1 Samuel 11:1

1 Samuel 11:1 says,  Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.  Nahash, an Amorite, came up against the people of Jabeshgilead, and they sought to make a covenant with him by promising to serve him.  The Amorites were descendants of Lot and as such had been dealt with fairly by Israel when they were first occupying the Promised Land, but they turned out to not be good neighbors, and by this thime, the people of Jabeshgilead were not following God's leadership.  This is evident by the fact that they didn't first turn to God for help.  We may have been nice to the people of the world around us as followers of Christ, but that doesn't mean that they are always going to treat us fairly, or even with respect.  We can never subject ourselves to the authority of the lost people of the world just to maintain peace.  Verse two adds, And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.  Nahash agreed to make a covenant with them on one condition, and that was that he could put out their right eye as a sign of reproach on Israel, which would have also have been a reproach on God.  Even if we were tempted to do something that seems terrible to maintain peace with the world, as Christians we should never do anything that would be a reproach to God, and if we do, we must repent and ask His forgiveness.  Verse three continues, And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days’ respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee.  Again, without consulting God and putting their faith in Him, the elders of Jabesh told Nahash to give them a week to send word throughout Israel, and if they couldn't find someone to help them, they would agree to his terms.  They had forgotten the power of God and were looking to a man for redemption, and we can never afford to do that as Christians.  Verse four states, Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.  The word reached Saul, and all the people around him wept.  We should be saddened if we hear about God's people anywhere being abused or even threatened with abuse.  Verse five adds, And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.  Saul may have been anointed king, but at present he was still tending to a herd in the field.  Seeing the people weep, he asked them what was going on, and they told him.  If we see people sad and upset today, as Christians we should be concerned, and we should care enough to try and find out what is going on.  Verse six continues, And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.  The Spirit of God came on Saul at this time, and he was angered by what he heard.  We as followers of Christ are indwelled by the Holy Spirit and called to reach out to the world with God's love, but that does not mean that we cannot become angry at some of the things that go on in the world.  Verse seven declares, And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.  Saul took two oxen, chopped them into little pieces, and sent the pieces throughout Israel, telling them this was what was going to happen to their oxen if they didn't come forth to him and Samuel.  Still, it wasn't this, but the fear of God that caused them to come.  As Christians, whatever we do should be based on our relationship with God, and done for His honor and glory.  Verse eight adds, And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.  When Saul counted them, there were three hundred thousand men of Israel, and thirty thousand men were Judah.  We must rally as Christians when any of our fellow Christians are threatened.  Verse nine continues, And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabeshgilead, To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and shewed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.  Saul sent messengers to the men of Jabesh, that by the time the sun was hot tomorrow they would have help.  Verse ten concludes, Therefore the men of Jabesh said, To morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you.  The people of Jabesh then sent word to the Amorites that they would come to them tomorrow.   Of course, the Amorites probably misunderstood the message, as lost people of the world tend to misunderstand God's message today.