Sermon Tone Analysis

! Introduction:

The Lord had told Samuel to anoint Saul as leader over his people Israel *(9:16)*.

Samuel now proceeded to fulfill that command, being careful to inform Saul that the anointing was from the Lord (v.1).

!!! 1.                  Samuel Anoints Saul (v.1).

!!!! a)                  *Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head (v.1)*

!!!!! (1)                 This was a literal /anointing /of Saul.

The word “anoint” means /to rub or sprinkle on; ointment, or oily liquid to/.

When Samuel *poured it on his head*, Saul was *anointed *with oil.

!!!!! (2)                 *But the /idea /of anointing is much bigger*.

What happened to Saul’s head and body was simply a picture of what God was doing in him spiritually.

!!!!!! (a)                 The Holy Spirit was being poured out on him, equipping him for the job of being king over Israel.

We need the Holy Spirit poured out on us (Acts 1:8)

 

!!!! b)                  *Priests were anointed for their special service to the L**ORD **(Exodus 28:41).

*

Literal oil would be applied, but as a sign of the Holy Spirit upon their lives and service.

The oil on the head was only the outward representation of the real, spiritual work going on inside them.

There were *“qualifications to minister to God as priest”.

*

!!!!! (1)                 *You Shall Anoint Them (Ex.28:41)*—

/Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee (2Cor.1:21-22)./

!!!!! (2)                 *Consecrate & Sanctify Them (Ex.28:41)—*Daniel

Purposed In His heart that he would not defile himself (v.8).

*/Defile /*carries the thought of polluting, contaminate, adulterate, corrupt, staining.

!!!!!! (a)                 I want God to use my life, and today we are living in a time where God is looking for people that want to consecrate their lives unto God:

/"So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one."

(Ezekiel 22:30, NKJV) /

"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. ”" (2 Chronicles 16:9, NKJV)

!!!!!! (b)                Daniel Purposed in his heart…(v.8)

– where does this begin?

Denying Yourself, & Consecrating Your life Unto God:

(i)                   Many people will sacrifice many things in order to become what they desire to be.

Athletes deny themselves many pleasures most of us take for granted.

Great scholars isolate themselves to study sacrificing their leisure time.

Musicians sacrifice their social life to practice and perfect their art.

(ii)                 1 Cor.9:24-27     

!!!!!! (c)                 The Purpose For The Vow Of A Nazirite (Numbers 6:1-2).

(i)                   To separate Oneself to the LORD: The vow of the Nazirite was to express one’s special desire to draw close to God and to separate one’s self from the comforts and pleasures of this world (“The English word Nazirite transliterates Hebrew nazir, meaning “set apart.”

(Wenham)

*"It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be treated as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.

He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin." (Hebrews 11:24-25, John 17:19 NLT) *

!!!!!! (d)                This vow could last for a few months or years (Num.

6:4–8).

But only Samson (Judg.

13:7; 16:17), Samuel (1 Sam.

1:11), and John the Baptist took the vow for life.

!!!!!! (e)                 A Persons Lifelong, Voluntary, Self-Denial Is The Ultimate Act Of Devotion To God.

!!!!!! (f)                  We are to be so consumed by God’s calling that we not attracted to the world’s enticements.

Our devotion to the Lord must completely superseded any personal interests and comforts Application (2 Corinthians 6:14-18 cf.

Romans 12:1-2)

!!!!!! (g)                We Have To Make Up Our Minds That We Are Going To Consecrate Ourselves To The Lord.

!!!!!! (h)                 1 Peter 2:5 /holy priesthood –/1 Peter 2:9 /royal priesthood/

 

!!!!! (3)                 Sometimes anointing oil would be poured (Exodus 29:7), sometimes it would be sprinkled (Exodus 29:21).

This shows that the Holy Spirit’s equipping for service is poured out in different ways and in different measures at different times and on different persons.

!!!!!  

!!!!! (4)                 Exodus 30:22-33 tells us about the special anointing oil.

!!!!!! (a)                 It was regarded as a sacred compound that could not be imitated nor used as normal perfuming oil.

!!!!!! (b)                Since oil is emblematic of the Holy Spirit, we see that the Holy Spirit is not poured out to enhance our flesh, but to glorify Himself.

!!!!!! (c)                 Exodus 30:32 says specifically: /it shall not be poured on man’s flesh/.

Also, the work of the Holy Spirit is never to be imitated: /nor shall you make any other like it . . . it is holy, and it shall be holy to you /(Exodus 30:32) it is holy oil (Ps.89:20).

!!!!!! (d)                There is to be no place for encouraging a fleshly imitation of the gifts or operations of the Holy Spirit; this denies the holiness of the Holy Spirit, regarding His work as something we can do just as well on our own.

!!!!!!  

!!!!! (5)                 As Christians under the New Covenant, we also have an anointing:

!!!!!! (a)                 /But you have an anointing from the Holy One /(1 John 2:20).

In the New Testament sense, /anointing /has the idea of being filled with, and blessed by, the Holy Spirit.

This is something that is the common property of /all /Christians, but something we can and should become more submitted and responsive to.

!!!! c)                  And kissed him:

!!!!! (1)                 This was not only a greeting, but it was a sign of Samuel’s personal support of Saul.

It was important that the first king of Israel feel the support of the man of God. 

* *

!!!! d)                  *Is it not because of the L**ORD **has anointed you (v.1)*:

!!!!! (1)                 God had anointed Saul, and there were many aspects to this anointing which were especially memorable to Saul. 

!!!!!! (a)                 *It was a /secret /anointing*, because it was not yet the time to reveal Saul as king to the nation.

As Christians, our anointing often comes in just such a private way, not in a flashy, public ceremony.

!!!!!! (b)                *It was a memorable and evident anointing*, because Saul’s head was drenched with oil.

Psalm 133:2 describes how messy an anointing could be:

It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down the beard . . .

running down on the edge of his garments.

As Christians, our filling and empowering of the Holy Spirit should be memorable and evident.

Saul could look back on this day, and this event, and know that God had called him to something special as the king of Israel.

!!!!!! (c)                 *It was a prophetic anointing*, because just as Saul was anointed as king, so Jesus is anointed as the King of Kings.

Jesus is the /Messiah /(the same word as “Christ”), which means /Anointed One/.

!!!! e)                  *Commander over His inheritance (v.1)*:

!!!!! (1)                 Samuel reminds Saul that Israel belongs to the LORD, they are *His inheritance*.

At the same time, Saul has an important job to do, because God has placed him as *commander over His inheritance*.

Saul should have tried to be the best king he could be, because he was taking care of a people who belonged to the LORD God. 

 

!!! 2.                  Samuel Tells Saul A Sign To Confirm What God Has Done (v.2). 

!!!! a)                  *The First Sign: You will find two men by Rachel’s tomb (v.2)*:

!!!!! (1)                 Samuel gives Saul a specific, prophetic word from God, by which Saul can have confidence that his anointing by Samuel was really from God.

If there were no men *by Rachel’s tomb*, or if there was only one man and not *two*, then Saul should know that Samuel was not really speaking from God. 

 

!!!! b)                  *They will say to you (v.2)*:

!!!!! (1)                 If the men by *Rachel’s tomb *do not tell Saul about the finding of the lost donkeys, Saul will know Samuel is not a true prophet.

God gave Saul this sign to make him confident in what the LORD was doing.

!!!!! (2)                 We need to trust in God’s /confirmation /along the way.

God did not want Saul to doubt his calling later, so he gave him a lot of confirmation.

!!! 3.                  Samuel Tells Saul Of Another Sign To Confirm What God Has Done (v.3-4).

!!!! a)                  The terebinth tree of Tabor . . .

three men . . .

three young goats . . .

three loaves of bread . . .

a skin of wine . . .

they will greet you and give you (v.3-4).

!!!!! (1)                 Again, Samuel is giving Saul such specific predictions that they can be exactly verified.

God may have a place for vague, broad words (such as saying to an audience of five hundred people, “There is someone here with a headache . .

.”), but they are not remarkable evidence of prophecy.

!!!! b)                  *Which you shall receive (v.4)*:

!!!!! (1)                 It would be unusual for men to simply give a stranger like Saul loaves of bread.