Moment of Truth

Moment of Truth
Words of Faith 12-4-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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1 Samuel 24:16-22
[16] When David finished saying this, Saul asked, "Is that your voice, David my son?" And he wept aloud. [17] "You are more righteous than I," he said. "You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. [18] You have just now told me of the good you did to me; the Lord delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. [19] When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today. [20] I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. [21] Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father's family." [22] So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

David had humbled himself and refrained from taking advantage and killing Saul in the cave when he had the chance. He had expressed Godly restraint and redemptive love. What came from this was a moment of truth.
Saul had no choice but to admit that he had been wrong-- "You are more righteous than I. You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly." The suspicion he had held against David was unfounded. The accusations he had made against David were proven false. Saul wept aloud as he recognized his own sin and failure. So why didn't things change?
Saul even recognized the truth that David would indeed be king and that the kingdom of Israel would be established in his hands. Earlier, Samuel had told Saul that, because of his rebellion against God, his "kingdom" would not endure but would be given to a man after God's own heart. So why didn't things change?
What did Saul do? Saul's response was not to surrender. Yes, he spoke a blessing upon David but then asked for an oath that when the kingdom came into David's hands, Saul's family would not be cut off or his family name wiped out. David gave that very oath, but he did not surrender to Saul.
The conflict between Saul and David did not end there, even though the truth was revealed and the future was confronted. David gave his oath to Saul, but then Saul returned home, and David and his men went up to their stronghold. They went their separate ways, and later, we will see that Saul pursued David once again.
So why didn't things change? All the elements were there! The truth was revealed. Saul wept. Saul admitted that he was wrong. Why didn't things change? The reason is that there was no true repentance. Change in this terribly dysfunctional family required repentance and transformation. Weeping is not the same as repentance. Sorrow is not the same as transformation. Truth revealed does not necessarily cause a change of direction.
Repentance in the Old Testament is related to sorrow, literally a sigh of breath exhaled, which indicates a change of heart. The word for repentance in the New Testament is even stronger. It expresses a change of mind, heart, and direction. We often say that repentance means a U-turn, a change of direction away from self toward God, but it is not just a change of direction. There is a change of behavior that is the fruit of a changed heart and mind. That is what we don't see here in Saul.
What we gain here is some insight into God's necessary work within people and families. The sobering truth is that sorrow over misunderstanding is not enough. Regret for false accusations does not really change things. Admitting we were wrong does not cut it. The revelation of truth does not necessarily fix things, even though we feel vindicated. What is needed is true repentance and transformation.
Some would argue that only God can do this in us, yet we must also be willing to cooperate. We work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Saul was confronted with truth and admitted his mistakes, but he was ready to move on; there was no repentance or transformation.
We celebrate the birth of Christ, the greatest gift ever given, the greatest hope ever offered, the greatest price ever paid. We may shed a tear when we consider the birth of a baby in a manger that is in the shadow of the cross. Realizing the truth is not really what it is about. Facing the cost of our sin is helpful. Admitting our failure is essential. But what the Gospel really requires of us is repentance-- a change of heart, mind, direction, and behavior. What the Gospel does in us is transformation. A moment of truth requires us to live a life of repentance.

Father God, thank You for the gift of Jesus. Give me grace and wisdom not to squander the offer of true salvation and transformation. Give me the courage to turn by the power of Your Spirit away from the darkness of this world toward Your marvelous light. In the mighty Name of Jesus, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.