A Brave Warrior David's Faith

A Brave Warrior David's Faith

Text: 1 Samuel 17

When we left off last week David was using his musical talent to soothe King Saul in his moments of depression.

David had been anointed by Samuel to be the next king of Israel but this knowledge was not known but by very few, maybe only David and Samuel.

Israel will soon see the actions of their future king.

David had left home as a humble shepherd and had entered Saul's court as a humble musician but we will soon see that to be a man after God's own heart also requires some bravery.

God says:

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, "to stand".

We should see that God desires all His children "to step out of their comfort zone" and "get into the battle". We will face many spiritual battles as we try to advance the kingdom of God but our strength must also come from Our Lord.

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

We will see the future king of Israel have victory but, we will also see the first king of Israel continue to fail.

Knowing this let's begin:

*****1Sa 17:1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.

1Sa 17:2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.

1Sa 17:3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.

1Sa 17:4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

This valley where this battle was to take place is bout 6 miles from Jerusalem. A narrow path exist that goes right up to the interior of the land near Bethlehem which is another 6 miles.

When David joins this battle, he would have already traveled the 12 miles between his father's house and this camp of King Saul.

This Goliath would be a descendant of the race of Anakim. Israel had had first contact with these people when Moses sent out those 40 spies into Canaan land.

Num 13:33 And "there we saw the giants", the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

These giants had been defeated by Caleb:

Jos 15:13 And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, even the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron.

Jos 15:14 And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.

And slew them:

Jdg 1:10 And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba:) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.

But, there were still some that had escaped to Gaza, and Ashdod, and Gath, as we have the proof in this Goliath.

We will see three figures in our lesson today.

First: Goliath.

Goliath stood at least 9 feet 9 inches tall. A span is generally understood as 9 inches and a cubit as 18 inches and we will also see that he was heavily armed and prepared to kill.

Next: King Saul.

Saul had already been rejected by God for disobedience. He had threatened his own son Jonathan and would have killed him. And at his last chance he had spared Agag the king of the Amelikites and greedily had taken the choice of the spoils of that war.

Saul was forsaken by the Holy Spirit and now suffered great depression and Saul was greatly afraid of Goliath.

Next we will see David.

David was only a youth which means he was not yet 20 years old. He carried a staff and not a sword.

He carried faith yet no physical armor.

He had no weapon but a sling.

He had exactly what was needed this day to defeat the enemy of God because within him he carried the Spirit of God.

David did not consider Israel's army as Saul's servants.

David knew they were the army of the Living God!

*****1Sa 17:5 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.

1Sa 17:6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.

1Sa 17:7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.

1Sa 17:8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.

1Sa 17:9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.

King Saul was at least seven feet tall but Goliath easily was a far taller man.

That "coat of mail" was composed of plates of metal overlapping each other somewhat like fish scales and it weighed 200 lbs.

That spearhead weighed 24 lbs.

Those "greaves" were coverings for the legs and reached from the ankles to the top of the knee. They were made of hide and were probably also covered with copper.

That "target of brass" was a circular frame, carried at the back, suspended by a long belt and crossed the chest from the shoulders to the upper legs.

Goliath was truly the champion of the Philistines because as of this day no man was able to defeat him in one on one combat.

Goliath was a loud mouth, vulgar, boastful, evil man with no respect for any other man and he defied anyone to battle with him.

Goliath suggested that there was only need for one man to die to end this war between these two enemies.

All Israel needed was their own champion to defeat him in battle.

Goliath was lying "but he thought of himself as unbeatable.

We know the end result of this battle, yet the Philistines are still the enemies of Israel even up until our day.

*****1Sa 17:10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

1Sa 17:11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

To "defy" is to "dare"!

Goliath sensed that all of Israel were to cowardly to face him and the tallest man in all of Israel, the king, was greatly afraid and this fear flowed through his entire army.

SO, Goliath's challenge went unanswered.

*****1Sa 17:12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.

1Sa 17:13 And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

1Sa 17:14 And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.

1Sa 17:15 But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.

We should remember this Bethlehem because there at least one other place with the name of Bethlehem.

This is the same place as prophesied by the prophet Micah where Jesus would be born!

Mic 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

David had seven more brothers but we know that only six others are named in the Book of Chronicles. David had a brother that had died shortly after being shown to Samuel and before having a family of his own.

This other brother like many even today was just name on a grave without a history except to his father and mother and a Holy God!

David's three oldest brothers served in Saul's army. We know that Saul kept only the bravest of men in his army so this gives us an idea of the character of these brothers.

David was not yet old enough to be in the army and was still obligated to the family at home.

We also know that Jesse was a very old man at this time.

*****1Sa 17:16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

It had been now 80 times that Goliath had stood in hearing range and defied Saul and the army of Israel.

We can be sure the term "cowards" was used many times and it was true!

*****1Sa 17:17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;

1Sa 17:18 And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.

As a father Jesse had great concern for all his sons and was well aware of the battle raging just 12 miles form Bethlehem.

In that day each soldier had to provide his own rations and Jesse sent food to not only his sons but to also their commanding officer.

*****1Sa 17:19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

1Sa 17:20 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.

1Sa 17:21 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.

1Sa 17:22 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.

By the will of God, Jesse had picked the exact right day to send David to check on his three sons.

David had left early in the morning but the 12 miles of travel had taken until that evening.

When David arrived at the camp he left his cart and ran right amongst the soldiers in search of his brothers.

*****1Sa 17:23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.

1Sa 17:24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.

It was at this time that Goliath did what he had done 79 previous times and bellowed out his challenge to all of Israel.

What David saw brought more concern than that of Goliath!

David saw all of Israel tremble and run in fear of that one man.

*****1Sa 17:25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.

1Sa 17:26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

1Sa 17:27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.

King Saul had made a generous offer to any would battle Goliath.

1) Saul would give one of his daughters in marriage therefore allowing a stranger into the royal family.

2) Saul would make this man to be a rich man.

3) Saul would not allow the family of this man to be taxed.

AND, David could not believe what he was hearing!

David knew that Goliath was a Gentile who was profane and worshiped a false god and a stranger to the covenant promises of Jehovah.

David also knew that by allowing this evil man to profane the Army of God, Saul was allowing Goliath to profane the Lord Himself.

David now knew this was God's battle and not for any man of Israel!

*****1Sa 17:28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.

1Sa 17:29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?

Eliab had no patience for his youngest brother because what David had said carried reproach to every soldier on the field that day including his own brothers.

David would have still been tending the sheep if his father Jesse had not sent him that day to check on his brothers and he ask his brother, "well what have I done now"?

Saul and the army of Israel saw a giant of a man BUT David only saw another Philistine who was just an insolent enemy of Jehovah God.

David felt that surely Jehovah would enable any man that relied on Him to overcome this evil man!

There was certainly a cause!

Whenever we step out in "faith" to serve the Lord, there will always be those there to cause discouragement!

*****1Sa 17:30 And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.

1Sa 17:31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.

1Sa 17:32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

Saul had spent 40 days in fear of his life and the defeat of the army of Israel and he finally heard that someone had volunteered to fight this Goliath.

Saul sent for the man and it was David that was sent to him.

David stood again before Israel's giant, King Saul, and declared that he would remove this other giant of the Philistines.

David could see the fear in all of Israel along with their "lack of faith"!

BUT, David saw only a large man that defied the God of Israel.

This battle was now God's battle and God still uses humans to perform His Will.

*****1Sa 17:33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.

What Saul said was true! In David's own strength he was certainly not able to defeat this giant of a man.

Saul knew something about Goliath and Saul knew Goliath had never lost in hand to hand combat and was now in his prime.

AND, David was probably not yet 20 years old.

*****1Sa 17:34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:

1Sa 17:35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

1Sa 17:36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

1Sa 17:37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.

The life of the shepherd is not an easy one!

God had selected David because The Lord wanted a man whose heart belonged to Him. It was the job of the shepherd to protect the sheep and David was not describing an isolated incident.

David had encountered predators on many occasions and he had never ran or hid for his own safety.

David had put "the needs of the flock" over his own personal needs.

David knew that "it was the Lord that had delivered him from all these things".

If we cannot see a "type" of Christ in these verses then we will never understand the Bible and the way God teaches us by example!

In a short period of time David would be king of Israel and God was also showing Israel how every king should put his people even before his own safety.

I wish our own president and every president would take this stance and be for the people instead of what he is.

God would not allow his future king to go down in defeat!

And David's faith would not allow him to miss this opportunity to gain this glory for the Lord!

*****1Sa 17:38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.

1Sa 17:39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, [and he assayed to go]; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.

Saul was glad that some one had finally come forward to fight Goliath.

It did not matter to him that was a boy that had not reached 20 years old.

Saul had armor fit for a king, "the best armor of all of Israel" but we must remember that Saul was the tallest man in Israel and David was as average as average can be, not a wimp but certainly not out of proportion for a Jewish man of that time.

David could not be made into a little Goliath just by dressing as a soldier!

David had worn no armor in defense of those sheep but had relied upon the Power of God and he would rely on God's power again.

We can never allow unnecessary things to weigh us down in our service to the Lord!

Christ Jesus is our "giant killer"!

The Lord had delivered David before and the Lord would deliver David now.

David could not be king if he died on the battlefield this day!

David knew that Goliath had not only challenged all of Israel, he had specifically challenged the God of Israel and this would be Goliath's downfall.

*****1Sa 17:40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

We should miss the fact that David did not hesitate, not even for a moment!

David's armament was this:

1) A shepherd's staff:

The shepherds staff represents "authority".

The shepherds weapon "in type" means "a staff of bread" the indispensable support for life.

Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

David's indispensable support for life would be the Lord Himself!

The Lord is "The Bread Of Life"!

2) Five smooth stones:

Five is the number for the "Grace" of God.

The "Stone" is in type the "living stones" of God.

The word "smooth" means these stones will pass through the air without restrictions.

Air represents the Holy Spirit and these stones would not "quench the Spirit"

So we have "Grace", "The Believer" and "The Holy Spirit".

It takes these things for salvation!

3) The scrip:

The shepherds bag carried the food for his journey but this bag also carried materials for the healing and the binding up of the lame sheep.

But this scrip also carried the mouth piece for musical instruments.

We know that the Word of God is our "Scrip"!

And we better know that the Word of God is our "mouth piece"!

4.) The "sling":

The "sling" received the "smooth stone".

The sling represents the Power of God!

Zec 9:16 And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: "for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land".

David armed with the "Grace" and the "Power" of God did not hesitate to draw near that giant!

*****1Sa 17:41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.

1Sa 17:42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

1Sa 17:43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

1Sa 17:44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

Goliath could see no further than Saul could see!

Goliath only saw a small, poorly armed boy.

Goliath did not see God's Weapon that stood before him!

Goliath thought he saw a sure victory.

These are the exact same things that Satan sees in every child of God!

Two armies stood on the side lines as a youth not yet a man, faced a man of war from his childhood.

It was time again for a new beginning for Israel!

*****1Sa 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

1Sa 17:46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

1Sa 17:47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.

1Sa 17:48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

David said "I come to you with the faith of my God" while you trust in your own strength!

It is in our best interest to lay aside everything and anything that comes between us and The Lord Jesus Christ.

When we are identified as in union with the Lord then we show this world that we know where our strength comes from.

David's one ambition was to show the world that there was a God in Israel that was above all gods.

We should always be careful to choose our battles.

But we must always battle for God's Glory!

Not for our own cause, not for our own opinions, and not for some cause of the church that does not line up with the Word of God, for these things are great sin!

We need to constantly expose our hearts to the Holy Spirit so that we can be wholly cleansed of sin and be filled with total devotion to the Glory of Our Lord.

After all our one job is to be used "to save the lost"!

All else must be second in our lives!

David hastily ran into this battle, he did not even notice that Goliath was a giant, he was only an enemy that God would brush out of His way and God did just that.

*****1Sa 17:49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

1Sa 17:50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

Every soldier that looked upon this battle expected this battle to be in close quarters.

Every weapon Goliath had was designed for close combat.

But all the weapons of the shepherd can not only be used in close combat but can also be used from a distance!

An experienced shepherd can sling a stone anywhere from 100 to 150 miles an hour.

And, Most every shepherd is deadly accurate with a sling!

Goliath's only chance to live that day would have been to surrender or act like a coward and go on home!

Our Lord will accomplish His purpose and David was chosen as the Lord's weapon that day!

We already know that the Spirit of the Lord already lived inside the body of David.

God guided that stone to the exact spot for victory, just as He does for every Pastor, every Missionary, and every child of God!

Psa 18:31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?

Psa 18:32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.

Psa 18:33 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.

Psa 18:34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

*****1Sa 17:51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

David is now the new Caleb to Israel.

David is now the new Joshua to Israel.

These were the giant slayers in their own time.

To remove Goliath's head symbolized a complete victory!

The champion of the Philistines was not able to stand up to the God of Israel because no one can!

*****1Sa 17:52 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.

The Philistines ran and Israel pursued, the Philistines were again defeated!

*****1Sa 17:53 And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.

1Sa 17:54 And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.

The Philistines had left behind all their possessions and those became the property of Israel.

*****1Sa 17:55 And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.

1Sa 17:56 And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is.

1Sa 17:57 And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

1Sa 17:58 And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.

David twice called God "the Living God" because he knew that God actively intervenes for His people!

David's "faith" overcame what some would call insurmountable odds, but that is what the Lord does every time a sinner is saved.

David did not focus on outward appearances because the outward appearance has no meaning to the Lord.

The Lord sees things as they really are!

David did not allow "fear" to be a part of his life!

Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

From where is our victory?

1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory "through our Lord Jesus Christ".

How do we have our own victory?

1Jn 5:4 For "whatsoever is born of God" overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even "our faith".

How do we over come this world?

1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but "he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God"?

Questions?

Let's Pray!

A Humble Shepherd David's Anointing

A Humble Shepherd David's Anointing

Text: 1 Samuel Chapter 16, 1 Chronicles 9

In our last lesson we saw that the kingdom of King Saul was rejected but we know that Saul will finish his reign until the time of his death and we know that to be 40 years.

Act 13:20 And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

Act 13:21 And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.

After the death of Joshua, Israel had judges for 450 years and then the time of Samuel as judge and then Saul ruled for 40 years until the time of David.

Saul reigned from 1051-1011 BC.

David was born 1041 BC.

We can see that Saul had ruled for nearly 30 years before our lesson takes place today.

It is believed that David was anointed by Samuel in 1023 BC.

Thus David would have been about 18 years old.

Let's begin:

*****1Sa 16:1 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: "for I have provided me a king" among his sons.

Chapter 16 is a turning point in our story of the first kings of Israel. We will see the process that God uses to remove Saul as Israel's first king and replace him with David as Israel's second king.

1) We have already seen where God said He would raise up a man after His Own heart.

1Sa 13:14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: "the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart", and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

2) The Bible tells us that God was over joyed that He had found such a man.

Psa 89:20 I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:

Psa 89:21 "With whom my hand shall be established": mine arm also shall strengthen him.

3) AND, God had now appointed His servant David to be captain over Israel.

1Sa 13:14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and "the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people", because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

4) And now in our verse God says, He has provided His king.

The Prophesy tell us:

Isa 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

That "rod" is God's absolute authority on this Earth.

That "rod" will bloom (as the rod of Aaron) into new life, into God's plan of salvation through His Son.

That "stem" was David, Israel's new beginning.

We know that "Branch" as the Lord Jesus Christ, the world's new beginning!

For Israel.

Jer 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

And for the Church.

Zec 6:12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD:

But before these things take place we see Samuel is still mourning over the demise of King Saul. Samuel was getting older and he was still afraid that his nation, Israel, would suffer from God's rejection of Saul.

Samuel had already been rejected and his sons had been rejected and Samuel had already broken his own relationship with King Saul.

BUT, God will not allow us to dwell on "what could have been" because He knows what is best for us all!

There are two things we should always remember:

1) Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Pro 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

2) Isa 26:4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

God's wisdom cannot ever fail!

And, Our God has no weakness in Him at all!

There is a time to mourn but now was not the time for Samuel to mourn, he still had a work to do for the Lord!

*****1Sa 16:2 And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.

1Sa 16:3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.

Bethlehem was the home of Jesse but little Bethlehem already had a great significance to all of Israel.

Jacob had buried Rachel the mother of Joseph and Benjamin very near Bethlehem.

Ruth had met and married Boaz in Bethlehem and raised up Obed the father of Jesse and grandfather of David.

David would soon make Bethlehem a famous place.

"Bethlehem" means "the house of bread" and we know that the "Bread of Life" would come forth from Bethlehem.

Jesus said:

Joh 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

Samuel was to put all things aside because God had said "fill thine horn with oil".

Samuel had only taken a "vial of oil" to anoint Saul but now would take "a horn of oil" to anoint David.

A horn would be like comparing an elephants tooth to a small flask.

This shows the abundance of gifts God would bestow on David as compared to that of Saul.

Since the Ark of the Covenant had not been returned to Shiloh the worship at the Tabernacle had not been restored, so Samuel as God's prophet, offered sacrifices when he made his visits, so the people of Israel would not neglect the worship of the Lord.

God told Samuel to do this and it would not arouse any suspicion from the people nor from King Saul.

This was also for the confidence of Samuel, as his faith was lacking at this time!

*****1Sa 16:4 And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?

In chapter 12 we witnessed as Samuel had called on the Lord to bring thunder and lightning which could have or maybe even did destroy some or all of the wheat harvest at least at Gilgal.

These elders trembled because they knew that Samuel had a direct connection into the throne room of God.

The world would tremble now if the Church would get on it's knees and bring back Holy Ghost Power!

The Bible says:

Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

If these of Bethlehem had had no faults then they would have had no reason to fear the man of God!

But Samuel was no longer their judge!

*****1Sa 16:5 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

Peaceably means Samuel came as a friend to this city.

Samuel carried no ill will toward his nation because they had demanded a king.

Samuel said "sanctify yourselves" or wash yourselves and your clothes and come with me to the sacrifice.

It does not say that they came.

It does say that Jesse came with seven of his sons.

*****1Sa 16:6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD'S anointed is before him.

1Sa 16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

1Sa 16:8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.

1Sa 16:9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.

1Sa 16:10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.

Eliab means "God is the Father", he was the eldest son, Samuel liked Eliab but he was rejected.

Abinadab means "noble and willingness", he was the second born son but also rejected.

Shammah means "astonishment", he was the third born son but also rejected along with four more of the sons of Jesse.

God has a simple rule that He always uses:

"for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart"

According to the Word of God, the Bible, is not only the seat of all "spiritual activity" but for all operations of human life.

In fact "Heart" and "Soul" are sometimes interchanged:

Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Deu 6:6 And "these words", which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

"These words" refer to the Word of God.

There was a scribe in the days of Jesus that knew what the Word of God teaches, as he said these words:

Mar 12:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

To sacrifice to and for the Lord is not near as important as to "Love The Lord With All Our Heart".

These are the ones that the Lord chooses to be on His team!

*****1Sa 16:11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

1Sa 16:12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.

Now we get to meet David. This the first time David is mentioned by his name which means "beloved".

David is actually mentioned more times than even Abraham and Moses and any other Old Testament person.

The biography of David takes up 62 chapters in the Bible and is only surpassed by that of the Lord Jesus Christ.

David is described as:

1) Ruddy. This means by the looks of his skin, David was in perfect health. If we remember back to Adam, the name Adam also means "ruddy".

2) Beautiful countenance. This means David was well proportioned in his body. David had the looks of a real man and not some wimp but not overly proportioned.

3) Goodly to look to. This means to the ladies that David was a handsome man and desirable to look upon.

4) This is he. The Lord's choice had already been made. This was the man God had chosen to be the next king of Israel.

Verse 1 says: "for I have provided me a king among his sons" God said "this is he"!

The Bible teaches us with these words:

Psa 78:70 He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:

Psa 78:71 From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

While the family of Jesse was gathered for the sacrifice they gave little thought to David and he was left in the field with the sheep.

We begin to see that David is a "type" of Christ.

The Bible says:

Heb 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, "that great shepherd of the sheep", through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

Again the Bible says:

Psa 100:3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, "and the sheep of his pasture".

While the world goes its own way, our God concentrates on His sheep!

Note: There is no mention of David's musical talent at this time. David played his music before the sheep before he was allowed to play before King Saul.

*****1Sa 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

In the Bible, only prophets, priests and kings, were anointed and this anointing had to be performed by a person authorized by the Lord.

Samuel had God's authorization!

In the Bible "oil" represents "a type" of the Holy Spirit.

The Hebrew word "Messiah" and the Greek word "Christ" both mean "anointed".

Earlier, the Spirit had come upon Saul in a like manner.

This signals "to us" that David has replaced Saul as God's chosen to be king of Israel.

And we need to understand that without the power of the Spirit of God, we are helpless when it comes to serving Him, to be in His will and to Glorify Jesus Christ.

This anointing of David preceded any action upon King Saul.

*****1Sa 16:14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

1Sa 16:15 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

This was a tragic day in the life of Saul but he had brought it upon himself.

That word departed means "to keep away from"!

Saul turned off the Spirit of God, so God took away those things that would enable him to carry out God's work as king.

The Bible tells us:

1Th 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.

And this:

Isa 63:10 But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.

If the Holy Spirit is not within you, then He is your enemy!

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit came and went from each person in accordance to God's purpose and their obedience to Him.

BUT, Because of Jesus these things are different now:

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you "another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever";

Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; "for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you".

To those that accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord, the Spirit abides within us forever!

Something we should remember is this:

1Co 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

God is not the God of disorder but the God of peace!

1) God will punish sin and Saul had turned away from the Lord in disobedience. God loves all people, including Saul and the Lord will not punish sin unjustly!

A loving God does what is best at "all" times!

2) This passage denotes that through His Spirit, God has chosen David and rejected Saul.

3) This "evil spirit" was probably not a demon or something frightening, because it did not bring fear to Saul's servants and we will later find out that this spirit could be soothed with the right kind of music.

4) This scripture also shows us that it is God that controls the history of man and not man himself.

5) Saul's sinful life has brought "a great depression" into his life. When depression is in the extreme it can sometimes be shown by partial insanity and real grief.

We will soon see that Saul will become jealous, irritable, vindictive, and subject to fits.

Without the Holy Spirit we are all at the will of Satan!

The Bible says:

2Ti 2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, "who are taken captive by him at his will".

The Bible also says:

Mat 12:43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

Mat 12:44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

Mat 12:45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

When the protective hand of God is overshadowed by His hand of discipline, the true character of Saul will be revealed.

*****1Sa 16:16 Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.

1Sa 16:17 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.

1Sa 16:18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.

Samuel was probably the only one that knew that God had chosen David to replace Saul as king.

Saul, himself, already knew that he and his heritage had been rejected of God which led to his depression!

What we know is that in creating mankind, God made man with a sensitive heart. A heart that can feel emotions depending on the circumstances he experiences.

We also all know that music is a powerful influence in our lives and it was no different in this time of Saul.

David was first introduced to Saul to help him in his great depression.

What was not mentioned in God's selection of David was his great talent for music.

In fact David influenced much of the music of that time and much of it is recorded in the Bible.

While David was still a teenager he was already well known in Israel for his music. Even the kings servants already knew about David.

David played many musical instruments himself and 59 times we see the words "A Psalm of David" in the Book of Psalms or the Book of Songs.

77 Psalms are thought to be the work of David.

It is also said that it was David who presented the songs of Moses, and Joshua, and many others into the scriptures and into the Book of Psalms.

David made music a part of his life throughout all his days and even passed this on to Solomon who made music a great part of the Temple worship.

Music is still, and should be a great part of our worship services!

Some of David's musical talent was passed to his son Solomon who was also a songwriter who wrote more than 1000 songs:

1Ki 4:32 And he spake three thousand proverbs: "and his songs were a thousand and five".

It does not say that these songs were recorded in the scriptures.

But even before this David was to show King Saul how well he could play musical instruments!

That phrase "play well" means that David could touch that harp in such a way that he did not make noise but he could play an arrangement that may even have been his own!

It means David's music was not only pleasing to the ear but one would say it was beautiful music!

But the real key to David's success is in verse 18 which simply says:

"the Lord is with him"

*****1Sa 16:19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.

Here again we can see a "type" of Christ.

No one wanted to be a shepherd, it was the most hated of jobs.

So David was called from a place of contempt, as also Jesus Christ came from a humble walk of life.

The Bible says

Mar 6:3 "Is not this the carpenter", the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? "And they were offended at him".

But as David was also a shepherd Jesus says:

Joh 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

And as David was first anointed by God and later by the people, Jesus Christ was anointed at His baptism and at His Second Coming, AND, He will be confirmed by His brethren, the Jews and then all nations.

Isa 45:25 In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.

*****1Sa 16:20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.

With Jesse's choice of gifts to Saul, he was showing Saul that he came at the request of the king and not because they were in need of the kings support.

An ass "laden with bread" would mean more bread than one man could eat in one day.

But we cannot miss what is represented here:

1) The Bread, more than a man can eat, means The Bread of Life:

Joh 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

2) The wine, the Blood of the New Covenant:

Mar 14:24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.

3) The kid, The Sacrifice of the Lamb of God:

Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

We should always see Jesus in these things!

*****1Sa 16:21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.

Saul's servants saw this as a means to cause peace in Saul when that evil spirit was at work.

Saul saw this as one of his subjects committing himself to the welfare of the king.

God saw this as a training session for David. David was placed in circumstances in which he might learn the art of warfare, the works of government, and to enlarge his knowledge of human character.

It would not be long before the love of Saul would be changed into envy and fear of David!

*****1Sa 16:22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.

Though Saul's character was always in question, we see the character of David as a faithful servant who tries to help the king and Saul shows his gratitude at this time to Jesse.

*****1Sa 16:23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

Because of David's musical talents, Saul found relief from his great depression.

It is probable that the harp mentioned here was more like what we call a lyre.

A lyre is a stringed instrument which is a kind of harp but more easily carried from place to place.

The lyre was a vertical harp with two arms and proof of their existence extends back as far as 2800 BC.

And we can see that David played it with his hand.

This brought a wellness and a refreshment to Saul during these times and Saul's evil spirit departed from him!

We can understand more about what happened to Saul if we look back at Job and remember that when God removed His protective hedge from around Job, immediately Satan came to cause havoc in Job's life.

David was a cunning musician, a valiant man, a man of war, a prudent man and with all that, he was a handsome man.

He was the perfect choice for Saul and for Israel at this time!

BUT, the Lord Jesus Christ is our perfect choice for eternity!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

A Cowardly Ruler Saul's Disobedience

A Cowardly Ruler Saul's Disobedience

Book of 1 Samuel Chapters 13-15

In last weeks lesson we saw Samuel's last sermon to the nation of Israel. Samuel was bringing his ministry to Israel to a close. King Saul would now lead Israel and also judge Israel for 40 years.

Israel hopes are in the success of Saul as king.

We saw as the Ammonites were defeated but an enemy that still harassed Israel were still a problem. The Philistines still controlled a large portion of Israel.

The Lord had told Samuel that the new king would deliver Israel from the Philistine:

1Sa 9:16 To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, [that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines]: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.

When Samuel had anointed Saul, he had told Saul that when he was anointed by the Holy Spirit and it was time to take action against the Philistines but Saul had refused up to this time.

1Sa 10:5 After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, [where is the garrison of the Philistines]: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy:

Saul was presented with an opportunity to remove this garrison of Philistines on this day!

In our lesson today we will see these things unfold.

Our lesson today is to know that serving the Lord means doing the right thing, at the right time, and in the right way. God expects all His people to obey His Word and follow His Will!

Disobedience always has consequences!

Let's Begin:

*****1Sa 13:1 Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

1Sa 13:2 Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.

According to time lines Saul began his reign of Israel in 1051 BC and David the next king of Israel was born in 1041 BC.

Saul reigned at least two years before he began to establish an army. Over 300,000 men had offered their services to Saul in the battle with the Ammonites.

But, Saul had only chosen 3000 soldiers and then divided them between himself and his son Jonathan.

*****1Sa 13:3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.

We will see this son of Saul's, Jonathan several times in Scripture but we can see the type of this man in this verse, that Jonathan was a brave and victorious soldier.

All these signs will point us to the fact that Jonathan would probably have been a great king had his father not rejected the Lord.

The Philistines controlled Israel at this time and when Jonathan attacked and defeated this Garrison of the Philistines, it was a declaration of war and the Philistines were quick to respond.

This prompted King Saul to gather his troops at Gilgal while the Philistines gathered at Michmash.

Suddenly Saul finds himself in the situation that had been foretold by Samuel, waiting for Samuel to come to Gilgal.

Saul was to wait seven days for Samuel to arrive to offer the appropriate sacrifices.

Even though some time had passed Saul realizes that he was in this situation.

*****1Sa 13:8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

1Sa 13:9 And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.

1Sa 13:10 And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.

For what ever reason that Samuel was delayed, and, Saul goes ahead and offers a sacrifice and this

will bring divine judgment from the Lord.

There can only be one King/Priest and that will be King Jesus!

*****1Sa 13:13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.

1Sa 13:14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

Saul had done a foolish thing and Samuel informed him that because of this, his kingdom would not continue.

Saul is informed that the Lord was seeking a man after his own heart and Saul had failed.

This event began the downfall of King Saul!

*****1Sa 13:19 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:

We can see in this verse how the Philistines were denying the children of Israel the ability to defend themselves.

Today in America we call this our second amendment rights. The right to bear arms.

The right to bear arms is not only for hunting and providing food but it also gives the people the ability to defend themselves against an oppressive government.

And, the United Nations is trying to disarm the public in every nation.

The Chaldeans, had a similar policy:

2Ki 24:14 And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.

The Romans also had this policy and many governments since that time, including Adolf Hitler.

Without weapons, the means to defend themselves, the children of Israel were greatly distressed

1Sa 13:6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.

*****1Sa 14:3 And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD'S priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.

Ahiah was now High Priest of Israel. The High Priest wore the ephod. It was the High Priest that carried the Urim and the Thummim.

At this time in Israel, we have a King whose time is doomed and the representatives of the family of Eli whose priesthood is also doomed.

"This Ahiah is probably the same as Ahimelech who Saul put to death for helping David".

*****1Sa 14:4 And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

Jonathan had a plan to go against this Philistine garrison.

That word Bozez means "shining" but it can also mean "ooze" which could indicate a bog or a swamp.

That word Seneh means "bush" and probably a thorn bush.

Jonathan had trouble on the left and trouble on the right and straight ahead were the Philistines.

*****1Sa 14:6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: [for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few].

1Sa 14:7 And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.

1Sa 14:8 Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.

1Sa 14:9 If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them.

1Sa 14:10 But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us.

In chapter 13 we read that in the face of the enemy, Saul had panicked and not waited on Samuel.

We now see Jonathan, the son of Saul, in this chapter and how much trust and faith he had in the Lord.

There is quite a contrast between father and son!

Jonathan realizes that God is not constrained and can win a war just as easily with a few as with many.

Jesus had these words for all those that believe:

Mat 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

And the Apostle Paul added these words:

Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

*****1Sa 14:18 And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.

1Sa 14:19 And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand.

This was another rash decision made by King Saul.

The Ark of God was still in the house of Abinidab even though the Tabernacle may have been in Nob at this time.

And Saul still being in a panic, would not wait on the High Priest to make contact with the Lord.

While these things were going on Saul's army were not in the battle and were confused!

*****1Sa 14:24 And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.

Here again we see another rash decision by King Saul.

Saul was so panicked that he would not wait for his army to eat and prepare for the battle and he made the taking of food a capitol crime requiring death.

The army of Saul became so exhausted for want of food, that they could not pursue their enemy!

*****1Sa 14:37 And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day.

God had already delivered the Philistines into the hand of Jonathan, so the Lord was silent at Saul's request.

AND, it will not be very long before The Lord will cut off all contact with Saul:

1Sa 28:6 And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

*****1Sa 14:44 And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.

1Sa 14:45 And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.

Another reason God had rejected Saul was because of this threat to murder his own son.

Saul had foolishly ordered that no food be eaten by his troops until the Philistines were defeated.

Jonathan, his son, was unaware of this command and had eaten some honey.

The people, however, refused to let Saul carry out this foolish law and saved Jonathan from death.

God saved Israel that day but this was in spite of Saul's stupidity through all these things:

1) Jonathan had formed the battle plan and had shown his personal courage.

2) God had sent an earthquake that caused the Philistines to tremble and be afraid.

3) There came a panic among the Philistines troops and they fled before Israel.

King Saul could not take credit for any of these things.

*****1Sa 14:52 And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.

Now Saul tries to surround himself with the strongest and bravest men of all Israel.

This verse fulfills what Samuel had told Israel about their king:

1Sa 8:11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.

1Sa 8:12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.

Saul began building an army but not with volunteers.

Saul began to rely on the power of the flesh and not on Power of God!

Remember Saul had not proved his leadership skills when he denied his own army the food to keep them strong and this had also denied them a total victory over the Philistine.

*****1Sa 15:1 Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.

We will see that God did not finally reject Saul until He had given him one more opportunity to fully carrying out His commands.

We need to realize that God takes us all and puts us in certain conditions to see if we will stay obedient to His Word.

The life we now live is like being on probation!

We have the trial of Saul before us "as an example" as God will not hide anything from us!

Saul began as a humble young man who happened to be the tallest man in Israel but also had a great physique.

We will see as these things fade and fail him!

Saul's pride in his own self and defiance of God and even later jealousy and envy take over Saul's life and he becomes a miserable person in himself and a total wreck before his nation.

The Bible says:

1Ti 1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

This first King of Israel became like a shipwreck!

*****1Sa 15:2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.

We can see that the Lord intends to punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as came up from Egypt!

Exo 17:8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

Remember Balaam and what he prophesied only because he was forced to by the Lord?

Num 24:19 Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.

Num 24:20 And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, "Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever".

We now read King Saul's command.

*****1Sa 15:3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

Here is what Moses had already told Israel:

Deu 25:17 Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;

Deu 25:18 How he met thee by the way, and "smote the hindmost of thee", "even all that were feeble" behind thee, "when thou wast faint and weary"; and he feared not God.

Deu 25:19 Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.

This gives us a better idea of just how cruel the people of Amalek truly were and the reason for God's judgment upon them.

Remember in verse 2, it reads that this was the Lords punishment and when it comes to obeying the commands of the Lord we are to respond without question!

Anything less than total destruction of the Amalekites would be a failure to obey God!

In His holiness and infinite wisdom we are to completely trust knowing that He will never go beyond His own Righteousness and His Own Perfectness.

We do not yet have the wisdom of God and that will only come at the time of the Rapture, when we meet the Lord in the air:

1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, "we shall be like him"; for we shall see him as he is.

It is at this time we will understand all things!

*****1Sa 15:7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.

Saul gathered an army of 210,000 soldiers and laid wait in a valley until the Kenites had an opportunity to depart from among the Amalekites.

The Kenites were mostly traveling smiths by trade, some would say gypsies, and normally no ones enemies, though they never worshiped the Lord and always held on to their false religion.

Saul and his army won this battle but we see that Saul did not completely obey the Lord!

We also know that the Land from Havilah to Shur was the same land occupied by the descendants of Ishmael:

Gen 25:17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered unto his people.

Gen 25:18 And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.

And we know that the descendants of Esau and the descendants of Ishmael occupied the same land.

God had said:

Rom 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

Oba 1:10 For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, "and thou shalt be cut off for ever".

Mal 1:2 I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,

Mal 1:3 "And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness".

We should never forget these words of the Lord for they still hold true today:

Gen 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

God will punish the wicked or He would not be God!

This promise will be kept just as all other promises will be kept!

*****1Sa 15:8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

Saul missed his last opportunity to preserve his kingdom for his son Jonathan, who we can see and will see could have been a great king.

Saul was showing respect to a king who ruled a people "that destroyed children" and even "those that could not defend themselves with the old" as we saw when they attacked Israel. They were also cowardly and thieves, who took what they could get from the innocent. (Deut 25:18)

The Apostle Paul used this in his sermon to the Galatians:

Gal 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

Gal 4:29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

Gal 4:30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

Gal 4:31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

*****1Sa 15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

It has already been stated that Saul disobeyed the Lord but we now see that his army also is involved.

Saul had little control of his army and actually feared them as we will see.

This army was also not fighting for the "Glory of God", they were instead fighting for personal profit.

Saul and his army were careful to protect the innocent Kenites but God had said that everything else was "worthless" to Him.

If it was "worthless to the Lord" then it should hold no value to God's people!

God had given King Saul another chance and he was failing miserably!

It would be these same evil people who would bring Saul to his own death.

Listen as King David questions an Amalekite:

2Sa 1:8 And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, "I am an Amalekite".

2Sa 1:9 He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.

2Sa 1:10 So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.

Had Saul obeyed the Lord even this could not have happened!

We must realize that when we are not obedient to the Lord it will affect us and our families in the future, as well as today!

*****1Sa 15:10 Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,

1Sa 15:11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.

God cannot change His mind and still be God!

AND, God cannot go against His own character regarding sin and it's consequences!

God explains His statement by saying Saul had turned back from following Him.

Saul had made the decision to go his own way and reject the Word of God!

Samuel had told Saul earlier these words:

1Sa 13:13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: "for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever".

Saul could have been blessed with a kingdom that would have extended through his family but his own actions would cause his kingdom to end with his own 40 year reign.

Samuel had anointed Saul and we have already seen that in the life of Samuel, no one had found a blemish in his ministry.

It grieved Samuel that Saul had caused this thing to come upon Israel.

It was Israel that had demanded a king and their first king was a total failure!

*****1Sa 15:12 And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.

1Sa 15:13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.

1Sa 15:14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?

Samuel had not slept since God had made His will known to him and in this time Saul "had set up a memorial to himself" in Carmel for his victory.

Saul had ceased in the war with the Amalek with this one victory and proceeded with King Agag and those animals that were not destroyed to Gilgal to make a sacrifice before all of Israel.

Saul seemed very content with himself that he had obeyed the commandment of the Lord and he lied to Samuel about his victory not knowing that Samuel had already been informed by the Lord.

Samuel quickly responds with, "then what is all this noise coming from these animals"?

*****1Sa 15:15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

Again Saul shows the breaking down of his moral character "by laying the blame upon his army".

Saul indicates to Samuel that these were the best of the animals were only saved for the purpose of sacrifice.

We already know that God had said that these things were worthless for any purpose!

*****1Sa 15:16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

1Sa 15:17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?

1Sa 15:18 And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.

1Sa 15:19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?

That word "stay" meant for Saul to stop his lies and to listen to what the Lord had to say and Saul said "say on".

Samuel reminded Saul how he had been a humble man and felt unworthy to be king but was now full of pride and arrogance, doing things in his own way.

Samuel reminded Saul that it was the Lord that sent him to destroy the Amalekites also using the word "sinners" which means God had already judged them and Saul was to be the executioner and to fight against them until "all" were destroyed.

Saul had not been obedient!

Saul had seized the spoil for his own use,"in an act of greed".

Saul had done these things knowing that nothing can be hid from the Lord.

Saul had "purposely" ignored the Word of God!

*****1Sa 15:20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

1Sa 15:21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.

Saul breaks in on Samuel before he finishes, not in agreement with these words from Samuel.

Saul admits to bringing back Agag but blames the taking of the spoil upon his army.

*****1Sa 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

Samuel says it is better to obey the Word of God, then, there would be no sacrifice needed.

We need no repentance or sacrifice for sins we have not committed!

To the Church we have these words:

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

These are the words of truth but if we stand on the Word of God then we would not have sin to confess:

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, [that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, "to stand"].

If we stand on the Word of God then we will have less sin in our lives and no sacrifice is needed.

We need forgiveness only for those things that go against the Word of God!

*****1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

What is the sin of witchcraft? Witchcraft is "divination" or the telling of future events.

It is a false system for trying to find the divine will of God!

Rebelling against God is going our own way!

Pro 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, "but the end thereof are the ways of death".

And being too stubborn is to insist that your are innocent as Saul has done!

Saul was his own idol at this time!

Because he had rejected the Lord, he was therefore rejected of the Lord!

*****1Sa 15:24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

1Sa 15:25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.

1Sa 15:26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.

While Saul was trying to confess his sin, he began making excuses for his sin.

Saul was more concerned about his reputation before the people than in the eyes of God!

This is not an attitude of repentance!

Samuel could not join Saul because it would look like he was still in support of Saul.

Saul was rejected because he had rejected the Word of God!

Why will this earth be punished?

Jer 6:19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, "because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it".

We are judged by God's Word and only God's Word!

*****1Sa 15:27 And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.

1Sa 15:28 And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.

Because of Saul's own evil conduct and bad behavior the kingdom of Saul would end with his reign and be given to another.

We know that this neighbor would be none other than David who would be a man after God's own heart and therefore better than Saul whose heart had turned to himself.

*****1Sa 15:29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.

It is Jehovah who is the true "Strength" of Israel and what God purposes "He will bring to pass".

God will never change His purpose!

What is God's Purpose?

1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, [and to come unto the knowledge of the truth].

God will never deviate nor repent from this purpose and those that reject Him will suffer for that choice.

2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; [because they received not the love of the truth], "that they might be saved".

*****1Sa 15:30 Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.

1Sa 15:31 So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD.

Samuel could not pardon the sin of Saul only the Lord could do that.

It was in the best interest of Israel for their allegiance to remain with Saul at this time, that he be not despised.

And Samuel needed to do what Saul had neglected to do!

*****1Sa 15:32 Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.

1Sa 15:33 And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

This cruel king who would kill a child, even sacrificing his own children to false gods.

He murdered the old with the young.

He lived an immoral lifestyle.

He rejected the Word of God and hated God?s people.

Yet he now begged for mercy.

There would be no mercy!

*****1Sa 15:34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

1Sa 15:35 And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

Samuel went no more to council King Saul because he had been rejected of the Lord, yet he did mourn for him.

King Saul had lost his dynasty, his character, and his throne and his crown.

He had lost a godly friend in Samuel.

We will soon see David appear on the scene and Saul will loose his self control and his good sense and will soon loose it all including his own life.

This was the decision he had made for himself and the results were that he was judged by the Word of God.

Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Questions?

Let's Pray!

A Preaching Prophet Samuel's Warnings

A Preaching Prophet Samuel's Warnings

Text: Book of 1 Samuel Chapter 12

We did not get into Chapter 11 last week but Israel, led by their new King Saul had a major victory over the Ammonites.

God in His permissive will had allowed certain things to come to pass. The nation of Israel got what they wanted, a King, but they would now have to live with the result.

We will see as we go further into the Book of Samuel that Israel was not prepared for the outcome of their request.

Israel had been lax in their prayer life and it is important that we as the children of God consider our choices and decisions "through much prayer" to the Lord and God's Word.

Although Israel had sinned and continue to do so, "repentance and confession" will still assure God's forgiveness and God's continued blessings upon them.

To the church we must realize that Jesus not only paid our sin debt with His blood, but "it was the Cross" that opened the door into the throne room of God for our prayers to reach into Heaven.

Remember the Veil was ripped into exposing the Mercy Seat to all that believe!

Repentance, God's grace, and faithful service, are the theme of Samuel's message in this chapter.

This was the message that Israel needed to hear.

This is also the message that the Church needs today!

If we pay attention will see that the term LORD is used 24 times in this passage.

The Hebrew word for Lord used here is "Jehovah" and it is used 6528 times in the Old Testament.

Jehovah means the eternal self existing God, The Great "I Am" of Exodus 3:14.

Jesus said in the Book of Revelation:

Rev 1:8 "I am" Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Let's Begin:

*****1Sa 12:1 And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you.

What we see recorded in this passage is Samuel's last public message to Israel. We will see Samuel do several things in this passage.

1) Samuel will first vindicate his life and his ministry.

2) Samuel will then step aside and turn the leadership of Israel over to King Saul.

3) But Samuel emphasizes that it is essential for Saul and Israel to remain faithful to God.

The fact that Saul had led the Army in a great victory over the Ammonites did not change the fact that their future success rested in trusting in Jehovah, Our Lord.

The Lord had made it very clear that any King of Israel was not to be like the foreign kings Israel had faced in their battles!

*****1Sa 12:2 And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.

Samuel would certainly not be the last of the prophets but he would be the last of the Judges of Israel. The rule of Israel by Monarchy would begin with King Saul the first king of Israel.

This part of Samuel's work was done!

But Samuel was still Prophet to Israel and would be until his death!

The two sons of Samuel had not been like their father but Samuel had still given them to Israel and Samuel had given his entire life to serve his nation that he loved so much.

*****1Sa 12:3 Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.

Samuel had, had a long and blameless life.

In our day when the lives of our politicians are spread before the world to see, none of them are found guiltless, but Samuel would have been found innocent of any wrong doing.

No one could find any fault in Samuel!

In many ways from his birth until this day in Gilgal we can see Samuel as a type of Christ.

Remember Gilgal is where Joshua had set up camp and Israel had began to occupy the land and it would be at Gilgal where they would get their new beginning under King Saul.

This should remind us that Jesus Christ is our place of a new beginning. Jesus says we must be born again.

When Luke wrote of the Sermon of the Apostle Peter we find that Samuel had foretold of the Jesus the Messiah.

Act 3:24 Yea, and all the prophets "from Samuel" and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

Samuel was indeed instrumental in announcing the gospel!

Samuel's childhood looked forward to that of Jesus, and his loyal ministry under Eli the high priest, is an example for all of us in service before our faithful High Priest, Christ Jesus!

Later we will even see where Samuel will anoint King David, "a type" and an ancestor of our great King who will return to judge this world, King Jesus.

And We know that Samuel's prayers could reach into Heaven and was heard of Our Lord:

Psa 99:5 Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.

Psa 99:6 Moses and Aaron among his priests, "and Samuel" among them that call upon his name; "they called upon the LORD, and he answered them".

Psa 99:7 He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them.

Samuel had a great testimony this day and Israel only recognized part of it.

*****1Sa 12:4 And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man's hand.

1Sa 12:5 And he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.

Israel admitted before the Lord that they had no grounds for any dissatisfaction with Samuel and they way he had judged them.

The life of Samuel had provided a standard for King Saul and any future king to meet.

Verse five states that Saul had also witnessed this testimony of Samuel.

Again we see Samuel as "a type" of Christ.

You see when we give our testimony, King Jesus is also our witness to the truth of that testimonyand our Advocate before God.

Listen to the words of Jesus in His testimony:

Joh 8:46 "Which of you convinceth me of sin"? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

Joh 8:47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Their was not one witness to any sin in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Samuel was giving Israel and King Saul the truth of God, just as Jesus gives us the truth of God's Word.

To the world we live in, Jesus ask this question. Why do you not believe me?

And just like Israel we have no excuse!

*****1Sa 12:6 And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

1Sa 12:7 Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers.

Now Samuel explains to these people that it was God and not any man, that had done so many great things for them.

It was the Lord who had raised up Moses and Aaron and made them the deliverers of Israel from the bondage of Egypt.

There are those that think they can work there way into Heaven, but if God had chosen us for our good merits, then we would also have the fear that He would casts us away.

Those that believe in works, live in fear of losing their salvation!

But God chose us in Christ Jesus, before the foundation of this world we live in, "For His Names Sake".

HE CANNOT LOSE ANY OF US!

But our Lord does work through humans!

Israel owed it's entire existence to Jehovah God but they also owed Him their blessings and their sincere worship!

We seem to forget proper worship also comes with salvation.

God deserves our praise!

The Lord had given Samuel to Israel from his childhood and he had led them in the ways of the Lord and had not faulted in any way.

We need to remember all those who the Lord has placed in our lives to lead and guide us in the ways of salvation!

The Lord always knows who we need and what we need but He also knows where we need Him!

The Bible teaches us:

Php 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need "according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus".

You see, we all need Jesus Christ to be a complete Christian!

*****1Sa 12:8 When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.

Samuel reminds Israel that God had always raised up deliverers in their times of trouble.

They had been made slaves in Egypt.

They had suffered intensely under a tyrant who took all their personal freedoms and had broken their spirits.

But God had heard their cry and sent Moses and Aaron to deliver them.

Moses has led them to the land promised to Abraham and Joshua had led them into that promised land.

But they had soon forgotten again what the Lord had done!

*****1Sa 12:9 And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

1Sa 12:10 And they cried unto the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.

They had forgotten God's deliverance and had gone back to their old ways of worshiping idols and false gods and again they came under the control of foreign powers.

Many think America is too strong for this to ever happen but they have forgotten "Who Actually Sits On The Throne" just as Israel had forgotten!

Joshua had defeated Hazor, but while Israel fell into false worship, another king, King Jabin came into power and sent Sisera to capture Israel.

BUT, Israel repented again and God sent Barak along with Deborah to deliver them.

God had delivered them many times from the hands of the Philistines.

And, God had delivered Israel out of the hands of King Eglon of Moab.

*****1Sa 12:11 And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe.

In the time of the Judges, God had sent Gideon to deliver Israel.

God had sent Bedan. No one is sure if this was Samson, Barak, or Abdon but God sent another deliverer.

And, God sent Jephthah who again defeated the Ammonites, and now Samuel had been their deliverer until the time of King Saul.

*****1Sa 12:12 And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God was your king.

1Sa 12:13 Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you.

Samuel has reminded the children of Israel that it was God who had delivered them all these times, and Samuel drove home the point that it is the Lord who is ultimately Israel's Savior and not any of these men he mentioned.

Israel's security depends on the Lord and not on some human leader. It did then and it does now!

And Samuel says "behold"!

Samuel says since I have reminded you that God shall deliver, look upon your king that you have desired.

Samuel was saying that this king cannot do the things of God!

But because you have demanded him, the Lord has set a king over you.

During the time of the Apostle Paul, he also reminded Israel of this day:

Act 13:19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.

Act 13:20 And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

Act 13:21 And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.

Paul was telling Israel that they had not changed in their ways all these years!

The Lord Jehovah had chosen to be Israel's king back in the Book of Exodus:

Exo 15:18 The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.

And the Prophet Hosea gave us these words:

Hos 13:9 O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.

Hos 13:10 "I will be thy king": where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?

Hos 13:11 I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.

The Lord will be the King of Israel on this earth but that time has not yet come!

King Jesus is coming!

But we can go ahead and sing His Praises now!

The Bible teaches us in the Book of Psalms with these words:

Psa 47:6 Sing praises to God, sing praises: "sing praises unto our King", sing praises.

Psa 47:7 "For God is the King of all the earth": sing ye praises with understanding.

Psa 47:8 God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.

Psa 47:9 The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.

*****1Sa 12:14 If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God:

1Sa 12:15 But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.

Now Samuel gives God's warning to Israel.

Samuel warned the people of Israel against substituting the honor and fear of Jehovah, their true King, with that of a man who was some earthly king.

Saul was just a human, just like everyone that met that day in Gilgal and they were encouraged to never forsake the fear of the Lord because that will always bring the judgment of the Lord!

God would bless Israel "in plain sight of their enemies" but if they forsake the Lord God would also punish Israel "in plain sight of their enemies" and they would be a great price!

AND, History has borne this out!

*****1Sa 12:16 Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes.

1Sa 12:17 Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.

We know that throughout time Israel has required a sign!

Israel was born out of signs and wonders!

Israel became a national entity when God brought them out of Egypt, with many great signs and wonders that occurred at that time.

The Bible teaches us:

1Co 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

The Jews had always been used to miracles to confirm the word of the prophets!

Samuel knew this and told them he would call on the Lord.

Today we would say that "thunder and rain" was not much of a sign.

But rain usually fell in Judea only twice a year and was called "the former rain" and "the latter rain" but rain never fell on the days of the harvest.

During harvest days the skies were clear and cloudless.

So, Israel did not question that this was a great miracle that could only have come form Jehovah at the request of Samuel!

*****1Sa 12:18 So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

1Sa 12:19 And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.

This was such an unusual thing that came by the prayer of Samuel, that the people of Israel knew it was a miracle came from God.

The power of God has and is often shown in the elements!

God is the Creator and the Sustainer of this universe we live in!

The entire universe is under the control of our Lord!

It was possible that this one storm could have destroyed the entire wheat harvest of Israel.

The Bible does not say that God destroyed that wheat harvest but in that brief moment the people stood in awe of both Samuel and Jehovah God.

But Israel still had a reoccurring problem and the Book of Psalms describes this problem.

Psa 106:12 Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.

Psa 106:13 They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:

Israel believed the Word of God and gave Him Praise, BUT they soon forgot God's "grace" and went back to doing things their own way!

This happened over and over again.

But for us to look upon Israel in judgment would be wrong because we that are saved have this same problem!

We soon forget how good the Lord has been to us in our salvation and many slip back into their old ways and all of us are still sinners being saved only by the "Grace" of God!

*****1Sa 12:20 And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;

1Sa 12:21 And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.

There is only one reason God will not abandon this people!

"For His Name's Sake!

Psa 106:8 Nevertheless he saved them "for his name's sake", that he might make his mighty power to be known.

Not because it was true that they were worthy, for they were not.

Not because they were righteous, because they were certainly a rebellious and disobedient people.

But "For His Name's Sake"!

Six times the Bible says that Jehovah God is the God of the Hebrews!

God is still the God of the Hebrews but he is also the God of the Church!

Got had made Himself known to Israel by bringing them out of Egypt and He would not abandon them now because He is still the God of the Hebrews.

The "power of God" is in His grace and His mercy, and in His justice and His Holiness, and in His Almighty power, and in His goodness, and most important in His truth!

It is important for the world to understand that God will save His people!

BUT, Everything we put before God is a vain thing just as any idol.

*****1Sa 12:22 For the LORD will not forsake his people "for his great name's sake": because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.

We will make mistakes after our salvation but remember God will not abandon His people!

Let's remember these words of Jesus:

Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, "but I have chosen you", and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Jesus chooses all that believe upon Him to be saved!

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Saints in Rome these words:

Rom 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

Salvation is the free gift of God!

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

And we have this promise:

Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you "will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ":

But Israel also has this promise:

Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

During the time of the Church all that call of the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved.

After the end of church age, or after the Rapture of the church, which is the same thing, Israel will be saved at the Second Coming of Christ.

God took great pleasure in saving us:

Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; "who for the joy that was set before him" endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

And God will take great pleasure in coming after His chosen people, the Church and Israel.

*****1Sa 12:23 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:

What we should see here is that we are in sin when we do not pray for all of God's people!

We need to pray for the church, for the church is God's people!

But we also need to pray for Israel as we have just proven, that they are still God's people!

And we must not forget, we must pray for "the lost" that they will come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and become God's people.

It is a terrible sin to not pray!

God had been rejected by Israel and replaced by King Saul.

Samuel had been rejected by Israel and would no longer be judge of Israel but would still be God's called prophet.

BUT, it was still Samuel's job to teach the good and right way to reach the Lord!

And that will also, always be our number one job!

*****1Sa 12:24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.

The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom!

But we must serve the Lord with all our heart.

We must serve the Lord faithfully!

This was true for Israel then and this is true for the church today!

There is no guess work when it comes to serving the Lord!

God gives us His Bible, which is the Word of Truth.

2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

We are to obey the Word of the Lord for what it says and "not for what we think it says"!

*****1Sa 12:25 But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.

The people of Israel had sinned in desiring a King but God would help them if they feared Him and obeyed Him.

There is no king or ruler of any nation and no government that we should place before the Lord!

Israel had received what they asked for!

Israel would now have to live with the request that they had made!

But God will not ever abandon Israel.

And, God will never abandon His Church!

We will make many mistakes as we serve the Lord!

And God will sometimes give us things that are not in our best interest.

No matter how we fail Him, the Lord expects us to repent, take our chastisement, and get back in the fight because the work of the Lord must go on until He returns!

And He Will Return!

Questions?

Let's Pray!