#75. 1 Samuel 9-12 | People are Complicated

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This is the Dwelling Place from a Trusted Ministries.

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I'm Stephanie Hickox, and today I had

some conversations with other moms who

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feel just like me, that with all of

the messages being thrown at us from

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every direction, the only way to stay

grounded is by looking to scripture.

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If you're feeling guilt, you're not doing

enough, wondering if you're doing it all

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wrong or struggling to make what matters

for eternity the priority in your home.

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You are in the right place.

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Today we're looking at chapters

nine through 12 of one Samuel.

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And I just have to say

people are complicated.

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This is where we'll meet King Saul,

and if you've studied scripture

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for long, you probably remember.

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He's the one that tried to kill

the future, king David, and

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usually the guy trying to kill

the good guy is the bad guy.

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But there are some moments

in today's chapters where he

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doesn't seem like such a bad guy.

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And also God picks him

to be king over Israel.

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Like I said, it's complicated

and that's why it feels so real

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to me because people are complex

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At the beginning of chapter

nine, we find out that Saul

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is from the tribe of Benjamin.

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In the Book of Judges, the tribe of

Benjamin was noted several times for not

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doing what was right before the Lord.

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So it's interesting that the

Lord is going to elevate him.

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We also learn he's more handsome

than anyone else in Israel and that

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he's much taller than everyone.

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His dad is wealthy and a bunch

of their donkeys are missing.

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Saul and a servant are

sent to go look for them.

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They look for a while, and then

Saul recommends we should go back.

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We don't want my dad worried about us.

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But the servant says they should consult

a man of God, and maybe he'll be able

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to tell them where the donkeys are.

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They go into the city looking for this man

who happens to be Samuel, and learn that

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he's been sacrificing on the high place.

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I wanna point this out because

generally in scripture, sacrificing

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on the high places was a really evil

thing to do, but at this point, the

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temple was not yet built by Solomon.

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So from my reading in the

commentaries, they didn't actually

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condemn that Samuel was there.

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It just seemed that this

was the necessary place.

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For the offering because then

all the people below would be

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able to see that a sacrifice is

being offered on their behalf.

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The providence and sovereignty of God

is incredibly evident in these chapters.

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Verse 14 tells us as they were

entering the city, they saw

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Samuel coming out toward them

on his way up to the high place.

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Now, the day before Saul came,

the Lord had revealed to Samuel.

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Tomorrow.

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About this time, I will send

to you a man from the tribe of

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Benjamin and you shall anoint him

to be prince over my people Israel.

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He shall save my people from the hand

of the Philistines for I have seen my

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people because their cry has come to me.

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When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him,

here's the man of whom I spoke to you.

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He it is who shall restrain my people?

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Samuel greets Saul with honor and tells

him that the donkeys have been found,

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and Saul responds with true humility.

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Samuel bestows upon him the piece of meat

that's usually reserved for the priest and

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then an honored place to stay the night,

but in the morning sends him on his way.

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In chapter 10, Samuel privately pulls

Saul aside, taking oil and anointing him.

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He tells him, has not.

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The Lord anointed you to be priest

over his people Israel, and you

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shall reign over the people of the

Lord and you will save them from the

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hand of their surrounding enemies.

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Samuel gives him three signs of what will

happen as he leaves so that he knows this

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is true, eventually promising that the

spirit of the Lord will rush upon him.

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He says, God is with you.

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I'll see you in a week, and I'm really

struck by what Chapter 10 verse nine

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reveals when he turned his back to leave

Samuel, God gave him another heart, and

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then the spirit of God rushed upon him.

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This transformation is so dramatic

that people say what has come

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over the son of Kish, they're also

surprised because he is so different.

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And if you're praying for someone who

feels far from the Lord or for a child.

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Or if you're discouraged because

you just can't seem to break through

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in some of your own sin patterns.

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This is a God who has all power and

authority to change hearts, and we

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can find great encouragement in this

solace, handsome, and he's tall, it

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seems He's humble and now he's got a new

heart and he's full of the Holy Spirit.

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But when Samuel calls

all of Israel together.

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Has them separated by tribe and by clan.

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They cast the lots to find out which

man the Lord has called to be king.

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They get it all narrowed down

that God has chosen Saul, but

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they can't find him because he's

hidden himself amongst the baggage.

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Even amongst this

confirmation of the Lord.

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He's fearful.

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But God inspires other men to rise up

and follow him But like any political

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regime, there are some men that

despise him, but Saul holds his peace.

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The Holy Spirit is helping

him to be a man of restraint.

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In Chapter 11, the Ammonites are

causing issues for the Israelites again.

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If you recall, their main

enemies at this point are the

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Philistines and the Ammonites.

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In verse six, the spirit of God rushes

upon Saul, and in a gruesome but effective

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way, he's able to rally 300,000 men

of Israel and 30,000 men of Judah.

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Speaker 13: If you really have your

listening ears on, you might be thinking,

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why is it dividing them up like that?

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There will be a point where these tribes

are gonna split and there is going to

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be the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom

of Judah, but it hasn't happened yet.

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And there are these little indicators

throughout that show us that

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this book was probably written

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Speaker 14: after the Kingdom split.

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God gives Saul a wise military strategy

and victory over the Ammonites and the

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people are rejoicing, but then they

remind Saul, Hey, remember those worthless

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fellows that didn't want you as king?

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Let's put them to death.

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But Saul says, not a man shall be

put to death this day for today,

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the Lord has worked salvation in

Israel, and he shows restraint again.

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They crown Saul King at Gilgal, and a

new chapter begins for Israel against

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Samuel's warnings and recommendations.

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They have set up a kingship.

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But it means they'll no longer

need to be as reliant upon Samuel

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as they were in chapter 12.

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Samuel, like all great leaders in Israel

before him, offers a parting speech,

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after confirming that he has

never unfairly benefited from

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them as he served them and then

giving them a history lesson,

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he rebukes them for seeking a

king when God was their king,

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and then he charges them.

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To be faithful to the Lord

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and now behold the king

whom you've have chosen.

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If you will fear the Lord and serve him

and obey his voice and not rebel against

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the commandment of the Lord, and if both

you and the king who reigns over you will

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follow the Lord your God, it will be well.

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But if you will not obey

the voice of the Lord.

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But rebel against the

commandment of the Lord.

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Then the hand of the Lord will

be against you and your king.

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Now therefore, stand still and

see this great thing that the

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Lord will do before your eyes.

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Is it not wheat harvest.

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Today I will call upon the Lord

that he may send thunder and rain

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and you shall know and see that

your wickedness is great, which you

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have done in the sight of the Lord

in asking for yourselves a king.

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So Samuel called upon the Lord and the

Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and

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all the people greatly feared the Lord.

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And all the people said to Samuel,

pray for your servants to the Lord

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your God, that we may not die for.

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We have added to all our sins, this evil

to ask for ourselves A king and Samuel

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said to the people, do not be afraid.

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You have done this evil yet.

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Do not turn aside from following the Lord.

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But serve the Lord with all your heart

and do not turn aside after empty things

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that cannot profit or deliver for

they are empty, for the Lord will

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not forsake his people for his great

namesake because it has pleased the

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Lord to make you a people for himself.

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Moreover, as for me, far be it from

me, that I should sin against the Lord

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by ceasing to pray for you, and I will

instruct you in the good and right way.

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Only fear the Lord and serve

him faithfully with all your

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heart for consider what great

things he has done for you.

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But if you still do wickedly, you shall

be swept away, both you and your king.

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During this time of year.

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Rain was extremely rare.

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, And that's what helped them realize

the gravity of their sin, the challenge

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to not turn aside after empty things

that cannot profit or deliver.

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Reminds me of Isaiah 55.

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Why do you spend your money

for that which is not bread?

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And your labor for that

which does not satisfy?

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Listen diligently to me and eat what is

good and delight yourselves in rich food.

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There is so much that we chase

after that does not satisfy.

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Sometimes we are legit exhausted from

helping people all day, but instead

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of being renewed and satisfied by

Jesus the bread of life and the

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word that he wants to daily fill us

with, we decide to numb ourselves.

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Instead, there's a place

for rest and relaxation.

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But most often we need deep soul

renewal and only he can bring it.

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When Samuel says that it would be a sin

against the Lord if he stopped praying for

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them and instructing them in the truth.

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That verse even made it as a

theme verse for the Entrusted

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with the child's heart study.

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As Betsy challenges moms, that

prayer is one of the most important

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things we will do for our kids.

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And that's why I'm so proud of you because

you're here doing that day after day.

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heavenly Father, today we're

reminded that people are complex.

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And we're so aware of that in our

parenting, how sometimes we're filled

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with hope at the fruit we see in our kids.

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And then other points We're

discouraged and humbled

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and at our own sinfulness as well.

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But Lord, we're encouraged that your Holy

Spirit has the power to transform and

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that you're willing to change hearts.

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I pray for our children and our families.

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For those that haven't surrendered their

lives to you, I ask that they would.

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And for those that have that you

would be victorious over the sin.

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That still battles for each one of us.

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Thank you that you have been pleased

to make us a people for yourself, and

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we pray that you will give us the honor

of bringing you glory on this earth.

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It's in the name of Jesus that we pray.

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Amen.