David and Goliath

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

1 Samuel 17:28-30

28 Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”
29 And David said, “What have I done now? Was it not but a word?”
30 And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke in the same way, and the people answered him again as before.

No matter how you cut it, Eliab is a piece of work in this passage. He fully exposes himself in front of the army, and before his brothers face, his attitude of superiority over David, his condescending tone, his judgement of intent. Eliab does not look good in this passage.

First off, He rejects David’s attendance. Why have you come down? Why are you here? Never mind that David was sent, Eliab assumes David came to stir the pot, to cause trouble, that David came of his own volition.

Secondly, Eliab tries to shame David, by speaking of “those few sheep in the wilderness” that he cared for. If it was but a few sheep, this speaks of David’s faithfulness, yet we do not know if there was any truth to this slur of Eliab’s. Was it a few sheep, or dozens of sheep. Not the issue to be honest, for Eliab was working the same warfare as Goliath at this point, a warfare that attacked and denigrated the opposition. But the difference here is that Eliab is family! At least in the physical sense. 

Finally, Eliab judges David’s intentions, his heart, the motivations that drove David to come to the battle field. Remember, David came at the behest of his father, to provide sustenance for his brothers. David came to the battlefield as a servant, but Eliab assigned evil intentions to his younger brother, while in the middle of frustrated soldiers that were being shamed. 

Truly, Eliab was rejected by God as the next king, based on character traits that may not have been obvious at the time. It seems these character traits are starting to become evident, and Eliab has no problem expressing his disfavor of his own brother in the midst of a gang of soldiers. Yes Eliab had his issues. And it seems his rejection by God was well warranted. He simply was not good leadership material. Gosh – he wasn’t even good brother material!

After David’s declaration of taking on the giant, and Eliab’s tongue lashing of David, the rumor mill cranked up in activity and the news reached the king. 

We have a soldier willing to take on the giant! Bring him to the King!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David and Goliath

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

1 Samuel 17:24-27

24 All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid.
25 And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel.”
26 And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
27 And the people answered him in the same way, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.”

I can imagine that at this point, in David’s mind, he had decided he was going to kill Goliath. It was a settled conviction for David, a decision he made when the giant defied the armies of the Living God. Note that the men amongst him (his brothers?) merely referred to the armies being defied, without any reference to the Living God. This is what separated David from the rank and file of the nations armies.

But David also had a strategy for this opportunity. Yes he would kill the barbarian, the uncircumcised giant. No debate on this outcome. He would face the giant and with God’s help defeat him. 

But the news of three benefits from the king were freely shared amongst the army. I am sure King Saul reminded the army of this opportunity, hoping someone would step forward. The men of Israel spread the news – the reward the king would offer was three fold, and it was a generous offer! 

• Great riches
• The kings daughter in marriage
• The family’s house free in Israel. – no taxes

So great were these rewards, that David needed some clarification, so he asked again what would be granted to the man who defeated this enemy. Can you imagine what this news would do for the young shepherd? First he is anointed king, and now he has the opportunity to gain riches (become a name in Israel), marry into royalty (which would become a hindrance eventually) and provided tax free living for his father. 

This opportunity to gain wealth, connections and status in the nation must have signaled to David that God was continuing to guide him into great things. 

Of course this is not completely parallel for the believer today, for we are not to be enticed by the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes or the pride of life. In no way am I suggesting David was fueled by these desires, but the rewards may position him to be on a trajectory to fulfill (at least in his mind) his future coronation into the Kingship of Israel.

No matter, for David’s mind and heart were set. We cannot see all the ruminations within this young mans mind, but one thing was certain. He was going to take care of this problem!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David and Goliath

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

1 Samuel 17:19-23

19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
20 And David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host was going out to the battle line, shouting the war cry.
21 And Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army.
22 And David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the ranks and went and greeted his brothers.
23 As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him.

David was a responsible young man, always ensuring those assignments to which he could not attend to, were taken care of. Note that prior to leaving for the front, he left the sheep with a keeper. As he entered the encampment area, he assigned a keeper to care for the provisions he brought for his brothers.

Note also, that David rose early, indicating a willing spirit, for he didn’t stay in bed, sleep in, act the sluggard, but rose early and performed his assigned tasks. This enthusiasm, it turns out was instrumental for David to arrive at the camp, just in time to hear Goliaths rant. To be with his brothers as they were subjected to psychological warfare.

The soldiers were being worn down, with this assembly of the ranks before the enemy required with a daily formation and approach, only to pull back, to take the mental hit and go back to the camp, licking their wounds.

This time a young man, a teenager, a future king, a shepherd, heard the rant from the enemy. At this point, everything changes! And Goliath might better start measuring his coffin, for he is a dead man!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David and Goliath

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

1 Samuel 17:17-18

17 And Jesse said to David his son, “Take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers.
18 Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well, and bring some token from them.”

Jesse sent his youngest son into a war zone. According to my calculations, Jesse still had five sons at home, of whom David is the youngest. 

Why send David?

Jesse sent the future king of Israel into a war zone. How long ago had it been that David was anointed to be King of Israel? 

Why send David?

Jesse sent the family shepherd into a war zone. Were the other four brothers busy working for the father?

Why send David?

Jesse sent David into a warzone to provide supplies for his brothers and superior, and to “spy” on the conditions of the army of Israel. ”Spy” may be too harsh a word for this errand but the result is the same. Jesse was curious about the conditions his sons were experiencing, and Jesse’s concern for his older boys brought David into an unsafe situation.

So why send David. Did not Jesse have a servant that was trustworthy, but somewhat expendable? It turns out in our next passage, we find that David, prior to leaving on this mission, found a keeper for his sheep. Jesse had servants!

Was Jesse revealing how he saw David, not as the future King, or as his youngest son, but just as another servant, one whom was already busy performing shepherding tasks for him and service to the king. Note that David had just been described as having returned from the king’s service in our previous passage.

In all of this conjecture, I find that David’s anointing made no difference to those about him. Nothing changed in the eyes of the family towards the youngest son of Jesse. The promise of God on David may have only created further friction within the family.

Forgetting motivations and family interactions within David’s family, it is always good to see the Lord Jesus pictured in the Old Testament. In this very passage, we see the Son being sent by the Father into a warzone for the sake of His own. We see the Son providing sustenance for those of His people. We will see that He was rejected by those he came to serve, and entered into a battle all alone, was mocked and ridiculed and faced certain death in front of the enemy. He entered battle without the conventional defensive and offensive battle gear, but that which was simple and effective.

This story of David and Goliath is truly amazing as a historical incident in the nation of Israel, a time that set the nation on a course of great success both politically and militarily. Only more so is this story worth considering if we see Jesus in the midst of it, and consider how these stories of a young shepherd boy pre-shadowed the true King of Israel.

His story is the greater story, for He is the Greater David.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David and Goliath

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

Let’s continue with the life of David, and his relations to two men who influenced his life greatly.

1 Samuel 17

12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years.
13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
14 David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul,
15 but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.
16 For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening.

Consider Jesse the Ephrathite. To be from Ephrath was to come from an historic location. Many who may be reading this may be surprised to find that Ephrath is the same place as Bethlehem. 

Let’s go back to the first verse of the first chapter of the first book of Samuel. You see, Samuel’s ancestor came out of Ephrath, and we know that a very famous King was to be born in Ephrathah.

Micah 5:2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

Jesse, the father of David, found his place in Israel in the little town of Bethlehem. An old man by the time David shows up on the scene, with numerous children prior to the future kings birth. An old man with a large family, in a small, seemingly insignificant town. With his nation on the brink of yet another war.

It turns out that there were at least 7 son’s of Jesse before David came on the scene. David, at the time of his anointing, was the eighth son of Jesse. As we mentioned earlier, David’s relationship within the family is not as clearly described as we might want it. If you haven’t been following my journey through David’s life, consider reading Life of David – 3.04 for some hints as to the family dynamics David lived within.

The first three sons followed King Saul to battle. These three soldiers had recently experienced the anointing of David to be the future King of Israel, yet they followed after King Saul into battle. A bit of conflict? Might this speak of the brother’s faith, or even of their jealousy? Of course this may have been more a factor of age than political difference, yet it makes me wonder of the relationship David had with his brothers.

I think as we venture a bit further into the story we will find that at least one of the brothers was undergoing a sampling of the green-eyed monster, a wee bit of jealousy. But I am getting ahead of myself.

Consider the heart of David in that when he was requested of King Saul, David did not forget his father. If there was some relational difficulties between David and the family, David’s actions did not reveal this. He could have justifiably stayed with King Saul, but he returned to his father, going back and forth between his father’s needs and the king’s needs. 

David went back and forth, from Jesse, a man that may have “ignored” his son at times, possibly favoring his first born, or the elder brothers, to King Saul, a man who could not ignore David, but instead became his lethal enemy.

David served them both.

May I remind you that another King lived as a servant, a King that humbled Himself beyond our imaginations. A Man who gave to His enemies, even as He suffered and died. The Greater David came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for all.

Thank Him for His loving kindness today, for His safeguarding of your life, for the blessing of knowing Him and His goodness. 

Praise the Lord.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David and Goliath

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

The passage before us is the set up for the famous chapter telling the story of a young shepherd taking out a giant of an enemy! Even the most unread Christian has heard of the story. It is very familiar to many, but as we venture through, I believe we will see some details and truths that will be a blessing and challenge for us to consider.

1 Samuel 17:8-11
8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.
9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.”
10 And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.”
11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

In our last post we spoke of the advantage Goliath had over the nation of Israel, of this dominant stature, his body armor and his multiple offensive weapons, even his assistant who provided additional defensive protection through carrying a shield. It is crazy how this man who had every advantage left nothing to chance! This fella is the proverbial bully, ganging up on his intended victim and having all the protection he can muster for his own security.

And as all bully’s do, he turned to verbal threats and taunts. 

At first, he simply began by asking the nation of Israel to send out a single person to fight against him. A man. One man that would fight Goliath, assuming the fight would again be on Goliaths term’s. Hand to hand battle, a fight to prove who was the greatest warrior between the two nations.

It was a simple proposition. Two armies don’t have to enter into a war of attrition. One man need only die to provide the decision of the war. One man to be offered on the battle field to save the entire army from much death. Of course this situation favored the one offering it, but that is beside the point!

One man to represent the nation, that would be sent to certain death for their sake. If Goliath won – and it was obvious he would – Israel, though in bondage to the Philistine’s would experience a form of peace. A period where they would serve the Philistines instead of die in battle. 

Tempting?

Surely the King of Israel was considering his options. That is until Goliath stepped in it. 

Yes Goliath defied the ranks of Israel. Note that in verse 10, Goliaths taunt was

 “I defy the ranks of Israel this day.”

Yet when David heard it, he heard something different. I am reaching ahead in our study a bit, but it speaks volumes to the perception David had, and what Goliath’s intentions were.

 vs 26 For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

David understood that to defy the “ranks of Israel” is to defy the “armies of the Living God.”

In David’s mind, to be an approach upon the people of God is to be an approach on the Living God.

Let me try to explain this in a New Testament example. A man was on the hunt for some New Testament believers, those who entered the kingdom of God by belief in the True King, and this man was pulled up short by the King. And what did the King ask him?

Acts 9:4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

Saul was hunting down Christians, those of the “ranks of Israel”, and Jesus equated this with attacking the Living God.

The connection between the Father and His people is indistinguishable in the Father’s mind, and as such we would do well to consider that as we interact with those who call on the name of the Lord. We are called to love our brother and sister, and to do no harm. No gossip, no lies, no hurt.

But I digress. 

Goliath was entering into dangerous territory when he defied the ranks of Israel, when one who was sensitive to the honor of God heard it, that is. He spoke his taunt for days prior to David’s appearance, but once David showed up, heard the taunt, understood the intent and decided to do something, the curtain began to close on ol’ Goliath.

But until then, all of Israel were dismayed and greatly afraid! Imagine the disbelief David’s faith faced as he entered the camp. A lone believer. A single, young teenager amongst his nation’s greatest warriors

How incredulous!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David and Goliath

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

The passage before us is the set up for the famous chapter telling the story of a young shepherd taking out a giant of an enemy! Even the most unread Christian has heard of the story. It is very familiar to many, but as we venture through, I believe we will see some details and truths that will be a blessing and challenge for us to consider.

In our last post on this upcoming victory of David over the giant, we considered the nation attacking them and the location of the battlefield. The Philistine army was encamped within the boundaries of Israel, choosing the location to their advantage, waiting for Israel to show up.

Until we get to the internal concerns of the Israeli armed forces, lets take a minute to consider the problem they were facing. 

Goliath. 

1 Samuel 17:4-7
4 And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
5 He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.
6 And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders.
7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him.

It turns out that Goliath, although the most famous of giants, was not the only giant to be roaming the area. There appeared to be multiple giants in the region, a descendant of Rapha. During David’s reign, many of the giants fell, and there may be a lesson in that for us. 

One victory spurs on additional victories. One bold move by a young shepherd emboldened other warriors to take on giants. I can hear the apostle Paul speaking of this same concept in Philippians

Philippians 1:14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

There is some debate as to whether Goliath was a Philistine, or hired as a mercenary to fight for them. 

His appearance, and his boasting brought about fear and trembling, working the very effect the Philistines were seeking to have. 

Consider that Goliath was over 9 feet tall. For the sake of getting a feel for the scale of this man’s height, I would refer you to Robert Wadlow. In the past, I have visited Ripley’s Museum and seen a statue of Robert Wadlow, the tallest man in recorded history. His height reached 8′ 11″. 

To be dwarfed by a giant like Wadlow had an impact on me, yet his bearing was that of a thin man, a man that was not of the warrior bearing as Goliath. To see Goliath, a warrior decked out in all the defensive armor as Goliath must have intimidated everyone. Surely this was Goliath’s greatest psychological power over his combatants.

And yet Goliath did not simply depend only on his natural stature, but also on his weapons of warfare, both offensive and defensive.

His defensive protection included a helmet of bronze to protect his head. As we know from the account of the battle, it didn’t help him against David’s stone. He also wore a bronze coat of mail, or body armor weighing over 120 pounds. His final protective equipment was that of armor on his legs. He was suited out for every conventional protection, taking no chances in any battle!

His offensive weapons included a javelin and a spear. It appears the javelin may also be understood to be the sword that David turned on Goliath, chopping his head off! The spear alone is described as massive, with a head equivalent to 16 pounds. 

On top of all of this protection, Goliath had an armor bearer, holding a shield before him. This guy was intimidating and protected. 

Goliath left nothing to chance! He was larger, stronger, more experienced, more confident, over protected and trained in wielding the sword and spear. For those who heard of his challenge, it must have seemed to be a suicide mission.

Everything was playing out for Goliaths goals. He knew he had the advantage, and everyone around him knew he had the advantage. He had every physical advantage, had the upper hand in psychological warfare, and came against a nation that wasn’t able to equal his challenge. 

It was a slam dunk for Goliath. Even if King Saul came out to battle, Goliath still had the advantage. Remember that of all the men of Israel, Saul was the tallest, and as the King, he should have led the country into the fight Goliath demanded! 

The only slip Goliath made was to defy the Living God. Up until then, everything was going Goliath’s way.

But a young inexperienced teenager heard the slur against his God, and in his inexperience, in his blind faith, in his trusting self sacrifice, he stepped up. 

And Goliath fell down.

But I am getting ahead of myself. Our next passage will look at the slurs that Goliath spread, the defiance that became his downfall.

Oh how the mighty have fallen!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David and Goliath

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

The passage before us is the set up for the famous chapter telling the story of a young shepherd taking out a giant of an enemy! Even the most unread Christian has heard of the story. It is very familiar to many, but as we venture through, I believe we will see some details and truths that will be a blessing and challenge for us to consider.

Our first three verses speaks to us of the Philistine nation and the location chosen for this fateful clash of nations. 

1 Samuel 17:1-3
1 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.
2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines.
3 And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.

It appears the Philistines were confident in approaching Israel, for they had already ventured into the tribe of Judah’s land, had set up camp at Ephes-dammim near Socoh, and waited for the nation of Israel to appear. They were truly the thorn in Israel’s side during and prior to Saul’s monarchy. 

If you recall, they were the nation that took the Ark of the Covenant from the nation, suffered debilitating disease in various of their cities and eventually sent it back the Israel. 

In thier next battle with the nation of Israel, they met with Israel at Mizpeh, and as the battle was raging, the Lord “thundered with a mighty sound against the Philistines” confusing the enemy and securing a victory for Israel.

Now both of these instances had provided the Philistines proof of a miraculous intervention of the Israeli God, yet we we see them taking on the nation again. 

From their first appearance in Judges, with battles over the cities of Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron, through Shamgar’s killing of 600 Philistines, Samson’s suicidal domination over the nation, and now into Samuel’s and Saul’s time, they were a confident lot of a nation. 

Tenacious.

Determined.

I would suggest their determination is best summed up in 1 Samuel 4:7-9

7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before.
8 Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness.
9 Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.”

The Philistines were determined, yet in the face of all the miraculous victories, this determination may be also considered stubbornness. A blind stubbornness that refuses to consider their history with Israel. Wisdom for them may have not been their strong suit. 

Nevertheless, here they are, knocking on Israel’s door, picking a fight, using a giant as their secret weapon. This approach has to work, right?

The Philistines chose the location of the battle field, having encamped on the slopes north of the stream cutting through the valley of Elah, in between Azekah and Socoh. 

This epic battle took place at Ephes-dammim, so called for the battles waged here.  Ephes-dammim actually means “boundary of bloods” and is also referred to as Pas-dammin elsewhere in the Scriptures. The area consisted of a flat valley with two hills running east west along the stream. 

As mentioned above, the valley was cut with a stream running through it, though the modern pictures above do not show it. Might this be the stream that David resorted to for his stones? In the very sight of the Philistines?

But who was paying attention to a young teenage Israelite when the Philistines had such might and power by the name of Goliath. Surely the Philistines were confident in their chances against the little nation of Israel, with such a mighty giant on their side. 

But we know where their confidence lies, don’t we? (Hint – Not in the Living God!)

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David in Saul’s Service

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

Our current portion of Scripture speaks of David, the newly anointed King of Israel, being chosen by Saul’s servants as the One to serve the deposed King. How curious that of all within Saul’s kingdom, David is chosen to be a blessing to Saul. Let’s continue with the passage begun last week

1 Samuel 16:20-23, 17:5

20 And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul.
21 And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor bearer.
22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.”
23 And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.
15 but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

In our last post we began to see the circumstances that Saul fell into in order to provide David the conditions required to prove himself as a warrior and future king, in the very king’s court that he will someday assume. Incredible, but Saul invites the very person into his circle that will become his successor! 

As a short review, Saul, in order to provide some relief from a troubling spirit from the Lord, sent his servants to Jesse requesting the service of his son David. Consider Jesse, fresh from coming off experiencing his son being anointed the next king of Israel, and then the current king has his men show up on his doorstep! Talk about suspicious coincidences!

Surely this must be bad! Very bad news for the son of Jesse! No wonder Jesse sent a donkey laden with gifts, along with the son he may never see again. How this must have confused Jesse, not to mention David himself. He had just received a promise form God about his destiny, and now he is entering the very lions mouth! 

Nevertheless, David entered Saul’s service , and he served Saul to the point where Saul gained great affection for him, to the point of loving him, and appointing him to be his armor bearer. David was pulled into the inner circle quickly, with Saul seeking to keep him, that Jesse would allow him to remain.

Saul could have kept David, for he was king and had the authority to take as he pleased, but his actions speak of the respect he had for David at this time, and the desire to keep him in his service willingly. This is a redeeming trait in Saul’s life at this time, though it may have been somewhat selfish in order to satisfy his own needs. Whatever motivated Saul, David was becoming the one that Saul depended on in areas of mental health and general service.

Yet note that our last verse speaks of David splitting his time between his father and his king. David did not use this opportunity granted him of being called to a higher position to ignore his previous duties. He did not forget his father’s sheep. He was a shepherd at heart and though he would become a man of war, and a powerful king, his heart is exposed in this little verse. When he could pull away from formal duties for the king, he would seek out the welfare of his father’s sheep.

There is another Shepherd, that in His many duties, is still seeking out His sheep, for that is where His heart is. He is a Savior that is not constrained by time limitations as David was, but our Savior is constantly tending to His Father’s sheep.

He is the True Shepherd, the Greater David, a Kind and Loving King who has bled and died for us. May His name be praised for all that He is and for all that He does!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David in Saul’s Service

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

Our next portion of Scripture speaks of David, the newly anointed King of Israel, being chosen by Saul’s servants as the One to serve the deposed King. How curious that of all within Saul’s kingdom, David is chosen to be a blessing to Saul.

But before I go any further, let us read the passage.

1 Samuel 16:14-19
14 Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the LORD tormented him.
15 And Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you.
16 Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.”
17 So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me.”
18 One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the LORD is with him.”
19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.”

Notice that right off in this passage, the Lord had informed Saul of his loss of authority. Yes Samuel had pronounced the loss of Saul’s kingdom due to his rebellion, but at the beginning of this passage we are informed that Saul had the inner witness of the Spirit of God departing from him. And as the Spirit departed, we find a harmful spirit from the Lord tormenting him. The passage speaks three times of this harmful spirit coming from the Lord! The term actually speaks of a spirit that produces an ecstatic state of frenzy and violence, per BDB Lexicon. 

As a side bar, is this not instructive to the common man, that a life of increasing frenzy and violence indicates a loss of connection with the Holy One. He is our peace and we, if wise, would do well to seek the True David, to provide contentment and peace in our lives.

But let us continue in considering the troubling spirit from the Lord. It is puzzling to say the least, yet as we will all confess, He is sovereign and mysterious in the working out of His will. Not only are those spirits who are compliant and subject to His authority available for His service , but also all spirits who have rebelled and bring trouble to our souls. He has a purpose that is beyond my comprehension, and in these situations, we must be willing to simply trust Him that He has a higher purpose, a reason to bring about this condition.

In this historical instance, an obvious reason for the troubling spirit upon Saul is to bring the newly anointed king into the royal environment, to provide training for the young shepherd boy, to give him experience as a soldier and to become a confidant of the king, and to finally prove himself as the more worthy one in the eyes of the nation.

But again, I am getting ahead of myself. Our passage speaks of the “circumstances” that God provided Saul into in order to have David brought into the royal circle by the choice of the deposed king. No one could say that David was forced upon Saul – no – he was invited, requested and desired in order to serve Saul, to provide relief to his soul, and eventually to supply deliverance from the enemies of the nation. 

The “harmful” spirit from the Lord initiated a desire by Saul’s servants to find relief for their master, and in this back and forth with Saul, David’s name was brought forward. A young man had heard of him. This shepherd boy had quite the resume. His skill set, along with his character and abilities were truly impressive.

• Skillful in playing
• A man of valor
• A man of war
• Prudent in speech
• A man of good presence
• The Lord is with him

David was a young man that had excellent qualities and he was being spoken of through out the nation. Even as a shepherd boy, out with his father’s sheep, the news of his abilities were being voiced abroad to others. It is of interest that, even as he was a young man, David had the reputation of one who was prudent in speech. The six descriptions of his life by this young man i Saul’s service deserve consideration, but I would life to focus on the prudent in speech for just a moment.

To be prudent communicates intelligence, a discerning mind, (which is different than “mere” intelligence) and one who understands situations clearly. David was prudent in speech, which requires the formulation of correct understanding in his thoughts prior to his communicating to others. He had a discerning mind, and with that, the boldness to speak it at the right time and in the right manner. Surely the Lord was with Him, for at an early age (many think he was still a teenager at this time) David was head and shoulders, metaphorically speaking, over of his contemporaries.

The new king would stand above his competition, but not based on physical appearance, but based on that which pleased God.

Our King also is head and shoulders above all others, prudent of speech. His words are full of grace and truth towards us and we are only right to seek Him out.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David Anointed King

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

An Outcast becomes King

1 Samuel 16:11-13

11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.”
12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.”
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

It turns out that Jesse had a younger son, a son that may not have been considered full family.

It turns out that David’s mother is not identifiable in the Bible, but a Jewish legend speaks of his mother, calling her Nitzevet. A quick search on this name will provide my reader with the Jewish story. Nevertheless, David’s relationship within this family was complicated.

In Psalm 86:16, David speaks of his mother as a godly woman, a maidservant of God. He speaks of his alienation from his brothers in Psalm 69:8. It seems Jesse did not consider David to be worthy of the visit of the prophet, and his absence may be simply due to Jesse’s estimation of David as being little more a laborer instead of a son. This may be too harsh to attribute to Jesse’s character, but David’s exclusion from this sacrifice may reveal a complicated family situation.

Nevertheless, when David was summoned, and upon his arrival, everything breaks loose! The Lord commanded Samuel to rise and anoint him. This is the king! No more rejection, no more guessing, no more disappointment, no more secrecy.

…Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward

All his brothers witnessed the anointing of their little brother! Talk about interpersonal conflicts within a family!

David, like Saul before him, experienced the Spirit of the Lord rush upon him. Notice one difference when comparing the two men, for with David, the added phrase “from that day forward” spoke of a resiliency in David’s kingdom, in his service to God and his faithfulness to his calling.

David was the new king, but to all appearances, Saul would wield power for years to come.

God has anointed and enthroned David’s son as King. Yet to all appearances, there is another king ruling. Where are you in relation to the true King, as opposed to a king that is simply depending on lies and deception, trying to maintain power through appearances?

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David Anointed King

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

The Disappointment

6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.”
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.”
9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.”
10 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.”

Samuel needed the Lord, for his initial viewing of Jesse’s first son was impressive, but misleading. Eliab was handsome, tall, and seemed to have all the outward appearance of the next king of Israel. After all, Samuel did not have a lot of experience in anointing kings, for he had only anointed Saul previously, and he was handsome and tall. The qualifiers were present in Samuels eyes, but not with God.

Reject him!

One of my wife’s favorite phrases from the Old Testament is in this passage.

For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.

What does this say to Samuel. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. The appearance of a man can (and usually is?) quite deceptive. Even if the appearance and the character align, in that they are both beautiful, good and right, it is for the Lord to chose whom He may call. Appearance does not factor into the equation.

God looks on the heart.

What does this say about Eliab? Might it reflect specifically on Eliab, or is this simply a general truth for Samuel to understand. It turns out that Eliab was not the purest of souls! Consider 1 Samuel 17:28, where Eliab may expose his general heart condition

Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”

Eliab had been rejected, and his little brother had been chosen over him. Anger erupted and Eliab entered into the way of Cain, where the righteous deeds of another was the catalyst for him to enter into jealousy, and rage. We will consider this passage in the future, but for our purposes presently, the Lord saw something in Eliab that was not appropriate for the call to kingship.

It turns out that all of Jesse’s sons were rejected. All those who were present in the little town, those who were with Jesse, simply were not the future chosen king of Israel.

Disappointment and disillusionment must have hit Samuel for a moment. He risked his life to visit this town, and it looked like it was for nothing. Didn’t he request for Jesse to bring his sons? How could he have understood the Lord so poorly?

Are all your sons here Jesse? Is there one that you didn’t bring? Is there any hope that the future king is still a possibility?

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David Anointed King

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

Samuels Obedience

4 Samuel did what the LORD commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?”
5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

In our last post, as we entered into David’s anointing, we found Samuel being thrust into a precarious situation, between obeying the Lord, and being safe in relation to King Saul. Samuel understood that anointing the new king of Israel may very well end up with his head on a chopping block. After expressing his concern to the Lord, we see the compassion of the Lord in adjusting His command to allow for an “alternative delivery” method. The Lord told Samuel to take a heifer for sacrifice to use as a cover for this uncommon trip. And it was an uncommon trip, for as we see in the opening verse this morning, the first thing out of the elders mouth was to see if Samuel was coming “peaceably”.

What gives there? Is this a question that informs us of the general nature of the prophet, or of the elders suspicion of problems associated with the visit. The text tells us the elders were trembling as the prophet met them. Something must be wrong! After all, Bethlehem was a small village. Of no real importance at the time.

As an aside, isn’t this typical of those who live under a law system, that a first response is that there is trouble, that some type of discipline or judgement is about to happen. Not that a blessing was about to drop on the village, that the little town would find out they produced one for the greatest kings that ever lived, or that they would eventually become the town where the eternal King would begin His earthly life. But I am getting ahead of myself!

Samuel quieted the concerns of the elders, and informed them they needed to prepare for the sacrifice he was to make in the town. Samuel also sought out Jesse, informed him of the need of his presence along with his sons, and consecrated them prior to this eventful meeting.

No information regarding the reason for the sacrifice was given, at least that the record tells us.

Jesse – you just need to bring your sons…

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

The Lord Rejects Saul

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

Saul’s Repentance

1 Samuel 15

24 Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.
25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me that I may bow before the LORD.”
26 And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
27 As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore.
28 And Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.

Saul, hearing of the his loss of his kingdom from God’s prophet, repents. Sort of.

He admits to sin before the Lord, though not specifically of any one act of sin, and even now may be trying to convince Samuel that it was the peoples fault for this act of rebellion.

His act of repentance/regret illustrates the motivation of the typical politician, that is to seek the favor of the people and not the Lord. How often have you heard of a politician changing his stance on a topic due to a change in the general consensus of the ones he governs? So typical. So unwise for a leader to be led by the people as opposed to the Lord.

This was the third time Saul had fallen into this trap of being a man pleaser, and his time of having the blessing of God on his Kingdom rule was closing up on him.

Saul was finished. Desperate to maintain some control over the situation, Saul turned to physical violence. Tearing the robe of Samuel was no accidental occurrence. Saul was desperate to keep Samuel near, and Samuel was done with Saul, wanting to leave a man he had anointed before God to be the king of Israel.

Two wills are pictured in this narrative, with a torn robe the outcome. This robe refers to a garment worn over the tunic, usually representing a man of rank or authority. In Samuel’s case, his robe identified him as the man of God, and Saul’s grasping and tearing of the robe was a desperate act of gaining Samuel’s attention. Saul was successful in gaining Samuels attention, but it only reinforced the message of rejection.

Your kingdom is torn from you Saul.

At this point in history Saul’s kingdom ceased to be, yet he still sat on a throne. The true king was in the background, and when Samuel informs Saul that the kingdom has been given to a neighbor that is better than him, I am sure David came to mind. If the thought was not fully formed in Saul’s mind at Samuels declaration, it would be very soon, for the people would speak of David as one better than Saul.

1 Samuel 18:7 -8 And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?”

After all, Saul, being the one who listened to the people, must have immediately heard in the back of his mind their estimation of David’s skill and Samuel’s description of his competition for the throne. Of course, there was no actual competition for the throne, for when the Lord declares a judgement, it stands. No human manipulations, severe as they may be, will affect the outcome. Unless….

Unless we seek the Lord’s favor, humble ourselves before Him, and seek His mercy, admitting to the authority of God’s will over our own. In Hs mercy and wisdom, His tremendous grace towards us, He has previously relented from judgement upon a deserving people. In other instances the judgement has fallen. He is kind and good to those He loves, even in difficult trying times!

May His will be done.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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The Lord Rejects Saul

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

Saul’s Rejection

1 Samuel 15
20 And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the LORD. I have gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction.
21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.”
22 And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.”

Can anyone hear Adam in Saul’s voice? Saul did all the good stuff, and those “people” did the bad stuff. It is called blame shifting and Saul is adept in this artform of communication. Can you hear Saul boasting of his obedience, his uprightness, his stellar estimation of himself?

• I have obeyed
• I have gone on the mission
• I have brought Agag
• I have devoted

And of course, if he is going to elevate himself, someone has to take the fall, someone has to assume responsibility for an action that is not right.

• But the people took….

Even as Saul brings this to Samuel’s attention, I am starting to think Saul may have realized he was in the wrong before God, and was seeking to deflect blame, to place it on the “people” You know how it goes – she gave me the apple!

We will consider his reason for throwing “the people” under the bus shortly, but for now, Saul was about to get an earful from the prophet of God. There was no getting away with the consequences of his decisions. Samuel would see to that!

But first, lets consider the passage as it speaks of two men and two ways of relating to God. Saul and Samuel. Sacrifice or obedience.

First off, take note that Saul’s sacrifice cost him nothing. He wasn’t sacrificing his personal property, or possessions. This which was to be sacrificed was someone else’s property. If anything, this act of “sacrifice” only elevated his estimation of himself in his own mind. Look how I go above and beyond the call of God. Saul takes the truth of the sacrificial system, warps it to his own desires, and tries to come off smelling like a rose.

Samuel, on the other hand, even though living under a sacrificial system, is speaking of the source motivation of any sacrifice. Samuel is not saying that sacrifice is wrong, for the Lord had commanded a sacrificial system through Moses. No – the sacrificial system was not the problem if understood in the light of God’s desire for His people. The sacrificial system was to be performed out of a heart seeking to obey the Lord, to seek to please Him and not I. To sacrifice included a personal cost!

Years later, another king, in a time of trial and seeking the Lord’s favor, came to the realization he needed to provide a sacrifice to the Lord. During that time of testing, this king was offered real estate and livestock as a gift from a subject, without any cost, with no strings attached. This king knew better!

2 Samuel 24:24

But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

Saul was short-circuiting the system to gain favor for himself. He sought to use religion to gain influence with God, and reputation with the people, even to impress God’s prophet. Saul was about to sacrifice that which cost him nothing, to please a God he didn’t love or trust. Saul was self deluded and Samuel could not have been clearer, but alas it was too late, for Saul’s kingdom was finished.

It was years before Saul actually was physically off the throne, but his kingship before God came to a crashing halt that day.

It occurs to me that another king had a kingdom come crashing to a halt one day, and yet he still has tremendous influence over many. Two millennial ago, a usurper king was stripped of his kingdom when the true King rose from the dead, giving the old king the boot and receiving authority over all to Himself. As with Saul, the enemy of our souls still seeks to influence his previous kingdom even though the True King is in the background.

David has been in the background for much of Saul’s story, being prepared for his time as King, going through suffering and trials to build him into the man Israel needs.

Hebrews 5:8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.

The true King is sitting on His throne, and though it appears the old king still has authority, it is only through deception and distraction. The true King is on His throne and for that we can be thankful, praising His Name in front of that old serpent!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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The Lord Rejects Saul

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

Todays passage is a very popular passage on the topic of obedience, found in the middle of Saul’s Judgement

1 Samuel

17 And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel.
18 And the LORD sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’
19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the LORD?”

Saul just came back from putting up a monument of himself and Samuel has the grace to say – “Though you are little in your own eyes”. But does he?

Some versions translate this phrase as a past tense action on Saul’s part, as in “Although you were once small in your own eyes” which makes some sense. Saul was small in his own eyes at one time, when he was out looking for the donkeys, or hiding in with the equipment. But those days are gone.

Saul was given the privilege and honor of being the first monarch in Israel, the first man to be given a throne. As we have mentioned earlier, his position was demanded by the people, and was provided by the Lord. But the power got hold of him. And we all know that power has a corrupting influence on the human condition.

So, let’s consider how power brought this man to this point in the story. What is the effect of power on a man or woman? One effect of power is a lack of understanding of how much power is actually granted to you. In this instance, Saul assumed he had more authority, more power than God by openly disobeying a clear command.

Try to understand Saul’s situation. Folks around Saul would succumb to his wishes, to his demands, sucking up to him to get his favor. He was the one to be pleased, to be honored. A whole nation would bend the knee to him. It was all about him!

This false image of power Saul lived in, giving him the allusion of being the center of the universe, also brought out the covetousness that resides in every human heart.

Notice Samuel’s question – Why did you pounce on the spoil… Samuel uses the verb pounce, not describing a military action, but could be translated as to “dart greedily”. Saul was exercising his “right” to take what he wanted. This is typical of those in power, for the expansion of wealth of those in power is common.

This action of not obeying the voice of the LORD was evil in the sight of the LORD. Saul’s self image of ultimate authority and of covetousness was something that could not be tolerated in the first king of Israel. In any king of Israel.

Except One!

The only King of Israel that will never be dethroned is the One who had all the power, all the authority and yet relinquished His position, suffered for us and became poor for our sakes. His every actions are so anti-typical of Saul, and provide believers another support in our understanding that His kingdom will never fall, His kingdom will never loose her King.

He will reign forever!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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The Lord Rejects Saul

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

Today’s post we will review Saul’s Justification.

1 Samuel

14 And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?”
15 Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the LORD your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction.”
16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the LORD said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.”

Notice Adam in this verse anywhere? Blameshifting on steroids! THEY brought the sheep.. THE PEOPLE spared the best…. Regarding that which was in obedience to the command, Saul joined in on that activity – WE have devoted the rest to destruction.

Stop! Samuel had had it.

He knew Saul was going to loose the kingdom, and this was the trigger that set off the announcement. Samuel had just spent the night hearing from the LORD, and it wasn’t good news. The man that was to be the replacement for God in the nation of Israel has lost his position, is being kicked “out of the garden”. There are some minor similarities of Saul with Adam, but then again, there are some similarities of Saul with me!

Saul was brought short by Samuel, in the midst of his blameshifting and justification of his actions. So religious, wanting to sacrifice the best of someone else’s sheep and oxen! Quite a sacrifice! No matter, for this is the beginning of the end for Saul, and he falls hard!

Our next post will review the judgement that was to fall on this man named Saul.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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The Lord Rejects Saul

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

Let’s consider Saul’s Monument

1 Samuel 15

12 And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal.”
13 And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed be you to the LORD. I have performed the commandment of the LORD.”

Saul was in great spirits! He had set up a monument for himself, and had performed the commandment of the LORD. What? Wait! What did that say? He set up a monument? For himself? Saul was riding high here, and this was a precursor to a great fall. Notice that King Saul blessed Samuel, as if he was some great spiritual giant, that could bless poor ol’ Samuel.

Hebrews 7:7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.

Notice also the story told to Samuel about Saul’s actions. “Turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal” That seems unnecessarily wordy, unless of course the narrator is speaking of Saul’s victory parade, and how he made the most of it. Who knows, but it does seem a bit odd.

Nevertheless, this short passage describes a man who is in rebellion, about to loose his kingdom, boasting of how great he is, full of self confidence and strutting about.

I suspect he was feeling like we sometimes do when we are oblivious to the truth of the situation. There is tremendous wisdom in a continual attitude of humility, willing to hear others as opposed to our own voices.

James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

We don’t have to wait to be humble. As a matter of fact, if we wait, it might not be our choice and the humbling may be far worse! Notice that it is a choice, or James wouldn’t have told us to “humble ourselves”. It is just not our nature to bend, and we have to understand that if we are going to have any victory.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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The Lord Rejects Saul

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

Let’s consider God’s Regret.

1 Samuel 15
10 The word of the LORD came to Samuel:
11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the LORD all night.

This is the beginning of the end for King Saul, yet he seemingly doesn’t get it. Before we get to Saul’s great downfall, his rejection of God from being king of Israel, we have to consider what is going on in the mind of the Lord.

The passage speaks of the Lord regretting having made Saul the king of Israel. How can the ever present, all know God come to a point in realizing a mistake, for the term regret often brings with it the sense of a bad decision, a wrong act that has come back to bite you. I regret having made some decisions in the past, and although I believe God is making even those decisions tools to shape me into what He wants, there is no denying that I still have some regret.

I have made some decisions within my family that has ripped my heart out, but was necessary at the time. The particulars are not important here, other than the decision was the right one, given the information I had. But it still ripped my heart out!

The problem is that God is perfect, all knowing, and all wise! How could He make a decision that He would regret? God’s command to Saul, through the prophet Samuel was complete and utter destruction of Amalek, and all the livestock of Amalek.

1 Samuel 15:3 Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”

As we find out a bit later in the text, Saul spared a few animals (for a good reason though).

Consider God, in providing Saul to the nation of Israel as her first human king, and then seeing this failure come to fruition. God knew it was coming (depending on how you see foreknowledge), but the experience of seeing Saul fail ripped God’s heart out.

The term regret in this verse, and in verses 15:29 and 15:35 is the Hebrew word נָחַם nâcham, and it has many nuances. Some understand this term to denote pity, or compassion, even to suffer grief. Granted some of the meanings of the term include the idea of being sorry, and even repenting, but within this verse I am of the opinion that God is expressing His emotional reaction to the failure Saul committed. His heart was ripped out even though He knew it was coming.

We all fail, but as the leader of the nation, in relation to this specific command, Saul failed. And God regretted, or expressed His sorrow over the situation, and the future judgement that would have to fall on Saul.

What specifically broke God’s heart, brought this regret into the emotional life of God?

Saul Turned Back

The term “turned back” may be thought of as to apostatize, or to turn away, or even to turn against. Saul’s turning back seemed to be a decision he made at some time in his past, and was the root of the regret that God was experiencing. When this apostacy came to full bloom may be conjected for years, but Saul had begun stepping into rebellion when he got ahead of himself and performed a sacrifice without the prophet being present.

1 Samuel 13:13 ESV – And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the LORD your God, with which he commanded you. For then the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.

Saul’s intentions may have been good, but as a friend once told me, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”. Saul’s battles with the Philistines definitely started off on the wrong foot!

This rebellion, that of sparing some animals of the Amalekites, may have a been a show of mercy, or dedication to the sacrificial system, or even an exhibition of religious devotion, but God called for obedience.

Saul has not Performed

Saul did not perform. He didn’t rise to the occasion. He came up short.

Where the previous phrase may be describing the premature sacrificial offerings before the battles with the Philistines, it appears this phrase may be describing the very act of sparing the King of Amalek, along with the “finest” of his animals. Saul was provided pretty clear instructions, but for some reason, went above and beyond the call of duty and spared the King of Amalek. The very man he was told to destroy, his arch enemy! What is going on in your head Saul? I get the justification of keeping the animals alive in order to sacrifice. Hear me out now – I am not justifying Saul’s actions in rebelling against God’s command, just speaking as one who also tries to do good without God!

But allowing the enemy to survive? I don’t understand.

Until I realize I can justify anything if I want it bad enough. That is where the will needs to be impacted by the love of God. Christianity is not a religion of emotion, or a system of logic, but a relationship with the Living God that impacts our will, to the point we are to say “not my will”.

Not my will, but Thine

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Saul Chosen, Anointed and Proclaimed to Be King

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

1 Samuel 10:20-24

20 Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot.
21 He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken by lot; and Saul the son of Kish was taken by lot. But when they sought him, he could not be found.
22 So they inquired again of the LORD, “Is there a man still to come?” and the LORD said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”
23 Then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.
24 And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

In our last post, verses immediately prior to our text for the day, Samuel dressed down the nation of Israel for rejecting God as their king. Describing Israel’s attitude towards God in this rejection, Samuel described Israel’s attitude as disdain, or that the nation considered God loathsome. Samuel did not hold anything back during this time of national crisis!

After this dressing down of the nation, Samuel brought all the tribes together. Remember the nation has never had a king provided for them before, so the nation may not be sure why they were called together. Could judgement be falling on them due to their rejection of God? Could a punishment be forthcoming, ready to fall on a nation in rebellion against God?

No – Their king was to be revealed. Another instance of the grace of God in meeting the people of God where they were! Yet the Lord in His wisdom saw this coming in Deuteronomy 17.

Deuteronomy 17:14-15

“When you come to the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me, you may indeed set a king over you whom the LORD your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.

Judgement was not falling on the nation yet, though some of the future earthly kings caused much destruction to the nation, eventually bringing them into bondage and captivity. But that is for a later discussion. At this time, Samuel brought the people together to reveal to them their king.

After the process of determining the tribe and family the future king would come from, his name is announced to the nation. But the man was no where to be found! Not only absent, but hidden so effectively that the nation can not find their king. Can you imagine the internal conflict of those who sought prayer before God for direction in finding the king they chose instead of God. Consider the grace of God in providing a king to a rebellious people, and then having to direct the nation to this replacement king, a man who is hiding in the supplies. A man who is running from his calling.

But all of that doesn’t matter, for Saul looked good. He was not like any of those around him, handsome and tall! Saul was tall, and that may have been a redeeming characteristic of the new king, once the nation eventually found their leader. After all, many of the nations had tall kings, and many of the peoples surrounding Israel had tall leaders. I’m thinking of Goliath at this time, for he surely was tall and a leader. But how much does that count when we are speaking of leading a nation for God?

But the nation has finally received a king like all the nations!

Yet to have to search for their king must have hurt the national pride, the national image. Saul was not a man who was self assured, confident, even boisterous in his capabilities, willing and able to lead a nation as a king, full of courage! Golly, this fella didn’t have the courage to face his own people.

Consider the roller coaster ride of emotions for the nation during this time. The nation went from a fear of discipline, to anticipation of who the king would be, to disappointment of no king showing up, to embarrassment of having to ask the King they rejected to find the king who would be God’s replacement, and then finally attaining some type of acceptance based on the standards of the world.

What an day! And what a future to anticipate, not only in the near term, with a king like Saul, but for the national destiny! To put the future of the nation in the hands of a fallen man just seems so tenuous, so temporary!

Yes, I would like to remind my gentle reader that we are so like the nation of Israel, for we also seek to find approval of our wordly neighbors, to want to be like them, to live the lives they are living. We also need to recognize when we are reading the Word, it is most helpful to see ourselves in the villains place, and not the hero’s place. To identify with the hero may simply become a way of deceiving ourselves.

Humility demands we understand our weakness, our propensity of acting like the nation of Israel, of our leaning towards destruction and death. The nation of Israel is a history we should be familiar with in order to learn from.

Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Our God is a merciful and gracious God, who though warning us of our rejection, will also bend down to reach us, to pick us up, and provide direction to us in finding our true King, Jesus the Christ, who is no longer hidden, no longer a mystery, but graciously revealed to His saints.

Colossians 1:26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.

Our King is not like the nations kings, and for that we should be eternally grateful!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

Saul Chosen, Anointed and Proclaimed to Be King

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

In our last study, Samuel provided Saul the message that he was going to be king over the people of God, and that he was to reign over them and protect them from enemies. In this portion of Scripture, Samuel addresses the nation, informing them of how God see’s their decision, demanding a king to be like the rest of the nations.

1 Samuel 10:18,19

18 And he said to the people of Israel, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’
19 But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, ‘Set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your thousands.”

How does God understand the Israelis decision to demand a king? We have mentioned His understanding of this decision a number of times, but this passage makes it abundantly clear. The nation of Israel, the people of God, have rejected God from being their king.

Rejected! Wow. That is so harsh Samuel. Surely the people of God did not intend to hurt God’s feelings, or make it seem like He wasn’t good enough to be King. Surely this option of installing a human king was allowable, for the people of God had multiple judges before and currently a prophet had been leading them for decades by now. Installing a king – What difference does that make?

Well, when Samuel used the term “rejected”, he wasn’t candy coating the message. The Hebrew word is מָאַס mâʼaç, and is translated in numerous ways. Abhor, cast away, despise, disdain, become loathsome… I think you get my point.

By demanding a king, a human king that is, the people of God showed their disdain for God, considered God loathsome, and were casting God to the side. They knew of a better way, and rejected the very One who created them, redeemed them, rescued them and protected them.

Earlier I had asked why installing a king was such a big deal. Can anyone provide a guess? I have my opinion, (I always have my opinion!) but I would like to see if any of my readers have a better idea. Let me know in the comments.

The last phrase of this passage is where I would like to end for this post. Notice that Samuel tells the nation to present themselves before the LORD. The twelve tribes of Israel were to “take a stand” before the LORD, and in our next portion of this Scripture, we will discover how the king was chosen. Samuel knows who is going to be king, and Saul knows who is going to be king, but to have their king, the nation needs to present themselves before God, understanding they have rejected God.

We will look at the choosing next time, but consider how you would feel, if you were told that a decision you made amounted to rejecting God. Then told to present yourself before Him.

Uncomfortable much?

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

Saul Chosen, Anointed and Proclaimed to Be King

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses. Let’s continue with our look into the man who would become Israel’s first king, if only to consider the historical condition David enters into as he soon appears in our study.

1 Samuel 10:1

1 Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you to be prince over his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the LORD and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies. And this shall be the sign to you that the LORD has anointed you to be prince over his heritage.

In this passage we find Saul receiving his office as king and two mandates for the remainder of his life.

Saul was to be Prince over God’s people Israel

Saul went from being a donkey hunter to replacing God as the king of Israel. Heady stuff! To be a prince over God’s people.

Not only is Saul to be king over a nation, but it is a nation that has been miraculously created and rescued from dangers and threats since it was established, without the need of a king. Talk about filling a position that is not required, other than to satisfy the whim of a population that seeks to walk away from God. I don’t know about you, but I do not envy Saul being given this honor!

Three times Samuel refers to the LORD in this passage, using the tetragrammaton, the four letters that represent God’s self existent revelation of His person. Is Samuel possibly reminding Saul that God, who placed him on the throne, is not some territorial god that is “one among many”, but that He is the eternal self existent God that depends on no one and provides for all?

No matter what, Saul has his work cut out for him and Samuel provides two mandates from the Lord as to his mission in life as king of Israel.

Saul is to reign over the people of the LORD

As I said, Saul has his work cut out for him, replacing the Lord in reigning over the LORD’s people. Yes, it is true that theoretically he was not to be independent of God, but to find direction, strength, wisdom, understanding, patience, and all the other components required to reign over God’s people per God’s direction, from God and God only.

But what is it to “reign”?

Some of my brothers in the faith would say that to reign is to control, to influence each citizen of the kingdom in all their decisions and actions, requiring all to be compliant to the whims and wishes of the monarch. I suppose this may be the intent of leader who is insecure, or that is power hungry. Would you agree that both of these types of leaders do not represent God’s wishes in a leader?

Consider that if God chooses a man for a position, the security comes from God, and if for some reason God decides to move the man onto some other responsibility, that is simply a matter of obedience to the will of God.

If the leader is power hungry, and has exorbitant demands, continually increasing in his authority over the people he reigns, he becomes a dictator. Under a dictator, the people always suffer, for he is not there to serve the people, but to abuse his position and take what is not rightly his.

As King, Saul was to reign over the LORD’s people. Although not comparable in every way, there are some similarities to the leaders in the New Testament church. All of God’s leaders have some commonalities in their work for God. For those who may be interested, I considered what it meant for a New Testament leader to rule in the church in a blog years back. (Christian Accountability – Rule).

Let me know if a king over Israel could rule his people using the same method as described in Hebrews 13. I would suggest that the king of Israel was to primarily be a servant of the people, to direct the people into a society that honors God and promotes both internal and external peace for it’s citizens.

Saul is to save the people of the LORD from their enemies

As mentioned above, the second mandate given to Saul from the LORD was to save them from their enemies. This has been the LORD’s desire throughout Israel’s history and should not surprise us as a specific task. He is not tasked with developing a new social order, creating a different type of economy or producing a new style of worship to their God.

He is to protect them, save them from threats. Given the history of God’s method of protection prior to Saul’s arrival on the scene, we should not understand that this requires a multiplicity of horses and chariots, of increasing the size of the army, or of building defensive battlements, unless directed by God of course. But this hasn’t been the typical direction God has taken this nation!

Consider the unorthodox methods God has used to deliver the nation prior to Saul being installed as king.

• Use a famine to direct a small family into a strange nation (Egypt).
• Allowance of the people to become slaves for a great delivery to be performed.
• Use a stutterer to confront the most powerful man on earth, demanding the slave be let go.
• Ten plagues, with protection for the people of God for each plague.
• Split the Red Sea to save the people and defeat the Egyptians.
• Rain manna down from heaven to supply for the nation.
• Parade around a town for a week until the walls fall down.
• Send out a coward out to fight and defeat the Midianites, with only 300 farmers.

Need I go on?

To be the king of Israel, from a historic perspective, meant that conventional methods of protecting the nation were not typical. The nation of Israel was to be completely different, not only in their worship, but also in who they looked to for their safety. Saul is now under the microscope of every citizen of Israel, and he has only One hope.

That hope turns out to be the One he is replacing as the leader of the nation.

Yes I surely do not envy Saul’s position. It is a good thing that the LORD is not a power hungry dictator or an insecure monarch, but is the perfect and rightful King. He was ever ready to provide guidance to Saul for his success. God is also ever ready to provide for us as we seek His guidance and do as He directs. He has never stepped down from His throne, and we can be thankful it is a throne of grace, ever ready to provide help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

Saul Chosen, Anointed and Proclaimed to Be King

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

1 Samuel 9:15-16

15 Now the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed to Samuel:
16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.”

We last left Saul and his assistant having met with some women coming out of the city, and receiving instructions as to how to find the seer Samuel.

This short passage provides instructions to the other participant in that meeting, as the Lord prepares Samuel for a fateful time with the future king of Israel. Remember, this is the man that will take over the leadership of the nation of Israel, and not only that, but a new office is being created here, that is the office of a king, effectively overshadowing, at least in Samuels thinking, that of his office of prophet.

You have to wonder what is going on in the prophets mind prior to this meeting. Earlier we have considered that the demand for a king by the nation of Israel amounted to the rejection of God as their king, (1 Samuel 8:7) and this surely affected Samuel, as God’s representative! Yet God, in the midst of His rejection by the nation, sought to protect His prophet from thinking it was the nation rejecting him.

What may be of greater interest in my thinking is – What is going on in the Lord’s mind at this time?

Let’s consider what is happening. The Lord provides Samuel direction on when he will meet the future king, where the king is from, and the method of placing Saul in the office of king. All of this is for Samuels benefit.

If I were to guess God’s next message to Samuel, is that judgement will fall on the nation of Israel due to their rejection of God. Fire and brimstone, plagues, poverty, death, destruction, pestilence, starvation. But that is only my guess. After all, this is a rejection of the One who not only created Israel, but rescued the fledgling nation from the grip of Egypt, provided a land of milk and honey to them, and protected them as they fought their battles.

But take note of the Lord’s (not my) thoughts.

For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.

What? What type of God do we worship? In the midst of the nation’s rebellion, God sees their suffering and responds out of mercy to a traitorous people. He actually will use the people’s sinful choice of a king for their own benefit, and rescue them from the Philistines!

Don’t get me wrong – judgement will come, for even back during Moses time, this rejection was foretold.

Deuteronomy 28:36-37 “The LORD will bring you and your king whom you set over you to a nation that neither you nor your fathers have known. And there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone. And you shall become a horror, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples where the LORD will lead you away.

This future judgement based on their rejection of God’s ways, including the demand for a king, would also exhibit the patience and longsuffering of the Lord, for it would be centuries of God’s pleading with the nation before they were led away, experiencing the prophecy of Moses.

God’s reaction in this passage speaks volumes of the God I know so little of. He is gracious in the most extreme way, in the midst of a betrayal by the nation, He provides a salvation for them.

Is it any surprise, when we consider the grace of the Father with Israel over 3,000 years ago, that His ultimate saving action would only magnify this exhibition of His mercy and grace? On the cross, He provided a far greater salvation to those who hated Him and sought to destroy Him?

Let’s face the facts. He is good and He is good all the time! Take time today to thank Him for His many mercies!

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