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Restore Vision and Ability
By Kirk Browning | December 5, 2007
Many Christian institutions are under siege. How did they get that way and what can be done about it?
In 1 Samuel 11:1 the town of Jabesh-gilead found itself in tough times that traced back to the anarchy in the book of Judges. A series of evil events and poor reactions to them made Jabesh-gilead a susceptible target. Nahash the Ammonite besieged the town. Nahash means snake, and possibly a python because he besieged, or encircled, the town to crush it. The Ammonites were a group that regularly violated the boundaries of Israel.
The men of the town volunteer to make a covenant with him to save their lives. In verse 2, Nahash responds with a conditional covenant that is really a bargain that will destroy them. Satan never makes real, honorable covenants. Nahash insists on gouging out all their right eyes as a disgrace on Israel. The disgrace would be that there was no longer salvation or victory in Israel to prevent the gouging.
What would be the result of gouging out all their right eyes? Have many Christians been going around with right eyes gouged out and we just did not know it? For 90% of the population right-handedness and the ability to get things done operates under vision from right-eye dominance. Remove the right eye, and you remove the ability to get the same things done with the same dexterity, force or productivity.
Consider shooting a bow and arrow. If you have both your right eye and your right arm, you hold the bow with your left hand and pull the string and arrow far back using the muscles of your right shoulder. You aim from the right eye. Modern archers can get game within a range of 40 yards. Without the right eye, the archer would have to pull the string to his left eye to sight the arrow. But this does not store up very much energy for shooting the arrow. It is not going to go very far, have much impact on the target or be very accurate. Now the archer must get much closer to the deer than the former 40 yards. The archer probably will not find this very satisfying compared to his former prowess with the bow and arrow, so his skills will fall into disuse. He will not teach the skills to his sons. It may be generations before that population re-discovers the bow and arrow and becomes capable with them again. Without their right eyes Jabesh-gilead will not be able to resist enemies any longer.
In verse 3 the leaders of Jabesh-gilead asked for a seven-day period to search for salvation and victory throughout Israel. Saul had just become the new leader of Israel and reacted with righteous anger after the Holy Spirit prompted him. He challenged all Israel to respond to save Jabesh-gilead. He gathered them together at Bezek, which means lightning. The response was in fact lightning quick. They promise salvation and victory to the messengers from Jabesh-gilead.
Saul deployed his forces in such a way that they divided the Ammonite camp at the start of a new day, so that there was no unity of purpose left in them. That strategy is what we need in these times. Saul and Samuel acted together as King and Priest. Saul said that no one would be put to death due to recrimination because that day the Lord worked salvation and victory. Israel had acted in line with its reputation and avoided reproach on the whole nation. Then Samuel directed them to Gilgal for renewal of the Kingdom. Gilgal was the place where they camped after crossing the Jordan and before the start of possessing the Promised Land. Renewal at Gilgal would be about refreshing basic beliefs and return to true worship.
This had a lasting effect in Israel. Years later, when Absalom temporarily took the kingdom away from David, 2 Samuel 17:27 says that Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, together with two others, provided for David and his people “in the wilderness.” This was done at Mahanaim which means two armies or fields, so it was done at some risk. I do not find anything that guarantees that this Nahash was the same one as in 1 Samuel 11, but at least one Ammonite had turned from being an enemy of Israel to a friend and supporter of David.
Topics: Thoughts on Bible passages |