God's Perfect Plan
Notes
Transcript
1 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”
How Long Will You Grieve?
How Long Will You Grieve?
Grief is a time of intense emotion.
It has to do with loss, and not just loss of life, but often way of life.
God promises comfort for those who mourn.
Why Does Saul Mourn?
Why Does Saul Mourn?
6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.
Samuel was upset and felt rejected when the people asked for a king.
God takes the rejection, but I don’t believe that comforts Samuel.
11 He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots.
Samuel warns them of this king that will rule harshly over them. He is speaking about all the kings, but likely has the first in mind.
18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
On behalf of God, he warns the people that they are going to wish they had not chosen to have a king, but God will not here them when they cry out to him.
19 But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, ‘Set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.”
During Saul’s introduction as king, Samuel reminds the people that what is being done is a rejection of God.
12 And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king.
In Samuel’s farewell address he speaks of the good old days of the judges compared to the new monarchy.
He is still not happy with his rejection, and the idea of a king instead of God.
15 But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.
He warns them that if they rebel against the Lord he will be against them and their king.
17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.”
Samuel performs a sign to show them the wickedness of them desiring a king.
Is Samuel happy with them having a king?
13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
Saul violates the command and sacrifices before Samuel arrives. Samuel tells him that his kingdom shall not continue.
It’s as if Samuel is looking for a good reason to extinguish Saul’s reign for another “after his own heart.”
I hear no lament over the coming change.
10 The word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night.
Why do you think Samuel is angry?
Too simple to say that he is angry because has regretted making Saul king.
More likely he is angry for allowing the people to have a king.
What a dismal failure Saul has been, and all this time Samuel could have been ruling.
He is worried about the people when he dies.
He is worried about the future of the nation he loves.
Can any of you shout in agreement over our country?
Times changing too fast and in the wrong direction?
Has God been rejected as King?
Do you wish you could go back to the old days?
Do you mourn and cry out to God in anger?
23 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.”
Samuel is done with king Saul because God had rejected him.
26 And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
Samuel is really finished this time.
28 And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.
As a final act of rejection of Saul, Samuel uses Saul's pathetic attempt to keep Samuel and God near to reject him one more time.
35 And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.
Samuel does not look upon Saul again until his death.
What is the grieving about?
I believe that Samuel’s grieving is about the fact there is still more years ahead with Saul as king before God replaces him.
elaborate
Why Does Saul Grieve?
Why Does Saul Grieve?
Because a king that God has rejected still sits the throne.
Because a king that God has rejected still sits the throne.
What is the Purpose of Sending Saul to Anoint Someone Else?
What is the Purpose of Sending Saul to Anoint Someone Else?
Samuel is about to go anoint a young man under the age of 15 that will not be king until he is 30.
Why? elab.
I believe there are two reasons that God sends Samuel to anoint David at this moment.
Two Reasons God Sends Samuel to Anoint David:
Two Reasons God Sends Samuel to Anoint David:
1. Samuel needs to be comforted.
1. Samuel needs to be comforted.
God has a tendency to bring comfort to His saints that mourn.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Samuel is struggling with the condition of the nation.
He needs some comfort of hope, to know that something good was coming.
Though God provides this comfort, He also has an expectation, a reason for the grieving to stop.
2. Samuel needs to have faith.
2. Samuel needs to have faith.
1 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”
How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel?
God says “I have rejected him, enough already.”
Samuel, do you believe that I have rejected Saul? No? Get up and go anoint the king that will be after my heart, my choice”
It is all part of the plan.
Samuel is not going to live long enough to see David become king.
Like Moses being given a glimpse of the promised land before he dies, Samuel is giving a glimpse of the shepherd boy who will become king.
God wants Samuel to believe that He is for him and the nation.
God wants Samuel to believe that His plan is going to be awesome, but it will take time.
If you knew that things were going to work out for good, would you stop grieving over what’s happening today?
What Does This Mean For Us?
What Does This Mean For Us?
What can we learn from this moment in Samuel’s life?
How can we become better saints and ambassadors of the Kingdom?
We Must Have a Deeper Faith in the Promises of God!
We Must Have a Deeper Faith in the Promises of God!
There is a path with God that will take you deeper into faith.
6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.
Are you walking by faith?
Are you believing what you see or what God has promised?
5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
A faith that does not rely on the wisdom of man, but in the power of God.
That is the faith you need, one that is not hampered by the affairs and supposed wisdom of this world.
32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
The world needs those kinds of saints.
God has left us in the world to be light, not darkness.
salt and light, but some of you have gotten too salty! Balance the flavor with light.
We Must Stop Grieving the Present and Prepare for the Future!
We Must Stop Grieving the Present and Prepare for the Future!
How long will you grieve?
Fill your horn with oil, and go
It is time to stop grieving and get up, wash our faces and move forward.
We need to get out there and win some souls.
We need to give hope, comfort, and courage in the name of Jesus.
What did God do when the disciples were cowering in the upper room after the resurrection?
He sent the Holy Spirit and they marched out the doors and got to witnessing.
There are plenty of opportunities to help the needy, to help the disadvantaged, to bring community in a divided nation.
The fields are white to harvest, Church!
Let Him send laborers out!
You be laborers!
As we worship, bowing before Almighty God, who has a perfect plan, let’s pray for the patient faith to move forward with His power.