The One True King (November 4, 2018)

Review: At the end of Judges we are left with this final word: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). In the book of 1 Samuel we will see how Israel sought to solve this problem.  

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At the beginning of 1 Samuel chapters 1-3 we see the birth of Samuel, who was called by God to be a judge and prophet in Israel.

Then in chapter 4 we learn of a terrible event that occurs in Israel. Read 1 Samuel 4:1-11.

What terrible event happened? The ark of God was captured.

Notice, did God tell the Israelites to take the ark into battle? No. They simply did what they thought was right in their eyes and did not ask God what they should do.

Despite Israel’s failure, in chapter 5 and 6 we see how God, by His own power (He afflicts the Philistines with tumors), causes the ark to be returned to Israel. 20 years later, the Israelites want to return to God. In chapter 7, Samuel tells them that they must put away all their foreign Gods and serve God only. They do this, and the Lord gives them victory over their enemies, the Philistines, all the days of Samuel.

When Samuel gets old, however, the people come to Samuel with a demand. Read 1 Samuel 8: 4-6.

What do the people want? A king.

Why do you think Samuel is upset by this?

Read 1 Samuel 8: 7-8. Samuel already knows that Israel has a king, God. Unfortunately, Israel is quick to forget who God is and what He has done for them, so instead of wanting God as their king they want a human king just like the other nations around them.

They want to be like the other nations so much that they completely ignore God’s warning about the king they are asking for.

Read 1 Samuel 8: 10-22.

Samuel warns the people that the king they are asking for will not be good for them and that they will cry out to God because of the king. But the people refuse to listen to God and God lets them have their king.

In chapters 9-10 we learn about, Saul, the man God has chosen to be Israel’s king. He was a handsome and tall man (1 Samuel 9:2) that came from the humblest tribe Benjamin (1 Samuel 9:21). In 1 Samuel 10:17-19 we see Saul proclaimed as king even though God sees this as Israel rejecting Him.  

Read 1 Samuel 12.

Samuel reminds Israel of their past sins of rejecting God.  Then he shows them how they have done this once again by asking for a king.

Samuel warns the people, that if they do not follow God what will happen? vs. 15 “if you will not obey the voice of the LORD, the hand of the LORD will be against you.”

Samuel also offers a promise to the Israelites if they will obey God. What is this promise? vs. 14 “If you will fear the LORD and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and if both you the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God, it will be well.”

Based on Israel’s history, do you think that they will remain obedient to God?

In the next few chapters we see that God gives Israel victory over their enemies while Saul is their king, but Saul is by no means a perfect king. Saul is impatient, makes rash decisions, and does not obey God.  

Read 1 Samuel 15: 1-9.

God gives Saul very specific instructions. Does Saul obey them? No.

In response God rejects Saul as king saying in 1 Samuel 15:11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and had not performed my commandments.”

Later in chapter 15 when Samuel confronts Saul about his sin, Saul makes excuses. He says that he had obeyed the Lord and that it was the people who did not want to destroy everything, so they could bring a sacrifice to the Lord. Did God ask for this sacrifice? No.

Read 1 Samuel 15:22-23.

What does God want more than sacrifices? Obedience.

Read 1 Samuel 15: 24-31.  Saul asks for pardon/forgiveness for his sin. Do you think that he is genuinely sorry for what he has done?

Read 1 John 1:9. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

If Saul had truly repented, God would have forgiven him.

In vs. 30 we may see Saul’s true motive in asking for pardon. He asks Samuel to honor him before the elders. Saul was likely more concerned about what the people thought of him than what God thought of him.

Saul won many victories in battle for Israel, but Saul was not the king that the people needed. Though Saul was able to physically deliver his people from their enemies (through God’s power), he was not able to save them or himself from their sinful natures.

Read Romans 8: 1-2. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

There is only one king that can deliver us from sin, King Jesus. He is the king we need.

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Going Deeper

The Israelites wanted to be just like everyone else who had a king and so they rejected God as their king. Saul wanted the people to love him, so he did what they wanted instead of what God wanted. Take time to think about if there are times that you don’t listen to God because you want to impress or please others? Ask God to help you to stop working to please man but to please God who tests your hearts (1 Thessalonians 2:4).

Praise God in Song: