1 Samuel 16, Beneath the surface

I would like to show you a video clip featuring amazing archery skill! Although it is in Korean, I think the video will speak for itself!


Hosea 7:16 talks about Israelites as a faulty bow, “They do not turn to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow.” And also, Psalm 78:57 describes them “as unreliable as a faulty bow.” Saul was a faulty bow, made with cheap built quality, with major character flaws… a heart of disobedience, a heart of distrust, a heart of self-honoring, self-promotion, a heart of idolatry, a heart of pride, unfit for God’s purpose, God’s target. Impossible things cannot be done with the faulty bow. God wants to do impossible things through us. But, if we are like a faulty bow, he cannot do impossible things through us.

1. God asks, “Beneath the surface, are you a person of a rock solid built quality or a faulty bow?”

Let me put it this way. Our vision as church is not just about seeing people get saved to get into heaven. Our vision is to see people who are saved by Jesus Christ actively building their lives on the true foundation, the Cornerstone, Jesus Christ; we want to see saved, born gain people actively building their lives on what really matters to Jesus Christ. We want to see a rock solid built quality in our Christian living that will endure the test of fire. We are not called to be faulty bows; we are called to be the excellent bows in the expert archer to do impossible things!

For that end, Apostle Paul admonishes us in 1 Corinthians 3:10b, “But each one should be careful how he builds.” He says in verse 12-15, “If anyone man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.”

When Paul talks about the Day, he is talking about the Big Day when God will put all people through the quality inspection; he will test the quality of what we have built. In old days, the palaces, temples, the important buildings were built with the costly stones; they were adorned with gold and silver; they were built with the rock solid quality in mind. But the ordinary homes were built with wood, hay or straw, not exactly the kind that you would use if you have in mind is a rock solid quality. The fire tests the quality of the buildings. Buildings built with the rock solid materials with the rock solid quality will survive. But, buildings built hastily with the cheap materials with the cheap built quality will suffer loss. You may escape the fire of judgment, but you will have nothing to show for.

God was looking for a rock solid quality in Saul’s life, a bow he can use. God wanted to lead his people the Israelites through Saul, to live surrendered and blessed life under their true King’s reign. But, the quality wasn’t there. Beneath the surface of his tall, impressive look seemingly without equal among the Israelites (1 Samuel 9:2), God didn’t find the quality he was looking for. What he found was the cheap built quality that profoundly disappointed him; he was a faulty bow.

In 1 Samuel 15:35, we see both Samuel and God profoundly sad over how Saul turned out to be a faulty bow, “Samuel mourned,” while “the LORD grieved.” Saul proved to be a cheap built quality. He built his life with the cheap materials; fear of men, pleasure for vanity and materials, zeal to honor his cause and ambition while trashing God’s honor, doing everything that mattered to himself while neglecting, ignoring and opposing everything that mattered to God. Saul was called to build carefully with the quality materials for God’s cause, for God’s purpose! He was called to be an excellent bow in the hands of the expert archer. But, Saul abandoned and rejected God’s call. Saul proved again and again with his actions he was not fit for God’s purpose; he was a faulty bow!

2. Are you the one God has been searching for?

Beneath surface of good look, Saul’s disloyalty and faithlessness made him unreliable as a faulty bow (Psalm 78:57); God could no longer use Saul for his noble purpose.

For this reason, in 1 Samuel 16, we see God rejecting Saul, a faulty bow, and taking steps to call out a man after his own heart to be leader of his people (1 Samuel 13:14); someone who would take God’s call seriously and be about rock solid built quality instead of cheap built quality, be the excellent bow in the hands of the expert archer.

We see in 1 Samuel 16:1, Samuel was still mourning for Saul; Samuel didn’t quite grasp the depth of the cheap quality in Saul’s life that made him unfit to carry out God’s purpose. So, God questioned Samuel to help him see this. “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel?” God was saying to Samuel, “Saul repeatedly abandoned and rejected my call. He proved himself to be a faulty bow, unfit to carry my purpose. So, I have rejected him. And, it is now the time to appoint the person I have been searching for, a person whose heart is after my heart, a person who is all about the rock solid built quality, an excellent bow in my hands to do impossible things!

God revealed his plan and the specific steps Samuel was to take, “Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”

God told Samuel to go to Jesses’ family and to announce that he came to sacrifice to the LORD. Samuel was to invite Jesse to the sacrifice and God was going to show him who he was to anoint for God.

Samuel wasn’t too thrilled by the perspective of having to anoint a new king; he was certain that if Saul were to hear about it, Saul would kill him. Although Samuel anticipated Saul’s violence, it is not surprising to see Samuel, a man of God, carrying out exactly what God told him to do. That is what we see in verse 4, “Samuel did what the LORD said.”

Now, when Samuel showed up, verse 5 says, “the elders of the town trembled.” And, they asked Samuel, “Do you come in peace?” Now, let’s not forget what happened when Samuel judged last time; he put the enemy Agag to death. This was an unannounced visit from Samuel; they were afraid if Samuel was going to judge them like he did with Agag.

Verse 5, Samuel told the elders that he came in peace… to sacrifice to the LORD; Samuel invited Jesse and his sons … to the sacrifice.

When Samuel saw Jesse’s son Eliab, whose names meant “My God is Father,” he was convinced that this was the man the LORD sought to anoint. Samuel was thinking with his eyes that only consider the surface, as things appeared. Eliab had a good name; he was the oldest in the family; he was tall, a kingly height! Samuel felt right about this man.

But then the word came from the LORD. Verse 7, “Do not consider his appearance of his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Are you the person God has been searching fore because your heart is after him? Are you a builder who builds with precious and enduring materials with rock solid built quality? Are you fit to carry out my purpose in my expert hands as an excellent bow? Or, are you a builder who uses cheap materials with cheap workmanship? Are you unfit to carry out my purpose because you are a faulty bow?

After Eliab was Abinadab. After Abinadab was Shammah. Seven of Jesse’s sons passed before Samuel. But, beneath the surface, none possess the quality of the heart God was looking for. “The Lord has not chosen these” said Samuel in verse 10.

3. God asks, “Are you after my heart?”

Since God never gets it wrong, there had to be another person in Jesse’s family, the one whom God had sought after for possessing the right heart devoted to him.

The youngest remained out there, tending the sheep. Samuel was a man of determination. He was going to meet this boy to see what was beneath his surface. So, he told Jesse, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

Verse 12 describes him as ruddy, his skin with reddish complexion but definitely not rosy cheeks. David possessed a fine appearance and handsome features reminiscent of Saul who was an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites according to 1 Samuel 9:2.

But, this time Samuel wasn’t concerned with what was on the surface of David any more. He learned his lesson. He was now concerned if David was the person God sought after because of the right heart!

As soon as David was brought in from tending sheep, God told Samuel to rise and anoint him for he is the one, verse 12. Still a very young man, beneath the surface of his good look was the heart of the true shepherd to lead his people to the blessed rest and security in God alone. Psalm 78:72 sums up his lifetime leadership; “And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.”

David’s heart echoed Isaiah 26:8, “Your name and renown are the desires of our hearts.” David was after God’s honor. His heart was all about making sure God looked good in his life. If God was exulted in his life, he was happy. If he got done what mattered to God, if God was successful in his life, David considered himself successful.

He was a man of faith. Isaiah 26:4 reflects his trust; “Trust in the Lord forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.” His heart trusted God as his Rock eternal, his salvation, his refuge, his strength, his strong tower, his purpose, his reason for living, God was the rock that is higher than he (Psalm 61:2).

He was a man after God’s heart. This is what made him to be an excellent bow of a rock solid quality that God can use to hit the impossible targets.

4. When your heart beneath the surface is after God’s heart, God can empower you with the Holy Spirit.

Our God’s leadership style is not about calling people to him and his works but does nothing to draw them closer to him and do his works. Our God is God who empowers his people to build with the quality materials that will endure the test of time, the test of fire. Our God is God prompts us to draw near to him through his Son Jesus.

We see this in verse 13, “from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power.” Having the right attitude and the heart wasn’t enough for David to live out his life for God. What he needed was the Holy Spirit’s regenerating, renewing power to shape and mold David into a person God envisioned.

In Ephesians 1:3, Apostle Paul breaks out in worship; he says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” And, he says in 2:10, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

The good works which God prepared in advance for you to do is to build your lives on the Cornerstone, on Jesus Christ, and to advance the kingdom of God. You are to be God’s workmanship, God’s work of art (JB). And, there is nothing you can boast about doing anything for God because all good works are prepared by God for you. It is God who empowers you to do the works he prepared in advanced for you. You are called to be the bow that the expert archer can use to hit the impossible targets!

The heart that is after God’s heart understands this. The heart that is arrogant, self-reliant, self-promoting and self-honoring, self-seeking, a heart like a faulty bow, doesn’t see the need to be empowered by God; it doesn’t seek God’s help; it doesn’t remain in Jesus.

Concluding remarks

Isaiah 11:10, “In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.” This refers to the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord. David chosen by God to be the king over Israel was to be the type of Jesus Christ.

David’s life foreshadowed Jesus. David was a man, imperfect man. But, he was not a faulty bow like Saul was because his heart was after God. David considered God’s success as his success. He considered God’s honor as his honor. For David, all he needed to know was that he was in the hands of the expert archer. All he had to was to assume the heart that was available, teachable, humble, dependent, seeking, promoting God’s honor, God’s target, God’s impossible tasks. And, David looked to the true Rock eternal, the Cornerstone, the firm foundation, Jesus Christ, the perfect Son, the perfect Bow in the hands of the Father as his true hope.

Beneath you, what does God find today? Does he find a bow he can empower and use to hit the impossible targets?

1 Samuel 15, The Lord is my Banner!

During the American Civil War, General Robert E. Lee was most idolized and famous commander of all Confederate commanders. Next to him was General Thomas J. Jackson. He was a professor from Virginia Military Institute; he trained and led the famous Stone Brigade of the Confederate Army. He implemented a severe and vigorous training program and turned untrained recruits into an effective military organization.

General Jackson earned his famous nick name, “Stonewall” from the First Battle of Bull Run in 1861. He advanced his troops to a place called Manassas. When they arrived, they saw other Confederates retreating from the battle. General Jackson prevented the retreat. Jackson had his men lined up at the top of a hill and had them for action. They didn’t budge; they stood like a stonewall. General Barnard Bee another Confederate general tried to rally his retreating troops back to line up and fight. So, he shouted to his troops, “See, there is Jackson, standing like a stone wall. Rally behind the Virginians.” This is how he earned his nickname as General “Stonewall” winning the First Battle of Bull Run.

A similar theme runs through the Bible. When God freed the Israelites from the oppressive rule under Egypt through his demonstration of miraculous power, the ultimate destiny for the Israelites’ journey was to get to the Promised Land. In their journey to the Promised Land, one nation stood out like a sore thumb, the Amalekites. In Exodus 17, the Amalekites although unprovoked fought came and attacked the Israelites at Raphidim. Moses sent out Joshua along with other men to fight the Amalekites. While the Israelites fought, Moses went to the top of the hill and held up his hands high. As long as he held his hands up high, the Israelites were winning; when he bought them down, the Amalekites were winning. When his muscles froze and he could no longer raised his hands up, Aaron and Hur held his hands up-one on one side, one on the other- so that his hands remained steady until sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

There at Raphidim where the Israelites won against the Amalekites, Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. And Moses said, “For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD. The LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation. In the ancient wars, the troops fought under their banners and their banners represented who they were fighting for. In the case of Israel, their Banner was the LORD. They were fighting for the LORD’s battles.

The story of Exodus 17 portrays Christian spiritual journey well. We are called out of darkness into the light of Jesus Christ. And, we journey under the Banner of our Lord Jesus Christ and we are called to fight for God’s kingdom. In this kingdom journey, we face the giant, the Amalekites. Apostle Paul puts it this way in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. And, we are called to “stand our ground” to “stand firm” under the Banner of our Lord Jesus against these forces of evil.

Now going back to Exodus 17, if you fast forward about four hundred years from the time of Moses, you arrived at the period of 1 Samuel, specifically the time of Saul. Today’s passage, 1 Samuel 15 continues to tell the story of Saul. As Moses and Joshua were called to come under the Banner of the LORD and fight against the Amalekites, the Lord the Banner over him called Saul to fight his battle!

1. The Lord the Banner over you calls you to fight and eliminate any element in your life that frustrates God’s kingdom purpose.

The Lord of the Banner what we saw in Exodus 17 now comes to Saul and tells him in 1 Samuel 15:2-3, “I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt” and the Lord tells him specifically, “Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.”

We got to understand this chilling command to annihilate the Amalekites in the broader context. In the supreme knowledge of God, everyone one of the Amalekites were doomed to destruction. They sealed their own destruction when they were bent on attacking the Israelites, to hall the Israelites from reaching to the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 25:18 says

“they had no fear of God.” When they attacked the Israelites, they were really attacking God who was advancing his kingdom agenda to bless the Israelites. God was going to put a stop to the Amalekites’ attack on Israel and to God. This is what was behind God’s command for Saul to completely destroy and annihilate the Amalekites. It was about eliminating the element that tried to frustrate God’s kingdom plan and purpose. God’s purpose would not be thwarted.

Remember, God’s call to Saul was for complete destruction, elimination of the Amalekites in order to stop them from frustrating God’s kingdom purpose of the Israelites. And, this command was to be taken very seriously.

2. God takes our sins personally.

When the Lord gives his command, he gives us the power to do his will. So, since the Lord gave Saul the charge to destroy the Amalekites, it is not surprising to see Saul successfully raising two-hundred ten thousand foot soldiers.

Verse 7 describes the widespread extent of successful attack; Saul and the army was able to capture Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and destroy all his people.

Then, there is the very important word in the Bible, “But” in verse 9. It says, “But, Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves, and lambs-everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.

It seemed everything was going well. They successfully cease the Amalekites since the Lord helped them. All they had to do now was to carry through the Lord’s command to destroy completely. But, they didn’t. There was no ambiguity in what God told Saul to do; God called for the complete destruction of the Amalekites. But, only thing that they destroyed was what they deemed as repulsive and useless. What looked good to them, they saved them.

Verse 10, God said to Samuel, “I am grieved that I have made Saul the king, because he turned away from me and has not carried my instructions.” Ephesians 4:30 says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

Our God is person, not a cosmic or good force. Our sins, our unwillingness to carry out his kingdom purpose grieves him; our sins always personally offend God.

And, we also see what an awesome leader Samuel was. The fact that God was grieved over Saul’s disobedience troubled him and it says he cried out to the LORD all that night. Samuel was a leader whose heart beat after God’s heart beats; Samuel was a man of prayer.

3. The anatomy of disobedience.

From verse 12-33 where Samuel confronts Saul, we see clearer picture emerging the motivation behind Saul and his men’s flagrant disobedience.

a. We disobey God because we honor ourselves more than we honor God.

Verse 12 says that Saul set up a monument in his own honor. When God called for completely destruction of the Amalekites, it was because God took personally their attack on his people. It was because the Amalekites were trying to frustrate the will of God. But, Saul by his action of not carrying out God’s wish, his will, it showed he didn’t care what mattered to God. And, the fact he built a monument to commemorate the victory as though he made it happened tells the depth of his pride, arrogance. Saul honored himself more than he honored God because he gave into the pride.

b. We disobey God because we love the pleasure of sin more than pleasing God.

The reason that they were unwilling to destroy completely in verse 9 was because they delighted in the good stuff more than delighting in pleasing God. Think of the things that you do that you know as sins. Why do you do them although you know they are not good? It is because your delight, your love for sin outweighs love for God.

c. We disobey God because we deceive ourselves.

Verse 12, we see Saul greeting Samuel as though nothing was wrong. “Hi, Samuel. What’s going on?” When Samuel confronted him about the noises of the animals spared, Saul rationalized in verse 15, “they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.” Well, the problem with this is it was not what God told them to do. And, they rationalized, justified their wrong doing by sugar coating as though it was a good thing. We disobey God because we deceive ourselves.

The rationalization and the blame shifting instead of taking the responsibility for sin is nothing new. This was a pattern set from the very beginning of mankind. When God confronted Adam, “Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” Adam shifted the blame on Eve and on God; “The woman you put here with me- she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it” Genesis 3:11-12.

When Moses confronted Aaron, “What did these people to do you, that you led them into such great sin?” in Exodus 32:21. Aaron responded, “You know how prone these people are to evil. They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.’ So, I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”

d. We disobey God because we fear men more than fear God.

Saul confessed after trying to rationalize his sin away in verse 24, “I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them.” When he feared his men more than fearing God he listened to them and obeyed them instead of listening and obeying God.

e. We disobey God because we think we know what’s good for us.

Verse 23 says, “rebellion is like the sin of divination.” Divination is any attempt to find God’s will by bypassing God. It is an attempt to find what’s good for us without trusting what God says about us. When we give in to this, disobedience follows.

f. We disobey God because we set ourselves as our own king.

Verse 23 again says, “arrogance like the evil of idolatry.” Pride is to think that we know what’s good for us. And, when we give into the arrogance, we set out to please ourselves, our will, thereby we make ourselves king.

g. We cannot serve God out of partial disobedience.

Psalm 50:16-17, “But to the wicked, God says: ‘What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you.”

Psalm 119:139, “My zeal wears me out, for my enemies ignore your words.”

Saul asking for forgiveness was not genuine as it was not in the case of Pharaoh. Exodus 10:16-17, “Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, ‘I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the LORD your God to take this deadly plague away from me.” Asking for forgiveness was really about his attempt to get off easy from all the deadly plague.

Partial obedience is not obedience at all. And, without complete obedience, we cannot serve God.

---

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_Brigade

1 Samuel 14, You are made for the Mission Impossible!

For many years since the Michael Jordan era, I have lost hope for the Bulls and I’ve stopped watching them play. I guess you could say I am not much of a fan. I was surprised when I learned how the Bulls won against the Miami Heat. But, now that they have lost three games straight in wide margins against the Detroit Piston, Bull’s future looks pretty dark to me. Mike Lopresti from USA Today Sports considers a 0-3 black hole as “sticking two wet fingers in a light socket.” Another word, the Bulls is good as dead. To win the next four game straight is a tall order. It is a mission impossible!

This was the kind of situation the Israelites faced against the Philistines. Saul had three thousand soldiers, two thousand with him and one thousand with his son, Jonathan. Jonathan’s attack against the Philistines outpost at Geba brought about “three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers and soldiers as numerous as the sand of the seashore.” And, to make the matter worse, 13:15 tells us that when Saul counted his men, only six hundred remained with him.

13:17, we see the three detachments of raiding parties of Philistines army going out in three directions. The raiding parties’ sole purpose was to destroy and annihilate the Israelites wherever they went. With only six hundred remaining with Saul and Jonathan, these raiding parities faced virtually no opposition from them.

And, when we come to 13:19, we see how it was absolutely and ludicrously worse situation for the Israelites. The Philistines possessed the new and superior technology that allowed them to harness the power of iron for their weapons and their farming tools. They kept this new technology as their top secret and did not allow it to be in the hands of the Israelites. They were so successful at it that there was not a blacksmith…in the whole land of Israel. They made the Israelites buy all their farm tools from them. And, when it was time for the Israelites to sharpen the tools, they had to go to the Philistines to get their tools sharpened at the exorbitant cost.

It wasn’t just the farming tools. Verse 22 says that not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them. So, among the small number of six hundred soldiers standing with Saul and Jonathan, none were found with swords or spears. Perhaps, they armed themselves with plowshares. They were good as dead. It was just the matter of time before all of them were destroyed and annihilated. Sadly, for the Israelites, humanly speaking their mission was impossible; they had nothing to look forward to.

Have you ever faced a time like this where there is no way out! You feel defeated, hopeless frustrated. You don’t feel like you are living, just barely keeping your nose above the water. The challenge is too daunting, impossible. The mission is impossible! I want you to know that there is a way out!

1. You are made for the mission impossible!

The only logical solution for the Israelites was to stay clear out of the way of the raiding parties bent on destruction. Let them have it whatever they want. Just get out of their way. Don’t upset them. Don’t confront them. Whatever they had left, they just managed to get by, to survive, hiding deep among the rocks, in pits and cisterns.

Chapter 13:23, we read, “a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Micmash.” We know from the story that it was a detachment of 20 soldiers to defend the pass. Verse 4 and 5 describes the strategic advantage for this pass. On each side of the pass… was a cliff, called Bozez to the north and Seneh to the South. The only way into Micmash where the Philistines troops were was climbing through this narrow passs. And, from above the pass surrounded by un-scalable cliffs mere 20 soldiers were enough to thwart a whole.

Verse 2 tells us Saul was staying under the shade of a pomegranate with his six hundred men, trying to clear out of the way of the Philistines. A priest named Ahijah was with Saul. This priest was a direct descendant of Eli, a cursed priest, who honored his wicked sons more than honoring God. Verse 3 says, “No one was aware that Jonathan had left.” This shows the spiritual dullness of this priest Ahijah as well as Saul.

While his father Saul seemed to resign to the reality that the mission was impossible, Jonathan had a taste for the impossible challenge! While the insignificantly small number of troop was laying low under the radar of the raiding parties, Jonathan was going straight up to the pass at Micmash. He was on his hands and his feet climbing up to the pass. The mission was humanly and logically speaking impossible. Scaling up to the pass was a suicide mission. All that the enemies had to do was throw some rocks down at them.

But, verse 6 reveals to us what he was made of! He told his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.”

Jonathan wasn’t taken back by the fact that he was outnumbered, completely exposed and vulnerable from the enemies attack from the higher ground. Something in him compelled him to defy the common sense, the logic of human mind. It reminds me of David’s prayer from Psalm 61:2, “From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Jonathan was not dumb. He knew exactly what he was up against, the impossible mission! But, he didn’t let the common sense and fear dictate him and drive him away from facing the impossible mission.

Instead, he set his eyes on the rock that was higher than he. Isn’t this what Hebrews writer wrote in chapter 12:1-3. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning it shame, and sat at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

When God calls his children he calls them out of status quo, maintenance lifestyle, fear-driven decisions and inactions to the higher rock, to Jesus Christ. We as children of God are made for the challenges, the difficulties. We are made for the mission impossible. We are made to laugh and stare at the adversaries because we serve God who allows nothing to hinder him from carrying out his saving grace!

Again, I remind you the theme God is trying to drill into your mind. He wants to bless you nothing but the kingdom growth, phenomenal and miraculous resurrection growth! He is here to awaken you from the slumber. “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” says Ephesians 5:14.

Here is the second thing I see in today’s passage.

2. You are called to incredible friendship!

Listen to Jonathan’s armor bearer in verse 7, “Do all that you have in mind… Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”

I don’t know about you. When I read this man’s response to Jonathan, this moved me; this inspired me. Here was Jonathan inspired by the Spirit of God to take on the mission impossible. And, right along side of him was this equally courageous man who was made of the same stuff, like mind, heart and action!

When was last time you heard someone tell you, “I am with you heart and soul!” If you want to have a friend, this is the kind of friend you want for your life, a friend who stands by you, who covers your back, who is not afraid to lay down his or her life for you.

This is the kind of stuff that makes legends; that makes the grown up-macho like guys cry like a baby. This is the kind of stuff that you and I yearn for, brotherhood and sisterhood bound by the blood of Jesus Christ, thicker than any blood!

We are meant to bond with the supernatural, legendary, self-sacrificing, passionate love for each other in fighting for the cause of Jesus Christ. In the time of wars, in the time of the great battles, the bond of the brotherhood and sisterhood solidifies and rise to erase the memory of superficiality. In the time of the great battles, we are made to be one in Jesus Christ!

This the kingdom stuff, guys! You don’t get this anywhere else. Do you want to gain brothers and sisters who will stand by you, who will run with you, who will fight with you, who will defend you, who will stare at the adversaries and laugh with you and who will gladly lady down their lives for you?

Then, you got to enlist in the kingdom of God. You got to fight for the right King and fight for his battles! These precious relationships are made when you join the kingdom of God and live for your King’s cause!

If you suffer with loneliness, then join the kingdom of God, live for God’s cause! Give yourself wholehearted to the cause of Jesus Christ, for the kingdom cause! You will gain friends who will be with you with heart and soul, who will run the race with you!

3. You are called to discern God’s will!

When we take on the mission impossible, our marching order comes from none other than our King! The zeal and passion to take on the challenge is not enough. We must learn to wait patiently for God’s sign, for God to let us know his concrete will.

This is exactly what Jonathan did. His heart was burning to take on the impossible mission to take back the territory that God had given to Israel in promise from the formidable foe. Yet, he was only going to act if it was God’s will!

As he and his arm bearer climbed up toward the pass and were seen by the men, if these men were to call them up to the pass, it was going to be the sign from God that the Lord had given them into their hands. If these men were to say they were coming down to Jonathan and his arm bearer, then they were going to stay put.

Surely, as Jonathan had in his mind, the men above the pass called them up! Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel,” in verse 12.

I want you to notice something here. According to verse 10, God was giving the enemies into their hands, but in verse 12, God was giving them into the hand of Israel. This tells us that Jonathan was not out to make himself look good. He was not promoting himself. But, he was all about realizing God’s promise for his nation. He was patriotic man.

God doesn’t have us take on the mission impossible for our sake, for our fame. It is not about us; but it is about the life of church; it is about the life of our brothers and sisters in Christ; it is about those whom God has called and have yet to respond to him; it is about God’s will! Your will be done, not my will!

4. You are called to co-labor with Christ to accomplish the mission impossible with his resurrection power.

What else can you expect when God stirs and moves his people into fulfilling his kingdom will?

Verse 13-14 says, “Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.

This couldn’t happen, humanly speaking. The twenty men could have defended the whole army the Israelites. But, it says that the Philistines fell before Jonathan. Jonathan and his armor-bearer fought valiantly because God empowered them with his power.

When Gods puts in our hearts desire to take on the mission impossible and we act on his prompting, we become co-labor with Christ to accomplish the mission impossible with his resurrection life and power.

Concluding remarks

I pray this for you. I pray that God stirs you to be discontent with things as they are, to be frustrated with the status quo, maintenance and mediocre mode, but to take to the heart your God given calling to take on the mission impossible with God’s power for his kingdom and to witness God’s great saving acts!

1 Samuel 13, What do you do when things get stressful and fearful?

In 2006, Cardinals defeated the Tigers, 4-2, in Game 5 of the World Series. They won the series four games to one. In their bullpen was a relief pitcher Josh Hancock. His debut in Major League Baseball was September 10, 2002. After four years of his debut, he was a part of the World Series Champion, St. Louis Cardinal and a proud owner of the World Series ring! The championship with Cardinals was the highlight of his baseball career. At the age of 28, he hit the pinnacle of his career.

But, this past Sunday on April 29, having celebrated his 29^th birthday just few weeks before, was killed in a fatal car accident. Talking about a tragedy! Adding to the insult was the discovery that he was intoxicated with a blood-alcohol level of 0.157, nearly double the legal limit in Missouri. Police also found 8.55 grams of marijuana in the car. They also discovered that he was on the phone when the accident occurred.

This is a sad story of an accomplished and promising young man’s life being cut short because he made fatally foolish choices to get drunk and drive while talking on the phone, and possibly on drug as well!

The story of Saul we’ve been following is similar to this young man’s story; Saul made foolish choices in the height of his career as a king; when things got stressful, instead of turning to God in obedience, he turned away from God made him a king over Israel.

Chapter 8 was about the Israelites asking for a king; chapter 9 to chapter 10:8 was Samuel anointing Saul privately as a leader; the rest of chapter 10 was Saul being publicly declared as the chosen king; chapter 11 told the story of how Saul was led by the Spirit and fought victoriously against the Ammonites. This great victory effectively confirmed Saul as the king of Israel. Chapter 12 was about Samuel reminding the Israelites and the newly chosen, anointed, and confirmed king, Saul, of their call to worship the true King, their God.

Saul’s future was bright! All he had to do was to abide by God’s word. Samuel said in 1 Samuel 12:13-14, “Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the LORD has set a king over you. If you fear the LORD and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the LORD your God-good!” If he had kept God’s commands, God would have established his kingdom over Israel all time. He had a great future!

But, sadly what we see in chapter 13 is Saul making foolish choices and forfeiting the kingship! Let’s take a look at what happened.

1. The occasion for confrontation caused by Saul’s son.

In 1 Samuel 11, a large number of Israelites volunteered and fought victoriously against the Ammonites under the leadership of Saul. Now, in chapter 13:2, we see Saul choosing three thousand men to serve him and letting the rest go home. Two thousand were with Saul at Micmash and the rest of one thousand were with his son Jonathan at Gibeah.

Verse 3-4 describes to us how the confrontation occurred between the Israelites and the Philistines. Jonathan on his own initiation attacked the Philistine outpoint at Geba. And, quickly the Philistines learned about the attack. And, just like in chapter 11 when Saul called the Israelites to come and fight against the Ammonites, Saul again called his people to join him to fight the Philistines by blowing the trumpet throughout the land. Although his son Jonathan initiated the attack against the Philistines outpost, verse 4 gives the credit for the attack to Saul who was the king. Because of this attack, the Israelites had become a stench to the Philistines. Saul summoned the Israelites to join him in Gilgal.

Here what we see is Saul’s passivity. As the king of Israel, he was to lead his people to the battles and win them with God’s help, taking back the land God had given to Israel. This was his calling. Yet, it wasn’t Saul who initiated the attack. It was his son Jonathan. Saul neglected God’s calling upon his life.

2. The fear gripped the Israelites.

Verse 5, quickly the Philistines assembled their full fighting force to confront Israel. They had three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. In the complete contrast, in Israel there was not a single chariot.

This caused a mass hysteria in Israel. Verse 6 & 7 recorded, “When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.” Here they were facing a national crisis; instead of facing the challenge with God’s help, they fled cowardly! They were completely demoralized by the sheer size of their opponent. Verse 7 says that Saul’s troops were quaking with fear.

3. Saul acted impatiently in disobedience.

During this national crisis, verse 8 says that Saul waited seven days, the time set by Samuel. This refers to 1 Samuel 10:8, where Samuel told Saul, “Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come done to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait for seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.”

Saul waited. But, when things got exceedingly stressful and fearful for him, when his men began to scatter and Samuel had not showed up yet in the seventh day, Saul decided he couldn’t wait any longer; he took the matter into his own hand. He knew his troops had no chance against the Philistines. He wanted God’s favor in order to win the battle. He thought offering up burnt and fellowship offering to God would get what he wanted from God. But, in the Old Testament, seeking the favor of the LORD was not connected to animal sacrifices.

· Exodus 32:11- Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God by entreating him.

· 1 King 13:6- King Jeroboam asked the man of God to intercede with the LORD, to pray for him to be healed.

· 2 King 13:4 – Jehoahaz sought the LORD’s favor… through prayer. The LORD listened to him.

· Psalm 119:58 – I have sought your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.

The offering was not necessary to seek God’s help. Nor was he prohibited from offering sacrifices to God. Both David and Solomon made the similar kinds of offering (2 Sam 24:25; 1 Kings 3:15). But, for Saul all he had to do was to ask God for help. He didn’t have to go against what Samuel, God’s prophet, had told him to do. (cf. Exod 32:11; 1 Kings 13:6; 2 Kings 13:4; 2 Chronicles 33:12; Ps 119:58; Jer 26:19; Dan 9:13; Zech 7:2; 8:21-22; Mal 1:9).

Instead of waiting patiently, Saul went ahead ignoring God’s command in order to win God’s favor.

4. When Samuel rebuked Saul of disobedience, all Saul did was to make excuses.

Samuel came as soon as Saul finished the burnt offering. Saul went up to greet him as though everything was just fine. But, Samuel wasted no time; he confronted Saul in verse 11-14:

“What have you done?... You acted foolishly… You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. If you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.” Just like Josh Hancock made the foolish choices that led his demise, Saul’s impatient and foolish disobedience to God’s command put an end to his promising future as a king of Israel.

When Samuel rebuked Saul, all Saul tried to do was to make excuses for his disobedience in verse 11-12. These were his excuses for ignoring God’s commands:

· His men were scattering.

· Samuel didn’t show up at the set time.

· The Philistines were assembling at Micmash.

· Saul panicked at the impending attack from the Philistines at Gilgal.

· Saul had not sought the favor of the Lord yet.

· Saul felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.

For God, the fact that Saul would make these excuses to justify his disobedience against his explicit command disqualified Saul. Saul was not a man after God’s heart; he was a man after his own heart.

Applications

• How do you respond to God’s calling in your life? Saul knew God’s calling, but he remained passive, neglected God’s calling, and eventually abandoned God’s calling. If you don’t actively embrace God’s calling upon your life, you risk forfeiting the greatest privilege to partnership in God’s kingdom.
• When things get stressful and fearful do you wait for God or do you act hastily? We will always face stressful and fearful circumstances. God’s desire is to lead you in those difficult times. When you walk through the valley of shadow of death, will you fear evil, will you know that the Lord your shepherd is with you, and will you lean on him for comfort, support, leadership and deliverance?
• Our God is God of forgiveness. I wonder what would have been the outcome if Saul genuinely felt sorry for his disobedience, asked for forgiveness and turned to God for help and guide. What God desires from us is godly sorrow. Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 7:10-11, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.” Let’s honestly allow God to examine us; and when God highlights for us our sins against him, let’s aim for godly sorrow, repentance, and earnestness to do what’s right!