Week 14

Week 14 is nearly finished, and I'm not having to rush to post this week, although it is again the last day.

Is everyone still reading? Is anyone up to date?


Topic of interest:

* Interesting similarities:
God's chosen was favored by God and man.
1 Samuel 2:26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with men.
Luke 2:52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

God's chosen was rejected for another.
1 Samuel 8:5 - They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have."
John 18:39b-40a - Do you want me to release 'the king of the Jews'?" They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!"



Point to consider:

This week, I've chosen to do a very brief, very basic character study of two of the men prominent in our passages this week.

Saul.

We are first introduced to Saul as a young man out searching for lost donkeys that belonged to his father. We might conclude that he was a considerate man from his statement about his father not worrying about the donkeys any longer and begin to worry about his safety. It isn't long after this that Samuel informs him that God has chosen Saul to be Israel's king.

Saul was a humble man.

Saul answered, "But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?" (1 Samuel 9:21)

Proven by Samuel's words and by his prophecies of signs fulfilled that very day regarding Saul, Saul is then uncertain of himself.

When Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri's clan was chosen. Finally Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. So they inquired further of the LORD , "Has the man come here yet?" And the LORD said, "Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage." (1 Samuel 10:20-22)

As Saul, newly proclaimed king, is returning from plowing behind his oxen, he receives news that the Ammonites have attacked an Israelite town. We see at this time, he accepts his position while acknowledging God's authority and direction by pairing himself with God's prophet.

Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul mightily when he heard these words, and he became very angry. He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, "Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen." Then the dread of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out as one man. (1 Samuel 11:6-7)

At some point Saul began to rely on himself and his position even to the point of assuming the role of priest and prophet.

Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, "Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings." And he offered the burnt offering. (1 Samuel 13:8-9)

For this transgression, Samuel informs Saul that he will not hold the throne of the kingdom, and that God has selected another man already to replace him.

Even this did not have the effect on Saul as it should have. He became prideful. Worse yet, God had judged the evil ways of the Amalekites and had established Saul and the Israelites to execute His righteous judgment. Saul, however, did not obey the command of God to utterly destroy the Amalekites once and for all. (See my post for Week 10 for a brief statement regarding this command and the ill effects of Saul's partial obedience)

This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'" Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, "Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal." When Samuel reached him, Saul said, "The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD's instructions." But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?" (1 Samuel 15:2-3, 12-14)

Samuel summed up the matter.

Samuel said, "Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. And he sent you on a mission, saying, 'Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.' Why did you not obey the LORD ? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD ?" But Samuel said to him, "I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the LORD , and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel!" (1 Samuel 15:17-19, 26)


Discussion suggestion: Samuel said that God rejected Saul as king over Israel. Even though Saul quickly descended into jealously and murderous intent against David, David still identified Saul as God's anointed man. Does this mean that God rejected Saul as king but not as an individual? Does God withdraw his anointing?



David.

Before we are introduced to David, he is described as being a man after God's own heart. We are first introduced to David, the youngest of Jesse's eight sons, as a youth brought in from shepherding. We next learn that he has already established a name or reputation for himself, even at this early age, as a handsome, well-spoken, brave man of war. This is apparently even before his famous defeat of the giant, Goliath, as we are told that David went back and forth between serving Saul and tending his father's flocks.

Saul responded when the Ammonites attacked Jabesh Gilead when the Spirit of God came over him. Now we see him standing before the Philistines with a paltry Israelite army as Goliath taunts them daily and defies the Lord.

David responded, and not in his own strength. His reliance was totally aligned with God.

This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. (1 Samuel 17:46)

After this Saul schemed for David's death, and when those failed, he sought to kill David himself. David fled from Saul many times, living hidden in the wilderness, and obeyed God in defending Israelite towns from attack.

When David was hidden in a cave, and Saul entered alone to relieve himself, David's men urged him to kill Saul then. David was chosen by God to be king, had the promise of a kingdom, and had even been anointed by Samuel. Removing Saul would have hurried his position to the throne.

Abraham had the promise of an heir in his old age. When it didn't happen when Abraham thought it should, and an opportunity presented itself, he took matters into his own hands. The result was Ishmael was born and his descendents were enemies of Israel.

Jacob had the promise of blessing and position over his older brother Esau (also called Edom). When it didn't happen when Jacob (and his mother Rebekah) thought it should, and an opportunity presented itself, he took matters into his own hands. The result was hatred arose in Esau for Jacob (also called Israel) and his descendents were enemies of Israel.

Saul had the promise of being king of Israel. When preparing to war against the Philistines, he was to wait for Samuel to arrive and make sacrifices and offerings to God for His blessing and instruction. When it didn't happen when Saul thought it should, he took matters into his own hands. He unlawfully performed the sacrifices, and the result was that God would not establish his kingdom forever, but give it to another man.

David had the promise of being king of Israel although Saul was still king. When David an opportunity arose and he found himself in a cave where Saul entered unprotected, he refrained from taking matters into his own hands. David refused raising a hand against one God had placed in position and annointed. He knew the promise was his and would wait for God to deliver in His own time.


Ourselves.

Saul was chosen, established, and blessed. However, along the way, he changed from being humble to being prideful. He lost his focus on ruling over God's people by God's laws, and focused his attention on himself. He became puffed up with pride from the blessing he received, and jealous of having it taken away to the point of savage anger and murderous intent against his own son.

David was not perfect, as we will see in coming chapters, but he did have a heart for God and His ways. He bravely faced the 9-foot-plus giant, Goliath, relying only on God's power so that God alone would receive the glory among the nations. He kept himself in alignment with God, and heeded God's word.

We are presented with two different characters in these two men that reflect how we may relate to God: one negative, one positive. How many times do we jump the gun in God's plans rather than waiting for His timing? How many times to we lose our focus on Him to focus on our own position and power.

My prayer is that I keep my eyes on Him, work according to His plan and not my own, and to bring Him glory and not myself.