Samuel & Saul
Notes
Transcript
Judges
Judges
Judges is a sad book, where everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes. The time period of Judges covers about 300 years. 300 years of the people are continually rebelling against the Lord, worshipping other gods, and then, when things get bad enough, turning to the Lord to save them.
When they cry out, God, in compassion, raises up judges for them, but many of the judges are also doing things that are bad, and leading the people away from the Lord.
A recurring theme in Judges is, Judges 17.6
In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.
But there is hope…
Ruth
Ruth
We see in Ruth that God is still at work. He is still drawing people to himself. He is at work in a remnant of people like Boaz and Ruth who will walk in faith—who will trust and obey the Lord.
Ruth ends with Ruth having a child.
Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him.
The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
This, then, is the family line of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed,
Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.
David, a king. David, a good king, the high point of Israel as a nation.
But we are not there yet. David will be Boaz and Ruth’s great-grandson. We have years to go before God raises up a good king from the tribe of Judah as foretold by Jacob as he blessed his sons,
The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
But where are we now?
We continue the narrative of God working in 1 Samuel.
1 Samuel
1 Samuel
In 1 Samuel, the theme of a king for Israel is center stage. It was set up in Judges and Ruth, and will come to a head in 1 Samuel.
1 Samuel 1 introduces us to Elkanah, who was an Ephraimite. Actually, he was from the tribe of Levi, but that tribe had no land of their own, only cities in the midst of the other tribes’ lands. This was so that the Levites would be a godly influence among all the people as they were the priests and caretakers of the tabernacle of the Lord.
What is good about Elkanah is that he was faithful to worship and serve the Lord.
Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord.
Lord Almighty / Lord of Hosts
Lord Almighty / Lord of Hosts
Here in 1 Samuel 1.3, we find the Lord given this title, “Lord Almighty,” or “Lord of Hosts.”
This title is first used in this verse, and then occurs over 300 times in the rest of the scriptures. The emphasis of this title is that God is the Sovereign King. He is over all. His authority and dominion are over all. His will WILL be done. He will work out all of his purposes in his time.
And that is what 1 Samuel is about. God is the Sovereign King, even when everything is so bad, and it appears that there is ‘no king in Israel’, and ‘everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes’. God is still sovereign. He is on His throne, and is at work to bring his purposes to fruition.
Elkanah worshipped this Sovereign Lord, and so do we.
Elkanah had two wives, Hannah, his wife who was barren, and Peninnah who had children. In the culture of that day, if a wife was barren, the men would often take a second wife so that they would have children to continue the family line.
Barrenness was a huge deal in that day, and Hannah suffered ridicule and shame because of her barrenness. However, Hannah did not become bitter toward the Lord because of her barrenness. Instead she would turn to the Lord.
In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.
And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
Eli was the priest in those days. He saw Hannah praying, with her mouth moving but no words coming out, and he accused her of coming to the tabernacle drunk. When Hannah told him she was crying to the Lord in anguish, he wished her well, saying, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him.”
Hannah goes home, and God does grant her prayer, and she bears a son and names him Samuel.
She stays home with the boy for 3 years, and then they take him to the tabernacle and give him into full-time service to the Lord.
When she brings him to serve, she does not come in tears and weeping. She praises the Lord. Let’s look at her prayer.
Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.
“There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.
“Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.
“The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry are hungry no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.
“The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.
The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. “For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; on them he has set the world.
He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness. “It is not by strength that one prevails;
those who oppose the Lord will be broken. The Most High will thunder from heaven; the Lord will judge the ends of the earth. “He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
This is a great prayer and praise of the Lord!
Let’s look at it, again, and see what we learn about the Lord.
What do we see about God?
He is the Sovereign Lord, Lord Almighty
He is deliverer
He is holy
He is our Rock
What do we see about God?
He knows and sees all
He will restore his people who are down-trodden
He resurrects the dead
What do we see about God?
He is in control
He is the Creator
He is the Judge
He will raise up his king, his anointed
Hannah rejoiced in the Lord! She was about to leave her only son, the one she had longed for, for so long. Her son was only 3-4 years old, and she was going to leave him at the temple to serve the Lord. Her heart had to be breaking. Yet, she had such a high view of God, she had such faith in God, that she could trust this small child into his care!
And that was no small act of faith. To understand it more fully, we need to know the situation at the tabernacle.
Perhaps 1 Samuel 2:12 sums it up best, 1 Samuel 2:12 “Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord.”
Eli and Sons
Eli and Sons
1 Samuel 2 tells in detail some of what Eli’s sons were doing, taking meat from the people before the sacrifices were done, so that they would get more meat, and the choicest meats. And the problem is, Eli didn’t stop them. In fact, he was growing fat along with them.
It wasn’t until later, when Eli learned that his sons were sleeping with women who were helping at the tabernacle that he gave them a warning.
Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours.
No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good.
If one person sins against another, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will intercede for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death.
But even this fell short of what should have been done. He should have removed them from the priesthood. He should have carried out the law, stoning them to death. As the High Priest he was to set the example. As priests his sons would bear a stricter judgment from the Lord. In fact, that is what God already determined to do.
God sent a prophet to confront Eli.
Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh?
I chose your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings presented by the Israelites.
Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’
“Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.
The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age,
and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age.
Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life.
“ ‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day.
I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always.
Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead, “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.” ’ ”
Eli was complicit with his sons in their wickedness. They were all growing fat from their practices. He was not a faithful priest to the Lord.
And it was into this household that Hannah was giving her son. That is faith. That is faith that can only come from a high view of the Lord of Hosts, the Sovereign King over all.
And the Lord was faithful. While Eli and Sons were wicked, listen to the contrast.
This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.
But Samuel was ministering before the Lord—a boy wearing a linen ephod.
Samuel was a little boy who was a better priest than Eli and sons.
Samuel hears the Lord
Samuel hears the Lord
1 Samuel 3 is a well-known account of how Samuel becomes a prophet, hearing the word of the Lord and telling it to the people.
And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle.
At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end.
For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them.
Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’ ”
What do we see about the Lord?
God is the sovereign Lord
He uses those who are faithful to him
He judges those who are not faithful
1 Samuel 4-6, The Ark
1 Samuel 4-6, The Ark
God did not let the Philistines think that their god was greater.
God made it known that He is sovereign, and things happen as he wills, not as man ‘accomplishes’ on his own.
What do we see about God?
He is sovereign
He shows his sovereignty to all
1 Samuel 7, Samuel leads Israel in Repentance
1 Samuel 7, Samuel leads Israel in Repentance
So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”
So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.
Then Samuel said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and I will intercede with the Lord for you.”
When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Now Samuel was serving as leader of Israel at Mizpah.
Philistines hear
Israel is afraid
Samuel says do not be afraid
While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites.
What do we see about the Lord?
God is sovereign
When people repent and confess he saves
1 Samuel 8, Give us a king
1 Samuel 8, Give us a king
And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.
As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.
Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”
Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king.
He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.
Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.
He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants.
He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants.
Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use.
He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.
When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us.
Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”
When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord.
The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.” Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”
There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bekorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin.
Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else.
Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you ruler over his inheritance?
Samuel summoned the people of Israel to the Lord at Mizpah
and said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’
But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your disasters and calamities. And you have said, ‘No, appoint a king over us.’ So now present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans.”
They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller than any of the others.
Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the man the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” Then the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
And so, Israel got the king they wanted, after rejecting the Sovereign King who was over them.
But, did this thwart the works and plans of the Lord of Hosts, the Sovereign One?
No. We will see that next week.
But for this week, consider this:
What is your view of the Sovereign Lord?
What is your view of the Sovereign Lord?
Reread the praise of Hannah. Consider her faith. Her faith was strong because of her view of the Sovereign Lord. What is your view of Him? How would a higher view of the Sovereign Lord impact your faith, and hence your life?
