King Saul's Rebellion

Saul started out looking and acting the part of God’s representative and Israel’s king. He was physically imposing, attractive, seemed humble before the Lord and obediently dependent upon Samuel for spiritual guidance. He took his job seriously, as Israel’s champion against the Philistines. He led a successful military campaign against them in his earliest years as ruler.

Samuel had instructed Saul to wait for him seven days at Gilgal, where Samuel would meet him to perform the burnt offerings and sacrifices. That was the duty of the priest. It wasn’t for just anyone to do. Here’s where we begin to see Saul’s true character. He loved and respected Samuel, but was impatient. Samuel didn’t appear exactly when Saul expected him to, so Saul decided to take it upon himself to perform the priestly offerings. There was ominous precedence for such rashness, in Numbers chapter 16, when some Jews decided to challenge the authority of Moses and Aaron by making priestly offerings themselves. They reasoned that, hey, we’re all God’s people here. Who do you, Moses and Aaron, think you are? Well, who they were were God’s anointed representatives, charged with certain priestly duties which the general population were not given. This was an act of rebellion which received severe discipline against those who intruded into the office of the priesthood (Numbers 16:32-40).

I Samuel 13:8-11..He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. Samuel said, “What have you done?” ESV
 

There is a principle called the Protocol Plan of God. Only a right thing done in the right way is right.We humans will often rationalize that since what we think needs to be done is a seemingly good thing, we should just go ahead with it, even if it isn’t within God’s prescribed procedure. Especially since we’re such wonderful, blessed people. God loves me so much, if I do it, it must be acceptable; honorable, even. I’ll probably get extra points for knowing how to perform the burnt offerings that Samuel is not yet here to do. NOT! It is arrogance to intrude into the office that God has given to His chosen representative. It is rebellion.  Saul started with his rationale:

And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” I Samuel 13:11-12
 

Well, you see, it was the people’s fault. They were scattering. And it’s your fault, Samuel, because you did not arrive on time. I was afraid I’d be attacked before I could seek God’s blessing. I just had to go ahead and make the offering. Samuel’s instruction in chapter 10 verse 8 had been to wait seven days, but that wasn’t all. The final word was “until I come to you.”

And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” I Samuel 13:13-14

Rashness, impatience, arrogance, ignoring the protocol of God; all these are indications of a man not capable of ruling according to God’s plan and purpose. This was only the beginning of Saul’s disobedience. He would have many more opportunities to obey God’s commands, and he would continue to allow his own human viewpoint to determine his behavior. The issue is, at any point in Saul’s descent into reversionism and blackout of the soul, he could have simply confessed his sin to God and repented (changed direction). Recovery was always possible, if he had wanted to recover his relationship to God and keep his throne. Saul was a religious man, an emotional man, a presumptuous man, and he was wrong.

Another opportunity: I Samuel 15:1-3 And Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
 

Amalek had been a bitter enemy of Israel throughout their history. The Amalekites were descendants of Amalek, who was a direct descendant of Esau, and they had viciously harassed and opposed Israel to try and prevent her possession of Canaan, when God had specifically given that land to Israel. God plainly stated in Deuteronomy chapter 9 and other scriptures that He was driving out the pagans because of their wickedness. Now the kingdom was established, and it was Saul’s assignment to wipe out the Amalekites because of that wickedness. Modern society is horrified by the “every living thing” mandate, because modern society has become blind to the reality that when demonism is allowed to flourish in a culture, even the animals are affected by it, and the children born in such a culture will carry the tendencies into the following generations. There comes a time when such a people must be destroyed. God doesn’t have to explain His orders, however. He gave the command. Saul’s duty was to obey.

He began well. He warned the Kenites who were in the area to move on out, and then he proceeded to defeat the Amalakites. Too bad he didn’t finish the job:

And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction. I Samuel 15:7-9

Saul thought his own judgment was better than God’s! The order was to utterly destroy. No, let’s show mercy to their king while killing all the “despised and worthless.” (!) In whose opinion? Saul was never given that option. Saul just took that liberty. There it was again. Arrogance.

In verses 10-16, we see a chain of consequences of Saul’s arrogance.
1. God denounced Saul and announced he would be removed as king.
2. Samuel, who loved Saul in spite of his arrogance, tried all night to intercede for Saul.
3. Samuel was told Saul had set up a monument for himself in Gilgal.
4. Saul met Samuel, beaming, and declared the mission accomplished regarding Amalek
5. Samuel exposed Saul’s failure to obey God’s command and exposed Saul as a liar.
6. Saul rationalized again that he was bowing to the wishes of the people (the politician’s excuse). “They” wanted to keep some of the best livestock alive, for sacrifice. Saul insisted again that he had obeyed.

I  Samuel 15:22-23, And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination (witchcraft-KJV), and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”
 

Please notice the comparison of rebellion and presumption to witchcraft, iniquity and idolatry. Just in case we didn’t know. These are not little discrepancies. They are sins against God.

Saul then did confess his sin and begged Samuel to stand with him and honor him before the people. At first Samuel refused, but then he relented and showed honor to Saul, who was demonstrating remorse, and who was still Israel’s king, if not for much longer. There was unfinished business, however, and Samuel was Israel’s true leader and God’s man for the task at hand.

Then Samuel said, “Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” And Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.

Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. I Samuel 15:32-35 "regretted" in v.35 is an anthropropathism. It means a human characteristic attributed to God, to enable us to understand a change of policy. 

Agag knew Samuel wasn’t an emotional wimp like Saul, but he made the attempt with “let’s let bygones be bygone.” It was a futile attempt by an evil man. What Saul, the self-righteous politician couldn’t bring himself to do, Samuel did without hesitation. It was God’s command. What God had commanded, Samuel would do, no matter how Saul and the people felt about it. “We’re all God’s children, we should just love one another” wasn’t applicable to the evil God had ordered destroyed.

There is more to Saul’s tragic story. This momentary recovery was shallow, if not superficial, and his self-importance would become full-blown insanity before his reign would finally end. His demise was a disaster of his own making.

It didn’t have to be.

The First to Hear

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:8-12 NIV

"Those were no ordinary sheep …no common flocks, huddled in sleep among the fields, the layered rocks, Near Bethlehem That Night; but those selected for the Temple sacrifice: theirs to atone for sins they had not done. How right the angels should appear to them That Night.Those were no usual shepherds there, but outcast shepherds whose unusual care of special sheep made it impossible to keep Rabbinic law, which therefore banned them. How right the angels should appear to them That Night." From  "No Ordinary Night" By Ruth Bell Graham, published in Footsteps of a Pilgrim

Of course there had to be shepherds. There were always sheep. They were for wool and food and Temple sacrifice. These in our passage may have been those special Temple sheep, being raised for the passover ritual. For this story, that would be appropriate, wouldn't it? It was to these lowly shepherds, who were likely not allowed in the synagogue because of not being ceremonially pure, that the birth announcement was made. They were the first to hear the good news of the newborn Savior, Who is Messiah and God! Out in this lonely, dark field, where David had also tended sheep, the sky was suddenly ablaze with angelic host, praising God and singing about the peace which is being brought to those with whom He is pleased (v. 14). God is pleased with those who receive His Son. The good news is: anyone can.

So they hurried off (positive response to good news) and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger (confirmation of good news). When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child (sharing good news), and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. Luke 2:16-18

Though frightened at first, what else would you do, but go to see? And having seen, what else would you do, but share this amazing event with any who would listen? This is another wonderful account of the grace of God, in His dealings with even the most seemingly obscure people. What beautiful symbolism with the shepherds of the sacrificial sheep being the very first to witness the newborn Lamb of God, Who would take away the sins of the world. Mary was cognizant of all these details. It goes with motherhood, and this was no ordinary mother.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Luke 2:19-20

Mary Knew

Let me state for the record that I do truly love the song "Mary Did You Know?" by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene, because of the wonderful truths it expresses about the Savior. Being a stickler for Biblical detail, however, I must point out that of course she knew. Hence, this repost from December 2014.


And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” Luke 1:46-55 NIV


In her great relief and joy at being with people who loved her and understood what was happening in her, Mary broke into a song of praise. This is often called "the Magnificat" from the Latin translation. It means "magnify" and is translated here, "glorify." This very young virgin knew a great deal about God and how He deals with His people. She knew of the ancient promises and of previous fulfillment throughout the history of Israel. She knew these things because they were recorded in the Old Testament scriptures, and because she had been taught these truths in her home. She knew about the promised savior, from Genesis chapter 3 all through the Old Testament. She knew He was to be born as a human baby, but seemed stunned that the one chosen to bear that precious life was to be herself, of "humble state." The KJV translated this "low estate." This word (olunthos) doesn't seem to mean "poor" or even necessarily self-effacing. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance translates the word used here as "unripe, out-of-season fig" and "out of due time." For this immaculate conception, it is my belief that Mary's youth and having just reached puberty (or had she?) was of major importance. Let me spell it out: there had been no sexual activity in Mary's life, and she knew God was certain of that.

God had always provided for His Own. He had always promised a savior, through the line of David. Mary had been taught these things her whole life. Now, after 400 years of silence from God because of Israel's descent into idolatry, the time had arrived. Under the almost universal peace engineered by Rome throughout the civilized world, The Savior could be born and presented first to His people, and then to the whole world. Mary was young and tender, but she didn't just fall off the ox cart. She knew exactly what was going on here, and what great blessing God had bestowed upon His handmaiden.

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home. Luke 1:56

Father of Mercies

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:1-2 ESV

A year or so (or maybe less) after the writing of I Corinthians, Paul wrote this 2^nd epistle to the Corinthian saints. There had been a constant undercurrent of rebellion in that congregation, led by Judaizers (Jewish legalists, claiming to be Christian, but demanding ritual and works of the law as evidence of salvation). Religion hates grace and will sabotage it every way possible. Besides simply promoting false doctrine, these rebels rejected Paul’s apostolic authority and systematically undermined his teaching of salvation by faith alone in Christ alone. Paul himself had been working in Ephesus amid fierce opposition there, and was delayed in his intended visit to Corinth. He had sent Timothy to speak for him and to bring back a report from the Church. The news was not very good, because of this ongoing controversy, and the legalists were beginning to gain the upper hand. He had sent Titus then, to set things straight, and apparently the damage had been repaired with the majority of the saints, but there remained a pocket of discord among some in the congregation.

Paul stated his apostleship “by the will of God.” We’ve noted before that Paul didn’t seek this position. He had been intently trying to destroy the Church when he was way-laid by Jesus Christ on the Damascus Road and appointed an apostle to the Gentiles. From that point on, there was no question in his own mind about his commission. He knew, also, that this had been his destiny from eternity past. So, “grace to you,” Corinthians, “and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Timothy and I know exactly Whose we are and what our assignment is, regarding the Church. We greet you in the Name of God.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers,of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. 2 Corinthians 1:3-11

Paul had been under extreme pressure in Ephesus, from the unbelieving opposition, we know, but he also seems to have become very ill, perhaps to the point of death. He thought he was dying, but God healed him and strengthened him again to do his work. Paul knew his affliction had humbled him and that God alone had delivered him, enabling him to move on with the ministry of the gospel.

Having experienced such suffering and such comfort in his suffering, Paul now was equipped to comfort others in similar adversities. It makes a difference when you have actually experienced the affliction you see someone else dealing with. It inspires empathy in you for them, and it inspires confidence in them that you really do understand their situation.

Those of us who have suffered rejection and ridicule from people we care about, because of our faith, can identify with those of all generations who have endured that same humiliation. People who have to try to defend the gospel of grace to those who think you must perform a certain way or you are not saved share the experience of these early Christians who had to contend with not only the pagans, but also the Judaizers for their faith. Paul had these circumstances to deal with and was also physically sick at the time the Corinthian saints were being led astray by the false teachers. It was God's mercy and comfort, not Paul's toughness, that pulled him through. He learned to depend on God's grace and God's perfect timing.

He knew he had experienced those things to better enable him to minister to the Churches in their afflictions. He knew what they were enduring, because he had endured it, and God had comforted him so that he could comfort the Church. It is a universal principle of Christianity. It strengthens our bond with the brethren. It confirms our faith in God’s provision. Christ is the believers’ comfort, extended through His Body, the Church.

 

“as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.”

Everything has a purpose within the Royal Family of God.