1 Samuel 11; A Serpent and A Savior

Introduction

Image:

In 1915 the US government ordered the analysis of a well-known product, Clark Stanley’s Snake Oil Liniment. The analyst found that its main constituents were “a light mineral oil (petroleum product) mixed with about 1 per cent of fatty oil (probably beef fat), capsicum, and possibly a trace of camphor and turpentine”. Since the product contained no snake-derived oil, Stanley was taken to court and found guilty of misbranding and misrepresenting the product. He was fined $20 — the equivalent of about $430 (£280) today.

These snake oil salesmen were trying to sell people promise of relief. They were selling people something that had all these promises but not delivery. Not only that, but even if these products had snake oil the product could not deliver all these promises that were being made. The only thing related to a snake in this whole ordeal was the salesman.

This morning we are going to look at a man -a snake- that wants to make a deal with God’s people. He will save them from death but at a terrible cost. This small story in the book of 1 Samuel is actually a picture of the larger story that the entire Bible is telling.

Need:

This passage will show us our need for a saviour from this serpentine tyrant. We also see our need to see our need for better promises than these snakes can provide.

Topic:

Snakes, Saviors, and Covenants

Referent:

1 Samuel 11

Organization:

A Serpent

A Savior

Application

Sermon in a sentence:

My covenant is with the savior not snakes.

The Serpent (vs. 1-4)

v. 1

Nahash is serpent in Hebrew. This serpent king comes against God’s people to humiliate them and weaken them.

Dagon is some time of fish or reptile god - ch. 5

Goliath is described as some kind of scaly beast that also represented Dagon - ch. 17.

The Ammonites had always been a problem for Israel.

Gen 19- Lot and his daughters produce the Moabites and Ammonites.

Exodus 23:20–27 “20 “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. 21 Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him. 22 “But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. 23 “When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out, 24 you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces. 25 You shall serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. 26 None shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. 27 I will send my terror before you and will throw into…”

Jabesh-gilead was last seen in their act of cowardice by not fighting against Benjamin.

Judges 21.

Likewise, here they are again showing their cowardice before this king.

The irony cannot be lost. The people of Israel wanted a king like all the other nations. Now, they are under a king from the nations.

Remember, wanting a human king was a rejection of God. How much worse could it be that they were about to enter into a covenant and make an Ammonite their king?

vs. 3

Israel asks for seven days to find a savior for themselves. But God already promised to be their savior!

v. 4

Israel rightfully wept at the wickedness of this king and his covenant.

RELEVANCE

The Expositor’s Bible, Volume 2: Samuel to Job Chapter XV: The Relief of Jabesh-Gilead (1 Samuel 11)

We see here the sad effect of sin and careless living in lowering men’s spirits, sapping courage, and discouraging noble effort. Oh, it is pitiable to see men tamely submitting to a vile master! Yet how often is the sight repeated! How often do men virtually say to the devil, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee”! Yet how often do men virtually give themselves over to serve a vile master, to lead evil or at least careless lives, to indulge in sinful habits which they know they should overcome, but which they are too indolent and self-indulged to resist! Men and women, with strong proclivities to sin, may for a time resist, but they get tired of the battle; they long for an easier life, and they say in their hearts, “We will resist no longer; we will become your servants.” They are willing to make peace with the Ammonites, because they are wearied of fighting. “Anything for a quiet life!” They surrender to the enemy, they are willing to serve sin, because they will not surrender the ease and the pleasures of sin.

But sin is a bad master; his wages are terrible to think of.

Proverbs 12:10 ESV

10 Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.

The Savior

v. 5

The first time we see the publically anointed king, he is in the fields where he should be.

v. 6

Saul is empowered by and acts upon the leading of the Spirit of God.

RELEVANCE

We must allow our actions to be lead by the Holy Spirit of God. We need righteous indignation! We need men willing to go to war - physically and spiritually! We need Godly leaders that are willing to do the hard things that God commands.… This is a wonderful opportunity to remind ourselves to pray for our president, our governor, our town council. They need to rule as deacons of God.

At the same time, we need to be careful to not hide behind spirituality for carnality. We don’t gossip we were sharing prayer requests. We didn’t loose control or our anger we were just showing righteous indignation.

v. 7

God sent fear upon the people so that they would listen to Saul.

God blessed the man that was willing to fight God’s enemies. David will see this same blessing.

vs. 9-11

The snake was going to pluck out the eyes of God’s people. God reverses the curse of the snake by plumbing his men to their death in darkness.

The salvation brings the heat and light of noon day.

vs. 12-15

The people recognize Saul as the appointed king sent from God.

Saul extended salvation even to those men that taunted him and scorned him.

This story in 1 Samuel is like a replay of the Garden of Eden. Satan and his offspring want to kill and destroy God’s people. Yet, this story also points us forward the incarnation and ministry of Jesus. Our savior and king has crushed the head of the serpent at the cross.

Genesis 3:14–15 ESV

14 The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

This is why Jesus, “the Son of God appeared to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

Application

Crush the head of the serpents in your life.

Conclusion

Snake-handling KY pastor dies from snake bite

MIDDLESBORO, Ky. (AP) - A snake-handling Kentucky pastor who appeared on the National Geographic television reality show "Snake Salvation" has died after being bitten by a snake. According to a news release from the Middlesboro Police Department, someone called first responders at about 8:30 p.m. on Saturday regarding a snake-bite victim at a church. When the ambulance arrived, they were told that Jamie Coots had gone home. Contacted at his house, Coots refused medical treatment. Emergency workers left at a little after 9:00 p.m. When they returned about an hour later, Coots was dead.

Brothers and Sisters, we do not make covenants with snakes. We should crush the snakes that creep into our lives.