I Samuel 9,10

“Saul’s Beginnings” • 9.25.07 • Autonomy, Authority & The Man Of God, Session #3

Intro.

- For Saul, it all transpired over a three day period of unremarkable events.

- It began with a head count that revealed that some donkeys had gotten loose!

- Saul’s mission was to find them. What he found instead was quite extraordinary.

- On the other side of the coin, Samuel has just returned from a fateful meeting and was instructed to look for a man who would come to him who would be the chosen King.

- Saul is a natural man, only interested in the recovery of his donkeys.

- His desperate search leads him to seek out the seer, the prophet Samuel, for help.

- Samuel is clued into what the Lord is doing and invites Saul to stay with these words:

• I Samuel 9:19-21 : “And Samuel answered Saul and said, ‘I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today; and tomorrow I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart. But as for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not be anxious about them, for they have been found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father’s house?’ And Saul answered and said, ‘Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?’”

- Samuel does not just come out with it right away, but the seed is planted.

- After Saul’s servant was sent away, Samuel then “pours it on!”

• I Samuel 10:1 : “Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said: ‘Is it not because the Lord has anointed you commander over His inheritance?”

- Over the course of chapter 10, Saul has what one might call a “deep religious experience.”

• I Samuel 10:9-12 : “So it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day. When they came there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; then the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. And it happened, when all who knew him formerly saw that he indeed prophesied among the prophets, that the people said to one another, ‘What is this that has come upon the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?’ Then a man from there answered and said, ‘But who is their father?’ Therefore it became a proverb: ‘Is Saul also among the prophets?’”

- He makes it back to his family, who is very curious about his trip.

• I Samuel 10:14-16 : “Then Saul’s uncle said to him and his servant, ‘Where did you go?’ So he said, ‘To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they were nowhere to be found, we went to Samuel.’ And Saul’s uncle said, ‘Tell me, please, what Samuel said to you.’ So Saul said to his uncle, ‘He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.’ But about the matter of the kingdom, he did not tell him what Samuel had said.”

- They would not have to wait long to discover that God had singled Saul out and chosen Him to be the King of Israel.

- Samuel called all of Israel together with the intention of presenting Saul before the people.

• I Samuel 10:21-24 : “When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was chosen. And Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they sought him, he could not be found. Therefore they inquired of the Lord further, ‘Has the man come here yet?’ And the Lord answered, ‘There he is, hidden among the equipment.’ So they ran and brought him from there; and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. And Samuel said to all the people, ‘Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?’ So all the people shouted and said, ‘Long live the king!’”

- The honeymoon begins, but not all are enthused.

• I Samuel 10:26,27 : “And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and valiant men went with him, whose hearts God had touched. But some rebels said, ‘How can this man save us?’ So they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.”

- There are many encouraging lessons for us here among these two opening chapters in the life of Saul, especially to those who are about to engage themselves in ministry or service.

I. Calling Came In The Mundane (9:3)

II. Confirmation Occurred Along The Way (10:2-5)

III. Conflict Happens Even When It’s God! (10:26,27)

Text

I. Calling Came In The Mundane (9:3)

• I Samuel 9:3 : “Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. And Kish said to his son Saul, ‘Please, take one of the servants with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.’” : Let us not forget here that Saul began his day just like any other day.

- Saul’s Father, Just-Give-Me-A Kish, asked Saul to do a very menial, mundane, boring task.

- Saul was responsible to look after the donkeys!

- This is not an activity that Saul would ever be asked to perform again, but he did not know that this would be the last mundane day of his life.

- Saul was not preparing to be a king. This was not in his agenda for life.

- But yet, this is where God meets him: Right in the middle of his normal responsibilities.

- Saul is unaware of the plans that God had for him, but God had the plans nonetheless.

- God’s plan will never be twarted.

- During the time of the first return from Babylonian Captivity, under Zerubbabel’s rule, the Word of the Lord came to Zechariah.

- He was told of the restoration of Jerusalem and the Temple.

- The problem was that Jerusalem had been sacked and the people removed. It was a desolate wasteland!

- But God’s word stood and Zerubbabel continued to work at laying the foundation for this vision of the Lord to come to pass.

- It’s with this in mind that the Lord propecied these words:

• Zechariah 4:9,10 : “The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.’”

- I hope that the point is obvious here. Zerubbabel’s work was in it’s infancy and there was certainly no glory to be seen.

- However, the work was foundational and necessary to what the Lord was going to unveil.

- The same is true for us. We are to continue to set the foundation, so that when the Lord does call, we are already working and ready to respond!

II. Confirmation Occurred Along The Way (10:2-5,7)

• I Samuel 10:2a,7 : “When you have departed from me today, you will find… And let it be, when these signs come to you, that you do as the occasion demands; for God is with you.” : There are times when God asks us to do certain things that require only obedience.

- We don’t need to pray about doing the right thing when it comes up in front of us.

- But when we are talking about a major life decision, such as a job change or an overseas mission, one is never wrong to ask the Lord to confirm His Word to us.

- Thankfully, the Lord never leaves us alone in that regard.

- Here, Samuel lays out 3 specific signs that will serve to show Saul that God is with Him.

- He was going to meet a group that was going to tell him about his donkeys.

- He was going to be given a specific amount of bread.

- Finally, he was going to be among the group of the prophets.

- I think that this is interesting, considering that the Law had a provision that stated that every word was to be established by the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses!

- Each one strengthened the conviction that what was happening to him was not happenstance or coincidence, but providence.

- But notice that it happened along the way. He began moving in the right direction and AS HE MOVED, the Lord began to confirm this word over His life.

- Too often, we as men are waiting for God to move us, and sometimes, God will accommodate that type of faith, Gideon being a perfect biblical example.

- However, God here confirms as Saul walks.

- What more encouragement do we need sometimes to begin moving?

- God has all but spelled out the plan in your heart, He’s opened the door of opportunity, and yet we often feel paralyzed by fear.

- Usually, the fear is expressed in some hypothetical scenario. “What if I start ministering and headhunters from Africa come, kidnap my family and attempt to shrink my head!?

- Why is it that we never hypothesize in the other direction?

- What if you succeed, have the best time of your life and see God meet you in entirely new and exciting ways?

- You have sensed a spiritual direction, you have sought the counsel of your wife and family, and closest friends. All things are a “go!” Now move and watch the Lord confirm whether He is in this or not!

III. Conflict Happens Even When It’s God! (10:26,27)

• I Samuel 10:26,27 : “And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and valiant men went with him, whose hearts God had touched. But some rebels said, ‘How can this man save us?’ So they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.” : God had not only prepared Saul, but he also begun to provide for Saul.

- Valiant men went with him. Not just any men, but men who were valiant, strong, powerful.

- But not just men that had that characteristic of strength. These were men whose hearts God had touched!

- These men were God’s ministers to Saul, men of the King.

- They were his support and likely his protection.

- God raised them up and touched their hearts, just like He had done with Saul.

- One might conclude that when we are walking in our calling that God will provide those who will walk alongside of us just for these reasons of support and protection.

- But then, you might also notice that the second half of the verse also includes rebels who despised him and showed him no respect.

- These rebels were likely from “greater” tribes of Israel and were thus, envious of God’s choice of Saul. They despised him.

- At this point, Saul could have wondered, “Gee God! I thought that I was supposed to be the King and that I was going to be popular and loved by all!”

- That rarely happens, even when it’s the Lord that brought you into the situation.

- There will be other brothers who feel a tinge of envy when they see you live in your calling.

- Others will act territorially because they were there first!

- Still others will just bad mouth your style or some aspect of your ministry.

- Conflict will always occur when spiritual work is entered.

- Moses had Korah and his sons, as well as his brother Aaron and sister Miriam! Nehemiah had Sanballat and Tobiah. Jesus had the religious right of His day. Paul was opposed by religious leaders and idolators!

- Today the church is opposed by the same groups!

- Attacks, conflicts, persecutions, misunderstandings, are all part of any ministry that we endeavor to follow God into. But it’s worth it to follow Jesus wherever He calls!

Conclusion

- Believe it or not, even this last one is encouragement for those who are going into or have been working in ministry!

- God is calling each of you! When He calls, He confirms! Where He calls, there will be some who are called to be a blessing to you.

- And, there are those that are there to drive you back to Jesus when you get a little too confident!

- Don’t let that ever dissuade you! Just as God was with Saul, so He will be with you in every endeavor. Will you follow Him?

I Samuel 8:5-22

“Last Chances & The Mercy Of God!”  9.18.07  Autonomy, Authority & The Man Of God, Session ^#2

Intro.

- We left the Israeli people in a bind of their own making last week.

- They seem unaware of what they have asked for, and are certainly unaware of the consequences of their actions.

- They wanted a King, visible and strong, just as the other nations had.

- What we are looking at this week is the response of the Lord to this request.

 I Samuel 8:5-9 : “But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to judge us.’ So Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day--with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods--so they are doing to you also. Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”

- For most of the rest of chapter 8, Samuel instructs the people how things will be under the new leadership.

- There will be a war machine that will require mandatory service. (v.10,11)

- The house and lifestyle of the King will require heavy contributions to maintain. (v.12-17)

- Samuel makes it clear that they are making a bed that they will regret! But his thorough presentation falls on deaf ears.

• I Samuel 8:19-21 : “Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, ‘No, 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.’”

- The people of Israel are resolute in their action, decisive, unfortunately for their sakes, in the wrong direction!

- It’s not going to go well! God sees this and has given them every mercy. But then comes the scariest verse to me in the whole chapter.

• I Samuel 8:22 : “So the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Heed their voice, and make them a king.’ And Samuel said to the men of Israel, ‘Every man go to his city.’”

- There are big lessons for us here as we examine this portion of scripture.

- This is a textbook look at the mercy of God and how patient His mercy is.

- We’ll note in this order, how His mercy played out here.

I. He Sent His Servant (v.9)

II. He Gave His Word (v.11-17)

III. He Gave Them Their Desire (v.22)

Text

I. He Sent His Servant (v.9)

• I Samuel 8:9 : “Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.” : God first sent His faithful servant.

- Here, His prophet and judge, Samuel.

- He tells Samuel to “solemnly forewarn them.”

- The older versions of the Bible employ the word “protest!”

- The sense of the word is to repeatedly, fervently protest what is about to take place.

- Samuel’s job was not to dissuade them from this disastrous decision.

- He is to give them information and paint a realistic picture of what they were asking for and what that cost would entail.

- A King like those from the nations had beautiful palaces and great armies.

- God wanted them to be able to make a clear choice based upon reality.

- They would be responsible for their clear choice and none could appeal to ignorance.

- It is a function of God’s mercy to send such men into our lives at key junctures.

- We are called to such action implicitly and explicitly in God’s Word.

- God asks a rhetorical question to Cain. “Where is your brother?” Cain’s answer was “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The answer is yes!

• Galatians 6:1,2 : “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

• James 5:19,20 : “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”

- Part of loving one another is to stand watch over each other!

- In this chapter, the first mechanism of God’s mercy is to send His servant.

II. He Gave His Word (v.18)

• I Samuel 8:18 : “And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day.”

- Again, in chapter 8, verses 11 and following, outline precisely what any King would require.

- Here, Samuel prophecies that their reaction will be one of great sorrow.

- The words “cry out” refer to “calling upon” the Lord for help and relief.

- Samuel tells them that they are choosing something that God will not assist them in.

- It is a road that excludes Him.

- This is a perfect phrase which microcosmically emphasizes a truth seen throughout scripture: There is a road that leads to blessing and one that leads to a cursed condition!

- This is God’s Word for each of us. Let me offer you a few select verses that make this point.

- Consider the last sermon of Moses to the people of Israel, just prior to entering Canaan.

• Deuteronomy 30:15-20 : “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

- Consider the writing of David, in the first Psalm.

• Psalm 1:1-4 : “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.”

- God clearly puts before us two roads. One leads to peace and His loving presence.

- The other road leads to strife and His presence is a judgment upon our actions!

III. He Gave Them Their Desire (v.22)

• I Samuel 8:19-22 : “Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, ‘No, 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.’ And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the Lord. So the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Heed their voice, and make them a king.’ And Samuel said to the men of Israel, ‘Every man go to his city.’” : Here we see the scariest part of God’s mercy.

- God, instead of destroying them as they deserve, instead gives them what they ask for.

- The people had come to a place of solid rejection. Their hearts were set against the authority of the Lord.

- The would not heed the servant, nor the express Word of the Lord.

- The only thing left was to give them what they desired.

- We might call this God’s merciful passive judgement, where He allows a course of action to take place, but is not part of His plan. This is plan B!

- As we mentioned last week, it was always God’s plan to provide a King for the nation.

- 400 years earlier, just about the time of their entry into Canaan, God had spoken through Moses in Deuteronomy 17:14-20 about the King that He would provide

- Maybe they thought that they were asking according to God’s will, but certainly not in His time!

˚ “Sometimes, when we insist of having something bad, God will allow us to have it, and then learn the consequences.” Pastor David Guzik

- It’s interesting, because I see a dangerous road in this. The Bible tells us in Genesis that God will not strive with man forever. (Genesis 6:5)

- His mercy will plead and plead for us to make the right choice, and choose His authoritative rule over our lives.

- When we decide to walk away, God allows those desires to be a curse, for we won’t enjoy them as we think!

- Along that line, there is a compelling story in the book of Numbers

- The mixed multitude was giving into their cravings and calling out for meat.

- Both Moses and God were displeased by their demands.

- God made a promise that He would give them meat not for one day or even one week, but rather an entire month, “until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you.” (Numbers 11:20)

- Then God delivered on His promise.

• Numbers 11:31-35 : “Now a wind went out from the Lord, and it brought quail from the sea and left them fluttering near the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and about a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the ground. And the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers); and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was aroused against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague. So he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had yielded to craving. From Kibroth Hattaavah the people moved to Hazeroth, and camped at Hazeroth.”

- Do you know what Kibroth Hattaavah means? It means literally “Graves Of Craving!”

- In the economy of God, His mercy allows us the choice. Then, He lets our choices and their consequences do their work of breaking us and calling out for the mercy we so willingly set aside!

Conclusion

- There are so many lessons here. Let’s break them down like this:

- First, God’s Mercy Begins With His Own Kindness! Paul tells us in Romans chapter 4 that God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance. God is eternally kind to His children and His heart toward them is always love and goodness.

- God wants us to submit to His authority, but we must choose it.

- Second, God Calls Us Men To Stand Ready For Service To Our Brothers. Today, we might serve as God’s gentle reminders of mercy to someone. We want to do so humbly, recognizing our own weakness, but we stand ready nonetheless.

- We want to involve ourselves in the ministry of calling men to submit to God’s authority.

- Finally, God’s Authority Is The Only Safe Choice. If this chapter teaches anything, it would be that we would choose His will, willingly and pray, “God, give me a heart to choose only that which pleases you!”

- Only there will we find our safety and blessing.

I Samuel 7,8:1-5

“The Spiral Toward Autonomy” * 9/11/07 * Autonomy, Authority & The Man Of God, Session #1

Intro.

- Much of what we become is defined by the times that we live in.

- There are certain climates, political, spiritual and otherwise that we have grown up in that make us the men that we are.

- The Biblical characters that we love are no different. They did not live in ivory towers, removed from the elements.

- In the beginning of this study on the life of David, I wanted to take a look back at the history that predated his life, and shaped the world around him. A sort of “prequel” if you will.

- We begin with the prophet Samuel. As a young boy, Samuel was raised in the temple and rose to be a judge of the people of Israel.

- During his time, the national enemies of Israel, the Philistines, began to be an ever-present threat to their national security.

- We see this in I Samuel 7, when Philistia came up against the Israeli city of Mizpah. They were driven back, largely in part, to the faithfulness of Samuel in interceding for the people of Israel.

• I Samuel 7:13 : "So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel."

- God was with Samuel and the people sensed a great peace because of his presence.

- But Samuel grew old and inevitable change was in the air, leading the Israelites to cower at what might happen next.

- Samuel, anticipating his own need to replace himself, took steps to do so.

• I Samuel 8:1 : "Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel."

- This did nothing to ease the tensions of the people of Israel, who knew that the threat of the Philistines still had to be answered.

- It did not help that Samuel's sons were of lower quality, in terms of their own spiritual condition.

• I Samuel 8:4,5 : "Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, 'Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.'"

- Next week, we will look at God's response to these matters, but today, in our short time together, I want us to examine the motives that are seen here.

- As we begin our study, I want us to look at three things here that contribute to an autonomous, self-ruled, heart.

I. A Defining Moment

II. A Dangerous Decision

III. A Dreadful Motivation

Text

I. A Defining Moment (I Samuel 7:7)

• I Samuel 7:7 : “Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines.” : The road to rebellion begins here at this moment.

- The Philistines have come deep into Israelite territory.

- These Philistines were constantly at war with the Hebrews.

- It’s believed by scholars that one of their advantages came from their ability to shape iron into weaponry.

- When Israel heard of their incursion, they were afraid, the Hebrew word expressing shock and awe, overwhelming fear.

- This perfectly describes a critical moment in time where the people of Israel can step up and see the deliverance of God, or they can fall back on their own devices and think of an alternate solution.

- These type of crises make up the fabric of our faith.

- If we were honest, we would admit deep fears motivate us.

- We may not have a physical nation breaking down our doors of protection, but we have all faced moments of crisis that force us to evaluate where our faith is.

- It may be as simple as the fear of man’s opinion. Others fear for the loss of their children, while still others fear the loss of their reputation.

- Where does fear come from? Let me suggest that it comes from a lack of confidence in our relationship with God.

- If we are not sure that He is with us, guiding our every decision, and directing our every step, then fear can dominate our life while confidence drains from our life.

- How were the Israelites living? In complete compromise and idolatry.

• I Samuel 7:3 : “Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, ‘If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.’”

- The Israelite hearts were far from the Lord, turned to other gods.

- When the crisis came, all confidence was lost.

- Troubles will come. How will you respond? When the fear is real, when your reputation is on the line, when kids, wife and co-workers are watching, what will your heart response be?

- Let me suggest that we follow the good example of King Hezekiah, who received a threatening letter from the terrorists of his time, the Assyrian army.

- Upon receiving it, Hezekiah’s response instructs us to do likewise.

• II Kings 19:1 : “And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.”

II. A Dangerous Decision

• I Samuel 8:4,5a “Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, ‘Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways." : Israel has made a fatal mistake which we are all prone to.

- The confidence in their relationship with the Lord was gone, even while they had victory.

- How did this happen? It must be the man that God used!

- It’s all about him! If we just had a man like him, then we would be good to go!

- “Samuel, you are old. Where will our help come from?”

- It won’t be your sons because they do not walk in your ways! They don’t have the same power that you do!

- Here Israel was right. Samuel’s sons were poor substitutes that Israel was right to reject.

- They recognized that they needed someone who was willing to stand in the gap spiritually.

- Samuel had been their champion, but He was their champion because God was with Him!

- It was God’s hand that was with Israel against the Philistines, but they did not credit God.

- As a result, to think that God would remedy this situation, was far from their hearts.

- To think that God would appoint another judge or even appoint a King did not even enter into their thinking.

- We are prone to the same issue.

- Any trust put in man will come back to disappoint.

- The answer is never a man, even a man of God, but God Himself working through man!

- It’s telling to me that the book of Psalms, largely written by King David himself, as works of praise, often speak of this issue of trusting in God alone.

- One such Psalm goes like this.

• Psalm 118:4-9 : “Let those who fear the Lord now say, ‘His mercy endures forever.’ I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in princes.”

- Where is your trust today? Is it entirely in the Lord?

III. A Dreadful Motivation

• I Samuel 8:5b : “Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." : Here we see the ultimate statement of the heart condition of the people of Israel at this time.

- Make us a king! Wait a minute. You already have a King! His name is YHWH! He has been your King since you came out of Egypt. He protected you through the dessert, feeding you and healing you, even when you complained against Him and desired to go back.

- He has been faithful and vanquished your enemies before your face.

- Israel was to be a distinctive nation, meant to be God’s representative to the other nations that surrounded them.

- She was to be a picture of God’s power, protection and special presence, for God chose to allow His presence to rest in their midst, the Tabernacle and the Temple.

- Instead, they cried, “make us a king.” But here is the kicker: Just like all the nations!

- The betrayal here is not just that they were refusing the authority of God over them as sovereign ruler. The betrayal is enough.

- However, consider this: They were willing here to hand over their purpose.

- When they are saying that they want to be like all the nations, they are willing to hand over all that made them distinctive, and useful in the hands of God.

- They think, in their own wisdom, that they are bettering themselves, when in reality, they are crippling themselves.

- For whatever reason, when fear, coupled with trusting in man are combined, our vision of reality is blurred. For example, how did the nations fare without God against Israel?

- Ask Egypt how they managed at the Red Sea? What would Jericho say about their mighty walls in the land of the Canaanites? Maybe, one should ask the recently vanquished Philistines whether they would take a king or God to be their champion!

- In the end, what we see is the same group of people that preferred leeks and onions to freedom! The same people who descended from men who would choose soup over a birthright!

- What good comes from being like the world in any way?

- Sure, those in the world may have their riches and seem immune from many of the challenges that we might face, but in the quiet of their hearts, and as they search in their souls, they know that they are hopeless men and women with nowhere to turn.

- Asaph the Psalmist had similar feelings looking at those of the world in Psalm 73.

- His feet almost stumbled at the lack of pain and suffering that the world goes through.

- But then it all came clear to him.

• Psalm 73:17-20 : “Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awakes, So, Lord, when You awake, You shall despise their image.”

- Israel was wrong to assume that the world had the answers to the fears that bound them.

- So are we!

Conclusion

- As we come to the end of this beginning section, I feel that it’s always my duty to remind you that this lesson might not be where you are at right now. Store it away, for it will be valuable yet.

- Fears, troubles, and terrible situations should lead you directly to God, so that you might seek how you might respond.

- The other alternative is to trust in men, and their devices, such as manipulation or deceit.

- These are worldly devices, which on the surface, seem right, but are instead, destined to fail.

- Take heed, be careful and purpose now to trust in the Lord…no matter what!