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GOD’S ANOINTED: In a cave, surrounded by misfits

Published September 22, 2009 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: 1 Samuel, Adullam, cave, David, hiding, Saul

David and his followers at the cave at Adullam

1 Samuel 22:1, 2, 23

David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.

“Stay with me; don’t be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me.”

By the time we get to chapter 22, David is on the run for his life. Like the old TV show, “The Fugitive,” David, is seen running from town to town, hiding out from King Saul and his men, who were in hot pursuit. In order, David hid out in Gath in Philistia (1 Samuel 21:10—15); Adullam in Judah (22:1—2) and Mizpah in Moab (22:3—5). It is interesting to read of how David describes himself during this very dark time in his life:

I am hunted like a partridge, 1 Samuel 26:20;
I am like a pelican in the wilderness, Psalm 102:6;
I am like an owl in the desert, Psalm 102:6;
My soul is among the lions, Psalm 57:4;
They have prepared a net for my steps, Psalm 57:6.

Can you imagine being called of God and anointed by God as king of Israel, experiencing an amazing victory over a giant, being best friends with the present-king’s son, playing a harp in the palace at the king’s request, only to find yourself hiding out from that very king in foreign lands in caves? As you may imagine, David was weary during these years of flight from Saul. In fact, the closing verses of chapter 21 reveal what must have been lowest point in David’s life—

That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances:

” ‘Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands’?”

David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard. (21:10—13)

God’s anointed one, reduced to this. When a believer loses heart, his behavior changes; there is an unbreakable connection between one’s confession and one’s conduct. When your faith and your heart are steadfast in the Lord, you will act like a child of God. But when, for whatever reason, your faith fails and your heart grows weak, your conduct will betray that.

Because of his fear of Achish, king of Gath, David fled to a cave in Adullam. There is an important lesson here for any believer who has ever tried to befriend the world. For reasons that may seem good at the time, sometimes Christians try to make peace with the world; we compromise our core beliefs and standards to make friends with the world. That strategy never works. David fled to the king of Gath; he tried to befriend the enemy of God’s people, and he simply degraded himself. The peace and safety David sought could not be found in Gath, they were found in the simple solitude in a cave. When David separated himself from Achish and Gath, he was richly rewarded by God when supporters he never knew he came to him.

1. Who were his followers?

(a) Those in distress. We are not told what these people were in distress about. Perhaps they were in distress over the state of their nation; perhaps they were in distress because they, like David, were being put upon by the king. Whatever their problem was, they came to David out of sheer necessity; they believed he could help them; they sensed in him a kindred spirit. How many of us seek the Lord out of sheer necessity? If it weren’t for your problems or your unmet needs, how many of you would have prayed today? The fact is, the dark times that beset us every once in a while are blessings in disguise when they bring us to a position of having to seek the Lord. It sounds funny yet it is true: misfortune enables us to share in the blessings of the Lord! People who have everything they think they need; those who are self-satisfied, have no need of God. That is the point of Revelation 3:20—

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

A person doesn’t eat unless they are hungry.

(b) Those in debt. There are many forms of debt; it’s not always about being broke. But all debt is like a disease that eats a person up. In David’s time, if a man got in over his head, he could lose all he owned; there was no protection for those in debt. There should have been, and there was under the Mosaic law, but under Saul, the Mosaic law was ignored. These people came to David out of desperation because he, like them, had lost everything as he fled Saul. All people are debtors under the Law; sin has made us all debtors to God. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus prayed—

Forgive us our debts… (Matthew 6:12)

Only God can forgive, and forgiveness is always linked to the payment of a debt, and only by coming to Jesus can a person’s debt of sin be written off. Ellis Crum expressed this wonderful aspect of Christ’s work on the Cross:

He paid a debt He did not owe;

I owed a debt I could not pay;

I needed someone to wash my sins away.

And, now, I sing a brand new song,

“Amazing Grace.”

Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.

He paid that debt at Calvary.

He cleansed my soul and set me free.

I’m glad that Jesus did all my sins erase.

I, now, can sing a brand new song,

“Amazing Grace.”

Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.

(c) The discontented. This refers to a kind of “bitterness of soul.” Many things in life can make a person bitter. Disappointments can make one bitter. Unmet needs and unfulfilled dreams can lead one to discontentment. A lot of discontented people try to find contentment in the things of the world; entertainment, alcohol, relationships, employment, even family and religion can be used improperly in the quest for contentment. The problem is, lasting contentment is found in only Person: Jesus Christ. In Jeremiah 2:13 we read this stinging indictment about people who look for peace and contentment outside of Christ—

My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

There are many people—Christians even—who are digging their own wells, foolishly thinking their thirst can be quenched by the water even their own wells cannot hold.

These are the kind of people who flocked to David, looking for help.

2. Why did they come to David?

Interestingly, even David’s brothers who once accused him of being “conceited” and of having a “wicked heart” were now numbered among his followers. They, and hundreds of other outcasts, came to David because:

(a) They believed in him. They believed David was the true king of Israel and believed he had the right to rule over them. They had, so to speak, been converted from Saul’s followers to David’s. Remember, his family had seen and heard David’s anointing as king. Faith comes by hearing. Others saw and heard of David’s victory over Goliath and recognized that God’s call and anointing rested on him.

(b) They decided to follow him. Their belief led to action. They not only recognized something divine in David, they pursued their beliefs. Jesus taught that wise people not only hear the truth, but practice it—

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. (Matthew 7:24)

Untold millions claim to believe in Jesus, but few take their stand for Him or with Him. In deciding to follow David, they, like us, had to leave their homes and their familiar ways of life to be with him; no camp and no prospects forthcoming. In casting their lot with David, his followers also had to bear his reproach. In following Jesus, we bear the same disgrace He bore—

Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. (Hebrews 13:13)

(c) They were prepared to submit to him. They claimed David as their king and in doing so recognized his authority over them. They would do all they could to advance David’s kingdom. They would even fight for their sovereign. For those of us who have acknowledged Jesus Christ as our King, have we similarly surrendered ourselves to Him? Have we put our wants and desires in a subordinate position to His? Romans 12:1 makes our obligation to Christ pretty clear—

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Singing a hymn and going to church is not necessarily a “spiritual act of worship.” Have we offered ourselves, completely and without reservation to God’s service?

3. David became their “captain”

As soon as they took their place as his followers, David became their leader. Followers have a right to expect certain things from their leader:

(a) Guidance. These followers of David looked to him for guidance, for a plan to live by, and it was their right to do so. We, who have chosen to follow Jesus; who have yielded our wills to His will, have every right to look to Him, our Captain, for guidance. Why would David’s followers look to any other man for guidance? Why would followers of Christ look elsewhere for guidance?

(b) Protection. Because they became David’s followers, these social misfits had exposed themselves to the wrath of Saul. Similarly, those who stubbornly obey the god of this world will always be in opposition to God and God’s people. However, we have nothing to fear from those who may be against us. We are on God’s side, and behind us stands the mighty army of heaven. A child of God cannot possibly lose in life. David told his new friends—

“You will be safe with me.” (verse 23b)

We will be safe with God.

(c) Reward. The cause of David was not a lost cause, even though at the moment all seemed lost. He was God’s chosen king, and no man could thwart God’s plan. It is true that for a while it seemed as though Saul was going to prevent David from assuming the throne, but God’s will prevailed in God’s own time. A righteous cause in God’s name can never fail. Romans 8:17—

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Too many of us want to skip the sufferings and get right to the glory, but God has established an order that cannot be changed.

You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:21)

Too many of us despise the “little things” as we presume them to be beneath us; and because of that sinful attitude, we miss out on so many wonderful blessings.

Conclusion

As David was fleeing for his life, God gave him hundreds of followers; social outcasts and misfits all. But in that crowd, God had his man, a priest by name of Abiathar. He was the sole survivor of an entire town priests. He had seen not only his hometown, but also his father, a priest, and his whole family killed mercilessly by Saul because they chose to follow the Lord. This brave man joined David’s fugitive band and he would be David’s priest for rest of David’s life. To this man, David promised protection—

You will be safe with me.

In the Hebrew, the “you” in emphatic; Abiathar from this day forward may count on David’s faithful protection. But for now, Saul will seek out the lives of both of them. King and priest-elect had joined forces to become fugitives, hunted men.

You never know where serving the Lord will take you! However, of this you can be certain: a life of faith is a life of adventure!

(c) 2009 WitzEnd

GOD’S ANOINTED: The Boy Who Would Be King

Published September 9, 2009 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: 1 Samuel, Anointing, David, King David, Samuel, Saul

1 Samuel 16

The people of Israel wanted a King and they chose, in concert with God, a man by the name of Saul. Even though Saul was technically Israel’s first monarch, it is accurate to say that because of his continued disobedience to the Word of the Lord, his rule was aborted and with the rapid rise of David, a true and lasting monarchy was finally established. While Saul’s ascension to the throne was a complex combination of both Divine sovereignty and human desire, the choice of David was God’s alone.

Saul’s decline was long. However, the fact that he would have no dynasty became apparent early in his reign. Yet God continued to allow Saul to rule over Israel. Of course, it is folly to attempt to discern God’s reasons for doing things when His Word is silent, but we may speculate, and our speculations involve all the parties involved in Saul’s kingship. Clearly God knew that Saul would be a complete failure, but Saul needed to know the price of his disobedience. Samuel also needed to know the truth about Saul, for Samuel genuinely loved him. The people who chose Saul needed to see the results of his rebellion and the results of their choice. So for those reasons, it seems to me, God allowed Saul to linger on and on as a king.

With chapter 16, the subject of the book changes and we now see David in stark contrast to Saul; we continue to see Saul’s decline and David’s rise, and there are many lessons to be learned, not the least of which would be taught by our Lord many centuries later, for Saul’s biggest problem is man’s biggest problem—

But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. (Matthew 7:26)

Saul was building his house on the sands of his own imagination and ambition. If he had only been obedient to the Word of the Lord and tried to do God’s will instead of his own, how different things would have worked out for King Saul. Man’s wisdom, no matter how clever he considers himself, will always be foolishness to God.

1. God’s choice, verse 1

The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”

It is not known how soon the events of this first verse began after those of the concluding verse of the previous chapter, but the Lord’s words to His prophet Samuel, “How long” seem to be a kind of rebuke to him. One can only imagine how deep and intense Samuel’s grief over Saul must have been. But God’s will and His work is ever pressing forward, and now was the time for Samuel pick himself up and look forward, leaving the past behind. “What might have been” would never be, so the prophet was encouraged to look to the future, in which God’s plans would come to pass.

There is a singular lesson here: the will of God and our relationship with Him is far more valuable and important than anything else or anyone else in our lives. As dear as the wants or supposed needs of our family and friends may be, if we deem ourselves followers of Christ, then what He wants must always take precedence. Those special relationships in our lives are important, but putting them ahead of Christ reveals what you think of Christ and the cost of such an action may be expensive.

What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:25—27)

The fact is, while Samuel was busy looking back, God had already been looking ahead and had prepared someone to take Saul’s place. God’s statement to Samuel is interesting. He tells the prophet: “I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” Literally the phrase means “I saw…for myself a king.” It is true that “saw” here is related to “choose,” yet the phrase gives us a glimpse into the mind of the Lord: He sees what we cannot. Before David became king, God saw him as king. Also of note is the first contrast between the choice of Saul and the choice of David. Read carefully these two verses—

Of Saul, the Lord said: And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. (8:22, KJV)

Of David, the Lord said: “I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” (16:1, NIV)

Clearly, Saul was really the people’s choice, but David was the Lord’s.

David was being prepared, or groomed, to be God’s king over Israel by doing a most remarkable, if unimpressive thing: he was faithfully tending and defending his father’s sheep—

But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. (17:34—36)

God frequently chooses the foolish things of this world, but He never chooses lazy things! Nobody looking at David could see him as a king, but the Lord could. David had two things going for him: He was chosen by God and God saw the potential that lay deep within David because David was already a faithful son and worker. Do you think for one moment it was David’s desire to be a shepherd for his whole life? Of course not! We have the benefit of knowing how David thought and lived and we can read a tremendous body of work that revealed a passionate, ambitious man.

It is fine to be ambitious, but what God wants are servants who will seek to do His will, not seek a promotion. That is what He found in David. When God looks at us, He sees the real person. God knows our strengths and weaknesses. God knows what we are capable of doing. We should never be afraid that our “gifts” or “talents” or “wisdom” will go unused. God knew that Paul would become the greatest missionary and preacher that ever lived, but it 12 years of living in obscurity before Paul would begin the work to which he was called.

2. Samuel’s commission, verses 2, 3

The LORD said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.”

The Lord’s choice of Saul’s successor would be found among the eight sons of a man named Jesse, who lived in Bethlehem. Jesse was the grandson of Boaz and Ruth. You will recall that Ruth was not a Jew, but a Moabitess. It is interesting that the mother of Boaz was also not Jew; her name was Rahab of Jericho. David, like our Lord, has an interesting lineage!

Naturally, Samuel was concerned that Saul would seek vengeance, so the Lord arranges a clever cover for him. When Samuel arrives in town, the townsfolk were afraid. It seems that Samuel, as a reward for keeping the Word the Lord, became fearful and invoked fear in others! In reality, circumstances were grim in those days, thanks to Saul’s state of mind. It’s amazing how a country’s leader can change the whole mood of the citizenry. Equally amazing is the authority a person has when they are a mission from God.

At any rate, what should be noted is the preciseness of the Lord’s directions to Samuel. David, the son of Jesse, was God’s chosen one, and so God Himself will dictate how David will achieve what God has called Him to. David may have had an earthly father, but his relationship with God took precedence over that, or any other earthly relationship; Samuel may have had his own good ideas about how to approach Jesse and how to choose the right candidate, but God’s idea about how to get the job done took precedence over any good ideas Samuel might have had.

God told Samuel to fill his horn with oil so as to anoint David as king. It would take a while before Saul’s monarchy would whimper to a close, but the moment David’s head was covered with the anointing oil, he was, in God’s estimation, Israel’s king; he didn’t look like, and he may not have felt like it, but David was the king. It took a long time for David to physically claim the throne, but that did not negate God’s will for David.

We tend to be very impatient even with God, but remember these words and remember them well—

[H]e who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6b)

Samuel went to Bethlehem in God’s name, with God’s message, doing it God’s way. That is real authority; for the man of God, true authority descends from heaven and is received through the Word of God.

3. Looking for the king, verse 11

So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered, “but he is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

This verse always makes me chuckle. Jesse had paraded all his sons past Samuel, but the Lord was not taken in with good looks. How one looks and the charm they may possess means nothing to God. It is with the heart man believes, so the Lord looks a man’s heart—

[T]he LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (verse 7)

There are so me tremendous principles for Christians to latch on to throughout 1 Samuel. Remember back in chapter 15, we read this—

“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.” (15:22)

Christians demonstrate their love for God, not by the may feel or by what theysay in their testimonies, but by whether or not they are obeying Him. The Christian life is not a collection of Utopian ideologies, it is seen in how we live. When God looks at those who claim to love Him, he looks at the heart. We are terrible at that; most of us are taken by a smooth talker, a clever turn of words or pleasing appearance. But none of that has any effect on God because God is the original inside Man: He sees us from the inside out.

2 Corinthians 10:18 says—

For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

It is not what we think of ourselves, or what others think of us, it is what God thinks of us that matters. David, the young shepherd boy, the least of Jesse’s sons, was the very last one they thought of but he was God’s choice. In man’s estimation, intelligence and appearance are of great weight, but when it comes to God’s scales, a humble, hard working heart is what tips them.

4. The anointing, verse 13

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.

In choosing David it is interesting that while “God looks at the heart,” the Scripture has this to say about David’s appearance—

He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. (verse 12)

Is this a contradiction? Of course not; David was not only the “youngest,” the Hebrew word also means “smallest,” meaning that in terms of stature, David was a short man. David was not a particularly impressive man, but he was no gargoyle, either. In fact, David was probably just an average man.

Some scholars have pointed out a clever, but obscure bit of symbolism. Consider this: when we are first introduced to Saul, we see him looking for his father’s donkeys, but when we first meet David, he is tending his father’s sheep. In the ancient world, it was common to refer to Kings as shepherds and their citizens as sheep. Saul was no shepherd and he did not treat his people like sheep! On the other hand, David would forever be known as “the shepherd king.”

When Samuel anointed David with the oil, symbolic of the Holy Spirit, we are told—

From that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power.

This is the very first time David is mentioned by name in the books of Samuel, and his brothers bore witness that he was anointed both by man and by God. From time to time throughout the Old Testament, we are told that the Spirit of God came upon Godly men at times, temporarily, for specific purposes; however, David is the only man who, before Pentecost, experienced the permanent presence of the Holy Spirit in his life. This one event changed David’s life and represented the triumph of Samuel’s long career. The last sentence of verse 13 indicated that Samuel’s work in the nation was all but over, and although we read about him once in a while later on, he no longer plays an active role in his books.

The power of the Holy Spirit in David’s life, and in the life all believers for that matter, cannot be overstated. Every life that is dedicated and consecrated to Christ is a life lived in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. It is true that we have the gifts of the Spirit today and that at special times we may experience a special “unction” of the Spirit, but every believer may experience what David experienced. God does not expect us to live our lives bereft of His presence, and He has given us His Holy Spirit to make living a life that is pleasing to Him possible.

What is particularly interesting about David’s relationship with God is this profound verse found chapter 13; fully three chapters before the events of this present chapter—

But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.” (13:14)

David was a “man after God’s own heart” long before he was publicly chosen and anointed. Long before God revealed His heart to Samuel and Jesse and to the people of Israel, His mind was made up about David because David was a “man after His own heart.” How did God know this about David? God knew because He and He alone is able to see into man’s heart, and even though for the present David was mere shepherd, God knew that inside David beat the heart of a king. And even though years later when David sinned and experienced terrible setbacks, and the future looked bleak indeed, God never forsook His king because David’s heart never changed. God sees what we cannot.

(c) 2009 WitzEnd

SAUL: His Decline

Published July 23, 2009 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: 1 Samuel, disobedience, Hebrew History, Saul

Samuel and Saul

1 Samuel 13:1—15

The history of Saul’s reign as Israel’s first king really begins in chapter 13, and according to the custom of recording the history of the kings, it begins with a statement of his age. The NIV begins like this—

Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years. (1 Samuel 13:1)

A look at how the RSV translates this verse shows the difficulty translators had in tackling this verse—

Saul was…years old when he began to reign; and he reigned…two years over Israel.

And the literal version sounds like this—

A son of a year [is] Saul in his reigning, yea, two years he hath reigned over Israel.

What does all this mean? The NIV has calculated that Saul was 30 years old when he became king, but the text does not say that. In fact, Saul could have been 40 years old. What we know for sure is that his son, Jonathan, was fully grown by now and an accomplished warrior. So why is the Hebrew so obscure? Given the disaster that Saul would become, some Bible scholars offer this paraphrase of the obscure Hebrew—

Saul was like a child of one year when he began to regin…

Saul was chosen out of obscurity and rose to dizzying heights in such a brief time that he was unprepared for the office and as clueless as the people he was leading. According to God, the only preparation Saul needed was to be obedient to Him. But no, he could not do that. Saul was a product of a corrupt generation and the people got a leader exactly like they were.

While the story of Saul’s reign begins here, so does the story of his decline. It is not a stretch to say that after an initial victory at Jabesh Gilead, Saul was a complete failure as a political leader. But the prophet Samuel, in love and faithfulness to the Lord, told the nation of Israel in his farewell address in response to this request—

The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”

“Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.” (1 Samuel 12:19—25)

Saul was given every opportunity to succeed in his new career, and like another king of Israel, Uzziah, he was helped by God until he was strong—

In Jerusalem he made machines designed by skillful men for use on the towers and on the corner defenses to shoot arrows and hurl large stones. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.

But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. (2 Chronicles 26:15—16)

The pride that resulted in his success would surely end in Saul’s destruction. Did God forsake Saul? According to Samuel, Saul forsook God and reaped what the seeds of his disobedience produced.

1. Saul’s duty was obvious, verse 8

He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter.

In order to fully understand this verse, we need to glance back at 10:8—

“Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.”

This was some time before the events of chapter 13, but this was what Saul was supposed to do when the situation warranted it. But here is the true nature of Saul’s heart working itself out in disobedience. This word from God given through Samuel was given, perhaps, as many as three years before, but that did not negate it; this was a standing order from God for Saul’s benefit. Saul needed God’s help, and all he had to do get it was to obey.

Saul’s sin was not that as king he was forbidden to offer sacrifices. Consider what Kinds David and Solomon did—

David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the LORD answered prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped. (2 Samuel 24:25)

Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court. (1 Kings 3:15)

Saul sinned simply because he disobeyed God’s word through the prophet Samuel, and he would do it again near the end of his career.

What is our duty as Christians? To obey the Word of God; our responsibility is to live according to the light we have in God’s revealed Word, the holy Bible. There are those in Church today who teach that parts of the Bible are outdated and no longer apply to modern Christians. Liberal theologians teach that these parts of the Bible, especially the Old Testament, are “lesser inspired” and modern Christians can overlook them. But, here is what some “lesser inspired” verses say—

Preserve my life according to your love,
and I will obey the statutes of your mouth.

Your word, O LORD, is eternal;
it stands firm in the heavens.

Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
you established the earth, and it endures. (Psalm 119:88—90)

The eternity of God’s Word is linked to His unfailing love. If we, like Saul, are conscious of having been chosen by God and anointed by God by being filled with His Holy Spirit, then the revealed Word must become our absolute rule to live by; it needs to be the unconditional law of our lives—all of it, not just the parts we like or make us feel good.

2. His faith was tested, verse 5

The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven.

These ancient enemies of God’s people hated Israel; Israel literally stunk to them. As a result, Saul mustered his troops to Gilgal. He started out waiting for Samuel as prescribed by the prophet. But we read this—

He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. (verse 8)

Why did the men scatter? Obviously they scattered because they were afraid and they were afraid because Saul was not leading them. Beyond one single battle, what had Saul ever done to inspire the confidence of his people? In fact, the great military brain of the family was Saul’s son Jonathan, not Saul! Jonathan won a great victory and his father took the credit for it! Who would trust a man like that? He took credit for something somebody else did! So the men took to hiding. Poor Saul; he was unable to keep his troops together.

What we are witnessing here is a test of Saul’s faith. Notice that Saul outwardly obeyed God. His problem was he failed to trust God, failed to trust Samuel and instead he couldn’t take his eyes off his frightened soldiers. In other words, Saul’s outward circumstances determined the strength of his faith instead of the other way around.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Hebrews 11:1—3)

For we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Of course his circumstances were desperate; desperate circumstances always highlight a person’s faith. And there is always a struggle between faith and sight. But the reality for the believer lays, not in what they can see, but in their faith in what God has said. We assume that what we see is what is real, but that is not what the Bible teaches. But this is what Saul thought; the desperate circumstances he found himself in negated God’s word. God Word is never negated by circumstances.

3. His failure was complete, verses 9, 10

So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings. ” And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.

Saul waited almost the whole time, but he grew impatient with Samuel. Really, Saul grew impatient with the will of God; things were not happening fast enough for him; God wasn’t doing things the way Saul thought they should have been done, so he took matters in own hands. He chose his own way and stepped out of God’s will and favor.

Every single Spirit-filled believer will have their faith tested. Even our Lord, Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, was not exempt from this testing. As soon as He was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, He was purposely led into the wilderness to be tested by that same Holy Spirit! Thank God He remained faithful.

Abraham was tested, and thankfully he passed otherwise he never would have become the father of the faithful!

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God. (Romans 4:20)

And Moses was tested and the whole nation of Israel survived because he stood his ground and remained faithful—

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. (Hebrews 11:27)

That is how you become useful to God: by enduring as seeing him who is invisible. If, when we face our testing, we fear and we take our eyes off of God and see our circumstances, we become life-long cripples in the work of the Lord; we become useless to Him. Whenever, as servants of God, we choose our way rather than God’s way as revealed in His Word or when we rush ahead of God instead of waiting on Him, we become like bones out of joint in the Body of Christ. What a painful way to live.

5. His excuse was lame, verses 11, 12

“What have you done?” asked Samuel.

Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

In a sense, we can almost understand Saul’s motivation to offer the sacrifice. His army was deserting him, the Philistine army was pressing in, Samuel was long in coming, and Saul’s own patience was waning. Saul’s excuse to Samuel was to point to the circumstances and point out the urgent need to seek God. What Saul did not realize is that animal sacrifice was not what moves the Hand of God.

And Samuel said, Hath 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 hearken than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22, KJV)

There is never an excuse for disobedience. We all want to be the exception to the God’s rule, and we make lame excuses just like Saul did:

My marriage was falling apart and my secretary loves me more than my wife, so I don’t think I really committed adultery.
Things are really tight this month, so God will understand why I don’t tithe.
I didn’t lie, I misspoke.
Who cares if our new pastor is gay. He still loves God, and really, everybody sins, right? He such a nice man.
Well, I know that what Jesus said, but nobody can live up to that! Besides, God knows I am only human, right?

No argument and rationalization can mitigate the guilt of doing what we know to be contrary to the Word of God. The saddest part of this story is how Saul tried to justify what he did by blaming everybody but himself.

What’s worse is that even after Samuel’s rebuke and solemn warning; Saul showed absolutely no signs of sorrow or repentance. He proceeded to number his followers. When we have sinned and when we find out we have made a mistake, when we stumble and fall and fail, and when we disobey, repentance and confession is the only way to get back into God’s favor and make things right.

6. The consequences terrible, verse 14

But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.”

Saul turned away from God, and so God chose another man to take his place. Saul was a man after his people’s heart, but God’s new man would be a man after God’s own heart. We might look at this and think God was reacting harshly to what Saul did. But Saul was warned not once but twice that if he did not obey God’s command, he would be replaced by someone else. This tells us what Saul really thought about God; he didn’t think God really meant what He was saying. Or he thought God was not a God of His word. He soon found out otherwise.

God means what He says in His Word. There are no exceptions to His rules. We, who live in this present dispensation of grace are fortunate enough to experience the forgiveness of our sins. But God’s rules are still for us. We have an obligation to live in obedience to them.

For Saul, all his plans for establishing his kingdom in Israel would come to nothing because Israel’s God had plans and nothing Saul could do could change that. Saul’s power was gone. It is sad but true that there are believers who perform like Christians very well but they are doing so in the power of the flesh because there is no Spirit empowering them. To choose to live our lives according to our set of rules is to choose a life of defeat and failure.

May God give us the wisdom and the ability to allow Him to work in us to will and to act according to his good purpose (Philippians 2:13).

(c) 2009 WitzEnd

SAUL: The Courageous

Published July 16, 2009 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: 1 Samuel, King, Saul

1 Samuel 11

Saul had been anointed Israel’s first king in the previous chapter and now in chapter 11 he has a chance to prove himself. Following his declaration as king, Saul inexplicably went back to tending his father’s sheep. Why did he do this? Many Bible scholars point to Saul’s humility but it may very well be that Saul was demonstrating a measure of wisdom in returning home. Israel had never had a king before so the monarchy was new and we have already read about some resistance Saul encountered from a bunch of worthless people (10:27). Perhaps Israel’s first king went home to wait for God to act, after all, God had chosen Saul to rule over His people, Saul had no desire to become king, and perhaps Saul wisely decided to wait for further instructions from God through God’s prophet, Samuel.

Saul’s chance to prove his worth as king would not be long in coming. Dark storm clouds were gathering just over Israel’s horizon at a small town called Jabesh Gilead in the form of Israel’s bitter enemy, Nahash the Amorite. Adelaide Anne Proctor in her work, Legends and Lyrics, Second Series, wrote this:

Blessed are those who die for God,
And earn the Martyr’s crown of light–
Yet he who lives for God may be
A greater Conqueror in His sight.

Saul was about to be given the opportunity to live for God and here, early in his career, he rises to the opportunity.

1. The bad news, verses 1—4

According to the Septuagint, this occurred about a month after the convocation at Mizpeh where Saul was anointed chosen to be king. So for one month Saul went back to the life he knew so well.

During this time, Israel’s enemy was on the move. The Amorites were a group of Semitic people, prominent in the book of Judges, and were for the most part Bedouins who lived on the fringes of the desert, from where they continually raided border towns and cities. In Judges 11:13 we read this—

The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah’s messengers, “When Israel came up out of Egypt, they took away my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, all the way to the Jordan. Now give it back peaceably.”

It seems as though Nahash and his people laid claim to the land Jabesh Gilead was sitting on. Nahash overwhelmed the townsfolk who were utterly defenseless and willing to surrender to the superior might of the Amorites. Nahash had no problem making willing subjects out of the people, as long as he could gouge out their right eyes. This would be considered a disgrace upon all Israel; a sign that the whole nation could not help one small town.

What a secondary but tremendous lesson here for Christians. We cannot make peace and compromise with our enemy, the Devil. He always extracts a hefty toll when we try to bargain with him. Of course, he is ready, willing, and able to bargain with us. Remember what happened to Samson when he compromised his integrity and honor for worldly passions?

Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison. (Judges 16:21)

What a picture of what sin does to Christians: it first blinds you to the seriousness of it, then it binds you; traps you in an endless cycle of sin, drawing you further and further in, and finally it grinds you, leaving you empty and cold. The good people of Jabesh Gilead were willing to become subservient to the Amorites in exchange for their lives.

2. The divine opportunity, verses 5, 6

Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, “What is wrong with the people? Why are they weeping?” Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said. When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he burned with anger.

Here is an effect the Holy Spirit has on a person that we don’t consider very often: the Spirit came up Saul and he “burned with anger.” Did you know that a believer can motivated by the Holy Spirit to “burn with anger” as much as be moved to compassion? There may be one Spirit, but He manifests Himself in many different ways.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. (1 Corinthians 12:4—6)

Why was Saul so angry? Doubtless his anger was roused by the reproach brought upon the nation of Israel by the arrogant Nahash. Does sin cause us to become angry? There is a righteous anger, you know. Christ expressed it. So did Paul. When was the last time sin against God caused you to become angry? When was the last time your own sinfulness caused you to become angry?

God took this deplorable situation and used it to motivate young Saul to action. The Spirit of God filled Saul with a holy anger and empowered him as a righteous and powerful military leader. This anointing from God lasted, apparently, until Samuel anointed David to replace Saul as king.

3. The challenge, verse 7

He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.”

Saul’s inspired reaction was to send out a general call to war throughout the tribes of Israel. This call was graphically illustrated by chopping up his own oxen and displaying them. This gory spectacle was like a loud trumpet blast in the ears of a drowsy nation. We are told—

Then the terror of the LORD fell on the people, and they turned out as one man.

The “terror of the Lord” does not refer to some kind of divine punishment. In fact, Saul’s appeal to fight was so powerful and so energetic and so enthusiastic, that the people of the nation, down to the last man, discerned that the power of God was now at work in Saul and it inspired them with a kind of holy fear and compelled them to follow Saul. 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 from Judah rallied behind Saul and mobilized at Bezek, just across the Jordan from beleaguered Jabesh Gilead.

When a person is moved by the Holy Spirit, signs will follow. Remember; the action of the Holy Spirit is contagious. When a person yields himself to the Holy Spirit, others will do so. When we are enthused about God and God’s work, it will motivate other believers. When we are excited about our faith that excitement will touch other people; it will produce that same excitement in believers and curiosity in unbelievers. Acts 4:13—

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

Fearlessness and courage are two things that will characterize a believer who is completely dedicated and devoted to Christ.

4. A mighty victory, verses 8—11

Being led by the Spirit of God, Saul had no problem with followers. We may well imagine how the citizens of Jabesh Gilead felt when they received this message—

‘By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be delivered.’ (verse 9)

That they were “elated” (NIV) was an understatement! They would live, and they would live with both their eyes. The timely arrival of Saul and his loyal forces serves as an excellent illustration of God’s mercy. The besieged citizens were literally on the brink of destruction, about to become a life-long slaves to the Amorites and a reproach and an embarrassment to Israel. Saul the Spirit led and Spirit empowered leader was able repel the enemy and deliver the people of Jabesh Gilead.

There is literally nothing that a person filled with the Holy Spirit cannot do for the Kingdom of God. There are many people today who are like the pitiful citizens of Jebesh Gilead: threatened and taunted by the Devil, on the verge of being absorbed into the world around them. People like that, who have been overtaken by sin are watching their witness for Christ slip away and their rescue is up to us; Spirit-filled warriors of Christ. The words of Jude sound a clarion call to all of us—

Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. (Jude 22—24)

Victory over the enemy comes when we begin see the enemy for who he is and we begin to hate him with everything inside us. Too often we treat sin as mistakes or errors in judgment; we take sin and the Devil for too lightly. We are, according to the inspired Word of God, to hate even clothing tinged with sin.

5. Mercy or weakness, verses 12—13

The people then said to Samuel, “Who was it that asked, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring these men to us and we will put them to death.”

But Saul said, “No one shall be put to death today, for this day the LORD has rescued Israel.”

Saul’s complete and astonishing victory cemented the allegiance of the people. In fact, in their new zealousness for the man who acted so kingly in battle, the people of Israel wished to execute the “sons of worthlessness” who had objected to Saul’s elevation to the throne just a short time earlier. But Saul, proclaimed an amnesty, sparing them.

Most Bible scholars point to Saul’s statesmanlike quality in demonstrating mercy toward the troublemakers. But are we really witnessing mercy? Or are we witnessing something else? Is Saul being a good leader and king by allowing these men to live?

In 1513 Machiavelli wrote a 100 page book on statecraft and the wielding of power called The Prince. Here is his opinion:

It is necessary for him who lays out a state and arranges laws for it to presuppose that all men are evil and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their spirits whenever they have free scope.

Jesus Christ, in the Parable of the Ten Minas found in Luke 19:11—27, teaches us how a godly king shows mercy and leadership at the end of the story—

“He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.”

So was Saul showing magnanimous mercy to those who deserved it? Or was he once again showing weakness, not strength? Was there something in Saul that kept him from achieving greatness as Israel’s first king?

Machiavelli was right, as far as he went. Human beings are not basically good; they are sinful and they are corrupt and in their hearts, evil. Saul was Israel’s first king. It was a position he neither considered nor coveted; it was literally thrust upon him in a moment. He was God’s man and the people’s choice. But he was a poor choice for he was a mirror reflection of the people who chose him. Saul would prove to be much like the people he just saved in Jabesh Gilead: a fearful, double-minded compromiser who cared more for his own comforts than for the God he claimed to represent.

6. Reaffirmation, verses 14, 15

Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there reaffirm the kingship.” So all the people went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king in the presence of the LORD. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.

This was the public confirmation of the private call of God. Gilgal was famous for being a place of suffering and humiliation. Joshua 5:2—

At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again.”

The reason God wanted Joshua to do this was because it had been left undone for a generation—

All the people that came out (of Egypt) had been circumcised, but all the people born in the desert during the journey from Egypt had not. (verse 5)

This situation had to be set right so that the people could continue to be obedient in their new land. It was here, in this place of historical significance, that all of Israel affirmed the choice of Saul as king.

Unfortunately, the celebration that followed would give way to disobedience and disappointment. The true state of Saul’s heart would work itself out in his actions. The prophet Jeremiah wrote these telling words concerning the true state of the human heart–

The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

And Jesus warned–

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)

No wonder David prayed–

Hide your face from my sins
       and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
       and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence
       or take your Holy Spirit from me. (Psalm 51:9-11)

(c) 2009 WitzEnd

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GOD’S ANOINTED: In a cave, surrounded by misfits

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GOD’S ANOINTED: The Boy Who Would Be King

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SAUL: His Decline

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SAUL: The Courageous

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