1 Samuel
The books commonly known as 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings are really one long book. (They were separated due to the length of ancient scrolls.) Beginning with Samuel, the last of the judges, this book describes what happened in the days of the kings who ruled first the whole nation, and then the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The reigns of Saul and David are described in detail. The repeating structure within the book tells how old a king was when he came to the throne, where and for how long he ruled, and something about his character and the notable events of his reign. (Some traditions call this book the “Book of Reigns.”)
Beneath this pattern of historical succession, however, another rhythm can be discerned. Saul, the first king, does not follow God faithfully, and God announces he will seek a man after his own heart to rule Israel. God finds this person in David. He puts him on the throne, promising that his descendants will always rule Israel if they continue to serve him. Unfortunately, the kings after David are not committed to following God’s way. Many of them abandon God and lead the people to do the same, although a few of them call the people back to obedience.
Using
David’s wholehearted dedication to the Lord as its standard, the
book of Samuel-Kings traces the tragic wavering of the people’s
devotion to God. Their covenant failure leads to the nation first
being divided and then later conquered by the powerful empires to the
east.
The “Book of Reigns” is therefore a tragic closing of
the whole covenant history that began in Genesis. Just as the first
humans were exiled from God’s garden, now Israel is sent out of the
“new Eden” God intended in the promised land. Land and temple
have been lost in the darkness of judgment, and only a flickering
light remains. The deeper purpose of God for Israel—to bring
blessing and restoration to the nations—seems to have been
frustrated. But hope remains alive in God’s promise to bring a
descendant of David back to the throne.
MAJOR SUBJECTS
1.
The birth, youth and call of Samuel (chs. 1 - 3).
2.
The "ark narratives" (chs. 4 - 6).
3.
Samuel as a judge and deliverer (ch. 7).
4.
Chapters. 8 - 12,
describe the rise and establishment of kingship in Israel
5. The
remainder of 1 Samuel (chs. 16 - 31)
depicts the Lord's choice of David to be Saul's successor, and then
describes the long road by which David is prepared for accession to
the throne. Although Saul's rule became increasingly antitheocratic
in nature, David refused to usurp the throne by forceful means but
left his accession to office in the Lord's hands. Eventually Saul was
wounded in a battle with the Philistines and, fearing capture, took
his own life. Three of Saul's sons, including David's loyal friend
Jonathan, were killed in the same battle (ch. 31).
Session 1 - A Gift of Sacrifice - 1 Samuel 1:1-28
The Birth of Samuel (NIV)
1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD.
4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.
5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb.
6 Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.
7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.
8 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the LORD’s house.
10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly.
11 And she made a vow, saying, “LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
12 As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth.
13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk
14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”
15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD.
16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”
17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.
19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her.
20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the LORD for him.”
Hannah Dedicates Samuel
21 When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow,
22 Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD, and he will live there always.”
23 “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the LORD make good his word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
24 After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh.
25 When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli,
26 and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.
27 I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.
28 So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” And he worshiped the LORD there.
OVERVIEW
Hannah
wanted a son so bad, that she promised that if God gave her a baby
boy, she would dedicate him to doing the LORD'S work. And God heard
her prayer. It must have been difficult for Hannah to keep her
promise, but she did by presenting Samuel to Eli the priest.
Hannah
was not just giving her baby away, though. She stayed in close
contact with Samuel. But she did let go of Samuel and give him back
to God. As a result of her faithfulness, the LORD gave Hannah more
sons.
It's easy to get "sticky-fingered" with
the gifts God gives to us. We want to hold onto them, keeping them
for ourselves. But, like Hannah, when we give God that which is more
precious to us, we can trust him with it. And God always gives back
much more!
THINK ABOUT THIS
Hannah
desperately wanted children. Every year, when her family went to
worship at Shiloh, she judged herself to be a failure by her
culture’s standards. And one day it broke her. She sank into deep
anguish; she couldn’t eat, and all she could do was weep. No one
could comfort or console her.
But despite the hopelessness
of her situation, Hannah prayed and turned to, not away from, the
Holy One, who “had closed her womb.”
She begged God to
attend to her forsakenness and grant her a son. In her prayer Hannah
trusted that God heard her and cared about her and would answer her
prayer. And God did hear and care; he also answered Hannah’s prayer
with the gift of a son.
When we experience dark days and
seasons of grief and despair, like Hannah we too can cry out to God
and claim his faithfulness. In such moments we are called to remember
the true story of our generous, gracious God—the God of hope, the
God who will make right what is wrong in our lives, the God who will
overturn all that causes grief in our world.
God has
answered our prayers with the gift of his Son. Jesus is the answer to
all our prayers, and we will soon be celebrating his birth on
Christmas day. God is Strong
ACTION WORDS
Here are 5 gifts that don’t cost a penny but may involve personal sacrifice. (taken from thoughts from Ruth Graham)
1. The Benefit of the Doubt
Do you ever attach negative motivations to others’ behavior without really knowing the truth? 1 Corinthians 13 tells us all about how to love others. In verse 7, it says “Love … believes all things.” It looks for the best in others; it gives the benefit of the doubt.
Why would giving someone the benefit of the doubt be an act of sacrifice? Because it takes effort and an open mind. It’s an act of love. Maybe not everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt, but ours is a faith defined by grace. In our interactions with others, why don’t we start there—with grace?
It’s easy to create false narratives in our mind and way too easy to share them with others. Let’s make the sacrifice of interrupting that process this Christmas season, with our friends, our coworkers and especially our families.
2. A Second Chance
Did anybody get crossed off your “nice” list this year—or maybe many years ago—because they hurt you with their words or actions? Your hurt is real. Their words or actions inflicted that hurt. So another Christmas passes without exchanging a card, a call, a gift or a visit.
This year, consider Matthew 18:21-22: “Then Peter came up and said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.'” (ESV)
3. Encouragement
Who would like more encouragement? Most of us would.
1 Thessalonians 5:14 includes this challenge: “…encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.”
So what does sacrificial encouragement look like? Taking the time to step outside of yourself no matter how much is weighing on you, no matter how busy you are, and sowing reassurance and confidence into another person at a key moment in time. Just telling someone “You can do this” or “I have confidence in you” can change the trajectory of someone’s whole day.
4. A Listening Ear
“Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak …” Those wise words come from James 1:19. They aren’t easy by any means, but heeding them can provide an incredible gift.
When someone wants to share a burden, sometimes that’s all they want. Just somebody to listen. Being a good listener doesn’t mean you have to try to fix their problems. It just means that for a particular moment in time you listen. And by listening, you help the other person offload some of their burden, if only for that instant.
5. Time
Every believer has at least one spiritual gift.
1 Peter 4:10-11 says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.”
When you serve someone a meal, you’re giving them more than something to eat. You’re giving your time. That may be the most precious earthly commodity any of us has. In theory, you can always work longer and make more money, but no one has figured out how to make more time.
An hour of your time can change someone’s life. Some people need very practical things that they simply aren’t able to do themselves: help organizing their closets, someone to rake their leaves, take out the trash, shop for groceries.
Do you know someone caring for an elderly parent, a special needs child, a new baby, a chronically ill spouse? Just coming alongside for an hour or two, saying “I’ll take over while you do your Christmas shopping,” or “Let me take your mom to the doctor next week so you can have a little quiet time” may be the best gift someone receives this year. Providing the gift of respite in the midst of someone’s daily, 24/7 care-giving is hard, but it comes with a tremendous upside blessing.
RELATED
SCRIPTURE
Hebrews 13:16 Do not neglect to do good and
to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to
God.
Hebrews 13:15 Through him then let us continually
offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips
that acknowledge his name.
Titus 2:14 ESV / 3 helpful
votes
Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness
and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are
zealous for good works.
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as
Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and
sacrifice to God.
Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore,
brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual
worship.
Romans 6:13 Do not present your members to sin as
instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as
those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to
God as instruments for righteousness.
Luke 9:24 For
whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life
for my sake will save it.
Mark 10:45 For even the Son of
Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a
ransom for many.”
Proverbs 21:3 To do righteousness and
justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
Psalm
51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and
contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
2 Samuel
24:24 But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you
for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that
cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen
for fifty shekels of silver.
1 Samuel 15:22 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.
1
John 3:16-18 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us,
and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone
has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his
heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children,
let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
1
John 3:16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us,
and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
1
Peter 2:4-5 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in
the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living
stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy
priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through
Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 13:15-16 Through him then let us
continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit
of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to
share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Hannah’s Prayer
1 Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.
2 “There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.
3 “Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.
4 “The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
5 Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry are hungry no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.
6 “The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.
7 The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.
8 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. “For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s; on them he has set the world.
9 He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness. “It is not by strength that one prevails;
10 those who oppose the LORD will be broken. The Most High will thunder from heaven; the LORD will judge the ends of the earth. “He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
OVERVIEW
Hannah
began by thanking God for answering her prayer, and she quickly found
herself praising God for being strong and unchanging. We often begin
our prayers by thanking God for all he has done for us, which is a
good place to start - but let's not stop there.
It is also
good to go on as Hannah did and praise God for who he is. We can let
god know we appreciate his love, goodness, justice, power, and
strength. Why should we praise God? -because
he deserves it!
THINK ABOUT THIS
Hannah
had prayed desperately for a son and had vowed that if the Lord gave
her a son, he would be dedicated to God’s service. Now she
fulfilled her promise and entrusted her son to Eli’s care. We can
imagine how challenging that day was for her. Letting go can be
difficult.
We too experience difficult moments of letting
go of the ones we love. We send loved ones off to remote places; we
drop children off at camp; we send teenagers off to college.
Sometimes we say goodbye to those whom we probably will not see till
we meet again in heaven. As we say goodbye, we trust God to be in
charge and do what is best. We believe that he will keep those whom
we love in his care. We can take heart when we recognize that God is
the one who is ultimately in control. We can entrust those whom we
love to his compassionate heart, knowing that the Lord loves them
even more deeply than we do. We can even pray over them,
commissioning them to go with God.
Hannah had joy in her
prayer (1 Samuel 2) because she knew God was in charge of her child.
She had given him to the Lord, who had blessed her with him in the
first place. She trusted that her son’s whole life was in God’s
hands. We too can let go when we believe the Lord is holding our
loved ones tight.
This little line from Hannah’s prayer—“not by might” (1 Sam. 2:9)—is important for the narratives in 1–2 Samuel; it is a truth demonstrated again and again. God’s way of working is not according to the world’s wisdom. His power does not need to look powerful—in fact, he most often chooses to show his power through apparent weakness. This is a motif stretching through the whole Bible, with Jesus and the salvation he brings as consummate examples. Not only was the Messiah born into obscurity, poverty, and rejection (see, e.g., Matthew 1; Luke 2); the message of “Christ crucified” is “a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called” it is “the power of God” for salvation (1 Cor. 1:23–24). The cross proves that God saves in such a way that we can only “boast in the Lord” (1 Cor. 1:31). In fact, this is how God continues to save us and work through us—his “power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).
ACTION WORDS
How to thank God and show gratitude?
It's easy to judge ourselves for not being thankful enough in our daily lives — but we shouldn't be so harsh on ourselves. It can be challenging to cultivate gratitude every day, especially when we feel tired, overworked, busy, and unmotivated.
But that's the beauty of gratitude. It is a state you can nurture through simple actions.
As Christians, there are many ways we can practice gratitude daily that don't include overhauling our entire schedules or adding more stress into our lives.
For example, when doing a mundane task like making tea, you could make a habit to identify two things you're grateful for today.
You can also cultivate gratitude by creating an environment of thanks in your home or office. For example, you could make a collage of the things you're grateful for, put a sticky note on your fridge reminding you of your blessings, or carry a gratitude journal in your bag.
Here are two other ways to cultivate gratitude:
1. Read Bible verses about gratitude
Reading the Bible can inspire you to be grateful, as God's word is a powerful reminder. We find the words of Psalm 100:4-5 particularly useful as it calls us to:
"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations."
If you struggle with anxiety, which can affect your ability to feel gratitude, you might also draw comfort from Philippians 4:6-7:
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
2. Pray
Prayer connects you to God and allows you to verbally say "thank you.” But prayer is also a powerful thought tool for you, as it's a great way to remind yourself of your blessings.
Here are five different examples of prayers for the blessings He has given you:
Quick prayer of gratitude-
"Oh Father, let us take a minute to say ‘thanks.’ On this day, we live in your spirit, on your planet, and amongst our brothers and sisters in Christ. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of today. Amen."
Prayer of appreciation-
"Dear Lord, we rejoice in our gratitude, for the gifts you have given us today have enriched our lives beyond measure. We thank you for the love you show us and the sacrifices you made to support us. May we continue to appreciate your love each and every day. Amen."
Prayer of thanks for God’s love and care-
"Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for your love. Thank you for caring for us in our daily journeys. Thank you for guiding us in our decisions, thank you for giving us wisdom when we stumble, and thank you for leading us to support one another. Oh Lord, the love and care you show us blesses our daily lives, and we are better for it. We praise you for your love through this prayer of gratitude. Thank you, our Heavenly Father, Amen."
Prayer of thanks for another day-
"Almighty God, today you have blessed us. You have given us the gift of life, good health, food, and shelter. We have been blessed with warmth and sunshine, peace, and a thankful heart. While today may not be a special day, o God, we have enjoyed it as another day full of blessings. Let us not forget the beauty of the gift you gave us. In Jesus' holy name, Amen."
Prayer of thanks for God’s guidance-
"Dear God, today we stumbled and walked with weight on our chests. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for guiding us through a tough day, and thank you for giving us the strength to make hard decisions. O Lord, may you give us the wisdom to approach tomorrow with gratitude and humility. We thank you, Lord, for your blessings have pushed us forward in our lives. In Lord Jesus Christ's name, Amen."
Count your blessings and say 'thank you'-
You don't need to wait until you are blessed with a generous gift to say a prayer of thanks. Showing gratitude to our Heavenly Father through daily prayer will help you appreciate life and God's beautiful creations better.
Remember, God's blessings come in all shapes and sizes — from the blessing of fresh flowers to the blessing of life. While it can be tough to say "thank you" after a rough day, every day we're given on Earth is a privilege and a gift from our creator.
RELATED SCRIPTURE
1 Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Psalm 136:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
Ephesians 1:16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,
Hebrews 12:28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,
Psalm 107:1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!
11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy ministered before the LORD under Eli the priest.
Eli’s Wicked Sons
12 Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the LORD.
13 Now it was the practice of the priests that, whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was being boiled
14 and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.
15 But even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”
16 If the person said to him, “Let the fat be burned first, and then take whatever you want,” the servant would answer, “No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force.”
17 This sin of the young men was very great in the LORD’s sight, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.
18 But Samuel was ministering before the LORD—a boy wearing a linen ephod.
19 Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.
20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the LORD give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the LORD.” Then they would go home.
21 And the LORD was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.
22 Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours.
24 No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the LORD’s people is not good.
25 If one person sins against another, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the LORD, who will intercede for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the LORD’s will to put them to death.
26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with people.
Prophecy Against the House of Eli
27 Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh?
28 I chose your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings presented by the Israelites.
29 Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’
30 “Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.
31 The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age,
32 and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age.
33 Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life.
34 “ ‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day.
35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always.
36 Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead, “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.” ’ ”
1 Samuel 3
1 The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.
OVERVIEW
1 Samuel Chapters 2 & 3 focus on the Lord calling on Samuel and on the transition from Eli to Samuel. Samuel thinks it is Eli calling him in the night. Samuel was an apprentice minister of the Lord and he worked under the training of Eli. He did so at a time when the Lord rarely spoke to His people and imparting visions was equally rare. Eli spoke with Samuel and Samuel begrudgingly told Eli the harsh news. (vs. 14) Eli accepted it as he felt the Lord was right to do what was good based on his judgment.
THINK ABOUT THIS
Chapter
3 contains a statement that “the word of the LORD was rare” and
“there were not many visions” in those days. Eli the priest was
growing old, and his sons had dishonored the Lord through
disobedience and abuse of their role as priests who were supposed to
serve God.
In the midst of this silence and this trouble,
Samuel began to serve in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God
was. The ark contained the tablets of the Ten Commandments and served
as a symbol that God was still present among his people.
When
God woke him in the middle of the night, Samuel didn’t know who was
speaking. He thought it might be Eli. Eventually, Eli realized that
the Lord might be speaking to Samuel, and then Samuel received the
instruction that would direct his future and his role in God’s
kingdom.
The posture that opened up that future for Samuel
was one of listening. Despite the fact that God gave us two ears and
only one mouth, we live in a world that unleashes a torrent of words.
We need space and peace and silence in order to hear and focus on
God’s Word to us today, provided in the Bible. God invites us: “Be
still, and know that I am God” (Psalm
46:10).
God
is still speaking. Are we listening?
ACTION WORDS
7 Helpful Ways to Listen to God
1. Believe God desires to speak to you.
Trust God with the process and be willing to learn at His pace. Set aside your expectations and let God know how much you want to hear from Him. Remember that He is your heavenly Father who loves you deeply.
2. Cultivate quiet.
The world is a noisy, busy place, and so is our mind. When our thoughts race with too many concerns, we struggle to focus and listen.
There are two dimensions of silence—external and internal. I’m learning to be still, physically, mentally, and emotionally. This isn’t always possible, but it’s worth the effort.
“My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him.”—Psalm 62:5
To wait for God is to be still, to make quiet, to stop, to rest, to quiet myself and to hold my peace. Waiting for God instead of allowing our thoughts and emotions to spiral helps us to hear God more clearly.
3. Read the Bible as a conversation with God.
The Bible is God’s Word to us. As we read, we are hearing from God as the Holy Spirit begins to engage our minds, drawing our attention to particular concepts. Meditating on the truths God brings to our attention is a way of continuing the conversation.
When the Spirit impresses God’s Word on your thoughts, it strikes a chord. When a concept or phrase resonates or stands out, the Holy Spirit speaks the Word of God to accomplish God’s purpose.
4. Rely on the Holy Spirit to be your helper, teacher, and guide.
Listening begins with God. His Word is living and active through the work of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 4:12).
Ask the Spirit to open your ears and empower you to perceive God’s words to you. “He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.”—Isaiah 50:4b
Over time, we notice the difference between God’s voice and other voices because of the truth, content, wisdom, and clarity of the thought.
5. Pray God’s Word.
Let the words of a passage guide or inspire your prayer. As the Spirit helps us to pray, He brings situations, people, truths, praises, or confessions to mind. This is an organic way of hearing from God. We respond by praying for what He brings to mind.
6. Ask God questions.
Questions are a powerful way to go beyond the surface. They invite exploration and discovery as well as deeper intimacy with God. Questions like: What does this word mean? And then look up the word. What do you want me to understand about this passage?
How does this concept apply to my life? Is there anything you want to show me about this situation? How can I look at this from your perspective? Why does this situation bother me so much? What is this really about? When God speaks, it always agrees with His Word and His character. As we learn more of God through regularly reading and studying the Bible, we discern His voice more easily.
7. Keep a journal.
There is both a spiritual and a neurological connection between the physical act of writing and understanding. Journaling can be a form of listening as we express and explore. God often uses writing to help us listen as the Spirit works through our thoughts, discoveries, and insights.
RELATED
SCRIPTURE
James 1:19 Know this, my beloved brothers:
let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to
anger;
John 5:39 You search the Scriptures because you
think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear
witness about me,
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
2
Peter 1:21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but
men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy
Spirit.
Acts 5:29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We
must obey God rather than men.
John 17:3 And this is
eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ
whom you have sent.
Ezekiel 3:2-15 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat.
And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll
that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and
it was in my mouth as sweet as honey. And he said to me, “Son of
man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them. For
you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language,
but to the house of Israel— not to many peoples of foreign speech
and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I
sent you to such, they would listen to you. ...
Ecclesiastes
12:13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep
his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
Joshua
1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you
shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do
according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your
way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
2
Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of
eternity. Amen.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is
breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God
may be complete, equipped for every good work.
4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.
5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”
6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD.
7 And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.
8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.
9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”
10 Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king.
11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.
12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.
13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants.
15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants.
16 Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use.
17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.
18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.”
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us.
20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”
21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD.
22 The LORD answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.” Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”
OVERVIEW
The
people wanted a king because other nations had kings, but this was
not pleasing to God. He wanted his people to be different from other
nations. He was their King.
But God's people didn't want
to be different; they wanted to be like everyone else. God told
Samuel to inform the people that their king would eventually make
slaves of them, but the people refused to listen.
Israel’s
demand for a king would give them King Saul. Saul had all the visible
features of success (tall, dark, and handsome), but he would soon
turn against God and do things his own way (1 Samuel 9-15).
THINK ABOUT THIS
It
seems like this same old problem has been around forever: people want
to be like everyone else. The root cause for disobedience is the
desire to be accepted and admired by others. Just like the Israelites
were hoping to be like the other nations.
“‘What
you’re secretly thinking is never going to happen. You’re
thinking, “We’re going to be like everybody else, just
like the other nations. We’re going to worship gods we can make and
control.” (Ezekiel 20:32, MSG,*, emphasis added)
But
it’s not just the Israelites who want to be like the other nations.
It is us today, right this minute, wanting to be like everyone else,
wanting to worship gods we can control.
We want to
have our cake and eat it too. But that’s not God’s way. God wants
us to be his and only his. God wants us to trust him and only him
(not any other forms of security). God wants us to be holy like he is
holy. And that does not happen if we want to be like everyone
else.
Do not be conformed to this world (this
age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial
customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of
your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may
prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect
will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect
[in His sight for you]. (Romans 12:2, AMP,*, emphasis added)
Holy
in Hebrew, qadosh, literally means “to be set apart”. So God is
something else all together. God is distinct from anything and
everything. God is totally different from us. Yet we are called to
imitate and reflect God’s holiness. We are “to be set apart”,
too. We can’t keep on doing what we used to do when we did not know
God. We can’t be like everyone else if we want to be God’s holy
children.
Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves
of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any
better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be
pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic
and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.” (1
Peter 1: 14-16, MSG,*)
What to do then? Turn to God and
let yourself be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s grace.
ACTION WORDS
Practical ways to not conform to the world
Renew your mind: Reading scripture daily and meditating on it is a great way to not conform to the world because by so doing, you feed your spirit and increase your strength to find the battle we constantly find ourselves in. Renew your mind with the word of God and your key identities in Christ.
Watch what you feed on and engage offline and online: Whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about and engage these things. Watch, listen to, and read things that are in line with this verse because it is the standard. (Philippians 4:8)
Say no to the desires of the flesh and yes to God’s desires: It is important to discipline your flesh until it becomes aligned with God’s standards. If you leave your flesh to rule you, you may stop recognizing the person you are in Christ. Be conscious that the flesh and the Spirit are consistently at war, be led consistently by the Spirit of God in you.
Form Godly Habits Around Spiritual Disciplines: Prioritize and take seriously prayer, fasting, studying the Word, and other spiritual disciplines found in scripture. Being disciplined is more than a one-time thing. It’s a way of life.
RELATED
SCRIPTURE
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by
testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and
acceptable and perfect.
2 Corinthians 4:4 In their case
the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to
keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ,
who is the image of God.
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world
or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of
the Father is not in him.
2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first
of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own
interpretation.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful.
Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking
someone to devour.
James 4:4 You adulterous people! Do you
not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore
whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of
God.
2 Thessalonians 2:4 Who opposes and exalts himself
against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes
his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
15 Now the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed this to Samuel:
16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.”
17 When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD said to him, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.”
18 Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”
19 “I am the seer,” Samuel replied. “Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will send you on your way and will tell you all that is in your heart.
20 As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?”
21 Saul answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?”
OVERVIEW
Saul found Samuel's news about the LORD'S wanting him to be king hard to believe. Saul was from the smallest tribe in Israel. He thought at first that Samuel was talking to the wrong man! "Me? A king?"
Was it humility or insecurity that caused Saul to question Samuel's prophecy? Maybe a bit of both. Saul began his reign as the first king of Israel with a great sense of unworthiness, modesty, and dependence on the LORD. God wants to see this attitude of modesty and dependence on him in us, too. He often does great things with the least likely people.
THINK ABOUT THIS
After
more than three hundred years of intermittent leadership by judges,
the people of Israel longed for a change. They were tired of the
cycle of having different leaders rise up and troubleshoot what
seemed like an endless series of crises. They wanted a king such as
the other nations had (1
Samuel 8:4-5).
So
God, though he knew the people were rejecting him as their true King,
told the prophet Samuel to appoint a king over Israel. Following
God’s instructions, Samuel anointed Saul to be Israel’s first
king. But, with a few exceptions, Israel learned that having a king
to rule over them was as much of a disaster as the rule of the
judges.
What can we learn from Israel’s monarchy?
Perhaps that tears can also be shed over answered prayers?
Perhaps that no flawed human being can ever rule over us
perfectly?
More than these sad lessons, we can learn the
good news: the backdrop to the story of Israel’s kings is that God
remains faithful despite his people’s unfaithfulness. God provides
for them, even out of their bad choices. And through the line of the
flawed kings of Israel, God eventually brings forth the perfect king.
He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus, the Christ.
ACTION WORDS
James 4:6 says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” The proud set themselves in opposition to God, glorifying in themselves rather than in Him. It is not a smart thing to be opposed to God, so we would do well to think through Biblically what it is to be humble so that we can continue operating as God would have us.
1. The humble heart understands dependence upon God.
John 15:5 makes it clear that apart from Jesus we cannot accomplish anything of eternal value. It is impossible to do God’s will and to store up treasure in heaven if we think that we are fully able without God. The humble rightly understand their insufficiency and powerlessness apart from Christ.
2. The humble heart trembles before God’s Word.
Isaiah 66:2 says, "But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word." God not only delights in those who tremble before His Word, but He promises to look to them to use them mightily for the purposes of the kingdom. Those with humble hearts don’t read God’s Word carelessly but rather with hearts that are tender to what God’s Word might have to say to them to convict them or teach them. They take God’s Word seriously and the act of hearing it with great reverence. There is a love and value for what God says that clearly sets apart the humble from the proud.
3. The humble heart is willing to own up to sin.
Isaiah modeled this in Isaiah 6:5 when he cried out to God in acknowledgment of his uncleanness. In light of God’s holiness, he realized that his sin would destroy him. He wanted God’s cleansing, and God forgave him and commissioned him for service. If we want to be used by God, we need to first be humble, a significant part of which involves dealing with any sin in our hearts promptly, readily, and rightly.
4. The humble heart is willing to acknowledge human weakness so that Christ can show Himself to be strong.
Paul rightly understood that God’s power is perfected in our weakness and that it is in our weakness that He can be strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). God allowed Paul to suffer so that he would not be tempted to exalt himself (2 Corinthians 12:7). He knew that Paul could fall prey to pride given all of the wondrous things he had seen and experienced. So God ordained suffering for him to remind him that he was but a very weak human being who needed God for everything. We need to remember our weaknesses if we want to let Christ be strong through us.
5. The humble heart has the fruit of obedience.
The Israelites cried out to God in Judges 10:15-16, “The sons of Israel said to the LORD, "We have sinned, do to us whatever seems good to You; only please deliver us this day. So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD; and He could bear the misery of Israel no longer.” As long as Israel held on to their worship of fake, foreign deities, they were opposed to God. God in His great love for them allowed them to suffer at the hands of foreign peoples. If their gods were so powerful, they only needed to trust in them. So God taught them a valuable lesson about Who has true power, and the people repented and put their gods away from them. Truly humble hearts that truly repent and turn to God will no longer be opposed by God. When we draw near to God, immediately He will draw near to us. He only wants us to be humble enough to call sin “sin” and to deal with it by repenting and seeking the forgiveness that He is fully ready and prepared to offer. The humble heart is an obedient heart.
6. The humble heart values the welfare of others ahead of its own.
Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” The humble of heart are cognizant of the needs of others, and they are willing to sacrifice so that others can be ministered to.
7. The humble heart accepts the role of servant.
Jesus said in Mark 9:35, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” The way to greatness in the life to come is by being a servant in the present. Jesus demonstrated this to the utmost in that His purpose in coming was not to make the most people like Him, to gain the most popularity, or to gain a position of great earthly power. His mission was to lay down His life for His sheep (John 10:11-15). He came not to be served, but to serve (Mark 10:45). Now He is exalted in heaven with great power, but in this life He was a servant. We would do well to realize the importance of being a servant in this life if we want to be great in the next.
Humility may not be a characteristic that the world exalts in, but they don’t understand God’s ways. 1 Peter 5:6 says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.” There are no shortcuts to true exaltation, something only God can bestow. What is sure is that those who are humble in heart will, at the proper time, be exalted. If we want to truly be exalted we need to truly be humble, saying with our Savior the ultimate expression of humility, “Lord, not my will but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
RELATED SCRIPTURE
Proverbs
22:4 The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor
and life.
Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes
disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.
James 4:10 Humble
yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Colossians
3:12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,
compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and
patience,
Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love
kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Ephesians 4:2
With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one
another in love,
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are
called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and
turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will
forgive their sin and heal their land.
1 Peter 5:6 Humble
yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the
proper time he may exalt you,
Philippians 2:3 Do nothing
from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more
significant than yourselves.
Romans 12:16 Live in harmony
with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.
Never be wise in your own sight.
Psalm 149:4 For the Lord
takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with
salvation.
Proverbs 29:23 One's pride will bring him low,
but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.
Luke
14:11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who
humbles himself will be exalted.”
2 When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel’s tomb, at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you set out to look for have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is worried about you. He is asking, “What shall I do about my son?” ’
3 “Then you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor. Three men going up to worship God at Bethel will meet you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine.
4 They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from them.
5 “After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, timbrels, pipes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying.
6 The Spirit of the LORD will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.
7 Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.
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.”
Saul Made King
9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day.
10 When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying.
11 When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”
OVERVIEW
Notice
how many specific details Samuel told Saul concerning the things that
were soon going to happen to him. And every detail came to pass just
as Samuel said it would. Saul apparently felt very inadequate.
The scriptures tell of Saul’s father but little of Saul’s
character (just outward appearance).
False humility
sometimes occurs when a person neglects or holds back from his or her
God-given assignment due to an inner fear. The fear becomes so
powerful that it overshadows the response that God had prodded one to
take. God had wonderfully worked in Saul’s life but he did not
appropriate those many events so that he would obey the Lord.
So
during the choosing of him of king by lots he hid in the luggage.
Later he would offer up the sacrifice himself instead of waiting for
Samuel.
THINK ABOUT THIS
Transformation
means change, but not all change is transformation. Some people
change jobs, towns, and friends at the first sign of serious
difficulty. But our deep-seated problems follow us around if all we
do is change our circumstances.
Others change only when
they are influenced by a momentary feeling. I have known people who
quit smoking when they felt like it but started again when old
cravings resurfaced. I have counseled people who desired spiritual
growth but only opened the Bible and prayed when they felt especially
spiritual.
In contrast to these scenarios, change must be
continual and consistent to be effective. Our Bible passage for today
relates an early scene from Saul’s life. When he was anointed king,
Saul began to change. The Spirit of God took hold of his life, and
the people around him knew that something special was happening. They
saw this transformation and recognized him as their king. But it was
not a consistent change. Saul disobeyed God. He stepped over the
limits of his authority and refused to let God’s transformation of
his personality continue.
You might look back to a time
years ago when you really grew as a Christian. But that’s not
enough. God desires continual, consistent growth. Christ calls us to
keep growing every day.
ACTION WORDS
So,
how do we keep growing spiritually? Mark 9 tells about a man who came
to Jesus to ask him to heal his son who was possessed with an impure
spirit. The father of the boy asks Jesus to do anything if he can.
Jesus responds by saying that “everything is possible for one who
believes.” The man responds by asking for help in overcoming his
unbelief.
When we want to grow spiritually, we can start
by asking Jesus for help, just like the man in Mark 9 did. He will
honor our request and efforts to grow closer to him.
Some
other ways we can promote spiritual growth include:
Connecting with other Christians
Studying the Bible
Forming prayer habits
Showing love to others
Obeying the Word of God
RELATED SCRIPTURE
2
Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of
eternity. Amen.
Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this,
that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at
the day of Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:9-10 And so, from
the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you
may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom
and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,
fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and
increasing in the knowledge of God;
Galatians 5:22-23 But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things
there is no law.
2 Peter 1:5-8 For this very reason, make
every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with
knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with
steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with
brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these
qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being
ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
1
Peter 2:2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk,
that by it you may grow up into salvation—
Ephesians
4:15-16 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in
every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole
body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is
equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so
that it builds itself up in love.
Colossians 1:10 So as to
walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing
fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of
God;
Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man who walks not in the
counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in
the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and
on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by
streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf
does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
Hebrews
5:12-14 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need
someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of
God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is
unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But
solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of
discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from
evil.
1 Corinthians 11:1 Be imitators of me, as I am of
Christ.
James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when
you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of
your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its
full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in
nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke
like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I
became a man, I gave up childish ways.
Ephesians 4:12-13
To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the
body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of
the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of
the stature of the fullness of Christ,
Colossians 3:16 Let
the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one
another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Saul Rescues the City of Jabesh
1 Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.”
2 But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.”
3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout Israel; if no one comes to rescue us, we will surrender to you.”
4 When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept aloud.
5 Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, “What is wrong with everyone? Why are they weeping?” Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said.
6 When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger.
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.” Then the terror of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out together as one.
8 When Saul mustered them at Bezek, the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand and those of Judah thirty thousand.
9 They told the messengers who had come, “Say to the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be rescued.’ ” When the messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh, they were elated.
10 They said to the Ammonites, “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever you like.”
11 The next day Saul separated his men into three divisions; during the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
OVERVIEW
We
usually think the Holy Spirit brings peace when he comes. And often,
he does. But here the Spirit took control of Saul and the new king
became angry. He was angry at what Nahash, the enemy, was trying to
do to God's people. And he was angry at this insult against the name
of God Saul's Spirit-led anger caused him to raise an army quickly.
The Israelites went out, united behind Saul, and defeated the
enemy.
Not all anger is bad. There is such a thing as
righteous anger, but this anger is directed at sin, not at the
sinners. It is an anger over evil things that dishonor God. Examine
the anger we have, is aimed at Satan and sin, not other people made
in God's image.
THINK ABOUT THIS
God’s
anger is always just. Even His anger is righteous, because it is
directed solely against evil. Jesus forcefully drove out from the
temple those who were callously making money (Matthew 21:12-13).
In
much the same way, when we see children abused, we should speak out
and pray that righteous anger will lead to solutions to protect the
helpless. We must be careful, however, that our anger is not a cover
for lovelessness or self-righteousness. Anger and bitterness (as well
as hatred, jealousy, and resentment) aren’t identical, but they are
closely related. Bitterness is anger gone sour, an attitude of deep
discontent that poisons our souls and destroys our peace.
Paul’s
anger against Christians was replaced with a burning passion to
spread the Gospel. Peter’s anger was channeled into boldness for
Christ. Our goal should be to reflect Christ in all that we do. As
Christians, we have an obligation to show others what God says about
being responsible for our moral actions, as God defines them.
The
heart is the center of our emotions and the seat of decisive action.
Our emotions can lie to us, and we need to check our emotions against
the Word of God. While we strive to live as Jesus would have us live,
He will help us direct our emotions. His truth does not differ from
one age to another, from one people to another, or from one
geographical location to another. His great all-prevailing truth
stands for time and eternity.
ACTION
WORDS
How Should We “Be Angry”?
Being
angry and not sinning requires the discernment of constant practice
(Hebrews 5:14) because so much of our anger is rooted in our
prideful, selfish sin nature. And if we’ve suffered under the
tyranny of a sinfully angry person, emotionally it can be very
difficult to distinguish between sinful and righteous anger. But
because it is something God calls us to, we must press into it.
So
what does righteous anger look like in a Christian?
Righteous
anger is roused by evil that profanes God’s holiness and perverts
his goodness. Increasingly we become “greatly distressed by the
sensual conduct of the wicked,” and find “their lawless deeds”
tormenting (2 Peter 2:7–8). Increasingly we care more about God’s
reputation than our own. Wherever we lack in these is where we must
focus our repentance, prayers, fasting, and biblical
meditation.
Righteous anger first sees the logs in our own
eyes (Matthew 7:5). We are humbled, grieved, and angered by our own
perverting of God’s goodness and we repent before addressing anyone
else’s.
Righteous anger is grieved, not merely
infuriated, by evil. Jesus did flip tables in the temple, but he was
deeply grieved over the sin that made it necessary (Matthew 23:37).
Anger with no tears over evil is often evidence of a lack of love in
us.
Righteous anger is governed by God’s love and
therefore slow to be expressed, allowing redemptive acts of love to
be pursued first if at all possible. We truly want mercy to triumph
over judgment for others (James 2:13), remembering Jesus’s mercy
toward us and that he first came carrying a cross before coming
bearing a sword.
Righteous anger acts swiftly when
necessary. Some forms of evil require us to be quick to speak and
quick to act. Cruelty toward children, ethnic and economic injustice,
abuse (emotional, physical, sexual), sex trafficking, human slavery,
adultery, refugee plight, persecution, and other such evils call for
urgent, immediate rescue (Proverbs 24:11).
We will never
be perfectly angry in this age. But we can grow in the grace of
righteous anger. It is part of being conformed to the image of
Christ (Romans 8:29).
Jesus said, “If you love me, you
will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). And one of his Scriptural
commands is, “Be angry, and do not sin.”
SIDE NOTE: Some people have trouble with unhealthy anger, and fly off the handle way too often. The common thought that we should vent our anger, and let it out, has been studied, and found that venting doesn't reduce anger. A better technique is to engage in activities that decrease anger levels. Despite what popular wisdom may suggest, even going for a run is not an effective strategy because it increases activity levels and ends up being counterproductive.
RELATED
SCRIPTURE
James 1:19-20 Know this, my beloved
brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to
anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of
God.
Ephesians 4:26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let
the sun go down on your anger,
Romans 12:17-21 Repay no
one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the
sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live
peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to
the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will
repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry,
feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so
doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome
by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Colossians 3:8 But
now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and
obscene talk from your mouth.
Ephesians 4:26-27 Be angry
and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no
opportunity to the devil.
Proverbs 14:29 Whoever is slow
to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper
exalts folly.
Matthew 21:12-13 And Jesus entered the
temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he
overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those
who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house
shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of
robbers.”
Romans 12:19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves,
but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is
mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Proverbs 29:11 A
fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it
back.
James 1:20 For the anger of man does not produce the
righteousness of God.
Psalm 7:11 God is a righteous judge,
and a God who feels indignation every day.
Psalm 4:4 Be
angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be
silent. Selah.
12 “But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’—even though the LORD your God was your king.
13 Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the LORD has set a king over you.
14 If you fear the LORD and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the LORD your God—good!
15 But if you do not obey the LORD, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors.
16 “Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes!
17 Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call on the LORD to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the LORD when you asked for a king.”
18 Then Samuel called on the LORD, and that same day the LORD sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the LORD and of Samuel.
19 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.”
20 “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.
21 Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless.
22 For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own.
23 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.
24 But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.
25 Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.”
OVERVIEW
Following
the ceremony at Gilgal that acknowledged Saul as the first king of
Israel, Samuel reminded the people again that they had sinned by
asking for a king.
Still, Samuel offered the Israelites
hope: if they obeyed the LORD, he would bless them and their new
king. However, if they disobeyed, especially by worshiping idols, God
would wipe them out. The thunderstorm in the dry season was to show
that Samuel was speaking with God's authority.
God gives
us another chance when we do something he doesn't approve of, but we
have to take responsibility for obeying him. Only God is worthy of
our worship and praise.
THINK ABOUT THIS
Samuel was Israel’s prophet at the end of the period of the judges (which lasted about 300 years after the time of Moses and Joshua—see Joshua 1). In our reading for today, Samuel gives a speech after confirming Saul as Israel’s king.
Samuel walked closely with God and was a faithful leader. But the people had often turned to worship the false gods of the nations around them, and they now insisted on having a king like the other nations, even though the one true God was their King. In his speech, Samuel reminded the people of their sins. He also asked the Lord to use a storm to prove his point. And the Lord sent a storm.
In that society many of the people were farmers. They were always watching the weather, especially at the time of harvest. If the crops became wet, mold would grow on them, and they could not be harvested and stored. So this rain was very disturbing for Samuel’s audience.
Yet God’s mercy is always available. The people now understood how great their sin was in asking for a king, and the Lord and Samuel now had their attention. But Samuel also reassured them that he would pray to God for them and continue teaching “the way that is good and right.”
ACTION WORDS
Obedience in a biblical and Christian context refers to the act of willingly submitting to the authority and will of God as expressed in the teachings and commandments found in the Bible. It is a fundamental Christian concept and is often associated with faith and discipleship. Here are some key aspects of obedience in this context:
Obedience to God: Christians believe that obeying God is the highest moral duty. It involves following God's commandments, living according to His principles, and aligning one's actions and choices with His will. This is based on the belief that God is the ultimate authority and source of truth.
Obedience to Jesus Christ: For Christians, Jesus Christ is seen as the ultimate example of obedience to God. They strive to follow His teachings and example, including His commandment to love one another and His Sermon on the Mount, which includes principles of righteousness and ethical living.
Faith and Obedience: Obedience is often seen as a demonstration of one's faith in God. The Bible teaches that faith without works is dead (James 2:26), meaning that genuine faith leads to obedient actions. Christians are called to demonstrate their faith through their actions and obedience to God's will.
Biblical Commandments: Obedience in the Christian context involves following the moral and ethical guidelines laid out in the Bible. The Ten Commandments, found in the Old Testament, are a foundational set of moral principles that guide Christian behavior.
Repentance and Forgiveness: When Christians fall short of God's standards, they are encouraged to repent, seek forgiveness, and return to obedience. The Christian faith emphasizes God's grace and forgiveness, allowing believers to reconcile with God through faith in Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit: Christians believe that the Holy Spirit helps them in their journey of obedience by providing guidance, courage, and empowerment to live in accordance with God's will.
Obedience in Daily Life: Obedience is not limited to religious rituals but extends to all aspects of life. It encompasses how one treats others, conducts business, serves the community, and more. It is about living a life that reflects Christian values and principles.
RELATED SCRIPTURE
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments." - John 14:15
"But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men." - Acts 5:29
"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance" - 1 Peter 1:14
"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." - 1 John 5:3
"If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;" - Isaiah 1:19
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?" - Luke 6:46
“But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries." - Exodus 23:22
"I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me." - Psalm 119:30
"But I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here." - John 14:31
Session 9 - Hearts tuned to the LORD - 1 Samuel 16:1-13 (NIV)
Samuel Anoints David
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.”
2 But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” The LORD said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’
3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.”
4 Samuel did what the LORD said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?”
5 Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.”
7 But the 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 people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The LORD has not chosen this one either.”
9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the LORD chosen this one.”
10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The LORD has not chosen these.”
11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”
12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”
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 powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.
OVERVIEW
Saul
was king of Israel in young David's time. He was the people's choice
- tall, handsome, an able warrior. But Saul was morally weak. He was
not completely given over to obeying God's expressed will. So God
disqualified Saul from being king any longer (see ch. 15)
The
LORD always looks for people whose hearts are in tune with his own.
They must understand God's will and be willing to obey it. Who would
become the new king of Israel? It would be a young shepherd who loved
poetry and was skilled with the harp. More important, the shepherd's
heart was right.
THINK ABOUT THIS
When
King Saul fails a great test of obedience, the Lord moves on. God
sends Samuel on a mission to find a new king, a royal fresh start for
God’s people.
This leads to the fascinating story of
David’s selection and anointing. The sons of Jesse parade in front
of Samuel. Some of them look the part, given their outward
appearance. But the Lord pours cold water on that, rejecting one
after another. Finally, the youngest son is brought in from tending
the sheep. With a healthy glow and nonetheless handsome, David
arrives. The Lord has seen and approved of David’s heart, and he
tells Samuel to anoint David as the future king of God’s
people.
In this way David is plucked from obscurity. And
the extraordinary thing about David is that he is surprisingly
ordinary.
So many good stories start out this way. For
example, Cinderella is overlooked until she goes to the ball. Peter,
Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are just ordinary kids playing hide and seek
until they stumble into the world of Narnia.
What David
embodies is true for all people chosen in Christ. God’s
extraordinary love and plans begin with strikingly ordinary
people, who receive a high and holy calling. In Christ, we are “a
royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9), anointed to serve God’s coming
kingdom.
ACTION WORDS
How to Obey God's Will: Knowing Holy and Sinful Decisions
God allows us great flexibility in making many decisions on our own (we do have freewill), but there are some decisions where God is extremely strict about what is right and wrong. These actions are made clear in the bible, both in the ten commandments and by the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Paul summarizes a list of bad and sinful things for us by saying, "Or don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Don't be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 WEB)
So the bible is clear about what not to do, and the bible is also clear about what good and holy things we should do: "What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can that faith save him? And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, and one of you tells them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled;' and yet you didn't give them the things the body needs, what good is it? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself." (James 2:14-17 WEB)
The words of Jesus also confirm this truth that we show our faith by what we do when he tells the Parable of the Sheep and Goats, saying, "Then the King will tell them on his right hand, 'Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you? When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?' The King will answer them, 'Most assuredly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'" (Matthew 25:34-40 WEB)
These good things to do are what James is talking about in James 4:17 when he says, "If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them." (WEB) And yes, it is sinful to neglect to do these good things. The words of Jesus also confirm this truth, since refusing to do these good things is the reason given to the goats (meaning, the unsaved) for why they are cursed to the eternal fire. "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you didn't give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink..." (Matthew 25:41-46 WEB)
RELATED
SCRIPTURE
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me,
‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who
does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
1 Samuel
15:22 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.
John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my
commandments.
1 John 2:17 And the world is passing away
along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides
forever.
Ephesians 6:6 Not by the way of eye-service, as
people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God
from the heart,
Matthew 12:50 For whoever does the will of
my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Romans
12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the
will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Luke
22:42 Saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.
Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
Acts
5:29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather
than men.
Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace who
brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the
sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with
everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is
pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever
and ever. Amen.
John 4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food
is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.
1
Peter 4:2 So as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no
longer for human passions but for the will of God.
Romans
12:1-2 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to
present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to
God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by
testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and
acceptable and perfect.
James 1:22 But be doers of the
word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Hebrews
13:21 Equip you with everything good that you may do his will,
working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus
Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Philippians
2:13 For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his
good pleasure.
Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come, your will
be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Micah 6:8 He has
told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your
God?
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist
the devil, and he will flee from you.
Session 10 - Time Is No Obstacle for God - 1 Samuel 18:6-16 (NIV)
6 As they were coming home when David return from striking down the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres.
7 As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”
8 Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?”
9 And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.
10 The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand
11 and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.
12 Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.
13 So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns.
14 In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him.
15 When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him.
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.
OVERVIEW
Even
though the LORD had promised David would succeed Saul as king, God's
plan didn't become clear immediately. Soon enough David's popularity
would grow. He also had time to mature in the wisdom needed for
governing God's people.
Just like David, we often are
required to wait for long periods of time before God uses us in the
way he plans. Make the most of this time by preparing your heart and
sharpening your skills so that when the time comes you will be ready!
God will keep his promises to you, on schedule.
THINK ABOUT THIS
We
were driving home one snowy night. Two plow trucks were ahead of us,
one in each lane of the highway. Traffic was slow. Over the next few
miles we observed one car after another pull right up to the bumper
of the vehicle in front of it, as if that would help them get to
their destination faster. Soon there was a long line of cars
jockeying for position.
We get impatient when things do
not move as quickly as we think they should. We push. We grumble. We
question the plow driver’s character. We might even ask why God is
allowing this to happen to us. We try to make something happen.
The
LORD is good to those whose hope is in him . . . it is good to wait
quietly for the salvation of the LORD. Lamentations 3:25-26
The author of Lamentations was living through the worst experiences
anyone could imagine. Jerusalem had fallen. Its people had been
carried into exile. Its rivals were mocking and rejoicing. Worst of
all, God seemed to have abandoned them. Yet in the midst of his
mourning the writer says, “It is good to wait quietly for the
salvation of the Lord.”
To wait quietly is the opposite
of trying to make things happen. Instead of grumbling, complaining,
or shouting, waiting means trusting in God. To wait quietly is to
trust that even when things are as bad as they could be, God is
faithful and his mercies are new every morning. Great is his
faithfulness!
ACTION
WORDS
Waiting upon God is a spiritual discipline that
we should seek to practice in our lives. Here are nine ways we can
practice biblical waiting.
1. ACKNOWLEDGING GOD’S
SOVEREIGN CONTROL OF ALL THINGS
Ecclesiastes 7:13–14 -
“Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made
crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of
adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so
that man may not find out anything that will be after him.”
2.
COMING TO TERMS WITH OUR DEPENDENCE UPON GOD
We
want the freedom and independence to do whatever we want to do, when,
where, and how we want to do it. But the truth is, we are all
dependent upon God for even our next heartbeat. As Job rightly
confessed, it is the Lord who gives and takes away (Job 1:21). And as
the Apostle Paul expressed in Romans 11:36, from God are all
things.
While it is true that all of God’s creation
belongs to God and is dependent upon him, it is also true that those
who have been adopted in Christ have a special belonging and
dependence upon God as a Father. “You are not your own, for you
were bought with a price.” 1 Corinthians 6:19
“Trust
in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own
understanding.” Proverbs 3:5
3. SEEKING SPIRITUAL
STRENGTH FROM THE LORD
In the Psalms we find a repository
of prayers to God, many of them ask God for help. For example,
consider these passages and notice the relationship between waiting
on God and finding strength in God:
“Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.” Psalm 33:20
“Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; Wait for the LORD!” Psalm 27:14
“Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!” Psalm 31:24
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.” Psalm 23:1-2
4. BEING PATIENT AND QUIET
When we are still and silent we can best listen for God to speak to us through his Word. What is the Lord teaching us through this? Patience, perhaps? What is he teaching you?
“It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” Lamentations 3:26
“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.” Psalm 62:5
“I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” Psalm 130:5–6
Quiet
patience is an important part of waiting, for it should drive us to
hope in God.
5. REFRAINING FROM NEEDLESS FEAR AND WORRY
No matter our situation Scripture shows us that a part of waiting upon God involves avoiding being controlled by fear and worry. The remedy to our fears is God himself.
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah” Psalm 46:1-3
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” Matthew 6:25-27
6. CONTINUING TO LEARN AND OBEY GOD’S COMMANDS
One way we can fight fear and worry is by immersing ourselves in God’s Word. This was the psalmist’s undertaking in Psalm 119; he found peace and comfort in what some might consider a curious place—the law of God.
“When I think of your rules from of old, I take comfort, O Lord. ...Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning. I remember your name in the night, O Lord, and keep your law.” Psalm 119:52, 54-55
“Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” Psalm 25:4-5
“Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. ...You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:14, 17-18
As
we wait upon the Lord, we are to grow in knowledge of him and his
commands for us. And we are to be diligent to seek him and apply his
law to our lives.
7. EXPECTING THE LORD TO SAVE
The nature of God is to save his people. Thus, when we find ourselves in difficult times, we should expect in faith that our God who has already delivered us from sin and wrath will also deliver us from our troubles—either in this life or through death and deliverance to eternal life.
“I wait for your salvation, O Lord.” Genesis 49:18
“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.” Psalm 62:1-2
“It will be said on that day, ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’” Isaiah 25:9
“Do not say, ‘I will repay evil;’ wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.” Proverbs 20:22
“Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.” Psalm 118:5
8. SEEKING THE LORD THROUGH CONSTANT PRAYER
In
Acts chapter 12 we find a reminder of the importance of prayer in
difficult times. We’re told in verse 1 that King Herod “laid
violent hands on some who belonged to the church.” John’s brother
James, one of the original 12 disciples, was killed by the sword.
Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples and a major leader in the
early church, was arrested and imprisoned.
And God heard
these prayers. In verse 12 we see that after obtaining his freedom
from the Jerusalem dungeon with the help of an angel, Peter heads to
the house of John Mark. And what does he find there when he arrives?
He finds many gathered together and pleading with God in prayer
together.
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
As
we’ve seen already, our waiting should not be that of inaction.
Instead, we should be actively praying for the Lord to bring
deliverance. Remember: When the rest of the world is panicking, the
Church should be praying.
9. LONGING FOR CHRIST’S FINAL
RETURN
This
world and everything in it is slowly dying. With every turn of the
earth on its axis, all of creation groans in agony under the weight
of the curse of the fall. And those of us who have experienced
spiritual redemption long for the redemption of our bodies when we
will actually behold with our own eyes Christ’s glory in heaven
(Romans 8:18-23; 2 Corinthians 5:1-7).
“Since all these
things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be
in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the
coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on
fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!
But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new
earth in which righteousness dwells.” 2 Peter 3:11-13
There
is a place being prepared for us, Jesus told his disciples in John
14:2-4. We simply need to wait until the day the Lord returns to take
us all there together to be with him. What a glorious day that will
be!
RELATED
SCRIPTURE
Psalm 27:13-14 “I remain confident of
this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the
Lord.”
Ephesians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with
every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Your Daily Verse -
Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than
all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within
us,
Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach God’s throne of
grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to
help us in our time of need.
Hosea 12:6 But you must
return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God
always.
Isaiah 30:18 Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to
you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD
is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!
Isaiah
40:31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They
will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 64:4 Since ancient
times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God
besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
John
6:35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to
me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be
thirsty.
Micah 7:7 But as for me, I watch in hope for the
LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Matthew
6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well.
Philippians 4:7 And
the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Psalms 37:7 Be
still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when
people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked
schemes.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a
light on my path.
Psalm 130:5 I wait for the LORD, my
whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.
Psalms
130:6 I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
Psalms 25:4-5
Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your
truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you
all day long.
Psalm 27:13 I remain confident of this: I
will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait
for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the
LORD.
Lamentations 3:25-26 The LORD is good to those whose
hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.
Isaiah 40:28 Do you not
know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the
Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to
the weary and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths
grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
31 but
those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar
on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will
walk and not be faint.
Session 11 - Standing Strong in our Trust in God - 1 Samuel 20:11-23 (NIV)
11 “Come,” Jonathan said, “let’s go out into the field.” So they went there together.
12 Then Jonathan said to David, “I swear by the LORD, the God of Israel, that I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know?
13 But if my father intends to harm you, may the LORD deal with Jonathan, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away in peace. May the LORD be with you as he has been with my father.
14 But show me unfailing kindness like the LORD’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed,
15 and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family—not even when the LORD has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD call David’s enemies to account.”
17 And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.
18 Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon feast. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
19 The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid when this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel.
20 I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target.
21 Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,’ then come, because, as surely as the LORD lives, you are safe; there is no danger.
22 But if I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then you must go, because the LORD has sent you away.
23 And about the matter you and I discussed—remember, the LORD is witness between you and me forever.”
OVERVIEW
Had
Jonathan wanted to, he could have easily betrayed David. Instead, he
helped David escape from Saul. Jonathan loved God and David even more
than being concerned for his own welfare. Jonathan had reached a
point in his faith in God where he was willing to let go of what he
wanted so he might do what God wanted.
In contrast, Saul
was still hoping to keep the throne in his family, even though Samuel
had told him specifically that this plan was not to be so. Saul was
more concerned with doing what he wanted. Jonathan, however, is a
wonderful example to us for standing strong in our trust in God. We
should not push for the kings we want when we know God wants
something different for us.
THINK ABOUT THIS
“Stand
fast in the faith” was a frequent encouragement of the apostle
Paul. He told the Galatians to “stand fast” in their spiritual
freedom in Christ (Galatians 5:1, NKJV). He urged the Philippians to
“stand fast in one spirit” as they live a life worthy of the
gospel (Philippians 1:27, NKJV). And to the believers in Corinth,
Paul exhorted, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be
strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13, NKJV).
Christians in the
early church confronted numerous trials and challenges that tested
their commitment to Christ. “Stand fast in the faith” seems to be
Paul’s mantra, compelling believers to dig in their heels and
remain consistent as they face hardship, danger, persecution, and
conflict. Paul calls fellow believers to “stay true to the Lord”
(Philippians 4:1).
We stand fast in the faith by studying
God’s Word and not wavering in the truth of the gospel (1
Corinthians 15:1). Paul tells the Thessalonians, “So then, brothers
and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on
to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter” (2 Thessalonians
2:15). Like Timothy, we must work hard and do our best to present
ourselves to God “as one approved, a worker who does not need to be
ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy
2:15).
Like Paul, we make it our goal to know and
understand what we believe and, most importantly, know the One in
whom we have believed: “That is why I am suffering here in prison.
But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I
am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until
the day of his return. Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching
you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you
have in Christ Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives
within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted
to you” (2 Timothy 1:12–14, NLT).
We stand fast in the
faith by staying in fellowship with other believers. The writer of
Hebrews exhorts us to “hold tightly without wavering to the hope we
affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of
ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let
us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage
one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing
near” (Hebrews 10:23–25, NLT).
We stand fast in the
faith by depending on God, who establishes, enables, and anoints us
to “stand firm in Christ” and “hold firmly to the faith we
profess” (2 Corinthians 1:21; Hebrews 4:14). God’s divine power
gives us “everything we need for living a godly life” (2 Peter
1:3, NLT).
The Christian life requires spiritual endurance
and stamina. We cling to Jesus Christ and never let Him go. We stand
fast in the faith as we mature toward a spiritually stable stance
that is rooted, grounded, established, and anchored in Christ and
that can never be moved (see Colossians 2:5–7; 4:12; Hebrews 6:19).
ACTION
WORDS: Ways to trust God and stay strong in the battle:
1.
ASK
King
David regularly talked to God about his enemies and the battles he
faced. David prayed for God’s guidance and direction. He defeated
enemy after enemy (2 Samuel 8:1-14) because “the Lord gave David
victory wherever he went.”
Jehoshaphat faced a vast army
coming to attack him (2 Chronicles 20:1-4). Naturally, he was
terrified! But his first reaction was to: “set himself to seek the
Lord.” Other translations say, like David, “he resolved to
inquire of the Lord,” and he “begged the Lord for guidance.”
2.
STAND FIRM
Jehoshaphat
received this reply after he inquired of the Lord: “Listen, King
Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the
Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this
vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s … You will not
have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see
the deliverance the Lord will give you’” (2 Chronicles
20:15-17).
When we are alarmed or terrified by what we
face, standing firm is not our natural reaction. We can panic. We
want to run away or take things into our own hands. And our trust in
God can waiver. But, like Jehoshaphat, we are to trust God and
resolve to “stand firm” against the enemy we face because God is
not only fighting for us, but then we will see how he will bring us
victory.
3. PUT ON YOUR ARMOR
God
provides us with armor (Ephesians 6:10-18). As we stand firm, God
doesn’t leave us vulnerable or ill-equipped. We have protection.
Put on the protection God has provided you.
Your armor is
doing what is right, using words from God’s Word to ready your mind
and build your faith, and, most of all, praying.
Saul gave
David armor to go and fight against Goliath, but it didn’t fit well
and he struggled to move in it. Instead, David went to fight Goliath
with just his sling and his trust in the Lord. Because of this, David
triumphed over the Philistines, and we know that it was God who gave
David victory.
RELATED
SCRIPTURE
Ephesians 6:11 "Put on the full armor
of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of
the devil."
Ephesians 6:13 "Therefore put on the
full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be
able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to
stand."
1 Peter 5:9 "But resist him, firm in
your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being
accomplished by your brethren who are in the world."
1
Corinthians 15:58 "Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in
the work of the Lord."
Philippians 1:27 "Conduct
yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that
whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that
you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together
for the faith of the gospel."
1 Corinthians 16:13 "Be
on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be
strong."
Philippians 4:1 "Therefore, my beloved
brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm
in the Lord, my beloved."
Session 12 - Knowing God's Will - 1 Samuel 23:2-13 (NIV)
David Saves Keilah
1 When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors,”
2 he inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” The LORD answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”
3 But David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”
4 Once again David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.”
5 So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah.
6 (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelek had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)
Saul Pursues David
7 Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has delivered him into my hands, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.”
8 And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
9 When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.”
10 David said, “LORD, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me.
11 Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? LORD, God of Israel, tell your servant.” And the LORD said, “He will.”
12 Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?” And the LORD said, “They will.”
13 So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.
OVERVIEW
Saul was more concerned with doing what he wanted. Johnathan, however, is a wonderful example for us standing strong in our trust for God. We should not push for the things we want when we know God wants something different for us.
David
was learning that it was better to seek God's plans before we take
action. On the other hand, Saul thought he could tell God's will
simply by looking at the outward circumstances. He assumed that since
David was trapped, the LORD had delivered David into his hands. But
Saul was wrong! God was with David because he asked God for
direction.
Instead of just moving forward on our own and
then asking God to clean up our messes, let's ask God for his
directions first.
THINK ABOUT THIS
The problem with seeking God’s direction, knowing God's will is, that God rarely gives us clear direction for life decisions. Instead, He has given us the ability to plan, seek wisdom, and make smart decisions on our own.
But
we want certainty about the decisions we make. We want to remove all
risk of possibly making a mistake, so we seek direction from God. We
look for a sign, confirmation, or a sense of peace to try to combat
our uncertainty.
The result is often discouragement and
indecision.
I love what Kevin DeYoung says about this in
his book, Just Do Something:
Passivity is a plague among
Christians. It’s not just that we don’t do anything; it’s that
we feel spiritual for not doing anything. We imagine that our
inactivity is patience and sensitivity to God’s leading.
I
would suggest that most of the time our inactivity is ultimately
caused by fear. We’re afraid of making the wrong decision so we
don’t make any decision at all, and we call it “Waiting on
God.”
But if we’re honest, usually we’re not really
waiting on God. We’re just buying time. We’re stalling because we
aren’t sure we’re making the right decision.
ACTION WORDS
Here
are 4 ways we might know God’s will for our life in almost any
circumstance.
1. Do what you want to.
One of the
major inner conflicts Christians face when trying to discern God’s
will is knowing the difference between God’s voice and their own
desires.
“Was that me or God?”
This is not
only frustrating; it’s actually the wrong question. God often leads
us through our own desires. He’s the one who has placed those
desires inside of you. So if there is something you are interested in
and want to do, go do it.
Make a decision, take a risk,
chase a dream.
You don’t need God’s permission; you
already have it. He designed you with the desires you have for a
reason. Use the strength of the Holy Spirit and explore them and find
out what that reason is.
2. Do what you have to.
The
question really shouldn’t be, “What do you want to do with your
life?” It should be, “What do you have to do with your life?”
In
other words, what are you so passionate about that you can’t not do
it? What has grabbed your heart and won't let go? Go do that.
I
love this quote by Howard Thurman:
"Don’t ask
yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come
alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who
have come alive".
3. Do what magnifies God.
To
magnify is to make something look bigger. Another way to say it is,
do what makes much of God. Or to say it Biblically, “Whatever you
do, do it all to the glory of God,” (I Cor. 10:31).
This
can be just about anything.
You can magnify God as a
plumber, an accountant or an actor on Broadway. You can magnify God
by going to the local college, to Harvard, or even by not going at
all. And you can magnify God, not by choosing your perfect,
God-ordained spouse, but by being faithful to whoever you choose to
marry.
Magnifying God is about having a heart of worship,
and you can do that with just about any life decision you make.
4.
Do what’s in front of you.
This might be the most important
one.
Many people believe they have a big calling, but they
don’t want to do the hard work to get there. Instead, they wait for
God to drop a big opportunity into their laps. But following God
doesn’t mean you get to take a shortcut to your calling.
We
all have dreams and desires. But, at least in the beginning, those
things are far off.
Our focus should be to do what’s in
front of us. Because that’s the only thing you can control.
RELATED
SCRIPTURE
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have
for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
1 Timothy
2:3-4 This is good, and pleases God our Savior,
who wants all
people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
1
Thessalonians 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is
God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 4:3
It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should
avoid sexual immorality;
Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God
of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back
from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip
you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us
what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for
ever and ever. Amen.
Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all:
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up
their cross daily and follow me.
Psalm 119:105 Your word
is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
James 1:5 - If
any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to
all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
Proverbs
3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own
understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your
paths straight.
1 Peter 2:15 For it is God’s will that
by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish
people.
Matthew 6:10 your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Ephesians 5:15-20 Be very
careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the
most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do
not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get
drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the
Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from
the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always
giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in
keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is
patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come
to repentance.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness.
1 Timothy 2:4 who wants all people to be
saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD
require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly
with your God.
Proverbs 16:4 The LORD works out everything
to its proper end— even the wicked for a day of disaster.
Hebrews
10:36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of
God, you will receive what he has promised.
Session 13 - Getting There God's Way - 1 Samuel 24:8-22 (NIV)
8 Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.
9 He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’?
10 This day you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the LORD’s anointed.’
11 See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life.
12 May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you.
13 As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you.
14 “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Who are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea?
15 May the LORD be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.”
16 When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?” And he wept aloud.
17 “You are more righteous than I,” he said. “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.
18 You have just now told me about the good you did to me; the LORD delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me.
19 When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the LORD reward you well for the way you treated me today.
20 I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.
21 Now swear to me by the LORD that you will not kill off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.”
22 So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
OVERVIEW
Imagine
how tempting it may have been for David to kill Saul. After all,
David knew that one day he was going to wear the crown of Israel. And
Saul had certainly lost both his spiritual and mental abilities to
lead God's people. Besides, it appeared that the LORD had placed Saul
right into David's hand, giving him a perfect opportunity to kill
Saul.
But David refused to kill the king because he was
not afraid of Saul. David was more concerned with doing what God
wanted - God's way. As a result of his desert experiences, David had
grown into a man of integrity. Even when we know the goal we want is
pleasing to God, the way in which we achieve our goal is just as
important as the goal itself.
THINK ABOUT THIS
When
king Saul failed to obey and honor the Lord, Samuel explained that
God would give the kingship to “a man after his own heart” (1
Samuel 13:14). That man, David, soon entered the ranks of Saul’s
army and became a powerful warrior. Saul felt threatened by this, so
he launched an effort to pursue David and kill him. David escaped
into the wilderness, living for years as a fugitive.
Now,
God also tested David in a way like Saul, giving the young warrior a
chance to take a shortcut around God’s leading and timing. While
hunting for David, Saul ended up entering the same cave in which
David was hiding. But Saul didn’t know David was there. David’s
men urged him to kill Saul while he had the chance. But David
refused, knowing it would be wrong to kill one who had been anointed
by God to lead his people. He knew it wouldn’t be right to try to
seize the kingship in that way. Eventually David became king over
Israel, but by God’s timing, not his (2 Samuel 5:1-5).
Has
it ever seemed that God was taking way too long to release you from
trouble? It’s easy to grow frustrated when we think God should
deliver us more quickly. Yet God’s timing is always for our good.
The problem isn’t that God is taking too long; the problem is that
we can’t see what only God can see. Our waiting shows our trust in
him.
ACTION
WORDS
In the midst of hardships, we tend to feel our
prayers and cries to God aren’t being heard because we may not see
an immediate change in our situations. This is a misconception of how
our relationship with God actually should be. We are to put our all
our trust into God’s hands, after all, “God is greater than our
heart, and he knows everything.” 1 John 3:20. And just because we
do not see an immediate change doesn’t mean God never heard you,
because He has!
The following 7 Bible verses are just a
few words from God that reassure us that God’s timing is always
perfect, even when we cannot see it!
1. He Is Patient- 2
Peter 3:8-9
“ But do not forget this one thing, dear friends:
With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years
are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some
understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting
anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
What
we may comprehend as seeing a slow response is due to God not
listening to us, we are not taking time to be patient. God is patient
with us and we in return should be patient with him.
It is
very easy to compare ourselves to others and wonder why something has
come through for them but it has yet to happen for us. We need to
understand that there is a purpose and reason for something not
happening or not changing. I feel it is us that needs to be doing the
changing, starting with being patient.
2. God Directs-
Proverbs 16:9
“ In their hearts humans plan their course, but
the Lord establishes their steps.”
We are all guilty of
pre-planning out our future, sometimes it is good but many times it
is not. When we create a long-term plan in our hearts, we then
quickly find ourselves disappointed and even lost. But if we confide
in the Lord and let Him bring us to where we need to be, there isn’t
any room for these hurt feelings and the steps we took to get to
these great moments in our lives are enjoyed throughout our
journey.
3. His Timing- Ecclesiastes 3:1
“There is
a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the
heavens”
God never promised us that our life on earth
would be easy, but He did say that there is a time and season for
everything. If you continue reading through verse 8 you will see how
many things that we consider good end up countering with something we
consider bad, but God has told us there is a purpose for it all.
Verse 2-8 it reads, “ a time to be born and a time to die, a time
to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a
time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to
laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones
and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain
from embracing,a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep
and a time to throw away,a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to
be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a
time for war and a time for peace.”
4. Live For
Today-Proverbs 27:1
“ Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do
not know what a day may bring.”
Recognizing that each
day we rise from our beds we have only God to thank for it. We do not
know what tomorrow will bring so we should celebrate each day and
live by honoring God in the gift of life we often take for
granted.
Our lives can change in a blink of an eye which
gives us an even more powerful purpose to live for today and not brag
about anything that may come tomorrow because we may not see
tomorrow. God has given us today and we should rejoice in these
moments, not future ones.
5. Hope And A Future- Jeremiah
29:11-12
“ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares
the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give
you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to
me, and I will listen to you.”
God has created a plan
for each one of us but the way we go about trusting His plan can
dictate our overall happiness. When we pray we open up the
communication line between God and ourselves. It allows us to go to
Him before seeking help anywhere else and it shows our submission to
Him and His plan for us. The plans He has for us always exceeds our
wildest expectations because it aligns with what we are meant to be
doing, not what we expect we should be doing.
6. Wait
Quietly- Lamentations 3: 25-26
“The Lord is good to those
whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait
quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
The last thing
we think of doing in bad situations is waiting. We tend to act
hastily without actually thinking or fleeing the issue to avoid
certain emotions or the reality of our choices. We also don’t often
do this quietly either. When we put our hope in the Lord we find that
we can stand quietly and still, giving it over to God since He is in
control in the first place. God is always good and has given us the
gift of salvation through his son, Jesus Christ. So we should stand
still in the middle of the storm and know God is there and is in
control.
7.Submit To Him- Proverbs 3:5-6
“ Trust in
the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths
straight.”
God had created each of us for a purpose and
many of us do not know what that purpose is, but if we allow God’s
word to speak to us, follow His commands, and allow less of
ourselves, we will find that path will lead us down a purposeful
path. So don’t rely on yourself, rely on God!
The only
way we can trust in God’s timing is through spending more time with
Him, allowing His word to shape our hearts and to bend our knees
before Him. As our relationship with Him progresses the ability to be
patient, still, and obedient only become necessities for this
relationship.
RELATED SCRIPTURE
Isaiah
40:31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They
will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint
Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is
a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the
heavens
2 Peter 3:8 But do not forget this one thing, dear
friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand
years are like a day
Acts 1:7 He said to them: “It is
not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own
authority.
Galatians 4:4 But when the set time had fully
come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the
law,
Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in
its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can
fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Lamentations
3:25-26 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one
who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the
Lord.
Session 14 - Disappointments May Be God's Appointments - 1 Samuel 29:2-11 (NIV)
1 The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.
2 As the lords of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were passing on in the rear with Achish,
3 the commanders of the Philistines said, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, "Is this not David, the servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me now for days and years, and since he deserted to me I have found no fault in him to this day."
4 But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him. And the commanders of the Philistines said to him, "Send the man back, that he may return to the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men here?
5 Is not this David, of whom they sing to one another in dances, 'Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?"
6 Then Achish called David and said to him, "As the LORD lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that you should march out and in with me in the campaign. For I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not approve of you.
7 So go back now; and go peaceably, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines."
8 And David said to Achish, "But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"
9 And Achish answered David and said, "I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God. Nevertheless, the commanders of the Philistines have said, 'He shall not go up with us to the battle.'
10 Now then rise early in the morning with the servants of your lord who came with you, and start early in the morning, and depart as soon as you have light."
11 So David set out with his men early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
OVERVIEW
If
David had truly intended to fight against his own people, God
prevented it by having the Philistine leaders refuse to fight with
David and his men. Maybe David had intended to trick the Philistines
once they went into battle. Still, the LORD protected him.
When
things do not work out the way we want them to, God may be keeping us
from doing something foolish or dangerous. Perhaps he is protecting
us when we are too naive to protect ourselves. In either case, we
should learn that there are no accidents or coincidences as far as
God is concerned. If your plans have been thwarted, look carefully
and you may see the LORD at work on your behalf.
THINK
ABOUT THIS
The phrase, "Our disappointments are God's appointments" is a well-known, albeit slightly dated, Christian catchphrase. But even if it may sound a little trite, that doesn’t take away from the truth involved. We need to remind ourselves that our sovereign God really is in control of every aspect of our lives - even our disappointments!
The
story of Joseph is a classic example of how God used disappointments
to accomplish His good purposes in a young believer’s life. Genesis
50:20 gives us the conclusion of the story in Joseph's own words.
Looking back, Joseph recognized that God had woven together all his
disappointments to create a path to being a great and vitally
important leader in Egypt. Joseph exhibited amazing faith when he
said, "God intended it all for good..." Is our faith strong
enough to say that? Do we believe that God appoints our
disappointments? (See Romans 8:28-29.)
In Genesis 41,
Joseph was vindicated and exalted! When God gave Pharaoh two dreams
that no one could understand, the cupbearer finally remembered
Joseph. Joseph was released from prison and brought before the king
of Egypt to interpret the dreams. Notice that Joseph's first words
before Pharaoh referred to God (41:16)! This leaves no doubt that
Joseph had remained faithful to God throughout his entire
incarceration, and he remained faithful before this pagan
ruler.
Would we be as bold and faithful? God honored
Joseph for his faithfulness. He was elevated to second in command
over all Egypt, the greatest civilization in the ancient world! Such
a position for a young Hebrew man necessitated all the experience of
Egyptian life and government that Joseph had picked up during those
long years of disappointment. God knew what He was doing all along -
and He still does!
ACTION WORDS
Every
person’s circumstances are different and so is their journey
towards being healed. However, what is the same for all of our lives
is the Bible’s powerful insights and wisdom into how we can emerge
victorious out of bleak situations.
1. Remember That
God Is With You!
Even
when I walk through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff protect and
comfort me. Psalm 23:4 (NLT)
Perhaps you find yourself in a dark place today feeling like you are stuck in the ‘Valley of Disappointment’. Psalm 23 should give you great comfort to know that God is with you as you walk through this valley. He hasn’t left you alone to deal with your mess.
2. Give Your Cares To God
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)
Because God cares about you, He invites you— through His Word— to cast your cares upon Him. He is the only one big and able enough to handle them.
3.
Ask God To Heal Your Heart
He heals the broken hearted, and
binds up their wounds [healing their pain and comforting their
sorrow]. Psalm 147:3 (AMP)
It is in God’s nature to heal. In fact, God identifies Himself as Jehovah Rapha meaning, ‘I am the Lord who heals you’(see Exodus 15:26). He IS healing and His promise to heal is not only limited to our physical challenges but also areas of emotional and spiritual brokenness in our lives.
4. Choose To Praise
…and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair… Isaiah 61:3 (NLT)
Perhaps
you find yourself in ‘the middle’ waiting on the fulfilment of a
promise God has given you or in a ‘yo-yo’ season alternating
between feelings of despair and peace.
5. Your
Thoughts On ‘The Good’
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8 (NLT)
In
Philippians, the apostle Paul tells us to fix our thoughts on GOOD
things. The Bible also talks about being transformed by the renewing
of our minds (see Romans 12:2). In order for us to move forward in
freedom we must choose to engage our will and focus on God’s
GOODNESS rather than be caught in a cycle of overwhelming
disappointments. We must always remember that God has promised to use
every disappointment for our good.
6. Partner With A
Friend Or Leader In Prayer
Two
people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.
If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone
who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close
together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A
person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand
back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided
cord is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NLT)
This
scripture tells us that when we are struggling, it’s important that
we have people around us who can help. If you’re finding it hard to
overcome hurt and disappointment in your heart today, reach out to a
Christian leader or trustworthy Christian friend so that you can talk
about what you are going through and receive wisdom and prayer. Two
are better than one!
7. Encourage yourself with the Word of God
Be
encouraged to read the Word daily and memorize verses that you can
quickly recall and apply when feeling discouraged. Likewise, position
yourself under good Bible-based preaching and teaching by regularly
attending a church or small group.
RELATED SCRIPTURE
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (NLT)
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 (NLT)
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NLT)
What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Romans 8:31-32 (NLT)
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
Session 15 - Facing Death - 1 Samuel 31:4 (NIV)
4 Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.” But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
OVERVIEW
Saul commanded the soldier who carried the king's weapons to kill him, but the soldier wouldn't do it. It is never right to commit a sinful act, even if it is ordered by a so-called "spiritual leader." No doubt, the soldier was afraid that if he assisted in the death of Israel's first king, he would be considered a murderer.
When the soldier refused to kill him, Saul took his own life. Sadly, the soldier committed suicide rather than raise any doubt about his misguided loyalty. Saul's life and death are a grim reminder of the high price of pride and disobedience to God.
THINK
ABOUT THIS
The
inspired history of the death of Saul is found in 1
Samuel 31.
The historian plainly says that Saul killed himself: “The fighting
grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they
wounded him critically. Saul said to his armor-bearer, ‘Draw your
sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come
and run me through and abuse me.’ But his armor-bearer was
terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on
it. When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his
sword and died with him. So Saul and his three sons and his
armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day” (1
Samuel 31:3–6).
The verses following this account mention several witnesses to the
event.
By the time the reader has reached 1 Samuel 31,
we’ve witnessed a horrific change in Saul’s character. He has
gone from an unknown Israelite from the dishonored tribe of Benjamin
to a man called and anointed by God to become Israel’s first
king––and a victorious king at that––he’s quite successful
in his first military exploits, but then we see him transform into a
disgraced, tormented, jealous king.
SUMMARY
OF SAUL'S LIFE
Saul’s character has really been
drawn out for us throughout the text. In 1 Samuel 13 we see Saul
motivated by fear to take responsibility that is not his. He offers
sacrifices to God, against the Word of God. A crime for which, he’s
told, that his sons will not rule after him, he will be like the
judges before him, a single leader rather than a dynasty founder. We
then see Saul making unwise, rash military decisions and largely
being saved by his son Jonathan and I’m sure several of his
military commanders as well.
“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.” 1 SAMUEL 15:23
In 1 Samuel 15
we’re told of a time when God gave direct instructions to Saul to
bring judgment on the Amalekites, in the same way that Joshua had
brought judgment on Jericho. Not only does Saul not follow this order
of God, but he builds a monument to himself, just like the ones
Israel had been commanded to tear down. Most disturbingly, in all of
these cases of offense against God, rather than accept the
accusations against him as true and ask for forgiveness he gives
excuses and justifications for his actions. He explains rather than
repents to the prophet of God, Samuel – who, let’s not forget,
once acted as the judge of Israel – it would’ve been a very good
idea to listen to a man like this! A proven prophet of God. Think
about the arrogance involved in dismissing the messages that Samuel
gives.
Of course, then comes what Saul is probably most
famous for, his jealously of David, God’s anointed crowned prince
of Israel. The man who will become Jerusalem’s dynasty founder.
Saul proves himself an enemy of David by his repeated attempts to
kill him. Even though Saul has moments of realization and clarity
when he recognizes that what he is doing in trying to kill David is
evil, he regularly gets swept back up in his envy, overpowered by his
sinfulness. And the cycle begins again.
Let’s think then
about this idea: Just like Israel in the time of the judges, Saul was
called to be a man of God and he starts out well. Just like Israel,
Saul ignores the commands of God and goes his own way. Just like
Israel, Saul’s life goes in cycles, he becomes oppressed, Israel by
outside enemies and armies, Saul by a tormenting spirit. The king
that Israel asked for ends up being the perfect representation of
them. When we keep thinking like this, we realise Saul perfectly caps
off the time period of the judges. Not only does he live like Israel
in this time period, he dies like a judge. Though he isn’t faithful
to God he still manages to defeat the enemy of Israel with his final
breath, much like the judge Samson. Only the enemy Saul is defeating
for Israel is himself. I believe the author of 1 Samuel draws this
out for us by the details of Saul’s death that he chooses to
include. Saul kills himself by falling on his sword, then the
Philistines find him dead and cut off his head just as David had cut
off the head of the Philistine’s great warrior, Goliath. They take
Saul’s armor and display it in their pagan temple as David had
given Goliath’s sword to the Tabernacle. By deliberately disobeying
the word of God, Saul has become the enemy of Israel, just like
Goliath. As the transition between Judges and Kings, the first king
of Israel dies like the sinful judge Samson, defeating the enemy of
Israel but ingloriously. The message to Israel seems clear: When you
ignore the commands of God, you become the enemy of God. And
unfortunately, Saul would not be the only king of Israel to learn
this the hard way.
FINAL THOUGHT
Napoleon
was a little Corsican who never looked like a world conqueror. Many
of the people he routed and ruined, however, did look like leaders.
Francis II, emperor of Austria, had the Hapsburg chin 0 Europe's most
famous mark of royalty - but Napoleon smashed his forces at
Austerlitz. Alexander I, Czar of Russia, may have been the most
dashing of Napoleon's opponents, but he ended up signing a most
humiliating treaty at the Neman River.
Appearance doesn't
determine a person's significance. In 1 Samuel regal-looking King.
Saul learned this the hard way. Both Samuel (the old man) and David
(the youngster) were much more significant than Saul because they
trusted God without panicking under pressure.
First Samuel
reminds us that looks and still are not the keys to significant
living. When we trust in our own resources, we become insignificant.
When we rely on God's strength and guidance, we find our significance
in his scheme of life.
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