Union Congregational Church of Hecla

Union Congregational Church of Hecla Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Union Congregational Church of Hecla, Religious organisation, Hecla, NY.

11/14/2021

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 24:1-22

“You are more righteous than I,” [Saul] said. “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.” — 1 Samuel 24:17

Movies about revenge are often top sellers. People cheer when villains get what’s coming to them. There’s something satisfying about getting back at someone who has done you wrong, especially if you did nothing to provoke it.

The writer of 1 Samuel gives us the “director’s cut” of the scene in the Desert of En Gedi. David has been living in exile, trying to hide from King Saul, who wants to destroy him. With three thousand men, Saul appears to have the upper hand in the drama.

But the king doesn’t know that David and his men are hiding in the cave where he goes in to relieve himself. Sometimes the Bible even includes a bit of humor as the plot thickens.

The setting is perfect. The unsuspecting king believes he is alone in the cave. So David can sneak up and kill Saul with the same sword he used on Goliath.

But, instead, David merely cuts off a corner of the king’s robe. David does not try to satisfy the thirst for revenge. He practices holy restraint, saying he could not do such a thing to his “master, the Lord’s anointed.”

Saul is humbled and says, “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.”

David has modeled something that Saul could never achieve. How about you?

11/13/2021

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 21:1-9

The priest gave him the consecrated bread . . . that had been removed from before the Lord. . . . — 1 Samuel 21:6

David was a fugitive. He was on the run from King Saul, who was jealous and felt threatened by David’s great success as a warrior.

David fled to Nob, where he found Ahimelek the priest. The old priest was shocked to see David alone, without any troops around him. David did not know whom to trust because anyone could become a spy for Saul. So he lied to the priest, saying he was on a secret mission. David also asked for bread, or whatever food the priest might have on hand.

Ahimelek had holy bread that was offered to the Lord in wor­ship. The bread had been replaced by fresh loaves, so it was available for the priests to eat. It was not supposed to be eaten by anyone else, but Ahimelek had nothing else, so he gave that to David.

Ahimelek became the giver, and David the receiver, of left­overs in the house of God. The priest also gave David the sword of Goliath, whom David had killed in the Valley of Elah (1 Samuel 17).

In the book Leap Over the Wall, Eugene Peterson wrote that David’s life wasn’t “an ideal life but an actual life. We imaginatively enter the [story] of David not to improve our morals but to deepen our own sense of human reality.” We all live at the crossroads of sin and grace.

11/12/2021

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 20:1-17

Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.” — 1 Samuel 20:4

David thought it might have been his fault that King Saul was trying to kill him. Did he offend the king unknowingly? Did he not fulfill his duties or make a disloyal gesture in Saul’s presence? David could not figure out why Saul was against him.

David had tried to serve the king faithfully, even though Saul had tried to kill him several times. No wonder David was confused and upset.

Jonathan was also confused at this point, probably thinking that Saul had kept his vow not to kill David (see 1 Samuel 19:6-7). Jonathan didn’t seem to realize that Saul had again tried to kill David and to hunt him down (19:10, 15). But David said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”

Everything hinged on Jona­than’s response. David would have been completely vulner­able and exposed if he could not trust Jonathan. But Jonathan was not motivated by his own ambitions. He realized now that he could not trust his father. And with a heart of love, Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.”

In this way Jonathan changed sides. And he and David pledged their friendship to one another, calling upon God as their witness.

11/11/2021

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 19:1-17

Jonathan [said] . . . to Saul . . . “Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly.” — 1 Samuel 19:4

King Saul believed he had the right to command everyone to obey his wishes. He told his son Jonathan and everyone around him to kill David.

In this way Saul tested his family members’ loyalty. Often in situations like this, as the saying goes, “Blood is thicker than water.” Family members were expected to support their blood relatives more than their friends or in-laws.

Perhaps Jonathan noticed his father’s attendants nodding in agreement with Saul. But Jonathan was clearly concerned as he heard his father say that David was to be killed.

Jonathan gave no indication of turning against his father. But as soon as he left the king’s presence, Jonathan wasted no time in warning his friend that Saul wanted to kill him. And instead of going along with his father, Jonathan assured David that he would speak with Saul and support David for the sake of their friendship.

Saul’s daughter Michal, who was now David’s wife, also protected David from her murderous father.

These events mark a crucial point in the decline of Saul and the rise of David. Two of Saul’s own children chose to help David rather than making the traditional choice of supporting their father.

11/10/2021

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 18:12-30

David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” — 1 Samuel 18:18

I remember watching the Chicago Bulls play the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1991 NBA Finals. It was the first Finals series for Michael Jordan as he led the Bulls. For the Lakers, Magic Johnson had topped the championship mountain a few times and knew how to win. The Lakers managed to steal the first game from the Bulls on their home floor. But in the second game, Jordan tore through the Lakers’ defense. Johnson admitted his light was dimming as Jordan’s skill led Chicago to its first of six championships. Johnson knew his better days were behind him, not in front of him.

King Saul refused to admit that his kingdom was sinking. He was jealous and afraid of David, because the Lord gave David victory after victory—and the people loved him. To try to buy David’s loyalty in future warfare, Saul offered his daughter Merab to him. And at the same time Saul thought, “Let the Philistines kill him!” But David politely refused, saying that he was not worthy to be Saul’s son-in-law. David might also have sensed that he should not be in debt to Saul. He couldn’t trust Saul.

Later on, David did accept Saul’s offer of another daughter, Michal—for a price. And when Saul saw that Michal loved David and the Lord continued to be with David, Saul grew even more afraid, jealous, and angry. Saul just couldn’t let go, and he remained David’s enemy.

11/09/2021

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 18:1-11

Saul was very angry. . . . And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David. — 1 Samuel 18:8-9

Jonathan became a close friend of David. The Bible describes their friendship as becoming “one in spirit.” And “Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.”

As the son of King Saul, Jonathan had every right to oppose his father’s best warrior. But maybe Jonathan had seen things in his father that he did not want to imitate. Jonathan saw David as someone who had the same human hopes, dreams, and aspirations that he had. Jonathan did not dehumanize David as an enemy. Instead of looking with wary eyes of jealousy and suspicion against the young warrior, Jonathan extended generosity of heart, openness of mind, and a spirit of charity.

David rose through the ranks like a stunning rookie rushing through minor-league baseball. Soon people were not praising King Saul anymore; they were raving about the young sensation who was breaking records left and right. David changed the game. His victories went viral in Israel.

All of this made Saul boiling hot with jealousy. All he could see was that David was a threat to his throne. Saul dehumanized David and tried to kill him.

But God had other plans, and if Saul tried to oppose them, he simply could not win.

11/08/2021

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 17:25-58

“The Lord . . . will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” — 1 Samuel 17:58

Goliath mocked the Israelite army and their God. With swagger in his walk and talk, Goliath had an air of superiority that Saul’s soldiers had not seen. Fear gripped everyone, including the tall, handsome king who stood above most of his soldiers.

David heard that Saul had offered great wealth to anyone who would take on the giant. That brave person would also be exempt from taxes and receive the king’s daughter in marriage. But no one had stepped forward to fight the great warrior.

Without any military testing or time spent in Saul’s army, David said he would fight Goliath. And when Saul objected, David told about his work as a shepherd. He described amazing scenes of protecting vulnerable sheep against animal versions of Goliath. To protect the sheep under his care, David had to go out and fight lions and bears. David spoke with such confidence that no one, not even his brothers, challenged his ­story. Then David said, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

David trusted in the Lord, and the Lord guided David to bring down that arrogant giant with a stone from a sling.

What lessons can we learn here for our living today?

Address

Hecla, NY
13490

Telephone

+13159220325

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Union Congregational Church of Hecla posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category