Sermon Tone Analysis

Wrapping Up First Samuel

We’re going to cruise over the last several chapters of First Samuel today and wrap up our journey through First Samuel.

We know that Saul was the first king of Israel; and soon after, while Saul is still serving as king, David is anointed as king of Israel.

What we saw last week was that Saul was becoming more and more violent towards David.

Saul, anointed as king of Israel, and David also anointed as king of Israel.

Finally, Jonathan - Saul’s son warns David that Saul is out to kill him.

In the closing chapters of First Samuel - you can get a good overview if you have a study Bible we see titles that show the contrast between the two:

Saul kills the priests at Nob

David saves the city of Keilah

Saul pursues David

David spares Saul’s life

David spares Saul again

David Flees to the Philistines

Saul and the Medium of En-dor

The Philistines reject David

David’s wives captured

David defeats the Amalekites

The Death of Saul

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What the narrator of Samuel is doing is giving us a contrast in character.

Saul and David though both anointed king of Israel operate on very different levels.

Saul

Saul - though by all outward appearances a great selection for king - shows us again and again why we should not judge by outward appearances.

He was taller than anyone in Israel, he was more handsome, and yet he is exactly the opposite of what Israel really wanted as king.

Saul takes on the role as king and even steps in where he isn’t called to take on the role fo the priest offering a sacrifice.

This is the beginning of his downfall.

Commanded to wipe out the Amalekites - every living thing (man, woman, child, and all of their beasts) instead he leads the Israelites in taking the kings and the best of their possessions.

The people in their search for a king expressed their desire to have someone who would lead them into battle, and in perhaps the most famous text from First Samuel we read of the conflict with Goliath, and Saul is there with the army looking for anyone that is willing to go face down Goliath.

In that moment Saul himself put his confidence not in God, not in himself, he was looking for anyone that would go face Goliath for the people of Israel.

Then when David steps forward he doesn’t trust David either but trusts in his armor - it’s like he is willing to trust in anything but God.

We see him as increasingly jealous of David.

Seeks to kill David on multiple occasions.

David

David - by outward appearances not a great selection for a king.

He is repeatedly described as a youth - we know he was likely the youngest son of Jesse, but this may also describe his size.

When anointed king he is brought in from herding the sheep.

David in facing Goliath - was not out with the Armies of Israel, but three of his oldest brothers are.

David recognizes that Israel is God’s chosen people - when he sees Goliath he asks, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

He tells Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him.

Your servant will go fight this Philistine.”

David refers to himself as Saul’s servant.

In challenging Goliath he says, “You come to me with a sword and a spear…but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel...

This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, … that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear.

For the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into my hand.”

Continues to serve Saul - playing music for his tormented soul.

Making conquests over Israel’s enemies.

Refuses to take Saul’s life.

Saul’s Downward Spiral

In chapter 28 of First Samuel, Saul consults a medium.

At this point Samuel has died and Saul is looking anywhere for counsel.

He has outlawed the mediums and necromancers in Israel, and so they have been put out of the land.

The Mosaic Law specifically forbids mediums and necromancers, as well as other forms of divination:

Necromancy and other forms of divination were common in the ancient Near East; biblical religion is THE ONLY one known to forbid it.

By driving out the mediums Saul was certainly trying to be faithful to the Lord, but now he’s even going against his own better choices.

Saul goes to a Medium at En-dor and has her bring up Samuel.

We read what happened in chapter 28:15-19

Samuel recounts what happened when Saul over stepped his role:

How do you seek after God’s own heart?

The Bible is so clear on what God requires of us…and yet… we all fall short.

We know we sin.

If we were to go on reading through 2 Samuel, which I encourage you to do you will find that David has plenty of his own faults too.

Yet, he is still referred to as “a man after God’s own heart.”

Why?

Because he seeks to honor God, and when he screws up, he confesses it to God and is ready and willing to accept the consequences.

Perhaps one fo the more famous confessional psalms is Psalm 51 where we read

That’s David praying, after he’s given into and fed his lust, committed adultery, and upon finding out that his affair has produced a child he has her husband killed - that’s murder.

Those are pretty heavy sins, yet he is still referred to as “a man after God’s own heart.”

How?

God’s love is greater than our darkest sin.

God’s more ready to forgive than we are to ask for forgiveness.

God has borne the penalty on the cross in Jesus.

Way back in Genesis when Cain and Abel are competing for the Lord’s attention we read these words:

The Apostle Paul writes:

Sin is indeed living in all of us.

Paul concludes chapter 7:

And then the glorious reminder

We see evidence of God’s drawing us to him throughout the Bible, the Old and New Testaments.

Some choose to do it their own way, our challenge is to do it God’s way.

God really does want what’s best for you - the best life you can possibly live is the life you were created for.

AMEN!