1 Samuel 24:1-7

1 Samuel 24:1-7 

English Standard Version 

  We'll wrap up our series on Saul here.  Saul has been pursuing David at all costs, desperate to end this threat to what he considers to be his throne.  Saul is purely focused on power now, trying to retain his place.  There is no longer any illusion that he is serving God or working for God's kingdom.  Saul has eyes only for his own kingdom and legacy, to which David is a threat.

  At one point, Saul goes into a cave to relieve himself.  David is hiding in the same cave, and he cuts a corner or Saul's robe off to demonstrate that he could have killed Saul.  David will not kill Saul, however.  He is dedicated to the larger vision of God's kingdom, and he's willing to set aside whatever animosity he may have towards Saul.  He still gives honor to the position of king, even if the person doesn't do much to deserve that honor.  

  Imagine how hard that must have been.  But David is able to set his own emotions aside, because he is focused on the Kingdom of God.  It's not about David.  

  May we pursue the same single-minded devotion towards God.  

1 Samuel 18:20-22

1 Samuel 18:20-22 

English Standard Version

  At one point, Jesus tells the disciples to be wise as serpents.  He doesn't send us into the world to be destroyed.  He wants us to use all of our cunning and all of our wisdom so that we might find ways to serve God in the best ways possible.  

  Here, Saul's daughter is in love with David, but Saul only sees this as an opportunity to bring down David.  Everything is twisted in his mind and in his heart, and so he is constantly plotting and scheming to destroy David.  He's obsessed, fixated, all of it on breaking David.  Just imagine if he chose to use these skills and this wisdom and dedication in serving God.  

  May we choose wisely where we dedicate our efforts.  May we have people in our lives that can speak truth to us.  May we pursue truth, even at our own expense, even when it costs.

1 Samuel 18:12-16

1 Samuel 18:12-16 

English Standard Version 

  What would you do if you're Saul?  Saul had noticed the presence of the Lord departing from him, and he knows that it landed on David.  Saul sees the future is with David.  But Saul's pride cannot bring him to praise God for what God is doing with David.  Saul's pride cannot let him repent for his sins.  Saul's pride cannot mourn for what he has become.  Saul is stuck by his own choices, and he will not change

  Our lives are filled with these moments, opportunities to respond to another's ascension in power or prestige.  One option is the path that Saul took, which is resentment.  Another is encouragement, to attempt to discern how God is enlarging God's kingdom and try to join with that effort.  This is the harder path, but it's the one that focuses on God's kingdom and not our own.  

1 Samuel 18:6-9

1 Samuel 18:6-9 

English Standard Version 

  Do you abide in scarcity or abundance?  When someone else receives, are you of the mindset that it automatically means that there is less for you?  Or are you of the mindset that there is a bigger pie?  It's a choice we all have to make when it comes to seeing others receive honor.

  Saul -- we see his choice.  Saul believes that David receiving honor for his achievements means that Saul will pale in comparison.  Saul sees it as a competition that he's losing, and he begins to countdown to the end of his own reign.  Saul doesn't think about how exciting David might be for God's Kingdom -- he's only worried about his own.  Saul lives in fear.  

  If we choose faith over fear, then the question we should continually ask ourselves is how God might use new circumstances for the growth of God's kingdom.  If we keep our eyes and hearts focused there, then we see ourselves as citizens of God's kingdom.  We already know how precious we are in God's eyes, and so we don't have to fear losing that status.   Worldly status will come and go.  But to dwell in God's Kingdom -- that is a gift, one that is freely given, not competed for.

1 Samuel 17:55-58

1 Samuel 17:55-58

English Standard Version 

  Often, people get ignored until it turns out they do something famous.  Perhaps people ignore someone, thinking they're not worth their time, but then they learn that the person is famous or noteworthy, and suddenly they're very interested, despite the fact that nothing has really changed.

  You'd think this was the first that Saul had heard of David.  But do you remember when, earlier this very chapter, Saul was trying to dress David in Saul's armor?  They'd met earlier, before David slew Goliath, but Saul wasn't interested in learning about David then.  It was only after David killed Goliath that Saul suddenly was interested in his heritage.

  May we be humble enough that we treat people equally, no matter how famous they may be.  They could do something remarkable in the future... or they might not.  Either way, may we treat each other like the precious sons and daughters of God that they are.  

1 Samuel 17:45-47

1 Samuel 17:45-47 

English Standard Version 

  I love this speech from David.  You can hear his passion for the Lord.  He will fight to defend the Lord's honor, and he has complete trust in God.  The battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand!  May that same spirit fill us and lead us in all we do!

1 Samuel 17:38-40

1 Samuel 17:38-40 

English Standard Version 

  Here is Saul, looking at David and amazed at his boldness, and then he gives David his armor, which overwhelms the boy.  David instead opts to go with just his staff in one hand and his sling in the other.  Saul's ways are not for David.  

  We can sense Saul fading away.  Saul is afraid, hiding from Goliath, and when David is ready to fight, Saul is giving away his armor.  Saul is the king and ought to be leading the charge, fighting Goliath himself, but he willingly hands his armor over to a boy.  Saul has no fight in him, only fear. 

  May we, like David, find out own path forward.  May we listen to where the Holy Spirit is calling us, and follow the individual path God sets before us.  Others may not understand it, others may not recommend it, but God has called us uniquely and equipped us in specific ways for the things that we will face.  Another's armor will not suit us.  We are each fearfully and wonderfully made.

1 Samuel 17:9-11

1 Samuel 17:9-11 

English Standard Version 

  The story of David and Goliath is always told from the perspective of David as the hero, but we forget that Saul was involved as well.  Saul was still king of Israel, and while David was dismayed that Goliath would insult Israel and their God, Saul was merely afraid.  As much as David succeeded, Saul failed, because he opted for fear rather than boldness.  Saul had seen what God could do, and yet he didn't trust in that, because he looked at himself rather than God, and because his eyes were focused on the wrong place, Saul was afraid.  Saul's fear paralyzed him, which created an opening for David, a man of faith after God's own heart, to choose action because he trusted in God.

  The warning here for us is to keep our eyes focused on God.  When we let our hearts hear the melodies of God's power and love, we are in tune with God and then are not afraid of the things that threaten us.  When we let our lives bend according to God's will, we find strength we didn't know we had, because it isn't our own -- it belongs to God, and God will sustain and support us.  When we rely on God, the words of Goliath do not cause us to fear, because we know who holds the heavens and earth.

1 Samuel 15:10-11

1 Samuel 15:10-11 

English Standard Version 

  There are situations that are simply tragic.  The people wanted a king, and so God reluctantly agreed to give them a king, despite warning them that it wouldn't end well.  Here we are, not much later, and it's not ending well.  Saul doesn't follow the commandments of God, and the people are suffering because of it.  What I appreciate is Samuel's devotion.  Samuel is the prophet, and he serves as the intermediary between the people and God.  Samuel sees the pain unfolding, and he weeps for the people, and he weeps for the brokenness in the people and in their relationship.  Samuel sees where things are going, and he weeps.

  When we see the heartbreak in the world, may we care enough to do the same.  It's easy to be callous, to stop seeing the ways the world is broken, to not notice how much pain there is.  We all have enough on our plate, we don't want to take on the suffering of others.

  But that's not the kind of life we are called into.  We're called to be in relationships with people around us, and to let the things of the world break our hearts the same way they break God's heart.  May we continue to care deeply about the people in the world, that we care enough to be involved, to pray for solutions, and to work for peace.

1 Samuel 13:8-12

1 Samuel 13:8-12 

English Standard Version 

  Saul was scared.  He wasn't allowed to offer the burnt offering, but he saw the people starting to waver, and in the heat of the moment, he decided to do what he thought made the most sense, ignoring the command from God.  Under pressure, he thought God was too distant, too hard to see, and so he chose to ignore God and follow his own senses.  

  Unfortunately, those senses led him astray.  He failed the test.  He was called to wait, to trust in God, to learn how to depend on God, despite worldly signs indicating trouble, but he couldn't.  He only could trust in his own abilities.

  This test lands in our lap from time to time.  Can we learn to trust in God, even if it looks like God won't come through.  God is ultimately reliable, and eternally dependable, even if God doesn't always answer our prayers the way that we want God to do so.  We still are called to trust in God.  Our own senses will fail and betray us... but God never will.

1 Samuel 12:19-25

1 Samuel 12:19-25 

English Standard Version 

  So the people come to Samuel, and they realize that they've done wrong, and they implore Samuel to pray for them.  Samuel agrees to do so, because he feels an obligation to the people.  He warned them about the consequences of their actions, but he is still bound to them.  

  May we think of the people in our lives with the same spirit.  We see others make mistakes.  We see them go wrong, even when we warned them.  And yet, we are knit together.  We are one people, and we have an obligation to care for one another, to love one another, to serve one another.  May we continue to pray for God to lead us closer to one another, and may we have the humility to stay in community as we all continue to grow together.

1 Samuel 10:25-27

1 Samuel 10:25-27 

English Standard Version 

  This time of year, at the end of the baseball season, plenty of baseball managers may be fired.  The Reds have already fired their manager, although I don't think he's personally responsible for how bad the team was.  Ownership didn't exactly give him the team he needed.  But they needed someone to blame, even if it wasn't the right person.  

  Saul's reign is off to an auspicious beginning.  He's been caught hiding when he was about to be proclaimed king, and now there are some in the crowd wondering how Saul can save them.  

  Can Saul save them?  Did he ever possess that potential?  It's hard to say.  Saul's leadership goes so wrong, but I think there was a chance. 

  These fellows, however, are asking the wrong question.  Saul was never meant to be the deliverer.  That is God's role.  God is the one who could save Israel.  Unfortunately, the people had stopped looking to God.

  We often do as well.  We look to the world around us, looking for something else to deliver us, something visible, rather than turning to God.  It's much harder to trust in God some days, but God is the only truly reliable power in the universe that has power to transcend death.  Who else are you going to trust?

1 Samuel 10:17-24

1 Samuel 10:17-24

English Standard Version 

  This is a huge moment in the life of the people of Israel.  They have turned from having God as their king and opted for a human king.  God has Samuel remind the people of all that God has done for them, but that's old news to the people.  They're looking around at present circumstances, and the God who delivered them out of the bonds of slavery hasn't done anything dramatic enough recently, so they're looking to move along to something more secure.  It's wild to think about it -- the God who can carve a mountain with his mere words wasn't enough for the people, so they wanted a human instead to give them comfort.  

  So God grants them their wish, and then when it's time for Saul to be presented as king, where is Saul?

  He's hiding among the baggage.  The people have to go ask God where he is, and then they dig him out. When Samuel says that there is no one else like Saul, perhaps there is a bit of irony in his voice, but the people don't see it as a warning -- they merely shout, 'Long live the king.'  And so the madness of crowds continues...

  

 When you look to measure success in the world, how do you count it?  How do you take stock of your life, of what you have done, and what you have still to do?  

  There's countless ways to do this, and we all tend to measure ourselves against others.  

  When the people chose Saul, they opted to define success by having a leader who gave the people the appearance of having everything held together.  

  May we not judge so superficially, and may we strive for something deeper.  May we opt for a life well-lived before God, a life that seeks to glorify God and serve others, and may we define success by how well we pursue God and love one another.

1 Samuel 9:1-2

1 Samuel 9:1-2 

English Standard Version 

  So, what qualifies Saul to be king?

  He's really handsome.

  Also... very tall.

  Looking for any more substance?  Move right along.  

  The people wanted a king that would look like a king.  They wanted someone who might intimidate other kings, who would give the people credibility when they were comparing kings with people from other countries.  They hadn't had a king before, so they wanted someone who would provide no doubt that he was king-type material.

  They got someone who looked very much like a king.  No one would doubt that he qualified in a contest of who could be king based on body structure.

  In the modern world, may we learn this lesson well, and pursue following people of character and integrity, regardless of what they look like.  May we seek out Godly people who follow the Lord and treat others the way they ought to be treated.  May we value a person's actions and words above all else.

1 Samuel 8:19-22

1 Samuel 8:19-22 

English Standard Version 

  I thought it would be interesting to study the life of Saul, Israel's first King in the Old Testament.  The people have decided that they want a king so they can be like every other nation.  What's interesting is that the prophet Samuel then spends 9 verses telling them all the bad things that a King will do.  Samuel tells them that a king will tax their land and take their sons to war and that they will do all this extra work for the king.  The people, however, want a king.  God tells Samuel that the people are rejecting God, not Samuel.  For all these years, God had been the king of the people, but they wanted something easier to wrap their minds around, so they rejected God and opted for a regular king.  

  Ultimately, God gives them what they want.

  Which should be a warning to all of us -- may we be very, very careful about what we wish for, because we just might get it, and may we listen wisely when people offer us words of warning, for they are often looking out for our best interests, even if we may not realize it.

Books of the Bible in Five Minutes: 1 Samuel

1 Samuel 17:24-26

1 Samuel 17:24-26 

English Standard Version 

   What's your goal?  We're all motivated by different things.  Some people want renown, others strive for money, some want respect or peace, others seek honor.  The Westminster Confession tells us that the chief end is to glorify God and enjoy God forever.  Sin has corrupted that, but it's still there, deep within us, and we often recognize it, trying to clear a path to that goal, seeking to get all the clutter out of the way.

  In this passage, Goliath has appeared before the Israelites, threatening to enslave them if no one can defeat him.  The Israelites are afraid, and no one will go fight Goliath, even with the promise of riches and a wife and freedom.

  David, though, sees a man who defies the armies of the living God.  David is furious that a man will disrespect God, and that's what sends him into the fight.  He's got a different motivation.  This is why we call David a man after God's own heart.  David gets a lot of things wrong, but he seeks God.  

  Look at your schedule for the coming day.  Where in it will you seek God?  How will you seek God throughout the day?  Do you have time set aside to honor and praise God, to reset your priorities and examine your heart?  Find some time for that.  Pray about how to serve God in the midst of everything going on today.  May that be our goal.