Stripped Bare

Stripped Bare
Words of Faith 11-5-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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1 Samuel 19
[18] When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. [19] Word came to Saul: "David is in Naioth at Ramah"; [20] so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came upon Saul's men and they also prophesied. [21] Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied, too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. [22] Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Secu. And he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" "Over in Naioth at Ramah," they said. [23] So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even upon him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. [24] He stripped off his robes and also prophesied in Samuel's presence. He lay that way all that day and night. This is why people say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

Now David was on the lam. He had escaped with the help of his wife Michal and headed to Samuel's hometown of Ramah, far to the northwest. He was a marked man, and a return to the priest and prophet who had started him on all this only made sense.
Samuel probably recognized the danger of this situation and took David to a place called Naioth. The word used means "habitation," but it was perhaps a sort of retreat or where Samuel's group of prophets lived. Saul had put out a BOLO-- Be On the Look Out-- for David. It took him no time to discover where Samuel and David were hiding out.
Saul sent his men to Naioth to capture him, but a strange thing happened. The Spirit of God protected David by causing three successive contingents of Saul's men to "prophesy." Saul's men "saw" Samuel's disciples "prophesying," but they did not "hear" them as we might expect. Then the Spirit of God came upon them, and they "prophesied."
We should not see this as a matter of these men speaking a divine word from the Lord or being "anointed" to be prophets. Instead, these men were overcome by the Spirit of God in a way that stopped them from proceeding with the capture. This was powerfully compelling because they apparently succumbed to a divinely induced trance. This might be similar to the experience of Saul of Tarsus, who was thrown to the ground and divinely obstructed from a murderous mission against the early church disciples (Acts 9).
When Saul realized that his men were not going to apprehend David, he went to Ramah himself. He inquired as to the exact whereabouts of Samuel and David and followed on to Naioth. But the Spirit of the Lord came "even upon him," and he prophesied as he walked along. Saul "stripped off" his garments like the men before him. Wandering in a trance without his royal robes, Saul would have been a curious and unforgettable sight. The word used here is elsewhere rendered "naked," but this may refer to Saul's forfeiture of any claim to be king.
This must have been reported widely because the people popularized a rhetorical question demanding a negative answer-- "Is Saul also among the prophets?" To question the genuineness of Saul's prophetic behavior was to question his legitimacy as king of Israel. Saul was now stripped of any façade. He was neither a legitimate king nor a genuine prophet as he continued to stumble toward his doom at the hands of the Philistines. At that time, he would be "stripped" of his garments for the last time.
There are several things we don't want to miss here.
1) God's Spirit can protect his own and thwart any enemy. God can put any enemy or group of enemies flat on their backs if He so desires.
2) Oddly enough, a "prophetic experience" does not insulate a person from their own self-deception and self-destruction if they refuse to surrender themselves to the Lord. Saul and his posse were overwhelmed by the Spirit of God in a way that would impress many, but this did not signal an anointing that was now upon them. Is Saul also among the prophets? No.
3) Saul was stripped bare before the Lord, yet his character was not such that he saw this as an opportunity to repent and turn toward God. A person may have profound experiences of the Lord and be amazed and in awe of Him, but if they do not repent and walk in His ways, there is no change in destiny.
Jesus said: You will know them by their fruits... Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Obedience is the key. "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." (Matt. 7:16, 22-24)

Father God, protect me from enemies who pursue me. Give me discernment to recognize the true prophet. Give me the courage to respond to Your Spirit when You call me to repentance. Strip me bare of anything that is not of You. Take away the robes of worldly power, the covering of false honor, and the clothing of pseudo-respect. I turn to You, O God. May I be found faithful before You. In Jesus' Name, 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.