During the reign of Saul (c.1050 – c.1011 BC) one significant event that occurred was the death of the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 3.19). We read, simply, that
“Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned him. They buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David left and went down to the wilderness of Paran.“
(1 Samuel 25.1, NET)
David Guzik writes:
“This great man who was dedicated to the LORD and served Him from his youngest days, was now dead. As godly as he was, it did not save him from an earthly death because he was still a descendant of Adam.”
(Enduring Word)
We would all do well to remember we are all descendants of Adam and therefore will face a physical death. Samuel still died despite him being
“…pivotal in Israel’s history. He was a prophet, he anointed the first two kings of Israel, and he was the last in the line of Israel’s judges, considered by many as the greatest judge (Acts 13:20).”
(Got Questions)
I was talking with a friend last week about the short-term mindset that many come to Bahrain with: I’m going to be here for X amount of time so I am going to _____ whilst I’m here. The list is usually made up of financial targets, dream destinations, and experiences to be had. Even though that can bring certain challenges in terms of building a church and a community, bigger picture it’s actually a very healthy way of viewing life. My friend said something that rings true when we read of the many deaths in Scripture and something we can all take onboard today: if we all accepted that we have an expiration date how much more productive for the Lord would we be in the meantime?
James Travis 