Lesson 206 - Senior

Memory Verse

"The LORD maketh poor, and ma-keth rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up" (I Samuel 2:7).

Cross References

I The Establishment of Saul's Kingdom at Gilgal

1. Saul was not unanimously accepted as king at Mizpeh, [1SM:10:26-27].

2. His first victory united Israel under him, [1SM:11:1-11].

3. God could work through him at first because of his excellent spirit, [1SM:1:11-13]; [1SM:15:17].

4. Reconsecration and praise always bring joy, [1SM:11:14-15]; [PS:50:14-15], [PS:50:23].

II Samuel's Arraignment of Himself Before Israel

1. God granted Israel's demands for a king, [1SM:12:1]; [1SM:8:4-6], [1SM:8:19-22].

2. Samuel apparently gave his sinful sons over to Israel for judgement, [1SM:12:2].

3. Israel was asked to witness against Samuel if they had been wronged, [1SM:12:3]; [2TM:4:6-8].

4. Samuel was vindicated by Israel, [1SM:12:4-5]; [2CO:4:1-2]; [TIT:1:7-9].

III Samuel's Arraignment of Israel Before the Lord

1. Samuel reminded them that promotion is from God, [1SM:12:6]; [PS:75:6-7]; [ROM:13:1-7].

2. Samuel's vindication meant that Israel was automatically arraigned, [1SM:12:7].

3. He rehearsed Israel's deliverances in the past, [1SM:12:8-11].

4. In spite of God's providence, Israel rejected God as their King, demanding a king like the other nations, [1SM:12:12-13].

IV Mercy and Justice

1. Mercy was still extended in spite of rejection, [1SM:12:14]; [ISA:9:12], [ISA:9:17], [ISA:9:21]; [PS:103:17]; [MIC:7:18]; [ROM:10:21]; [ROM:11:32-36]; [TIT:3:5].

2. The consequences of continued disobedience are apparent, [1SM:12:15]; [ROM:6:23].

3. A sign of God's displeasure was sent to them, [1SM:12:16-18].

4. Israel's repentance brought them encouragement and an exhortation to serve God, [1SM:12:19-25].

Notes

The New King

Humble in heart and attitude toward God and toward man, Saul, the new king of the hundreds of thousands of Israelites, turned toward home after his anointing by the Prophet Samuel and the events, which immediately followed. No doubt he was filled with wonder and astonishment at the fast-moving events of the few days past which had seen him singled out from among thousands of young men who seemed to him more eligible than he -" men gifted in leadership and administration -" for his family was one of the smallest in Israel. Perhaps he wondered just what should be his next step, since he was now appointed by God and accepted by a great number of the Israelites as their king. We have every reason to believe that he went to his home to await the Lord's work and command.

Saul was little in his own sight. He felt that his abilities were inadequate for the decisions that were before him and the leadership he must undertake. God can use men who have that mind and heart. God cannot use anyone who is self-sufficient, self-satisfied, or self-willed. There is no anointing for such a one. It is only the person who is willing to subject himself to God and to the Holy Spirit, and to surrender his will and desires, his plans and ambitions, his successes and accumulations to God and to the Holy Spirit, that may receive the divine anointing that is so vital to spiritual success.

Unity, a Sublime and Necessary Virtue

A small band of faithful men had responded to the call of God and followed Saul to his home city. But there were some who rebelled against the leadership of the new king. They wee men of Belial, men of sin and vanity; and they knew not and cared not for the will of God in this or in any other matter. They may have been few in number, but their presence meant that Israel was not perfectly united.

We are told at least twice, in Scripture, that "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" (I Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:9). One so-called "little sin" will cause a complete separation from God. "Little foxes" can spoil the most healthy and fruitful vine, if allowed to nibble unmolested. An unremoved bruise can turn a luscious piece of fruit into a mass of worthless corruption in but a few hours of time.

But Saul, himself, did not evidence any impatience at this time, lest be go ahead of the Lord by any action he might take against this attitude of rejection of both God and himself by these men. He held his peace. It is a fact that God will deal with the erring ones if we do our best to keep the channels through which He works free from human interference. God loves His people, and will do all within His power to prepare them for the Heaven He is preparing for them. And, at the same time, God will defend His people, even when hell's full resources seem to be brought against them in false accusations. He says in His Word that if, when we do well, we suffer for it and take it patiently, this is acceptable with God ([1PE:2:19-20]).

Jesus was falsely accused, rebelled against, and rejected; and He took it patiently. God commands us to walk in the steps of our Lord and Saviour; and this we must do if we are to be partakers of His glory ([1PE:2:21-23]; [2TM:2:11-12]). God will also take out of our lives everything that will hinder us in our service for Him if we will let Him have His unrestricted way with us. But if we persist in our own ways, allowing ourselves to take on a spirit of willful rebellion against Him, we eventually will find that we have shut the door upon our own selves and are no longer His.

Unity is necessary in every enterprise that is undertaken for the honour and glory of God. God is holy. And the Godhead is perfectly united. He has commanded that we should also be holy and be brought into the unity that only He can make possible through the sanctifying Blood of the Lamb of God ([MAT:5:48]; [LEV:20:7]; [HEB:2:11]; [HEB:12:14]). Divisions among the people of God are caused by carnality; and they who perpetrate them or allow them to continue do not walk as God would have them walk, but rather walk as men ([1CO:1:10]; [1CO:3:3]; [1CO:11:17-18]). The "little foxes" of discord; sedition, or rebellious speech; heresy, or false doctrine; and strife ([GAL:5:19-21]). A lack of unity will bring a certain degree of failure to a project of any kind that is being done for God's glory, be it spiritual or temporal in nature. We must be united in heart and soul if we are to have success.

Samuel's Divinely Inspired Strategy

The interest of the godly man, Samuel, was in one purpose, the salvation and spiritual welfares of the people of Israel. He had judged them for a long period of time, serving God and the people faithfully his whole life. He had, at least once up to this time, called the whole nation to prayer and repentance because of their evils and idolatry. This seemed to be the great motive of his life -" that Israel might be saved. Many other godly men have had the same vision regarding the sinners of the whole world. In fact, there is a spark of this in the heart of every man or woman who is truly born again. We are all ambassadors for Christ. We are all living epistles for Him. We are all lights in a darkened world.

Therefore, taking full advantage of his situation at this time when the Israelites were entering into a new phase of their national life, Samuel used every influence he had to bring them to God. And the Scriptural account plainly tells us how successful he was. The prayers of a righteous man avail much. The intercession of those who have visualised a world of sinners sinking into hell has meant the salvation of more than one sinner, even though the intercessor did not know for whom he prayed. Samuel was faithful in his ministry to Israel.

Samuel placed himself in a strong position, strategically speaking, by opening his own heart to his people and giving them an opportunity to accuse him of any failure on his part or to tell him of a single time when he had wronged them n any way. They testified that he was innocent.

It was common knowledge that God was not with Israel then, as He had been in the past. The Ark was no longer in the Tabernacle. The Shekinah was no longer present in the Holy of Holies. There was, in all probability, a man still alive and in their number whose name was Ichabod, so named because the glory of God had departed from Israel at the time of his birth. What was the trouble? Why was God no longer there? Was it the fault of their spiritual leadership? Israel's answer to Samuel placed the blame where it justly belonged. Samuel was innocent of any wrong toward them. He had served God faithfully, had never wrongfully demanded a thing from them by virtue of his position, or taken a thing from them unjustly. He had administered righteous judgement and had tried to bring the nation to God. The fault was theirs.

With this strong admission from the Israelites as a foundation upon which he could base his accusations, he began to show them how wonderfully God had provided for them in the past; that He had delivered them from the Egyptians, the Canaanites, the Midianites, and the Ammonites, and the Philistines.

During this time God had been their King. Samuel then proceeded to show the Israelites their grievous error in rejecting God as their King and asking for a king like those of the nations around them, instead. There was now no way of undoing their foolish deed or reversing their willful choice. The decision had been made; their king had been anointed. They had desired the king and now must suffer the consequences.

But yet there was mercy for them! No wonder the Psalmist wrote often of God's mercy -" the mercy that endureth forever! If they would fear the Lord and serve Him, hearken to His voice, and obey His commandment, the Lord would even yet be with them. Though they had rejected Him as their King, He would still be there to bless them. Such mercy and love in its full perfection can be found only in God. But God's children are commanded to love mercy, and are told that the merciful will be blessed and will obtain mercy.

Samuel called upon God to send a visible sign to substantiate his accusations and entreaties. It was the harvest time, the dry season of the year. The Lord sent rain and thunderings to reprove to the people that Samuel had spoken correctly and that they were guilty. The effect upon the people was instantaneous. They called for the man of God to pray for them, in apparently sincere repentance, for Samuel immediately reassured them and encouraged them, and gave them a further warning lest they should repeat their rebellion or rejection of God at a future time.

The Requirement

In this series of lessons we can see the godly qualities that are necessary if we are to be used of God for His honour and glory. "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8). Saul had these qualities at one time of his life. The godly Samuel possessed them during his whole life. The Israelites enjoyed them many times, but in the greatest part of their history they were far from being what God would have them to be.

In the closing verses of our lesson we read the resumé of the requirements and stipulations regarding the worship of God, that Samuel gave the people. Then following his avowal to be faithful to God in their behalf, in praying for them, and in teaching them "the good and the right way" he gave them a threefold encouragement: First, if they would please God and be blessed of Him, they must "fear the LORD, and serve him in truth" with all their hearts. Second, they must "consider how great things" God had done for them and their forefathers, in making available the great blessings of the Everlasting Covenant, which gave to them their eternal hope of salvation as well as the Promised Land and its blessings. Third, they were warned that if they did not follow God they would be consumed, both they and their king.

Here in these few lines we have a concise statement that teaches the requirements of the Gospel and our attitude toward its message and call. We must worship the Lord in spirit and in truth ([JHN:4:24]). We must be faithful in praise for His benefits toward us, both spiritual and temporal in nature ([PS:103:2]; [GAL:6:14]). And we are admonished that if we neglect the worship of God we will suffer for our carelessness or willful misconduct ([HEB:2:1-4]).

Questions

1. Was Saul accepted by all Israel as their king when he was anointed?

2. How important is unity in our service for God and worship of Him?

3. Meditate upon the following Scripture verses: Amos 3:3; I Corinthians 14:32, 33, 40; Ephesians 4:3, 13.

4. What does God do for us when we reconsecrate and offer the sacrifices of praise to Him?

5. What was the evil in Israel's request for a king?

6. Was Samuel guilty of any evil or neglect of duty before Israel?

7. Look up all the Scripture passages you can find on mercy.

8. Did Israel repent of their sin?

9. What attitude did Samuel finally take toward them, as shown in the lesson text?

10. How did God show that He approved of Samuel's charges against Israel?