1 Samuel 14:24-52 - Saul's Hasty Words

alright let's open our Bibles tonight to First Samuel chapter 14 and we're only gonna finish one chapter so we're gonna go out start the verse 24 and go to the end of the chapter two weeks ago we reminded you I try to remind you every week because I think it's it's vile when you're studying your Bible that narrative books of the Bible are meant to teach you by placing you in the story well you get bits and pieces you you might want to say to the Lord I'd like to know what happened to this guy or what happened next or where did he go and God doesn't see fit to fill in all the blanks but you aren't left without everything that you need to know him better and so as we go through the historical books that we're doing now in the Old Testament just like the book of Acts those are those are narrative books not so much you know every statement of theological one but just a report it's kind of like reading a story and so you place yourself where you can in the story you learn from what God does give you rather than gosh he didn't tell us this or he didn't tell us that well then you don't know but but go with what you know and what God has given to us so two weeks ago we started in chapter 13 to look at God's narrative report of 40 years of Saul's reign if you will as the first king of Israel in his third year of being the king he did what God warned the people he would do he conscripted an army took 3,000 men from their homes from their from their families from their workforce took 3,000 of them with himself he cared 2,000 of them with himself he stayed in a place called mishmash which is just a few miles north of Jerusalem a thousand of them he left with his son Jonathan at a city a couple of miles actually closer to Jerusalem Saul's son was a godly young man we're gonna see more of him as we as we go forward but the the big enemy against Israel at the time of the Philistines they were powerful history would would bear record they were brutal because Jonathan cared for God's people he took them on as they were attacking the city of giba which is kind of in the middle bit where Saul and Jonathan were encamped with their armies the attack that Jonathan took on even though he was greatly outnumbered and out may our m-- had a certain measure of victory and it brought some relief to the to the nation saw though sitting a few miles to the north blew the trumpet and tried to declare that he had brought victory he hadn't done a thing he was a guy that loved to get honor had played no part in the victory at all he called the people to go to the east to Gilgal which was a place where God had really met with the people and they came into the land and he called them there to celebrate what God not what got it and what Saul had done which was nothing as a result the Philistines were furious not only had they gotten beaten by some as Jonathan which was bad enough but Saul now was was broadcasting his big victory that he wasn't a part of and and the result was that this Philistine army began to gal gather to retaliate you could read all of this in chapter 13 thousands of chariots horsemen and an innumerable amount of foot soldiers and it looked bad what what Jonathan did really brought to bear these enemies of Israel but what Saul did it seemed to make it much much worse well the Prophet at the time samuel old guy by now had told Saul when he had known him to be king that if he ever needed God's direction meet with me at Gilgal I offer the sacrifices that will now enable us to ask the Lord for direction and and so as the priest I will do that for you and okay fine the problem was as these Philistine armies were being gathered the people who began to be frightened big time so as you read through chapter 13 you find that folks began to hide in the caves and the hillsides they some of them cross the Jordan River and went into neighboring countries still others just changed coats you know they put on somebody else's hat they joined the enemy and Samuel didn't come within the prescribed time or he came towards the end of that seven-day period the Saul in the midst of that seeing the people flee from him decided he would take the role on as the priest go in and offer sacrifice which God wouldn't allow was not a man of faith was a man of just you know selfish kind of behavior drive his own kind of life and in the midst of offering the sacrifices samuel did show up and said what do you do and saw and saw basically said I've sinned with an explanation the people are leaving the pressure is getting more I need some help you weren't here so I went ahead and did what you know I thought we needed to do to get God's blessing to solve it was just a religious ritual wasn't a relationship with God at all as a result God said through the Prophet you were not gonna stay king in your future generations your son won't be king and his son won't be king was gonna be a one-term kind of dynasty if you will lack thereof well then as Samuel did offer the sacrifices to the Lord Saul didn't stick around to find out what God might want he went home he went back to a gilga are from Gilgal back to mishmash took only six hundred guys with him he had two thousand before he started already fourteen hundred of them had left everybody was terrified at the end of chapter 13 we're told that one of the reasons they were frightened besides everything else is that the Philistines had cornered the iron market Israel had no ability to do that at all yet so they had no weapons they they fought with with farm implements if you will there are only two swords in the whole land one belong to saw one belong to Samuel and so the the Jews still relied upon the Philistine just to sharpen their axes and all but the rest of the people like I said we have to fight with goads if you are sharpened sticks to make matters worse if I'm just kind of running us up to where we're at the Philistine army had recently deployed in three different directions so pretty much Israel was surrounded surrounded by mean armed to the teeth angry and ready to get even army of those who hated God and hated God's people and and in the middle of them Israel hey people that are out of touch with God that are being led by a man who has no idea who God is and the conclusion for everyone was this is probably it this is probably the end of the line awkwardly it appeared hopeless they would be annihilated there was no way out and as you read you find that most of the people in Israel fell the defection rate was going up day by day saw was still sitting in Gibeah with his 600 men under a pomegranate tree he had given up well this is their this is our last you might as well just you know eat drink and be merry kind of thing tomorrow we're gonna go down well that leaves us with Jonathan a young man who who believed in God and the God that he serve he was out with his armor-bearer just the two of them had snuck out of the camp without notice and and Jonathan basically talked to himself into his armor-bearer said I wonder if God could use us to get us out of this situation because you know he can save by many or by few and we could go fight those that garrison over there maybe the Lord would be into that you know let's just see it and it was a maybe he just wanted to see if maybe if so god I'll do it I'll do whatever you want made himself available in in the process they came up with a solution that they said look if we make ourselves known to those guys up on the steep cliffs and and they said to us you stay right there we'll come down there and show you a thing or two then we'll see their ambition ISM and they're driven and so maybe it's not the time for us and we'll get out of here but if they're cocky and they're setback yeah you all get up here man we'll show you what's up then we'll know the Lord's with us and they did and that's what the guy said and Jonathan and his armor-bearer who had their shared that really the same faith that Jonathan had as well made themselves instruments to a supernatural God who Jonathan just saw is sufficient and he led the people into battle or actually he led him and his armor-bearer first into battle they killed 20 people and when they came over the the top of the mountain God stepped in and put his foot down it was a big earthquake and then the Philistines began to kill each other in panic and began to run in every direction which is where we kind of left the battle yes last week because four miles away from the forint front was saul sitting around and jonathan was was walking in faith and and brought the battle to the enemy nothing restrains the Lord out by many are few and so he went before them well saws his army they saw a bunch of Ellison's running in all direction I was chasing them as I look at this it's all said I wonder who's out of the camp well guess what it was his boy again who was always out there serving he asked the priest would you bring me the the the place of worship you know would you bring me direction from the Lord and as the priest prepared to to seek God Saul couldn't wait now I never mind I'll go fight without knowing God's will and he ended up you know going out and fighting with her is his son by the end of the day Israel had pushed the Philistines out of their territory six miles away from where they started well that's where we stopped last week in chapter 14 verse 23 I think so the Lord saved Israel that day and the battle shifted to Beth even so last week it was Jonathan and his faith that was the focus right we should have the desire that I have the Lord do with us whatever he wants even the most amazing things God is capable of if you're willing and I think we usually that's usually where we lose in the transaction we stopped short of trusting he could or you will well tonight in the rest of this chapter we turn from Jonathan and his faith to Saul and his flesh and we quickly learn how much we can hinder God's work if we try to run the show without his help or support or like Saul try to take the lead without being let ourselves and that's really the sad story of Saul the Bible says a double minded man is unstable in all of his ways I think that's in the first what chapter book of hate of James and you can see the comparison here Saul and his son one has faith and one has victory one sees God best the other is a devastating fool who brings destruction to everyone he sees he's a religious guy that's completely losing his mind God is able to use one of them mightily the other all you can do is set him aside and yet throughout this picture and I'm trying to review quickly for you through all of these years God continues to give Saul more chances even though he keeps losing little bit on the front end he just never wants to just learn it and finally turn back to the Lord and by the time we get to chapter 15 next week he'll have run his course and the mercy of God will have run out for Saul and that'll be yet but understand we read three chapters it's 40 years roughly of time or at least 33 years it goes by fast these are just the first few years but they defined his life God has very little to say about Saul after those first three years until nearly to the end when he starts to affect David's life so verse 24 has this and the men of Israel were distressed that day for Saul has place had placed the people under an oath saying it is the man who eats any food until to this evening because I and before I have taken vengeance upon my enemies and so none of the people had tasted food now we're told about this oath that's all impressed upon the people before they headed out to battle we could only assume that this vow was made sometime between you know them seeing that the Philistines were running and the time that Saul said let's go to the battle so at some point in their in the day after the fight had begun Saul speaks up like a big shot and he says nobody eats until I've been avenged of my enemies now understand until Jonathan went anything mister I want to be avenged on my enemies was sitting under a prominent tree giving up hope having lost 70 or 80 percent of his support and having just defied the Lord and taken the place of a free society an interesting guy I don't know if he'd really like him I don't like him reading about him but let's just say it this way in any case he focused again on himself I want to be honored I want I want to get my vengeance I want to be known as the king who brought these things about and it says that the people that he oversaw were distressed because of it in other words rather than service serving the folks he had just kind of added to their ministry and misery but they hadn't been able to eat all day whenever Paul saw I should say had said to them it was done without divine direction because he wouldn't wait to hear from God he wasn't concerned with what the Lord wanted or the glory of God he just wanted glory for himself that's that's all so unlike Jonathan who kept saying we'll see what the Lord will do in the Lord give us victory and the Lord did this he's just the opposite of his father but but notice that it is a picture of Saul again who loves to blow the trumpet chapter 13 verse 3 and and notice again it's Jonathan takes the step of faith and Saul comes along way too late to get the glory can you imagine saying to your people and you're routing the enemy that literally has you cornered and you think this is it alright nobody eats until we wipe them out wouldn't you say eat and let's go fight you're gonna need your energy but that's not his interest his interest is himself so he shows up late he's unwilling to wait for God's direction through the priest he has no act of faith he rules simply by his power if people were afraid of him he's not interested in God's glory the protection of the people or even the the the leadership to the nation this is a foolish and rash oath that saw asked the people to make which hurts them which keeps them from full victory in fact if we get when we get to the other end of the chapter it had they not done this and just eaten they could have wiped out their enemy once and for all instead by the time you get to the end of the chapter you will read in verse 20 52 that this fierce war between Israel and the Philistines would continue through the whole life of Saul it could have just wiped it out but but self and glory put an end to what God might have wanted to do in their lives had he just trusted the Lord so this vow first of all it distress is the people we will read in a minute that it almost cost Jonathan his life it certainly caused Saul future our archive at night future further public humiliation but here's a guy whose religious loves his outbursts you know is a real selfish guy and they just love the flesh so he speaks quickly he makes decisions you know what is that proverb that so he you know a man that that has is hasty with his words there's there's more hope for a fool than for him so he just shoots his mouth off in the midst of God winning a battle with two guys just shoots off his mouth won't even wait to hear from the Lord the Bible is filled with examples of people who foolishly speak with their mouths before they hear from God and it's usually a pretty good indicator of being away from the Lord you remember Japheth maybe when he was fighting the ammonites there in judges 11 that he made the Vallon said to the lord if you give me victory whatever comes out of my house when I get home I'll sacrifice it to you now what was he expecting to come out of his house I don't think he's expected his daughter to come out but she did now I think the Bible is pretty clear that it didn't carry that out but but just to say something like that how foolish could you be you can never vow to the Lord in a way that will get his help or his favor because God can't be bribed it's his goodness not yours which leads to repentance so you know be careful what you say I always remember those words that Solomon wrote down in in Ecclesiastes chapter 5 where it says don't be rash with your mouth and then let your not heart not hastily say anything before the Lord let your words be few or just pay what you've out or don't vowel all so you know here's Saul trying to be a king but he's not you try to be godly but he isn't try to be a leader but he doesn't lead and and you know he's put to shame by everyone around him needless to say it was terrible III thought about today Joshua was was trying to leave you know when he finally brought the people into the land and I think Joshua 9 the Lord had said wipe out everyone that lives in the land if somebody outside the land give him an opportunity to make peace with you or you can wipe them out - and then Joshua began to just pray and God began to lead and it was pretty clear until you know he got a little cocky and thought well I can make decisions and some folks came to him they're enjoy I think it's joy maybe Joshua chapter nine or so but but they came to him and the the Gibeonites and they and they said oh they looked old and worn and their food was moldy and this always come from a long way away but we heard you guys are destroying everyone we want to make sure you don't destroy us so could we make a deal with you that when you get to our land you leave us alone and without prayer and it says he didn't pray Joshua said sure I'll sign on the dotted line and they literally went ten more miles and came to their land they were living right in the middle of the land and now God had to let them live when he had slated to have them destroyed but it was all because Joshua decided he wouldn't seek the Lord's will he would just have it his own way so I know verse 24 were stuck on we'll get moving here in a minute Saul was able to elicit from the people a promise based on fear they didn't believe his faith he didn't have any they didn't believe his direction they knew he wanted honor they didn't think about the consequences he wasn't directed by the Lord it was selfish it was impulsive it was it was destructive it was religion posed his relationship it was using authority for the wrong thing without the leading of God so verse 25 says now all of the people they came to a forest and there was honey upon the ground and when the people came into the woods there was this honey dripping but no one put his hand to his mouth for the people feared the oath so while Israel is pursuing her enemy God provides nourishment for them along the way but everyone in the group with saw that was left that hadn't run took their oath seriously probably not because of oath to God was serious because nobody was really walking with the Lord in the land at the time but because Saul was serious he would kill you rather than look at you he was a tyrant and so had they been able to eat refresh themselves the the battle would be over but instead we read in verse 24 that they were distressed because the people hadn't eaten all day and they wouldn't eat even when they found food that kind of energy that that sugar can bring you because they were afraid of saw verse 27 says but Jonathan hadn't heard his father charged the people of this oath he was busy fighting therefore he stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand dipped it in the honeycomb put it to his mouth and his countenance was brightened he had a sugar rush and and and one of the people said your father has strictly charged the people with an oath saying curse it is the man who would eat food this day and the people were faint the people in horror watched Jonathan break his dad's rules and they knew what that could mean they were afraid of saul had no confidence in Saul didn't trust saw they liked Jonathan they feared Saul but they didn't respect him verse 29 tells us that Jonathan's reaction was my father has troubled at the land look now look how my countenance has brightened because I tasted a little dose of this honey how much better if the people had eaten freely today the spoil of the enemy which they found for now there would have been even a greater slaughter among the Philistines so they drove the Philistines back that day from mich max to AG on 6 miles and all for the people were and so the people were not faint any longer now they were very faint Jonathan deplored his father's rashness oh my gosh you God is doing this great work and you step in with that kind of stupidity while we're defeating these uncircumcised enemy of God's people my father has troubled the land literal translation of the Hebrew words he's brought disaster he has brought disaster to us it is the exact same word that that Joshua used when he confronted that guy akin who was stealing right at the Battle for Jericho and and people were dying and they were using and you've troubled the the land self-will will never find god's best right it'll only hinder God's work so Johnson's pretty smart guy you know if we'd all eaten some have been feeling refreshed and energized we could have finished this now but self we'll never leads to God's victory know that it only hinders God's work so if you have an idea but you're not sure God's in it here's my advice don't do anything see God's heart right don't go it alone it's really never gonna accomplish what you want and you should remember that if you're ever trying to force your way without God's leading well Jonathan was refreshed but the people were now very faint I mean there are just out of gas they just couldn't move verse 32 says and the people when the day was over rushed on the spoil they took the sheep and the oxen and the calves and they slaughtered them right on the ground and they began to eat the the meat along with the blood now ravenous for food hungry because they hadn't eaten anything they eat the animals like the Gentiles would or the unbelievers would you know one of the things that the Lord had said in Leviticus was that they had to clearly bleed the animals before they ate them that that's healthy from a physiological standpoint but from a spiritual standpoint it it indicated that life was in the blood that's that's what the people needed to learn because the Lord was at him and he was gonna give his blood for the for the sins of man he was gonna die in our place so it was a picture that God wanted to preserve but but look this was caused by saw his rashness the stumbling block that he put before the people is in terms of starvation but but salt he just won't admit his sin he won't you know recognize that he is he is self righteous and and he he does this instead look at verse 33 he he steps up Paulus off and says look the people are sinning against the Lord by eating the blood and so he said you have treacherously now roll a large stone to me this day and saul said it dispersed amongst yourselves or just fishes of amongst the people and say to them bring me here every man's ox and sheep and slaughter them here and eat and do not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood and so he made himself a little butchery and everybody in the the area would bring their ox with her sheep to him and he would slaughter them and bleed them and and it's it's kind of like you know he caused the problem now let me just do it godly let me do this in a godly manner roll to me a big stone let me bleed them properly let me build an altar but look he's missing the boat isn't he I mean we're standing next to Saul in the story he brought this oath ooh and disaster he now hides behind a ritual and says that he's mr. good guy I'm with you guys you don't sin let me help you just do it right let me be the godly man that you know I am I'm sure that people must have just shake in their heads at him religion is blind isn't it and Paul I mean this all certainly is blind I do you remember the story in John when when the Sanhedrin brought Jesus where they brought from Caiaphas's to the praetorium and then in early earlier that in early when it was really they took him to Pilate but they wouldn't go into pilots house and they said to Pilate you have to come out here and see us and Pilate says why wouldn't you come here and see me and they said well this is the Passover and we wanted we didn't want to defile ourselves stepping into a Gentile Palace now understand killing someone that was in it was alright but outwardly we did we want to look pretty holy right this is how Saul was doing his heart is completely away from God he could have cared less about the things of God but you know his godly leadership or godless leadership continues and they wanted a king but man he's not very helpful to them so he goes through the motions right he's mister expert about how to do things right before God meet don't you hate this kind of people or this whole kind of attitude it's just amazing to me blind to his own sin I remember David praying in Psalm I think it's nineteen where he he said Lord who can understand his own airs cleanse me from secret Falls and keep me away from presumptuous sins and don't let them have dominion over me or in other words let me see myself for who I truly am right god help me to do what's right not try to make excuses or look good when you know that you're wrong notice verse 35 pretty interesting verse it says Saul built an altar to the Lord this was the first one he'd built isn't that amazing this is the first one that he built of all of those years of now leading and ruling and you would think that he would be seeking the Lord constantly he doesn't he goes to build a place of worship but he's not worshiping verse 40 36 so Saul says let's go down now to the Philistines tonight let's plunder them through the morning light and let us not leave a man of them and they said we will do whatever you want whatever seems good to you and the priest said let us draw near let us draw near to the Lord so I think Saul was aware of the fact that he had utterly caused the defeat of the Philistines to be greatly hampered he realized he'd be put a big break on this whole thing they'd they'd stop for the night if you will but now everybody's eaten they feel better and rather than confessing his sinner I'm sorry I made the wrong thing it was a I was a macho call you know I'm a dummy instead of that he just said ah come on you guys can do it let's go all night and everybody's are terrified whatever you want bro whatever you want you're the king well let's check with the Lord and the priest stands up and says well can we just pray and so Saul asked from the Lord the counsel verse 37 shall I go down after the Philistines and will you deliver them into the hands of Israel but God did not answer him that whole day not at all and so Saul said come over here all you Chiefs of the people and no and see what this says does done today for as the Lord lives who saves Israel though it would be even but Jonathan my son he shall surely be put to death them but not a man among all of the people answered him so heizak comes he's the high priest he asked the Lord who doesn't speak he doesn't speak the first time he had said let's seek the Lord back in verse 3 Saul said I ain't got time for this you wanted to get to the action now he wants to hear from the Lord God is not speaking he's not speaking it also saw makes this presumption well God would speak if there wasn't some kind of sin in the camp but rather than saying of himself it's probably me he looks around and says I don't know who it is but whoever's messing up me hearing from God I'm gonna kill him I don't care if it's Jonathan and everyone went out it's Jonathan because he ate but no one said it work because they like Jonathan they didn't like saw so Saul I want you to not lose track of that last week faith of Jonathan here the sinfulness of Saul all oblivious to his own sin maybe you're like that or maybe you know someone that's like that that you know you can make a good argument for your behavior it all looks so spiritual and all but it isn't right and it isn't it's his sin who's defied me and who's defied the Lord that God won't answer in the reality is he had it was his fault it was something he had done and God lets it gets in His grace to this point so he can give to saw another opportunity to make things right maybe now he'll realize he's so far off notice that Saul is very quick to blame other people rather than himself everyone else is the problem the culprit Saul is not wanting to to know the sin of others he wants to impose a death sentence for the guilty party he wants everyone to know he's serious but he's fair I'll even kill my own son you're a clown I can't believe this guy again frustrated by God's unwilling to sness to speak he makes his Rasch oath of the day first nobody eats until i get vengeance second of all who's sent is it that's keeping God from blessing us and I will have to take him out so that God can be with us it's amazing how brutal you can be with people over the sins of others and how merciful you can be to yourself don't you think I I'm always more gracious to myself than to you what I owe I swore yeah but I had a reason I heard from you wow I thought you were saved right our judgment changes doesn't it from person to person and and I think that the closer you get to the Lord the more merciful you become and the further away from the Lord you get the more brutal you become in your judgments so Saul whose entire life was spent ignoring God's Authority he flinches when his authority is slighted even a little bit though the only authority he had God had given to him so he traced the the power corruption in solves life without submitting to the Lord the people were terrified of him and look now what he is doing and these four folks they've just been following him to disaster well nobody answered so verse 40 he said to Israel I want to put all of you on one side and me and Jonathan's will be on the other side he thought they were safe and then he began to ask the Lord who it was that was troubling the nation or from hearing from the Lord and the people said to Saul will do dude do whatever you want because there were no position to argue so Saul said to the Lord God of Israel give a perfect lot or in other words roll the dice so that you show us who it is that's the culprit and the dice was rolled and all of Israel got off the hook and Paul and Saul and Jonathan had the lock fall upon them the people escaped and then Saul said well then cast locks between me and Jonathan really Saul and Jonathan was taken and Saul said to Jonathan tell me what you've done and Jonathan said I've tasted a little of the honey with the end of the rod that is in my hand so now I should die and Saul said God do so more even to you you shall surely die Jonathan God does speak he speaks to let's all know how horrible of a man he is what do you think you've done he might have asked that before he did the old I'm the boss don't but he eats and everybody dies his little speech I ate a little bit of honey yeah I'm supposed to die for that and then Saul I'm never giving in and in says well and more may God do more you shall surely die this man should have been repentant instead he's stubborn he should have been he should have been pointing to himself but he's self-righteous he's not going to confess a sin even if it means killing his own son and he even invokes God's name in the process may the Lord do more I'm a gamma man of my word I made a vow and I have to keep it remember the foolish vow that Herod made to Herodias his daughter as she danced before him and she you can have whatever you want and she said mom said to ask for John the Baptist head on a platter and John was his friend or at least the fella that he had listened to often or order ayahs who was the king when Daniel was serving in captivity and everyone hated Daniel at least all of the the false prophets and they got der ayahs to sign a bill that said nobody talks to God they all talked to you for the next month they asked you if that anybody goes around you or talk to any other God then they should be put to death and their eyes well man that's pretty cool I'll be like the boss of everything and it was no sooner sign that it was turned on his good friend Daniel who he trusted and he was brokenhearted about saw wouldn't admit his error and look at the pain and the and the conflict that that could have been avoided if he'd just somewhere along this line was went all right I'm an idiot I put the loser thing on his forehead this me I'm sorry how much trouble could have been saved if sometimes we'll just confess our sin you know I think the difference between David and Saul wasn't the the volume of sin because they both had plenty but David was willing to admit his sin he came clean he did it a lot he spit it out he did dumb stuff but he came through even for the year that he hid with with the Bathsheba thing and it destroyed so much what wouldn't confronted he he was afraid he was gonna be put to death but he said he spoke up so one is a man after God's own heart he confesses his sin the other one just can't seem to get himself to say I'm sorry it's me hey at all well interestingly enough in verse 24 45 the people then said to Saul shall Jonathan die who has accomplished such a great delivery in Israel deliverance a no certainly not because as the Lord lives not one hair of his head shall fall to the earth to the ground for he has worked with God this day and the people rescued doniphon and he didn't die and so it's all turned around and returned from pursuing the Philistines and meanwhile the felis teens went to their own place for the first time in this relationship between the people in the and the king that they wanted to have so badly they now find a conflict and the people stand collectively against saw it isn't because they love the Lord understand this people are not doing that but they didn't believe that this was justice it was obvious God had used Jonathan to save them they were sure of their annihilations I love the these words that say Jonathan has worked with God today don't you love that he's worked with God this day verse 30 45 he's worked with God this day ah don't you want to be that person the purple is the people recognize God's work and Jonathan was innocent of any transgression the sin started with saw it had ended with saw wicked rash oaths prideful declarations he got his no confident vote two years into his rule I was going to be here for 40 years but two years and he's already been told he can only last one term and by next week we'll move him 32 years to about year 32 or 33 so little there's gonna be 30 years absolutely skipped from when we end tonight to when we begin reading in chapter 15 30 years of non reporting of those 40 years nothing to report solace is is just given opportunity after opportunity for 30 years even after all that we've read and 30 years later he's still not listening he's still not following God's very patient God's very patient may God strike me dead this one God said to another and he's what didn't happen I guess I'm all right in the fella said you can't wear out God's mercy that quickly 30 years Saul would continue down this same road but notice Jonathan God has been working with Jonathan and Jonathan has been working with the Lord I love that I love that what a saw get humiliation he was rejected by the people next week he'll be rejected by the Lord and then he'll reject God's plan and fight as long as he can until he's dead he'll die in rebellion rough start so when you get to verse 46 if I'm reading through this and I haven't read it before I fully expect to read and saw repented admit as his error and said you're right I'm foolish instead he goes home he's dejected he doesn't want to finish off the Philistines anymore let's fight all night he could care less because that matters what he's concerned us he never showed any zeal for the Lord's glory no concern for the well-being of the people only concerned for himself and his true colors show here and we'll continue to show for 30 years of silence because God will pick up the story in year 33 or so and it will still be the same saw so the battle against the Philistines verse 46 stops the Philistines get away with whatever casualties they've suffered only to fight another day verse 40 at 52 fierce war amongst with us Philistines all the days of Saul it could have been over with it could have been stopped but sin and self or leave the enemy in power that's just the way it works you want to live your life by sin and by yourself and Satan's gonna rule God's not gonna have his way with you that's just the way it is and it's the lesson of of King saw in in a nutshell verse 47 and here these verses are kind of a summary of the life of saw like I said thirty years passed with nothing to report well here's what's reported of those thirty years so Saul establishes sovereignty over Israel he fought against all his enemies on every side fought the Moabites the ammonites fought against Edom ins and the kings of zola he fought against the Philistines wherever he turned he or wherever he turned he harassed them so Saul was a brilliant brave fighter accomplished in military a diverse all that the people wanted we want a king like the other nature's he absolutely lived up to they didn't care about spiritual life because they already had Samuel his foreign-policy according to verses 47 was pretty clear attack everyone just fight your enemies everyone that moves right so he expands Israel's border to the south and Edom to the east and Ammon Moab to the north and zobo to the west and Philistia he literally pushed the boundaries in every direction he was a good fighter but a not a very godly man so here's his accomplishments in the flesh right but God is interested in the spiritual well-being of his people so every conquest every victory was empty was temporal at best so Saul never drew closer to the Lord he doesn't he doesn't report of a miracle he doesn't humble himself at all even though the Lord is giving victory to his people he's protecting them despite the leadership of Saul so we read in verse 48 and he gathered an army which is what the Lord said he would do he attacks the Amalekites he delivers Israel from the hands of those who plundered them and the sons of Saul were Jonathan and Jesse Lee and Malik you Shia and the names of his other $2 the name of the first one was merab the second one was named Michelle there's actually a third or fourth son named in the genealogy and Chronicles so he had a family had children lived a while like I said 30 years past the name of Saul's wife was a henna mum she was the daughter of him and enamine hanging if I get it tired with the name Zara and the name of the manner of his army was Abner he was the son of nur who was Saul's uncle so Abner was a first cousin to Saul you could read about that in chapter 9 but then we read this now there was fierce war with the Philistines oh sorry first 51 as well Kish was the father of Solidaire was the father of Abner the son of ABY oh and there was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of saw and when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man he took him for them set for himself so here's his he's his philosophy of rulership get the strongest guy get the arm of flesh don't worry about getting the Holy Spirit or or the work of God just find the strongest the most powerful it sounds like the world doesn't it and that's how Saul was leading the people of God so that verse 52 tells you Saul's hope throughout his life he would die with that hope literally without hope so I think the story of solid is is there's a rashness that comes when God's not in view right when we're more interested in our passion then in our principles this is what we want rather than God what do you want from me to have and in Saul's case it was made worse because he had great power so rashness and power that's that's dangerous sometimes we're just in charge of us and that's bad enough but if you add to brashness prayerlessness and selfishness pretty much every battle is gonna even might win in the world but you you're gonna lose in the Lord Jonathan had great face he took them on once for look they gathered to come fight again Jonathan was one of the guys that lets fight and the Lord was with him the only upsetting thing about the whole thing was that was all came in to mess it up spiritually the opportunity for victory was lost and it never from verse 52 never returned to Saul again the Philistines were a thorn in his side though through a foolish vow that weakened the people ungodliness is is its being filled with your own sense of importance and blinded the truth so he shows up to help Jonathan which is ridiculous now we'll continue in Chapter 15 actually but I wanted to point out to you that as we read this story not one word of recognition from Saul for his son's faith not one word where he said Jonathan did good you were trusting the Lord not word well not word what one word from Saul praising God for the victory he'd given his heart is hard his eyes are blind to his sin he's refusing to admit any wrong when others around him said look you're wrong when everyone testifies to the same thing everyone sees the sin but him if he had any national affection for his son it was overwhelmed by his great love for himself so he really couldn't do any more than that that's all he could see he's even willing to let his son die rather than confess his own sin that's that's awful meanwhile as we see Jonathan's behavior and by the way it's phenomenal you never hear Jonathan one time say man I'm a man of great faith or me and the armored router high-five we needed a medal or something a recognition we should make the you know Time magazine or something I guess he doesn't one time to his own horn he's very interested in the Lord and think about Jonathan for a minute on the one hand he saw son which would mean if Saul did well he'd have been the next guy to the throne he'd have been a good King but dad messed that up Jonathan so early recognizes that David is to be God's choice that when David finally shows up it's a palace in a little few weeks here chapter 16 we'll start with David that the China that actually says here's my armor it's the royal armor has the Insignia you're gonna be the next guy I'm not and then he goes out of his way to save David's life to support him in his endeavors to warn him when there's trouble and and to be his friend to the end even though David would take his place because Jonathan is not interested in Jonathan Jonathan is interested in the Lord's will and and the goodness of the people so the interesting picture though what can happen when you decide to to run your own life solace is already a long way from his beginning when God established and with the people and they loved him back in chapter 11 now they've rejected him face to face the Lord has lured him he's on the terrible course and thirty years from now the Lord is gonna say to him in the next chapter you're done you're done and the Holy Spirit is taken from Saul and a de-stressing Spirit is sent from the Lord to Saul which will bring David with his cool playing abilities to try to drive away the the demonic forces when he comes to play that the demons leave that's pretty interesting isn't it great you come in here in worship and the demons leave don't they whatever demons are housed near they can't hang around they don't like to worship which which tells me if you're late for worship you're you may still have a demon or two I don't know could have got here on time and been rid of them all but I'm just reading the Bible man you have to do it so next week you know we're gonna read chapter 15 pray to be a Jonathan and further record just biblically God takes a lot of Saul's and makes them Jonathan's by his Spirit he can change you from one to the other amen father how thankful we are on this eve of the fourth of July for all of the the men and women who have sacrificed so much over the years to make sure that we could have church tonight without fear of being persecuted or reprimanded or stopped that we live in a country that we can still speak freely we realize that that the opposition is growing and there may be a day when when speaking out publicly for Jesus will cost but it doesn't yet and you have certainly give to us given to us great freedoms may we use them well especially in these last days as as the the world is just hurting for answers and we know you and that we might stand up and rise up cause you blessed and preach your word and with with great confidence like Jonathan faced the impossible situations with faith but may you keep us from being saw the man that might have been anointed of your spirit called by your hand given great assurances of your work promises that that that should have thrilled his heart men surrounding him that knew the Lord and with all the advantages Paul went home or Saul went home he he hid himself from the people he went back to farming he sat under trees rather than lead the armies he took glory were he shouldn't have and then made the people make promises that they couldn't live up to so that Saul could be seen what what a mess he made of his life Lord don't allow us to make a mess out of ours may we live by faith as Jonathan dead may we may we we look to you and and know enough to know that we serve the God of miracles who can save those that we can't reach who can will bless those that won't listen to us that your word will reach hearts where only your word can go may we be a blessing and as we have been given this freedom purchased by the blood and sweat and sacrifice of so many may we use it well in these times that we still can and we're reminded of this fourth of July Lord that that ultimately you came and gave your life to set us free eternally from the bondage of sin from the from the judgment of God from hell we're going to heaven because of you and Lord we love you tonight so grateful for what you've done so grateful for what you're doing tonight if you don't know Jesus would you come and talk to the one of the pastors before you go home and they'll be up in front of the stage several of them just just come and talk to them about what it means to have a relationship with God through his son he's the only one these can be sent to save religion won't do it you're good promises won't do it you your good intentions won't help but he can't because he's the god of new beginnings and he'll wash us clean and and pour out his spirit he is merciful God and wherever you've been or whatever you've done tonight if you'll open your heart to him he'll give you life and then you can truly celebrate the freedom that you have but even more so than the country in which you live it'll be the Eternity which you can look forward to that's what God has done through his son worth singing about for sure because he's a God worth worth honoring and blessing so may you have a good 4th of July may you enjoy the freedom but may you use it to tell others about the ultimate freedom you can have in Christ shall we stand

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Length: 51min 48sec (3108 seconds)

Published: Tue Jul 09 2019