Covenant 1/17/2021

Well this morning we are continuing our series entitled forerunners of Faith as we look at the life of Samuel and the first king of Israel King salt, but before we get started, let's start with the word of Prayer.

Gracious and holy God we come before you your people. Tview. Thanks for who you are and for all that you have done for us. We recognize that as Jesus said as he ascended into heaven before his disciples all authority on heaven and on Earth has been given to him. The rules and Reigns at the right hand of God the Father Over All Nations throughout all of human history until he returns again. Get us we look out over the landscape of this world over the kingdoms of men. We see disarray. We see kingdoms that have fallen into fruitlessness and sinfulness into open Rebellion violating the laws of God left and right and pay no attention to the Sun. We gather together today. Oh Lord as your church anticipating the day, which you come again and establish your rule on Earth. And yet we recognize that you do rule the heavens and the Earth even today as the king of kings and Lord of lords. We recognize Lord in our own Nation the great struggle that seems to be at play around us as political leaders Vie for authority and rulership as they seek to establish their own fiefdoms in face of the struggle of their own people. We pray. Oh God for your mercy on our land that you will once again refreshed the hearts of the men and women of our nation with compassion and concern and care for one another and we might no longer identify ourselves in separate camps and seek the destruction of those who see things differently, but even in the face of our differences that we might care for one another as common of Brothers and Sisters of the same Nation. Frost Lord as Believers Beyond just Patriots. We ask something even greater that we would stand for you and emits the generation that seems to be moving in a very different direction and that we would do so courageously Until the End sharing the good news of the Gospel no matter the cost not out of Pride or arrogance. There's no room for that in the gospel. But out of a low for those who you have placed in our lives that they might see the truth and it the truth that is found in Christ and Christ Alone might set them free. As we open up your word today. Oh Lord and study a kingdom that arises for the first time in the history of God's people give us insight into your dealing with your Covenant people into your dealings with the world and into your dealings with us to pray all these things in Jesus name. Amen. Well political turmoil is nothing new. It's nothing new in the life of the world and yet it's also nothing new in the life of God's people as we turn to the transition point from the. Of the judges to the. Of the Kings. We receive the emergence of some of that turmoil even in the life of God's Own Covenant people last week. We had the opportunity to look at the story of Samuel young boy whose mother had dedicated him to the Lord even before he was conceived who arrived as his mother fulfill that promise there in Shiloh and and dedicated her son to the Lord and into the care of Eli the high priest of Israel at that time. And we saw what at least for me is one of the most endearing stories of the scripture as the Lord God Almighty for the first time spoke to this little boy. You probably remember last week those words that came to Eli as he lay there and near the Ark of the Covenant in the Tabernacle courts and Shiloh. We hear that he heard a voice calling to him Samuel and he went to Eli in the middle of the night Lord. Why didn't you call me and time and time again this occurred in ultimately feel I realize that it was the Lord who was calling this boy. And this was a special time in the history of Israel because leading into this story throughout the. Of the judges we read that in those days. There was no king in Israel. Each person did what was right in their own eyes. In fact in the opening of the story at the very beginning we read that the word of the Lord was rare in those days is in Visions were very infrequent into this moment in which God engage has Samuel and calls him into a personal relationship with himself is a very significant one not just for Samuel personally, but for Israel if historically the Lord was reaching back into the life of his people and he would speak and Lead through Samuel in a very unique way throughout his entire life. This morning we're going to look at the emerging story of Samuel the young boy turn profit and the call of King Saul. That's the first Monarch. You would come on to the landscape of Israel and you might be surprised to find the kingship. And Israel was not God's original plan for them. But he gave them a king because of their waywardness because they ask for it though. It wasn't what was best for him as he alone was to be their King, but that's exactly how the monarchy begins emits the people of God as will learn today. You got a Bible take it out with you and turn with me to 1st Samuel chapter 3 as we continue the story of Samuel and the story of Saul We got the tail end of the encounter that we looked at that last week between the Lord and Samuel in first Samuel chapter 3 verse 8. And the Lord called Samuel Wilks were told a third time and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said here I am for you called me. Then he'll I perceived that the Lord was calling the boy there for Eli said to Samuel go lie down and if he calls you you shall say Speak Lord for your servant hears. So Sam, you went and laid down in this place and the Lord came and stood calling as it other times Samuel Samuel. And Samuel said speak for your servant hears. Then the Lord said to Samuel behold. I'm about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle on that day. I will fulfill against Eli all that. I have spoken concerning his house from beginning to end and I declare to him that I'm about to punish his house for ever for the iniquity that he knew because his sons were blaspheming God and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever. Quite the first word of the Lord to come to a young boy on the first time that he's ever encounter the person of the Lord. I remember long ago as I've shared with you the sense of the Holy Spirit call in the midst of a Billy Graham crusade. As I had a sense that the Holy Spirit was calling me to repentance and faith in head Faithfully went down and my life changed going forward. I thought that was a difficult one walking down before thousands of people as a young boy, and I played it over in my head before I went with thought to myself. This has to do with me and the Lord who cares what the others think. And yet even what I thought was a challenging Moment In My Life as a young boy and that first time that the Lord really called to me I can only imagine the first words that don't work tape the young Samuel not just words of comfort or I surance are our Salvation is not simply a call to repentance all of those things included or the Lord would not have come at all to this boy. He was a sinful son of Adam is all of us are their gracious words. If they were also a message and a message that he was get to give to Eli and his family a message of judgment. That would have come not on anyone but on the very high priest of Israel in this date the man who had raised Eli from the time that the Lord through Hannah had had entrusted Samuel 2:2 a Eli's care. The Story Goes On In inverse 15 Samuel A until morning video open the doors of the house of the Lord. This was obviously one of his tasks on a daily basis. There is a young boy caring for the Tabernacle the temple there and Shiloh. He prepared it for the morning worship as all the Israelites would come and offer sacrifices and seek the Lord. He open the doors and turn down the lights. We have some faithful folks here at covenant didn't do that very task. He he opened the doors of the house of the Lord verse 15 and Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. Have you ever been afraid to tell someone what the Lord has made clear to you? Thankfully for us we rarely get a word from the Lord about God's judgement falling personally upon another person. It doesn't spell out that clearly that your neighbor Frank is going to experience my judgment for these certain acts and so go and speak to him. We don't have a specific word like that. We do have a general one. Because we are aware like Eli as Believers that God's judgment has fallen upon the world generally for its in but specifically even in the lives and upon the lives of Those whom we know. There's been a debate in the Christian Community about how to share the gospel fees me just of the love and grace and mercy of God, or do you also have to speak of his judgment to sing and people recognized but if you don't speak of the sin that God has called us to repent from then there is no call to repentance present in the proclamation of the Gospel even in the ministry of Jesus, who is the the most loving merciful and gracious won. The world has ever seen his his word about Sin and about God's coming judgment was clear. Did you know that Jesus spoke more about hell than any of the other prophets combined in all of the scriptures. Why was that because that truthful word of the impending Judgment of God is a car to the sinful people to repent and to call upon the name of the Lord because salvation can be found alone in him to even we as believers. Do the word is General are given a word of of God's Wrath towards sin to share with others. That is a harsh word of condemnation. But a word that is intended to draw them unto repentance. Even we can sympathize here with Samuel in this moment as he was hesitant to share the good news because it came with bad news is Samuel's case. I'm not sure there was a great deal of good news involved in this particular word. First 15 and Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli but he liked called Samuel and said Samuel my son and he said here I am and who I said, what was it that he told you do not hide it from me. I wonder what was in Eli's mind at this moment. He knew that the Lord had been calling young Samuel. He figured that out the night before but I don't think that he lied necessarily had a premonition of what the Lord has spoken to Young Samuel and it's so when he calls Samuel into his presence and in charge has Samuel to tell him what the Lord has spoken. I can't assume that he would anticipate that it was a word directed specifically to e Eli and his family. It seems as if he could tell the hesitancy of the boy to share. Who what was he told you Eli said to Samuel do not hide it from me verse 17. May God do so to you and more. Also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you Do Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him and he said it is the Lord let him do what seems good to him. Answer the word of God's judgment upon the house of the high priest of Israel upon Eli and upon his sons. Hophni and phinehas you recall that they would take advantage of the of the pilgrims who came to sacrifice by stealing the sacrificial meat from them and they would act immorally with the women who cared for the temple. He's with the immoral acts of Eli's Sons for the word of God's judgment fell upon the house of Eli there in his first encounter with Samuel and young Samuel was faithful and courageous the speak the truth in that moment. Are you Faithful and courageous to speak the truth in this moment? What is the truth? The truth is that there is a king who is greater than Earthly Kings a king who has been entrusted with all power and authority who rules and Reigns over the heavens and the Earth whose kingdom is not like any Earthly Kingdom greater and more powerful than all the presidents and kings of all the lands of the world hiking one day will come in great judgment to to make right what we have made wrong to hold me accountable for their actions, not simply in his generation, but in all generations at the books are open and this King of Kings Lord of lords adjudicates good and evil across the whole sweep of human history such bit not a single voice will say it is Judge. It's were false or his judgments were not up. Right, you know the word of that King who comes and you're called to share that message that truth in such a time. Is this do you have the courage and the faithfulness to do just that of a king you not only has authority over all men the right to the judge good and evil put a king who lay down his life. Those who have been Wayward and disobedient might have a path to forgiveness and grace through his very actions. You we have been entrusted with that words in this generation. Do we have the courage to speak it and truth and Grace and love to those that God has placed in our life, but young Samuel was learning what it look like to hear the word of the Lord and to speak that word in grace and truth and with courage and faithful Miss despite what might be the cost. Eddie didn't show here in and its first encounter with a call as a prophet is a follower of the Lord to speak truth to those that God had placed before him and he was faithful and this would be a characteristic that would follow a Samuel throughout the rest of his life time and time again, he would find himself in a position where he would have to speak the truth of God's too powerful individuals regardless of the cost and and Samuel proves faithful not just as a young boy, but as we'll see in the pages that had all the way until his dying day for the lens of 1st Samuel shifts after we established the presence of a of a prophet in Israel for the first time in a long time has heard the word of the lord. We will see the visions of the Lord and is willing to Proclaim those regardless the cost. Alicia's presents and Israel, and we're told that spit from that point forward in verse 19 that he grew and the Lord was with him and he let none of the Lord's words fall to the ground with a great description of being faithful with the words that God entrusted to him hold that we might be understood to be the same. We would let none of those words of the Lord fall to the ground head Israel from Dan the bear shabanu that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord and the Lord appeared again at Shiloh for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord and the word of Samuel came to all Israel. And we find what will be the final judge. And really the first significant Prophet after Moses and even a priest there in the house of the Lord drawing together all of those different responsibilities and Faithfully for filling them in this tumultuous generation. But then suddenly the the focus of the lens shift after the establishment of of Samuel by the hand of God. They are at Shiloh as a leader of the great enemies of Israel return to the scene and you hear of the Philistines. Once again, they're the ones who will become prominent in the stories that follow rise up against Israel attack. Syria called a fact that they brought their forces against Israel and Israel came out to meet the Philistines expecting perhaps to defeat them already given them the promised land and and called them to us to drive out their enemies all the way. They had not been very faithful or dutiful and doing those things and head so they kind of expected that the Lord would be with them and they would triumph over these Pagan Nations. Are the Philistines Drew up against them in the battle raged on the Israelites were experiencing defeat a hundred men fell then a thousand then another thousand four thousand Israelites soldiers fell to the Philistines there at the Battle of aphek in the Israelites were confused. Why wouldn't we be victorious as our forefathers been like Joshua and the Battle of Jericho without lifting Shield or sword the walls of the city fell on the power of God was displayed in front of the began to think what did we do wrong here? And one of the soldiers one of the leaders were not told Who Rose up and said when we didn't have the ark with us the Ark of the Covenant that's where the power is. Not sure what that conversation look like. It wasn't recorded. But the way it plays out was recorded. That's why I guess that might have been the tenor of their Reflections and so they be heading to Shiloh. They sent an Envoy to Shiloh to go see Eli Eli. We've been defeated by the Philistines. We need more power like a child powering up for a video game chapter episode and Tessa. We need the Ark of the Covenant. We need to bring it in the battle with us and then we will have the power to defeat the Philistines. It doesn't seem like the people of Israel were living Faithfully or following the Lord Ginuwine lie during this time. Brother, they saw him driving his superstitious way if we just have the Oreck and we can bring the ark with us into this battle. Then we will have Victory because we will have God. It's not really a view of the God who Reigns and rules over all things, but about the people group who can sing to go and grab their God when they need him and take them wherever they go to ensure that their own plan come to fruition in the way that they have purpose. We ever use the Lord in that way we could get a hold of him to come collect your own plans or give you victory in your own purposes. And so they go when they get the ark from Eli and he gives them the Arkansas and sends his sons to follow along tooth to care for it. Pop knee and Rene Haas. The very ones that the Lord had to take the arc off in the battle against the Philistines around the city of a falcon and the battle begins in as the art comes into the camp. The Israelites have a great shout in the Philistines were afraid they turn to each other and say never have we experienced something like this a God has come into the camp of the Israelites and they were afraid it's so their leaders told you better fight today because if you don't fight with all you have Philistines than the Israelites will be your Masters and you will be their slaves. Did the Philistines encourage one another and strengthen one another and they battled against the Israelites do the Ark of the Covenant was present in their camp and the Philistines over through Israel on that day and the Ark of the Covenant with very presence of God had dwell with Israel from the time that they set out of Egypt have been conquered the greatest nation in the history of the world to that day. The very presence of God. The Ark of the Covenant was lost in battle as a wayward people who turn their back on their lord had lost their way and lost the very sign of God's presence in their community. Eli Baron Shiloh wonders what has happened. His eyes are set on the horizon 4 news from the battle and he waits and he waits and the News comes as a messenger is sent from the battlefield back to Shiloh and the messenger comes into the City and the people begin to cry out in the morning and weep be like here's what's going on there in the city return to the story at 1st Samuel for 12. Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same date with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head signs of morning signs of bad news. The people would have been able to see it even from far away when he arrived Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching for his heart trembled for the Ark of God. And when the men came into the city in and told us the news all the city cried out when he like heard the sounds of the outcry he said what is this up for? In the man hurried and came and told Eli. Yeah, I was 98 years old and his eyes were set so that he could not see and the man said that he like I am he who has come from the battle I fled from the battle today and he said how did it go? My son? You brought the news answered and said Israel is fled before the Philistines. And there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, hophni and phinehas. Are dead. And the Ark of God has been captured. As soon as he mentioned the Ark of God Eli fell over backward from his feet by the side of the gate and his neck was broken and he died for the man was moving heavy. Did Judge Israel 40 years? The word of the Lord spoken to the boys Samuel there and the temple was fulfilled. lamentable way As Believers we never rejoice in God's judgment on anyone and I'm sure young Samuel as he realized that God's word and come to pass the the first word that have been spoken to him word that he was somewhat afraid to share. It was faithful and dutiful to share that he did come to pass just as the Lord had said, this is not a power that young Samuel had he cannot control the future of the events or Affairs of men with Samuel watch. He heard God's word and he saw the Lord fulfill that word. The promises of the Lord never fail and the judgments of God never fall short and young Samuel saw and this sad lamentable day God's judgment come upon death a faceless high priest one who had Faithfully judge at least for some. In the life of his real but here in his later years had fallen short for 40 years Eli had judged Israel, and now Samuel would take over that responsibility, but the story doesn't end there. And what is a a tragic summary of Where Israel was at this time that the story continues in first Samuel for 19th his daughter-in-law the wife of Renee Haas was pregnant about to give birth and when she heard the news that the Ark of God was captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead. She bowed and gave birth for her pains Came Upon her and about the time. Milford death the women attending her said to her do not be afraid for you aboard his son. But you did not answer or pay attention. And she named the child Ichabod beautiful name, isn't it? Didn't Roy and Andy consider that name? I don't know if they did. She name the child Ichabod the name was very significant thing. The glory of the Lord has departed from Israel. Because the Ark of God has been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband and she said the glory has departed from Israel for the ark has been captured.

Now, I'm not sure if how often you've gone through a survey of of the Old Testament and and kind of put the stories in dip perspective. You know, we often would jump in here and there and study different things but we've been following that the forerunners of the face the story of Israel from Adam and Eve all the way here now to the Samuel to Eli and we we watch God's hand upon them. And it's really is a tragic moment. Hey, the statement of Eli's daughter-in-law the naming of her child that the grandson of the high. Priest of Israel Ichabod. The glory of God has departed from us. It's a tragic statement about where is real. Was it this time the God who is all the people from Adam and Eve to Moses or Noah and the Ark to bits to the Moses to redeem them from Egypt who brought them out of that land of Slavery to himself his people who had established them in the promised land for these three hundred and some-odd years for him to leave them to depart from them with a great sign of the the lack of repentance and faithfulness that that characterize Israel during this day. Yet the story shifts again into the into the temples of Dagan and in the Philistine lands the Philistines with the capture dark, they they set it up there in the temple of their God before their God as a sign of great victory over Israel that the day going to the god of the Philistines and overcome Yahweh the god of Israel and and they set it up and they celebrate and rejoice that certainly they think that their day has come is Israel has now fallen to the Wayside Inn and their priests enter into the temple the next morning and an oddly enough they are before the god Dagon is Fallen upon his face before the Ark of the Covenant was just a stranger again in the next day. They come into the temple and now the statue has fallen the second time and even decapitate it's the head of Dagon is falling off there before the Ark of the Covenant in his hands the signs of his power have also been broken off. The statue that they lie there on the threshold and the priests realized that something greater than just a coincidence is taking place in so they drive dark of the Covenant out to another Philistine City and yet the same type of God's judgement falls on those cities several Philistine cities experienced the Judgment of God as they try to celebrate over the Lord by showing the art to their people the point in which he did the Philistines send the ark back to the Israelites. Realizing that though. They defeated them in battle. They have not defeated their God. And the story of Samuel grows into sharper Focus. It's clearly a time of reflection for Israel. The news of the loss of the Oracle had spread like wildfire on chore the Lost of the Philistines as well, very significant. It's a during that time. It seems that there was a season of repentance Samuel now the prophet the voice of the Lord and Israel is proclaiming the goodness of God is calling the people of Israel to repent to return to him to return to the Lord and it seems like the people are beginning to listen during this. About 20 years passes and the people finally come to the point of repentance. And so Samuel calls them to the the city of Sparta come before the Lord as one body is one nation. We find it in 1st Samuel 7 verse 3 to call them to do a day of National Prayer to a day of national repentance. Here's what Samuel says to the people as they once again begin to turn their hearts to the Lord for Samuel. 7:3 Samuel said to all the house of Israel. If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart then put away the foreign gods in the ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines to the people of Israel put away the Bales and the astronaut those were the gods of the Philistines and Canaanites and Amethyst take it on the gods of the land and they serve the Lord only. There in that moment. Was it with the day of repentance the Lord and sent Samuel it was not an accident. He placed his word in his heart on a single word of the Lord did Samuel let fall to the ground any Proclaim that word to God's people even in the face of one of their greatest defeat there in the land of Canaan. The Lost of the Philistines the loss of the very Ark of the Covenant the Lord began to work in the hearts of his people and they began to repent Spirit mitz-vah. They were willing to turn their backs on their idols and call upon the name of the Lord. And yet even in that very moment has Israel repented philistia sought revenge and the the the the kings of the Philistines gathered around Israel their admits pop to attack them in the midst of this time of worship and the people were terrified 1st Samuel 7 7 through 11. When the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered admits pop. The Lords of the Philistines went up against Israel and when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. And the people of Israel said to Samuel do not cease to cry out to the Lord Our God for us that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines. 2 Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord and Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel. And the Lord answered him. Has Samuel was offering up the burnt offering the Philistines Drew near to attack Israel, but the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion and they were defeated before Israel. And the men of Israel went out from its paw and pursued the Philistines and struck them as far as below Beth car. Now that's a turd in the story and a positive one that here under the that the ministry of Samuel that God's people once again as they had done periodically repented and the Lord demonstrated if hit a great sign of a power not by the power and strength of Israel by the power and strength of the Lord as he had done in the past for them has his people he does once again and he strikes down the Philistines on that date with great Thunder and a mass of confusion and he makes it clear to Israel as he had made clear to Samuel that his word never fails and he is a God who is faithful even when we are faithless. And you would think it hope it from here things would improve and get it doesn't seem like that's the case. Read a little bit Fourier. About a new epic that enters into the life of Israel as Samuel ages and grows and 1st Annual 7:15. We're told after this event that fits and you'll judge Israel all the days of his life. He went on a circuit year by year to the Bethel to gilgal in Mitzvah and he judged Israel in these places. They would return to Rama for his home was there and they're also he judged Israel. But is he Grew Older a new leader needed to come to the Horizon and there wasn't one that was clearly insight into the people were concerned and they turn their trust in a different direction again and chapter 8 we read with Samuel became old he made his son's judges over Israel. Is that sound like a familiar story you think of Eli whose sons became leaders in Israel now Samuel has grown sons and he makes them judges over Israel thinking that they will continue the line of leadership that that he had taken on from from from Eli himself. A dream of his firstborn son was Joel in the name of his second of Aisha. They were judges in Be'er Sheva. It is sons did not walk in his ways. But turned after game they took bribes and perverted Justice. I don't know when we read the story of Eli and you read about the waywardness of his son that you stopped and thought yourself cool. What kind of man was Eli that his sons would follow in this way and scripture even said the Judgment that fell on Eli was because he turned a blind eye to what his sons did he was complicit in that he tried to warn them, but he then pretty much took his hands away as opposed to to bring punishment or or or or or some kind of a correction to them until it's strange to hear that Samuels sons did not grow up Faithfully, but they too were wayward. You were told that if you raise a child in the way of the Lord that when they grow, they will not depart from it. But the truth is we can do our best to fit to fit to point them in the way of the Lord to care for them and the directive and yet they are their own people. They do make their own decision. Eli's Sons were Wayward not too surprising as we learn about how Eli's life came to a conclusion. But so too were Samuel son. And that is a surprise because Samuel at no point turned his back on the Lord certainly hidden failed in Courage them to do. What was right yet verse 3, his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after game. They took bribes in perverted Justice. It's all the Elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel A trauma and said to him behold you are old and your son's they do not walk in your ways. Now a point for us a king. Did Jaja like all the nation?

But the thing displeased Samuel when they said give us a king to judge us that was a shift. a shift you notice that was not initiated by the Lord, but by the people of Israel dismiss dismiss establishment of Judges this did the rule over to help us in the time. He's not working for us and we know that the Lord is supposed to be our King. We know that he is the one who defeated Fair Oaks put these under leaders these judges. They just don't they don't give us power. They don't give us the security that we need if we had a cane like Egypt or a king like the Philistines do it. Maybe then we could establish our dominance how we understand the Lord's plans. We understand the sanctuary the Temple of the priests the prophets the judges if it's simply not working out if we had a king. And we would live safely and our land would grow Mighty and Powerful. Appoint for us a king to judge us the people said with this thing displeased Samuel. Return to the Lord in prayer the last thing we'll see here today. Daniel Prayed to the Lord And the Lord said to Samuel. Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, but they have not rejected you. But they have rejected me. For being King over them. According to all the Deeds that they have done from the day. I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day forsaking me and serving other gods so they are also doing to you. Now then obey their voice only you shall solemnly warned them and show them the ways of the king who shall rule over them.

forerunners of the faith The men and women who serve the Lord before us. All of these are broken men all of these are broken women. We have seasons in which they're faithful seasons in which it seems that they proved faithless. We watch the story of Israel develop over time and even as a nation faithful moments in faceless ones faithfulness and repentance there admits pop on the mountain as the Lord delivers them and yet facelessness here as they turn their back on the Lord not simply Samuel and seek a man to lead them a man that can bring glory and Mike and prosperity that they simply do not believe that the Lord has brought. In the weeks ahead will have a chance to look at the the Kings of Israel the first being Saul who will look at next week and the way in which God used these men in Israel to teach them more about who he was but ultimately to point them back to himself. Because in the life of God's people there is only one king of kings and there is only one Lord of lords. Let's close our time this morning in prayer. gracious and holy God

We look back over the pages of scripture. And it's so easy for us to judge those believers who have come before us. Their sinfulness in their shortcomings in turn a blind eye to our own. And yet these scriptures are record your faithfulness and your peoples facelessness as a warning as instruction as correction and reproof as encouragement and exhortation to us. Lord wait, maybe learn to to lift you up as our King. Maybe look for the leadership of Our Lives not in any Earthly president or Earthly leader or Earthly Nation, but maybe look to the one who sits at the right hand of the father Jesus Christ the lord. And may we as we read today like young Samuel be courageous enough not only to live Faithfully under the lordship of Christ. But to speak the word that you had given us to speak in this way were generation that there is a hope Found not in Earthly kingdoms even in the mightiest of kingdom. But there is a hope found in the mightiest to Kings Jesus Christ. The one who died for the sins of those he will save and the one who will come again to take them to be with himself and establish his kingdom in this world. We pray all these things in Jesus name amen, but stand together. Our final song is King of Kings as we reflect on the kingship of Jesus Christ.