QT 30 Sep 13, Even being perfectly in the will of God does not mean there will not be opposition

1 Sam 10:24-27 (ESV) And Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people." And all the people shouted, "Long live the king!"

25 Then Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship, and he wrote them in a book and laid it up before the Lord. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home. 26 Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched. 27 But some worthless fellows said, "How can this man save us?" And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace.

NOTE: Even in the midst of great victories, there are always the Sanballat's and Tobiah's, men who opposed the work of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem during Nehemiah's time. The description of them men during Saul's time is apt, "worthless fellows." They are good at criticism. They may even be right, and to a certain extent they are right concerning Saul. But they really have no information. There negativism is based on "not created here" or envy for not being selected. There will always be those people in any undertaking. Likewise, things do not always work out well in new undertakings, not because the choice is wrong but for many reasons: attack of the enemy, a test of faith, and just sin in the world. I am facing some interesting new aspects to my life. What I thought was secure is not as secured as I hoped. Will I trust God or fret? Is something new happening? Can I wait upon the Lord? Can I keep my heart pure and fear God as I should? Lord, have mercy on my failures of faith and give me strength to say no to the enemy's attacks. Help to stay strong and honor you with my life and choices.

QT 25 Sep 13, How close are we to complete failure, really?

1 Sam 10:14-16 (ESV) Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, "Where did you go?" And he said, "To seek the donkeys. And when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel." 15 And Saul's uncle said, "Please tell me what Samuel said to you." 16 And Saul said to his uncle, "He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found." But about the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel had spoken, he did not tell him anything.

NOTE: Initially, Saul is either a very humble man or a man who hates to be embarrassed. Why does he not tell his Father of the kingdom? Maybe he did not believe Samuel; maybe he did not believe God; and maybe he just did not want to exalt himself. He shows good signs but it won't be too many years before his good side is replaced by a very negative and bitter side. His failure with Samuel will come quickly, but he is often a kind man, as many of his interactions with David will show. He raises good children, but at some point he is tormented by evil spirits. In some way, he allows his position or his insecurities to dominate his thinking, corrupting him as a person. As a believer, we are protected from some of the effects of evil spirits, but sin can do just as much damage to our spirit. Our protection is the word of God, our sword, and the shield of faith, our trust in God.

These last few weeks it has been difficult to trust God in my work situation. I have felt the fear of the unknown. Today, things are completely different. God has completely provided again. Why is it so hard for me to trust each time? Why do I fail by worrying over the future? It is part of our human flesh which we struggle against. The only thing I can do is to repent and obey, again.

QT 23 Sep 13, People need leadership

1 Sam 8:19-22 (ESV) But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, "No! But there shall be a king over us, 20  that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles." 21 And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. 22 And the Lord said to Samuel, "Obey their voice and make them a king." Samuel then said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city."

NOTE: In this passage, God does not say that the request is wrong. Earlier, verse 8:7 God says, "… for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them." But that is not exactly saying the request is wrong. The people have rejected God as king, but that occurred all through the book of Judges. The people did well while a God-appoint judge lived. When he died, they failed, and in increasing measure. The concept of a king establishes a constant ruler. They could be admitting their failure and their need for some continual representative, i.e., a king. So, I'm not sure that what they are asking for is wrong. The wrong has already been done and exemplified in the book of Judges. This is the fix, a person with the authority to be king. There are some dangers inherent as God tells Samuel to remind them. But at this point, I think the people believe that anything is better than what we have been experiencing.

QT 20 Sep 13, God needs servant-leaders

1 Sam 8:10-18 (ESV) So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. 11 He said, "These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. 12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14  He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. 15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. 16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day."

NOTE: The idea of a king is not bad. There are many good reasons to have a king. The problem is that with most people, power goes to their head and they abuse their position. The old phrase, "absolute power corrupts absolutely," is still true today. While I doubt I will ever be in that position, although I was a squadron commander once for three years, I'm not sure how valuable it is to consider what causes or can prevent corruption. Clearly, Jesus' instructions about being a servant-leader are very helpful. A leader should see himself, first as a servant to others. Paul writes  in Philippian before discussion Jesus' actions, to consider others more important than yourself. A servant would think of the other person first. A servant is observant of other's needs. A servant does not puff himself up with thoughts of his own importance but spends his time considering how he can help others. Father, if you ever put me in that position again, help me to be a servant-leader. I want to put others first and think of how I can help them to be successful. I don't need to be "the man," but if I am, I pray it would an extension of your son's life on earth. 

QT 19 Sep 13, Change occurs and change can be good

1 Sam 7:15-8:9 (ESV) Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. 17 Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. And he built there an altar to the Lord.

8:1 When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3 Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice.

4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah 5 and said to him, "Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations." 6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord said to Samuel, "Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8 According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. 9 Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them."

NOTE: Samuel brought about a great thing, and I believe good change in Israel. Later, when God says that "they have rejected me," I think he is referring to the last few hundred years, described in Judges, and not the immediate circumstances. Samuel gave them a taste of truth again, something that was solely missing during the time of the Judges. His circuit of teaching changed their ideas of what was right and wrong. And so, when Samuel's sons exhibit the same tendencies (although not quite as bad) as Eli's sons, the people reject it. God is right, they were not rejecting Samuel, they were rejecting his sons. And they had already rejected God as king as evidenced by the last few hundred years. It is time for something new, and the new is not bad, it is different. God had already given instruction regarding a king when the law was first given. So, this was not unexpected. A king represents an opportunity for tremendous good and also tremendous evil. The will experience few good kings, most will fail in the leadership role. The few that are good will have a tremendously positive impact. And in the end, the point will ring very clear, God is the only just king the people ever had. And Jesus as his son ruling in the millennial kingdom will be the greatest of all kings. Change isn't bad. It opens our eyes to new things. It teaches us. Lord, what is it that you are teaching me?

QT 9 Sep 13, Repentance is the first step toward healing

1 Sam 7:3-10 (ESV) And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, "If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." 4 So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only.

5 Then Samuel said, "Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you." 6 So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, "We have sinned against the Lord." And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. 7 Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 And the people of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines." 9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. And Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were routed before Israel.

NOTE: Finally, after 20 years, for some reason, Samuel calls the people to meet at Mizpah. Why so long? We don't know. We do know that the real issue was their heart and maybe they needed some more time to realize that problem. I can't help but wonder today if our nation will ever realize that our problems are deep in our heart and not in political solutions. The people gather and after fasting, they repent "we have sinned against the Lord." The Philistines, who ruled the land, hear of the gathering, and probably out of fear decide to attack Israel, before Israel attacks them. Israel, also in fear, cries out to God. The result is a miraculous intervention by God that begins the decline of the Philistines. Samuel accomplishes as Judge what Samson never accomplished, relief from the oppression of the Philistines.

The key change is something Samson never pushed, repentance. Samson pushed acceptance and tolerance. He even lived among the Philistines and married, at one time, one of the women. Samson liked the lifestyle of the Philistines and their beliefs. Samuel instead, calls for people to repent and to throw away the idols of the world, and turned to serve God alone. That is the same message for us today. We need to repent of our sin, throw away the idols of our time, and serve God alone.

QT 5 Sep 13, Focus on the heart not the externals

1 Sam 7:1-4 (ESV) And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to have charge of the ark of the Lord. 2 From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

3 And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, "If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." 4 So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only.

NOTE: The ark is back and Israel consecrates an individual to care for it, but Israel fails to consecrate itself. For 20 years they mourned (HEB nahah (OT:5091) for ESV lament) for the Lord. The problem is that they focused on the external and forgot the internal. Samuel's first official action is a call to repentance, to focus on the internal first. They were worshipping idols and wondering where God was. They stopped serving idols and began to serve God. Did Samuel cause that? No, but he raised the issue. Individuals needed to respond to God's call. And that is the way it usually works. God responds to those who seek to serve him. God does not serve those who expect him to respond to their whims. It starts with us, and it starts in our hearts. The idols must be put away. We must recommit to serving him. We must be follow through on our words. Then God can use us.

QT 3 Sep 13, Playing Both Sides

1 Sam 6:19-21 (ESV) And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the Lord. He struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great blow. 20 Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, "Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?" 21 So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, "The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to you."

NOTE: Apparently, no one knows how to handle the ark. The Philistines, to their credit, add a guilt offering (for having taken the ark) that cost them some gold. On the other hand, ten small gold images of tumors and rats was a cheap gift. Also, God hates images and God is not appeased by man's works. The Israelites, who know better, sacrifice thank offerings but then treat the ark as a curiosity, trying to peer into it. Both groups feared the ark, but neither understood holiness. If they had, they would have kept their distance and immediately called the priests to move the ark. Normally, the ark was hid behind a thick curtain in a very dark room in a dark tent. It was seen only once a year by the high priest, unless the tabernacle needed to be moved. The curtains and coverings were a protection for the people. God did not reside in the ark, but his name, and consequently, his glory did (not in totality, only in representation). The people clearly lack instruction, as all the people at the end of the period of Judges did. Samuel will be God's instrument to change that. Eli and his sons are dead now. Samuel's opportunity is just beginning. This story stands as a stark contrast to their forefathers handling of the ark and the people who stand at the end of the period of Judges.

We treat God similarly today. We fear him, in a sense, but we truly don't understand his holiness. And so we are curious but we really don't want to know him fully. We really don't want to be holy like him. We just don't want him to interfere in our lives, unless we are in trouble. Otherwise we live our lives with God at the side and pretend that he is at the center. But he is not, and only when disaster strikes do we realize our error and arrogance.