Samuel, Saul, and the Son of Jesse

God LOVES to be TRUSTED!!

1 Sam 13, 15, 16 - selected passages

Key Verses - 1 Sam 13:14, 1 Sam 15:22, 1 Sam 16:7,

Big Idea: Saul’s heart is set on himself. He thinks he can figure out on his own the best way to be king, even when that means setting aside God’s word. When push came to shove, Saul chose his word over God’s word. The Lord is not concerned with our outward offerings but on a humble and obedient heart.

Opening Illustration: Snowboarding and taking the wrong trail - on purpose - because I thought I knew the better than those who made the rules...

OUR CHOICES MATTER - What we do is important. WHY we do what we do is VERY important.

PRAY

History/Background

God created man and was in fellowship with Adam and Eve. Adam sinned and thus was separated from God.

Man became increasingly violent and sinful, so God started over with Noah and his family. Man disobeyed God by building Babel and not spreading out.

God chose one man Abraham to make a nation Israel that would His people and would be different and would bless the world.

Israel eventually starts crying for a king, “to be like everyone else."

God gave them what they asked for - enter King Saul

Choice and Handsome - not a more handsome man in Israel

Taller

LOOKS LIKE A KING!!

Defeated Ammonites!

1 Samuel 12:14–25 NASB95

“If you will fear the Lord and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the Lord, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God. “If you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the command of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers. “Even now, take your stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes. “Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call to the Lord, that He may send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the Lord by asking for yourselves a king.” So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil by asking for ourselves a king.” Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. “You must not turn aside, for then you would go after futile things which can not profit or deliver, because they are futile. “For the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself. “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way. “Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. “But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king will be swept away.”

FEAR THE LORD - DO WHAT HE SAYS

Why? BECAUSE YOU TRUST HIM!!

SAUL - STRIKE 1

Saul - first mistake - 1 Sam 13 - Sacrificing

Jonathan his son - won a battle against the enemy - the Philistines, neighbors. Philistines bow up and come after Israel

Israel gets scared - started deserting and leaving army and going off to hide.

Saul was waiting on Samuel, the prophet/priest

1 Samuel 13:8–14 NASB95

Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, “Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and to greet him. But Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not asked the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.” Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, for now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. “But now your kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

TEACHING POINTS:

Saul ACTED FOOLISHLY. He got nervous in the hard time and did what OTHER KINGS DO. But that is not what GOD WANTED HIM TO DO

Sin brings consequence. Strike 1 cost him the kingdom.

SAUL - STRIKE 2

Amalekites

1 Samuel 15:1–3 NASB95

Then Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the words of the Lord. “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. ‘Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”

Saul had one thing to do - be used by God for divine judgment.

BUT, instead, Saul

captured the king and the best sheep, cattle, lambs, and all that was good.

Destroyed only things that were worthless to them.

The Lord tells Samuel that He is sorry He made Saul the king.

Samuel rolls up on Saul and asks how it went. Saul is celebrating, he had just set up a monument to himself.

Samuel, “Why do I hear sheep and cattle?"

Saul, “Um…the soldiers wanted to keep them, we kept the best for sacrifices to the Lord."

Samuel, “Sacrifices, huh? Well, let me tell you what the Lord told me last night. - He said, “I took him from being very low and made him king and gave him one mission and he did evil and disobeyed."

1 Samuel 15:20–23 NASB95

Then Saul said to Samuel, “I did obey the voice of the Lord, and went on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. “But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” Samuel said, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king.”

TEACHING POINTS:

Saul KEEPS SINNING!! He didn’t learn. He does NOT TRUST GOD.

God is done with Saul

Saul’s heart is set on himself. He thinks he can figure out on his own the best way to be king, even when that means setting aside God’s word. When push came to shove, Saul chose his word over God’s word. The Lord is not concerned with our outward offerings but on a humble and obedient heart.

The HEART that PLEASES the LORD

1 Sam 16 - Anointing of David

Sam’s upset about King Saul, had high hopes for him and was utterly disappointed

God sends him to a little town - Bethlehem - to Jesse’s house

1 Samuel 16:6–13 NASB95

When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” Next Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the children?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

Teaching Points:

GOD does not judge men like we do. We can only see the outward appearance.

GOD SEES THE HEART!

GOD chooses DAVID - the man after His own heart.

Application:

Do you really believe in God? Really?

What do you do when you don’t know what to do?

Who do you trust when you don’t know what to do?

What does it take for you to sin against God?

Israel wanted to have her security in a man they could see - just like everyone else.

They had no faith.

Saul wanted popularity with his soldiers and people. Saul was afraid of other men - the Philistines.

He had no faith.

God LOVES to be trusted. He chose David, someone - though far from sinless - was one we feared God and loved His word. David trusted God!