Category: Bible studies

Facing the future can be exciting, intimidating and even scary. Our portrait this morning displays an aging prophet that was upset with what God was allowing in his world. He was not ready to give up the “good ole days” for the future that God was opening. God preserved the record of this struggle, because He knew we would need it!

Key Principle: Following God’s direction means being able to move past our desires to fulfill His desires.

What must we do to move on? Eight decisions we must make:

1. Take the time to reflect on the experiences of the past, recognizing the benefits of learning through them. God loves a healthy memory! (1 Sam. 15:24-35a; Dt. 6:5-12).

Samuel saw Saul understand all too late that he was walking in disobedience (15:24-25). Truth: God only offered a limited number of chances to obey, and Saul’s insistence on self will caused God to withdraw blessing permanently. Because God saves people does not mean that He doesn’t withdraw blessing from defiant believers!

Though Saul begged, Samuel knew that God was not going to change the penalty (15:26-29). Truth: Mature believers know that God is sovereign and has the right to rule. They may want to see unlimited chances, but God reserves the right to be judge.

Samuel still had a broken heart over Saul, so he went to help him worship and then complete his appointed job and kill Agag (15:30-33). Truth: Even the most mature believers lament what could have been for their disobedient friends and family members. We try to make the best of their lives, but their rebellion limits the options. When possible, we should love and serve them to the best of our abilities.

Samuel couldn’t shake the disappointment and grieved (awbal: deep and sore lamentation) over God’s change from Saul to another (15:34-35). Truth: We cling to memories instead of facing what God wants to do and move forward. We find it hard to move on to what God calls us to because we feel more comfortable with the past. God wants us to trust Him as we move forward.

2. Accept the fact that some failures occurred, and know that God has a better view of all that happened (1 Sam. 15:35b).

God regretted making Saul king (15:35b).  Truth: God understands that we don’t understand how each piece of the puzzle of our lives fit together. The revelation of regret was designed as part of Samuel’s lesson. God wanted to allow Samuel the opportunity to not take undue responsibility in the tragedy.

3. Listen to God’s direction for the next step, and get past the past. Remember the importance of complete obedience in God’s work (1 Sam. 16:1).

God spoke words that penetrated Samuel and asked him if he was ready to move on and give up his grieving. God told Samuel to get himself together and go to anoint the son of Jesse (16:1). Truth: There comes a time when delay is nothing more than disobedience and rebellion. We need to be prepared to move on to our next step with God.

4. Be realistic of the pitfalls of your next plan, and talk constantly to the Lord about the plans (1 Sam. 16:2-3).

Samuel asks, “How can I? If Saul hears, he will kill me!” The Lord said, bring an animal and tell people you come to offer a sacrifice (16:2). God said, “Invite Jesse and I will tell you what to do next.” (16:3). Truth: Follow God and He will show you ways to move around any obstacle that may come up.

5. Remember, your success comes from the Lord, not from your plans. It is great to plan, but obedience to God’s direction is the key (1 Sam. 16:4-5). You cannot anticipate everything, but God can!

Samuel obeyed and went to Bethlehem. On his way in an elder asked if he came in peace. He said he came to sacrifice and invited the man along with Jesse and his family (16:4-5). Truth: When you follow the Lord’s direction, you allow Him to show you provision at a whole new level!

6. Don’t fall back into the same traps as you did in the past, rather, celebrate the assurance that comes from a walk with God and obedience! (1 Sam. 16:6-7).

When Samuel saw the oldest of Jesse’s sons, he thought this was the right one. The Lord corrected him and reminded him that outward appearance was not what God saw (16:6-7). Truth: God often takes us through multiple lessons to cover our blind spots!

7. Don’t forget – God measures things on a different scale. “Important” is what God says it is. His vision is what is important! (1 Sam. 16:7b-10).

Each son was brought by, and each time God indicated to Samuel these were not the choice. (16:8-10). Truth: When we see the blind spots that God points out, we can follow His direction more carefully, and the blessing will be greater.

8. Observe – When God chooses a man, God provides the empowering to accomplish His will.

Samuel asked, “Is this all of your family?” Jesse replied, “No, one is tending the sheep.” Samuel told them to send for him. When David came in, God told Samuel to anoint David. From that time the Spirit came on David, and Samuel went back to Ramah (16:11-13). Truth: Where God guides, God provides!

Remember, following God’s direction means being able to move past our desires to fulfill His desires.

Our disobedience has consequences that go farther than even we can imagine. We wrestle to follow God and His Word, but literally thousands can be affected by each step of obedience or disobedience. Today we will see a clear example of this sobering truth.

We hear a lot these days about options. An option is “the act of choosing; choice; the freedom to choose” (Webster’s New Dictionary and Roget’s Thesaurus: published by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN., copyright 1984; pg. 499).

• If I have an extensive educational background and varied work experience, my career options may be more numerous than they would be otherwise. Greater preparation means greater opportunity and varied choices.
• If I go to purchase a new car, I will have a wide range of options to choose from. I can choose between numerous makes and models, engine sizes and creature comforts. I can choose to drive home in a basic car, or a top of the line luxury car. My options are limited only by my ability to fork over the money to pay for my choices.
• Life is full of choices. We make an innumerable amount of decisions every day. Not all of them are necessarily life-changing, but choices nonetheless. However, there are many things in life that should not be considered optional. For instance, I can choose not to eat any food for the next three months; but if I want to remain alive, not eating over an extended period of time is not really an option.
• By the same token, I can choose not to pay any more taxes; but if I value my good name and my personal freedom, not paying taxes isn’t an option that I can afford. Some things in life are simply not optional.
• Too often in our world, and especially here in the United States, we tend to view almost everything as optional—an either/or situation. But as just stated, there are some things in life that are not optional. Our obedience to God should not be one of those things. Oh, certainly we can choose not to obey God; but that is only an option if one doesn’t place much importance on the will of God, His blessings, and closeness with Him.
• I want to consider a man today that lived as though obeying God was optional. That attitude, and the rebellion behind it, was his downfall. The man of whom I wish to speak was the first king of Israel—Saul. We will see in the course of this message, not only the disastrous results of Saul’s lack of obedience, but also some pitfalls for we, as Christians, to avoid.

Three Admonitions will help to keep you where you belong:

Admonition #1: Choose a side.

God has a plan that He is working. Failure to follow His Word puts us on the wrong side of the battle, taking cues from the enemy and not fighting for God’s purposes (15:1-7).

God made it clear it was His Word that was at issue:

Samuel reminded Saul that God used him to choose Saul, and Saul must now continue to hear God’s voice through Samuel (15:1). He distinguished between opinion and God’s truth. This wasn’t his idea, it was what the Word of God was, and must be obeyed.

The Word was not new, but a reminder to obey a previously given command.

Samuel said, “The Lord said He wants the Amalekites punished for previous sin, and you must take My people to do the work – eliminating entirely the tribe and all their animals. (15:2-3). God spoke previously twice through Moses and commanded the people to do this because of the unprovoked attack on Israel in the Wilderness (Ex.17:8-16). Later, God commanded Israel to remember this attack when they got established in the land and destroy all the Amalekites (Deuteronomy 25:17-19). This call from Samuel was a reminder of previously commanded obedience! It was a specific and measurable call to obedience.

Archibald Rutledge wrote that one day he met a man whose dog had just been killed in a forest fire. Heartbroken, the man explained to Rutledge how it happened. Because he worked out-of-doors, he often took his dog with him. That morning, he left the animal in a clearing and gave him a command to stay and watch his lunch bucket while he went into the forest. His faithful friend understood, for that’s exactly what he did. Then a fire started in the woods, and soon the blaze spread to the spot where the dog had been left. But he didn’t move. He stayed right where he was, in perfect obedience to his master’s word. With tearful eyes, the dog’s owner said, “I always had to be careful what I told him to do, because I knew he would do it.”

Our Daily Bread.

Saul began to obey, and appears to completely understand the command.

Saul called together and set the troops in ranks. He laid siege to the city and set an ambush in the valley. He warned the Kenite tribes to leave the area and not get caught in the fighting, as they were not under the curse of God. He then attacked and razed the tent city of the tribe. Saul understood the history and call of Samuel’s instruction (15:4-7).

Admonition #2: Look through God’s eyes.

Without God’s view of the battle, we can be pleased with our performance while God is not.

Saul likely had no concept of the total picture of God’s agenda, nor cost of his disobedience.

Saul killed the people as instructed, but did not kill Agag the tribal chief, nor the best of his animals (15:8). Little did Saul know that the enemy of the people of God would use this time to revive the battle between God and Satan in the people. Agag evidently used the time in captivity to procreate and leave a line on the earth that would come back to haunt Israel in the future (Esther 3:1). The delayed obedience nearly cost Israel elimination in the end (15:8-9).

Radio personality Paul Harvey tells the story of how an Eskimo kills a wolf. The account is grisly, yet it offers fresh insight into the consuming, self-destructive nature of sin. “First, the Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze. Then he adds another layer of blood, and another, until the blade is completely concealed by frozen blood. Next, the hunter fixes his knife in the ground with the blade up. When a wolf follows his sensitive nose to the source of the scent and discovers the bait, he licks it, tasting the fresh frozen blood. He begins to lick faster, more and more vigorously, lapping the blade until the keen edge is bare. Feverishly now, harder and harder the wolf licks the blade in the arctic night. So great becomes his craving for blood that the wolf does not notice the razor-sharp sting of the naked blade on his own tongue, nor does he recognize the instant at which his insatiable thirst is being satisfied by his OWN warm blood. His carnivorous appetite just craves more—until the dawn finds him dead in the snow!” It is a fearful thing that people can be “consumed by their own lusts.” Only God’s grace keeps us from the wolf’s fate. Chris T. Zwingelberg.

Saul was pretty satisfied with himself, but never stopped to ask if God was happy with him!

Saul did not return directly to Gilgal to see Samuel, but went to Mt. Carmel to erect a monument to his victory before returning to Samuel. The night before Saul returned, the Lord spoke to Samuel and said, “Saul is finished!” Samuel cried through the night to the Lord. (15:10-12).

Denying one’s sin will not change the facts. Even after two millennia, man still operates on the mistaken idea that if he denies something long enough, it will somehow change the obvious. An Indy 500 race car driver illustrates this idea as follows: “You don’t go look at where it happened,” said Scott Goodyear, who starts 33rd [speaking of race-car drivers who have been killed in crashes at the Indianapolis 500]. “You don’t watch the films of it on television. You don’t deal with it. You pretend it never happened.” The Speedway operation itself encourages this approach. As soon as the track closes the day of an accident, a crew heads out to paint over the spot where the car hit the wall. Through the years, a driver has never been pronounced dead at the racetrack. A trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Racing Museum, located inside the 2.5-mile oval, has no memorial to the 40 drivers who have lost their lives here. Nowhere is there even a mention. Source Unknown.

Admonition #3: Take responsibility or forgo God’s blessing.

God’s judgment is a reflection of the desire we truly have in our lives. We walk without Him, so He withdraws. We ignore His commands, so He removes the corresponding blessings.

When confronted, Saul took no responsibility and stepped into the ‘third person’.

Saul came to Samuel and said, “I did what God commanded!” Samuel said, “If that’s true, why do I hear all these new sheep bleating?” Saul replied, “The people did this for your God!” (15:13-15).

God made clear that He wanted Saul to be blessed with the leadership role.

Samuel then shared God’s view of the work. “Didn’t I raise you up to be King? Didn’t I send you to do something for Me and tell you exactly what I wanted done? Why didn’t you do exactly what I said? (15:16-19). It is never right to do wrong in order to do right. When God says something, that’s exactly what He means.

God didn’t cut Saul from the throne, Saul gave it away.

Saul replied, “I did what you said, I went on the mission and really did a lot of what you said. I brought back the king, and the people brought you some of the animals so you could sacrifice them. Samuel replied: “God wants obedience, not these sacrifices. Your rebellion is as bad a witchcraft, and God has set your rule aside! Saul answered, “I am wrong, I fell to the pressure of the people and sinned! (15:20-24).

In Discipleship Journal, Don McCullough wrote: “John Killinger tells about the manager of a minor league baseball team who was so disgusted with his center fielder’s performance that he ordered him to the dugout and assumed the position himself. The first ball that came into center field took a bad hop and hit the manager in the mouth. The next one was a high fly ball, which he lost in the glare of the sun—until it bounced off his forehead. The third was a hard line drive that he charged with outstretched arms; unfortunately, it flew between his hands and smacked his eye. Furious, he ran back to the dugout, grabbed the center fielder by the uniform, and shouted. ’You idiot! You’ve got center field so messed up that even I can’t do a thing with it!’” (Don McCullough, Discipleship Journal).

How can I be like the one who is better (15:28) and gain the blessing? (cp. Psalm 40:6-10)

1. Open my ears!
2. Use my hands!
3. Fill my heart!
4. Open my mouth!

   Remember, we give away that blessing when we disobey and we become a tool of God’s enemy.

Rash promises can get us in trouble! Today we will carefully dissect the anatomy of a mistake and see what can be done to keep us from destroying God’s intended blessings in our lives!

It was God’s intention to bless Israel with the return of control to all the land (cp. 14:23;47). Saul’s incompetence as a king showed he had become a king ”like the other nations” (1 Sam. 8:5). He had three kinds of thinking that are often the cause of our own problems today:

Self-centered thinking:

Saul took personally the infringement of the Philistine army and made the problems of the Kingdom all about him (14:24). The heart of this thinking is not calling upon the Lord for direction, but satisfying some personal need for appeasement, or caring for a personal lust to have attention, etc. James 4:1-10 addresses the heart of the problem. Other person centered thinking must be cultivated:

1. We feel a need that is left unsatisfied and quickly believe we can fulfill the need by taking what we want from someone else, but only the Lord can fill us. Our self centered way causes death, struggle and pain (4:2a).
2. We don’t have some of our needs met because we haven’t sought the Lord to meet them and discussed the needs with Him (4:2b).
3. Sometimes we go through the motions of asking, but only do so for our own selfish reasons – trying to get from God what is not good for us to have (4:3).
4. We must recalibrate our desires from that which the world offers to satisfy us, for it is directly opposite what God wants us to have (4:4).
5. God will not share a place in your desires with other gods of your mind. Either we work from the softness of submission, or from the hardness of self sufficiency (4:5).
6. God offers His special undeserved favor to those who think of others first, and place the needs of others above their felt needs. From that experience of imitating Him, we please Him (4:6; cp. Phil. 2). How? By making three choices:

• We must deliberately first choose to place ourselves and our desires under the God’s authority in our lives (submit is Gr. ‘upo-tasso: to rank beneath, literally “under” + “to arrange” – James 4:7a).
• A second choice must also be made – to resist (anti-histaymee: to take my stand against) in a blocked stance against the enemy, and he will not continue to press, but will flee (4:7b).
• A third choice must also be made. We must choose to draw near (engidzo: to approach) to God by focusing on Him, setting aside sin and self, and with full focus, set to please, praise and know Him! It will take persistence and serious pursuit. It will produce a humble spirit (humble: tapino’o from tapinos- to be low like brush to the ground (James 4:8-10).

Untempered (Unbiblical) thinking:

Saul bound his troops to a “death curse” if they ate, making it difficult to accomplish the total victory over the Philistine armies (14:25-26). This is a direct violation of the “Law of the Balances” in Leviticus 19:16-18, an “eye for an eye”.

Limited thinking:

Jonathan hadn’t heard the command of his father, and there was no provision for special circumstances like that. What about the wounded? Saul thought only of his immediate situation and not the ramifications of what he commanded (14:27). This led to an exhausted army unable to complete the job they were given (14:28-31). We may think we know what is best, but without counsel, careful deliberation and thorough communication, we may make a blunder that will cause God’s intended victory to be elusive!

How we think determines what we accomplish. God tells us both WHAT to think like and HOW to accomplish this thinking!

We live in a time that despises the small things! Victory is not always found in the hands of the biggest group. Sometimes God decides to use the small, the insignificant, to challenge and defeat the big. God doesn’t need size to create strength and impact. He knows how to use the small!

What three ingredients were required to bring about victory? (13:15-22)

1. It would require inordinate Courage: The force was small comparative to the size of the opposition (13:15 cp. 13:5).
2. The setting required total Commitment: The opposition was near but separated by deep valleys. One side had to commit to raise the army of the other (13:16).
3. The situation forced a Critical Response: The enemy launched a three pronged attack to cut off the major routes in the country and starve out the army of Saul (13:17-18). Cutting off the supply lines they also removed any ability to make weapons in Israel. This meant the situation was becoming more grave with each day. Israelites could not fight well in close quarters with the enemy (they were slingers and archers but not armed infantry – 13:19-22).

How did victory come about? (14:1-15)

1. Planning (Reconnaissance): Jonathan took his loyal guard and attempted to spy and perhaps attack a small outpost near to Gibeah, but he did not inform his father (14:1). Saul seemed paralyzed in consultation (14:2-3). Jonathan had to climb down and scale up to the plateau of the fortified garrison (14:4-5).

2. Proving: Jonathan told his guard, “Let’s go to them and see if God will choose to defeat them through us” and his guard agreed (14:6-7). Jonathan said, “We’ll go and be seen. If they say they will come to us, we will do nothing. If they tell us to come to them (they will think we are too close to hurt them) and we will see God defeat them, and they did (14:8-12).

3. Performing: Jonathan went in confidence and took them on, defeating twenty or so men and chasing them (14:13-14). God sent a panic to disrupt the Philistines and enforce the tiny attack (14:15).

What weaknesses were exposed in the victory? (14:16-23)

1. Scattering of the unfaithful: Israel’s men were also scared and some left Saul’s side, forcing him to recount the number left and discover Jonathan’s departure (14:16-17).
2. Misjudgment of the misguided: Saul told the priest to bring the Ark, but when the confusion ensued, he decided to leave his time listening to the Lord and move with haste for military advantage (14:18-19).
3. Confusion of the Enemy: Saul arrived to see the Philistines battling internally for control, and Israelites that had sided with Philistine protection came to the side of Saul. The Lord gave Saul’s men victory in the hill country (14:20-23).

It is easy to forget what God tells us to do when what seems to work is abundantly clear. Saul saw what needed to be done and did it… no matter that God had specifically told him what He wanted done. The cost was forfeiting a greater blessing and use in the hands of God! Today we will discover once again the importance of believing and obeying God. There are career choices that can change life for better or worse. There are academic pursuits that are appealing but the sacrifice of time may be the price to pay. Perhaps the most frustrating dilemma of all is the desire to make something happen now, when God seems to be saying wait.

Four Truths about stepping out without God’s enabling (13:1-7):

1)      IMPOSED:  Sometimes we are moved by a false deadline: Saul was new to his role and had little experience (13:1). Yet, Saul had experienced God’s move in his heart enabling him to be victorious (11:6 and 11:13); and was warned that when he ascended to the throne to wait on the Lord (12:14; 12:21). This time he was NOT moved, but felt he needed to act.

2)      COMPLEX: Without God’s direction, we are self-called saviors: Saul received no prompting by God, but he wanted to fix a problem on his own timing with his own ability. Note: chose “for himself” three thousand. (13:2).

3)       LONELY: Because we do it on our own, we must be self-enabled and self powered: He stepped out and executed a plan without a hint of consulting the Lord on the problem (13:3).

4)       SHARED: We aren’t the only ones that deal with our rashness, and it is unfair: His actions forced everyone around him into a bind of dealing with the implications of his rashness. 1) They were forced to follow him because of the situation! We open the door to the enemy’s work in the lives of all of those around us: The enemy responded with great force (13:5). 2) We force others off their obedience strides to the Lord! The people became oppressed (nawgas: used of taskmasters in Egypt) when the Philistines responded, and they fled their homes and fields. Though called of God to occupy the land, they left what God told them. 3) We push some from where they were and others from a place of peace inside (13:4-7).

NEXT – Stepping out without a call leads to a trail of “touchstones of disobedience” (13:8-12):

1)       We grow more impatient with the response of God and His Word, thinking we must become more proactive (13:8a).

2)       We start looking at the mounting problems and decide God will not act if we don’t (13:8b).

3)       We do God’s will our way, an outward show of religious faith without an inner peace that we are truly seeking Him (13:9).

4)       Because of God’s grace, He sends truth to remind us of the hollow emptiness inside (13:10).

5)       We make plausible excuses for our disobedience:

• False Need Excuse: Things were falling apart and someone had to act, so I did! (13:11a).
• God’s Obliviousness Excuse: God (or those whom He was working through) wasn’t getting it together fast enough, so I had to push things along (13:11b).
• Exterior Pressures Excuse: The dangers had increased and it looked as though we were stuck without God’s protection in the situation (13:11b-12a).
• “Best I could do” Excuse: I needed the Lord’s blessing on my plan, so I asked Him to work after I made the situation what it needed to be! (13:12b).

Five REFLECTIVE WARNINGS concerning our stepping out (13:13-14):

1)       It is foolish (i.e. self reliant and without God – 13:13a).

2)       It is disobedient to the commands of the Lord that you were fully aware of (13:13b).

3)       It costs you some of the key future blessings He designed for you (13:13b-14a).

4)       It saddens and disappoint God, Who wants someone who is faithful to rely on the relationship with Him (13:14b).

5)       It pulls blessing from us to another, who will fall on their relationship with Him (13:14b).

One of the greatest tests we face in life is the temptation to make things happen according to our desire and schedule. When we do, we cast aside leaning on the Lord for direction and enabling.

God never designed His followers to feel fulfilled while allowing them to be mediocre about following Him. Yet, it seems a constant temptation of followers of God to commit only part of their lives to Him. It is easier to take our delight in the works of God than from God Himself, but it is not His design. The ancient warning sign is still very important to heed! You may be excited and hopeful with change, but it won’t work unless it is the RIGHT CHANGE!

Caution #1) We jump too quickly! (12:1-2). Now you have what you want, but it comes with some issues (12:1). The new time has come, and my time as your leader has passed (12:2). Satisfaction Principle: Getting what you want brings a temporary satisfaction. It only lasts if it truly addresses the need.

Caution #2) We listen to the wrong voices! (12:3-5). I want you to publicly affirm that I have rules honestly in front of the new ruler (12:3). “You have dealt uprightly!” they affirmed (12:4). “Confirm aloud again, you have no cause against me before God!” Samuel cried out. “We have no cause!” the people confirmed. (12:5). Trust Principle: We should listen to those who know God and have consistently demonstrated obedience to His Word without self-interest motives.

Caution #3) We draw the wrong conclusions! (12:6-13). God redeemed you (not simply Moses and Aaron), and you are His! (12:6). Because of God’s redemption, remember what God has done for you. (12:7).

Look at the pattern: When you were lost in captivity and unable to escape, God sent leaders to pull you out of trouble (12:8). When they forsook God after their redemption, God brought pain and affliction (12:9). Through their pain they saw their sin and cried out in repentance, asking for deliverance anew (12:10). God’s response was to again send leaders to pull you out of the troubles (12:11). When the most recent troubles came, you expressed a need for a human ruler, though God was still at work before you (12:12). Here is the ruler God sent you (12:13). Misplaced Affection Principle: Real solutions are found in what God does, not simply the agents of His work.

Observe: The Word offers two principles concerning real choices

Principle #1) We are not victims in this world! (12:14-15). If you follow the Lord obediently and serve God, then you AND your king will walk obediently before God! (12:14). If you rebel against God’s Word, God will turn away from you as He did to those before you (12:15). Control Principle: When God’s people walk in profound obedience to Him, they take control of their history!

Principle #2) We must see the truth behind the obvious! (12:16-18). Step up and see what God has promised (12:16). Today is the harvest day. I will show you by calling for God to send a storm how powerful He is and how helpless you are. Do you truly think a king will solve a spiritual problem! (12:17). Samuel called on the Lord and the storms came heavily. The people feared Samuel (12:18). Misplaced Answer Principle: When we trust a physical solution to a spiritual problem, we deny the truth that God waits for us to acknowledge.

We must change –  not to earn His favor – but because of His love!

• We must agree with the diagnosis of what is truly wrong! The people cried to Samuel, “Ask God to preserve us, we have sinned by looking for another answer to our spiritual condition!” (12:19). Repentance Principle: We don’t begin to solve a problem until we admit that we have one, and agree with God about what it is!
• Repentance is a new beginning! Samuel called, “Stop being afraid! Yes, you are guilty. Yet, you can turn now to God and follow Him wholly!” (12:20). You must not chase after other solutions to your spiritual need, it won’t work! (12:21). Opportunity Principle: When we face the truth of our sin, we have an opportunity to begin a new and hopeful path!
• God takes the first step! Remember, God will not abandon you because of His promise (12:22). Relationship Principle: God doesn’t expect you to do right to find Him; He finds you and calls you to do right!
• God offers help! Beside, I will keep praying for you and keep instructing you in God’s ways (12:23). Remembrance Principle: God keeps His Word in front of His people when they really seek Him!

Face the warnings! Revere God, give Him your heart and hands, and recall what God has done for you (12:24). If you walk away in disobedience, you and all your solutions will be swept away (12:25). Warning Principle: God offers us opportunity to choose based on both warnings and experience.

Joy comes from following Him, not just chasing after the trail of His benefits!

We all want victory in our lives. We want rejoicing and happiness. We want unity and powerful impact on our world. We don’t want to be a relic, but rather one that is used of God. Saul had his moments of victory and they will become our model this morning. How is victory achieved in our lives? How do we see the victory over the adversaries that haunt us? If we CAN win, how DO we win?

Four Observations about the Times: (11:1-4)

1. It was set in a time of compromise by some of God’s people to God’s principles (11:1).

2. It was a time the people learned of the ruthlessness of their enemy (11:2).

3. It was a time of uncertainty and leadership instability (11:3).

4. It was a time of prayer-less focus on human limitations (11:4).

Seven Characteristics of the leader with God’s Heart: (11:5-15). What does the leader look like?

1. Big Ears: The leader was sensitive to the cry of the people (11:5).

2. Big Muscles: The leader was empowered to reflect God’s heart for unity and commitment (11:6-7).

3. Focused Eyes: The leader organized the answer to the problem (11:8-9,11).

4. A Warm Smile: The leader inspired confidence and trust (11:10).

5. A Small Head: The leader accepted that victory belonged to the Lord, and took no credit for it (11:12-13).

6. A Sharp Salute: The leader followed the direction of God’s Word (11:14).

7. A Hearty Laugh: The leader joined in the rejoicing with the others, and celebrated God’s victory! (11:15)

Key Principle: If we seek to lead, we must grow to be what God desires.

Hiding from the public in a pile of luggage was the first king of Israel. Already chosen and anointed, coronation day highlighted a critical flaw in his life, poor self confidence. Yet even in this story, God highlights how His Divine call works in an ordinary life. What does God want from me, and how will I know when He tells me? What does the call look like? Are there key marks we should see in the story that are consistent methods of God in our lives?

God has a reason for YOU on this planet. He has something he wants YOU to do. Here are ten steps to find out what it is:

1. Listen to God’s voice! The call comes through the voice of those that know God and His Word (9:25-26).

2. Understand it is a personal call! The call is personal, and must connect with YOU before anyone around you (9:27).

3. Be patient! The call is not instantaneous; it will require a process to fulfill. When we hear His call, we must act on it by obeying a step by step process. Let’s look at the steps of this process as revealed in our text (10:1-8):

• Clarity: The process begins when God makes it clear to us. Often it is found in a role we play, a job we have or a vision we must accomplish (10:1).
• Confirmation: God confirms the call through a series of teaching situations. Our text offers five things we must learn to do:

1. Integration: We will reconnect the vision to the place and roles that God has us in already (10:2).
2. Provision: We learn about God’s ability to provide for us as we follow Him (10:3-4).
3. Empowering: We must learn how to be empowered by God and His Spirit to do the work He assigns us (10:5-6).
4. Application: We must use the wisdom and perspective God has given us to move us along in the vision (10:7).
5. Timing: We must learn to wait on God’s timing to accomplish things. Faster is not better. Timing each move in accordance with God’s desires is a learned character trait! (10:8).

4. Be convinced inside! God confirms His call inside us if we are open to hearing Him (10:9).

5. Stand Out! When the call is engaged, people around us will see a change in us. We will be engaging God in a new way, and they will notice! (10:10-13).

6. Don’t shrink back! When we focus on our own ability to do well what God has called us to do, we miss the way God works. We become self-conscious and miss opportunities:

• We are often reluctant to share the call with those closest to us, but this is a mistake! (10:14-16).
• Because we grow increasingly unsure of our call, we hide from stepping out to do what God has told us we should do and have to be pushed to obedience (10:17-23).
• When we are thrust into the light of completion of the call, we will often find people affirming (10:24).

 7. Learn limitations! We must learn the boundaries of our call, and how to govern what God told us to do. We will find that Godly people who went before us are very helpful with that! (10:25).

8. Find a team! We need a team of people to accomplish what God wants us to do. He will place them at our shoulders, as we should thank God for them! (10:26).

 9. Expect skeptics! Some people to see YOU and not believe that God can do what He chooses through you. Their problem is they see you, but not what God chooses to do within you! (10:27a).

 10. Be quiet! Don’t react to those who don’t see what God is doing in you! (10:27b).

God’s call is the most important experience of our Christian life. We must be able to recognize that call and know when and how to follow Him in that call!

The story of the beginnings of the first King of Israel should be thrilling, as God brought Israel what they were asking for. Yet, the tale is one of a wandering man searching for his father’s donkeys. How prophetic! Saul was about to embark on a career with a people that would be as stubborn and wayward as the donkeys he set out to see. How did God launch Saul’s career as king? What does the story tell us about the way God brings together people and resources to make a vision become reality?

Five Ways God Draws us into Change:

1. God works preparations for needs before those who will be used to care for the need are even aware of the need (9:1-3). Note three ways God was preparing the scene:

• Generations of preparation: God may have you here for your great grandchild’s contribution to the Kingdom. Faithful transmission of the Word may be your greatest legacy! (9:1a).
• Pedigree of training: His dad was a “Mighty man of valor” (ish gibbor / chayil: from a dance term to twist; i.e. adept at making adjustment – 9:1b).
• Physical characteristics helpful to task: (“choice” man is “bawchur” – an outstandingly vigorous youth).

2. God orchestrates problems to bring people to the right place and time to meet His purposes (9:3).

 3. God uses a process that may well be a test to our character. The tests help us build stamina for the drudgery assignments of our coming position! (9:4-5)

 4. God plants people in our path to direct us to His Him when we are ready to fail (9:6-10). Note how this worked. People offered:

• Encouragement: When Saul was ready to give up on the task that would lead him to his appointment with God’s purposes, the servant called him to seek God’s message (9:6).
• Resources: God places us in a place of need to depend on others, and not our own abilities. (9:7-8).
• Opportunities to stretch: Asking directions has never been a male strength, but God gives us opportunities to move beyond ego. (9:9-14)

 5. God give prophetic truth to light the path of our lives. We don’t have to know how everything is going to work out. We need to know how to hear God’s Word and obey it (9:15-24). Note how God prepared the scene by His Word. The Word:

• Offered Forecasting: God gives us pictures of what will happen before it happens (9:15).
• Required Participation: God allows us to participate in the deliverance of people if we obey His commands and share what He has told us to! (9:16-17).
• Demonstrated Initiation: God doesn’t wait until the “lost one” sees what godliness looks like, but moves in while they are not aware of His love and promise for them (9:18-22).
• Exposed Revelation: God reveals how prepared He is for each of us, as we follow Him (9:23-24).

We are a heartbeat away from making a terrible mistake. It will not come in a dramatic way – it will come by default. Slowly we will replace the steady and zealous pursuit of God with the quicker fixes offered by the world. We will cool in our relationship and slip away from the Word. If that happens, those who come behind us will slip into a pattern of defection from relationship.

Key Principle: God wants our relationship with Him through His Word to alter all our priorities, and set the pattern for our desires.

How Defection Happens among God’s People (8:1-5)

1. The example of dynamic relationship fades in their midst (8:1).

2. The next generation picks up FORM and TRADITION without real walk with God (8:2-3a).

3. Without the relationship, they find it easy to turn from religious form to hypocrisy and sin (8:3b).

4. Sensing a crisis of reality – people seek a solution. Their reaction is predictable because of their pattern – not seeking God, but finding a solution in the world’s pattern (8:4-5). That is the definition of defection: Answering our needs with solutions that God didn’t offer, following priorities that didn’t issue from our relationship with Him!

What the faithful do in the midst of defection (8:6-18)

1. Watch them make the choice. People with a dynamic relationship with God will immediately see the problem with a solution from the world’s pattern – but they will watch unable to exert control (8:6).

2. Rightly diagnose the problem. Be careful, they may sense that it is a PERSONAL rejection of the way it had been done before. In fact, the real problem is the departure from a walk with God as the solution (8:7).

3. Remember their world. People with a walk with God often forget what it is like to walk without one and misunderstand the worldly solutions that are suggested (8:8).

4. Check God’s Word for His answer, and recognize the problems He discloses for those who refuse His way. Warnings are given for a reason! (8:9-10).

5. When given the opportunity, share graciously God’s warnings for defection. Tell them that following the world’s pattern will:

1. Create ungodly division, the important from the lowly (8:11).
2. Create a new set of priorities – serving ends God is not honored by (8:12).
3. Disrupt your families to offer service to these other objectives (8:13).
4. Redirect God’s property to other “important” functions (8:14-17).
5. Create short term gain and long term regret (8:18).
6. Distance us from God so that He withdraws His blessings (8:18b).

Two Outcomes of Defection (8:19-22)

1. Blending with the World: In spite of warning signs, short term gains were of greater importance. The hunger to be what the world was overpowered God’s command that they be a distinct people (8:19-20).

2. Prayerful bracing for impact: The godly will bow their head, slump their shoulders and watch them begin a walk on the wrong road! God will give them their desires, with all the fruits of them as well (8:21-22).

It doesn’t have to happen this way, but it so often does. One generation sees a move of God, but the next one sees only the form of their response. They look to add the self affirming elements of their “tradition” to a more wholistic view of their otherwise pagan philosophy, and keep God in a locked place on the schedule of their life. Without God’s answers, they seek other answers. The end is heartbreak! Is a vital and real relationship with God at the center of your life? Your schedule? Your decision making process?

God wants our relationship with Him through His Word to alter all our priorities, and set the pattern for our desires.