I invite your attention to the Old Testament to the book of 1st
Samuel, the 8th chapter, and I want to begin reading their
beginning in verse 1, as we left off after chapter seven last
Lord's day. And as I told you, we were going
to talk about a time when the people demanded, a king, we're
going to talk about the narrative, that covers the next
five chapters of the book of 1st Samuel.
And we'll begin there in chapter 8, reading for our text
beginning, in verse 1. And it came to pass when Samuel
was old that he made his sons judges over Israel.
Now, the name of the firstborn was Joel the name of the second
Abaya. There were judges in Beersheba
and his sons. Walk not in the ways but turned
aside after lucre and took bribes and perverted judgment.
Then all the it Elders of Israel gathered themselves together and
came to Samuel in Ramah and said unto him behold Thou Art old and
My son's walk not in thy ways. Now make us a king to judge us,
like all the nations. You know, really that says a
mouthful as they came. On that day, 2 Samuel with the
pretext of the fact that his sons were not walking in the
ways that they should walk. But really, when they said that
they wanted a king, they wanted to King.
And the reason was we want a king like all the nations.
I'll just say very briefly this, you remember when God had always
been there for his people, in fact, never in the scriptures is
it ever found when man is trying to do that which is right?
He was not without God, God was always there.
And God still is, today always there when man has not departed
from God. But what's the problem, what
happens, what happens is as it happened over time and over
history, we find that God's people began to think for
themselves. God's people began to use their
own wisdom, their own, might their own understanding, and
because of that, they leave or transgress the Hands of God
thinking that they can do it on their own, and they actually
rebelled by action against God. And when that happens, man fails
every time All of all the things that God had done for man, all
the things historically that God had done and then all of a
sudden you know God's been there all the time.
In fact, you remember a chapter 7, what did the people do?
They said we've learned our lesson and the Bible says that
the Ark of God was there for 20 years and the people lamented
the entire time. But what happened?
All of a sudden a hash, the ammonite is a tremendous threat
to God's people. They don't trust in God.
This time, you know what they say?
They say, give us a king. Give us a king that we might
fight and he might fight our battles that he might lead his
people. And so we have in the year
10:43, the first king and we have on the board.
And I wanted to put this here because this started the period
of the kings. First of all, from 10:43 BC
2931, we have a single Kingdom under God.
Then in 9 31 BC, we have the divided Kingdom where the
kingdom splits and we have in this is face.
Two of the Kingdom. This is Israel, the northern
kingdom and Judah of the Southern until 722 BC, where the
surviving Kingdom, the Judy, and period, the third phase of the
Kingdom Goes Forth until about the year 586 unbelief BC.
But for a little while this morning, I want to talk to you
about something. That's so important in learning
lessons today. When you trust in yourself, when
you trust in man, When you trust in the understanding of men and
all of their wisdom and you don't trust in God, you are
bound and destined for great failure in your life, you want
to be successful, living the Christian life, regardless of
the calamities that are about you you trust in the Lord
because he's always been there, the misbah Revival and
subsequent victory over. The Philistines in first, Samuel
chapter 7 that we talked about last Lord's Day.
Were the highlights of Samuel's long, judgeship.
These events occurred about 1085 BC and the anointing of King
Saul took place about 10 43 BC. What we find historically,
speaking on this timeline is some for decades are now passed
over in silence in the scriptures and in the text that
is before us. In first Samuel chapter 8, the
great prophet appears advanced in years and in his old age,
Samuel made it. Tragic mistake.
He appointed his two sons, Joel and Abaya to judge.
It judgeships in Beersheba, some 50 miles Southwest of Jerusalem.
Apparently, he was trying to make the office of Judge
hereditary Samuels. Sons, however, did not walk in
the righteous path of their father, out of out.
From under his watchful eye, they turned aside after
dishonest gain and took bribes to pervert.
Judgments, the Elders of Real use Samuels Sons as a pretext
for demanding a king. They came to Rhema to request
that Samuel, appoint for them, a king, like, all the nations.
You remember, though, that God had promised to give his people
Kings Genesis chapter 17 and also Genesis chapter 35, the law
of Moses anticipated. The day when Israel would have a
king, Deuteronomy chapter 17, nevertheless the request
defended the prophet. He Parted it as a rejection of
his life, his ministry and all that he stood for so Samuel did
what. All wounded Soul should do he
went to the Lord in an attitude of prayer?
You know what I think about this, I think about how can this
apply, or how does this apply to examples today?
First of all, the people you remember, came and on the
surface, they appear to be protesting against a decision
that Samuel who Judge had made that you remember, Samuel was a
good man. An upright man.
Samuel was the one. You remember who had a mother
named Hannah? And Hannah said that if you give
me a son, as she prayed to the great God Of Heaven, he says I
will give him back to you and he will serve you all the days of
his life. It will be bound with a Nazarite
vow and he will have a Nazarite vow, no, razor, whatever, go to
his head, all the days of his life.
Therefore, the Bible says, even in the house Us of Eli, that
Samuel began to grow, not only in stature, but in favor, in the
eyes of the Lord. So Samuel was an upright, man.
Samuel was a God-fearing man. Samuel was a Godly Man.
But, you know, Samuel became old at some point in time.
And years have now passed from chapter 7 to chapter 8.
And as I mentioned, just a moment ago, some most Scholars
agree that it was about four decades worth of time had
passed, we could picture as it were on this occasion, Samuel
standing there grey-headed and getting older, maybe feeble and
his steps. I don't know how old he was, but
he's getting older in years. And the next five chapters is
going to point that very thing out and the people look to him
as a grey-headed old As it were and they look to the problems
that were surrounding bam. They look to the persecutions
that we're going to come upon God's people.
They never trusted in the great God Of Heaven in this.
They didn't learn their lesson, they were not grateful for all
that God had done. What do they do?
They look to Samuel and a poor choice?
That Samuel made. He appointed Joel and Abaya to
be judges. The Bible says over Israel The
Bible says that they were placed judges by Samuel in bursts in
Beersheba. Interestingly nowhere in the
scriptures. Does it say or does it record
when the Bible talks about the judges of God?
No where are these men listed there?
This is obvious that it came from Samuel.
Trying to pass down the judgeship as it were to his
son's in a hereditary sort of fashion.
Well, the people come to Samuel one day, and the people say,
give us a king. And first of all, they said,
give us a king because your son's, first of all, you're an
old man, you got gray hair, you're getting older.
Now, we've got to make changes around us, so your sons are not
the ones to look for. Your sons are not the ones to
lead. God's people.
Your sons are not the ones to be the judge over God's people
because they are wicked. In fact, you know what they were
doing. They were taking bribes from the
people and perverting judgments because of that very thing.
You know, one scholar said, one time.
It was kind of like a modern politician today.
They were taking bribes, they were corrupt.
They were not interested in what was the greater good among the
people, they were not interested in the greater.
Good concerning serving God either.
No, they took it upon themselves to take money to take Lucker.
The Bible says, and to pervert their judgments because of the
bribes that they would come toward them.
You know, that's a picture of anyone that says that they're
serving God for personal gain, we don't serve God for personal
gain. We don't do that at all, we
serve God, for the purpose of serving him.
Do you remember when the Bible talks about the ark being a
child low? And, and we talked about this
last Lord's day, you remember what the people did.
The people look to a massacre That Came Upon God's people and
they said, oh, what we've done is, we've made a mistake, we got
to go get the Ark of God and bring it into camp and Bring it
to us and get it out of Shiloh and I'll protect us.
Taking a form of service and putting it down as a reason for
protection or what they could get out of it physically.
No, that's not why we serve God. We don't serve God because we
like the people we don't serve God because we like forms of
entertainment. We don't serve God because we
like the fellowship of Brothers and Sisters in Christ.
We don't serve God because we are getting something I'm from
it. You know what?
Take the stink to me is in the religious world, you can talk to
people. I talk to many people as have
you. I know that and you talk to
folks about the church that they're currently going to.
And they're either one of two things, they're either very
happy and content with what they're enjoying religiously or
they are completely discontinued by the things that are
surrounding them religiously. And you know what the judge is,
you know, what the barometer is? You know what the test is.
The test is what they're getting from it.
I'm having a good time. We got a great softball team, we
got a great youth program. In fact, you can get anything
you want at the church that I attend, or I don't like what
they're teaching over there. I don't like what's going on
over there. I don't like the people there.
I don't like this there. I don't like the way the music
is. I don't like the way this thing
is or that thing is and the idea is this that it is true that in
the religious World, there are practices that are not
Scriptural, that's true. And we need to stand against
practices that are not scriptural.
That is all true. But there's a difference between
someone who's standing for that, which is right and standing
against the things that are wrong and somebody that is just
out to get something for themselves.
Never let it be that we serve God for personal gain these sons
of Samuel were doing just that perverting their judgments based
upon the lucre that they received in bribes coming their
way. So on this occasion here, come
the people. And they say Samuel, your sons
are not standing up your sons are not doing that, which is
right, give us a king but then look at the phrase that said
next. Like all the nations. you know,
some of you were in You know, I told you I was going to talk on
this last Sunday. So last Sunday night in Turlock,
Ronnie Wade, taught on this. So I didn't copy this from him.
I didn't plan on teaching this today, but I will tell you the
point that he made that I would bet that I would have made Also
regarding this very thing. What happens sometimes is God's
people look to whatever it is that they're looking at and they
compared it to the things that are in the religious world.
And they wonder why can't we be more?
Or like them. Now what happens is they look to
the smaller Assemblies of God's people in the Lord's church,
then they look to the Grand assemblies that are found in the
religious world, and they try to figure out a way.
How is it that we can be similar to all the other religions and
all the other churches in the world?
How can we do that? Now, we may not compromise
Doctrine, we would never do that, we would never compromise
those things, and I think that's obvious we would never bring in
instruments of Music. We would never do the things
that are absolutely transgressing, the commands of
God regarding our worship and regarding Doctrine.
But I'm going to tell you something, folks, you may think
that it's not coming, but it is in the religious world, it's
having a greater effect on us. That you may think Is
congregation in town. They are congregation that
where's that name of the Church of Christ?
They worship incorrectly with more than one cup and more than
one loaf on the Lord's table. But they still wear the name
Church of Christ. And over time, they have
transgressed to the point that they don't even resemble the
Lord's Church. You know, there was a time and I
can say this because this is where I came from.
You know, there was a time many years ago when those that had
transgressed the commands about the communion.
That was the only difference. I remember that I remember that
in 1973. My folks were baptized into
Christ and me shortly thereafter at some point about three years
later. And the only difference was
classes, And the communion was perverted with individual cups.
That was the only difference, Regarding worship regarding
Doctrine and regarding salvation.
I'm gonna tell you something, folks.
It doesn't even resemble that now, you know, why?
When you transgress even this much, you are on a path that you
are on a road that leads to apostasy.
And I tell you something else folks.
There's some wonderful people that are being misguided by
church leaders today. In this very town that have
stood up and said these church leaders, you give us one more
generation and we won't even preached.
The baptism is necessary for salvation.
That's what happens when you transgress it, all the commands
of God. Well, the people come to Samuel
and they demand a king. They demanded King, and they
want to be like, all other nations, but you know, the Bible
says that Samuel is just heartsick about that.
He absolutely is overcome with that.
So he begins to pray. But God is going to speak to
him, like this, God is going to say, listen, don't think for a
minute that they're rejecting you.
They're rejecting me. Have you ever converted somebody
to Christ? I have.
And they stay with us for a while.
And then they leave and you take it personal.
That's just kind of being in the flesh.
It's hard not to it is times like those folks.
When you got to remind yourself, they're not rejecting you,
they're rejecting God. That's what God Said.
You know, of all the things that God had done, have you ever have
a situation where you've done a whole lot for people?
I mean you've just done so much for people that were not
deserving, they were not worthy of your goodness and all the
things that you've done for them.
But over and over and over and over, you do something for them
to help them. I would imagine you're going to
get to the point where you've exhausted your goodness and your
done. I'm finished with you.
Maybe we say words like that. I'm not saying that's right,
wrong or indifferent. I'm just saying.
That's the way it is. Get to the point where finally
we just say. That's it, I'm done.
I think God might have been at that point but you know what God
says his Mercy shines through and he says this he says Samuel
give them what they ask for but listen he said you tell them
what kind of King they're going to get you.
Tell him what's going to happen when they get a king, all they
can have what they wish for but you tell them and God's.
Mercy, shown forth at that point in time.
To tell the people what was coming.
Samuel said when you get a king, he will take your sons and
Appoint them for himself, he'll appoint himself Captain's over
thousands here. Take your daughters to be
confectionaries and be cooks and Bakers here.
Take your fields and your Vineyards and you're all of
yards. You'll do all of that.
He'll take a tenth of your seed of your Vineyards and give to
his officers and do a servants here to take your men, servants
and your maidservant servants, and your goodliest young man and
your asses and put them to his work.
He's going to take a tenth of your sheep and ye shall be his
servant. And then there's going to come a
time when you're going to cry out to God because of all of
that. And you're going to say like
you've done and all the times before you going to cry out to
God and say help us. Samuel said, God will not hear I
don't know about you but wouldn't you?
If you were sitting there listening to what saying go
ahead said, a judge of God. And this was a man that was had
the reputation that Samuel had truly a man of God and
recognized her being all of that.
And he says this, God is going to Grant you a king.
But listen, before you go through with this, let me tell
you what's coming your way. Just in case you misunderstood,
when you asked for a king, like all the nations, let me just
explain what you're really going to get.
I think I'll just head back and said, man.
Let me take back my request. You know what they said?
They said, no. Give us a king.
You know, what's interesting to me?
Is so many times God. Lets us have what we really
want. You know in second Thessalonians
2, such an amazing passage of scripture, you know those at
thessalonica and misunderstood when the Lord was going to come
back, there were many there that were actually not even working.
They weren't, they weren't performing their work and their
jobs. They were not taking care of
their families and the reason for that is they said that the
Lord was coming back so soon that.
What's the use, would you sit back and wait, what happens when
your item bad things happen? When you sit around, idle, you
start gossiping, you start talking about each other.
Either you start doing all manner of things.
You start mooching off of others, you become a busybody in
other men's Affairs. And that's exactly what happens,
folks. When we are sitting around doing
nothing productive, and that's what the people of thessalonica
were doing. Therefore, the second letter to
them, by the great Apostle, Paul was to correct those ideas and
tell them to get busy and get on with it.
And they do, but listen. He says that there's going to
come A Falling Away. First, we all know the story,
the falling away. First before the Lord comes
back, the Son of Perdition man of Perdition will be revealed
and so long. But then he says this he says
there are some people, there are some people who love not the
truth that they might be saved and for this cause Paul says,
God shall send them strong delusion that they should
believe a lie that they all might be damned who believed not
the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
What does that mean? I'll tell you this, I used to
think when I was younger, that that meant is that God would
accept. Actually send you a delusion
that would make you not accept the truth or make you to believe
the lie. I don't think he does that.
I think he allows it. When your heart goes there, when
you reject the truth, he's going to send you a strong delusion
that allows you to believe the lie.
You know why? I think that the other way
doesn't make any sense because the other way, saying this God
whose long-suffering is the Salvation of man, he's
patiently, waiting for all to repent and all of that.
And yet on the very other hand, he's going to make you sin and
then condemn you in a devil's hell because of it.
I don't believe. God does that at all?
I'm gonna tell you something folks.
If I drift, it's my fault. If I love not the truth that I
might be saying, it's my fault. When I My heart against the word
of God, the truth. It is my fault.
And when I turn from this because I don't love this
anymore and I turned to other things that are in the world.
What happens is God's going to allow me?
He's going to give me a strong delusion allowing me to believe.
If those things were even true, be careful what you wish for.
You remember also and Numbers Chapter 14 when the people were
saying oh oh let us just die in the wilderness.
Let's just die here. Be careful what you wish for God
allowed that too. Well, the Bible says that on was
the search for this King and there was a man that was a
Benjamin whose name was Kish and he had a son in his name.
Obviously, we know who he is the first king, his name was solved.
And the Bible says that Saul is going out to search.
After his father's ass has his father's donkeys.
And the Bible says that Saul takes with him a servant and
they go looking, and they go to many different places and
there's a record of that in the next chapter.
Chapter 9 of the places that they went and they didn't find
those donkeys. He's all of a sudden Saul says
listen. It's getting late if we don't
head back and we don't turn back from this search.
He says my father back at home is going to forget about the
donkeys, he's not going to worry about the donkey's anymore.
What he's going to worry about it is he's going to worry about
his son and the servant he's not going to worry about those
donkeys. We better go back.
But the servant says, no, let's let's go talk to this man of God
and he'll tell us our way. And Saul says, wait a minute.
I don't have we don't have a gift to give to the man of God
for the information. You know, it was customary that
they gave a gift for someone giving information, regarding
certain things in the man of God so forth.
And the servant was on to tell him, he says, no.
Wait a minute. He says he says, let's go see
the Seer. Let's go see the prophet.
He'll tell us, Bible says, when they got to the edge of town,
they saw some women and they says, where's the Seer?
The women said, go into town, you'll run into him and lo and
behold, they came to Samuel. You know what's interesting is
is the way that they meet, they're out searching for their
father's assets. Saw a searching out that And all
of a sudden this meeting happens like this.
You're wondering why God did it this way.
This was not by chance. He didn't, by chance run into
sandal. This was all set up by God.
How do we know that? Because the Bible says that
Samuel, the day before, received from the Lord, the word that he
would meet. He would meet the one who would
be the king? That's kind of different.
Do you remember when Samuel is looking for the successor of
Saul? God sends him to the house of
Jesse and he picks David directly.
Specifically. Send him to the house, but here,
the meeting is a little different.
Interesting. That's a good example of how the
thoughts of man are not the same as the thoughts of the almighty
god. Well, the Bible says that in
verse 16 of chapter 9, Tomorrow about this time is what God Said
to Samuel. I will send the Amman out of the
land of Benjamin and thou shalt anoint him to be Captain Over.
My People, Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand
of the Philistines for, I have looked upon my people because
their cry is come against me. And the Bible says, all of a
sudden when when Saul is there. Now in verse 20, Samuel says,
and as for thy NASA's that were lost three days ago, said not
thy mind, all them for they are found And on whom is all the
desire of Israel is it not on thee and on thy father's house
and Saul answered and said, am I not a benjamite of the smallest
tribes of Israel and my family the least of the families of The
Tribe of Benjamin. You know what's interesting to
me is right then their saw begins to speak with humility in
his heart. Now, we've already talked about
the end of Saul's life. Wouldn't have been great if salt
would have kept that same heart, that same Spirit, that's a Same
attitude. He doesn't know.
Does he? We all know the story tries to
kill David, his heart was hardened, his heart was turned,
but when Samuel says you're the one You're the one that's going
to be the king. He says, I'm from the smallest
tribe, The Tribe of Benjamin. My family is of no significance.
Why me saying, no said no, it's you.
The Bible says, they were brought into the feast, the
feast is Samuel was going to go and offer the blessing and 30
guests were there. And the Bible says that they
were given the cheapest seats. They were given the places of
honor, and the thing that was given to them to eat was set
apart for them, not to scraps of the leftovers, but the very best
the shoulder and above it says, and was given to him After they
had conversed on the rooftop on the housetop.
The very next chapter says, the Bible says that the servant is
set on and Samuel, anoints Saul and kisses him and anointed him
with oil or he would be the one and there was going to come a
time when Saul was going to be called back, you know, whence
all goes back, he still, he still is humble, this can be, in
fact, when he goes to Bible says to the high place, his own Uncle
comes to him and some Scholars say that was Abner and his uncle
comes to him and says, what took you so long?
He said we were looking for the asses he said then what happens
that we ran into this angle 1 Samuel, say get this.
He could have said, Samuel said. I'm the man, I'm the king.
I'm the annoying one, I'm the chosen one.
You don't solve says, he says, the asses are found.
That's what he said. That's what he told me.
Oh, The Humble spirit that should have stayed that way when
he was just a farm boy. Even though he was a great
stature, beautiful handsome, man.
Humble man and his heart. Well, Sango calls the people
together and says, you want it. You got it.
He says call all the people together and bring them together
by way of trial. He says, the one that's chosen
is from The Tribe of Benjamin. He is fry, he is a son of Kish.
He is Saul, you know what Saul still does?
That's humility. He highs.
You know, it says he hid among the stuff that's kind of like
the luggage. The baggage, he hid among the
baggage, he is embarrassed by all this.
And then, they bring him out. And the people look at him, he's
Head and Shoulders taller than the wrist.
You know, there's four men as I've mentioned before that are
considered handsome and well built in the Old Testament.
Joseph King, Saul Absalom and David on for man, this one was
good lie. This one was beautiful.
This one was powerful and straight and strong, and stood
Head, and Shoulders Above the Rest.
And the people look at him as he's being brought out.
And the people say, oh, bless the king.
But you know, some people didn't feel that way.
Some people said, wait a minute, this is solved.
Is he among the prophets to, you know, Jesus said that remember
that when Jesus said, when Jesus came to his own they said is not
this, The Carpenter's son. Remember what Jesus said?
Also, one time he said a prophet is not without honor except
among his own countrymen? Sometimes that's the way it is
with us. Sometimes we have honor outside
the bows at know, what's the most of the closest to us?
Don't do that. Don't give us such honor.
They didn't give him the honor. Either with chapter 11 begins,
like this chapter 11, begins at the Bible says that nahash of
the ammonites. He's coming in now and he is
threatening the people of J bash Gilead.
The Bible says that those people are so afraid.
Now it would be wrong for them to have a covenant with the
enemy of God but they're so afraid.
They don't know what else to do. They feel defenseless and
helpless. So they come to nahash and they
said make a covenant with us and they have says get this.
All right I'll make a covenant with you.
But this is what's going to happen.
Let me Thrust out your right eye and when I do that you will be
ashamed and you will be in shame and therefore I will have a
covenant with you and I will leave you alone.
You know, there's more to it than just pluck it out your
right eye, you know, back then they fought with bows and
arrows, you needed the dead on, right?
I to do that very thing. This was a huge Victory to the
ammonites if they would have agreed to this a war Victory.
The Bible says that they asked for seven days, we'll send out
Messengers and if we can't get anybody to help us, then we'll
come. And you can do with us, whatever
it is that you want to, but the messengers were sent out.
Out and they find King Saul and Saul is there.
And so says he cuts up a yoke of oxen and he cuts it into pieces
and he gives the pieces of meat to the servant and the servant
went out as a messenger and went all throughout the land saying
that if anyone doesn't come right now and join the forces
and fight alongside of King Saul and Samuel, this is what's going
to happen to your oxen. You know, the Bible says that
and I think it's interesting that it's separated because the
the the kingdom was not divided yet.
If the Bible says that 300,000 from Israel, came and 30,000
from Judah, divided Kingdom, not yet and yet they are separated
like that. Well here comes the big trick
Bible says they were placed in the three companies in here
comes the surprise attack starting early in the morning
about 2 a.m. I'm going to tell you something,
folks. You want to talk about a whip,
it there was a whip and that took place that day.
The Bible says that they whip those ammonites on that occasion
to the son of the day, they whipped them as no one had ever
received a weapon before now. All the people, you know, people
love a winner, don't they? If you don't believe me, you
just watch and see it football team.
That's losing all their games, all of a sudden they win the
Super Bowl. You can't even buy the
paraphernalia in the store. Everybody's got it.
People love a winner. They want to jump on the
bandwagon of a winner. People are fickle and that's
exactly what the people did. The people jumped on and says,
you know, all those people out there that were against Saul in
the beginning, let's kill them. All Said that the same for the
Saul said no because God had given us this Victory today's a
day of Celebration and that's how it's going to be.
The Bible says that the people appointed Saul King in the
presence of the almighty. God, final chapter chapter 12,
you know, this is kind of sad words that are found in this
chapter really Because now the people are happy now, the people
are content. Now the people got what they
wanted, they got the king. They just came off a decisive
battle. Where there with those people
that were the enemies of God's people.
But notice chapter 12, Samuel says I'm old and I'm
grey-headed, my sons are with you and I have walked before you
from my childhood until this day.
He says, behold. Here, I am witness against me
before the Lord, before his anointed.
Whose Ox had I taken, have I wronged anyone have I de frauded
anyone? He says, I'm asking you right
now, I'm an old man, you look back across my whole life since
childhood. If I've defrauded anyone, you
speak up right now and I restored you Bible says they
said you have never defrauded us, you have never done anything
against us. Samuel says, well now that I've
got your ear, I want you to be stilled, I want you to stand
still and I want to talk to you about the righteous acts of God.
Oh how beautiful these words are and yet causing their Shannon.
He says when Jacob was come out of Egypt and your father's cried
out in the Lord, the Lord sent Moses and Aaron and brought
forth your father's out of Egypt and made them dwell in this
place. But when they forgot the Lord,
their God, he sold them into the hands of cetera, Captain up a
host of Hazel, or, and into the hand of the Philistines and into
the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought Constanta and
they cried out into the Lord. And they said we've sinned
because we forsaken the Lord and have served Balaam and
ashtaroth. But now Deliver us out of the
hand of the enemies and we will serve thee.
And the Lord sent jerub-baal and be Dan and jephthah and Samuel
and delivered. You out of the hand of your
enemies on every side, get this now and you dwelled safe.
But when they hash the king of the children of Ammon came
against you, you said, no. Give us a king to Reign Over us
when the Lord your God was your king.
A picture of what sometimes people do.
I've preached this all over the country, priest at the
Philippines, the idea That will understand why people would look
to the tragedies of life. And leave the only one that can
help. Leave the only one that can do
anything about it. It's gone.
Punish God, because of things going wrong in our life.
You know, that's kind of what these people did.
You've always been their God, but we're going to reject you.
Now, we're going to thank for ourself.
Give us a king. God was the king and they
rejected him. Samuel says this.
He says, I'm going to give you a sign.
It's now summertime as it were, it's not the time of RAM and
make it rain. And thunder is going to come
down to show to you that you've made a horrible mistake, but
you've done wrong. You've sinned against God and
requesting a king and going against the great God Of Heaven.
When that sign happens, the people were scared to death and
the people said what are we going to do?
Save us, save us, Samuel, save us.
I think what Samuel says is beautiful.
He says, don't be afraid and fear not the things that you
have done in the past because that was yesterday.
Now, move forward from this day and serve the god of Heaven, all
the days of your life. He says if you serve the god of
Heaven, if you're King does to than God's with them, but if you
reject him, if you go against him, then God is rejecting you
too. Remember my sermon on the
character of Samson with Bible says and he Wist not that the
Lord was departed from him. Where was God on that day?
When those words were spoken, where was God?
And when those words were spoken in the narrative, God was in the
same place that he's always been.
He's in the same place he is today.
He has never left his place. God is the great God Of Heaven.
He is in heaven. Now, we are his children.
And yet the Bible says, and he knew not that the Lord was
departed from him. The point is this God, departs
from us only when we depart from him.
Serve the great, God Of Heaven, all the days of your life.
Trust, not in your own understanding.
Lean on the Lord, he's always been there.
He always will be as long as you never leave his side.
We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the
Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you
would like any additional information or you would like to
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