1 Samuel 13 What Were You Thinking?

Prophecy Update

Wars & Rumors of Wars

Matthew 24:6–8 ESV

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

Three wars

Hamas vs. Israel

Hamas rockets vs. Israel’s Iron Dome

Last week Hamas, the terrorist group of the Palestinians, attacked Israel

China vs. Taiwan

The tensions between China & Taiwan were highlighted with Speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting Taiwan

China conducted military exercises off coast of Taiwan

Russia vs. Ukraine

The five month war in Ukraine continues

The US has sent billions

Report this week that only 30% is making it to Ukraine front lines

Most going to military contractors like Lockheed and Boeing

The Coming War

During the Tribulation the armies of the nations will gather against God

During the 6th trumpet the forces that were being held back will be released

Revelation 9:14–16 ESV

saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number.

200 Million man army

For a long time it was thought this was going to be Russia

Then it shifted to the Muslim world

Then it was thought it would be China because they could easily get an army of 200 million

This probably a demonic force that will wipe out 1/3 of the population

There will be a battle of the world against God

It’s called the battle of Armageddon

Revelation 19:19 ESV

And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army.

Psalm 2:2–6 ESV

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”

Two things from this passage

First, The world will gather it’s armies against the Lord… and God will laugh

When that battle happens in the Valley of Meggido God will laugh

Second, Vs. 6 “I have set my King on Zion”

Psalm 2 is a prophetic psalm because it hasn’t been fulfilled yet

When will Jesus step foot on Zion?

During his second coming

Rumors of Wars

There are a lot of rumors of wars

Matthew 24:44 ESV

Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Read 1 Samuel 13:1-4

I. vs. 1-7 Israel Irritates the Philistines

The narrative in chapters 13–15 focuses on Saul’s early reign, especially his relationship to God and to Samuel.

We see Saul making foolish and unwise decisions and trying to cover his disobedience with lies.

It was the beginning of that tragic decline that ended in a witch’s house and Saul’s suicide on the battlefield.

At chapter 16, David will come on the scene and the book will describe Saul’s deepening conflict with God, himself, and David. We can trace the downward steps in his tragic failure.

vs. 1 Saul's age

It says that Saul lived for one year

My translation says: “Saul was … years old when he began to reign”

The oldest manuscripts don’t have this, so we don’t know

What we don know is that he ruled two years and then formed an army

The fact that Israel was mustering an army put the Philistines on the alert.

They had garrisons in different parts of the country and monitored the situation carefully

A thousand were with Jonathan: This is the first mention of Saul’s son Jonathan.

He will be a prominent and wonderful part of 1 Samuel.

vs. 3 Jonathan defeated Philistines

Jonathan attacked the garrison of the Philistines: Jonathan was a remarkable military leader.

He repeatedly demonstrated the ability to lead a successful attack. Yet this attack merely wakened the Philistines.

Israel had enjoyed the “peace” of subjected people: everything will be fine as long as you take your place of subjugation.

Through this attack Jonathan proclaimed, “We won’t meekly surrender to the Philistines any longer.”

The Philistines heard of it

Saul blows the trumpet to gather armies

Why did Saul call his fellow Israelites “the Hebrews” instead of “men of Israel”?

The name may have come from Abraham’s ancestor Eber (Gen. 10:21), or perhaps from the word meaning “to cross over”

In Scripture, the word is used primarily by foreigners speaking to or of the Jews, or by the Jews speaking to foreigners about themselves.

You get the impression that the word “Hebrew” was often used as a term of contempt. Did Saul not have respect for his people?

This is the beginning of some questionable character issues

vs. 4 Israel a stench to the Philistines

All Israel heard it said that Saul defeated the Philistines

Saul defeated them?

Why would Saul take credit for that?

Saul plainly took credit for Jonathan’s bold attack on the garrison of the Philistines.

This was a bad flaw in the heart and character of Saul.

His own sense of insecurity would not allow any of his associates (even his own son) to receive credit.

He needed to drink in praise like thirsty men drink water.

It clearly says, Israel had also become an abomination to the Philistines.

As long as the Israelites stayed in their weak, defeated place, the Philistines thought they were good people.

As soon as the Israelites showed boldness and courage against the LORD’s enemies, the Philistines considered the Israelites an abomination.

The same principle is true spiritually in our lives. We don’t war against armies of Philistines; our enemies are principalities…powers…the rulers of the darkness of this age…spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places(Ephesians 6:12).

But our spiritual enemies have the same attitude as the Philistines.

As long as we are weak and subjected to our spiritual enemies, they don’t mind us at all. They may even see us positively. But as soon as we show some boldness and courage against the LORD’s enemies, our spiritual foes consider us an abomination.

If peace with the devil is more important to you than victory in the LORD, you will often be defeated and subjected.

vs. 5 Philistines gathered troops like the sand

vs. 6 Israel hard pressed and hides in caves

Probably many of them thought, “What we really need is a king.

A king would solve our problems.” Now they have a king and the problems are still there.

We often think things will “fix” problems when they won’t at all.

II. vs. 8-15a Saul Eliminates His Legacy

vs. 8-9 Couldn't Wait for Samuel

Samuel told Saul to wait for him at Gilgal.

Then Samuel would preside over sacrifices and Israel would be spiritually ready for battle.

Here we see the second character flaw: Impatience

And he offered the burnt offering:

This was plainly sinful.

First, Saul disobeyed Samuel.

Second, Saul was a king, not a priest, and only priests were to offer sacrifices.

Saul had no business doing what only a priest should do.

Saul decided to perform the sacrifice not more than an hour before Samuel arrived.

vs. 10-12 What Have You Done?

As soon as Saul finished Samuel shows up

If he had trusted God and waited one more hour, how different things could have been!

The last moments of waiting are usually the most difficult and they powerfully tempt us to take matters into our own hands.

Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him:

Now, Saul really overstepped his bounds.

Literally, the Hebrew says that Saul wanted to bless Samuel – perhaps as a priest blesses the people.

Now Saul really saw himself as a priest, first offering sacrifice and then giving a blessing.

Samuel said, “What have you done?”

Samuel knew Saul had done something wrong.

He could probably smell the sacrifice in the air.

But Samuel did not look for reasons or excuses because there were no valid reasons or excuses. All Samuel wanted to hear was confession and repentance.

“I had to do something to impress the people and gain back their support.”

But if Saul had obeyed and trusted God, God would have seen him to victory over the Philistines with or without the people.

Perhaps many Israelites admired Saul for offering the sacrifice. “My, there’s a man of action! He gets things done. I never understood why the priests were so special anyway.”

Saul could have positive responses in the polling data but if God were not with him, it would all crumble.

He should have been concerned with pleasing God instead of the people.

You did not come within the days appointed:

“You see Samuel, it was really your fault. If you had come earlier, I wouldn’t have done this.”

But if Saul had obeyed and trusted God, God would have taken care of Samuel and the timing.

Even if Samuel was totally in the wrong, it didn’t justify Saul’s sin.

We often try to blame our sin on someone else.

Therefore I felt compelled:

“I had to. It just seemed like the right thing to do. I couldn’t wait any longer.”

Even though Saul felt compelled, he was not supposed to be ruled by his feelings. He didn’t have to sin – though he felt like sinning.

vs. 13 You have done foolishly

You have done foolishly:

This is a stronger phrase than we might think.

Samuel did not mean Saul was unintelligent or silly.

The Bible speaks of the fool as someone morally and spiritually lacking.

You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you:

Despite all the excuses, all the reasons, all the blaming of someone else, the bottom line was still the bottom line.

Samuel put it plainly: you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God. God commanded him to do something, and he did the opposite.

For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever:

The whole point in being a king was to establish a dynasty, where one’s sons sat on the throne afterwards.

vs. 14 Lord seeks out Man after his own heart

God told Saul that his descendants would not reign after him. Though he was a king, he would not establish the monarchy in Israel.

But now your kingdom shall not continue:

From these words we might expect Saul to be removed as king at that moment. But Saul would reign for another 20 years.

He would still be on the throne as a king, but it would never be the same because the end of his kingdom and his dynasty was now certain.

The Lord was going to seek someone after His own heart

Though God rejected Saul He did not reject Israel. Because God loved Israel He would raise up a king, a man after His own heart.

Saul was a man after Israel’s heart. He was all about image, prestige, and the things men look at.

But God will now give Israel a man after His own heart and raise that man up to be the next king.

It would be easy to say that the kingdom was taken from Saul because he sinned and on one level, that was true; but it was more than that.

David also sinned yet God never took the kingdom from David and his descendants.

The issue was bigger than an incident of sin; the issue was being a man after God’s own heart.

God was looking for this kind of man and God found this man in an unlikely place.

In fact at this time, he wasn’t a man at all! God is still looking for men and women after His own heart.

If David had some of our sins then we can have his heart. We can love and pursue God with the kind of focus and passion David had.

vs. 15 Samuel departs

After Samuel delivers God’s verdict he gets up and leaves

You almost get the sense that with him is the presence of God

Saul would never be the same

III. vs. 15b-23 No Weapons to Be Found

vs. 16 Meet in Geba

Saul and Jonathan meet up in Geba or Gibeah

There is only 600 men against an army that has men like the sands of the sea

vs. 17-18 Raiders invade Israel

The Philistines didn’t even need to attack

All they had to do was send out bands of raiders and do whatever they willed

vs. 19 A weapons ban

It was bad enough that Saul lacked men, but it was even worse that his men were not properly equipped.

When the Philistines moved in and subjected the land of Israel to their rule, they deported all the ironworkers so that the Jews couldn’t make weapons or even repair their farm implements.

vs. 20-21 Cost of doing business

They even had to pay exorbitant prices to have their implements sharpened.

The Jewish army was small in number and had small supplies of weapons, but they had a great God, if only they would trust Him.

vs. 22 Only two Swords