1 Samuel Series Wk 9 - “Peace in Faithfulness”

 Back in 2000 Eric Moussambani swan in the Olympics for his country Equatorial Guinea. Unlike most of the other competitors Eric had never seen an Olympic sized pool before, so he was at a significant disadvantage. His heat started like anyone else’s, except before the buzzer sounded for the start of the race, his two competitors both launched off their starting marks too early. This disqualified them from the heat. 

Eric swan the race alone and finished in 1 minute, and 52.72 seconds. To put that into perspective, the gold medal swimmer in the same event won with a 48.3 second time. Eric did break a record with his time, being the slowest time recorded in Olympic history, which meant he wouldn’t move on to the next round. However, he won the heat.

Eric’s story has inspired others because, even though he came to the Olympics with no chance of competing at the level of other swimmers, he worked hard and showed his dedication. Yet there is another story, the other two swimmers. Eric wasn’t real competition, yet the other swimmers’ false starts meant that neither of them could get the win. It goes to show you that sometimes, it’s not the world around us that keeps us from winning, but our own false starts. 

This idea of false starts, brings us back to our summer series in the book of First Samuel, where we’ll be reading through chapter 13, starting in verse 1. As we open up to First Samuel 13:1, let’s refresh our memories on where we are so far in this second section of First Samuel.

Three week ago, we looked at God’s choosing of Saul in response to the people desiring a human king. We’re told about the commendable attributes that he had in appearance, obedience, and humility. However, we also saw a few weaknesses as well: unwillingness to finish a task, and pushing responsibility onto others. Saul seemed to have a good start, but a good start isn’t the goal, a good end is. So we talked about how the way we can end well in our walks with God is to have a consistent self-evaluation before the Lord. Where we bring our thoughts and actions before God and have him transform them to his.

Following that, we looked at Saul’s coronation as king and his first victory. The through line of which was an understanding that it is God who establishes kingdoms and wins victories, and it is God who removes kings and kingdoms from the face of the earth. We should never lose sight that no king, dictator, president, general, or prime minster establishes themselves, but it is God who does so for his own purposes. 

Finally last week, we read through Samuel’s farewell address to the people of Israel. He had been God’s prophet and judge for a good portion of his life, and he had lived in front of Israel since he was a young boy. In his life he had shown what it meant to be a faithful follower of God, and he called Israel to be faithful too. We walked away from last week with two understandings: We should seek to walk faithfully, because we are responsibly for our own walks with God. Though we may influence each other’s walks, in the end we each are answerable for how we have walked in this life.

With the stage set, we move into chapter 13, verses 1 where we’ll begin to see the cracks forming in Saul’s rule. Let’s read together.

1 Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two years over Israel, 

Let’s stop right here before getting into the rest of the passage. This first verse is very confusing and if we don’t address it from the git-go, your mind might be wondering and wandering as we move through the rest of the passage. It seems to state that Saul was a one-year old when he took the throne. We know that’s not the case, because of everything we read before about Saul’s appearance being that of a fully grown, taller and more handsome than everyone else, man. So what does the “one year” language mean?

The Hebrew word that is translated “one year” is shaneh (shah-NAH), and it means X-amount of time or a revolution of time. It can be as little as a one year as stated in the text, or an entire era of time. As I interpret, the author is saying, there was the era or time when Saul wasn’t king, and then there was a time when Saul was king. How old was Saul when he became king? The Scriptures are unclear, it could be about thirty, or it could be about forty. The forty number was probably more correct because his son Jonathan was a fully grown man, which would mean that Saul had to have had him at the earliest in his twenties. But the actual age doesn’t matter, what mattes is that there was a time when Saul wasn’t king and after that, he became king. The significant part of the verse is actually the second half, where we’re told, it only took two years to get where we are in the passage. So let’s continue with it.

2 Saul chose three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent home, every man to his tent. 3 Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” 4 And all Israel heard it said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become a stench to the Philistines. And the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.

5 And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, 7 and some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

8 He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. 11 Samuel said, “What have you done?”

Usually we don’t do this, as our intention is to read through a whole passage before we discuss it, but I want to stop with a little tension in the air, as Saul meets up with Samuel. We cannot miss this moment. Samuel shows up on the seventh day only after Saul conducts the religious ceremonies that only the priests were allowed to perform. 

A lot can be said about this. First, on the ceremonies side of it. The reason why it was forbidden for Saul to perform these offerings is due to the prescriptions within the covenantal agreement between God and Israel. We might think, “what’s the big deal” but the reason it is a big deal is because Israel is in contract with God. It is similar to any contact we might sign to buy a car, rent a house, or have a cell phone. If we were to rent a house, pay the deposit, and then trash the place, we would be in breach of the contract, kicked out, and our deposit would be used to fix the house. The contact between God and Israel had the perception that only the tribe of Levi was allowed to make offerings to God on behalf of the people. Saul is in breach of that contract, and as the king, he is more responsibly than any other person. Remember last chapter, Samuel called the people to follow God with all their heart, and the king too. 

Secondly, why did Saul jump the gun here? When Saul first met Samuel, he was told by the women he met that the people would wait until Samuel showed up to bless the food. No matter how long it took, they waited. This was the first thing that Saul learned about Samuel, but he didn’t really learn it. What we learn in the rest of verse 11 and verses 12, is that the situation in which Saul found himself in made him anxious, telling Samuel that he “forced” himself, and so he performed the ceremony in rebellion against God’s command. He rebelled against the counsel of God’s command, against the precedent set by Samuel, and his own inclination to wait. 

In reply, this is what Samuel tells Saul in verse 13.

13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” 15 And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal. The rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the army; they went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin.

In Saul’s unwillingness to wait on the Lord and to follow his commands as an under-king to the true King, Saul lost his kingdom. It will take time for this to come about, but we learn in verse 14 that Samuel already knows that God is at work to bring about another to take Saul’s place. 

The chapter ends with the Israelites needing to make weapons out of their farming tools, a sign that under Saul’s leadership, they’re on their own once again. God isn’t providing against the overwhelming odds and we might wonder why? Why is God not providing for the people, when it was only Saul who messed up? 

The reason why is verse 15, when Samuel left the town, the people followed their human king and rose up with him. The people chose Saul over God, and God gave them over to their own desire. But that desire was contrary to God and they went to battle without God going before them. 

The chapter ends on this ominous note. What’s going to happen at the battle? Will the Philistines, with their chariots, horses, and soldiers, wipe out the Israelites with their converted farming tools? We’ll leave that for next week.

However, we can walk away with Jesus’ words from Matthew 6:25, 32-33, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? … For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Seeking God’s kingdom above the kingdoms of this earth and above the kingdoms of our own self, is what Saul failed to do. Saul only reigned for two years before his kingdom became more important that God’s. His anxiousness overrode his understanding of God’s command, his trust in his mentor Samuel, and his own conscious. Why? Because his eyes were on his circumstances and his need to make sure his kingdom was secure. Yet, as disciples of Jesus, we are called to look to Christ’s kingdom. His commands are better than ours. His example is better than any humans. His will is better than our own. 

But how do we accomplish this not being anxious and trusting the Lord? The Holy Spirit gives us this through Paul in Philippians 4:4-7, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

We over come anxiousness by rejoicing in the Lord as we bring our request before him, leaving them with him, for him to work out as he sees fit. God is the king, his will will be done whether we fight against it or not. When we fight against it, we will experience all the problems our anxiety worried about. Yet if we trust in the Lord, leaving our worries and anxiety in his hands, he will bless us with his peace and our heart and minds will be guarded against the enemy as we trust ever greater in Jesus.

My challenge for you this week is this, we are going to be taking communion and we’re going to do something a little different. We’re going to pass the bread and cup together and I want you to take a moment and lay your petitions upon the Lord. Any worry of the kingdom of this world lay at the feet of the King of kings. Any anxiety that plagues your heart or mind, bring it before the God of peace. Then, pick up rejoicing that God is going to work it out in his way and in his time. 

Let us petition the Lord together in the unity of Christ, and let us rejoice with one another in the greatness of our God. Amen.

1 Samuel Series Wk 8 - “No Excuse Faithful Walking”

 The story goes, that almost two-hundred and fifty years ago a war was raging. A man in civilian clothes was riding his horse when he came upon a group of soldiers digging a fortification. The man noticed that one of the soldiers was barking orders and telling the men to hurry up, but that soldier wasn’t helping to get the job done. 

The man stopped and asked the commander, “Why aren’t you helping if it’s that important that they get the job done?”

The leader responded, “Because I’m in charge, and if you feel so strongly about it, you get down there and help.”

The man got off his horse and helped the soldiers until the job was done. He congratulated and encouraged the men on a job well done. Then he approached the commander and told him, “You should notify top command next time your rank prevents you from supporting your men, and I will provide a more permanent solution.”

Now seeing the stranger up close, the commander recognize the man, it was George Washington, commander of the Continental Army.

Good leaders are those that will get into the dirt and help you dig. They inspire and give you an example to live by.

It’s this type of example to follow that brings us back to our Samuel Series, where we’ll be picking it back up in First Samuel chapter 12, starting in verse 1. As we open up to First Samuel 12:1, let’s look back on the last two weeks.

As we entered into the second section of First Samuel, we saw that the people had called Samuel to appoint a king for Israel, something that was in opposition to what God had desired for his people. Yet, God agreed and we saw that it was Saul who God had chosen. In the first time we saw Saul, he had a few commendable attributes, and a few weaknesses. Because of this, we walked away from that week with the understanding that each one of us may begin well, but it’s through self-evaluation before God that helps us end well.

Then last week, we saw the public appointment of Saul, his first victory, and the transition from the era of the Judges to the era of the monarchy. However, a thru line that was the undercurrent in the two chapters we covered, was that it was God who established and removes kingdoms, even as rulers seek to do what seems right to them. No matter the ruler, whether a king, a dictator, or a president, it is God who works all things for his purposes. 

With those two weeks afresh in our minds, we turn our attention to chapter 12, verse 1, of First Samuel. Let’s read together.

1 And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed your voice in all that you have said to me and have made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. 3 Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you.” 4 They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man's hand.” 5 And he said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”

6 And Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous deeds of the Lord that he performed for you and for your fathers. 8 When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them, then your fathers cried out to the Lord and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. 9 But they forgot the Lord their God. And he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought against them. 10 And they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve you.’ 11 And the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety. 12 And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king. 13 And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you. 14 If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well. 15 But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king. 16 Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. 17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.” 18 So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” 20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22 For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. 23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24 Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”

v.1-5 - The passage can be broken up into three sections. The first is verses 1-5. In these verses, we’re in the same moment where we left off in chapter 11 at the town of Gilgal. Saul has been affirmed as king of Israel, and it’s time for Samuel to transition out of being the leader. 

Here is Samuel’s goodbye and he asks the people if he has done anything wrong to them all the days that he has judged them. The people agree that Samuel has done nothing wrong. 

Samuel’s life shows what a godly walk looks like. Is it perfect? No, as we have seen his sons not follow his example. But in everything that Samuel could control, he has walked faithfully with God. Samuel has been faithful in leading  the people, he’s been faithful in considering and doing their will, and he has been faithful in treating people honestly. Samuel’s life is the type of life we should all aspire to. It is the type of life that will hear the words of Jesus, from Matthew 25:23, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” It is the type of life that Paul writes in his second letter to Timothy, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. (2 Tim. 4:6-8)” 

Each one of us should aspire to live a life that glorifies God, and Samuel has lead that type of life.

v.6-18 - This leads into the second section of Samuel’s farewell. He reminds the people of all that God has done for them. He reminds them of the Exodus, where God brought the people out of slavery in Egypt. Samuel reminds the people of all the times that God sent Judges to rescue them in their times of need, he includes himself in this, as one of the Judges. God had ruled them for hundreds of years in this way, saving the people time and time again. 

Yet, the people have asked for a king. They have rejected God as their king, and are now looking to a man. Because they have done this, Samuel warns them that if the king and the people follow God, there will be blessing, but if they choose to rebel against God, following their own desires, then all that awaits them is the judgment of God.

Samuel shows that his words of divine judgment on the people if they turn from God are true, because he calls on God to bring thunder and rain. This is miraculous because this takes place during the harvest season of Israel, where such rains are rare.

v.19-25 - And so the people call on Samuel to pray for them. To intercede on their behalf and avoid God's judgment.

It’s here that Samuel calls on them to realize that though they have done an evil thing in seeking a human king over God, God still cares for his people. God’s intention has always been to make a people for himself. God will not abandon Israel, even if Israel seeks to abandon God. And Samuel, won’t abandon his post either. He isn’t dead yet, and that means his calling hasn’t come to an end. Samuel will continue to pray on behalf of the people, and he will continue to walk the path as God leads him.

But the people must take seriously their role in following God, or else God’s judgment will come down, just as the rains have come.

We can walk away with two points from this chapter. First, each of us should seek to walk faithful to the end, as Samuel did. If we have put our faith in Jesus, our lives are to be honored back to him. They are to be a praise, a testimony, an example of his faithfulness to us. Jesus is the goal, and the path to that goal is lined with countless struggles and victories that resound with the glory of God. Jesus is seeking his people to be faithful disciples of his, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to the end.

The second point we can walk away with this is, each of us is responsible for our own walk with the Lord. The past two weeks I have been thinking a lot about past teens through the ministry here. I wish that each one would be walking faithfully with God. That each one would have accepted Jesus as their Savior. That each one would be living lives that glorify God. And I’ve been thinking about all the times that I have failed in being the godly example I should have been. I’ve thought of all the times I have failed, in my anger, in my joking. And there is this little voice in the back of my head that tells me it’s my fault for these teens not following God. If I was better, they would be better. Yet, I read Samuel and he’s a paragon of walking godly before people. Everyone agreed that he was faithful, and yet, his sons did not walk with God. It was under his tenure that Israel reject God’s kingship. 

I’m not saying that I shouldn’t do better, because I should, and through the Holy Spirit, I hope that I am, but each of us has to take responsibility for our own walk with Jesus. We cannot shift blame to our parents, siblings, extended family, to friends, circumstances, pastors, or other Christians. We must realize that we as individuals are responsible for our walks. If I want to grow, I must be the one in prayer, in Bible reading, in practicing what Jesus teaches. This is what leads to a life well lived, a life like Samuel’s. Because on the day of Judgment, each of us will stand before the Lord on our own account and no one else’s. 

This however doesn’t let us off the hook of being that good example, but rather should encourage us to grow in the Lord.

So my challenge for you this week is to go before the Lord and ask, what excuses have you given to say how you have not walked better with him? I’ve done it. Not enough time, too many distractions, that’s why I haven’t been better. But those are just excuses. I don’t want excuses anymore, I want faithfulness. This is why in the past year, I have tried to do the things that I have been called to do, and no longer give excuses why I couldn’t. It’s why I am finishing up my masters. It’s why I wrote my novel, the devotional, and am working my Matthew commentary, and another novel. I don’t want excuses, because God has called me to faithfulness. This week, walk before the Lord and ask him to remove the excuses that you may walk in faithfulness.

Let us be a faithful walking people, who understand that the race isn’t over until the trumpet sounds for us. Amen.

1 Samuel Series Wk 7 - “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow”

  We just spent a week with the teens in what’s called our In-Town trip. Every year we host our youth group for five full days and two half days of staying here at the church facilities. In the mornings they do work projects, and in the afternoons they put on a Vacation Bible Camp for local kids. The week is pretty well scheduled. Wake up is at 6:15am, breakfast is at 6:30, devotions at 7:30, work project from 8-11, lunch at 11:30, prep for VBC from 12-1, kids arrive between 1-1:30, VBC goes from 1:30-3:30, kids go home and teens have down time until the drivers return, then they begin to prep for the next day from 4-6. 6pm is dinner, 7:30 is devotions, 8-10 is free time and showers, 10pm is lights out. That’s the basic schedule for everyday, with a little variation here and there. 

Yet, even though the week is very structured, we don’t know what each day will bring. We know when things will most likely happen, but we don’t know what will happen. How many kids will be here today? We don’t know. How long will our work project last. We don’t know. We were scheduled for the food bank, but they had enough volunteers. We had a yard project that was done around 10:30am. We had some kids come the first two days who didn’t come back. But most stayed through the whole week. All parents are invited, but not all come. All are invited to come to church, but the majority won’t.

The reality is, we don’t know tomorrow or what we will have to deal with when it comes. We can plan and prepare, but in the end, we have no control on what will happen. 

And its this idea of not knowing tomorrow that brings us back to our series in the books of Samuel, where were will be picking it back up in First Samuel 10:1. And as we open up to First Samuel 10:1, let’s look back to last week.

Last week we began the second section of First Samuel. In the first section we saw How God calls us to abide in his holy will, so that we might follow his direction and see his work. We saw this positively through the lives of Hannah and Samuel, and we saw the negative side of this through the lives Eli, his sons, and the nation of Israel as a whole. 

It was also last week where we began the second section of First Samuel, with seeing Saul before he became king of Israel. Most know Saul as the guy who later became paranoid of David and ended his life as more of a villain than a hero. Yet we saw some both the weaknesses and strengths of Saul when he was younger. Though he would not end well, his start was, at the very least, commendable. It is because he had this commendable start and downfall, that we talked about how we need to go before the Lord to have ourselves examined, so that we may always be growing in our relationship with him.

Now with these things fresh in our minds we can jump into First Samuel 10:1. In order to see the overall thought, we’re going to be covering chapters 10 and 11. But since we are doing this, your default homework is to go back and read the entire chapters in context, as we will only be reading portions of them today.

So let’s jump into First Samuel 10:1.

1Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him and said, “Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies. And this shall be the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you to be prince over his heritage. 2 When you depart from me today, you will meet two men by Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys that you went to seek are found, and now your father has ceased to care about the donkeys and is anxious about you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?”’ 3 Then you shall go on from there farther and come to the oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine. 4 And they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall accept from their hand. 5 After that you shall come to Gibeath-elohim, where there is a garrison of the Philistines. And there, as soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying. 6 Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. 7 Now when these signs meet you, do what your hand finds to do, for God is with you. 8 Then go down before me to Gilgal. And behold, I am coming down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, until I come to you and show you what you shall do.”

v.10:1-8 - Here is the anointing of Saul as king of Israel by Samuel. Except we are told that Saul is a prince of Israel. This is the second and third time the word prince is used in our passage, the first time was last week in chapter nine. We did not press this understanding then so that we could briefly look at it here. The word prince can be translated as leader or regent. The word carries with it representative power. Saul is not a king unto himself, but a is a representative of the true King of Israel, Yahweh. This is important, because later on, Saul will see himself as the seat of power, rather than as a representative of that power.

But to prove that Saul is truly called by God to be king, Samuel relays a prophetic word of what Saul will encounter as he heads back home. Samuel’s prophecy is that Saul will meet a series of groups: a group of men who will tell him about the donkeys, a group of men who will give him food, and a group of musical prophets. This three-fold repetition is to convince Saul of God’s providence in making him prince over all of Israel. These encounters, and Saul being told of them prior to them happening, will turn him into “another man.” No longer will he be Saul, but King Saul, representative of Yahweh to Israel. 

One thing we have to note, is that the Spirit of the Lord comes upon Saul in the midst of the prophets worshiping God through music. This is the same way the Spirit came upon the Judges. It is a empowerment to do the things God tasks the person to do. But, as we talked about in our Judges series, the Spirit of the Lord does not stop the person from acting in their own will. Though the Spirit is upon them, it does not force people to act in a certain way. The will of the person is still free to act in sinful ways.

v.9-16 - Dropping down to verses 9-16 we get the statement, “… God gave him another heart. (v.9)” This isn’t the heart of salvation that God gives to people when they come to Jesus’ as their Savior. Rather, God giving Saul a new heart, is a comment on Saul changing his mind on the idea of him being chosen as king. This change happens due to Samuel’s prophetic words coming to pass. Yet, when the opportunity to share the news with his uncle that he was anointed to be king, Saul either shows the humble characteristic from the previous chapter, or he shows that he is still unsure about becoming king. We would hope for the humble answer, but we find out a few verses later that it is not from a humble position that he stays silent.

v.17-27 - Moving to verse 17, Samuel brings the people together to make the choosing of the king official. Samuel begins by sharing God’s triumphs over the centuries on behalf of Israel. He does this to remind the people what they are about to reject. This is their last opportunity to turn back to God and keep him as the only King in Israel. Instead, the people reject having God as their King and have chosen to put their nation into the hands of a man. 

Lots are drawn as a way of showing divine intervention, but, as we have already seen, God had already prepared Saul to be the king, so this isn’t random.

It’s here that we see that Saul’s will is still at work and hasn’t been lost by the Spirit coming upon him. It’s here that we see that, though he has been anointed by Samuel, and though he has seen Samuel’s words fulfilled, and though he himself has prophesied, he is reluctant to become king and was hiding among the belongs of the people, rather than with everyone else.

Now it seems that the majority of people were excited for Saul to become king, with some even following after him when he departs. Yet there were those who, like Eli’s sons, and like the people of the Judges era, were worthless. Again, this word means that they would be more willing to follow Satan than anyone else. It is not Saul they are rejecting, but the whole concept that God is still calling the shots to appoint anyone.

This might seem like a throw away line about some men being upset that Saul of all people was made king, but their inclusion becomes more important in chapter eleven. Let’s pick up the passage in chapter 11 verse 1.

11:1 Then Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead, and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.” 2 But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all your right eyes, and thus bring disgrace on all Israel.” 3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days' respite that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves up to you.” 4 When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, they reported the matter in the ears of the people, and all the people wept aloud.

5 Now, behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. And Saul said, “What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?” So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh. 6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. 7 He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of the messengers, saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen!” Then the dread of the Lord fell upon the people, and they came out as one man.

11:1-11 - The Israelites face another threat, this time not from the Philistines, but from the Ammonites. Nahash of the Ammonites beside one of Israel’s cities and when the people of the city request a treaty, Nahash makes a counter offer. His offer is meant to be an affront to the people and shame them. In reality, Nahash does not want to make a treaty and so makes a ridiculous requirement. He is desiring a fight, and his allowing the people in the city to request help from their fellow Israelites shows that desire. And so the word goes out.

It’s here that we find Saul, not in a palace or being waited upon, but working as he always has, in his father’s field. This is a good beginning. If Saul had continued in this humble state, maybe he would have been better off in the long run.

It is on his way back from the field that Saul hears that his fellow Israelites are being besieged. At this report, the Spirit ignites an anger inside Saul and the king calls for all the people to unite and produced a large army to march against Nahash.

After the battle has been won and Nahash has been defeated, we see the aftermath beginning in verse 12.

12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” 13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.” 14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom.” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

v.12-15 - With the victory, Saul proves that God has called him to be the king of Israel, his representative to the people. It is here that the people call on Samuel to pass judgment and punishment on all the worthless men who doubted choosing Saul. Their punishment? Death. However, Saul disagrees and let’s the men live.

This presents an interesting situation, who is to be the judge in such matter? This moment shows a vital transition between the era of the Judges and the era of the monarchy. Saul has taken the role of Judge in both a military and political sense. His decision now out weighs the Prophet’s. Whereas Samuel was the decision maker under the old political structure, his judgment is no longer the final word under the new. Those like Samuel, who fulfill the role of prophet, are now reduced to an advisory position. A position we can see happens time and time again throughout the era of the monarchy.

It is here that we step back and look at the whole situation. We see that God is still in control. Though a new king has been anointed and accepted as ruler over the people. It is God who calls Saul, it is God who reveals what is ahead, it is God who empowers Saul, and it is God who wins the day for Israel. Though human kings make plans, it is God who is working at all times to fulfill his purpose of bringing salvation to all people. 

Another king of Israel, Solomon would write these words in Proverbs 21:1-2, “The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.”

We may have our own intentions, and they may seem right, but it is God who will bring his plans to fruition. God is calling us to recognize that he is at work even as kings and rulers carry out what seems right to them.

Our world is in a state war. The Russo-Ukrainian war has been going on since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea. It escalated when Russian invaded Ukraine, with a full blown war in the region going on for over three years now. In the last week the cold war between Iran and Israel again blew up with full military action taking place in both countries. We have entered that war by dropping bombs on Iran’s nuclear sites. Rulers are seeing years of planing come to reality as the threat of a third world war looms over everyone. And it all seems right in their eyes.

Yet as believers, we should hold fast to God working out his plans. Jesus told us that he would return and that his return would be proceeded by strife. So whether this is the final strife before his return, or one of the birth pains leading up to it, what we can be secure in is that our King, is greater than a representative of his and greater than any ruler who would usurp his position.

Therefore, let us hold fast to the Lord, recognizing his work to bring all things in line with his purposes. 

My challenge for you this week is to take one headline that troubles you and bring it before the Lord and praise him that he is working out his purposes. After you praise him, seek him to ease any fear that creeps into you mind about the future. For as one of the hymns we sing states, 

“Many things about tomorrow,

I don't seem to understand;

But I know who holds tomorrow,

And I know who holds my hand.” 

Let us be a people who trust in the only King that matters, for his purposes will always come to pass. Amen.