Looking for Donkeys

Background to passage: Israel decided they wanted a king. Samuel tells them that God said to give them one but they weren’t going to like it. Chapters 9-10 deal with Samuel’s finding and preparing and introducing Saul as King.

1 Samuel 10:1–9 ESV

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. 2 When you depart from me today, you will meet two men by Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys that you went to seek are found, and now your father has ceased to care about the donkeys and is anxious about you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?” ’ 3 Then you shall go on from there farther and come to the oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine. 4 And they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall accept from their hand. 5 After that you shall come to Gibeath-elohim, where there is a garrison of the Philistines. And there, as soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying. 6 Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. 7 Now when these signs meet you, do what your hand finds to do, for God is with you. 8 Then go down before me to Gilgal. And behold, I am coming down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, until I come to you and show you what you shall do.” 9 When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. And all these signs came to pass that day.

Opening illustration: Papa Buck’s US Marshall’s S&W M&P .38 Special, holster, ammo

Main thought: Today we are just going to deal with the identification of the king.

1) The Providence of God (v. 1-2)

1 Samuel 10:1–2 ESV

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. 2 When you depart from me today, you will meet two men by Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys that you went to seek are found, and now your father has ceased to care about the donkeys and is anxious about you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?” ’

1) The Providence of God (v. 1-2)

Explanation: “The providence of God can be defined biblically like this: the unceasing, sovereign activity of God, whereby He upholds, governs, and directs all creatures, actions, and things—from the smallest details to the grandest events—to fulfill His ultimate, wise, and good purposes for His own glory.” God’s providential objectives are threefold: the salvation of His elect, the eternal spiritual good of His people, and the glory of His name

Think about the book of Esther,

Romans 8:28 ESV

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Ephesians 1:11 ESV

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

Illustration: John Piper says that four lessons come from Ruth related to providence: God’s sovereign rule governs all affairs; His providence can be hard but serves a greater purpose; His plans are for our good; and trusting in His goodness grants us the freedom to make bold commitments. The book of Ruth encourages us to trust in God’s hidden work, reminding us that even in despair, He is crafting a future filled with hope. Meeting a 17 year old beauty from South Georgia in the mountains of TN at a kitchen table. Reaching out to Timmy before death, reaching out to Dad before death. Ending up in Maine after being willing to be willing, going for a trip there, then preaching and someone getting saved, then a group of people who wanted a church restart in a nearby town.

Application: Whether it’s the hairs on your head or the bird on a limb in a forest... Whether it’s kings and kingdoms or husbands and wives...whether it’s the stars and planets or atoms and molecules...whether it’s good or evil or stock markets or rockets or wars or cancer or life or death, God is bringing about his good and wise purposes. We can take comfort in that because we can trust God.

We know that there is no being, no power, no force, no anything that is bigger or wiser or stronger or more benevolent than God. So, whatever his purposes are for a particular event or set of events, know that the weaver of the tapestry knows what it is supposed to be in the end; and he loves you through every step of the way. Make a little more detailed practical application.

Pictures of the weaver from Peru

2) The Service to God (v. 9-27)

1 Samuel 10:9 ESV

9 When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. And all these signs came to pass that day.

2) The Service to God (v. 9-27)

Explanation: This was definitely not something that Saul expected. He reminded them of his tribal size and status. He reminded him of his smallness of his father’s household. Samuel told him progressively what to do to this point where he began to understand what was going on. Then all the prophecies that Samuel made began to come true. Then he had a choice...go back to herding donkeys or take what God has called him to. So, he hid. They found him, brought him out, and declared, “Long live the king!” What would he do? Would he accept the kingship and rule as God had commissioned him? Or would he duck and run?

Argumentation:

Illustration: we process chickens so we can do what we really want to do

Application: Not all of us are called to be kings. There is a sense in which our vocation, our station in life, or the actual days of our lives are a calling from God. We know that we are called to salvation; that we are called to be witnesses, ambassadors of reconciliation; called to be salt and light; and called to serve in the body of Christ.

How do you view your job? Is it a place God has placed you to minister to co-workers or customers? When you answer the phone, do you think how can I serve this person like Jesus today? This can happen at more places than CFA.

What about the resources that you have been entrusted with? Your time, is it a ministry? Your talents, skills, personality, gifts, are they serving the King and the kingdom? Maybe God is calling some of you to missions to teach or do business in another country and you can leverage your giftings to further the kingdom.

What about the church? Are you involved in ministry at Western Heights? Are you volunteering somewhere? Are you committed? So many of you are, so let me say thank you, let the body say thank you. The body functions (makes disciples) best when it uses all its members. There are some of you who do not serve anywhere. We have places for you! That Next Steps table has someone there to help you plug in. We have a ministry guide if you have taken the membership class. Don’t wait for someone to ask you. We need:

children’s church and nursery and Wed nursery volunteers

youth help

volunteers in the sound booth

vocalists and instrumentalists

bible teachers

elders

What will you do

Closing illustration: They were committed and unified to a cause: Long Live the King!

What does the Bible say about God’s providence?

The Bible presents God’s providence as his active, purposeful care and governance over all creation—a doctrine woven throughout Scripture though the term itself rarely appears.

God’s Sustaining Care

Jesus teaches that God feeds the birds of the air (Matt 6:25–34), and not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from God the Father, and even the hairs of human heads are numbered (Matt 10:29–31). This intimate attention extends to material provision: God knows what his followers need, and promises that seeking his kingdom first will result in all necessities being provided (Matt 6:25–34). The Psalms celebrate how God gives creatures their food in due season and satisfies the desire of every living thing (Ps 145:15–16).

God’s Sovereign Direction

Beyond provision, providence encompasses divine governance. While humans plan their paths, the Lord establishes their steps (Prov 16:9). God declares plans for welfare and not for evil, giving his people a future and hope (Jer 29:11). For those who love God, all things work together for good according to his purpose (Rom 8:28).

The Cosmic Scope

Christ upholds all things together (Col 1:16–17), and he sustains the universe by the word of his power (Heb 1:3). God gives all humanity life and breath and everything (Acts 17:25–28). His providence extends universally—he makes his sun rise on the evil and good, and sends rain on the just and unjust (Matt 5:45).

Trust Over Anxiety

Jesus instructs believers not to be anxious about life’s necessities, since anxiety cannot add a single hour to one’s lifespan (Matt 6:25–34). Believers are encouraged to cast all anxieties on God because he cares for them (1 Pet 5:7).

Additional biblical passages reinforce this doctrine: Psalm 23 portrays the Lord as a shepherd who provides rest and guidance, while Psalm 121 assures that God keeps his people from stumbling and preserves their life, their going out and coming in.