever, in your Christian life, not extended forgiveness to somebody who asked you to forgive him? I hope the answer is, no, of course I forgive them. Is it the case that a Christian husband won't forgive his wife? Is it the case that a Christian wife won't forgive her husband?
Is it the case that a Christian parent won't forgive their children? Of course we're going to forgive. Paul enjoins that upon us. We're to forgive one another even as God and Christ forgave us.
We ought not to try and spin our sin. We ought to own it, confess it, forsake it. And the scripture says we will find mercy. Isn't that what the psalmist reckoned?
When I kept silent about my sin, what happened? Life was good. I flourished. I thrived.
No, my bones ached. I was in misery. It hurt when I tried to bottle up my sin. But what happens when the psalmist confesses his sin?
When he pours it out before the Lord God Almighty. I love the Lord because He has heard the voice of my supplications. Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord, hear my voice. If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared. You see, Saul is trying to spin his sin. He is trying to cover his tracks. He knows that he has disobeyed the word of the living God.
Samuel has come. It's time to pay the piper. And Saul will not do that. So then he goes on to say. and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, then I said, the Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord." Again, it sounds holy, doesn't it?
We do wretched, horrible things, but we do it for holy purposes. It's no better when we do that sort of thing than when Saul does it. Oh, but God, my intentions were pure. My desire was righteous.
My desire was good. No, it is the word of God that is our standard. He says, I have not made supplication to the Lord. Therefore, I felt compelled.
There's that wretched word felt. It's not about feelings. It's not about what you want. It's not about where you're led.
It's about what God has commanded. The Spirit leads according to the Word. There is no antithesis between the Spirit and the Word. Have you ever heard that?
Well, I'm just waiting on the Spirit. Do you know how the Spirit speaks to you today? It is through this Word. You'll never find antithesis between the Spirit and the Word.
But the Bible says, well, I know, but I'm waiting on the Spirit. How many times do people say, I'm waiting on the Lord? The Lord has spoken. Don't do that.
Right? It's an attempt to justify patterns of rebellion. I haven't felt led to actually go to church yet. I haven't felt led to actually pray.
I haven't felt led to pick up my Bible and read. You don't need to feel led, because you've been commanded. And if you don't do it, and you try to write it off as to how you felt, God doesn't care about how you felt. He calls you to obey.
He says, therefore, I felt compelled and offered a burnt offering. Saul could go on the circuit in the evangelical world today. I felt. It's all about feelings, isn't it?
Why do Christians do what they do today? Because it's how they feel. Praise God there's principled obedience out in the church. Praise God there are people that aren't governed by their feelings.
That when the feelings rise up and they know they need to oppose them, by the grace of God they do. I was musing on this recently. You know, I have these tendencies or I have these cycles in my life. This is not any surprise to anybody who knows me.
I'm a little melancholy from time to time. I'm thankful that God put it in me from the day of conversion that attending church was never an option. Even if I wasn't a pastor, by the grace of God, I would be where the people of God are. You know what that does to melancholy?
It helps. It doesn't eradicate it. but it encourages. You see, attendance at the supper, attendance at Bible study, attendance where the brethren are. That's not going to make all your troubles go away, but it's certainly going to put you in the place where God Most High says you ought to be.
You see, feelings come and feelings go, but feelings are deceiving. My warrant is the Word of God. None else is worth believing. And I don't mean to give that much autobiography, but it illustrates the point.
We are not to be governed by our feelings. Feelings are going to lead you into bad places. Scripture doesn't lie. God's word doesn't err.
It will not lead you astray. Your word is a lamp unto my feet. It is a light for my path. We need scripture.
Not, I felt compelled. This wasn't of the spirit. The spirit doesn't cause Saul to feel compelled to disobey the word of God. That goes on today, brethren.
People say, well, I felt compelled, or I felt the spirit leading me. The spirit doesn't lead contrary to the word of God. That can never happen. The spirit is the author of the word of God, and he will march you, and he will govern you, and he will pattern your life according to the scriptures of the Old and the New Testaments.
So the prophet, God has given me the desire to make supplication to the Lord.
Samuel's Rebuke of Saul
Notice what Samuel says. Oh, well, you've presented your case. Well, I should have been quicker. I should have made it here faster.
I shouldn't have stopped for that latte. I should have been where you were King Saul. It's not what Samuel says. Samuel doesn't say, well, I'm glad you went with your feelings.
I'm glad you trusted your instincts. I'm glad that you just went where you felt led. That's not what Samuel says. Samuel said to Saul, you have done foolishly.
He rebukes him. He reproves him. This is the king of Israel. He operates under the great king of heaven and earth.
The king of Israel is subject to the king of heaven and earth. The king of heaven and earth has ordained prophets to communicate his word. And when Samuel, the prophet of the high king of heaven, speaks, then Saul, the king of Israel, is to submit. So when Saul transgresses, this is not a time for awards.
This is not a time for commendation. This is indeed a time when Samuel said to Saul, you have done foolishly. The desire to do something must be regulated by the word of God. Because we judge something good, that doesn't necessarily make it good, right? because I judge that it might be a good thing that there's unicorns so that my grandchildren can play with that.
That doesn't make it so any more than it would be a good thing if I did this. And it's contrary to the word of God. You see, Samuel does not commend. Samuel does not award.
Samuel does not reward. But Samuel says you have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God which he commanded you for now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. Listen to what Gil says, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord hath commanded thee.
It matters not whether the thing commanded is greater or less. It doesn't matter. I mean, it was one piece of fruit in the garden, right? This is one tiny piece of fruit.
You hear worldlings do this, don't you? It's the big deal. The big deal is that when God the Lord speaks, the creature doesn't have the option to disobey. That's the big deal.
He says, it matters not whether the thing commanded is greater or less, it is disobedience to the command that is the sin and is resented. This might seem a small thing since to offer the sacrifice was not criminal. but doing it before the time, a little before it should have been done, not waiting long enough for the prophet. Yet it being against the command of God, or in neglect of it, was sinful and severely chastised, and the rather that it might be an example to all succeeding kings how they offended or broke the least of God's commandments. And this being the first king of Israel, he was made an example of to the rest.
You know, all those caves in the north and all the caves in the south. They should have remembered this shouldn't they? Well, I felt compelled. That doesn't get it, man.
That is not optional in the covenant community. It's not optional in the world either. But we're dealing with the covenant community. Listen to Davis.
He says God's prophet would give him God's guidance for the Philistine war. Samuel was the bearer of Yahweh's word and Saul's task was to wait for it. That's it. All he had to do, just wait.
Instead, he proceeded without it. For Saul, sacrificial ritual was essential, but prophetic direction was dispensable. That is beautiful. That is absolutely spot on.
Sacrificial ritual is absolutely necessary. But the prophetic word, eh, not so much, you see. Davis goes on. Saul's act or Saul's was an act of insubordination, a failure to submit to Yahweh's word through his prophet.
By his action, Saul confessed that certain emergencies rendered Yahweh's word unnecessary. You see, I don't need to wait. Don't you realize there's 30,000 foot soldiers and 6,000 chariots. I don't have time to wait for Samuel.
I got to get this sacrifice done. I've got to make supplication to the Lord and I got to go deal with and neutralize this Philistine threat. Ah, but you see the man that you're rejecting is the very mouthpiece of the God of heaven and earth. the king that you are subject to and that you must function on behalf of. Davis continues, when the chips were down, kingship could function on its own.
As far as Saul was concerned, he made the decisions about what was right and wrong.
End of the Saulide Dynasty
Notice the termination of the Saulide dynasty. You know you've heard of the Davidic dynasty? The way they do it for Saul is the Saulide or Saulide. I don't know if it's I'd or E'd, but if you see S-A-U-L-I-D-E, that's kind of like Davidic, but for Saul.
So either Saulide or Saulide. What would you all say? Saulide, Saulide? I'd say Saulide, but I'm an American.
I know we pronounce things a little bit different. Or maybe I've been affected by Canadian. I used to say semi, but it occurs to me that you guys say semi and I think I sometimes say that. So maybe it's solid or solid.
Anyway, Saul's dynasty. Notice the end of Saul is announced. Verse 14, but now your kingdom shall not continue. See, God doesn't play games here with Saul.
God does not say, well, I see your point, Samuel was late, and you felt led, so, you know, it's okay. It's our conception of God, brothers and sisters. We think that he's just okay with us sinning. He's just all right with it.
He's gracious. He's an abundant and loving kindness. He forgives us. He's not okay with it.
He doesn't just wink at it, you know, give us a little wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Everything's cool. No, it costs the blood of his own dear son to wash us and purge us from sin and iniquity. You see?
We need to make sure we understand the exceeding vileness of sin. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for himself a man after his own heart. This is David, isn't it?
We know this for certain in the chapters that follow. We know it as well in Acts 13, 22. Paul the apostle says that this man after God's own heart was in fact David. So what we have here is already a foreshadowing of this transition period from Saul to David.
And the Lord has commanded him to be commander over his people. And in case you forgot or in case you're struggling, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you. In other words, Saul, all of this has come upon you because of you. You cannot blame God.
You cannot blame Samuel. You cannot blame circumstances. You cannot blame Philistines. As much as we'd like to pile up guilt or heap up shame on those Philistines, they're not at fault here.
It's you, Saul. You need to own it. You need to understand. Samuel does not let him forget.
You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord, your God, which he commanded you. Verse 13. He's going to take the kingdom away from you.
Verse 14. He's going to give it to a man after his own heart. Verse 14. Why?
Because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you. If we were Saul, we'd probably be saying, I know you just told me that Samuel is the prophet of the living and true God. You don't tell him, no, you don't say, I couldn't wait any longer. You can't say, well, you know, if you would have, no, you just do what God the Lord says.
Now
Demoralization of Israel
notice, finally, the demoralization of Israel. The demoralization. You've probably heard that word before. There's a lack of morale in your workplace.
Everybody looks like, you know, they're miserable. Well, in Israel at this particular time, there is a man who knows demoralization at work. Demoralization is what happens. Look at what they had to deal with in terms of the temporal problems facing Israel in verses 16 to 23.
There was a troop reduction, verse 15b, right? He had 2,000. Jonathan had 1,000. Now Saul's got 600.
That's a significant decrease in terms of boots on the ground. Notice, secondly, they've got these pesky Philistine raiders now. 16 to 18. That's not something we ever meet on the way through Chilliwack. Our Philistine raiders out to destroy, pillage, and do all manner of bad things to Israelites.
This was not a good thing for Israel. Philistine raiders running roughshod through the people of God. That's a bad thing. Then they had this absence of weapons according to verses 19 to 22.
The Philistines were a bit more technologically advanced in terms of metalwork. And what happens? Verse 19, there were no blacksmiths to be found throughout all the land of Israel. For the Philistines said, lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.
It's pretty intelligent for the Philistines, isn't it? Get rid of the blacksmiths, because the blacksmiths make weapons. And if they make weapons, then the Israelites will try and fight with us. Pretty intelligent.
And then the Philistines structured it in such a way that any Israelite who needed his farming implement sharpened for his work, it cost quite a bit of money. It was a very effective way of the Philistines enforcing a no-gun policy among Israelites. You see, they understood, well, you disarm a people and what happens? You make them your slaves, you make them subject, and you make them easy prey.
So this is precisely what was going on here. So they've got a troop reduction, they've got Philistine raiders, they've got no weapons, and they've got the strategic positioning of the Philistines. Notice in verse 23, "...and the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash." This was a strategic location where they could inflict much damage upon Israel and her army. So you see, there is a demoralization or a morale problem in Israel at this particular time.
These are several bad things. Troops, raiders, no weapons, strategic position of the Philistines. But the problem of problems that was facing Israel is in verse 15a. Verse 15a is the biggest problem facing Israel.
The Prophet's Departure: Worst Loss
Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. What happened? The Prophet left the people. The Prophet is no longer with the people.
The Prophet has turned his back upon Saul and the people. Davis, again, he says, the worst of Saul's liabilities, again, troops, presence of raiders, no weapons, strategic positioning, but the worst of Saul's liabilities was that he was without the guidance of Yahweh from his prophet. To be stripped of the direction of God's word is to be truly impoverished and open to destruction. You see, how quickly we would run over 15A.
How quickly we would say, well, they didn't have any weapons. Man, they got these raiders. Man, they got this, and we got that, and we got that. They got no Samuel anymore.
That's the problem. That's like your nuclear arsenal leaving you, if you're going to talk in terms of military strategy. To be stripped of the direction of God's word is to be truly impoverished and open to destruction. It is one thing, I thought this was beautiful, it is one thing to be in terrible distress, it is another to be alone in that distress.
Whether it's the Philistine threat facing you in Gibeah of Benjamin or it's your issues in your life. It's one thing to be in distress, it's quite another to be in distress alone. You see, as the saints of Christ, we know that we are never alone. We know that we'll never walk alone.
Christ is there with his people. Christ is in the midst of the fire. But when we reject God, and we reject his word, and we despise the commandment, and when we take ourselves out from under it, we will find ourselves in that worst place of all, that we are without God's presence or God's word. He said, Saul had isolated himself from what he needed most, the word of God for his way.
So verse 15 joins 1534 and 35A and 2825B as one of the saddest statements in the book. Saul can number the troops, but that is all he can do. He has lost what matters most. Samuel rose up or rose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin.
Saul is on his own. You see, that's the problem. That's the issue. That is what his sin put himself into as a result of his impatience.
Application
Well, that's an exposition, couple of lessons, and then probably close a little bit earlier tonight.
The Problem of Innovation
First, we've already dealt with these, but we need to reinforce them. the problem of innovation. The king had pious motives, but he had an impulsive spirit. What should he have done? He should have waited for Samuel, right?
I mean, it's easy for us now to say Saul, you should have just waited. But I'm sure someone could say that about us at some point along our lives. You should have just this. You should have just obeyed.
You should have just stopped. You should have just started. You should have just went. You should have just not gone.
You see, it's easy to Monday morning quarterback on this side of a particular scenario. We need to get it in our heads that God is not calling us to be innovative or creative. God is calling us to be obedient. It's like we talked about, you know, on Sunday morning.
You know, instead of asking the question, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, just seek to be faithful. If you seek to be faithful, the question will answer itself, you see. We need to just do what God says. The church can have pious motives, but we are to wait on God specifically by relying on his word.
We're not to try and take matters into our own hands. You know, we've been trying this. We've gone at God's way and nothing's happened. So let's bring in the pony show.
Let's bring in the puppets. Let's bring in the jugglers. Let's bring in the repels or the guys who repel. Let's bring in the trapeze.
Let's let's make this a happen in place. That is not what God calls us to do, even if we feel compelled. We are not to be innovators. We are not to be creative.
We are to rely on the Word of God.
Necessity of Obedience to God's Word
Secondly, the necessity of obedience to the Word of God. If we miss that in verses 8 to 15, then we certainly missed a big chunk of the narrative. The necessity of obedience to the Word of God. What happens to Saul? according to verse 14.
Now your kingdom shall not continue. Not the legacy a king wants to leave, is it? A king wants to see his sons rise up. A king wants to see Jonathan take the throne.
This king wants to see good things happen in Israel. But that's not going to happen. So you see, by his disobedience, he loses the kingdom. But even more importantly, by his disobedience, he loses the prophet of God, and hence, God himself.
You see, disobedience does not bring blessing. in the people of God's lives.
Exceeding Value of God's Word
And then the exceeding value of the Word of God. I'm going to lean on Davis one more time. His exposition on this chapter was very, very helpful. But he says this concerning Saul, in this absence of the word.
He says, this was a footnote. There's some things that aren't closely or directly connected, but it's a footnote. He's just kind of musing. He says, I cannot help but think that Saul's predicament is very much like that of middle and upper class churches in our country.
A church may provide all the trappings people crave. Hyperkinetic programs for all ages of children. Fun activities for youth. Support groups for diverse needs.
Counseling services for people in crisis. Aggressive visitation. A high quality music ministry for the talented and or interested. I like that.
The interested may not necessarily be talented, but it's there for them. And yet, For all the activities and programs that church is fundamentally alone if it lacks the faithful preaching and teaching of the Word of God. He says the presence of glitz. cannot substitute for the absence of the word. Man, that just rings near and dear to my heart.
I praise God for Davis, but I praise God for the inspired word that communicates that. What does God emphasize in value above all things? The psalmist actually says in Psalm 138, you have magnified your word above your name. And when we get to the name of God, Exodus 3.14, we get to the Lord's Prayer, Hallowed be thy name.
God prizes his name. God esteems his name. God commands us to revere his name. There's a commandment built in the structure so that we don't blaspheme the name.
But you have magnified your word above your name. You see, God values and prizes in the church, in the old covenant church, which was Israel, the covenant community, what he prizes is the Word. And that is what we need to prize as well. And then finally, and as I said, we will see, God willing, next week, 1 Samuel 13, the helplessness of Israel.
But 1 Samuel 14 indicates that helplessness is not necessarily hopelessness, that God manifests, or God delights to show His power through our weakness. Well, let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Our Father, we thank you for your word, and we thank you for 1 Samuel 13, for the entirety of the Old and the New Testaments. We know it's God-breathed. We know it's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction. and for instruction in righteousness, and we pray that you would thoroughly furnish us unto every good work. Keep us from these sorts of responses when we sin.
Keep us, Father, from trying to make excuses or trying to explain away our sin. Help us to confess, to forsake, and to find mercy from you and from your people. And go with us now, we pray, and bring us together on the Lord's day that we may worship you in spirit and truth. And we ask through Christ our Lord.
Amen.