Monday, August 4, 2025

1 Samuel Series Wk 13 - “Peace Walkers”

  About a year and a half into my ministry in Quartzsite, AZ, I remember having an argument with my wife. I don’t remember about what, but I believe it was before one of our Friday night youth events. The reason I remember we had an argument, is because one of our youth leaders walked in and later told me it was like walking into a cloud. The tension was so thick that he could feel it. He knew something was wrong the moment he came into the room. 

I’ve felt similar situations. Like when I walked onto the campus of Scholar’s Academy, Quartzsite’s old charter school, for the first time. It felt like walking into a darkness. There are those times and places where you can tangibly feel the uneasiness of a situation, and it feels like the turbulence of a plane taking off; it just rattles you. 


It’s this idea of un-peaceful situations that brings us back to series in the book of First Samuel, where we’ll be picking it back up in chapter 16, verse 14. As we open up to First Samuel 16:14, lets refresh our minds with where we are in the passage. 


We’re in the third section of the book of Samuel, with the first section focusing on how we are all called to abide in the holy will of God. Hannah and Samuel sought the will of God and were blessed because of it. However, Eli’s sons, and the nation of Israel as a whole ,did not seek God’s will and were judged because of it. 

Section two then introduced us to the man whom God chose at the request of Israel for a human king. Saul had everything going for him, but his weaknesses were not dealt with, and because of that, he became unfaithful to God’s will in his life. This led to God taking his dynasty away from him. This showed us that God calls us to freely accept his will, and not rebel against him, because there are consequences for being outside the will of God.

It was then last week, where we began the third section of First Samuel, and looked at the calling and anointing of David. David is the one, that, if we have been reading through the biblical story, was introduced to us way back in the book of Ruth. He was the hope that came from Ruth’s obedience. From David’s anointing we saw two things: First, God calls us to look pass the outward appearance of people, and second, to eagerly follow God no matter where we find ourselves in our walk with him. We saw that eagerness in the experienced Samuel, and we saw that eagerness in the bright-eyed, just getting stared, David. 


Now with the book of First Samuel fresh in our minds, let’s jump into First Samuel 16:14-23.


14 Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him. 15 And Saul's servants said to him, “Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you. 16 Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.” 17 So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me.” 18 One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.”

19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.” 20 And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul. 21 And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. 22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23 And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.


v.14 Our passage is a short one, and that’s because it’s the end of a bigger thought. We talked about how last week, David’s anointing and Saul’s madness were one larger thought that we separated so that we could focus on comparing David’s calling to be king against that of Saul’s. 

However, last week’s passage and this week’s passage are connected by “the Spirit of the Lord” language that is used in verse 13, and then again in verse 14. The way in which the writer links these two moments of the Spirit’s movement is intended to be seen a simultaneous event. The Spirit rushes upon David, because it has left Saul. 

However, as the Spirit of the Lord leaves Saul, another one takes its place. Now this is one of those passages that we tend to not like in our modern world, because it says that, “… a harmful spirit from the Lord ….” We tend to not like that because it seems in conflict with the idea of a loving God. We might hear responses like, “Well if God is loving, why would he send harm on anyone?”

The reality is, we have to have a solid understanding of the character of God, that there are free will agents in this world, and God’s sovereignty to work. First, the character of God is that he is holy, which means he is perfect and without sin. First John 3:9 states, “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.” God’s seed means his holiness which does not engage in sin. So when we see that the Lord sent a spirit to harm Saul, this isn’t a sinful act, but has intention behind it; which will see.

Secondly, free will agents are all those that God has created to exert free will to either follow or rebel against him. Psalm 58:2 states, “No, in your hearts you devise wrongs; your hands deal out violence on earth.” It is because of this free will that a person can sin, because they chose to engage in it. This is separate from the holiness of God, who does not commit sin. So the sin is going to be on our part, and not God’s. This is important for the reason for the spirit of harm.

Finally, God is sovereign in his work, meaning he can allow things to happen or hold them back. In the situation in the Gospel of John chapter 9, verse 3, where the disciples questioned Jesus about a man’s blindness, whether it was due to his sin or his parent’s sin, Jesus responds with, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” God is working with a larger picture of purpose that only he sees. So what God does is in accordance with a greater view of not only the current situation, but the consequences of that situation throughout rest of time.

Through all three, God works out his plans and brings about salvation for humanity.

Due to God’s holiness, free will, and his sovereignty, God uses harmful spirits, to bring about two things: judgment and to strength his people. Judgement we can see in places like First Corinthians 5:1-7, where a man sleeping with his father’s wife was turned over to Satan for judgment. A similar turning over situation is also seen in First Timothy 1:18-20. 

For the strengthening of his people, we can see this in the life of Job (1:1—2:6), Jesus life in his three temptations (Matt. 4:1-11), and Paul’s life in Second Corinthians (12:7-10). 

In the case of Saul, God has a double purpose: the first purpose is to bring judgment on Saul. Saul had broken many commands of God which he was to know by heart. This has led the people of Israel astray, as they are following Saul and not God.

Secondly, it is to bring David into the circle of leadership within Israel. It is a divine work that brings the smallest of seven sons, who tends the family’s sheep, into the workings of the royal court. Much like it was the divine work of God to bring Jospeh to Pharaoh’s attention, or in the future to bring Daniel to Babylon’s king; it is again God’s work to bring David to Saul. We can see this purpose play out in that it one of Saul’s servants who mention a boy named David who plays beautiful music.  


v.15-16: So God brings David in through his musical ability. As many of us know, music can illicit emotional responses. Whether positive or negative, music can soothe the savage beast, or can inspire people to action. David has this gift, which he utilizes to help Saul, and the Holy Spirit uses to write prophetic songs in the book of Psalms.

This also shows us that it isn’t David’s military ability that gets him into Saul’s court. That military ability is there, but just like David didn’t have the look of a king when Samuel first saw him, he did have a passion for the Lord. This passion comes out through his music. David doesn’t force himself into the king’s circle; he does’t win a battle to be noticed by the king, it all stems from his dedication to the Lord through the musical gifts he has been given. David’s desire is for the Lord and not for the throne.



v.19-23: David’s character shows through his servant attitude towards the king. David doesn’t go into Saul’s chamber with an entitlement for the crown. He goes into the king’s chamber to serve the king out of a madness that he is being tormented with. Which goes to show that even though Saul is under judgment, God is still showing grace to him. Its also reveals that when the people of God are doing the work of God, peace should follow. It’s no wonder that, in describing the Armor of God that every disciple is to put on daily, Paul says of the sandals that carry the armor bear, “and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. (Eph. 6:15)” Jesus’ disciples should be carrying peace with them wherever they go, because the Gospel by which they are saved, is rooted in God’s peace.


It is here that the passage closes with the harmful spirit departing Saul. Though he is no longer king, and though he no longer has the Spirit of the Lord resting on him, Saul is given reprieve from these spiritual attacks, because he has David with him. And that spiritual peace that comes from David’s passion for the Lord, extends outward as grace towards Saul.


And it is here that we can walk away with this truth for our own lives: God is calling us to be a people of peace. Peace in our spiritual lives, because we are connected to God, and bearers of his peace to the world around us. 

Jesus states in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” That peace comes from the word of God and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. That means that if you are a disciple of Jesus, you have access to the peace of Jesus at all times, because you should be studying his word and practicing it, and you have been given the Holy Spirit as a downpayment to eternal life (Eph. 1:14).

Secondly, we are to be peace bearers to the world around us. Jesus spoke of being blessed as a peace maker in the Gospel of Matthew 5:9. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4, “… aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one (v. 11-12). The word quietly means to “hold peace” in one’s life.

Believer’s should be living peaceful lives, because though the world around us may be in chaos, we can trust in the Lord to bring about resolution because he is working out his plans to bring about the restoration of all things. In leaning on God’s peace, we also show that God is working in us to the people around us. Being a peace bearer is a practical testimony to God’s presence in our lives that calls others to his peace. 

A couple of years or so after my wife and I moved here and took on the youth ministry position, we were invited by the town manager to come to a meeting at the fire department to talk with other people about youth in town. There, without our knowledge, the town manger introduced us to the group and told them, “We want to thank the Alliance Church’s teen group. Since the Alliance Church has had their group, the teen crime rate is almost non-existent.” That is not a compliment to me and Marika, that is a compliment to the work that this congregation does in the lives of the youth of our town. It is a compliment to the peace that happens when God’s people live among the outside world, and work to bring the Gospel to them. God calls his people to peace, which quells spirits and saves souls. 


My challenge for you this week, is that as you leave, there will be sandals in a box on you way out. Grab a pair and either wear them or hang them, but either way remember that wherever you go, you are to go with God’s peace for yourself and for the people around you.


Let us be a peace carrying people, that the world would know Jesus, the Prince of Peace and turn to him. Amen.

Monday, July 28, 2025

1 Samuel Series Wk 12 - “Say Yes”

 What’s the one word that no parent has to teach their child? “NO.” As children develop and begin to experience life, there are a lot of “no’s” that are told to them. “No, don’t touch that.” “No, don’t go there.” “No, don’t eat the cat.” “No” is one of the first words kids learn because its something that is used on them a lot. Then for the next sixteen years, as a parent, you try to unteach the “No” when you tell your kid to go to bed, or eat their vegetables, or clean their room.

Yet studies have been done that show saying “Yes” can be a better tool to boost someone’s creativity, reduce conflict, build rapport, and get people out of their comfort zones. INStead of saying “No, don’t rip that box apart,” because you don’t want to clean up the mess, tell the kid “yes, but you have to clean up afterward.” “No” is important, but so is “yes”. Sometimes the “yes” can get difficult, but it can also open up a new experience where things we once thought were often limits simply needed to be understood in light of boundaries.


And its this idea of saying yes that brings us back into our Samuel Series, where we’ll be picking it back up in the third section of First Samuel, starting in chapter 16 verse 1. As we head into First Samuel 16:1, let’s recap the overarching ideas of the last two sections. 

In section one, we saw how God calls us to abide in his holy will, so that we might follow his direction and see his work. This was seen positively in the persons of Hannah and Samuel, while it was seen in the negative with Eli’s sons and the whole of Israel. When we follow God’s holy will, we will see his work play out in our lives. However, if we choose to go against his will, then we will see judgement and defeat. 

This leads into the second section. Israel was given a human king who had the makings to be a good king. Yet, Saul eventually began to think of himself as wielding the seat of power in Israel, forgetting that it was God who was King over him, and he was an under-king to the true seat of power. Through several rebellious acts, God decided to take away Saul’s dynasty and give it to another. We could summarize this section as understanding that God calls us to freely accept his will, and not rebel against him. One leads to his blessings, the other leads to his judgment.

With the last two sections recapped, we can now dive into the life of David. Let’s read together starting in First Samuel 16:1.


The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” 2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.” 4 Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?” 5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord's anointed is before him.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.


Here we have a pause in between the moments of God’s rejection of Saul. Between the moment where Samuel communicates God’s regret over Saul’s choices, and a future moment where the ramifications of that rejection are seen and felt. Though the thought of this moment and the next are a continuous one, we’re going to take a moment and look at David’s introduction in the same way that we looked at Saul’s. Except this time, we’re going to break these thirteen verses down.


v.1 The passage begins where the last one left off, with Samuel grieving over Saul. This shows us how deeply Samuel cares about the situation. The king that could have been, whom God called and Samuel mentored, was lost. Due to Saul’s rebellious choices, that dynasty never came to be, and so Samuel grieves over Saul on a deeply personal level. 

Yet God calls him out of his grief. God isn’t done with Samuel, and so Samuel has to get on mission even as he grieves. This in and of itself is a hard lesson to learn: Sometimes we have to work in the pain we’re feeling because God has work to bring about a better situation. 

v.2 It’s in verse 2 that we get a moment of concern from Samuel in asking God about Saul killing him. Remember, Samuel knows how far Saul has descended into his rebellion against godly actions. If Saul was willing to kill his own son, though he was acting in godliness, how much easier would it be for Saul to kill Samuel if he thought Samuel was leading a rebellion against him? The question is valid and shows us how far Samuel has watched Saul fall. 


v.3 Verse 3 then gives us God’s instructions to Samuel to go and make a sacrifice. He was to continue to perform his regular duties as prophet, and God would work through it. Samuel’s godly consistency of leading the people in sacrifice to God, gave God the room to work without putting anyone into danger. In performing the sacrifice, Samuel could then invite others to be a part of it. So Samuel not only invites Jesse’s family, but also the elders of the city. This further insulates Samuel against any accusations of overthrowing Saul. 


v.4 -5 But in verse 4, Samuel’s presence sends concern through the elders of the town. Remember, Samuel just laid out some pretty violent judgment on the king of the Amalakites in the last chapter. Even at the age of eighty, Samuel was still seen as God’s prophet and where Samuel went, God’s blessing or judgment followed. And the people of Bethlehem did not know which one, Samuel was bringing this time. But Samuel eases their fears in verse 5 and calls a large group to be a part of a sacrifice to the Lord. 

This would have been seen as a great honor. The prophet of God coming to the out-of-the-way people in Bethlehem to offer sacrifice on their behalf. Samuel would have been seen as bringing God’s blessing upon the whole community, with a special blessing on the family of Jesse. 


v.6-10, This special blessing on Jesse’s family can be seen in his calling on Jesse to present all his sons. One was to receive a special blessing from the Lord. And so Jesse begins to present his sons one-by-one.

The first born was similar in look to Saul, he looked the part of a king. However, God gives us this profound theological insight into the difference of how the world looks upon people, and how he does. “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. (v.6)”

Saul was a good looking and tall man. To the world around them, this is what it meant to be a king. But to God, a godly king is one whose heart will be fixed on him. So God rejects the first son, as his candidate for king, and then proceeds to reject six more of Jesse’s sons, because, though they look the part, they do not have the inner look that God sees. And for the briefest of moments there is a question of why did God send Samuel to anoint one of Jesse’s sons just for all of them to be rejected?


v.11-12, But then, in verse 11, we learn there is one more son. The youngest, who is out with the sheep. Everything is put on hold until the boy arrives. And it’s here that we get his description. “Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. (v.12)” 

There are several Hebrew words at play here that we need to talk about to get the full picture of what is being communicated in comparison to Saul. Remember the description of Saul that we got: he was taller than most and handsome.

David is first described as the youngest of the sons. What’s interesting about the word used here to communicate young is that there are about 300 ways to say young in Hebrew. One of the most common ways was tsa’ir (tsaw-eer'), which just mean’s youngest of a group. That should be the word used here, as David is the youngest of his brothers. Except it isn’t. The word here is the root word, qatan (kah-TAHN) which literally means “diminutive in stature” and figuratively as “least important.” There seems to be a little word play going on. David isn’t just the youngest of his brothers, he’s probably the smallest and least important. That’s why he’s out in the fields and not around with the others. Very different than Saul, who is taller than everyone else.

But then we’re told that David is ruddy. This word in Hebrew is admoniy (ad-mo-NEE) and means having a reddish complexion. It is only used three times in the Bible: two of which to describe David in this chapter and the next. The only other time it is used is to refer to Esau’s red hair when he’s born. Now there are two interpretations to this, first, David had red hair. Which might not be so hard to imagine because he had two non-Israelite ancestors in Rahab and Ruth. So there might have been some DNA crossed in there. The other interpretation is that his ruddiness is due to him being youthful and his cheeks being red from exerting himself. This second interpretation is what most scholars believe, as it shows a distinction between Saul and David. Saul just kind of went along with life and let things come as they may; whereas David chose to live life to its fullest, taking chances along the way. This is why David’s ruddiness and bright eyes are paired with each other. David was young and full of energy ready to embark on an adventure, where Saul, had to be forced into it.


But what we’re seeing is the difference between Saul, who was the biggest and strongest, but had no desire for the life God called him to, compared to David, who wasn’t the biggest or strongest, but ready to embark wherever he was needed. 

This is the Captain American story. A frail Steve Rogers gets injected with a super soldier serum to become a great hero. The movie “Captain America: The First Avenger” plays out this theological truth of a the youth who doesn’t seem to fit what the world thinks a person should look like for the calling of God, and what God sees on the inside. 

The description that a bad men getting power amplifies his evil is what we see in Saul. Saul had everything going from him, and he didn’t seek the Lord to work out the weaknesses that led to his downfall. David doesn’t have everything going for him. He isn’t the biggest or strongest, but there is something inside that only God sees, and what will be revealed to us in later chapters, which is a desire for God and his will. The very thing that the last fifteen chapters have been calling us to do.


v.13 Verse 13 ends our passage with David receiving the special blessing by being anointed with oil in front of his entire family and presumably in front of the town’s elders. Once the anointing is done, God’s Spirit rushes upon David. And it’s the Spirit’s movement that links David’s anointing to Saul’s downward spiral in next week’s passage.


But what can we walk away with from this passage? There has been a lot to say about David’s anointing. Most of which focuses on God seeing beyond our outward appearance to what lies underneath. We could walk away with the typical understanding that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Instead, to look at people the way God does, and this is a valid and important point. We should seek to see people the way God does. He sees the sin and yet loves us enough to die for us. We too should see and love people beyond their outward appearances.

However, there’s another teaching in this passage. We need to have the passion for life that David did. The zeal for God that says, “Wherever you want me to go I will go.” “Whatever you would have me do, I will do.” In the passage we have two people that respond to God. The first is Samuel. Eighty years old, he is called again to be faithful. He’s called out, in the midst of his grief, to possible death, to anoint a new king. That new king is a wild-eye boy ready to embark on the calling of God. Both are examples that we are called to. No matter what our age, the calling of God should be our first priority. Whether we have been faithful for years, or just getting started, we are to have the zeal, the passion and desire to follow where God leads. 


My challenge for you then this week, is to seek the passion to respond to God’s calling with faithfulness. You might not have the physical ability of a youth, but you have the knowledge of a life, with all its struggles, defeats and victories. Whatever the season of life you are in, is where you must respond with the zeal of a youth. 

You might be younger and have the ability, but you need the wisdom that comes with it. Look to mentors, ask the faithfully older generation to give you guidance. We are all called to have the zeal of the Lord and to respond to him as he directs.

This week, pray the “yes” prayer. “Yes God, I will follow.” “Yes God, I will listen.” “Yes, God, I will obey.”


Let us be a people of saying “yes” to God. Whether we’re old or young, God isn’t done with us until the day he returns or we breath our last. In this way, we experience his work and see the glorious victories he has. Amen.

1 Samuel Series Wk 11 - “A Smile, Not a Sigh”

Ever hear the phrase, “That boy ain’t right?” It was popularized by an animated TV show called King of the Hill, which is being revived this year. The phrase captures a parent’s exasperation with their kid. Hank, the father, comes from a time when handwork and dedication was the core of what made a man. His son, Bobby, tends to be lazy. Hank is pretty serious about things, whereas Bobby is a class clown. Hank loves football, working on his lawn, and his job. Bobby would rather play soccer, he likes growing flowers, and likes to goof off. When Hank sees Bobby doing things that make him roll his eyes, he uses the phrase, “That boy ain’t right.”

The phrase became popular because as a parent, kids do some pretty weird things. I’ve seen it in my own life, where kids, both mine and other people’s, do things like: eating dirt, licking random things, and randomly making noises out of nowhere. They’ll say things out of the blue, or cut their hair. As a parent you just shake your head and deal with whatever they throw at you.


It’s that kind of shake your head situations that brings us back into our First Samuel series, where we’ll be picking it back up in First Samuel chapter 15, verse 1. This is the final passage of the second section and where we see everything that has happened come to a head. And as we open up to the conclusion of the second section in First Samuel 15:1, let’s look back on the last five weeks, to see the lead up to where we are.


The second section began by introducing us to Saul, God’s pick for the Israelites’ desire for a human king. He had a few commendable attributes that could aid him in his calling, but it was the weaknesses that went unaddressed that would be his downfall. Commendable starts are good, but we’re also called to finishing strong. In order to finish strong, we need to bring ourselves before God to be evaluated and the weaknesses in our lives dealt with. If not, we can end up just like Saul, starting off strong, but ending poorly.

Following the introduction to Saul, we saw how God established him and his kingdom through his first victory. After Saul had won the day, we saw the transition from the era of the Judges to the era of the monarchy. Yet through it all, we could see that it was God who establishes kings and kingdoms, and it is he who removes them. 

It was here that we then read through the farewell address of the final Judge, Samuel. Samuel had lived his life in front of the nation of Israel and fulfilled his calling as both Prophet and Judge. It was a life well lived, and though his sons did not follow their father’s example, and though the people of Israel rejected God’s Kingship on Samuel’s watch, he still showed what it meant to be a faithful follower of the Lord. We too are called to be faithful to God, understanding that we alone are responsible for our walk with the Lord. 

Then in week nine, we read how Saul allowed his worries of the Philistine army to lead him in overstepping his boundaries as king; sacrificing an animal on behalf of the people, and breaking God’s command in the process. This was the first, in a long line of unfaithful actions that Saul took. Saul allowed the worry he felt to lead him into disobedience. In order to not allow our own anxieties to lead us into sin, we must take them before the Lord through prayer and praise of who he is and what he has done.

Finally, last week, we saw how far Saul’s spiral was going. This downward spiral was juxtaposed against Saul’s son Jonathan and his faithfulness to God. Saul’s unfaithfulness almost led to the destruction of the people through their breaking of God’s command, and the death of his own son. Saul had become someone who thought himself as the victory maker, and so lost his focus on the true God who brings about victories. In this we saw how we must look to the Lord as the one who brings victory, and while we wait on that victory, we must faithfully trust his timing. 


With the last five weeks in our minds, we can now read together, starting in First Samuel chapter 15, verse 1.


 1 And Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. 3 Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”

4 So Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 And Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. 6 Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart; go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7 And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.


Let’s stop right there, because this passage, though one thought, is separated into several parts.


The first part we just read is God’s call to Saul to take up arms against a nation, and how it actually worked out. In verses 1-4, God is reasserting his Kingly position over Saul. Remember, Saul was always to be a prince, or under-king, to the Lord, who is the King of Israel. This comes out in the language of “The Lord sent … to anoint … listen to the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts … (v.1)” God is doing this, because Saul has shown that he has lost sight of the fact that he is an under-king. And so, God is initiating a judgment and calling Saul to play his role. 

This judgment is against the Amalekites, and it was to be a total destruction. Now we might grimace, because in our modern western world, we tend to shudder at God when he carries out judgment. There is an inconsistent morality that we in the modern western world can place on God. In the modern world, we’ll accuse God of not punishing those who commit horrible acts, and then when we see that he does carry out judgment, we get mad at God for doing so. This is an inconsistent and hypocritical moral position, that is more about hating God for whatever he does, than for understanding why he does the things he does. Instead, we have to remember that God is the only one who can dole out true justice. 

But we would be amiss if don’t address the question, “Why would God call for the destruction of the men, women, children, and livestock?” We might think, the men make sense, they’re the warriors, but what about everyone else?

In order to answer this, we have to put the situation into the context of its day. First, God has allowed the sin of the Amalekites to go unpunished for several hundred years. In this case, the Amalekites sin, that is mentioned, happened during the time of the Exodus, which was several generations prior to this moment. God had given them ample time to repent. Which we know God wants, due to the stories of non-Israelite people like Rahab and Ruth.  

Secondly, we have to understand what the Amalekites continued to do. The Amalekites were engaging in random killings of the Israelites. They would raid the Israel’s lands, murdering and stealing food supplies. Also, like other Canaanite groups, the Amalekites engaged in kidnapping children from other nations. In the broader religious and moral side, these children were most likely used for child sacrifices. In addition to this, sexual sins such as prostitution, which kidnapped girls and boys were forced into, bestiality, and homosexuality were running rampant. Schalar Robert D. Bergen states of the condition of the Canannites, that, “These cultures had become spiritually gangrenous and had been that way for hundreds of years. Since they refused to change, the only way to keep their deadly influences from spreading to other societies was through the complete elimination of every object and person associated with them.”

Finally, the phrase “utterly destroy” (charam [khaw-ram’]) may not mean the lost of life, but rather to destroy the means of rebuilding their society and religious orders. God was eradicating the society which was producing horrible pain and suffering to other nations. 

To the inconsistent moralist of today, if God didn’t do anything and allowed these sins to go unpunished, they would accuse God of being complacent and not a good God. Yet when he acts in mercy, allowing the people hundreds of years to repent, and then when they don’t, he judges them, the inconsistent moralist, accuses God of being unjust. Yet in all of it, what we see is a consistent balance of mercy and justice from God throughout the Bible. Mercy first, and then judgement when people don’t get their act together.


Returning back to the passage, Saul does not fulfill God’s call to destroy the Amalekite society. Instead, the situation plays out that Saul allows the Kenites, who were Moses’ father-in-law’s people, to leave the area. This is because there was no judgment on them, so this was a good thing. Yet when it comes to the Amalekites, Saul spares the king, and the best livestock. It is then that we get this interesting statement that connects back to the book of Judges, “All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction. (v.9)” The people decided what was to be destroyed and what wasn’t. Just like in the era of the Judges where the people did what was right in their own eyes; here the people are not listening to God, but deciding what to destroy and what not to. 


Then, starting in verse 10, we get God’s response to what has happened. 


10 The word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night.”


Let’s talk about the regret language. The word Hebrew word, nacham (nah-kham’), means to let out a strong sigh, as if one is exasperated with the situation. In this understanding, regret does not mean a mistake of purpose, but rather irritation or outrage over the outcome. Many parents have felt the regret of their child’s actions, and have sighed in exasperation. Yet for a free person to act, they have to be given room to make a choice. Saul had the makings of a good king, and his son had the makings of being a great king. However, Saul is accountable for his own actions, and it is those actions that the Lord is exasperated with. In other words, God regrets that Saul made the choices he did. 


It is in verses 12-33 that we get the back and forth between Samuel and Saul, as the prophet has to confront the king. Dropping down to verse 13 where Saul greets Samuel when the prophet arrives.


13 And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” 14 And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” 15 Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction.” 16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.”

17 And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18 And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?” 20 And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. 21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” 22 And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”


This is where the hammer has been brought down on Saul for his repeated disobedience to the Lord. Let’s walk through this conversation real quick. 

Saul is joyful thinking that he has done everything the Lord required.

But Samuel points out that they kept livestock.

Saul responds that the people kept the livestock to sacrifice them to God.

However Samuel rebukes Saul and tells him, “The Lord anointed you king … The Lord sent you on a mission … (v.18)” Samuel presses Saul to take responsibility as the appointed king. In the last chapter he was willing to kill his own son for disobedience, but now he wasn’t interested in holding the people to their obediences, and he wanted to hide his own disobedience by passing the responsibility on others.

In response to the rebuke, Saul digs in that he did everything the Lord required, but it was the people who took the livestock. We see the weakness of passing reasonability onto someone else that we first saw in Saul when we were first introduced to him back in chapter 9.

Samuel counters that what God delights in is obedience to his voice, not the sacrifice of animals. The late John MacArther wrote, “This is an essential Old Testament truth … The sacrificial system was never intended to function in place of living an obedient life, but rather to be an expression of it.” 


It is in verse 24 Saul finally comes clean, “Saul said to Samuel, ‘I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me that I may bow before the Lord.’ (v.24-25)”

Saul let’s Samuel know that the real reason he didn’t stop the people was because he feared the them. Now we might think that Saul is repenting here. He’s asking for forgiveness, but it doesn’t seem like Samuel believes it, because he at first deny’s Saul’s request in verse 25.


26 And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. 28 And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29 And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.” 30 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may bow before the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul bowed before the Lord.


Saul pleads on his knees for Samuel to go with him, and ends up tearing Samuel’s rob. Samuel then uses his torn robe to illustrate how God has torn Saul’s kingdom from him.

Yet, Samuel relents and goes with Saul to the elders of Israel. 


Here we must address the second time the word repent is used in the passage. Except Samuel states that God does not repent, yet God himself had said he did earlier in the passage. So what does this mean? The same Hebrew word is used again, but in this context Samuel is saying that God is not lying about taking the kingdom away, and God will not regret doing so. Samuel is telling Saul, that God will not pine for the days of Saul in anyway. That when he does this, he will move on in a better direction, never to give another thought to the once king. 

In other words, Samuel is letting Saul know, that even though he is going to go with him to the elders, this doesn’t fix anything. Saul won’t get his kingdom back no matter what he does now.

Then in verse 32-33, Samuel shows that the power of Saul’s monarchy has been broken. Samuel does this by taking back his role of Judge for the moment and passes a gruesome judgment on the Amalekite king; killing the king himself. 

Finally, the chapter ends very somberly. Verse 34 reads, “Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. (v.34-35)”


Samuel leaves Saul, and won’t see him again until the day he dies. Their mentorship and friendship had basically ended. Yet, Samuel grieved over Saul, and in doing so, shows his love for the man he anointed king. Samuel is disappointed, but has not stopped caring for Saul. Like Samuel’s dedication in praying for the people, he was still dedicated to Saul, and knowing what we know about Samuel, he probably continued to pray for him until the day he died.

Then, for the third time in the passage, we hear the words, “The Lord regretted …(v.35)” Again, this regret is that Saul did not live up to his potential. Saul didn’t end the race well. 


It is moments like these throughout the Scripture that point to God giving us room to make free decisions. Saul was chosen because God had purpose through him. There were both commendable attributes and weaknesses in Saul that could lead him to being a good, or  bad king. Saul chose not to be faithful and allowed his weaknesses to turn into sin, and that sin led to unfaithfulness. Saul is his own downfall. Instead of seeking the Lord and being faithful to his orders, Saul went his own way, shucking his responsibilities and allowing the fear of men to overcome him. Saul had no one else to blame except himself for the downfall of his kingdom. And though it was still a ways off, his reign had been broken.


It’s the same with us. If we had nothing else, but what God has given us in his word, we would have all we need to know to follow him. But God also gives us the nature around us, and a conscience as additional directions to him. Due to this, Paul writes, “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)”

We are all accountable for the decisions we make, which at the root of most of our decisions is, “Will I faithfully walk with God or not?” We’re either moving closer to God, or further. We’re either bringing joy to the Lord, or making him sigh in exasperation. God’s desire is that we freely chose his path, that we may experience all the blessings he has in store for us. But in the end, it is our choice.


My challenge for you this week is to look at the choices you make and ask the question, “Will this bring me closer to or further from God?” Not every choice leads us to more or less faithfulness; the color of your socks, or what type of toothpaste. But the choices of how we respond to people, how we vote, how we engage in moral and eternal discussions should all be asked and answered through the lens of God’s word. In so doing, we can walk more faithfully everyday, using our free choices to honor and not exasperate God.


So let us be a people who bring a smile and not a sigh to the Lord. Amen.