2020 5/11 #30 -

I was in my early 20’s and singing with a Gospel Quartet. We had been engaged to sing at 3-day a cross-denominational gathering at a local college. The guest speaker was Bruce W. Thielman - at the time from Grove City College. I had never heard of him before. And he preached on our passage today from 2 Samuel 1. I’ve never forgotten it, and never will.

We’ll look at that a bit closer today. I’m Reid Ferguson and we’re glad you’ve joined us today as we are going Through the Word in 2020.

Our 4 reading selections for today are 2 Corinthians 4:1–6; Mark 10:1–12; 1 Samuel 31–2 Samuel 2:11 and Psalm 88

As I mentioned a moment ago, I want to look at the death of King Saul as recorded in 1 Samuel 1.

This is a great example of learning where we need to be careful readers, connecting up passages that shed light on each other, and seeing how the Scripture also makes its own application in places.

In the first case, as Dr. Thielman preached, he made the connection with vs. 14 where the man who claimed to have finally ended Saul’s life and brought David Saul’s crown, identified himself as an Amalekite. Why was that significant? Because back in 1 Samuel 15, God had pronounced judgment on the Amalekites for their previous sins - and commissioned Saul to wipe them out completely. Something he failed to do as the presence of this Amalekite here demonstrates.

In fact, it was Saul’s sin of rebelling against God’s commands regarding the Amalekites that precipitates his losing the Kingdom. So it is 1 Samuel 15:23 reads:

1 Samuel 15:23 ESV

For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”

And what of the application then? That goes back to God’s warnings to His people