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

The Pharisees have come to represent those who are strong in doctrine yet weak in application, which Jesus called hypocrisy. Jesus was just as forceful with his words to Peter when Peter’s zealousness placed him against the will of God, saying to him in Matthew 16:33, “ Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men .” By taking a look at the examples of the two most notable Sauls in the Bible we can find examples of each extreme, and the dangers lying in each. With the record of King Saul we see an example of a man who went out intending to accomplish the will of God with great enthusiasm, but ultimately failed because he was not strong toward obedience and humility. In the ninth chapter of 1 Samuel we see that Saul sinned because of a weak understanding, or respect, of scriptural doctrine. He sinned by carrying out the duties of the priesthood and there by offering an unacceptable sacrifice to the Lord. King Saul can represent those who are in God’s will with great intentions, but being weak in practical understanding and application of the scriptures are eventually destroyed. In 1 Samuel 13 the people of the nation of Israel found themselves greatly outnumbered by their enemies and were greatly distressed because of the danger and were hiding for their lives. Samuel had selected a time for a sacrifice to the Lord to ask for His mercy and protection. At the appointed time Samuel was late in arriving and Saul took matters into his own hands. In his great desire to obtain God’s favor he offered the sacrifice himself which he did not have the priestly authority to do. 1 Samuel 13:10 “ Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. 11 And Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, 12 "then I said, 'The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the LORD.' Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering." 13 And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you. For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 "But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart,

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