April 11 - 1 Samuel 9:1-12:25

Good morning everyone,

This morning we read about Saul, a guy who sets out in search of some of his dad’s missing donkeys and will find himself appointed king. You’ll remember that Samuel was getting old and the people had gone to him requesting that he appoint a king for them, you know, like all the other lands had. So Samuel prayed to God and was told that the next day someone would come  into town and he would be king. And so it was, the next day Saul, a righteous Israelite, who was big, a head taller that anyone else, and strong, rode into town in quest of information on his father’s donkeys. When Samuel saw him the Lord told Samuel, “ This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.” So Samuel spoke to Saul asked him to stay with him so that he could give Saul a message from God.

Chapter ten begins with Samuel anointing Saul with oil, Saul was to be the king of Israel. Samuel called all the Israelites together and told them God had chosen Saul to be their king and while we read the people shouted “Long live the King!” as with any political move we will also read that some scoundrels would question his ability but I love how it says “Saul ignored them.” That’s right! Friends we do so much better in all that we do if we do not listen to the negative talk of the naysayers, right?

Chapter eleven has Saul working out in the field plowing away. Now, isn’t that the first place you picture a king when you think about what he is doing? Anyway he gets message that the people of Jabesh-gilead are being threatened, they are actually in big trouble. When Saul hears this the Spirit of the Lord falls down upon him and he became quite angry. He takes the oxen he is working with, cuts them into pieces and sent them with messengers throughout Israel, basically telling the people “step up  to fight this battle with me or you will become like the ox”. I love how devoted Saul was to his fellow Israelites, how quick he was to come to their aid even though they had chose to stay on the other side of the river when everyone else crossed. Saul would march all night and his army would grow to be 300,000 strong. They would see victory and Saul would give glory to God. 

At first Saul was a King they could be proud of, a man they could look up to but in the days to come we will see that his leadership abilities were not as they first appeared to be. He was impulsive and had a tendency to over step his bounds but ultimately it was jealousy that drove him mad, but I am getting ahead of myself.

In chapter twelve Samuel gives his farewell speech, after pointing out that he had always acted with honesty and integrity he summarizes the history of Israel. He then takes the opportunity to tell them how he really feels about them wanting a king, how wicked and ungrateful they have acted; then went on to say that, however, if that’s their choice then so be it. He also tells them that poor choice alone is not enough to separate them from God, it will be only if they refuse to listen to God, abandon God’s laws, worship idols and things of that nature that God’s heavy hand would be on them in the same way as their ancestors. Then Samuel tells them he is going to have the Lord rain down on them so they could realize how wicked that had been in asking for a king. Storms were unlikely there at that time of the year, so when it thundered with lightening and pouring rain the people were terrified. Samuel reassured them though, that all would be well if they would not abandon God.

Like everyone else in the world we are going to make poor choices but as Christians we have the privilege of knowing that no matter what really wrong choice we make, God is always right there to pick us up, dust us off, tell us He loves us and send us back out into the world ready to take on another day. Our God loves us so much. In Jeremiah 29:11 God says “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  I think we can all agree that Israel made a lot of mistakes. But does God cast them off or tell them He’s done with them? No. He says “I know the plans I have for you.” If you are His, you can be sure that God has plans for you. Amen?

I pray you have a very good day, to God be the glory.

God bless you all…