God Will Judge All Transgressions

Judgment for Saul's Transgressions

Book of 1 Samuel Chapter 31, Book of 2 Samuel Chapter 1, Book of 1 Chronicles Chapter 10

In the end we see that King Saul's life was a tragedy and his death as the closing scene of the life of a man who refused to be obedient to the Lord.

In this study of the First Book of Samuel we can see that there is nothing more certain in this life than the Word of God!

Whatever God has said is the truth and will take place!

Heaven and Earth will certainly pass away, but the Word of God will never pass away.

So it is with the "judgment of God"!

When God says judgment is coming, then judgment is certainly coming!

Because God is a holy God, He must judge all that is unholy, or He would no longer be holy Himself!

Judgment is a necessary expression of God's character; however God's judgment is always fair!

Rom 2:2  But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 

Some of that judgment will come during this Church Age as there has been some of God's judgment in every age.

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 

Rom 1:19  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

However this is not the final judgment begins with the return of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is Our Lord Jesus who will render God's judgment, when He returns!

Joh 5:26  For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 

Joh 5:27  And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 

Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 

Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Mat 16:27  For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 

Mat 16:28  Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. 

Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 

Heb 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. 

So let us look at the judgment of God against Saul.

*****1Sa 31:1  Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa. 

1Sa 31:2  And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons. 

We should remember that Jonathan was David's best friend and Jonathan would have helped David to be the next king if he could have.

Much of Israel would have insisted that Jonathan or one of his brothers be the next king and there would have been division in the people of Israel.

We see the evidence of what happens, as today America is more divided than we have ever been because of sinful politics and wicked politicians and corruption.

Yes, the swamp does actually exist

The very people who are saying that conservative thinking people will destroy democracy are the ones who are using every effort to destroy democracy and make America a one-party system and remain in power for ever.

How could anyone believe that as individuals we have the freedom to kill innocent children in the womb.

We should never have the freedom to murder any innocent human being!

We should also be very clear that there is nothing more certain than the Word of God and God loves all of His children!

Saul's troops stood no chance against the massive army of the Philistines, but this would have been irrelevant had Saul been obedient to the Lord God Jehovah.

As Saul watched from safety, he saw his army being slaughtered by the Philistines.

Then he witnessed the slaughter of his own sons, there were three that died this day.

David and his men had been sent back to Ziklag and they were not present to witness these things, as David would have surely tried to help his dear friend Johnathan.

When God pronounces judgment, that judgment will certainly take place!

God will not allow His children to witness His judgment!

The Church will be saved from the coming wrath of God!

The Lord had warned Saul of his disobedience and his wicked life.

In fact, God has warned us all of His judgment against disobedience!

All those who oppose God and reject the Word of God, will also see a similar judgment as did Saul.

We can also see that our actions can cause harm to our own children, even if some of our children trust in God as did Jonathan.

Part of the judgment on King Saul was the fact that he had to witness the death of his sons before he met his own death.

God will take away many of the righteous before the evil that is to come, as I believe He is doing now with so many good Christians going on home to be with the Lord.

This means that those who are the strongest will witness more of the evilness that will come before the Rapture of the Church.

Isa 57:1  The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. 

King Saul knew his own end was very near, and he chose to take his own life rather than allow the Philistines to abuse him before his death.

This thing also teaches us just how wicked the Philistines were as are many of the Palestinians today.

It is hatred that drives them today, just as it did in the early days of Israel.

*****1Sa 31:3  And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers. 

1Sa 31:4  Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it. 

1Sa 31:5  And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him. 

1Sa 31:6  So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

As the Philistines turned their attention to King Saul, he was struck with an arrow which may have been enough to cause his death, but not a quick death.

Saul became afraid that he would still be alive when the Philistines caught up with him.

This also shows us that there is no amount of armor that will protect us from the judgment of God.

Saul's life had been a tragedy since he had forsaken the Lord and his death came just as Samuel had told him.

Saul's last enemy was the enemy that we should all fear the most, our own wicked selves.

Saul was his own worst enemy and it led to his suicide!

There is no punishment for suicide and it is said by many to be a coward's way out of this world.

Today suicide is considered to be a symptom of some form of insanity, but this is not very true.

It is more a sign of hopelessness!

This places a lot of blame on our government and its policies and a lack of truth and it's corruption.

Suicide comes to those who have lost all hope or are in desperation.

Suicide is actually the murder of your own self!

I am not sure that it is insanity at all, but is more of a picture of those who have no hope in the things of this world.

Suicides are one of the leading causes of death in the America we love.

In 2021, 48,183 Americans died by suicide.

Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S.

Every day, approximately 132 Americans die by suicide.

There is one suicide death in the US every 10.9 minutes.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15 to 24-year-old Americans.

The highest suicide rates (per 100,000) in the US are among white males (26.4), followed by American Indian/Alaska Native males (25), and Black males (14.1).

**There is one suicide death for every estimated twenty-five suicide attempts.

There are approximately 1,204,575 annual attempts in the U.S. (using 25:1 ratio) or one attempt every 26.2 seconds.

This event brought a sad ending to the first King of Israel.

We should not have pity on King Saul because these things were his own doing and because he was disobedient to Jehovah.

The judgment of God will come on all those who are disobedient to the Word of God and this is what God says not me.

This was the sad end to Saul's Kingdom.

Saul had not reigned very long before he began to separate himself from the people he was supposed to care for.

This is what the government is most guilty of, they separate themselves from the people they were elected to care for!

Government begins to tell us they know more about how to take care of us than we do ourselves, especially our children.

It is a fact that every unruly government has tried this tactic throughout the ages. 

They start by brainwashing the children and just allowing the old folks to die off.

Saul was soon separated from Samuel who was God's representative.

He was soon separated from David who tried his best to help Saul and to do only God's will.

Saul executed God's priests.

We see that Church persecution is always higher when governments go against the Word of God!

We should ask, what are they afraid of? They are afraid of things they say they do not believe in!

Saul asked in vain for God's help, but that help did not come because he would not repent.

Without repentance there is no forgiveness!

The homosexual world should understand this!

The transsexual world should understand this.

All sinners should understand this and we are all sinners!

Saul called in vain for Samuel's help through witchcraft when it was impossible to talk to Samuel.

Saul died an early death because he had forsaken the Lord!

It appeared that Saul had taken the sword of his armor bearer or some sword other than his own and used it to kill himself, so it would not look like a suicide.

He was still trying to protect his legacy.

The armor bearer then thought if he escaped his own death, he would be accused of killing King Saul and therefore took his own life.

This is the "circle of deception" when we try to live in this manner!

Saul and most of his house died together because Saul was what the Bible calls a reprobate.

We are ruled in America today by a bunch of reprobates!

Saul was rejected because of his worthlessness to the plan of God.

The Lord expects us to take a look at ourselves to see if we are reprobates!

2Co 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 

Saul was a man in a hurry to cause his own doom!

This is the trait of most all those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ.

They are all in a hurry to get to Hell when the Lord Jesus provides a perfect path to avoid Hell!

God has given these over to believe a lie and God will not force anyone to obey Him.

To forsake God is to be lost! God will forsake all those who forsake Him!

God offered Saul room to repent, but Saul had rejected all the Word of God and refused to repent.

Once we are rejected of God, there is no more opportunity to obtain salvation!

*****2Sa 1:23  Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. 

2Sa 1:24  Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel. 

2Sa 1:25  How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places. 

2Sa 1:26  I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. 

2Sa 1:27  How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished! 

David had just returned to Ziklag with all his family and all that was stolen by the Amalekites.

On his third day back to the place he was living, another Amalekite showed up with news of the battle between the Philistines and Israel.

Saul and Jonathan and much of Israel were now dead.

This man said he was from the camp of King Saul which was the first clue that the things he said were not true.

After Samuel had pointed out the sins of Saul in his battle with the Amalekites, it would be hard to believe that Saul had an Amalekite in his camp unless he was a prisoner and the Lord had said to not make them prisoners but to execute them for their atrocities against other humans.

David knew these things so he had asked how he knew Saul and Jonathan were dead.

He said that Saul had attempted to kill himself with a spear and faced a long slow death and King Saul had asked this Amalekite to finish the job for him and he did, and brought some of Saul's personal items and gave them to David.

We already know that Saul had fallen on the sword of his armor barer or some other sword and had succeeded in his death.

His armor barer seeing the death of his king then took his own life.

David then killed this Amalekite knowing his version of the story was filled with lies or he would have tried to save King Saul.

David and his men grieved over the news from the battlefield.

David the musician authored a poem (the word "elegy" means poem) for Saul and Jonathan which is part of our lesson today.

God expects us to have a personal relationship with Him and He also expects us to be friendly with those we love and those who are our enemies.

There are some people we get especially close to and are influenced by them.

This love and respect are different from the love of a spouse and a spouse should always have our heart second only to the Lord our Savior and then our children!

I can tell you from experience that many a soldier can get this close to those around him, and it is not some immoral thing but comrades in arms dependent upon one another for survival.

Saul and Jonathan may have disagreed on many things, especially about David, but Jonathan remained dedicated to Israel and to his father.

Jonathan remained close to Jehovah even though his father had forsaken Jehovah.

What Jonathan had not been was a friend to his father. He had become David's faithful friend and had remained that way.

This is the theme of these words of David.

David reveals his heart to us by showing his grief for Saul and Jonathan.

David had lived like a fugitive, but he still had respect for those who were anointed of God.

His wives and his family had to suffer through the same hardships as he did.

Saul had hunted David down for seven years and David had every reason to rejoice at the death of Saul, yet it brought sorrow and grief.

We do not read in any of the Scripture where David showed disrespect or dishonored God's anointed ruler in any way.

Our lesson is, when a leader commits corruption and wickedness, or makes the wrong decisions, he is to be corrected.

We are not to condone such a ruler!

We are still to honor that position of leadership!

God used Saul to keep the Philistines from causing harm to God's people and he had done a fair job and would have done a much better job had remained close to Jehovah.

When we read of the love of Johnathan for David, we should be reminded of the love of our Lord Jesus that He has for each of His children.

This is not some feeble love!

This is not some immoral love! The soul of our Lord Jesus is so closely knit in us that nothing can

separate us from the love of Jesus Christ!

The Lord Jesus shows an unselfish love for each believer!

Jonathan could not expect to gain some advantage from his friendship and neither does our Lord.

Johnathan said to David: 1Sa 20:4  Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee. 

Is this not what the Lord Jesus has said to each of us?

Our Lord says, you have not because you ask not because we ask for the wrong reasons. (not the exact words)

The Lord Jesus took off His royalty and took upon Himself the ways of a shepherd, just so He could save us even when we were His enemies at that time.

It is we who are enriched by the love of Christ!

We keep forgetting that love is an action word and not about lust.

The Lord Jesus proved His love for us by His actions on Mount Calvary!

It was not nails and rope that kept the Lord Jesus upon that cross, it was His great love for us!

Where are our actions for Him? Where is our great love for the Lord Jesus?

Why did King Saul die?

*****1Ch 10:13  So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it; 

1Ch 10:14  And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse. 

Saul died because of his disobedience.

Saul died because he did not keep the Word of God.

Saul died because he went to someone described as having a familiar spirit and did not trust the Word of God for the answers he needed.

Samuel was dead and Saul could not call upon the old prophet for God's word. It was impossible!

Familiar spirits are sorcerers or necromancers who say they can call up the dead to answer questions. They can only call up an evil spirit who can impersonate a believer. They cannot call up God's children. There is a great unpassable gulf between Heaven and Hell and between Hell and Paradise at that time.

Deu 18:11  Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

Isa 8:19  And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?

Lev 20:6  And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people. 

Lev 20:7  Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God. 

Lev 20:8  And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you. 

We already know that all those that died in the Old Testament went to a place called Paradise or that place called Hell both of them in the same general location at this time and no one could pass from one side or the other.

Luk 16:26  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 

The Lord Jesus Christ took all the saints in Paradise on to Heaven when He returned to Heaven and Hell expanded itself.

Luk_23:43  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Eph 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 

Eph 4:9  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 

Eph 4:10  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 

Rev 1:18  I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Mat 27:51  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 

Mat 27:52  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 

Mat 27:53  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

These are the ones the Lord took with Him on to Heaven.

Isa 5:14  Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

Now Hell is large enough to keep all those who have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ and Hell continues to grow because there is no end to sin in the Church Age.

The Lord will return to get all the saints that have died and those who are still alive at the end of the Church Age. This is called the Rapture of the Church not the progressive Church because there is no such thing.

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 

1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

Amen. 

How Not To Choose A National Leader

 Saul Is Chosen As King

Book of 1 Samuel Chapters 9 through 11

Those of us that love the Word of God, love it because we know that it is the truth.

We also know of the great comfort we can get from many of the great passages and the Book of Psalms.

We also get the great history of the creation of this universe.

Another thing we should take great notice in is the warnings that written in God's Word.

God will teach us the costs for going against the Word of God.

Some of those costs are truly severe!

We are placed upon that path of decision and the choices we make in this life will reflect on the way we live here and the glory of Heaven.

Our greatest decision is to decide to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and follow Him as close as we can!

When it comes time to choose a new leader, we must try to avoid choosing an ungodly leader.

An ungodly people will choose an ungodly leader.

Ungodly leaders will lead the people to do more ungodliness!

Any politician who goes against the Word of God is an ungodly leader!

Most politicians make terrible leaders because they have had to compromise all their days to rise in politics.

The most important quality of a good leader is, "does he or she show full obedience to the Word of God".

This is the most important thing in choosing those who will lead the Church.

This is the most important characteristic we should see in choosing national leaders.

This was the intent of our forefathers.

There is a big mistake when certain people say our Constitution guarantees the right of freedom of religion, when our forefathers gave us the right and the freedom to serve the Lord Jesus Christ not all religions.

This is why the settlers came to America for the freedom to be Christians.

Israel had determined that they needed a king.

Not just any king but a king like the kings of those people that had possessed the land promised to them.

They forgot God gave them the Promised Land because of the sin of those people was so great.

We could title this lesson "How Not To Choose A King".

*****1Sa 9:1  Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. 

Kish was a wealthy and powerful man from the tribe of Benjamin. We do not know anything else much of this man and this is not a good trait in choosing a king.

Good leaders do not necessarily come from rich families.

In fact this is seldom ever true.

No doubt this man Kish had his way with the people around his home.

The only other thing we read of him is that he sent his son Saul in search of some donkeys that had strayed from his land.

*****1Sa 9:2  And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people. 

All we know about Saul is that he had a noble appearance and a gigantic stature for an Israelite.

He was well suited to impress the average Jew.

We see that physical qualifications, strength, and looks were the most favorable qualities in choosing leaders of that time period.

No one in Israel in that day had similar qualifications that could be seen.

A tall stature was of much value for a king in ancient times.

We should notice that nothing is said of the quality of Saul's mind.

God does not choose His leaders this way and neither should we!

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. 

As parents we love to see our children as having exciting potential in this world when we should look upon them as having an exciting potential in the service of God.

Those that have an exciting potential to serve God may also be great leaders.

It seems that Saul was a humble man also being tall and some would say handsome.

He also seemed to be trustworthy when dealing with the possessions of his father who appeared to be a leader in the tribe of Benjamin.

What do we know?

We know that appearances can be very deceiving!

Appearances can lead to destruction.

Character and integrity are much better qualifications!

God's Word is noticeably clear on this subject.

We must not judge by appearance.

Joh 7:24  Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. 

As this passage continues, we will see how Jehovah used a bunch of lost donkeys to get Saul in touch with Samuel.

Those donkeys would return to their homeland unharmed but not by Saul.

*****1Sa 9:15  Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying, 

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. 

In all his travels Samuel had not known this man so God told Samuel so, Jehovah God introduced Samuel to Saul.

Notice the use of the word "captain" and not the word "king".

We must be able to hear that "still small voice" of the Holy Spirit.

Israel was surrounded by her enemies, but it was the Philistines they dreaded the most.

It was the Lord who chose Saul but remember Israel desired a king who was like the kings of those other nations.

Saul would be that type of king.

Now Jehovah  was not relinquishing His authority over these people.

Jehovah is still God of the universe, and He will always be!

There would always be a remnant of the Israelites who would remain close to the Lord, just as there is today.

Israel is still God's "treasured possession" and the Church is God's children.

What would be this king’s purpose? To deliver Israel out of the clutches of the Philistines.

Though we do not understand why, God so chooses all the leaders of all nations.

In some way they will serve the purpose that God has given to them, and the end result will be the Rapture of the Church, Armageddon, and Israel restored as lead nation of this world before this world sees its end.

**Rom 13:1  Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Each leader will serve a purpose that only Jehovah knows!

Then Samuel saw Saul for the first time.

*****1Sa 9:17  And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people. 

Jehovah had revealed His choice for the first king of Israel to Samuel.

The purpose of Saul was clearly stated; he was to deliver God's people Israel from their oppressive enemy the Philistines.

We read that since the death of Joshua and from the very beginning of the Book of Judges we read that the Israelites had been suffering terrible oppression from the surrounding nations.

This was true because God had told them to eradicate these wicked nations from the Promised Land and they had chosen to compromise and in some cases because of fear.

They had cried out to the Lord and God had prepared for their deliverance.

Part of that preparation was to make Saul King of Israel.

As we have already stated it is God who chooses the rulers and leaders of this world we live in and God has a purpose for each and every one of them!

What we see is in many cases these leaders violate the privilege God has given to them and they will face the Judgement of God and it will be severe.

Dan 2:21  And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: 

Dan 2:22  He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

As God's chosen to be first King of Israel, Saul needed to understand he was to rule according to the Word of God and that it was Jehovah who had called him and God had His reasons. To teach Israel a valuable lesson!

*****1Sa 9:27  And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God. 

1Sa 10:1  Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance? 

Again we see that word "captain" and not king.

When we see that word "anointed" we should be looking for "types of Christ".

It was pointed out to Saul that the children of Israel belong to Jehovah God and as God's children he was to be careful how he ruled over them.

He was to rule according to the Word of God.

These things would be the same for the Messiah when He would come to redeem God's people.

No doubt Israel was a peculiar people!

A leader that does not know the Law of God and His anointed Messiah is not fit to rule any people!

Saul could accept the words of Samuel, God's prophet, or he could reject them but the Word of God is always true!

Saul would be given another heart which is a new nature.

1Sa 10:9  And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day. 

Saul was baptized with the Holy Spirit.

1Sa 10:10  And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

Having just witnessed the coronation of the new King of England we see this coronation of Saul to be King of Israel is still observed by the English people in Great Britain.

Then Samuel called all of Israel to Mizpeh.

*****1Sa 10:17  And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh; 

1Sa 10:18  And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you: 

1Sa 10:19  And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands.

Samuel called all those together who had requested a king.

Saul was anointed to be the new leader of God's inheritance.

God's inheritance refers to the people of God and the Promised Land!

Here we see another type of Christ.

What did we learn from chapter nine?

We learn the will of God for all His children.

1) There must be a transformed life. We must be "Born Again"!

2) We are to conquer the trials and temptations, and the problems and difficulties of this life, if we are to victorious Christians over sin and wickedness.

God gives us the power over our enemies and those who try to defeat and destroy us. God gives us the power over death and Hell. 

We must be converted to have this power.

Samuel intended to install Saul as King of Israel as quickly as he could.

Samuel assured Saul that he was God's chosen man to lead Israel.

Samuel also informed Israel that they had rejected the rule of the Lord and Saul would be their earthly ruler.

To ensure the people Samuel began to choose the new king by lot.

*****1Sa 10:20  And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken. 

1Sa 10:21  When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found. 

The process of choosing by "lot" is much greater than these few instances that are recorded but these things written by the Holy Spirit give us a condensed version of what actually happened.

Matri was the head of the family of Kish.

Kish was the head of the family of Saul.

If we remember the story of David and Jonathan we will realize that the family of Saul would have ended if not for the Grace of God saving one son named Mephibosheth.

Samuel knew that Saul would be chosen, yet he still went through the motions of selecting Israel's first king by lot.

If Samuel had done this any other way, then Saul could have been rejected.

Saul, seeing that this thing was happening, hid himself.

Saul showed genuine modesty to be selected for such an honor.

It is the Lord who told Samuel where Saul was hiding.

*****1Sa 10:22  Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff. 

1Sa 10:23  And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. 

1Sa 10:24  And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king. 

It is probable that the word "stuff" means that like an army, Israel would have come together being afraid that the Philistines would take advantage of such a gathering.

That stuff would be the things they would use to defend themselves.

As Saul stood beside Samuel it could easily be seen that Saul was a big man. More than a head taller than any other Jew.

Jews tend to be short people, but Saul would have been taller than the average man of most any nation.

We can believe that at this time Saul felt inadequate and unqualified to be the King of Israel.

In typology, Saul is a notable example of those who flee from God's call.

When God's call comes, He has already qualified you to fulfill the purpose He has for you!

His purpose means we are qualified only if we serve with His help!

Many refuse to surrender to the call of God for many varied reasons but being unqualified should not be a reason for none of us are qualified, we must serve in God's power!

We should be more like the Apostle Paul when we hear God calling us.

Php 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 

Php 3:15  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

To reject the call of God is not an option that we should take!

It is after these things are settled that Samuel told the people the manner of the new kingdom.

*****1Sa 10:25  Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. 

We should consider this book Samuel gave to the people as a charter defining the position of a king in relation to Jehovah and to the people.

We know that God allows to make our own decisions, but God always warns us of the outcome of those decisions.

This book is probably similar to the things that Moses had written because God never changes.

Deu 17:14  When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; 

Deu 17:15  Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. 

Deu 17:16  But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. 

Deu 17:17  Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. 

Deu 17:18  And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: 

Deu 17:19  And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: 

Deu 17:20  That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel. 

Then Samuel sent everyone home to think about all that happened that day, but Saul was now King of Israel.

*****1Sa 10:26  And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched. 

1Sa 10:27  But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace. 

There are always those who try to make things work because they trust the Word of God.

There are also those children of the devil who immediately want to start trouble.

The word Belial still means "worthless fellows".

They refused to pay homage to their new king but despised him.

A great trait of any leader is that they do not yield to human weaknesses.

By the way, this is a great trait for every Christian.

Our greatest enemy to being a Christian is our own selves most of the time.

Who is our example again?

It is not Saul!

It is the Lord Jesus Christ!

Mat 26:61  And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. 

Mat 26:62  And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 

Mat 26:63  But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 

Mat 26:64  Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 

We cannot allow this world to entice us into sin.

It is the Lord who will take revenge on all those who cause harm to the Church.

Amen

A Chosen Sovereign

A Chosen Sovereign David's Reign

1 Samuel 31-2 Samuel 4

1 Chronicles 10

When we last left David, he was being hunted down by King Saul. Saul wanted David dead!

The Philistines had been pushed back into the land that they claimed and were not a threat again until Saul allowed them to regain their strength, while he concentrated all his resources in search of David. Nothing else mattered to King Saul.

If we are to remain free in America we cannot focus on things that lack in importance. We must keep a keen eye on all our enemies while remembering that our number one enemy is Satan and we need to keep our focus on Jesus to keep Satan away.

When Saul could have been making Israel a better place and doing more for the people of Israel, he wasted 10 years trying to destroy David.

We also see this happening in America today when our own politicians are more concern with the destruction of each party rather than for the good of the people and our nation.

Saul was not paying attention to Israel's enemies!

AND, America is not paying close attention to her enemies!

*****1Sa 31:1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

1Sa 31:2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.

Not since Samuel was a child in the hands of Eli and the Ark stolen, had Israel had to flee as they did this day from the Philistines.

Mount Gilboa is a mount that over looks the Valley of Jezreel south of Jerusalem. This mount is remembered in the Bible as the place where Saul and his sons were killed by the Philistines.

Saul's son Jonathan we have read about but Saul had at least three other sons with the two daughters we have already met.

One named Abinadab, also called Ishui, and the other Malchishua who we meet only at their death in this battle with the Philistines.

There was one other son, Ishbosheth, and it is not said why he was not in this battle and we will probably meet him later because Abner made him king after his father's death.

*****1Sa 31:3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.

I was a Staff Sargent and a Platoon leader when I was in Vietnam but when we were on patrol every soldier dressed alike. We did not wear insignia and among other things I did not stay close to the ones that handled the radios and sometimes we would all make our selves look like we had radios with our camouflage. We did not want the enemy to tell who was in charge. We did not want a sniper to jeopardize the entire mission.

In fact I walked on point most every where we went for many reasons.

BUT, Saul wore the armor of a king which made him an easy target and there are always those, such as snipers, whose only job to is to try to take out the leaders of an army and they had found Saul and his sons who also wore the armor of royalty or of Generals.

Being "sore wounded" meant that Saul may not have survived those wounds even if he had won the battle.

*****1Sa 31:4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

In those days, a king that was captured in battle was not shown any respect if captured alive.

If we can remember Samson we can see that these Philistines were such a people to do such things.

If we remember Nebuchadnezzar also showed no respect for a King of Israel

It is a fact that even their dead bodies were not shown any respect.

When Saul saw that all his sons had died in battle and he could not defend himself, he chose to die with them.

Jewish tradition says that this armor bearer was Doeg but the Bible does not say who this man was.

It is God who is in charge of all our deaths!

Heb 9:27 And as it is "appointed" unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Appointed means that the time of our death is written down on God's calendar!

It seems Saul did not use his own sword but used a sword nearby, maybe even the sword of Doeg, so it seems he did not want anyone to think he had a weakness even in his death.

Saul wanted to leave an impression that he died in battle!

But even this move had not killed him because his death came by an Amalekite who was scavenging dead bodies to rob them.

*****1Sa 31:5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.

We should consider that Jewish tradition says this armor bearer was Doeg

Even Josephus, a Jewish historian says this was Doeg, who had been promoted from head sheepherder to armor bearer and that Saul actually used the sword of Doeg to kill himself.

If this is true and many believe it is, then this would also have been the same sword that had killed 85 of God's priests.

It would seem to be justice served of God!

The Bible does not say these things are true and we cannot know these things to be true.

*****1Sa 31:6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

There are those that point out a conflict in the Bible using this verse and one from the next chapter but we know that there no conflicts in God's Word and we must always realize that our English language does not always have the proper words to use while translating the Hebrew language.

The Bible says:

2Sa 1:5 And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead?

2Sa 1:6 And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.

2Sa 1:7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I.

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.

We know that when the Philistines found Saul and stripped him of his armor, his crown and bracelet was not mentioned because they had already been stolen.

This Amalekite was scavenging the dead bodies of the soldiers of Israel to take what he could find of value.

It is more than likely that Saul continued to live for a while in a failed attempt of suicide and this man had actually finished killing Saul.

Again we should remember that Saul had been told of God to kill "all" the Amalekites and he had failed to do this again we can see that justice of God was served.

God said these things:

1Ch 10:13 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;

1Ch 10:14 And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.

And this next verse in the Book of Hosea is a reminder to all national leaders especially Israel:

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

David could not condone what this Amalekite had done because David himself had had this same opportunity several times and would not kill Saul.

David also knew that if Saul had obeyed the Word of God then this Amalekite could not have killed King Saul.

After all Saul was still in the hands of God and not mankind!

So we read what David had to do:

2Sa 1:15 And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.

2Sa 1:16 And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed.

Again, One of reasons Saul was condemned was because he had not destroyed the Amalekites, So David could not allow this thief and lier to live!

*****2Sa 1:11 Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:

When we would think that David would have been relieved at the death of Saul, we see in David the opposite is true.

The Lord had not allowed David to assist in the destruction of Israel.

In fact the Lord had sent David after some of the Amalekites that Saul had failed to destroy.

It had taken three days for the news of Israel defeat to reach David at Ziklag which was 80 miles from the battlefield of Israel.

That Amalekite was not expecting to see this sudden remorse of David and had really expected a reward BUT all he got was death himself.

David had never seen Saul as his enemy but only as the God appointed King of Israel!

If God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked then we should also be like Him!

The Bible teaches us in the Book of Ezekiel:

Eze 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

God ask every lost sinner this same question: Why Do You Choose To Die?

*****2Sa 1:12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.

There was this inward show of grief and this outward show of tears because Israel had lost the battle.

Israel had lost their king.

David had lost his closest friend.

It was time to mourn for these things happening to Israel because they had fallen by the sword.

Those that can have joy and not remorse at a time when our own nation is suffering are not true patriots.

We must pray for our nation and it's leaders because they are still God's appointed!

And then David then wrote a new song.

*****2Sa 1:25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.

2Sa 1:26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.

2Sa 1:27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!

Just as in this day in Israel, many soldiers die in battle and we need to mourn for them.

Since the Revolutionary War, 1,190,085 soldiers, are recorded as died defending our nation.

Since the Revolutionary War, 1,430,290 soldiers, are recorded as wounded defending our nation.

The death or the wounding of every American soldier deserve our respect.

These are the mighty men of America, not the politicians, not the movie stars and not the sports stars.

BUT, even mightier that these are all those that serve in the army of God!

David knew many of these men and David knew these officers and Generals of Saul's army.

As a soldier I can still relate to those that are on the battlefield but I can also relate to those that die as mighty men and heroes of our nation.

We could not be America if these men had not shed their blood!

That hill top Jonathan had chosen to defend had brought his death.

He was David's brother in law and as a brother to David but most of all he was a friend to David, much more than a brother.

Jonathan was not a soldier nor these others that had died on foreign soils but they had died defending their own nation on their own soil.

Hopefully our soldiers will never have to die on our own soil!

We cannot allow our nation be get so weak that our sons and daughters die defending our nation at home but it seems our government chooses this way today!

David would miss all the pleasant conversations he would have with his closest friend.

They had agreed on more things than they had disagreed on.

It was Israel that had bound these two together!

That love they had could be compared to that of a husband and wife, not a sexual thing, but an absolute caring love and respect for each other.

Those weapons of war were not just the armament that they carried.

The true weapons of war that each nation has is in the men and women who carry and use those weapons.

It is these living weapons that were truly lost at this time to Israel.

*****2Sa 2:1 And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.

David knew that Israel was in a turmoil so he did what he should have done, he enquired of the Lord!

David had the only organized army left in all of Israel so God told David to go to Hebron.

Hebron is centrally located in the land assigned to Judah about 20 miles south of Jerusalem.

Hebron was on a mountain and could be defended from an attack.

Hebron was also the city of refuge given to Caleb a mighty man in the time of Joshua.

If David was to defend Israel from her enemies, it would have to begin with the land assigned to his own tribe of Judah.

So, David prepared to defend Israel from the Philistines and all other enemies of Israel!

*****2Sa 2:2 So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal's wife the Carmelite.

2Sa 2:3 And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

David was in fact Israel's lawful king but at this time it was a time that David's own soldiers and all their families could reunite.

Most of the elders of Judah and all those that knew how David had acted wisely, would also be at Hebron.

*****2Sa 2:4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.

David was now 30 years old and had gained the respect of these elders who had witnessed him all the time of King Saul.

This was the second time that David was anointed to be King of Israel.

The Bible tells us 3 times that David was anointed to be King.

Samuel had anointed David:

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.

A second time in our verse and there will be a third time:

2Sa 5:3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel.

It was this day that David learned the fate of the bodies of Saul and his sons.

The Bible teaches us:

1Sa 31:11 And when the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;

1Sa 31:12 All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.

1Sa 31:13 And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

And David immediately thanked these men for what they had done:

2Sa 2:5 And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.

But Abner the general of Saul's army had other plans at this time and King Saul did have one son still alive.

Remember Abner was not only Saul's General, he was also Saul's uncle and adviser!

2Sa 2:8 But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

2Sa 2:9 And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

These things caused much turmoil to the nation of Israel and God would not allow this to stand!

God had already anointed the next king of Israel!

*****2Sa 3:1 Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

This long civil war in Israel lasted 7 and one half years.

David waited patiently in Hebron while God removed all the obstacles and paved the way for David to unite Israel again under one king.

What should this remind us of?

Mar 12:36 For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

David wrote these words in one of his songs and the Apostle Paul added:

Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

Heb 10:13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

We have seen David as a "type" of a Holy Ghost filled sinner, doing good when he followed the Word of God, and doing badly when he did things his own way.

But at this time we can see him as a "type" of Christ.

We will end our lessons on David at this time and next week move into the Book of Mark.

So, Let's revue some things about David:

David was the youngest of 8 sons in an ordinary family that came from the city of Bethlehem.

David had a sincere love for God and a profound trust in Him.

He had displayed this trust in God by slaying a bear and a lion in defense of his father's sheep.

It was God that chose David to replace King Saul.

God knew that Davids heart was firmly planted and anchored in the Lord.

Only Samuel knew what God told him to do with David.

This is where we stand or fall with God!

Because just as Samuel, we are to know and believe what the Word of God tells us!

David's promotion was not announced in the daily paper.

David's promotion was not displayed on the city streets.

None of David's neighbors were told that David was anointed to be their new king.

But what did happened was that the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and then, only then, did an evil spirit trouble Saul.

This was something Saul caused and not God!

David was brought in before King Saul because he made beautiful music but even then Saul would have killed David if he had known what Samuel had done and once he sensed it Saul spent the rest of his life trying to kill David.

David had removed one giant that hindered Israel.

But God removed the other thing that hindered Israel.

David in all his ways behaved himself wisely in his time with Saul.

In all these things we should be able to see a "type" of Our Lord Jesus Christ!

Both were born in Bethlehem.

Both were shepherds of their father's flock.

Both were obedient sons and humble in their ways.

Both were misunderstood by their brothers.

Both were mistreated by governmental officials.

Both fled from a king that was trying to kill them. (Herod)

Both of them had many enemies and suffered of them,

Both were men after God's own heart.

Both were anointed to be king long before they reigned. (The Lord will soon be King Of Kings on this Earth)

Both were prophets.

Both wept over Jerusalem.

And Both had the promise of a house from the Father.

David promised to build the Temple, a house for God.

But Jesus promised to prepare a house for those that are the Temple of God!

The Bible says:

Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

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!