What They Did To Israel

1 Samuel 14:45-15:2,23 – But the men said to Saul, “Should Jonathan die—he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God’s help.” So the men rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death. Then Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and they withdrew to their own land. After Saul had assumed rule over Israel, he fought against their enemies on every side: Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment on them. He fought valiantly and defeated the Amalekites, delivering Israel from the hands of those who had plundered them. Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Ishvi and Malki-Shua. The name of his older daughter was Merab, and that of the younger was Michal. His wife’s name was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of Saul’s army was Abner son of Ner, and Ner was Saul’s uncle. Saul’s father Kish and Abner’s father Ner were sons of Abiel. All the days of Saul there was bitter war with the Philistines, and whenever Saul saw a mighty or brave man, he took him into his service. Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt…For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”

1 Samuel 16:7 – But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Exodus 17:15 – Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner.

Application:

• ·         The Lord is concerned with person’s inner disposition and character.
• ·         A king who sets his own will above the command of the Lord ceases to be an instrument of the Lord’s rule over His people, violating the very nature of his theocratic office.
• ·         “My Banner” recalled Moses’ petition with upraised hands and testified to the power of God displayed in defense of His people.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Taken By Lot

1 Samuel 14:40-44 – Saul then said to all the Israelites, “You stand over there; I and Jonathan my son will stand over here.” “Do what seems best to you,” they replied. Then Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, “Why have you not answered your servant today? If the fault is in me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim, but if the men of Israel are at fault, respond with Thummim.” Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared. Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son.” And Jonathan was taken. Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” So Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now I must die!” Saul said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan.”

Joshua 7:15,18 – Whoever is caught with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire,along with all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of theLord and has done an outrageous thing in Israel!’”… Joshua had his family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was chosen.

Ruth 1:17 – Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”

Application:

• ·         “Outrageous thing in Israel” was an act that within Israel, as the covenant people of the Lord, is an outrage of utter folly.
• ·         “You may be sure…your sin will find you out”.
• ·         Ruth, a non-Israelite, swore her commitment to Naomi in the name of Israel’s God, thus acknowledging Him as her God.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

As Surely As The Lord Lives

1 Samuel 14:34-39 – Then he said, “Go out among the men and tell them, ‘Each of you bring me your cattle and sheep, and slaughter them here and eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood still in it.’” So everyone brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there. Then Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first time he had done this. Saul said, “Let us go down and pursue the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive.” “Do whatever seems best to you,” they replied. But the priest said, “Let us inquire of God here.” So Saul asked God, “Shall I go down and pursue the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel’s hand?” But God did not answer him that day. Saul therefore said, “Come here, all you who are leaders of the army, and let us find out what sin has been committed today. As surely as the Lord who rescues Israel lives, even if the guilt lies with my son Jonathan, he must die.” But not one of them said a word.

Job 19:25 – I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.

Psalm 18:46 – The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!

Joshua 7:15 – Whoever is caught with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the Lord and has done an outrageous thing in Israel!’”

Hosea 4:15 – “Though you, Israel, commit adultery, do not let Judah become guilty. “Do not go to Gilgal; do not go up to Beth Aven. And do not swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’

Application:

• ·         Job expresses confidence that ultimately God will vindicate His faithful servants in the face of all false accusations.
• ·         God’s interventions and blessings in David’s behalf have shown Him to be the living God.
• ·         “Outrageous thing in Israel” was an act that within Israel, as the covenant people of the Lord, is an outrage of utter folly.
• ·         “As surely as the Lord lives” was a form of solemn oath. Though proper in itself—since it invoked the true God—it was here forbidden because it was being used deceitfully, as though the Israelites were truly honoring the Lord.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Broken Faith

1 Samuel 14:28-33 – Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, ‘Cursed be anyone who eats food today!’ That is why the men are faint.” Jonathan said, “My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?” That day, after the Israelites had struck down the Philistines from Mikmash to Aijalon, they were exhausted. They pounced on the plunder and, taking sheep, cattle and calves, they butchered them on the ground and ate them, together with the blood. Then someone said to Saul, “Look, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating meat that has blood in it.” “You have broken faith,” he said. “Roll a large stone over here at once.”

1 Kings 18:18 – “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals.

Leviticus 17:11 – For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.

Malachi 2:11 – Judah has been unfaithful. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the Lord loves by marrying women who worship a foreign god.

Application:

• ·         The source of Israel’s trouble was a breach of covenantal loyalty.
• ·         The Israelites were not permitted to eat blood because it epitomized the life of the sacrificial victim.
• ·         Marriages to pagan women were strictly forbidden in the covenant law, not for ethnic or cultural reasons, but because they would lead to apostasy.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Cursed

1 Samuel 14:18-27 – Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God.” (At that time it was with the Israelites.) While Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the Philistine camp increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords. Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined the battle in hot pursuit. So on that day the Lord saved Israel, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven. Now the Israelites were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, “Cursed be anyone who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!” So none of the troops tasted food. The entire army entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground. When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out; yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.

1 Kings 18:18 – “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals.

Exodus 20:7 – “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

Application:

• ·         Saul’s foolish curse before the battle brought “distress” to the army and, as Jonathan tellingly observed, “made trouble for the country” rather than contributing to the victory.
• ·         Saul as king “bound the army under a strict oath”, a most serious matter because an oath directly invoked God’s involvement, whether it concerned giving testimony, making commitments or prohibiting action.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Ground Shook

1 Samuel 14:7-17 – “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.” Jonathan said, “Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us. If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands.” So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.” So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.” Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre. Then panic struck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties—and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God. Saul’s lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions. Then Saul said to the men who were with him, “Muster the forces and see who has left us.” When they did, it was Jonathan and his armor-bearer who were not there.

1 Samuel 7:10 – While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites.

Application:

• ·         The Lord had promised to be the protector of His people when they were obedient to their covenant obligations.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

By Many Or By Few

1 Samuel 14:2-6 – Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left. On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez and the other Seneh. One cliff stood to the north toward Mikmash, the other to the south toward Geba. Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”

1 Samuel 1:3 – Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord.

1 Samuel 4:21 – She named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The Glory has departed from Israel”—because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband.

1 Kings 19:12 – After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

1 Samuel 17:47 – All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

Application:

• ·         In the account of the establishment of kingship in Israel it became particularly appropriate as a reference to God as the God of armies—both of the heavenly armies and of the armies of Israel.
• ·         The glory of Israel was Israel’s God, not the ark, and loss of the ark did not mean that God had abandoned His people—God was not inseparably bound to the ark.
• ·         In the symbolism of these occurrences the Lord appears to be telling Elijah that although His servant’s indictment of Israel was a call for God to judge His people with windstorm, earthquake and fire, it was not God’s will to do so now.
• ·         Both the Israelite and the Philistine armies will be shown the error of placing trust in human devices for personal or national security.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Spear

1 Samuel 13:15-14:1 – Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred. Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Mikmash. Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual, another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim facing the wilderness. Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!” So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened. The price was two-thirds of a shekel for sharpening plow points and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads. So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them. Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Mikmash. One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.

1 Samuel 17:47 – All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

Zechariah 4:6 – So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

Application:

• ·         Both the Israelite and the Philistine armies were shown the error of placing trust in human devices for personal or national security.
• ·         Zerubbabel did not possess the royal might and power that David and Solomon had enjoyed, and in any event such worldly power was inadequate for the purpose of rebuilding the Lord’s temple.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Your Kingdom Will Not Endure

1 Samuel 13:14 – But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

Isaiah 55:4 – See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples.

Jeremiah 30:9 – Instead, they will serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

Ezekiel 34:24 – I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken.

Ezekiel 37:24 – “‘My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees.

Hosea 3:5 – Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the Lord and to his blessings in the last days.

Micah 5:2 – “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

2 Samuel 7:10-12,14-16 – And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. “‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom…I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’”

1 Samuel 2:30 – “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.

Application:

• ·         Saul will not be followed by his sons; there will be no dynasty bearing his name.
• ·         “David their king” was the Messiah.
• ·         The Lord announced a kingdom where He would be King and the earthly king a “prince”.
• ·         The coming ruler is likened to a shepherd who cares for His flock.
• ·         “Ruler” was ultimately Christ, who will rule for God the Father.
• ·         His beginnings were much earlier than His human birth.
• ·         It is God’s building that effects His kingdom.
• ·         Jesus Christ is the one whom God has chosen and enthroned to rule in His name as the official representative of God’s rule over His people.
• ·         “My love” is God’s special and unfailing favor.
• ·         The promise of an everlasting kingdom for the house of David became the focal point for many later prophecies and powerfully influenced the development of the Messianic hope in Israel.
• ·         Spiritual privileges bring responsibilities and obligations; they are not to be treated as irrevocable rights.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

You Have Not Kept The Command The Lord Your God Gave You

1 Samuel 13:10-13 – Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him. “What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.” “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.

Deuteronomy 4:29 – But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.

1 Samuel 15:23-24 – For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them.

2 Samuel 7:15 – But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.

Exodus 20:18-19 – When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”

1 Samuel 12:14 – If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God—good!

Application:

• ·         “With all your heart and…soul” indicates total involvement and commitment.
• ·         A king who sets his own will above the command of the Lord ceases to be an instrument of the Lord’s rule over His people, violating the very nature of his theocratic office.
• ·         Saul’s confession retains an element of self-justification and a shift of blame.
• ·         “My love” is God’s special and unfailing favor.
• ·         The Israelites requested a mediator to stand between them and God, a role fulfilled by Moses and subsequently by priests, prophets and kings—and ultimately by Jesus Christ.
• ·         Israel and her king are to demonstrate that although human kingship has been established, they will continue to recognize the Lord as their true King.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Offered

1 Samuel 12:25-13:9 – Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.” Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years. Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Mikmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes. Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, “Let the Hebrews hear!” So all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become obnoxious to the Philistines.” And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal. The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash, east of Beth Aven. When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering.

Deuteronomy 12:7,12 – There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you…And there rejoice before the Lord your God—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites from your towns who have no allotment or inheritance of their own.

2 Samuel 24:25 – David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered his prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

Application:

• ·         If the nation should persist in covenant-breaking conduct, it will bring upon itself its own destruction.
• ·         The Lord wants His people to enjoy the fruit of their labor, because it is the result of His blessing.
• ·         Joy, based on the Lord’s blessings, was to be a major feature of Hebrew life and worship in the promised land.
• ·         Reconciliation and restoration of covenant fellowship were obtained by the king’s repentance, intercessory prayer and the offering of sacrifices.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Fear The Lord

1 Samuel 12:23-24 – As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.

1 Samuel 7:8 – They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.”

Psalm 86:11 – Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 – Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.

Deuteronomy 6:5 – Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Joshua 24:14 – “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.

Isaiah 22:11 – You built a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the Old Pool, but you did not look to the One who made it, or have regard for the One who planned it long ago.

Genesis 20:11 – Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’

Psalm 15:1-5 – Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.

Psalm 111:10 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Application:

• ·         As persons who were called out from among the people to mediate God’s word to them, prophets were given unique access to God’s council chamber.
• ·         Only one who is devoted to God may expect God’s help.
• ·         Samuel summarizes Israel’s obligation of loyalty to the Lord as an expression of gratitude for the great things He has done for them.
• ·         Fearing God and keeping His commandments is our fulfillment, our all—a far cry from meaninglessness.
• ·         Love for God and neighbor is built on the love that the Lord has for His people and on His identification with them. Such love is to be total, involving one’s whole being.
• ·         Fear the Lord means trust, serve and worship Him.
• ·         Those who look to horses and chariots rather than to God are condemned.
• ·         “Fear” has the sense of reverential trust in God and commitment to His revealed will.
• ·         “Those who fear the Lord” are those who honor God and order their lives in accordance with His will because of their reverence for Him.
• ·         “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” was the classic Old Testament statement concerning the religious basis of what it means to be wise.
• ·         “Fools” are those who “hate knowledge” and correction of any kind, who are “quick to quarrel” and “give full vent” to their anger, who are complacent and who trust in themselves rather than in God.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV