I'm glad to hear you're coming to Musselboro.
Can't guarantee you the weather will be any better than it is in Edinburgh,
but it's the honest tune, so you should really enjoy yourself when you come next week.
I noticed that it's NIV that you normally have.
I'm reading from the ESV, if that's okay.
You'll notice the opening verses are slightly different,
and I'll explain that just in a wee minute.
1 Samuel 13 is the passage.
And we're reading verses 1 through to 15.
I was first asked to preach in 1 Samuel 14, so I prepared a sermon,
and then I got an email through saying,
there's been a change, could you preach in 1 Samuel 13?
So I've had the great joy of studying both these chapters.
So there you are.
The person who's speaking next week is ill, you know what to do.
1 Samuel 13.
Saul lived for one year and then became king,
and when he had reigned for two years over Israel,
Saul chose 3,000 men of Israel.
2,000 were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel,
and 1,000 were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin.
The rest of the people he sent home,
every man to his tent.
Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Gibeah,
and the Philistines heard of it.
And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying,
Let the Hebrews hear.
And all Israel heard it,
said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines,
and also that Israel had become a stench to the Philistines.
And the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.
And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel 30,000 chariots,
6,000 horsemen,
and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude.
They came up and encamped in Michmash,
to the east of Beth-Avon.
When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble,
for the people were hard-pressed,
the people hid themselves in caves,
and in holes,
and in rocks,
and in tombs,
and in cisterns.
And some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan
to the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul was still at Gilgal,
and all the people followed him,
trembling.
He waited seven days,
the time appointed by Samuel.
But Samuel did not come to Gilgal,
and the people were scattering from him.
So Saul said,
Bring the burnt offering here to me,
and the peace offerings.
And he offered the burnt offering.
As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering,
behold,
Samuel came.
And Saul went out to meet him and greet him.
Samuel said,
What have you done?
And Saul said,
When I saw that the people were scattering from me,
and that you did not come within the days appointed,
and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash,
I said,
Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal,
and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.
So I forced myself,
and offered the burnt offering.
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.
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 or leader over his people,
because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.
And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal.
The rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the army.
They went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin.
And Saul numbered the people who were present with him,
about six hundred men.
And we'll finish there at verse 15.
Now, if you read the commentaries,
you will soon find out that there are issues
to be discussed with regards to time,
dates, and numbers
in the opening verses of this chapter.
The recorded statistics in the early part of the chapter
apparently are not at all clear.
That's why there's a distinct difference
in IV and the ESV.
They're not clear in the original manuscripts available.
But having said that,
I think you'll be delighted to know
that we're not going to go down that route anyhow.
We're going to leave that important stuff,
and it is important stuff,
we'll leave it to the scholars.
So let me give you a brief context
for the content of the passage
that has been given to me this evening.
Even although in many respects
Israel had rejected God
as their king
at this particular point in their history,
God was still king.
He was still in control.
Their failure did not mean
that God was going to be a failure.
God never fails.
His purposes will always be fulfilled.
They will never be frustrated,
even if it is Saul who's on the throne.
And we need to keep that in mind.
He began his reign
as king of Israel in chapter 10,
I think with a degree of promise, really.
We know from chapter 11
that Saul was given a golden opportunity
to prove to Israel at large
that he could save his people
from any oppressors.
He was hugely instrumental
in bringing relief to the besieged city
of Jabesh Gilead on that occasion
from the Ammonites.
Something the men of Jabesh Gilead
never, ever forgot.
And if you go to the last few verses
of the last chapter of Samuel,
chapter 31,
you will see that it was the men
of Jabesh Gilead
who risked their lives
to bring back the remains
of King Saul
after the Philistines
had beheaded him
and then fastened his body
to the wall of Beth-shan
after they had defeated Israel
on Mount Gilboa.
So the men of Jabesh Gilead
never forgot what Saul did for them.
However,
in spite of what happened
in chapter 12,
by the time this incident
took place in chapter 13,
things had turned a wee bit slower.
Saul had become something
of a lame duck king.
At some point along the way,
even although he's going
to remain king
for many years to come,
before he will eventually
be replaced by David,
the man after God's own heart.
At the end of chapter 12,
Samuel,
he withdraws,
if you read at the end
of the chapter there,
he withdraws
as the theocratic leader
of the country.
Now that Saul
has been confirmed king,
Samuel takes a back step.
And in his farewell address,
he tells the king
and he tells the nation
not to be afraid,
not to turn away
from following the Lord.
He reminds them
that God will not
ever forsake his people.
If not for their sake,
then for his own namesake.
And Samuel's parting shot
in his retirement speech
at the end of the chapter
is to tell them
that he'll not be sinning
against God
by not praying for them.
No, he'll continue
to pray for them
and he exhorts them
to fear the Lord
and serve the Lord
faithfully
with all their heart.
What Samuel is doing
is he's reminding them
yet again
in characteristic,
prophetic manner
that it's never too late
to repent
of their wrongdoing,
never too late
to change their ways,
nor is it too much
to ask
or even too much
to expect
such a thing
from God's chosen people.
So Samuel takes the back step.
He gives his farewell speech.
We come into chapter 13
with a certain degree of hope
that the future,
however short or long,
might be,
could be,
ought to be,
brighter and better
than the past.
But I would not encourage you
to bet your life savings on it.
Chapters 13 and 14
actually constitute
one large narrative.
But we're confining ourselves
mainly to the 13th chapter,
the first 15 verses.
And as Jim Packer says,
we're going to let the text
do the talking.
So we want to begin,
first of all,
by examining the facts.
First seven verses.
In spite of the uncertainty
about the numbers
at the beginning
of the chapter,
it would appear
with closer examination
that whenever
this border incident
took place
at the beginning
of the chapter,
it was at a time
when the nation of Israel
was under Philistine domination.
Saul
had raised
a standing army
at this particular time.
He had a couple
of thousand men
gathered with him
in Michmash,
we're told.
And we're also told
that a thousand men
also gathered
round his son Jonathan
in Gibeah
of Benjamin.
These two towns,
I understand,
were only about
four miles apart.
And the chapter opens
in John Wayne style,
if you know what I mean,
with what is a gung-ho
commando raid
by Jonathan
on the Philistine garrison.
The rugged terrain
in that area,
so we're told,
provided excellent conditions
for guerrilla warfare.
And yes,
you could say
Jonathan's raid
was a successful raid.
You could say that.
But on the other hand,
it seems only
to have served
to rouse the anger
of the Philistines
and precipitate
a Philistine reprisal.
Those are the facts.
What can we learn
from the facts?
Well, we know
that this wasn't
the first or the last time
in the history of warfare
that a surprise attack
had taken place
to kick things off,
if I can use that expression,
in terms of all-out war.
Border incidents,
which is what this was.
Jonathan was involved in it.
Border incidents,
according to Joyce Baldwin,
are a time-honoured method
for manufacturing a war
that will both unite
and galvanise a nation.
And it's hoped,
at the same time,
it will lead
to territorial expansion,
as was the case,
for example,
with Italy
in her war
with Ethiopia in 1935.
The same could be said
of Germany
with Poland
in 1939.
First-strike attacks
against unsuspecting targets
tend to be cheap victories,
as was the case,
for example,
when the Japanese
attacked Pearl Harbor
in December 1941.
It was a great victory
for Japan
in the short term,
but what did it do?
It only served
to awaken
the sleeping giant,
the United States
of America
in the process.
And when you read
the first seven verses
of this chapter here,
the same sort of thing
is happening.
On this occasion,
as Jonathan
initiates
this border incident,
because the text
goes on to tell us
that Israel
began to pay
a rather heavy price
for this act
of aggression,
almost immediately
at the hands
of the Philistines.
In some respects,
on the one hand,
it did unite,
it did galvanize
the nation of Israel
as the Hebrews
were called out
to join Saul
at Gilgal,
but on the other hand,
look at what happened
in verses 5, 6, and 7
among the Philistines.
Let's read it to you.
The Philistines mustered
to fight with Israel
30,000 chariots,
6,000 horsemen,
and troops like the sand
on the seashore
in multitude.
They came up
and encamped
at Michmash
to the east
of Beth-Avon.
When the men
of Israel
saw that they
were in trouble
for the people
were hard-pressed,
the people hid
themselves in caves,
in holes,
in rocks,
in tombs,
and in cisterns,
and some Hebrews
actually crossed
the fords of the Jordan
to the land
of Gad and Gilead.
Saul was at Gilgal.
All the people
following him
are shaking
in their shoes.
They're trembling.
The Philistines
are said to be
as numerous
as the sand
on the seashore,
and they are now
on the offensive.
Saul's troops
in the army of Israel,
they're now outflanked,
outnumbered,
and as we would say,
outgunned.
It's mass panic,
total chaos.
The Israelite army
is not only deserting,
they're apostatizing.
They're abandoning
God
and the ordinary
people of Israel
by hiding
wherever they can
rather than standing up
and showing themselves
willing to fight.
They're trembling.
They're quaking
in their shoes.
You could say
that Jonathan's action
comes across
as a bit of bravado
on his part,
although King Saul
gets the credit,
apparently,
for what had happened,
but it very quickly
leads to disaster
as far as Israel
was concerned.
What are 1,000 men
going to do
with 30,000 chariots
and 6,000 horsemen
and troops
like the sand
on the seashore
that haven't
a dog's chance?
It's a wee bit like
what happened
in the Jacobite Rebellion
in the 18th century.
Just to rake
your wee minds
a bit in history,
Bonnie Prince Charlie,
yes,
he raises
his father's standard
at Glenfinnan,
rallying the Highlanders
in August 1745
when he arrived
there from France.
Scottish army
came down
to this part
of the country
and after winning
battles at Edinburgh
and then out
at Preston Pans,
September 1745,
they marched
very quickly
as far south
as Derby
in England,
thinking victories
on the horizon,
but because of
lack of support
and a wrong strategy,
they turned back
only to be defeated
at Culloden
by the Duke
of Cumberland
on the 16th
of April 1746.
Now,
it all started
so well,
but in a few months
it was all over
in less than an hour
on the field
at Culloden.
And surely
on this occasion,
almost
3,000 years
earlier,
you see something
similar
taking place.
you would have
to call
as a result
of all this,
surely,
you would have
to call
into question
the pathetic
leadership
or lack
of leadership
of King Saul.
The cracks
are now beginning
to appear.
He doesn't seem
to have what it takes
to lead the country.
He has apparently
no clear plans
for the battle
against the enemy.
It's a bit of a hit
or a miss.
King Saul
is showing himself
to be something
of a square peg
in a round hole.
He might be
dark and handsome
and tall,
but he's lacking
in courage,
he's lacking
in confidence,
he's lacking
in communication
skills,
and he's lacking
in plain common sense
when it comes
to the decision-making
process.
He seems
to be
causing problems
rather than
preventing them.
He's showing
himself
to be woefully
inadequate.
We'll discover
more about that
as we move on
into the chapter
just in a moment,
even more so
when you get
into chapter 14.
So having
considered the facts,
if you like,
events that have
just taken place,
come to verse 8
and on from verse 8.
Let's get
what I think
is the main message
that God wants
us to hear
from this chapter
for our own lives
tonight.
Okay,
point number one,
I trained in the
faith mission,
so you're going
to get three points.
Point number one,
examining the facts.
Those are the facts.
Jonathan,
an incident,
border incident,
he wins the day
but arouses
the sleeping giant
and they find
themselves
in a big mess.
And Saul,
he's over it all.
He's messed it up.
Here's the second thing,
playing the fool.
Now,
way back in chapter 10
verse 8,
Samuel said to Saul,
Go down before me
to Gilgal
and behold,
I'm coming down
to you
to offer burnt offerings
and to sacrifice
peace offerings.
Seven days
you shall wait
until I come to you
and show you
what you shall do.
That's what Samuel
said to him.
Go down before me
to Gilgal.
I'm coming down
to you
to offer burnt offerings
and to sacrifice
peace offerings.
Seven days
you shall wait
until I come to you
and show you
what you shall do.
Now,
whether it was
as a result
of what was said
on that occasion
or from another occasion
that we know nothing about,
we pick things up here
at chapter 13
verse 8
with these words.
He waited
seven days,
the time appointed
by Samuel,
but Samuel
did not come
to Gilgal
and the people
were scattering
from him.
So Saul said,
bring the burnt offering
here to me
and the peace offering.
And he offers
the burnt offering
and as soon as he'd
finished offering
the burnt offering,
lo and behold,
who lands on his doorstep?
Samuel.
Now,
the text tells us
that Saul,
the king,
went out to meet
Samuel,
the prophet,
and to greet him
as if nothing
of a serious nature
has happened.
Saul's pretty good
at that.
Samuel,
however,
wastes no time
in beating about
the bush.
He said to Saul,
what have you done?
And Saul said,
when I saw
that the people
were scattering
from me
and that you
didn't come
within the days
appointed
and that the Philistines
had mustered
at Michmash,
I said,
now the Philistines
will come down
against me
at Gilgal
and I have not
sought the favor
of the Lord.
So I forced myself
and offered
the burnt offering.
What's Saul
trying to do here?
He's trying to
shift the blame
onto Samuel's shoulders.
He blames Samuel
for what
took place
by appearing
late.
And yet,
at the same time,
Saul admits
that he hadn't
really sought
the favor of the Lord
for what he had done.
He makes it clear
to Saul,
you've done foolishly.
Now the agreement
was clear.
Seven days,
remember?
Shall you wait
and when I come
I will tell you
what to do.
Samuel said
he would be there
within seven days
to do the needful
but time
was beginning
to run out.
Saul's beginning
to feel the pressure.
What we need
to note is that
although they were
well into the seventh day,
the seventh day
hadn't finished.
The seven days
were not completely over
when Saul makes
his move.
He panics.
He makes his move.
The clock hadn't
struck midnight
but Saul couldn't wait
and instead
he takes the law
into his own hands
and he offers
the sacrifice
late,
very late,
no doubt,
on the seventh day
but before the seventh day
had fully run its course.
No sooner had he done so,
Samuel arrives
and he's on Saul's doorstep.
Now in some ways
you can sympathize
with Saul
as he sees things
coming apart
and as he sees
the clock ticking
and as he sees
as far as his army
is concerned
that they're fleeing
here,
there and yonder
and as he knows
that time is really,
really running out
and Samuel's nowhere
to be seen.
when the ferocious beast
of impatience,
as John Calvin called it,
took over
in the life of Saul.
It could have been
so different.
George Swinock,
the Puritan,
once said,
if we would only
lengthen our patience
we would shorten
our troubles.
Now what Saul did
may be understandable.
How would you
have fared
if you were standing
in his shoes
seven days?
He said he would come
in seven days.
We're getting near midnight
and he's not arrived yet.
What he did
may be understandable
but it's also
unforgivable.
It may have been plausible
but it's not pleasing
to the Lord.
God's word is
indispensable
and he always keeps it.
He's never late
in fulfilling
his covenant engagements.
He's never in a hurry.
He's always in time.
At the eleventh hour
or at a couple of minutes
to midnight
so to speak
Saul runs out
of patience
as he tries to put
sacrifice
before obedience
and ritual
before revelation.
They have been
for the first time
but it wasn't going to be
for the last time.
Wait till you get
to chapter 15.
On this occasion
it's bad enough.
He would receive
immediate admonition
from the Lord
through Samuel
for doing so
but on the next occasion
when you get to chapter 15
it's going to be
a whole lot worse.
It's going to be
a rejection
by God
and not just
admonition.
Saul said to him
on this occasion
what have you done?
Do you know that
just about sums it up
brothers and sisters?
That's the message.
What have you done?
How often
that probing question
is asked
of different people
in the Bible?
And here it is
before us
in this chapter
again tonight.
Let me rake
your memory a wee bit.
Was that not
the question
the Lord asked Eve
in Genesis chapter 3
when she disobeyed
the Lord?
Did he not say to her
what have you done?
It was exactly
the same question
the Lord asked
of Cain
in Genesis chapter 4
after he killed
his brother Abel.
What have you done?
Later on
in the book of Joshua
chapter 7
it's the same question
asked of Achan
when he coveted
and stole
and then hid
the Babylonian garment
along with some shekels.
What have you done?
You know
throughout history
the Lord is asking
the same question
of so many
different people.
What have you done?
And I wonder
we're all here tonight
you're not here
to listen to me
we're here to listen
to what God
has to say.
He's asking
of all of us
that question
tonight.
What have you done?
Have you deliberately
done
something
anything
that you know
you should not have done?
Have I?
God had spoken
have we trampled
underfoot
his word?
How many times
are we guilty
of doing
what we
shouldn't have done?
so often
we're guilty
of disobeying
his word
and it's
by jumping
the gun.
We find it
difficult
to wait
for God's time
so often
we don't wait
for him
to fulfill
the word
that he has
so clearly
spoken to us
even kings
can be impatient
that's what
we're learning
here.
Samuel didn't
fail Saul
he didn't
come on
the eighth
day
he came
late
on the
seventh
day.
it was a
testing time
for him
that's for
sure
but all
of a sudden
his patience
ran out
and he
assumes
the role
of prophet
and priest
as well
as king.
We're not
good at waiting
are we?
I think we
I'm speaking
about myself
we need
to take
a leaf
out of
the
psalmist
book
psalm 40
I waited
for the
Lord my
God
metrical
version
and patiently
did bear
at length
to me
he did
incline
my voice
and cry
to hear.
How long
did Abraham
wait for the
child God
promised him?
Decades.
How long
did Moses
have to wait
until he's
ready to
lead the
people out
of Egypt?
Several
decades.
How long
did David
have to
wait before
he would
eventually be
crowned king
of all
Israel?
It was a
long time.
Saul had
only to
wait seven
days
and if
Saul had
only waited
a few
more minutes
on this
occasion
that's all
things would
have been
a-okay.
Three
thousand years
have passed
since then
but those
three thousand
years I
don't think
haven't
changed
anything.
In one
sense you
could say
well everything
has changed
with the
passing of
the millennia
but in
another sense
you can say
nothing has
changed.
God hasn't
changed has
he?
He's the
same.
Humanity is
the same.
Aren't we
just the
same?
Sin's the
same.
Salvation's
the same.
If anything
we're probably
less patient
in the
21st century
than those
who lived
in the
centuries BC
because this
is so
we're told
the instant
generation
our problem
is that we
want whatever
it is
now.
But slowness
is so very
often God's
preferred method
of working.
He's not
cold, God's
not cold, he's
not cruel, he's
not callous but
he keeps us
waiting sometimes
to the last
minute in
order to do
his deepest
work in our
hearts.
You read
on means
Saul went
on to blame
anybody and
everybody for
what happened
except himself
of course.
No sign of
him owning up
to his sin,
there's no sign
of him repenting
but Samuel
the prophet,
he didn't
stop when he
asked the
question of
Saul the
king, what
have you
done?
No, he
then went
on to tell
Saul what
he'd done.
You have
done foolishly,
he said.
You have
not kept
the command
of the Lord
your God
which he
commanded
you.
And the
same thing
is going
to be
repeated in
1 Samuel
chapter 15
when he
eventually at
the end of
the chapter,
chapter 15,
he admits,
I've played
the fool and
I've erred
exceedingly.
Now we need
to be careful.
What exactly
does it mean
to be a fool
in the Bible?
It's not
referring to
someone who
lacks intelligence.
A fool in the
Bible is not
an idiot.
He's not
a fool here
in the sense
that he's
got no
sense
whatsoever.
A fool
in biblical
parlance
might be
very,
very clever,
but it's
nothing to
do with
a person's
IQ.
In the
Word of
God,
a fool
is someone
who at
that
particular
time,
that specific
moment in
his life,
he's believing
or behaving
as if there
is no
God.
That's what
meant in
the Bible
when it
speaks of
someone playing
the fool.
The psalmist
says in
Psalm 14,
the fool
has said
in his
heart,
there is
no God.
That's what's
meant when
someone is
said to
behave like
a fool.
They've
become a
practical
atheist,
if not an
intellectual and
philosophical
atheist.
In the
Sermon on the
Mount,
remember how
the Lord
Jesus drew
everything to
a final
conclusion by
telling us,
telling the
people who
were listening
to him,
that the
difference
between the
wise man
who built
his house
on the
rock and
the foolish
man who
built his
house on
the sand,
rested on
this very
point of
obedience with
regards to
what God
had said.
It's as
simple as
that.
You don't
need to be
somebody with
a BD or
a PhD to
come to
terms with
this.
What was
the clear
unmistakable
difference between
the two men
in Matthew
chapter 7?
They were the
same in the
sense that they
both heard the
word of God.
No question
about that.
It's not that one
of them heard
and the other
didn't.
They both
heard the
word spoken
by the
Lord.
But the
difference is
seen in
that the
wise man
is the
one who
puts it
into practice
what he
hears,
whereas the
foolish man,
he doesn't
put it
into practice.
Saul knew
what Samuel
said as he
spoke the
word of God
earlier to
him, but
Saul did
not obey
what Samuel
said.
He didn't
do what he
was told to
do.
He went
out and he
did his
own thing
when time
was running
out.
And I
think that's
where so
many of
us fall
down when
it comes
to the
issue,
well,
many issues.
Fellowship
with other
Christians,
membership of
a church,
personal
relationships
with others,
aspiring to
discipleship,
and so on
and so forth.
So often,
we do our
own thing at
the end of
the day,
and we do
it in our
time scale.
people.
It's so
easy.
Do you
not think,
thinking coming
along in
the car,
so easy to
be a
hearer,
but not a
doer of the
word of
God, and
that was
King Saul's
downfall.
Sometimes
kings and
people in
authority,
they think
they're in a
different category
to other
people.
Maybe pastors
think they're
in a different
category to
other people
in their
pride and
presumption.
They forget
there's another
pastor,
there's another
king, to
whom we're
all accountable,
including them
in the latter
part of the
16th century
before he
became James
I of England.
James VI of
Scotland was
notoriously rude
when attending
worship services.
I don't know
whether you know
that or not,
but Ralph Davis,
Dale Ralph Davis
draws our attention
to this.
On one
occasion,
he was seated
in the gallery
James VI
with several
courtiers
when Robert
Bruce,
not Robert
the Bruce,
but Robert
Bruce,
a faithful
minister of
the Word
of God,
got up to
preach.
In his
usual form,
James VI
began to
talk to
those around
him during
the sermon.
On hearing
the chatter,
Bruce the
minister,
he's in the
pulpit,
he paused.
He went
silent.
And as he
did so,
James VI
suddenly fell
silent in the
gallery.
Bruce resumed
speaking,
but as he
resumed to
speak,
so did
James VI.
Bruce ceased
speaking a second
time,
and so did
James VI.
Bruce began
to speak again,
but when James VI
committed the third
offence,
by starting to
speak all over
again,
Bruce turned
and he
looked at the
king and
he addressed
James VI
personally and
directly with
these words,
and I quote,
It is said to
have been an
expression of
the wisest of
kings that
when the lion
roars, all the
beasts of the
field are quiet.
The lion of the
tribe of Judah is
now roaring in
the voice of his
gospel, and it
becomes all the
petty kings of
the earth to be
silent.
I'd love to
have been a
fly on the
wall, see the
expression on the
face of James VI.
But the truth of
the matter is,
even kings can
forget that they
are but subjects
of a greater
king.
In fact, do we
not read in
Isaiah that we
are all grasshoppers?
So what is a
judge?
He's a grasshopper
with a wig on.
And what is a
king?
Well, he's just a
grasshopper with a
crown on.
He's nothing more
than that.
Kings can ignore the
king of kings'
decrees and
commands and laws,
either obnoxiously
and blatantly like
James VI, or
quietly and subtly
like Saul.
In any case,
Samuel primarily
charged Saul with
disobeying the
word of God.
Saul had
behaved like a
fool.
he behaved as
though God had
not spoken.
He behaved as
though God did
not exist.
That's what he
did.
So what have we
been trying to do
here?
Examining the facts,
the first seven
verses or so,
what was going on,
that skirmish.
And then we've
been looking at
Saul playing the
fool what he did
in the light of
all that was
happening and
time running out.
But time doesn't
stand still.
Just one final
thing.
Examining the
facts, playing
the fool, now
facing the
future.
The punishment
was severe.
Read the
chapter.
There are several
things to be
noted as we
bring all this to
a speedy
conclusion.
In the first
instance, Saul's
dynasty will not
continue in the
future.
He's told that.
He would not
enjoy an ongoing
dynasty.
His children would
not succeed him in
terms of sitting on
the throne of
Israel.
Verse 14 makes
that clear.
All that privilege
would be taken from
him because we
know that God had
already chosen, even
at this time, his
successor in the
person of David, the
son of Jesse, who
is said to be a man
after God's own
heart.
At least he was
most of this time.
David will be
someone who is
prepared to let God's
will, as spoken by
God's prophet at the
time, to be a
guide.
At least, most of
the time.
It may sound, as
you read this, it
may sound a stern
judgment on King
Saul.
No dynasty to come.
That may sound
rather severe.
And it would be
easy to think that
Samuel has overreacted
to events that have
just happened.
After all, Saul did
wait, let's face it,
he did wait for the
seventh day.
But the point being
made is that Samuel is
at pains to establish
and underline once and
for all that Israel's
monarchy, of all
monarchies, is
radically different from
every other monarchy
on planet earth.
The God of Israel is a
precisionist.
If he says through his
prophet, I'll be down in
seven days to offer a
sacrifice, he'll be
there.
You may have to wait
until two minutes to
midnight, but he'll be
there.
In the nation of Israel,
the Lord is king above
any earthly king on the
throne of Israel, and
obedience to him is
paramount.
Not just when it comes
to time, but when it
comes to practice.
And that's what was
lacking in King Saul.
God's king should not
function independent of
God's word, independent
of God's prophet, and
even independent of God
himself.
Another thing that Saul
would have to live with
in the future is the
fact that his troops,
read the passage when
you go on, they're
demoralized, they're
depleted, there's only a
few hundred of them left
standing.
They hide themselves in
caves and holes and rocks
and tombs and systems in
order to save their skins.
Not only did those who
followed Saul begin to
tremble, but as an army
they're completely
demilitarized and
completely demoralized.
If you read on, I know
I'm not supposed to do
this, but towards the
end of the 13th chapter,
this is for next week, if
you read on, the only
people left who were
found to have a sword or
a spear in their hands
were Saul and Jonathan.
The others didn't have
any military weapons at
all.
And the picture is
painted of an Israel
that hadn't even a
blacksmith within its
borders.
The people working on
the land had to go down
to the Philistines in
humiliation in order to
ask to have their
agricultural implements,
their plowshares, their
mattocks, their pickaxes,
their axes and their
sickles, get them all
sharpened.
It was Philistine
domination ratcheted up
all over the country and
total humiliation for the
nation of Israel.
But by far the greatest
tragedy is there in verse
15, where he is of
Samuel leaving Saul, note
that, going up to Gilgal,
while the rest of the
people following Saul are
said to be going after
Saul, away from Gilgal to
Gibeah of Benjamin.
What's that telling us?
From that day on, Saul is on
his own.
He's deprived of the
word of God.
He's no longer in the
close company of God's
spokesman.
There's no word from God
being spoken in his ears.
He's without the guidance
of God.
He's without the presence of
God.
He's without the provision
of God.
He's without the protection
of God.
Now, it's one thing for
someone to be distressed.
It's another thing to be
all alone in that
distress and to have no
anchor that will hold
when the storm comes.
That's Saul.
You read the text, you can
sense there's an air of
hopelessness around, the
despair over everything and
everyone.
And yet, there is a
rainbow of hope for the
nation of Israel.
In spite of all that's
happening here, and it's in
black and white, it's in
pen and ink, it's in the
Bible.
There is a ray of hope.
The future doesn't look too
good on the ground at the
present time here, but there
are still the promises and
there are still the plans and
there are still the purposes
of a God who is sovereign.
The God, this God, has already
chosen a king after his own
heart to reign in the person
of David, the son of Jesse, and
his day will surely come in
God's time, with God entering
into a covenant with him to
establish a kingdom that will
last, how long?
Forever.
And a way beyond that, of
course, a thousand years or
so later, there's the
fulfilling of that promise in
the coming of great David's
greater son in the fullness
of the times.
The faithful, obedient king,
the king of kings.
He'll be born in Bethlehem
and at precisely the right
moment.
God is a precisionist.
When his public ministry
begins, he'll announce that
the kingdom of God is at
hand.
He will set up an
everlasting kingdom that
will never be shaken.
He will be the fulfillment of
all the promises, all the
types, all the shadows of the
Old Testament.
And he would then go on to
accomplish all that had been
agreed in the councils of
eternity by the God who is
one in three and three in one.
He'll destroy the works of the
devil.
He'll be given the name Jesus.
He'll save his people from
their sins.
He'll live a perfect life and
then he'll conquer death.
He'll be raised on the third
day and he'll show himself
alive by many infallible
proofs.
He'll ascend to the glory
from whence he had come and
he will send the Holy Spirit
to indwell his people.
He'll make a promise that one
day he'll personally return
in power and great glory to
consummate all things and bring
in his kingdom in all its
fullness.
What you and I have been
looking at tonight, if I can
put it to you just in
conclusion, is just a tiny little
slice of history.
history.
His story.
History.
And here we are.
And we're called to play our
part in his story.
I think the dominating message that
we need to take away with us is
found in those words.
Just let the Lord search your
heart as he needs to search
mine.
What have you done?
Are any of us in this building
tonight, is there even one person
you've done something and you know
you should never have done it?
There's hope.
There's repentance.
Seek the Lord and you'll know his
forgiveness.
The other thing I want to just
leave with you is this.
Saul's failure, yes, and David's
failure because he's going to fail
as well, and everybody else's
failure, including yours and mine,
will never mean that God's a
failure because his plans will be
fulfilled.
They will never be frustrating.
So we're at a wee bit in history.
Just there's the timeline.
Here's Saul.
Here's David.
Here are we.
We're along here.
What's God requiring of us?
The same as he required of them.
When I speak to you, do what I say,
and my blessing will be your portion.
Father, thank you for the Bible.
Thank you for these historical
sections.
Sometimes they're quite difficult to
unpack and unravel, but there's so
many valuable lessons to learn from
them.
We just ask that you'll help us to be
wise men and wise women.
We've heard.
Don't let it go in one ear and out the
other.
Help us to be the kind of people who put
it into practice so that when the
storms come, we know you'll be there.
And we pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.