Do you have a heart for God ? David: A Man after the Heart of God 1 Samuel 13:1-14 ----CHAPTER 13 Continued War with Philistia 1 Saul was thirty* years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty-two years.* 2 Saul selected three thousand special troops from the army of Israel and sent the rest of the men home. He took two thousand of the chosen men with him to Micmash and the hill country of Bethel. The other thousand went with Saul’s son Jonathan to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. 3 Soon after this, Jonathan attacked and defeated the garrison of Philistines at Geba. The news spread quickly among the Philistines that Israel was in revolt, so Saul sounded the call to arms throughout Israel. 4 He announced that the Philistine garrison at Geba had been destroyed, and he warned the people that the Philistines now hated the Israelites more than ever. So the entire Israelite army mobilized again and met Saul at Gilgal. 5 The Philistines mustered a mighty army of three thousand* chariots, six thousand horsemen, and as many warriors as the grains of sand along the seashore! They camped at Micmash east of Beth-aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw the vast number of enemy troops, they lost their nerve entirely and tried to hide in caves, holes, rocks, tombs, and cisterns. 7 Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul’s Disobedience and Samuel’s Rebuke Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. 8 Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. 9 So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself. 10 Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, 11 but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?” Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. 12 So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’ So I felt obliged to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.” 13 “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have disobeyed the command of the Lord your God. Had you obeyed, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your dynasty must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already chosen him to be king over his people, for you have not obeyed the Lord’s command.”After Saul had foolishly taken upon himself the function of the priestly office (v.9), the prophet Samuel informed him that the Lord had already sought and called another to be captain over His people (v.14). Although this individual had not yet been revealed, God knew who he was-David, the son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah. Jacob had, patriarchal blessing (Gen.49:8-12), predicted that Judah would be preeminent among the tribes of Israel. However, the nation of Israel was unwilling to wait for Gods best time or His man (8:19-22). They chose Saul, of the tribe of Benjamin, to be their first king (9:1-2; 10:1). Although he appeared to be all that men could desire in a leader, he was a failure from Gods viewpoint (15:10-23). Saul was handsome, a man of commanding appearance, strong, and so tall that he stood head and shoulders above his people (9:1-2). He must have been a man of magnetic personality, for the people took him readily. Even the prophet Samuel had a high regard for him. In fact, in the second year of Sauls reign, when he showed himself unfit for the responsibilities of kingship, Samuel was grieved to see him rejected by God (16:1). When the Lord sent Samuel to the house of Jesse to anoint one of his sons, the prophet apparently assumed that God would choose another individual just like Saul (16:6). But the Lord revealed to Samuel His divine standard for His choice of king. It was not a mans physical appearance that mattered to Him but, rather, his heart attitude toward God (16:7). Paul referred to this account in Acts 13:22-23. God looks on the heart-and always has (Isa.55:8-9). Do you have a heart for God? Jonathan attacked and destroyed the Philistine outpost, but Saul took all the credit for it. Although this was normal in that culture, it didn’t make his action right. Saul’s growing pride started out small-taking credit for a battle that was won by his son. Left unchecked, his pride grew into an ugly obsession; thus, it destroyed him, tore his family apart, and threatened the well-being of the nation. Taking credit for the accomplishments of others indicates that pride is controlling your life. When you notice pride taking a foothold, take immediate steps to put it in check by giving credit to those who deserve it. When we forget who is on our side or see only our own resources, we tend to panic at the sight of the opposition. The Israelites became terrified and hid when they saw the mighty Philistine army. They forgot that God was on their side and that he couldn’t be defeated. As you face problems and temptations, focus your attention on God and his resources, trusting him to help you (Romans 8:31-37). Rather than waiting for a priest, Saul offered the sacrifice himself. This was against God’s laws (Deuteronomy 12:5-14) and against the specific instructions of Samuel (10:8). Under pressure from the approaching Philistines, he took matters into his own hands and disobeyed God. He was doing a good thing (offering a sacrifice to God before a crucial battle), but he did it in the wrong way. Like Saul, our true spiritual character is revealed under pressure. The methods we use to accomplish our goals are as important as the attainment of those goals. It is difficult to trust God when you feel your resources slipping away. When Saul felt that time was running out, he became impatient with God’s timing. In thinking that the ritual was all he needed, he substituted the ritual for faith in God. When faced with a difficult decision, don’t allow impatience to drive you to disobey God. When you know what God wants, follow his plan regardless of the consequences. God often uses delays to test our obedience and patience. Ye Have Need of Patience 1 Peter 5:1-11 The Word of God contains forty-nine references to the word patience in its various forms; interestingly, only three occur in the Old Testament. However, we find excellent advice in those three texts (Psa.37:7; 40:1; Eccl.7:8). We also discover that suffering (v.10) and patience (Heb.10:36) are inseparably linked in Gods Word. The word patience means bearing or enduring pain, trouble, etc., without complaining or losing self-control. Both people and things can certainly test ones patience. Yes, patience is that calm and unruffled temper with which the good man bears the evils of life, whether they proceed from persons or things. How very true! Patience always entails testing, time, and tenacity; these form a connecting cord in every instance in which patience is required. Testing-next to sin, suffering is the most inexplicable mystery. Everyone from individuals to nations suffer with often no reasonable earthly explanation for their suffering. Time-this word suggests the question, How long?-to which God answers, a while (v.10). The prominent word in connection with suffering and time is wait. Tenacity-in response to the question. How?; that is, How am I to endure suffering?-the Lord says we are to bear the evils of life with calm and unruffled temper and to sweetly submit to Gods providential appointments. Often, the answers will come. Testing (or suffering) can be both disciplinary and educative (2 Cor.4:17). Time reminds us that life is composed of waiting periods (Psa.37:7). Tenacity is a divinely given grace that prevents one from despair in the face of evil (Lk.21:19). Ye have need of patience (Heb.10:36). Saul had plenty of excuses for his disobedience. But Samuel zeroed in on the real issue: “You have disobeyed the command of the LORD your God.” Like Saul, we often gloss over our mistakes and sins, trying to justify and spiritualize our actions because of our “special” circumstances. Our excuses, however, are nothing more than disobedience. God knows our true motives. He forgives, restores, and blesses only when we are honest about our sins. By trying to hide his sins behind excuses, Saul lost his kingship (13:14).
Posted on: Sat, 04 Oct 2014 10:15:56 +0000
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