Lessons from the life of King Saul
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(Read 1 Samuel 8:1-5)
Observations from 1 Samuel 8:1-5:
And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
Samuel was up in age, and he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel.
The people probably thought that one of Samuel’s sons would take over to judge Israel once Saul died.
The scriptures state in verse 3 that Samuel’s sons were not like their father, they were greedy for money, they accepted bribes, and perverted justice.
Before we get into the next portion of scripture, let us consider two needful terms.
Monarchy vs Theocracy
Monarchy- a form of government that has a monarch as it’s leader.
Monarch- a person who reigns over a kingdom or an empire such as a king or queen.
Theocracy- a system in which a priest rules in the name of God. However, this is not the same theocracy that was established in Israel. In Israel, God himself ruled and was their king. The LORD used judges/prophets/his word to establish rule over his people.
The elders of Israel requested that Samuel would appoint a king for them and it upset Samuel. As to why it upset Samuel, we do not know, it could be because they were rejecting him and his sons, or it could be that they wanted to be like the nations around them and in a sense they were rejecting God.
So Samuel, is upset, he does not know what to do, so he goes to The LORD in prayer:
He does not take matters in his own hands (this is very important to identify).
He does not initially cave into the pressure of the people.
He talks to the LORD, he is upset, he is possibly hurt, but he doesn’t want to make the wrong decision, ultimately Samuel knows who is in control, so he asks the LORD “what do I do, what do you want to do”.
This is an invaluable lesson for us to learn. Not to make decisions based upon what we are feeling at the time. Samuel could have messed up. When you are frustrated and don’t know what to do, talk to the LORD before you make any decision!
Let’s borrow a scripture that applies to this:
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
Why?
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
The wrath (reaching forth or exciting of the mind), anger, indignation, vengeance.
That attitude, that mindset does not work does not produce the righteousness and/or justice of God. It does not produce the character or uprightness of God. God will always do right!
God will not do something to deliberately hurt someone. God will not do something that only he himself will benefit from.
When we are angry and we make decisions based upon our anger, we are going to do something that will hurt one another. Most importantly, we are going to make decisions that God is not pleased with.
So what do we do? We do what the scriptures says, be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. Talk to God about what is going on, talk to God and seek his guidance before you come to a decision. Make decisions based upon if God would be pleased with what I’m deciding. Base it upon what the word of God says:
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Back to the text:
And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
The Lord said, they have not rejected you, they have rejected me. When God gives you a word and people reject it, don’t take it personal, they are rejecting God. When you are trying to witness to someone and they reject what you have to say, don’t take it personal, they are rejecting God.....not you.
Food for thought:
If they had trusted God, they would have known that it would have been impossible for Samuel’s sons to become actual judges on behalf of the LORD.
Samuel appointed his sons judges, but they were not appointed by the LORD.
And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
It was the LORD who raised up judges. They should have trusted in the LORD that the LORD would raise up another judge. They should have believed that the LORD would provide for them another judge and deliverer.
How many times leading up to Samuel’s rule did they cry out to God and The LORD raised up judges to deliver them and to judge them? Many.
But now, they were focused on man, rather than focusing on God.
So the LORD says in verse 8:
Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment.
So Samuel gives them a warning:
And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king. And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
This isn’t Samuel’s words, these are the words of the LORD himself as he has given to Samuel.
But you know what, they did like some of us do from time to time. They flat out rejected the word of the LORD:
Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
We want to be like all the nations around us, we want the king to judge us, and we want the king to go before us, and fight our battles.
WHAT!?!? If God judges you, he’ll get it right every time. If God goes before us, he’ll make every crooked place straight, he’ll bring down every exalted place, he’ll bring up every valley.
Don’t depend on anyone going before you, don’t depend on nobody else going to bat for you, put your trust in the LORD!
Can’t nobody fight like God can, can’t nobody win like God can!
So Samuel goes back to God in prayer and tells The LORD what the people told him and the LORD says “hearken unto their voice, and make them a king.”
END LESSON?
Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.
Let’s consider the attributes of Saul:
He was wealthy and from the tribe of Benjamin.
He was the most handsome man in Israel.
He was a tall, good looking man.
The Lord was giving them what they wanted. Sometimes what looks good for you, might not be good for you.
The bible says in verses 3-4 that Saul’s father Kish lost his donkeys and sent his son Saul and a servant out to find them. They could not locate them anywhere. Saul tells the servant that we better cut off the search and head home before father starts to worry. In which the servant replies (verse 6) “Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honorable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; per adventure he can shew us our way that we should go.”
Saul says “we don’t have anything to offer him.” and the servant replies “I have one small silver piece, we can at least offer it to the man of God and see what happens.”
So Saul agrees to it and they seek out the seer.
Now remember The LORD told Samuel “make them a king” but Samuel has yet to do so. Why? Because he is waiting on the LORD.
Verse 15:
Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying, To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.
WAIT!? Did you catch that? The people messed up......they rejected God, yet The LORD is having mercy upon them.
So as Saul is coming up the hill approaching the gate where Samuel is sitting, the LORD speaks to Samuel and tells him “Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! This same shall reign over my people.”
Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer’s house is. And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart. And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father’s house?
They ran out of food, but they were about to be replinished.
They were worrying about Kish’s donkeys, they couldn’t find them, but Samuel says “don’t worry about those donkeys, they were lost three days ago, but they have been found. Two needs have been take care of and a third one was about to be taken care of.
This was Saul’s first lesson, that if you seek God, that God will take care of your needs!!!
Samuel also tells Saul that the he and his family were the focus of all Israel’s hopes. Surely, Saul knew the situation of all of Israel, he knew how the Philistines tormented the Israelites.
But Saul replies in verse 21:
And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?
Samuel brought Saul and his servant into hall, placed them at the head of the table above thirty special guests, told the cook to bring the finest cut of meat that had been set aside for the guest of honor. All this is happening and Saul doesn’t understand what is going on, but Samuel gave him a feast that was fit for a king.
Samuel then invites Saul and his servant to his house, prepares a bed for them to stay the night. In the morning, Samuel wakes them up and tells them it is time for them to be on their way. When they reach the edge of town, Samuel tells Saul to send his servant up ahead and for him to stay back because he has a word from the LORD.
1 Samuel 10:1 (KJV)
Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?
Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it over Saul’s head. He kissed Saul and said, “I am doing this because the Lord has appointed you to be the ruler over Israel, his special possession.
Then Samuel tells Saul what will happen to him once he leaves.
You will meet two men beside Rachel’s tomb at Zelah, they will tell you that the donkeys have been found and that your father is worried about you and asked “Have you seen my son?” (PROVISION)
You will come to the oak of Tabor, you will see three men coming toward you who are on their way to worship God at Beth-El. One will be bringing three young goats, another will have three loaves of bread, and the third will be carrying a wineskin fill of wine. They will greet you and offer you two of the loaves, which you are to accept (PROVISION)
When you arrive at Gibeah (hill) of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is located, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They will be playing a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyle, and they will be prophesying. At that time the Spirit of the LORD will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them (PROVISION).
So we see here the LORD provides for Saul three times and on the third time, the LORD would provide for him a change of heart.