Trust God for the Future – 1 Samuel 16

Posted on June 4, 2024 by dkoop

We now begin an exciting adventure into the life of a shepherd boy named David. David plays an important role in the Bible. More space is devoted to David in the Scriptures than any other person, except Jesus Christ. Jesus was called the son of David and the root and offspring of David. Jerusalem is the city of David.

Saul was man’s pick for a king and he failed. David is God’s choice who is blessed and used of God and also repents when he falters and fails. Let’s open up to this exciting account.

God asked Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul?” Samuel was broken hearted over Saul’s failure. It was a great disappointment. The one who really should be weeping and grieving is not weeping at all. It should be Saul with the tears. God helps Samuel see that, “what has happened is in the past. What’s done is done. Samuel it is time to go forward. Fill your horn and go to Jesse’s home.”

The message is the same for us today. Has a dream, goal or hope died? Has someone disappointed you? Get up and go forward in your walk with the Lord. Paul put it this way.… “this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13, 14). The history of most people’s lives is falling down and getting back up! If you have suffered a spiritual defeat in your life, learn from it, if a sin, confess it to the Lord, repent and forsake it, and go onward to serve the Lord the best you can. Have you been disappointed? Put your expectations in the Lord.

God said, “I have provided Me a king!” The Lord is in the providing business!  He provided for Samuel and Israel.  He will do the same for you too. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

  •  God Shows Us What to Do (1 Samuel 16:1-5)

Samuel was to go to Bethlehem from Ramah, which would pass through Gilead.… Saul’s capital. Samuel is concerned that Saul will kill him if he anoints another to be king. He wonders how he can do this. Samuel shows a measure of doubt as to God’s ability to care for him.

The Bible is such an open, honest book. The fears of Samuel are revealed just like the weaknesses of other men of God.  All of these people are just like us. They had the same concerns, worries, and fears that we have. We need to remember whenever or wherever God calls you to a task, He will take care of the details.

God’s solution to Samuel’s concerns is to conceal his plans. The concealment was not a deception. It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter (Proverbs 25:2). The trials of Job concealed the blessings of God for Job. Jesus’ delay in responding to Lazarus’ sickness concealed the miracle of his resurrection by the Lord later. Camouflaged in your trials are the blessings of God.

16:4–5 Perhaps the elders “trembled” at the sight of Samuel because they interpreted Samuel’s arrival with a heifer as an indication that a murder had occurred in their territory and that a legal action was being initiated; Youngblood suggests the elders were “awed by his formidable reputation,” established in part by his recent execution of Agag.[1]

The people are scared. They wanted to know what they did wrong. They are afraid because visits of this nature are usually for the purpose of judgment or denouncing sin. It is the same feeling a kid might have when he is called to the principle’s office at school.   Samuel tells them he comes to peaceably make a sacrifice to the Lord.

Jesse’s oldest son Eliab is seen by Samuel. Samuel presumes that he must be the next king. His presumption is wrong. Presumptions can get a person into big trouble. Some presume, “I have plenty of time to live and be saved!”

Another common presumption is, “It’s okay for me to live this way because everyone else is doing this too.”  The majority is not always right, in fact, many times they are wrong.

God gives Samuel His criteria for picking His man. God is still teaching Samuel in his senior years and Samuel is still learning. We are never too old to learn and to grow in Christian maturity. God tells Samuel, “Look not on the outward appearance.… the countenance, height, and stature.” God’s criteria was to look at the inward.… the character and the heart of the person. The internal is more important than the external. God was looking for a man after His own heart (13:14). God is not interested in the tall, but the one who is small in his own eyes. God was looking for a man of …

* character not compromise,

* courage, not consternation or fear,

* conviction, not convenience for the moment,

* consistency, not confusion and changing beliefs.

Our Lord is much more concerned about our heart and character than reputation. Reputation is what we project.… what people think of us. It is what we can package, perform, promote, and pretend. Character or heart is what God knows we are when no one is around.

When the Lord looked at Eliab, He did not find what He was looking for at all. He knew what was in his heart. In chapter seventeen of this book we find Goliath mocking, defying, and defaming God. Look who gets mad when David shows up on the scene (17:28). It is Eliab. It is David, not Eliab who meets the challenge. He is not fearful and frustrated like Eliab who was tolerating the defaming of God. David responds with courage and faith in the incident. God commended David for his actions and attitude (2 Corinthians 10:18).

Is God still looking for a man or woman after His own heart today? You better believe He is! What does the Lord see when He looks at your heart? Does He find a love for Him (Deuteronomy 6:5) or wickedness (Jeremiah 17:9).  Since matters of the heart are more important to the Lord than outward appearance, don’t you think we should be concerned about our heart condition too? If we’re are looking for a mate, don’t focus on the appearance alone of the person, be sure to focus on the character of the person too. When the beauty fades, the character remains.  In all our relationships realize that it takes time to really get to know the character of a person.

The next son, Abinadab passes before Samuel, but he is not the man. Shamah and the rest of Jesse’s sons except one come before Samuel, but with no avail. The underlying insight here is this.… it is difficult to find a man after God’s own heart. As you look at yourself, are you a person who thirsts for a close walk with the Lord?  We can fool people, but not the Lord who sees our heart.

 Samuel is on a mission from God to find and anoint another king other than Saul. He is sent by God to Bethlehem to anoint someone in Jesse’s home. As he views the sons of Jesse, he makes a common false presumption by looking at the outward manly features of these young men. God is still teaching Samuel even after years of service. He still wants to teach you too. God is looking at the heart and is looking for a man after His own heart. The remaining verses show where He focuses His attention.… on a teenage shepherd boy named David.

Samuel has looked at all of Jesse’s sons but none had the green light from the Lord. Samuel asked, “Are there anymore sons?” Samuel is told there is one more son.… the youngest who keeps the sheep.  David’s dad doesn’t even call him by name.  David was not even invited to the feast.  We may all related to David by being overlooked, uninvited, deemed as unimportant.  We may be that way to our family, but never to God!

David had a heart for the Lord. What a challenge and example for teenagers today to follow the Lord. It is a greater challenge for us who are older and supposedly wiser and more mature. Unfortunately, I have seen more maturity in godly teenagers than in some adults who claim to be Christians.

David wasn’t a big shot. He was herding the sheep which was a job usually done by the servants of wealthy families. It was considered a menial job. God was preparing David for greater tasks. God may entrust you with greater responsibility if you are faithful in smaller tasks.

David was considered foolish, an outcast. He was the youngest (16:11) meaning he was least in importance. The Hebrew root word is koot which means “cut off, detest, loathe.” David was least in his father’s estimation; the last choice on his list but he was first on God’s list because he was a young man after God’s own heart.

God has a way of finding His men in unexpected places.

* A king in a pasture with sheep.

* Joseph in a prison.

* Gideon hiding by a wine press.

* Moses in the desert.

David was chosen as king because he had a heart for God. What does this mean or involve? A look at David’s heart will reveal the answer.  We should seek to have these traits too.

* David’s Heart

* Psalm 23:1.… A believing heart (Psalm 14:1)

* Psalm 23:2.… A meditating heart.

* Psalm 23:3.… A holy heart set on holiness.

* Psalm 23:4.… A confident heart that was confident in God.

* Psalm 23:5.… Grateful heart (Psalm 9:1)

* Psalm 23:6.… A Fixed Heart; not flirting with the world. (Psalm 57:7)

* Psalm 15:1, 2.… A truthful heart.

* Psalm 26:2.… An open heart. (Psalm 139:23)

* Psalm 37:4, 5.… An expectant heart that was dependant upon God.

* Psalm 40:8.… He remembered God’s Word (Psalm 19:14)

* Psalm 51:10, 17.… A repentant heart. He was repentant when wrong.

* Psalm 131:1.… A humble heart.

* Psalm 40:8.… An obedient heart

If we want a heart for God, then we should strive to have these attitudes in our lives.

David was son number eight. Eight is the number of new beginning in the Bible. This was a new beginning for Israel’s history. David is the second king to be anointed. He was God’s choice. This pattern of choosing number two is seen all throughout the Old Testament. God’s choice was.…

* Isaac, not Ishmael (a type of the flesh)

* Jacob, not Esau (flesh)

* David, not Saul (flesh)

* Jesus (the 2nd Adam), not Adam (1 Corinthians 15:22, 45)

David is anointed in front of his brothers.  All there probably had no idea the long term ramifications, or that David would be king except God and Samuel.   Oil was a visible sign of the Holy Spirit. For Jesus, the sign was a dove. For the disciples it was tongues of fire. Olive oil was used to light lamps, for cleansing, healing, nourishing, and strengthening. God was preparing to use David to do this for his own people. It was the first of three anointing’s for David. The second one was as the king of Judah (2 Samuel 2:4). The third was as the king of all Israel (2 Samuel 5:3).

The Spirit of the Lord came upon David. The Holy Spirit of the Lord worked differently in the Old Testament than in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was selective (Moses, Joshua), temporary (Othniel, Samson), and could depart from the person. David was concerned about the Holy Spirit’s departure (Psalm 51:11). The Holy Spirit departs from Saul. In the Church Age, He is universal and indwells all believers permanently. He does not leave the Christian.

* John 14:16, 17—And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but you know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you.

* Romans 8:9—But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. For this reason we are called the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:20). Does the Holy Spirit indwell you? Are you saved? Are you yielded to Him?

Other questions to consider:  Why do we get anxious about our future?  In what ways does God show us what to do and how to live?  “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart;” what does this mean to you? How does God anoint us and empower us for our future?

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/watch-now/leander-campus-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

Facebook: Upwards Church

Sources:

1 Youngblood, 1, 2 Samuel, 683.

2 Robert D. Bergen, 1, 2 Samuel, vol. 7, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996), 178.

3 Rod Mattoon, Treasures from 1 Samuel, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2001), 251–260.

Posted in 1 Samuel - Kings & Covenants | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Who is King Saul? – 1 Samuel 9-31

Posted on May 31, 2024 by dkoop

First impressions can be deceiving, especially when the image created by a person’s appearance is contradicted by his or her qualities and abilities. Saul presented the ideal visual image of a king, but the tendencies of his character often went contrary to God’s commands for a king. Saul was God’s chosen leader, but this did not mean he was capable of being king on his own.
During his reign, Saul had his greatest successes when he obeyed God. His greatest failures resulted from acting on his own. Saul had the raw materials to be a good leader—appearance, courage, and action. Even his weaknesses could have been used by God if Saul had recognized them and left them in God’s hands. His own choices cut him off from God and eventually alienated him from his own people.

Saul started out very well only to see his subsequent disobedient actions derail what could have been a stellar, God-honoring rule over the nation of Israel. How could someone so close to God at the start spiral out of control and out of favor with God? To understand how things in Saul’s life got so mixed up, we need to know something about the man himself. Who was King Saul, and what can we learn from his life?

The name “Saul,” from the Hebrew word pronounced shaw-ool, means “asked.” Saul was the son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. Saul came from a wealthy family (1 Samuel 9:1) and was tall, dark and handsome in appearance. Scripture states that “there was not a man among the sons of Israel more handsome than he, being taller than any of the people from his shoulder and upward” (1 Samuel 9:2). He was God’s chosen one to lead the scattered nation of Israel, a collection of tribes that did not have a central leader other than God and no formal government. In times of trouble, leaders would arise but never consolidated the power of the twelve tribes into one nation. Years before Saul’s rule, Samuel the prophet was Israel’s religious leader but not a king. In fact, Israel was loosely ruled by judges who presided over domestic squabbles (1 Samuel 8). They were not, however, equipped to rule in times of war. It is no exaggeration to say that Samuel and Saul lived in turbulent times. The Philistines were Israel’s sworn enemies, and war broke out between the two on a fairly regular basis (1 Samuel 4). Because of the constant threat of war and a desire to be like the surrounding nations, the people pressed Samuel to appoint a king to rule over them (1 Samuel 8:5).

Though the people’s request for a king was displeasing to Samuel, God allowed it. The people had rejected God as king, forsaken Him, and served other gods (1 Samuel 8:6–8). God told Samuel to anoint a king as the people had asked, but also to “warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:9). Thus, it became Samuel’s task to anoint a king from among the people. Saul was secretly anointed the first king of all the tribes of Israel (1 Samuel 10:1) before being publicly selected by lot (1 Samuel 10:17–24).

Saul’s reign over Israel started peacefully around 1050 BC, but the peace did not last. One of the most famous events in Saul’s life was the stand-off with the Philistines in the Valley of Elah. Here Goliath taunted the Israelites for 40 days until a shepherd boy named David slew him (1 Samuel 17). Aside from that incident of fear and uncertainty, Saul was a competent military leader. He was good enough that his rule was solidified by his victory at Jabesh-Gilead. As part of the triumph, he was again proclaimed king at Gilgal (1 Samuel 11:1–15). He went on to lead the nation through several more military victories as his popularity reached its zenith. However, a series of very serious blunders, beginning with an unauthorized sacrificial offering (1 Samuel 13:9–14), started Saul’s downfall from his kingship. Saul’s downward spiral continued as he failed to eliminate all of the Amalekites and their livestock as commanded by God (1 Samuel 15:3). Disregarding a direct order from God, he decided to spare the life of King Agag along with some of the choice livestock. He tried to cover up his transgression by lying to Samuel and, in essence, lying to God (1 Samuel 15). This disobedience was the last straw, as God would withdraw His Spirit from Saul (1 Samuel 16:14). The break between God and Saul is arguably one of the saddest occurrences in Scripture.

While Saul would be allowed to serve out the rest of his life as king, he was plagued by an evil spirit that tormented him and brought about waves of madness (1 Samuel 16:14–23). Saul’s final years were profoundly tragic as he endured periods of deep manic depression. However, it was a young man brought into the king’s court named David who became the soothing influence on the troubled king by playing music that temporarily restored the king’s sanity. The king embraced David as one of his own, but all of this changed as David became a fine military leader in his own right. In fact, a popular song of the day was “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7). When Saul realized that God was with David, the king sought to kill David at every opportunity. David succeeded in evading the countless attempts on his life with the help of the king’s son, Jonathan, and the king’s daughter, Michal.

The final years of King Saul’s life brought a general decline in his service to the nation and in his personal fortunes. He spent much time, energy, and expense trying to kill David rather than consolidating the gains of his earlier victories, and because of this the Philistines sensed an opening for a major victory over Israel. After Samuel’s death, the Philistine army gathered against Israel. Saul was terrified and tried to inquire of the Lord, but received no answer through the Urim or the prophets. Though he had banished mediums, witches and spiritists from the land, Saul disguised himself and inquired of a medium/witch at Endor. He asked her to contact Samuel. It seems that God intervened and had Samuel appear to Saul. Samuel reminded Saul of his prior prophecy that the kingdom would be taken from him. He further told Saul that the Philistines would conquer Israel and Saul and his sons would be killed (1 Samuel 28). The Philistines did, indeed, route Israel and kill Saul’s sons, including Jonathan. Saul was critically wounded and asked his armor-bearer to kill him so that the Philistines would not torture him. In fear, Saul’s armor-bearer refused, so Saul fell on his own sword, followed by his armor-bearer who did the same.  Ironically, Saul did not die from falling on his sword and was finished off by an Amalekite! (2 Samuel 1); the very tribe Saul was commissioned to exterminate, (1 Samuel 15:1-3).

There are several lessons we can learn from the life of King Saul. First, obey the Lord and seek to do His will. From the very start of his reign, Saul had the perfect opportunity to be the benchmark by which all future kings could be measured. All he had to do was to seek the Lord wholeheartedly, obey God’s commandments, and align his will with that of God’s, and his rule would have been a God-honoring one. However, like so many others, Saul chose a different path and strayed away from God. We find a perfect example of his disobedience in the incident where God commanded him to kill all the Amalekites, but Saul kept the king and some of the spoils of war. Haman the Agagite, who would later seek to kill the Jews (see the book of Esther), was a descendant of the king whose life Saul spared. Saul compounded his troubles by lying to Samuel over the incident. He claimed that the soldiers had saved the best of the animals in order to sacrifice them to God (1 Samuel 15). This act, plus many others over the course of his rule, emphasized the fact that he could not be trusted to be an instrument of God’s will.

The second lesson we learn is not to misuse the power given to us. There is no question that King Saul abused the power God had entrusted to him. Pride often creeps into our hearts when people are serving and honoring us. In time, receiving “star treatment” can make us believe that we really are something special and worthy of praise. When this happens, we forget that God is the one who is really in control and that He alone rules over all. God may have chosen Saul because he was humble, but over time that humility was replaced by a self-serving and destructive pride that destroyed his rule.

Strengths and accomplishments
• First God-appointed king of Israel
• Known for his personal courage and generosity
• Stood tall, with a striking appearance

Weaknesses and mistakes
• His leadership abilities did not match the expectations created by his appearance
• Impulsive by nature, he tended to overstep his bounds
• Allowed jealousy to overcome him so that he tried to kill David
• He specifically disobeyed God on several occasions

Lessons from his life
• God wants obedience from the heart, not mere acts of religious ritual
• Obedience always involves sacrifice, but sacrifice is not always obedience
• God wants to make use of our strengths and weaknesses
• Weaknesses should help us remember our need for God’s guidance and help

Vital statistics
• Where: The land of Benjamin
• Occupation: King of Israel
• Relatives: Father: Kish. Wife: Ahinoam. Sons: Jonathan, Malkishua, Abinadab, Ishbosheth (and possibly Ishvi). Daughters: Merab, Michal.

Key verses
“But Samuel replied, ‘What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he has rejected you as king’ ” (1 Samuel 15:22, 23).
His story is told in 1 Samuel 9–31. He is also mentioned in Acts 13:21.

Another lesson for us is to lead the way God wants us to lead. First Peter 5:2–10 is the ultimate guide for leading the people that God has placed in our charge: “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” How much different Saul’s life would have turned out had he obeyed these principles. King Saul would have had no shortage of wise counsel available to him. By ignoring God and His wise counsel, Saul allowed the spiritual health of his people to deteriorate further, alienating them from God.

From Saul we learn that while our strengths and abilities make us useful, it is our weaknesses that make us usable to God. Our skills and talents make us tools, but our failures and shortcomings remind us that we need a Craftsman in control of our lives. Whatever we accomplish on our own is only a hint of what God could do through our lives. Will you allow God to work through your weaknesses? Will you obey God or make excuses and be partially obedient?

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/watch-now/leander-campus-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

Facebook: Upwards Church

Sources:

Life Application Bible Notes (Tyndale, 2007), 425.

https://www.gotquestions.org/life-Saul.html

Posted in 1 Samuel - Kings & Covenants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Trust God in Obedience – 1 Samuel 15

Posted on May 29, 2024 by dkoop

Our task isn’t an enjoyable one as we watch the character of King Saul steadily deteriorate. He has already demonstrated his unbelief and impatience (chap. 13), and now he will reveal further his disobedience and dishonesty. Saul’s history will climax with the king visiting a witch and then attempting suicide on the battlefield. Sir Walter Scott was right when he wrote:

O what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to deceive!

Chapter 14 and this chapter 15,  teach us powerful lessons that we must heed and obey if we want the blessing of God on our lives and service.

Disobedience Grieves God 

This is a pivotal section in the story of Saul. The Lord gave him another opportunity to prove himself, but he failed again, lied about it, and was judged. Saul had a habit of substituting saying for doing and of making excuses instead of confessing his sins. No matter what happened, it was always somebody else’s fault. He was more concerned about looking good before the people than being good before God. Consider the stages in this event that cost Saul the kingdom and eventually his life.

First, disobeying God (1 Sam. 15:1–11). The Amalekites descended from Esau, the unbelieving brother of Jacob (Gen. 36:12, 15–16; Heb. 12:14–17) and the enemy of the Jewish people. The army of Amalek attacked the Jews shortly after Israel left Egypt, and they were defeated because God heard Moses’ prayers and helped Joshua’s army. At that time, the Lord declared perpetual war against Amalek (Ex. 17:8–16) and Balaam prophesied Amalek’s ultimate defeat (Num. 24:20, Deuteronomy 25:17–19.)

Some people find it difficult to believe that the Lord would command an entire nation to be destroyed just because of what their ancestors had done centuries before. Some of these critics may depend more on sentiment than on spiritual truth, not realizing how long-suffering the Lord had been with these nations and how unspeakably wicked they were (see 1 Sam. 15:18, 33; Gen. 15:16). God’s covenant with the Jewish nation includes the promise, “I will curse him who curses you” (12:3), and God always keeps His Word. Nations like the Amalekites who wanted to exterminate the Jews weren’t just waging war on Israel; they were opposing Almighty God and His great plan of redemption for the whole world. People are either for the Lord or against Him, and if they are against Him, they must suffer the consequences. Knowing God’s covenant with Abraham, Saul allowed the Kenites to escape (1 Sam. 15:6) because they had befriended Israel. They were descendants of the Midianites, and Moses married a Midianite woman (Ex. 2:16, 21–22; see Judg. 4:11). History shows that nations that have persecuted Israel have been severely judged.
We admire Saul for being careful to protect the Kenites, but he wasn’t careful to obey God’s will. Everything that was vile and worthless he destroyed, but he permitted King Agag to live, and he allowed the Israelite soldiers to save “the best” of the flocks and herds. But if the Lord says something is condemned, how can we say it’s “the best”? “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil” (Isa. 5:20, NKJV). Saul certainly had sufficient men to get the job done right, but he decided to do it his own way. The prophet Samuel knew about Saul’s disobedience before the army returned from the battle and it grieved him. The Hebrew word means “to burn” and suggests a righteous indignation, a holy anger. For the remainder of his life, Samuel mourned over Saul (1 Sam. 16:1) and cried out to God (15:11).
Serving God acceptably involves doing the will of God in the right way, at the right time, and for the right motive. God had given Saul another chance and he had failed miserably. No wonder his mentor Samuel was angry and brokenhearted. Saul was God’s choice for king and Samuel wanted him to succeed. In the end, Saul’s failure to exterminate all the Amalekites resulted in his own death (2 Sam. 1:1–10).
In the matter of God’s “repenting” (1 Sam. 15:11), there is no contradiction between this statement and verse 29. (See endnote 1.)

Secondly Saul lies and thinks, that partial obedience is ok.

Partial Obedience is Disobedience (1 Sam. 15:12–15). In the eyes of the soldiers and the Jewish people, Saul had won a great victory over a long-time enemy, but in God’s eyes he was a failure. Yet the king was so impressed with himself that he went to Carmel and erected a stone monument in his honor and then went to Gilgal, where he had previously failed the Lord and Samuel (13:4). Was he trying to avoid meeting Samuel? Perhaps, but his efforts were futile. It was fifteen miles from Samuel’s home in Ramah to Gilgal, perhaps a day’s journey for the old prophet.
Saul’s greeting was sheer hypocrisy. He had no blessing to give Samuel and he had not performed the will of the Lord. First he lied to himself in thinking he could get away with the deception, and then he lied to Samuel who already knew the truth. He even tried to lie to God by saying he would use the spared animals for sacrifices!  Saul blamed the soldiers for sparing the spoils, but surely as their commander-in-chief, he could have controlled them. “They” spared the best, but “we” utterly destroyed the rest! With Saul, it was always somebody else’s fault.

Disobedience Has Consequences  (1 Sam. 15:16–23). Samuel’s emphatic “Stop!”  means “Stop telling lies.”  Samuel had a message from the Lord, and Saul knew he had better listen. The day would come when Saul would give anything to hear a word from the Lord (28:4–6).
Saul had once been a modest young man (9:21), but now for the second time he had willfully disobeyed the Lord’s will and even erected a monument in honor of the event. He was to annihilate a nation that for centuries had done evil, but he ended up doing evil himself. Confronted with this accusation, Saul began to argue with God’s servant and deny that he had done wrong. For the second time he lied when he said, “I have obeyed” (15:13, 20); for the second time he blamed his army (vv. 15, 21); and for the second time he used the feeble excuse of dedicating the spared animals as sacrifices for the Lord (vv. 15, 21).
The prophet rejected all three lies and explained why God couldn’t accept the animals as legitimate sacrifices: the Lord wants living obedience from the heart, not dead animals on the altar. God doesn’t need any donations from us (Ps. 50:7–15), and the sacrifice He desires is a broken and contrite heart (51:16–17). Sacrifice without obedience is only hypocrisy and empty religious ritual (Isa. 1:11–17; Jer. 7:21–26; Ps. 40:6–8). “For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6, KJV). The religious leaders in Jesus’ day didn’t understand this truth (Matt. 9:9–13; 12:1–8), although occasionally somebody in the crowd would see the light (Mark 12:28–34).
Samuel was a Levite and a prophet, so he certainly wasn’t criticizing the Jewish sacrificial system. The Lord through Moses had established Jewish worship and it was right for the people to bring their sacrifices to the Lord. This was His appointed way of worship. But the worshipers had to come to the Lord with submissive hearts and genuine faith, or their sacrifices were in vain. When David was in the wilderness and away from the priests and the sanctuary of God, he knew that God would accept worship from his heart. “Let my prayer be set before you as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” (Ps. 141:2, NKJV). Christian worship today must be more than simply going through a liturgy; we must worship God “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24), “singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16, NKJV).

But the prophet went on to reveal that the sins of rebellion and stubbornness (arrogance) controlled Saul’s heart, and in God’s sight, they were as evil as witchcraft and idolatry. (Later, Saul would actually resort to witchcraft.) Both sins were evidences of a heart that had rejected the Word of the Lord. To know God’s will and deliberately disobey it is to put ourselves above God and therefore become our own god. This is the vilest form of idolatry.

Disobedience is Costly (1 Sam. 15:24–29). King Saul now moves from “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord” (v. 20) to “I have sinned.”2  However, this was not a true expression of repentance and sorrow for sin, because when he repeated it later, he added, “Honor me now … before the elders of my people” (v. 30). He was obviously more concerned about his reputation with the people than his character before God, and that is not the attitude of a man truly broken because of sin. Saul also admitted that he spared Agag and the animals because he feared the people instead of fearing the Lord and His commandment. But this was just another indication that he was more interested in being popular with people than in pleasing God.
Samuel refused to join Saul at the altar because he knew the Lord wouldn’t receive the king’s worship because He had rejected him as king. In his previous disobedience, Saul forfeited the dynasty (13:14), but now he lost his throne. He was no longer the king of Israel because Samuel would anoint young David to be king. Saul had already been warned about this judgment and now it would be fulfilled. As Samuel turned away, Saul clutched at the tassels on the hem of his garment (Num. 15:38–39) and tore the prophet’s robe (see 1 Kings 11:29–39.) Samuel used the occurrence as an object lesson and announced that God had torn the kingdom from Saul’s hand. Samuel called the Lord “the Strength of Israel,” a name that speaks of God’s glory, eminence, and perfection. How could such a wonderful God be guilty of changing or of telling lies? The Lord had announced that Saul would lose the kingdom, and nothing could change His mind.3

Sin Must Die (1 Sam. 15:30–35).  Samuel publicly killed King Agag.   Here, Samuel  carries out what Saul failed to do.  Samuel is a type or representative of Christ here.   There was judgement upon Agag and the Amalekites, Saul didn’t carry it out, but Samuel did. Samuel did what Saul didn’t. Jesus does what we cannot.  There is judgement upon all sin.  Sin and death were defeated by Jesus.  Christ was fully obedient, not partially obedient, like Saul or like us.  Who do we want to be like, Jesus or Saul?  Jesus was fully obedient in life and in death. When he said, “It is finished.” it was completely done, not partially.  When we’re told to “put to death the deeds of the flesh.”   We need to live for Christ, “take up our cross and deny ourselves. A few questions for us to consider:  What sin in our lives needs to die?  What sin, if we don’t kill, could kill us? Will we choose to be more like Saul, partially obedient or like Jesus, fully obedient?

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/watch-now/leander-campus-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

Facebook: Upwards Church

Notes/Sources:
1 When the Bible speaks about the Lord “changing His mind” or “repenting,” it is using human language to describe divine truth. God knows the future, including our responses to His commands, and God is never at a loss to know what to do. He does change His actions in response to what people do, but this has nothing to do with His changeless nature or attributes. Jonah announced that Nineveh would be destroyed, but the city repented and the Lord withdrew the judgment. From the human point of view, God seemed to change His mind, but not from the divine point of view. God is always true to His nature and consistent with His attributes and plans. Nothing catches Him by surprise.
2 Twice Pharaoh said “I have sinned” (Ex. 9:27; 10:16), but his words were empty. As soon as the situation improved in Egypt, he went right back to opposing Moses and God. Balaam said, “I have sinned” (Num. 22:34) but continued to be an enemy of Israel. Judas admitted his sin but never really repented (Matt. 27:4). David said, “I have sinned” and really meant it (2 Sam. 12:13; 24:10, 17; Ps. 51:4), and so did the prodigal son (Luke 15:18, 21).
3 When the Bible speaks about the Lord “changing His mind” or “repenting,” it is using human language to describe divine truth. God knows the future, including our responses to His commands, and God is never at a loss to know what to do. He does change His actions in response to what people do, but this has nothing to do with His changeless nature or attributes. Jonah announced that Nineveh would be destroyed, but the city repented and the Lord withdrew the judgment. From the human point of view, God seemed to change His mind, but not from the divine point of view. God is always true to His nature and consistent with His attributes and plans. Nothing catches Him by surprise.
Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Successful, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Victor/Cook Communications, 2001), 70–85.
Posted in 1 Samuel - Kings & Covenants | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Who is Samuel? – 1 Samuel 1-28

Posted on May 28, 2024 by dkoop

Samuel, whose name means “heard of God,” was dedicated to God by his mother, Hannah, as part of a vow she made before he was born (1 Samuel 1:11). Hannah had been barren and prayed so fervently for a child that Eli the priest thought she was drunk (1 Samuel 1). God granted Hannah’s request, and, true to her promise, Hannah dedicated Samuel to the Lord. After Samuel was weaned, likely around the age of four, he was brought to the tabernacle to serve under Eli the priest (1 Samuel 1:22–25). Even as a child, Samuel was given his own tunic, a garment normally reserved for a priest as he ministered before the Lord in the tent of meeting at Shiloh, where the ark of the covenant was kept (1 Samuel 2:18; 3:3). Traditionally, the sons of the priest would succeed their father’s ministry; however, Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were wicked in that they were immoral and showed contempt for the Lord’s offering (1 Samuel 2:17, 22). Meanwhile, Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men (1 Samuel 2:26).

At a time when prophecies and visions were rare, Samuel heard what he first believed to be Eli calling him during the night. Though the young Samuel was ministering in the tabernacle, he still didn’t know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him (1 Samuel 3:7). The first three times the Lord called Samuel, the boy responded to Eli. Eli then understood what was happening and instructed Samuel to respond to the Lord if he called again. Then, “The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ’Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ’speak, for your servant is listening’” (1 Samuel 3:10). God gave him a message of judgment to relay to Eli. The following day, Samuel took his first leap of faith, telling Eli everything, even though the message was bad news for Eli and his family (1 Samuel 3:11–18). Eli responded with acceptance. Samuel’s credibility as a prophet spread throughout Israel, and God continued to reveal His Word to His people through Samuel (1 Samuel 3:20–21).

The Philistines, perennial enemies of Israel, attacked God’s people. Eli’s sons were killed in the battle, and the ark of the covenant was captured and taken to Philistia. Upon hearing the news of his sons’ deaths, Eli also died. After several months, the Philistines returned the ark to Israel, where it remained at Kiriath Jearim for over twenty years. As the Israelites cried out to God for help against the Philistine oppressors, Samuel instructed them to be rid of the false gods they had been worshiping. With Samuel’s leadership, and by God’s power, the Philistines were overcome, and there was a time of peace between them (1 Samuel 7:9–13). Samuel was recognized as the judge of all Israel.

Like Eli’s sons, Samuel’s two sons, Joel and Abijah, sinned before God by seeking dishonest gain and perverting justice. Samuel had appointed his sons as judges, but the elders of Israel told Samuel that because he was too old and his sons did not walk in his ways, they wanted Samuel to appoint a king to rule like other nations had (1 Samuel 8:1–5). Samuel’s initial reaction to their demand was one of great displeasure, and he prayed to God about the matter. God told Samuel that they had not rejected him, but had rejected God as their king. God gave Samuel leave to permit their request but warned the people what they could expect from a king (1 Samuel 8:6–21).

In time, Saul, a Benjamite, was anointed by Samuel as Israel’s first king (1 Samuel 10:1). Even so, Samuel called on God for a sign to show the Israelites the evil of choosing to replace their true king—God—with an earthly king (1 Samuel 12:16–18). After a time, Samuel learned that Saul had been rejected by God to lead His people because of Saul’s disobedience (1 Samuel 13:11–13). Samuel immediately warned Saul that God had already sought out a replacement for him (1 Samuel 13:14). After Saul continued to disobey, Samuel denounced him as king (1 Samuel 15:26). Samuel returned home, never to be at King Saul’s side again, but he mourned for him (1 Samuel 15:35). God instructed Samuel to choose another king from the family of Jesse (1 Samuel 16:1), and Samuel anointed Jesse’s youngest son, David (1 Samuel 16:13). Samuel died before David was made king, though, and “all Israel assembled and mourned for him” (1 Samuel 25:1).

The life of Samuel was 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). Samuel is cited alongside Moses and Aaron as men who called on God and were answered (Psalm 99:6). Later in Israel’s history, when the Israelites were living in disobedience to God, the Lord declared they were beyond even the defense of Moses and Samuel, two of Israel’s greatest intercessors (Jeremiah 15:1). This is a clear indication of the power of Samuel’s prayers—and the depth of Israel’s sin in Jeremiah’s day.

There is much to learn from the life of Samuel. In particular, we see the sovereignty of God in Israel, no matter whom the people chose to reign over them. We may allow other things or people to occupy the throne of our hearts, but God will always remain sovereign and will never accept usurpers to His authority in the lives of His subjects.

We can imagine how daunting it must have been for the young Samuel to give an honest account of his first vision to Eli. However, it appears that, even from a young age, Samuel’s absolute allegiance was to God first. There may be times when we feel intimidated by those in authority, but, as Samuel proved more than once, it is God who must remain our priority. The world may look on us cynically when we remain steadfast in our faith. However, we can be confident that God will vindicate those who have remained faithful to His Word (Psalm 135:14).

Though Samuel had deep reservations about letting the people have a king, he was quick to consult God about the matter and abided by His decision (1 Samuel 8:6–7). Many of us may consult God about important decisions in our lives, but how many of us are ready to accept His counsel and abide by it, especially when it appears to go against our own desires? Leaders in particular can learn from Samuel’s example of the power he derived from his close relationship with God, generated by a healthy prayer life. Samuel was a great man of prayer, and his people respected him for it (1 Samuel 12:19, 23). Even though Samuel was aware of the evil in Saul’s life, he never stopped praying and mourning for him. Indeed, Samuel described it as a sin not to pray for the people under his care. Perhaps too quickly we may deem a brother beyond restoration when we see him fall into sin. Certainly, God’s plans for each individual will come to pass, but it should never stop us from continuing to pray and care for those who are weaker in their faith (Romans 15:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:14).

The main theme throughout Samuel’s life is that God alone should receive the glory and honor. After making his sons judges, it must have been a very sad thing for Samuel to learn that they were unfit to lead. When he consulted God about the people’s request for a king, nothing was said in defense of his sons. Samuel was obedient to God’s instructions to give the people what they wanted.

Strengths and accomplishments
• Used by God to assist Israel’s transition from a loosely governed tribal people to a monarchy
• Anointed the first two kings of Israel
• Was the last and most effective of Israel’s judges
• Is listed in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11

Weakness and mistake
• Was unable to lead his sons into a close relationship with God

Lessons from his life
• The significance of what people accomplish is directly related to their relationship with God
• The kind of person we are is more important than anything we might do

Vital statistics
• Where: Ephraim
• Occupations: Judge, prophet, priest
• Relatives: Mother: Hannah. Father: Elkanah. Sons: Joel and Abijah.
• Contemporaries: Eli, Saul, David

Key verses
“As Samuel grew up, the LORD was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable. And all Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD” (1 Samuel 3:19, 20).
His story is told in 1 Samuel 1–28. He is also mentioned in Psalm 99:6; Jeremiah 15:1; Acts 3:24; 13:20; Hebrews 11:32.

A last key verse in the life of Samuel relates his words to King Saul: “But Samuel replied: ‘Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams’” (1 Samuel 15:22).  We learn from Samuel that obedience to God’s Word must always be our top priority.

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/watch-now/leander-campus-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

Facebook: Upwards Church

Sources:

Life Application Bible Notes (Tyndale, 2007), 419.

https://www.gotquestions.org/life-Samuel.html

Posted in 1 Samuel - Kings & Covenants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment