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Saul and Samuel - The Book of 1 Samuel · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And Samuel said, What hast thou done?
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  Speaker 1: And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were
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  Speaker 1: scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the
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  Speaker 1: days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash.
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  Speaker 1: 1 Samuel 13.11 Dear God, today I declare that a
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  Speaker 1: new day is upon me. Today I declare that living
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  Speaker 1: a victorious life is my new norm and not my exception.
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  Speaker 1: As the victory over my circumstances increases, I will not
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  Speaker 1: act as Saul in 1 Samuel 13 and allow my
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  Speaker 1: ambition and anxieties cause me to move and act on
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  Speaker 1: things that you've commanded me to wait on. Holy Spirit,
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  Speaker 1: quicken my courage so that I will not let the
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  Speaker 1: appearance of troubles cause me to step outside my character
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  Speaker 1: and God-given peace. I will wait patiently for you and
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  Speaker 1: your instructions as it pertains to the plans for my future.
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  Speaker 1: I denounce negative prideful behaviors and arrogance from my mind.
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  Speaker 1: I declare that I am calm, centered, and clear-headed in
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  Speaker 1: the face of trials. For I know that you are
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  Speaker 1: always with me. I thank you that my resolve has
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  Speaker 1: been strengthened and that my reliance is on my obedience.
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  Speaker 1: which pleases you more than my sacrifices. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 1: Listening to these daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God.
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  Speaker 1: Continue hearing from the Lord by listening to today's Bible
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  Speaker 1: in a Year.
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  Speaker 2: Saul and Samuel. In our last story, we witnessed Saul's
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  Speaker 2: rise as king. He led the Israelites into victory over
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  Speaker 2: the Ammonites, and all the people rejoiced over their new leader. However,
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  Speaker 2: a flickering light of pride dwelt within Saul's heart. In
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  Speaker 2: this story, we learn how Samuel sees right through Saul's
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  Speaker 2: strong and noble appearance and confronts him. Inspired by the
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  Speaker 2: book of 1 Samuel.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, this is Jack Graham with today's episode of the
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. Yesterday we heard about King
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  Speaker 3: Saul's first battle as the leader of God's people. His
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  Speaker 3: heart was focused on God and his army soundly defeated
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  Speaker 3: the Ammonites. Saul gave glory to God in that moment,
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  Speaker 3: recognizing the Lord for delivering Israel from her enemy. But
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  Speaker 3: even in that moment, pride began to creep in. And
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  Speaker 3: in today's scripture, we'll see that God's prophet Samuel isn't
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  Speaker 3: fooled by Saul's outward displays of humility. The great prophet
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  Speaker 3: recognizes the pride that is seeping into the king's heart.
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  Speaker 3: God's man will call out the king, but how will
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  Speaker 3: the young ruler respond? Let's listen now to find out.
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  Speaker 2: Samuel was old and weary. The people's grumbling for a
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  Speaker 2: king was answered, and Samuel retired himself to the outskirts
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  Speaker 2: of Israel. where he dwelled. Samuel watched over Israel silently,
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  Speaker 2: being attentive to the voice of God. Though Saul was king,
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  Speaker 2: Samuel was still priest over Israel. All matters of worship, prayer,
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  Speaker 2: and speaking for God were solely Samuel's responsibility. Saul had
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  Speaker 2: been ruling for two years and had established himself as
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  Speaker 2: a great warrior king. Saul's tact, strength, and image of
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  Speaker 2: humility made him beloved by the people. After a while,
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  Speaker 2: it was time for Saul to mount an offense against
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  Speaker 2: the Philistines. Saul chose three thousand of his finest warriors
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  Speaker 2: and took two thousand to the hill country of Bethel.
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  Speaker 2: The other thousand went with his son Jonathan to the
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  Speaker 2: land of Benjamin, where some Philistines had begun attacking. Jonathan
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  Speaker 2: was a young man, strong and also loved by the people.
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  Speaker 2: While Saul wore humility like a costume, Jonathan was truly humble.
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  Speaker 2: With his men behind him, Jonathan stormed the city where
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  Speaker 2: the Philistines held Israelites hostage and struck them down swiftly.
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  Speaker 2: All of the Philistines caught word of their victory and
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  Speaker 2: their anger against Israel grew. That day Saul blew the
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  Speaker 2: trumpet of victory signifying that they had taken back the
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  Speaker 2: land of Benjamin. This riled up the rest of Israel
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  Speaker 2: to join Saul for another battle at Gilgal. Saul was
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  Speaker 2: glowing with pride. and his heart grew addicted to the
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  Speaker 2: praise and loyalty of his people. It did not take
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  Speaker 2: long for the Philistines to retaliate. In the distance, 30,000
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  Speaker 2: chariots and 6,000 horsemen scattered like sand on the seashore.
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  Speaker 2: The horizon was blackened by the soldiers. The Philistine foot
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  Speaker 2: soldiers hid in caves, holes and rocks nearby and waiting
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  Speaker 2: for Israel. It was an army unlike any of them
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  Speaker 2: had ever seen. The vastness of their people, coupled with
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  Speaker 2: the strength of their chariots, sent chills down the Israelites' spines.
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  Speaker 2: If Saul wanted to fight them, he had to cross
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  Speaker 2: below the canyons. Slowly the men of Israel walked towards Gilgal.
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  Speaker 2: Every sound and movement startled them. They were all waiting
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  Speaker 2: for the Philistine horde to emerge from the darkness to attack.
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  Speaker 2: The sound of armor shaking echoed through the canyons. They
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  Speaker 2: finally came to a place to camp at Gilgal and
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  Speaker 2: waited for Samuel. For Samuel had told them he would
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  Speaker 2: come to make a sacrifice to God before they went
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  Speaker 2: into battle. The people of Israel had finally found a
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  Speaker 2: rhythm of obedience to God. Before every battle, Samuel would
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  Speaker 2: lead them in worship to ask God for favor. This
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  Speaker 2: was a pattern they had not had in years, and
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  Speaker 2: God was very pleased with their obedience. Yet seven days
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  Speaker 2: had passed and Samuel had still not arrived. Saul grew anxious.
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  Speaker 2: He wanted bloodshed. He wanted the battle to be over with.
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  Speaker 2: The people were growing restless and Saul's men began to depart. Saul,
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  Speaker 2: out of fear people would not trust him, spoke saying,
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  Speaker 2: Just bring the peace offering to me. I will make
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  Speaker 2: the sacrifice to God. Saul hastily and sloppily offered the
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  Speaker 2: sacrifice and led people in worship. Saul worshipped God with
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  Speaker 2: no reverence, love, or intensity. Instead, he saw it as
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  Speaker 2: a chore that needed to be done quickly before they
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  Speaker 2: went into battle. As Saul had finished, behold, Samuel stood
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  Speaker 2: behind him. Saul looked at Samuel's eyes. They shot right
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  Speaker 2: through him. His gaze was piercing and reflected the intensity
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  Speaker 2: of God.' What have you done?' Samuel said to Saul.
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  Speaker 2: Saul gave a nervous laugh and said, The people were
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  Speaker 2: growing nervous because you were late, and the Philistines are
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  Speaker 2: ready for battle. Saul continued to smile and feign ignorance.
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  Speaker 2: I had no choice but to begin the offering. As king,
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  Speaker 2: I had to seek favor from God. Samuel saw right
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  Speaker 2: through Saul. He knew Saul only did it out of compulsion.
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  Speaker 2: He rushed the worship of God to appease his own anxiety.
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  Speaker 2: Not only that, but he was not a priest or
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  Speaker 2: chosen by God to speak for him. You are a fool, Saul,
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  Speaker 2: Samuel said. Your kingdom will be as temporary as your
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  Speaker 2: obedience to God. God has already set his gaze on
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  Speaker 2: another king, a man after his own heart. After saying this,
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  Speaker 2: Samuel vanished, and the people followed Saul into battle.
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  Speaker 3: Our story begins with Samuel, now an aged man. He
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  Speaker 3: is no longer judge over Israel as a new era
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  Speaker 3: has begun and Saul is now king leading the people
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  Speaker 3: of Israel. But Samuel is still God's chosen priest and
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  Speaker 3: his prophet. He is still God's man. While Saul was
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  Speaker 3: in charge of leading the nation and going into battle
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  Speaker 3: as their commander, Samuel was charged with worship and leading
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  Speaker 3: the children of Israel spiritually. In just two years as king,
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  Speaker 3: Saul had gained the people's admiration, respect, and loyalty. They
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  Speaker 3: followed him into battle, and God granted them great victories.
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  Speaker 3: If only Saul had remembered his first battle when he
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  Speaker 3: acknowledged that the victory belonged to the Lord, then his
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  Speaker 3: life would have gone in a different direction. But when
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  Speaker 3: everyone around you tells you how great you are, you
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  Speaker 3: begin to believe it. And Saul was hearing a lot
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  Speaker 3: about how great he was from the people. Saul called
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  Speaker 3: up an army to do battle with the Philistines. The
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  Speaker 3: enemy was split into two camps. Saul's son Jonathan defeated
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  Speaker 3: the first of the enemy's units, and the people celebrated
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  Speaker 3: the victory, praising Saul for the win. But there were
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  Speaker 3: other Philistines mounting an attack in Gilgal. This was a
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  Speaker 3: much larger army, and the people of Israel were fearful.
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  Speaker 3: So Saul called on Samuel to offer sacrifices to God
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  Speaker 3: before the battle. It was an act of worship that
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  Speaker 3: pleased God. All was going well until Samuel delayed his arriving.
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  Speaker 3: The frightened Israelites began to disperse and Saul felt his
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  Speaker 3: control slipping. He must have thought to himself, I can
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  Speaker 3: do this on my own. I don't need Samuel. I
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  Speaker 3: don't need God. But he did. He needed God and
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  Speaker 3: God's man. This was a sacred position and it was
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  Speaker 3: Samuel's responsibility and calling. Saul was now impulsive and too
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  Speaker 3: sure of himself. So he offered the sacrifices himself on
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  Speaker 3: his own. This was disobedience. And just like when a
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  Speaker 3: child has acted impatiently and disobeyed a parent, Samuel shows
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  Speaker 3: up just in time to catch Saul in the act.
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  Speaker 3: When Samuel confronts Saul, he hears no contrition or apologies
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  Speaker 3: and sees no repentance. Saul only had excuses. He tried
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  Speaker 3: to rationalize his way out of it. But Samuel, and
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  Speaker 3: of course God, saw right through the facade. And the
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  Speaker 3: cost of his pride and arrogance was impulsively high. Samuel
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  Speaker 3: speaks to Saul in 1 Samuel 13, 14 and says this,
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  Speaker 3: But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has
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  Speaker 3: sought out a man after his own heart, and the
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  Speaker 3: Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people
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  Speaker 3: because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.
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  Speaker 3: Saul forfeits his right to be king because he disobeyed God.
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  Speaker 3: After Samuel confronts Saul, he then went away, leaving Saul
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  Speaker 3: to go into battle. But Saul's story isn't over. So
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  Speaker 3: much needs to happen before the new king comes on
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  Speaker 3: the scene, and we'll hear more of Saul's story next time. God,
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  Speaker 3: may we obey you and not partially but completely. May
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  Speaker 3: we humbly and obediently do what you tell us to
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  Speaker 3: do always. Help us not to seek the praise of men,
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  Speaker 3: but only you. May we be men and women after
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  Speaker 3: your heart. And we pray this in the name of
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  Speaker 3: your son, Jesus. Amen. Thank you for listening to today's
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
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