FIVE SMOOTH STONES - The Five Ascension Gifts in the Heavenly Shepherds Bag

FIVE SMOOTH STONES — The Five Ascension Gifts in the Heavenly Shepherd’s Bag

records it is clear that in the battle Saul was fatally wounded. He understood this and did not want to fall into his enemy’s hands while still alive. His armor bearer had too much fear of the Lord to strike the anointed of God and so killed himself when he saw Saul fall upon his own sword. Saul and his sons did die, as is recorded in 1 Samuel 31 and 1 Chronicles 10. After this an Amalekite came along and either found Saul still alive and killed him at his own request or found him dead and made up the story thinking it would impress David, his clear suc- cessor, and from Saul’s perspective, rival. By piecing together the var- ious records we compile a more complete understanding of all the events and some different perspectives from various records. However, there is the record in 1 Chronicles 10: 1 Chronicles 10:13 “ So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. 14 But he did not inquire of the Lord; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse. ” This record says that God killed Saul for his unfaithfulness and he did not keep the word of the Lord (1 Samuel 15), and for further consulting the witch at Endor (1 Samuel 28). This certainly seems to be a contradiction of the records to most readers. Yet not when perspective is taken into account. The other records reveal the events from man’s perspective, and this is the record from God’s perspective. They are not contradictory, they are simply from two different perspectives, one is man’s and the other is God’s. The events are true, and are accurate in their telling, yet the answer to “why” is contained in this section from God’s perspective and through the figure of speech in Hebrew called Idiom; God takes on Himself human attrib- utes and says that He killed Saul, literally meaning that Saul’s sins had removed him from God’s protection, and Saul died in this state. Like the stones in the brook that David took to defeat the giant, the Word of God is also pure and tried: Psalms 12:6 “ The words of the Lord are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times. ”

Bringing this understanding of perspective to the discussion of ascension gift ministries, it is important to keep perspective clear in

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