1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,160 Please be seated. Turn in your. 2 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:06,120 Bibles to 1st. Samuel chapter 15 in the Church. 3 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:08,880 Bible The Black Bible. It's page 222. 4 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:13,200 First Samuel 15, we'll be looking at this very. 5 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:15,640 Difficult chapter together. Today. 6 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:18,960 Is the feast of. King of Kings. 7 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:23,320 Jesus, our Lord of Lords, we. Celebrate him on Christ the King 8 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:25,480 Sunday. He's the King we do not deserve, 9 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:30,600 but we desperately need and. We believe here at the Church of 10 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:31,400 the. Resurrection. 11 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:33,200 That all. Scripture is God. 12 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,560 Breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof and 13 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:38,760 correction and training and righteousness. 14 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:41,000 That we may be complete equipped. 15 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:44,400 For every good work. And so that includes. 16 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:46,880 Tough chapters like first. Samuel 15. 17 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:50,560 And we're going to do our best to make sense of it together. 18 00:00:51,160 --> 00:00:54,800 This is the last chapter. In our series in First Samuel 19 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:58,440 this fall and it's it's a challenge. 20 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:02,160 We. Have seen this thus far in this 21 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,480 series. That we usually get the leaders 22 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:10,480 that we deserve people. Who put themselves center? 23 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:15,480 Stage who push God off. Into the wings and make 24 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:21,200 themselves king over all. And King Saul exemplifies this 25 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:25,800 in First Samuel. His egocentrism is a stark 26 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:30,400 reminder that we need better. We need a miracle leader, one 27 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:33,640 who is both just and merciful. One who never. 28 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:35,880 Breaks the law. But who's willing to lay down 29 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:37,960 his? Life for lawbreakers like us. 30 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:40,200 And as we. Dig deeper today. 31 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:41,560 We're going to see. That Jesus is. 32 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:44,280 Truly the miracle leader that we need but do not. 33 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:45,760 Deserve. So let's pray. 34 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:49,040 We turn to you, Lord, and give thanks to you. 35 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:51,760 For your word. And ask for you to help us 36 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:55,560 understand, give us minds to understand and. 37 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:57,760 Hearts to believe? And the courage. 38 00:01:57,840 --> 00:01:59,680 To live faithfully. According to what? 39 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:03,200 You teach us. For we pray in Jesus name, Amen. 40 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:05,840 So here's a brief recap of where. 41 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:08,840 We've been in for Samuel so far. God raised up. 42 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:12,320 Samuel as a miracle. Leader. 43 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:16,200 Samuel was theocentric, God centered, rather than 44 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,720 egocentric. He put God first rather than 45 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:21,080 himself. But the people wanted a king 46 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:24,600 like all of the other nations, and so God consented. 47 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:28,160 He gave them Saul. He warned them of the dangers, 48 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:29,880 but he gave them King Saul and Saul. 49 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:34,840 Started off very well. Saul wasn't a bad character from 50 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:36,640 the beginning. He started off with a clean 51 00:02:36,640 --> 00:02:39,000 slate, just like Adam in the Garden of Eden. 52 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:42,080 And when the first challenge came, Saul. 53 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:45,520 Rose to meet. It and he did better than Adam, 54 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,720 the king of the Ammonites, Nakash, which means serpent, 55 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:54,040 came into the promised land to. Devour God's people. 56 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:56,840 But Saul obeyed God. He. 57 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,840 Rallied an army and they went together and destroyed the 58 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:02,800 serpent. But then Saul. 59 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:04,680 Let that victory go to his head and. 60 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:07,360 Instead of remaining God centered. 61 00:03:07,640 --> 00:03:10,800 He. Curved in on himself over the 62 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:13,360 last couple of Sundays we've seen his. 63 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:16,680 Rapid. Decline In chapter 13, Saul gave 64 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,960 in to his anxiety. He disobeyed God and he tried to 65 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:22,640 manipulate. God through ritual sacrifice. 66 00:03:22,640 --> 00:03:25,960 And then when Samuel confronted him, he didn't repent. 67 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:31,720 Strike one against Saul Last Sunday, chapter 14, we saw 68 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:34,760 Saul's anxiety grow into despotism. 69 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:38,480 He burdened his army. With stupid rules. 70 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:42,120 Provoking them to sin against the Lord, he also condemned his 71 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:44,240 son Jonathan to death. Jonathan The. 72 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:47,520 War Hero. Another incredibly stupid thing 73 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:49,720 to do. And even after the army ransomed 74 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:52,440 Jonathan back, Saul did not repent. 75 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:56,560 Strike two against King Saul we come to. 76 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,520 The Passage. Today, for Samuel 15, this is. 77 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:01,600 Saul's last. Chance he's had. 78 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:03,760 Lots of. Opportunities to repent. 79 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:07,840 And here is one more. But his selfishness, his 80 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:11,240 egocentrism is going to cost him the Kingdom. 81 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:14,680 But first before. We look at this, we need to 82 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:18,800 understand what God is asking Saul to do, and that's in verse. 83 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:22,560 Three, a very difficult verse. Let's look at it together in 84 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:24,040 verse. Three, God commanded. 85 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:29,160 Saul to strike? Amalek and devote to destruction 86 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:30,440 all that. They have. 87 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:35,000 Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, 88 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:37,920 ox and sheep, camel and donkey. It's really. 89 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:40,920 Hard to hear. Isn't it startling that God 90 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:45,120 would command such a thing? It sounds kind of like genocide. 91 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:47,400 Was it? Was it really necessary? 92 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:50,440 This word devote to. Destruction. 93 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:55,520 It's a single Hebrew word, harem, and it means a kind of 94 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:57,800 capital punishment for an individual. 95 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:01,000 Or a group. Who has become so utterly? 96 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:04,640 Wicked. So hell bent on destroying. 97 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:07,880 God's people. Because this was only a command 98 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:10,080 in the Old Testament. Period of Israel. 99 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:12,560 So hell bent on destroying God's people that. 100 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:16,440 God's justice required their destruction. 101 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:18,640 Now our. God is, is. 102 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:21,520 Gracious and merciful. But he is. 103 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,680 Also an all consuming fire he. Is. 104 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:28,240 Slow to anger, but when the land fills with. 105 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:32,760 Blood God has to act. To bring justice. 106 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:35,880 God's compassion for us is greater than we can ever 107 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:40,720 imagine, but He cannot abide in. Justice forever so. 108 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:45,760 God in his mercy intervenes to set things right, and it's. 109 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:48,280 God's prerogative to do this, because this is our Father's 110 00:05:48,280 --> 00:05:51,160 world after all. He made the world. 111 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:56,000 He made us and put us in it. He gave us rules to live by, but 112 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:58,840 we have. Disobeyed him and the punishment 113 00:05:58,840 --> 00:06:01,760 for sin is. Death by his. 114 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:06,480 Grace, he has made a way. For us to live forever through. 115 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:10,280 Jesus, his son Jesus is death. For us so that. 116 00:06:10,280 --> 00:06:13,280 We might live. Jesus is the Savior. 117 00:06:13,280 --> 00:06:17,360 King, that we desperately need but do not deserve. 118 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:20,320 Now Christians believe that on judgement. 119 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:25,320 Day all of. US will stand before God and 120 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:27,880 have to give an account. Jesus will come again to judge 121 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:29,640 the living and the dead. And on that. 122 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:33,520 Day, those who. Have made Jesus their king. 123 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:35,440 Will be saved from eternal. Death. 124 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:37,440 The death that we rightly deserve. 125 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:41,040 But in the Old Testament, during the time of the. 126 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:44,040 People of Israel. In rare instances. 127 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:47,240 God called for. Harem, this devotion to 128 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:50,520 destruction, and this. Was a little bit like. 129 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:55,600 Judgement Day brought from the future into the present harem. 130 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:59,920 Was a tactical strike. Against the serpent. 131 00:07:00,280 --> 00:07:02,960 To keep the. Serpent from canceling Christmas 132 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:06,280 to. Save the Savior of the world. 133 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:13,520 Of all the enemies of Israel, the Amalekites were the most. 134 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:16,600 Vicious. In the Exodus. 135 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:19,560 After the Israelites had escaped through the red. 136 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:22,920 Sea escaped from Egypt. The Amalekites attacked them 137 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:26,360 when they were down, when they were faint and weary. 138 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:28,160 You may remember this story. Moses had to. 139 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:32,000 Keep his staff held high. In order to fight against the 140 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:35,400 Amalekites and later when Moses reflected on this. 141 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:38,640 Battle, he described. What the Amalekites were doing, 142 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:41,040 He described it as cutting off their tails. 143 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:43,480 Cutting off their tails? What did that mean? 144 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:48,040 It's a strange expression the rabbis in the centuries to come 145 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:49,760 understood. It to be a. 146 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:53,680 Euphemism for castration, and it makes sense because the 147 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:56,760 Amalekites were genocidal maniacs. 148 00:07:56,880 --> 00:08:00,480 With the Israelites. In their sights, cutting off. 149 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:04,360 Israel's tails. Was, in effect, a most painful 150 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:08,040 and humiliating way to exterminate the Jews in that 151 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:11,800 day. The Amalekites, in so doing, 152 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:15,960 were serving the serpent. As he tried to destroy the. 153 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:20,400 Seed of the woman and to prevent the Messiah from coming. 154 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:23,840 To save us. And this storyline continues 155 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:26,000 through the Old Testament. It continues all the way. 156 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,480 Up to the story of Esther, because today, Saul. 157 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:32,760 Doesn't do his job. The story continues all the way. 158 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:37,559 Up to Esther. And Esther outwits Haman, who is 159 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:42,640 a descendant of the Amalekites and Haman's plot even in those. 160 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:44,640 Days was to. Exterminate the Jews. 161 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:48,280 But for today, in our story today, it's important to see 162 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:50,400 that God's command. To devote. 163 00:08:50,680 --> 00:08:54,320 The Amalekites to destruction didn't happen overnight. 164 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:57,040 It wasn't something that God just came up with and told Saul 165 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:59,000 to go and do it. It was literally. 166 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:04,080 Centuries in the making that God had been giving them opportunity 167 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:08,560 to repent. They were Abraham's neighbors 168 00:09:08,560 --> 00:09:11,400 when Abraham and Sarah came to the land of Canaan. 169 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,120 They could have. Come. 170 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:16,000 To faith through. Abraham. 171 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:20,280 God did not send Abraham to destroy them, but at the same 172 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:24,200 time God gave Abraham a sense of what was yet to come. 173 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:27,000 God said to. Abraham, your offspring will 174 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:30,920 sojourn in Egypt and be. Afflicted for four. 100 years. 175 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,600 Why 400? Years, God tells. 176 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:38,360 Abraham this he says the sin of the Canaanites, including the 177 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:41,440 Amalekites, has not yet. Reached. 178 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:45,000 Its full measure their sin is growing. 179 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:48,600 And over. Those 400 years, Israel 180 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:51,280 encountered many. Foes the. 181 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:54,560 Egyptians enslaved them, God did not. 182 00:09:54,840 --> 00:10:00,080 Tell the Jews to kill. The Egyptians to destroy them 183 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:02,880 utterly. Likewise the. 184 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:05,720 Philistines enslaved the. Israelites but God. 185 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:09,080 Did not command them to completely. 186 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:12,440 Wipe out the. Philistines, but the Canaanites 187 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:16,040 in general and the Amalekites in particular wanted to 188 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:18,120 exterminate. God's people. 189 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:22,240 These nations were were. Brutally wicked. 190 00:10:22,560 --> 00:10:25,000 They were depraved. Among other things. 191 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:27,760 They they worshipped. Satan, essentially they. 192 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:32,400 Put their. Children into the fire, and they 193 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:34,960 were such an existential. Threat to Israel? 194 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:39,360 That God eventually lost his patience with them. 195 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:43,440 Even so, coming up to this time there were opportunities for 196 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:46,560 repentance as Israel came into the Promised land. 197 00:10:46,560 --> 00:10:49,160 You may remember the. Story of the fall of Jericho. 198 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:53,800 A canaanite city and rahab was given the opportunity to repent 199 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:56,880 she came and joined the Israelites even though she was a 200 00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:59,040 canaanite woman, and threw her the. 201 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:02,400 Seed. Of the Messiah was passed down. 202 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:05,040 She was a matriarch of the Messiah. 203 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:08,000 Later on in the book of Joshua, an entire Canaanite city 204 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:10,960 converted and joined. The Israelites. 205 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:13,960 So it's really clear through the story that. 206 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:18,600 Repentance and inclusion of Canaanites into the people of 207 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:22,360 God was permitted, but eventually the time ran out and 208 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:25,480 that's the 400 year thing that God said to Abraham. 209 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:28,400 For 400 years. The Amalekites never repented, 210 00:11:28,680 --> 00:11:32,240 and so God called on. Saul to devote. 211 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:36,840 Them to destruction now before we move on to see what happened. 212 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:40,040 Let's. Talk about evangelism for a 213 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:44,880 minute, because we have to remember our mission as 214 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:46,720 ambassadors. Of Jesus our. 215 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:48,200 King. This day of. 216 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:52,440 Judgement is approaching for everyone, for us, and for all 217 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:55,240 the people in the world, including our neighbors and our 218 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:58,040 relatives and our classmates. And coworkers. 219 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:03,240 There is still time for everyone to repent and turn to Jesus as 220 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:04,800 King. But they have to. 221 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:08,040 Hear the good news and how. Will they hear? 222 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:11,280 How will they believe? If they've never. 223 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:14,320 Heard How are they to? Hear without someone telling 224 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:16,680 them. We've got to tell them it's not 225 00:12:16,680 --> 00:12:18,720 optional. Jesus didn't give us the great. 226 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:20,960 Elective. He didn't give us the great 227 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:24,400 option. The great hobby he gave us the. 228 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:26,800 Great Commission. As his disciples. 229 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,400 He sent us out. To share the gospel. 230 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:32,800 And it is an essential and central part of being a 231 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:34,920 Christian. If this is not something that 232 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:38,640 you're engaged in, it calls into question whether you are really 233 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:42,880 a Christian at all. Now let's see if. 234 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:45,880 Saul did. As God commanded starting in 235 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:50,200 verse. 12 Look at what happened. Samuel. 236 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:52,800 Set out to discover whether Saul. 237 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:55,200 Had been obedient to the Lord or not, and the rest. 238 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:59,040 Of the chapter reads like a. 6 count indictment against King 239 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:01,480 Saul. The first charge is Saul's 240 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:03,120 pride. Look at verse 12. 241 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:07,240 This is the first thing that Samuel learned when he inquired. 242 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:09,520 Of Saul, he discovered that Saul had already. 243 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:14,760 Created a monument to himself down by the Amalekite. 244 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:17,200 City. It's a very bad sign because. 245 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:19,800 Pride is the 1st of. The deadly sins and. 246 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:23,760 Pride always goes before a fall. Verse 13. 247 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:26,720 The second thing was Saul's deception when Samuel finally 248 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:28,120 caught up with. Saul. 249 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:31,680 In verse 13. Saul boasted of success, he 250 00:13:31,680 --> 00:13:33,200 said. I have performed the 251 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:34,800 commandment. Of the Lord. 252 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:39,680 But Saul was lying and the evidence was all around. 253 00:13:39,680 --> 00:13:43,400 And So what did Samuel say? He says, what's the sound of the 254 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:48,000 bleeding of bleeding of sheep in my ears, the lowing of oxen that 255 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:50,960 I hear remember that God had commanded. 256 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:53,640 Saul to devote. Everything to destruction, not 257 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:57,480 just the crummy things and to keep the good things, but the 258 00:13:57,480 --> 00:13:59,120 bleeding of sheep. Was a telltale. 259 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:00,720 Sign. Of Saul's. 260 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:04,640 Deception in addition to Saul's. Pride and deception. 261 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:06,960 Thirdly, there's his greed. Look at verse 15. 262 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:08,720 He he reported. Now. 263 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:10,400 He's come up with a better idea. He. 264 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:14,200 Says instead of letting them go. To waste these animals that 265 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:15,080 he's. Brought them. 266 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:19,200 Back to be a peace offering, which is a different kind of 267 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:22,560 offering, a different kind of sacrifice than the harem. 268 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:26,800 This, this devotion to destruction, the peace. 269 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:29,600 Offering. Was a meal shared with God kind 270 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:34,240 of like Holy Communion for us? Where the people would get the 271 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:36,240 the. Meaty portions that would be 272 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:39,600 roasted and all the rest would be burned up on the altar. 273 00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:45,280 But God had very explicitly told Saul to do the harem. 274 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:47,800 Where everything was devoted to destruction. 275 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:51,720 In other words, it all belonged to God and what Saul was doing 276 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:54,680 was the same sin as Eli. Or as. 277 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:58,720 Hophony and Phineas, Eli's sons who were stealing from God at 278 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:02,800 the beginning of first Samuel, on top of. 279 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:06,720 Saul's pride, his deception, and. 280 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:09,880 Greed, Saul. Also disobeyed God. 281 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:13,000 Verse 19. Samuel asked why. 282 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:14,360 Hadn't. He obeyed. 283 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:16,040 God's commands. And Saul said. 284 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:17,640 Verse 20. I have. 285 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:23,560 Obeyed the Lord, I have gone. On the mission on which the Lord 286 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:28,320 sent me and I have. Brought back King. 287 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:32,240 Agag with me, the king of Amalek. 288 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:36,680 This is a problem because that. Is not what God had told him to 289 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:38,080 do, and he knows it. It's. 290 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:42,320 Disobedience plain. And simple saul's #1 tactical 291 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:45,080 objective. Was to take out the king of. 292 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:48,760 The Amalekites not to bring him back as a trophy. 293 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:52,840 Fifthly in. Addition to pride, deception, 294 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:56,040 greed and disobedience, Saul shifted the blame look at this 295 00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:58,880 verse 21 he said the. People did it. 296 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:02,200 It was the people's fault. The people took the spoil. 297 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:04,800 It was their fault. See Saul's totally. 298 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:06,800 Innocent. It's not his fault, it's like. 299 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:09,880 Aaron when? Moses comes down from Mount 300 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:12,160 Sinai, right? And. 301 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:14,760 He sees the. Golden calf. 302 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:16,800 And he says to Aaron, what is going on? 303 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:19,240 And Aaron is like, Gee, Moses, I don't know. 304 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:20,960 The people just gave me all their gold. 305 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:23,280 I threw it into the fire and I'll pop this golden calf. 306 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:28,080 Same thing, Saul. Is blaming. 307 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:29,680 His followers. When it is. 308 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:31,520 Really. Truly his fault. 309 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:37,640 Finally, after. Saul's pride, deception, greed. 310 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:41,720 Disobedience, blame shifting. There's just plain old treason. 311 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:45,080 Verses 22 and 23. Samuel asks. 312 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:46,800 Does. God prefer burnt. 313 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:51,880 Offerings over obedience. No, he says. 314 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:54,840 To obey is more. Important than sacrifice like we 315 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:58,480 heard in Psalm 51, the. Alternative to. 316 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:03,440 Obedience is rebellion, Samuel goes on to say. 317 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:07,560 He calls it the. Sin of divination and idolatry. 318 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:11,440 Adam's. Rebellion in the Garden was 319 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:16,000 treachery against the Lord, and in the same way Saul's rebellion 320 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:19,440 was a changing of sides, adjoining forces with the devil 321 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:23,280 who prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 322 00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:25,440 Especially the seed of the woman. 323 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:28,400 Because the serpent wants to gobble. 324 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:31,080 Up the Savior before he comes. So. 325 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:36,160 Saul's treachery was a win. For the devil, and sadly, this 326 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:38,000 is how Saul. 'S story ends. 327 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:39,880 We won't get to it. This fall. 328 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:42,680 But hopefully, when we come back to this story, we will. 329 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:45,680 See the last scene of Saul. Before his death. 330 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:48,240 Is he's in. The House of a witch the night 331 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:51,800 before. So because of these six sins. 332 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:57,280 Samuel declared verse 23 God's rejection of Saul as king and 333 00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:02,120 for the very first time in the whole story, verse 24, Saul 334 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:08,320 confesses his sin and it's. Possibly a good sign. 335 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:12,280 Of something changing in him. But it doesn't last for long, 336 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:15,440 because instead of tearing his robes, covering himself with 337 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:18,200 sackcloth and ashes. What he's really. 338 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:20,240 Concerned about is what, everybody? 339 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:25,400 Else thinks of him, verse 25. Please pardon my sin and return 340 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:28,240 with me so that I can bow before the Lord. 341 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:29,920 He wants to save face in front of the people. 342 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:31,840 He says it again in verse 30. I have. 343 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:35,840 Sinned. Yet honor me now before the. 344 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:39,320 Elders of. My people and before Israel. 345 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:41,640 So what's? Happened is Saul. 346 00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:43,880 Has come around full circle back to. 347 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:46,160 Where he started to the. Sin of pride. 348 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:50,320 Pride was the capstone of his. Failures and to most of our 349 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:51,800 elected. Leaders today, right? 350 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:54,240 What? They have in. 351 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:59,880 Common is this egocentrism putting themselves center stage. 352 00:19:00,120 --> 00:19:02,360 Rather. Than the Lord pushing God off 353 00:19:02,360 --> 00:19:05,320 into the shadows and pride is like crystal meth. 354 00:19:05,360 --> 00:19:06,760 It will. Kill you. 355 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:09,240 It will. Absolutely kill you. 356 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:11,640 Apart from Jesus. It will kill you. 357 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:16,240 So how does this? Story End verse 20. 7 As Samuel 358 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:19,960 turns to leave, Saul rips. Off a tassel, off of his robes, 359 00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:22,760 Samuel. Uses this as an illustration of 360 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:26,440 what's going to happen. A prophetic sign so. 361 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:29,320 Also will your Kingdom. Be torn from you and given to 362 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:32,440 another. And then Samuel had to do Saul's 363 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:33,520 job. For him, he. 364 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:38,040 Had. To dispatch Agag and SO. 365 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:40,840 He says to Agag. As your sword. 366 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:44,960 Has made women childless. Particularly Jewish. 367 00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:48,040 Women so. Shall your. 368 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:51,240 Mother be childless among women. And then he hacked him to 369 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:54,320 pieces, which was. What was required by the law? 370 00:19:54,320 --> 00:20:00,640 For burnt offerings, that's. The end. 371 00:20:01,120 --> 00:20:02,760 Of this. Story but not. 372 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:05,720 The end of First Samuel, and when we pick it up again 373 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:10,160 someday, hopefully next fall, A man after God's own heart. 374 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:14,120 Will be anointed. King and King David will be. 375 00:20:14,120 --> 00:20:16,240 Great. And will be terrible. 376 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:22,400 He will be in some. Ways more sinful, more 377 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:26,000 outrageously sinful than Saul. But the big difference between 378 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:28,440 Saul and David is that. David Will. 379 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:31,520 Confess his sins and humble himself before the. 380 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:34,480 Lord and He. Will return to this kind of 381 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:39,480 theocentrism over and over again and through David's lineage, 382 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:41,560 Christ the Savior. Will be born. 383 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:45,280 Not only for Israel's sake. But for all of the world. 384 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:50,840 And what will come in Jesus is that instead of. 385 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:53,720 Pride there will be. Humility. 386 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:57,600 Think about Jesus. He will come. 387 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:01,320 Laid in a Manger with no form or majesty that we should. 388 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:03,400 Behold him. No beauty that we should. 389 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:06,760 Desire him. And instead of deception so 390 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:10,720 common amongst our leaders. Jesus will be the way, the 391 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:13,440 truth. And the life with no deceit in 392 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:17,480 his mouth and instead of greed. Jesus will. 393 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:19,680 Come not to be served. But to serve. 394 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:21,640 And to give his life. As a ransom. 395 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:26,880 For many, and as Jesus goes to Jerusalem, he will not disobey 396 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:28,200 the Lord. But he will. 397 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:33,160 Go without even opening his mouth like a lamb to. 398 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:37,680 The slaughter obeying. The word of the Lord, and when 399 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:41,520 Jesus is betrayed, instead of treason, he. 400 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:45,320 Will be stricken, he will. Be smitten he will be afflicted. 401 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:49,440 Wounded for our transgressions, Bruised for our iniquities. 402 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:51,560 Chastised. For our peace and. 403 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:53,720 By his stripes. We will be healed. 404 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:58,040 And when he's lifted up on the cross instead of blame shifting. 405 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:02,200 Jesus will bear our griefs. And sorrows. 406 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:05,760 With a crown. Of thorns upon his head, and 407 00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:08,440 most everyone will mock him but for those. 408 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:10,680 Who know the? Truth about themselves, they 409 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:14,560 will say, Jesus, Remember Me when you come into your Kingdom, 410 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:18,200 and on the cross above him there will be a sign. 411 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:22,240 A sign. That says Rex in Latin. 412 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:25,040 That says. Basilius in Greek. 413 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:28,840 And hamelic in Aramaic and. For us, it's. 414 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:35,760 King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the miracle king that we 415 00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:38,600 so desperately need and do not deserve. 416 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:39,920 Let's. Pray to him. 417 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:43,200 Now we come before you, Lord, with. 418 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:46,680 Such gratefulness. For what you have done for us, 419 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:52,760 for we certainly deserve destruction, and you have shown 420 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:56,520 us mercy. And in your humility, lay down 421 00:22:56,520 --> 00:23:02,880 your life for us instead. So as we reflect on these. 422 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:08,000 Things we want to follow you in resurrection life out into the 423 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:12,720 world and to bring the good news of what you have done for us. 424 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:16,280 To everyone around. Us and I pray for my brothers 425 00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:18,680 and sisters here. Today that they would have 426 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:23,160 courage to do this, especially over the holiday week, that they 427 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:27,320 would go boldly out from this. Place in the power of the Holy 428 00:23:27,320 --> 00:23:29,480 Spirit. Sharing the good. 429 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:31,120 News of what? You have. 430 00:23:31,120 --> 00:23:35,440 Done for us and I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.