The Tragic Life of King Saul by Keith Daniel

I would like today to attempt or should I say to dare to attempt to dare to attempt to preach on one of the most tragic and probably in the most the most controversial life in the entire Bible one of the most tragic and probably the most controversial life in the entire Bible the life of King Saul who sorrowfully cried these tragic words before he died in grief and same I have played the fool let the theatrical turn I have played the fool and have heard exceedingly and have heard exceedingly 1 Samuel 26 verse 21 and as almost as if the pages of the sacred book a rent a rent with grief as they record the uncomprehendingly foolish choices he sadly made in his life and their tragic consequences their tragic consequences he was anointed Israel's first king in 1050 BC but he died shamefully 40 years later in 1010 BC after Moses death Joshua led God's people across the Jordan River into the promised land and after Joshua's death God and ordained judges over his people until the godly Samuel but then we read in 1 samuel 8 verse 1 it came to pass when samuel was old that he he made his sons judges over israel were three but his sons walked not in his ways but turned aside after Luca that is dishonest gain financially and they took bribes and perverted judgment this fall in all the elders of Israel said unto Him behold thou art old and thy sons walk not in thy ways now then make us a king make us a king to judge us like all the other nations verse 6 but this thing displeased Samuel that they said give us a king to judge us Samuel prayed Samuel prayed unto the Lord verse 7 and the Lord said unto Samuel hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee they have not rejected thee but they have rejected me that I should not reign over them now many biblical scholars suggest that God gave them such a tragic man to show them their folly and rejecting him and choosing a man to rather rule over them but I disagree with them I truly believe that God mercifully and compassionately chose a man that he hoped would lead his people with integrity who would fear Him and obey His commandments for their well-being I believe that this shameful record of his tragic life recorded in the sacred book is a grave a grave and compassion that warning from God to us all to take careful heed that the eventual record of our lives may not also be sadly written with grief and shame but that we would seek the Lord with all our heart Jeremiah 29 verse 13 in sincerity and in truth 1 Corinthians 5 is a and not stoop as saw sadly did to play the fool with God now we read in 1 Samuel 15 verse 2 that Saul was chosen by God to be Israel's first king when he was little in his own sights 1 Samuel 26 verse 21 says staggering words when he was little in his own site before honor any honor from God that is before honor is humility proverbs 15 verse 33 says now this is a fearful warning to us all beloved and I say to every man that is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think Romans 12 verse 3 saul was chosen by God when he was little in his own sight we read that he in humility hid himself he hid himself among the stuff 1 Samuel 1 verse 22 records when he realized that they sought to make him their this of course was one of the many things that endeared him to the nation and swiftly made him the desire that is the delight of all Israel 1 samuel 9 verse 20 records but as we fast forward as we fast forward across the fearful pages of this sacred book we read that the Lord soon repented that is he regretted that he had chosen soul to be king over Israel 1 samuel 15 verse 35 it repenteth me it repenteth me that I set up Saul to be king he grievously declared in verse 11 for he is turned back from following me he is turned back from following me and friend God has tragically said those sad words of many people through the ages perhaps even of some who are sitting here in this meeting today but how is it possible you may ask how is it possible that such tragic shame could have come upon King Saul so swiftly and even a more fearful question to me how can one preach constructively or meaningful meaningfully on such a tragic life as his how can one treats meaningfully constructively on such a tragic life as his unless unless one carefully and prayerfully looks at everything in the light of the rest of the scriptures firstly we must remember that Jesus spoke of those that would eagerly hear the Word of God but then he added these fearful words then cometh the devil then cometh the devil Luke 8 verse 11 as earth is the battlefield between God and Satan for the souls of men who ever free will if you don't know that you will get deranged before you die if you don't know that then cometh the devil Luke 8 verse 11 Satan cometh immediately mark 4 verse 15 warns and taketh away the word out of their hearts and Satan is able to do that don't doubt it we dare not underestimate or scoff at his evil power he about as a roaring lion 1 Peter 5 verse 8 warns from going to and fro in the earth walking up and down in it job 1 verse 7 says seeking whom he may devour seeking whom he may destroy and then Christ went on to warn us in Luke 8 verse 13 of those who when they hear receive God's word with joy with gladness Mach 16 Mach 4 verse 16 says but these have no root which for a while believe which dureth for a while endure for a while mark 13 verse 21 says but in time of temptation that is testing they fall away we have to consider the words of Jesus Christ even if we get uncomfortable we have to and Satan took everything everything out of the heart of this tragic man everything that God and man had initially seen in him and honored him for then the godly prophet Samuel sorrowfully told him that God now sought another king the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart chapter 13 verse 14 god of course found David whose heart proved to be perfect with the Lord 1 Kings 15 verse 3 records we read in verse 5 that David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord and turned not aside as sordid from anything that God commanded him all the days of his life save only that's apart from the method of Uriah the Hittite but Samuel mourned for soul verse 5 records and cried unto the Lord for him all the night verse 11 the whole night now those words beloved lifted Sam you to a higher level than most to a higher level of godliness than most have ever known yes he had rebukes all with fearful gravity but also with a broken heart and we need to take heed here especially preachers for if your harshest word of judgment against those who fall does not throb with love in and out of the pulpit your sin is greater than those you condemn brother don't you doubt this Samuel mourned for Saul 1 Samuel 15 verse 35 records for it grieved Samuel and he cried unto the Lord all night verse 11 records until until the Lord said how long wilt thou mourn for soul chapter 16 verse 1 now in the New Testament the Apostle Paul also experienced great sorrow and grief as the godly Samuel had over such tragic lives whom he also had at first great joy and expectation in but eventually wept and mourned over he sorrowfully wrote in Philippians 3 verse 18 for many walk of whom I have told you often but now tell you even weeping that they are the enemy ease of the cross of Christ and beloved brace yourselves for you also will grieve over many souls who at first you delighted in spiritually clouds they are without water without rain trees whose fruit withereth that is swiftly dies it was fruit without fruit that is genuine true fruit twice dead Jews verse 16 says tragic fearful words that God gives us in this about people who gave us hope and even joy but eventually brought us on our faces to weep over insane so the first fearful warning given to us in this record of souls tragic life is that many who we delight in today may soon cause us to mourn and even weep as Samuel and Paul eventually did but this first warning has two facets to prayerfully consider for there are those perhaps even sitting in this meeting here today who may indeed have received God's Word to their hearts like soul at first did with joy but but who may need to take heed of Christ's not my doctrine of Christ's solemn and fearful words then cometh the devil be careful what you do with this message today friend if you sense that God is addressing you and warning you right now in his love or you may also sadly cry as so tragically did God is departed from me and answered me no more he no longer speaks to me 1 Samuel 28 verse 15 I once heard a staggering testimony of a very godly and very well loved preacher here in America who although he had been raised in a god-fearing home whose father was a conservative evangelical preacher he as a young man foolishly chose to pursue a life of sin and ungodly company but God always spoke to his heart as he sat in meetings under the faithful ministry of his father and other preachers but he continued to close his heart to God's voice and convicting spirit and he went back to pursue sin until one fearful night as he sat in yet another meeting he was suddenly aware of the deadness in his heart toward the message and he left that meeting fearfully as this verse soberly echoed in his mind he that being often reproved and hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy brother of 29 verse 1 throughout the night he became more and more fearful thinking God is no longer speaking to me has he forsaken me forever he then found himself agonizing fearfully in prayer through the entire night seeking God desperately for mercy until God flooded his fearful heart with overwhelming peace from that night he began to pursue and serve God with his whole heart and he became a preacher who is today valiant for the truth and I'm honored to know him as a friend and you shall seek me and you shall find me when you shall search for me with all your heart and I will be found of you yes I will be found of you if you will seek me with all your heart and I will be found of you yes I will be found of you if you would seek me with all your our heart Jeremiah 29 verse 13 so why don't you give him that place in your heart son oh the wrong and from sin now deep art you'll find happiness right from the start if you give him that place in your heart but let us be careful here for this verse that wrought such fear in that young man's heart is staggering he that being often reproved yet hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy harden not your heart God warns in Psalm 95 verse 8 my spirit shall not always strive with a man Genesis 6 verse 3 woe unto him that striveth with his maker as I 45 verse 9 these are fearful warnings strewn across the pages of God's sacred word that we dare not take lightly don't play the fool with God but let us return to Seoul so we also need to consider one of the most same food doctrinal confusions and tragic question marks against God's righteousness that has risen over the centuries through his seemingly merciless dealings with this man that he had chosen to be Israel's first king many have staggered at and question God's seemingly merciless judgment upon him but we dare not we dare not allow ourselves to doubt God's righteousness beloved not only towards SAW but to war every soul in history including Pharaoh including Esau just go back to the Old Testament to see there's a reason no man will judge God judging him and righteously he dare not allow ourselves to doubt God's righteousness not only towards war but toward every soul in history and preachers always be careful to defend God's integrity and holiness toward all men or you miss the mark and greatly doctrinally don't defend a doctrine defend God's integrity don't defend a doctrine defend God's integrity and if you don't do that with compassion to every man you speak to in your life you are a tragedy shall not the judge of all the earth to write Genesis 18 verse 25 God is not unrighteous us Hebrews 6 verse 10 for thine eyes are open unto all the ways of the sons of men to give everyone according to his ways Jeremiah 32 verse 19 but at this point I want us to briefly skim across the pages of the sacred book to look at God's merciful and righteous dealings with later kings many of whom were also tragic failures in God and man sight and fearfully wicked but who turned in their in heart-rending repentance to God before the end of their lives and sought God with all of their hearts and as a result were forgiven and even greatly honored by God and man we read in 1 Kings 16 verse 33 that Ahab did more to provoke the Lord to anger than all the kings of Israel that we before him that's including saw there was none like unto a hab which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord 1 Kings 21 verse 25 records verse 26 he did very abominable ii and god's wrath and righteous judgment was mercilessly declared against him verse 27 but it came to pass when Ahab herd of God's anger and fearful judgment he rent his clothes and put on sackcloth upon his flesh he fasted and lay in sackcloth and went softly that as he went about grieving and mourning fearfully verse 28 the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite saying sheis now how a hab humbleth himself before me wherefore because he humbleth himself before me I will not bring any evil or judgment upon the land in his days then in 2 Kings 13 verse 1 we read that King Jo has verse 2 also did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord verse 3 but when he heard that the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel because of his wickedness verse 4 he besought the Lord he besought the Lord in such a way that the Lord hearkened unto him and gave Israel a saviour that is a deliverer he saved them by the hand of joash verse 13 and his courageous son Jeroboam chapter 14 verse 27 records when they cried unto him when they cried unto thee thou gave us them saviours that is deliverers who saved them out of the hand of their enemies Nehemiah 9 verse 27 states then Jotham began to rain 2 chronicles 27 verse 1 records verse 2 Alby it but he entered not into the temple of the Lord and the people did yet corruptly that is they continue to pursue wickedness and grave sin but Jotham later became mighty God says because because he prepared his ways before the Lord to him that order if his conversation his life is conduct to him that order if his conversation la right will I so the salvation of God Psalm 50 verse 23 promises therefore turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful Joel 2 verse 13 says turn yourselves from all your transgressions Ezekiel 18 verse that he cries humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up James 4 verse 10 humble yourselves humble thyself to walk with God like a six verse eight but be careful here be careful here for there is a fearful verse in Psalm 55 verse 19 that states because they have no changes therefore they fear not God I don't care how religious you are so what cheap testimony you grabbed through some prayer that was meaningless because nothing changed because they have no changes therefore they fear not God they fear not God Hebrews six verse nine speaks of things that accompany salvation things that accompany salvation beginning with the foundation of repentance Hebrew 6 verse 1 beginning with the foundation of repentance don't play the fool with God but why was God so merciless with soul why was God so merciless with soul you may all be asking well I believe a holy God looked and saw where no man can or ever will be able to I believe God looked into Souls heart with great grief and this is a fearful warning to us all here today by him actions await beloved 1 Samuel 2 verse 3 thou art the Lord God who didst choose Abraham and found us his heart faithful before thee and therefore thou madest a covenant with him Nehemiah 9 verse 8 I the LORD search the heart I try that is tests the reins of the mind the deep thoughts the hidden agenda that now no man knows but I see Jeremiah 17 verse 10 to give every man not just so every man for there's no partiality with God to give every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings and God God has sadly found in many men even deeply religious men that the heart is deceitful and above all things desperately wicked who can know it Jeremiah 17 verse 9 God searches the hearts Romans 8 verse 27 he tries our hearts 1 Thessalonians 2 verse 4 he knoweth the secrets of the heart Psalm 44 verse 21 all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do Hebrews 4 verse 13 and if our heart condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things the art condemned you sitting here singing the praises of God with God's people and when you no longer in God's people's company where are you what are you singing what are you looking at what are you seeking God the moment you walk out the door don't play the fool with God if our heart condemn us God is greater than our heart beloved and knoweth all things 1 John 3 verse 20 and beloved we must not doubt that as God looked into Saul's heart as God looked into Saul's heart he saw rebellion that was truly evil in his eyes as wicked as the sin of witchcraft he said in 1 Samuel 15 verse 23 and fearful stubbornness that was as he evil to God as idolatry verse 23 records we dare not question God's righteousness in his dealings with King Saul or with any soul even yours perhaps right now you also need to pray search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way of a nasty well as time left some 139 verse 23 now we read in 1 Samuel 15 verse 3 that God commanded Saul go smite the Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have slay both man and woman infant and suckling ox and sheep camel and SS horses here God commanded sole to destroy the gravely uncomprehendingly evil people of America and everything they possessed even their livestock strongly referring to the dark depravity of the bestiality which God solemnly condemned in Leviticus 18 verse 23 and 24 1 Samuel 15 verse 9 but Saul defiantly spared a gang their king and most of the livestock their animals this was in total defiance and disregard of God and His commandments 1 Samuel 15 verse 13 and when Samuel came to saw saul said unto him blessed be thou of the Lord I have performed the commandment of the Lord and Samuel said what meanest then this bleating of sheep in my ears lowing of the oxen which I heard verse 20 and soul said unto Samuel but I have obeyed the Lord I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and how many how many to this day beloved likes all claim to serve God but the world cries back in disbelief as Samuel did then what meaneth this bleating of sheep 1 Samuel 15 verse 14 Eli the godly high priest before Samuel he heard all that his sons did 1 Samuel - were 22 who shamefully ministered in the priesthood and heal I said I hear of your evil dealing and it is no good report that I hear my sons but you are speak so loud that the world can't hear what you say they're looking at your walk not listening to your talk they're judging by your actions every day don't believe you'll deceive by claiming what you've never known they'll accept what they see and know you to be they'll know you by your life alone don't doubt that no doubt that and so the third fearful warning given to us from the sad record of Saul's life is that it is fearfully possible to claim and profess the life of obedience to God and pursuit of God while knowingly living in total defiance of his Commandments well they profess to know him they deny him in works Titus 1 verse 16 and many other verses but sadly Shaw's only remorse was through the fear of man and not of God tragically his only concern his only concern was to save face before man therefore he begged Samuel to make a sacrifice with him publicly he pled with him in 1 Samuel 1530 I have sinned yet honor me now I pray thee I beg thee before the elders of my people before Israel turn again with me here we see another same full track 4 it is possible to know that your life completely grieves God yet through pride and fear of man you attempt to save face publicly and from then onwards you endeavor to live for God and pretends only Christ warns us all of the great grief we are to God if we stoop to confess faithfulness to him only to be seen of men Matthew 6:15 onwards all their works they do for to be seen of men Matthew 23 verse 5 Oh horrible how wicked or what do you think it is and so was swiftly feared by all even Samuel who had delighted in him was soon fearful for his life when the Lord said unto Samuel I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehem height where I have provided me I found me a king among his sons 1 Samuel 16 verse 1 verse 2 Samuel said how can I go if Sol hear it he will kill me 1 Samuel 18 verse 15 and when saw saw that David behaved himself very wisely verse 16 that all Israel and Judah loved David he was afraid of him he was threatened he felt threatened by him therefore Sol sought to kill David 1 Samuel 19 verse 10 and they would also fearfully cried there is but a step between me and death 1 Samuel 20 verse 3 I was here in America a few years ago who quite a few years ago now and I went to a certain town I was staying in the home very godly man I won't give you his name hmm had a lot of children one of the boy is sitting at the table as they all spoke that's my heart the way he was always the one that everybody looked to and delighted him literally because he had this amazing zeal zealousness and fire I even asked him to close the meeting in prayer in the church one night he so impressed me it was a few months later the news came through to me that he was in jail that he committed murder he killed someone that was at that table jailed for life somewhere along the line I looked at this man why did he do that why wouldn't he do why would you committed murder when he professed as he loved God so zealously and convincingly was preached who looked at me and said jealousy rather keen so the young soul who everyone delights in today is capable of committing murder tomorrow and living for the death of anyone that he felt threatened by and you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him 1 John tells us and in 1 Samuel 26 verse 21 Saul eventually sadly confessed I have played the fool and averred exceedingly perhaps there be some of us sitting here today who also threw this message and looking back sorrowfully and shamefully and there crying also if only I hadn't played the fool and heard so exceedingly and knowingly and defiantly how different my life would have been a godly woman here in the USA in Washington phoned me across the world to my country a few years ago while I was at home Cape Town South Africa and she said these words brother Keith I would like to share a portion of God's word to you if I may and she went on to read aloud passionately at first with you then with brokenness before she put the phone down Deuteronomy 28 was one it so come to pass if if thou sad hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God to observe and to do all his Commandments the LORD thy God will set the on high and all these blessings shall come upon thee if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of God blessed shalt thou be in the city blessed shalt thou be in the field blessed so be the fruit of thy body blessed shall be thy basket in nice store blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in blessed shalt thou be when I ghost out the Lord so caused thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face the Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses and all that thou settest EIN hand unto he shall bless thee the Lord shall establish sea and holy people unto himself as he has sworn unto thee if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God and walk in his ways and all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord and they should be afraid of thee the Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure and bless thee and all the work of thy hands and thou shalt be above only and not beneath if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God and that thou should not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day to the right hand or to the left verse 15 but if thou wilt not hearken and don't you doubt this beloved soul knew these words he had heard the many times but if thou would not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God to observe to do all his commandments that all these curses shall come upon thee curses shall be I can't even read them they're so fearful the Lord should send upon the cursing and rebuke in all that thou sittest thy hand to do the Lord's was mighty with madness and blindness and confusion and astonishment of heart assert not prosper in any of thy ways thou shalt become an astonishment right through to 3,000 years later so many people preach the view all these curses shall come upon me now maybe it might just be that as a result of this message that I have dared to preach it may be that you unlike soul will try again like Ahab who was more sinful than soul but God immediately forgave there was no turning nothing in him said in his mind let me turn to God in sincerity now it might be that unlike soul you can like Ahab and all the others you go through all the history of the Old Testament Kings who found mercy for one reason they humbled himself in the sight of God they ceased to play the fool with God Oh will you go on singing with your Bible in your hand attending meetings praying and prayer meetings even after this message I know I preached differently there's no one more fearful that what has been said in this booklet than me there's no one in his building a world that trembles more than me the words IATA what on earth am i standing the Poupart for apart from being a blasphemous grief to God if I don't preach the full truth of God's Word even if it makes people get uncomfortable and hate me

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Keywords: Revival, Character Of God, Free Sermons, Video Sermons, Jesus Christ, What Is The Gospel, SermonIndex, What Is The Truth, Keith Daniel

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Length: 63min 29sec (3809 seconds)

Published: Tue Jul 09 2019