The Call of God to Old Testament Characters. Lesson 8

The Call of God to Old Testament Characters

Lesson 8

Lesson Text—I Samuel 9:1-2

I Samuel 9:1-21 Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.

Lesson Text—I Samuel 9:1-2

2 And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

Lesson Text—I Samuel 10:1

I Samuel 10:11 Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?

Lesson Text—I Samue10:20-22

I Samuel 10:20-2220 And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.


21 When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found.22 Therefore they inquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff.


I Samuel 10:23-2423 And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.


24 And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king.


I Samuel 10:25-2625 Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.26 And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God

had touched.

Focus Verse—I Samuel 10:1

I Samuel 10:1Then Samuel took a vial of oil,

and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not

because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his

inheritance?

Focus Thought

God identifies those who are qualified to serve and places them in the proper position at the right time,

but they are able to serve only as long as they live in obedient

submission and humility.

I. God Gave Israel What They Wanted

Culture ConnectionUnique Gifts and TalentsI resist using the word unique

because it is grossly misused. Many people use the word to describe things that are not really unique, which refers to something that is “one of a kind.” However, when it comes to humans, we understand that God has indeed made us unique. We share many traits and talents with others, but we know also we are unique when we look at our fingerprints that relate

solely to us.


A person’s gifts and talents may not be unique, but the combination of them along with that person’s diverse background, education, and life experiences places a uniqueness on that individual and his or her gifts. In that sense we are unique in our gifts and talents, which God has both given us and led us to develop.

In his blog article titled “You Are Unique in God’s Family,” bestselling author Rick Warren stated, “God has a unique role for you to play in His family.


This is your ministry, and God has gifted you for this assignment: ‘A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church’ (I Corinthians 12:7, New Living Translation).” (See Powertochange.com, entry for May 5, 2010.)

God has a specific life work for every one of us. Our challenge is to discover and develop the gifts He has purposely placed within us and then to use them to glorify and bless His church and the world.


Contemplating the Topic

The conquest and settling of Canaan brought permanency to the family of Israel. The ancient promise of land flowing with milk and honey had finally come to fruition. No longer required to live in tents and be ready to travel at a moment’s notice, they could now settle down and build real houses. This wonderful land had plenty of water to refresh their cattle, along with fertile soil to produce bountiful harvests. (See Numbers 13.)


In addition to each family who worked to establish their home in this new land, some individuals established a national system of worship and government. They designated cities of refuge and set aside special plots of land for the Levites. As this huge task of development and distribution neared completion, the nation and its leaders gathered one last time to receive instructions from Joshua (Joshua 24).

Standing before the congregation, Joshua issued a solemn charge.


“Choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell . . .” (Joshua 24:15). The crowd responded with one voice: “God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods” (Joshua 24:16).

Their avowal somehow did not convince Joshua that their commitment was sincere (Joshua 24:19).


He debated their answer with them, reminding them of the consequences of turning from God. But the people claimed confidently that they would serve God faithfully. So, standing in the very place where their father Abraham had built his first altar in the land God had promised to give him (Genesis 12:6-8), and on the same site where Jacob purged idolatry from among his companions (Genesis 35:4), the Israelites repeated their promise to Joshua. “We will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:21).


The Book of Judges tells the tale. As long as Joshua lived, the Israelites kept their promise. Following his death, however, it took just one generation for the nation to forget the vow they made that day in Shechem. “And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger” (Judges 2:12).


Searching the Scriptures

God Gave Israel What They Wanted

God had planned to establish Israel as a nation unlike any other on earth. He had promised through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that He would establish them in strength and number. Through Moses He had provided them a thorough and complete set of religious and civil laws.


The testimony of their deliverance from Egypt afforded a constant reminder that they were, indeed, the chosen people of God. Everything was in place for Israel to become God’s shining light, a city set on a hill.

But the people’s dissatisfaction with God’s plan drove them to circumvent it. Sick of the dishonesty, threats, and sins of Samuel’s sons, the people demanded a king to free them from the tyranny of the corrupt priests (I Samuel 8:3, 5).


They did not ask for an end to the injustice; instead, they demanded a brand new system, a kingship that mirrored that of every other nation. Samuel viewed their request as an affront to himself and to God. He voiced his objections to the God of Israel.

Surprisingly, the Lord instructed Samuel to comply with the demands of the people but to warn them in advance about the negative consequences of having a king.


A king would demand taxes and tributes and conscript their sons and daughters into his service. The people would cook his meals, plow his fields, fight his battles, and care for his animals; in short, they would cater to his every whim. “Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles” (I Samuel 8:19-20).

I Samuel 8:22

“And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make

them a king” (I Samuel 8:22).


Samuel’s predictions about the kingship proved to be true. In the ensuing years, forty-three kings reigned over Israel, thirty-three of which would be considered wicked or corrupt. These men led the people away from Jehovah, presiding over the decline of the nation God had miraculously established. Finally, God used heathen nations to sweep His people out of the Promised Land and thrust them into foreign countries where they assimilated into heathen cultures.


They lost their national and spiritual identity to heathen countries they had wished to emulate.

The desire to choose our own paths and fit in with the crowd stems from our carnal nature. While it is vividly illustrated by Israel’s rejection of God, scores of other biblical examples teach the same lesson.


James summarized the results of trying to fit in when he wrote, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).

The word enmity implies hostility. Those who embrace the world set themselves at odds with God. To do so does not require a formal declaration of hatred toward God or His ways. An individual does not have to declare war on God to fight against Him.


Simply choosing the ways of the world automatically sets one in opposition to God.

A person cannot remain neutral toward God. He will submit to God’s Word and serve Him, or he will find himself in conflict with God—a conflict he is doomed to lose. These sobering facts add weight to John’s warning to “love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (I John 2:15).

I. God Gave Israel What They WantedGod may accede to our demands,

but that does not mean He blesses or endorses our decision. Neither should we mistake His mercy and grace for His approval and blessing. The person who ignores God’s plan and demands his own way will find that decision a costly one.

II. God Chose Israel’s First KingGod Chose Israel’s

First King

God’s love for His people had compelled Him to bring them out of Egypt and give them their own land. That same love caused Him to hover over Israel. When they cried out to Him, He responded. Instead of leaving them to their own destructive devices, God continued to work toward a better future for Israel.


In granting their request for a king, He envisioned the king’s role as leading His people in the ways of the Lord. Israel could not set up a king without God’s consent. The first chapter of Colossians reminds us that all power belongs to God, and He distributes or withholds it as He chooses (Daniel 5:21). God may be merciful to those who reject His Lordship, but the reins of power remain firmly in His grip. He chooses which individuals will represent His power and authority in the earth.

A. Saul Was a Good ManA. Saul Was a Good Man

The Scriptures introduce Saul as a kind and humble young man in the employ of his wealthy father, Kish (I Samuel 9). When some of their donkeys strayed, Kish sent Saul and a servant to find them.

Saul thought he was searching for lost donkeys, but that was God’s way of getting him to the place of his anointing. They searched for days without success until the servant suggested they consult

the prophet for assistance in finding the wayward beasts.


After some hesitation, they agreed to follow the servant’s plan and found the prophet’s house. Before Saul returned home, Samuel anointed him as the first king over Israel (I Samuel 10:1).

Unlike the youth Jesus described in the parable of the prodigal son, Saul seemed to submit readily to authority. He went willingly to search for the animals. He listened to his servant’s suggestion and acted on it. He respected the prophet of God. With such a positive attitude, this young man related well to everyone.


God’s work is people oriented. He places the value of just one soul above the accumulated wealth of the entire world. (See Mark 8:36.) To be successful in His kingdom, therefore, requires an appreciation for others and a genuine desire to establish strong relationships. It is important that God’s stewards similarly value those for whom Jesus died.

B. Saul Was a Humble ManB. Saul Was a Humble Man

Although the Bible described Saul as a handsome man (I Samuel 9:2) who came from a wealthy family, he was humble, perhaps even bashful. Saul demonstrated that humility when the prophet announced him as the guest of honor at dinner soon after Saul entered the prophet’s house. Saul had no desire to be the center of attention and demurred. (See I Samuel 9:21).

I Samuel 9:21

“Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so

to me?” (I Samuel 9:21).


Later he shied away from his own coronation. Samuel summoned all the tribes of Israel for the grand announcement, but they had to put the presentation on hold when they could not find Saul. Finally someone discovered him hiding among “the stuff” (I Samuel 10:22).

Perhaps Saul’s most significant response to authority, however, was his submission to his father. God has always demanded obedience to the lines of authority He has established.


In Saul, God found a young man willing to submit to the God-ordained authority over him. In God’s kingdom, submission always comes before promotion. Because Saul submitted willingly to authority, God placed him in a position of authority.

A. Saul Was ChosenGod Sent Samuel to Saul

A. Saul Was Chosen

About the same time Saul debated with his servant about whether or not to search for the prophet, God was preparing Samuel to expect the future king’s arrival (I Samuel 9:16). Saul’s mundane task had become a divine appointment.


God still chooses His servants and selects them according to His own criteria. He does not base His choices on physical ability or family ties. Attitude, character, and other qualities of the heart are much more significant to Him. “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (I Samuel 16:7).


God seeks individuals to work with and through. In His kingdom, humility is more important than talent, and submission is more valuable than skill.

B. Saul Was AnointedB. Saul Was Anointed

Samuel had prepared a vial of oil with which to anoint Saul. As they traveled together, Samuel sent the others ahead, and, when they were alone, he anointed Saul (I Samuel 10:1).


Anointing and coronation are two separate events. Anointing is a spiritual experience, while coronation is the formal and public ceremony that acknowledges the anointing. The anointing empowers while the coronation celebrates. The anointing is usually a private, even intimate, occasion, while the coronation is public. The anointing is for the benefit of the individual who has been chosen, while the coronation is designed to please the crowd. The anointing precedes the coronation.


The anointing is not a public proclamation of God’s plan but a personal experience that empowers the person whom God has called. Personal anointing is necessary for apostolic service. God no longer sends prophets with vials of oil to perform the task, but through His own Spirit He empowers those whom He calls. As Saul discovered, God’s anointing is sufficient to fulfill His calling.


True anointing brings transformation. Immediately following his anointing, Saul had a series of experiences that confirmed God’s call upon his life and convinced observers that God’s hand was upon him. “And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day” (I Samuel 10:9).


The Spirit of God came upon Saul and he prophesied with a band of prophets he met on his journey, astounding those who knew him (I Samuel 10:11). Still others brought him gifts. The visible results of his anointing convinced both Saul and those around him.

A. Saul Was ConfirmedA. Saul Was Confirmed

Samuel gathered all of the tribes of Israel together to introduce them to their new king. Casting lots or some similar method of random selection marked the tribe of Benjamin and then narrowed it to the family of Matri. The last cast indicated that the selection fell upon Saul (I Samuel 10:21). This confirmed to the people that the young man Samuel who had been anointed was indeed the one whom God had chosen to be king.


Samuel gathered all of the tribes of Israel together to introduce them to their new king. Casting lots or some similar method of random selection marked the tribe of Benjamin and then narrowed it to the family of Matri. The last cast indicated that the selection fell upon Saul (I Samuel 10:21). This confirmed to the people that the young man Samuel who had been anointed was indeed the one whom God had chosen to be king.

B. Saul Was InauguratedB. Saul Was Inaugurated

As noted earlier, the coronation takes place primarily for the benefit of the audience. Samuel had already anointed Saul and the Spirit of God had confirmed the call. Now it came time to make the appointment official and binding upon the citizens.


When Samuel presented Saul to the people, they rejoiced over the fulfillment of their desire for a king. They would no longer be considered peculiar by all their neighbors; they could be just like them. When it was time to go to war, their king would lead their sons into battle and return victorious. Samuel explained to the people the rights and duties of a king, wrote it all down in a book, and sent the people home. Israel had a king!


As Saul journeyed home, some courageous men “whose hearts God had touched” accompanied him (I Samuel 10:26). Not only had God equipped Saul to be king, but He motivated men of strong character to rally around him. God knew the job was too great for one man, and He gave Saul a team with which to work and to provide encouragement. Despite His peoples’ rejection of Him, God continued to provide a channel through which His Spirit could flow to those who desired to follow Him.

V. God Sent Samuel to Saul AgainGod Sent Samuel

to Saul Again

As the years passed, Saul came to view God’s kingdom as his own and saw himself as the highest authority. His formerly submissive nature evolved into selfish arrogance.

A. Saul Lost His HumilityA. Saul Lost His Humility

The young man who once considered himself unworthy of sitting in the place of honor now thought little of ignoring the commandments of the Lord (I Samuel 15). Neither did he hesitate to parade the evidence of his disobedience before the prophet of God. He apparently considered it proper to elevate his own thoughts and desires above the Word of the Lord.


The submissive attitude that once led a younger Saul to the place of his anointing had vanished. Now the king’s arrogance justified each rebellious decision and action.

Replacing humility with arrogance affects a person’s thought processes, and he begins to assume that God thinks and reacts as humans do. Saul thought a huge sacrifice would mollify God and cause Him to agree that Saul’s idea made more sense than the Lord’s command (I Samuel 15:15).


But human arrogance neither appeases God nor changes His mind. Pomp and ceremony do not impress Him. Instead, faith and obedience to His Word move Him (I Samuel 15:22; Matthew 8:8-10). God still regards partial obedience as disobedience. Saul’s arrogance led to disobedience which, in turn, led to his tragic downfall. “Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king” (I Samuel 15:23).


Saul lost his position with God when he lost his humility. His boldness in ignoring the instructions from the man of God and rearranging God’s Word to fit his own desires led to the only possible conclusion.

B. Saul Lost His Opportunity to Serve

B. Saul Lost His Opportunity to Serve

Saul’s arrogant disregard for God’s Word led to the loss of his kingship and the relationship he had enjoyed with Samuel. “And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel” (I Samuel 15:26). What had begun with such hope ended in misery and tragedy.


Arrogance gives its owner a distorted view of his own self-worth. Regardless of how we view things, God remains the Creator and owner of everything (Colossians 1:16). Those who possess power do so for only a limited time and on a limited basis. Eventually, that authority will be assumed by another person until it ultimately flows back to the God to whom all power belongs.

I. God Gave Israel What They WantedMankind must constantly

remember that they are merely servants, stewards of the things of God. Regardless of how well a servant performs or how loudly others applaud him, the throne will always belong to God; and God alone will always decide who occupies it.

C. Importance of Living in Submission and Humility

C. Importance of Living in Submission and Humility

A humble spirit of submission not only is required for service but is necessary to understand God’s eternal value system. When Saul preferred his ways above the commands of God, he disconnected from God’s plan for His people. He saw only the present, forgetting that quite often the most important consequences of a man’s choices are not immediately

experienced.


It is a grave mistake to assume that God thinks as humans do. The Bible makes that point very clearly: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Romans 8:7). It is impossible for us to figure out God’s plan by using our carnal minds.


Easton Bible Dictionary defines the word enmity as “deep rooted hatred.” One of Webster’s definitions for that same word is “the quality of being an enemy; the opposite of friendship.”

Without humility and submission, it is impossible to be on good terms with God.


Internalizing the Message

Saul’s story has been repeated countless times. On many occasions, those who have fallen victim are the ones who should have been best prepared—preachers and teachers who gave their best years to the study of God’s Word. Throughout the ages many have testified of how they allowed their carnal minds to lead them away from God. History continues to tell Saul’s story: obedience is what God requires.


At the conclusion of the outdoor drama The Shepherd of the Hills, a mournful voice echoes in the dark Ozark-mountain night, gently nudging those present: “We build temples and churches, but will not worship in them; we hire spiritual advisors, but refuse to heed them; we buy Bibles, but will not read them; believing in God, we do not fear Him; acknowledging Christ, we neither follow nor obey Him” (The Shepherd of the Hills, 1987, Shepherd of the Hills Historical Society, Incorporated, p. 250).


Times have changed and the location is different, but human nature stays the same. We still expect God to justify our choices as quickly and completely as we justify ourselves.

The greatest value of Saul’s story, however, is not that it provides a sinister warning, but that it shows how easy it is to please God. All He requires is obedience to His Word. He does not require intelligence-quotient exams, minimum monetary contributions, background checks, or character references.

I. God Gave Israel What They WantedGod does not sift through the

millions of humans on earth looking for talent, intelligence, and good looks like a Hollywood producer casting a new film. Instead, He seeks for those who will love Him enough to submit to His Word and walk humbly in His presence and who will treasure the anointing more than the coronation.

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The Call of God to Old Testament Characters. Lesson 8