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 9-10, Seeking donkey, but found a kingdom

In the first installment of Shrek, the ogre named Shrek was happy living alone in the middle of swamp with no one to bother him. But, things changed quickly when his house was completely surrounded and occupied by the fleeing characters from all kinds of ferry tales. So, he set out to straighten things up to regain his solitary, secluded life in the swamp; to regain peace and quietness shut out from the world, he reluctantly agreed to Lord Farquaad who demanded Shrek to rescue and bring Princes Fiona from the supposedly fearsome dragon, but in reality a lonely creature that found true love with the talking donkey.

Shrek set out single-mindedly to rescue princes Fiona so that he could get his swamp back just the way it was, shut out from the world. But, as we all know that’s not how things turned out for him. A loner, antisocial, selfish creature falls in love with princes Fiona.

That is how our story unfolds for us in today’s Bible passage, 1 Samuel 9. It is a story of a young man seeking for the lost donkeys, but was made a leader over Israel. It is an important story that will inform you today that God is after raising you up to be somebody important in his kingdom for his glory; God is after you to make you someone greater beyond what you think is possible.

1. Searching for donkeys.

The young man’s name is Saul. 1 Samuel 9:1 says that he came from the tribe of Benjamin. If you remember in the book of Judges, the tribe of Benjamin was almost wiped out due to the sins of people. So, in the context of Samuel, the tribe of Benjamin was the smallest tribe out of all the tribes. His father’s name was Kish known to be a man of standing, a man of considerable wealth and status in the community.

Verse 2 characterizes him as “an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites- a head taller than any of the others.” Saul was a son of well known and well regarded man of standing; Saul himself was also a man of standing, well that is literally speaking, a giant among the Israelites.

His father’s donkeys got lost and he wanted his son to go and find them. So, we see Saul along with his servant venturing out to look for the lost donkeys. Consider what Samuel said about their journey in verse 20, they looked for 3 days without finding any of the lost donkeys. They must have covered quite of land in those three days!

After three days of journey to look for the lost donkeys, Saul was ready to call it quit thinking that his father would be worrying about him by now more than the lost donkeys.

But, the servant wanted to try one more thing; he wanted them to go and talk to a man of God, Samuel, who might be able to tell them which way they should go to find the lost donkeys. When seeking a prophet’s intervention, it was a courtesy to bring gift. Their food was no more; they had nothing valuable to offer to the prophet or that is what Saul thought. So, Saul hesitated.

But, it happened that the servant had a quarter of shekel of silver that is about three grams of silver. No longer hesitant, Saul took the charge now and led them to the town where the man of God was.

As they were going up the hill to the town, in verse 11, they met some girls who came out to draw water. The girls told them the seer, the prophet, Samuel, had just come to the town. And, he was heading to the high place to eat with the people he invited. His quests would not begin the meal until Samuel arrived to bless the sacrifice. The girls told them, “Go up now; you should find him about this time.”

The girls were probably thinking how lucky these guys were to come at just the right time to see Samuel. If the dinner started, they would have to wait until the meal was done since they were not invited. Saul and the servant probably thought that they were closer now to find the donkeys.

Now, was it really about luck as the girls might have thought or finding the donkeys? In the greater scheme, behind the scene, beyond their understanding, God was doing something special. Let’s see what it was.

2. Behind the scene, God was raising up a leader.

9:15 tells us that the day before Saul’s arrival the LORD revealed himself to Samuel and told him about a man’s arrival from the land of Benjamin and how he wanted Samuel to anoint this man as the leader over his people Israel.

When finally Saul showed up and Samuel caught sight of Saul, Samuel heard form the LORD, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.” While this was going on in Samuel’s mind, verse 18, Saul asked Samuel, “Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?” Saul had no idea who he was talking to or what was really going on behind the scene. He thought it was just about finding those lost donkeys, hoping the seer would help.

Samuel told Saul in verse 19, “I am the seer… Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart.” And, he told Saul that the donkeys were found and he no longer had to worry about them. He also said to Saul, “And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and all your father’s family?” in verse 20.

Here was Saul seeking after the lost donkeys belonging to his father, but now he no longer needed to seek donkeys. Instead, he was told he would be the leader of Israel.

He asked Samuel in verse 21, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?” What he thought of himself and could be didn’t match with what God wanted him to become and do.

Isn’t this how Christian life is? We have pretty good understanding about ourselves, or at least we think we do just like Saul did. Without Christ, life is about seeking donkeys, but with Christ, we are the children of the living God.

Christian maturity is about becoming the person God wants us to be and doing the things that he wants us to do.

Samuel brought Saul and the servant into the hall where the invited guests were waiting for Samuel. Samuel had Saul and the servant seated at the head of the gathering. And he had the cook bring out the piece of meat he told earlier to set aside. And, he told Saul in verse 24, “Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion.”

Behind the scene, Samuel called the quests of honor to a very special dinner. It was a dinner fit for the coronation of a king. The special dinner portion was set aside for the arrival of the God’s anointed. And, Saul had no idea.

Next morning, Samuel had Saul sent the servant ahead of them while Saul stayed with him awhile so that he may give him a message from God, 9:27.

And, we see in chapter 10:1-8, we see Samuel anointing him with the special sacred oil of consecration (Exodus 30:23-33; Ps. 89:20). Samuel said in verse 1, “Ha not the LORD anointed you leader over his inheritance?” And, he told Saul to anticipate three signs that would confirm indeed God was raising him up to be the leader of the Israelites.

· Meeting two men near Rachel’s tomb who will inform him that the donkeys were found and his father was worrying about Saul.

· Meeting three men at the tree of Tabor who will greet Saul and offer him two loaves bread.

· Meeting a procession of prophets and how the Spirit of the Lord would come upon him in power; enable Saul to prophecy along with the prophets and change him into a different person.

· When these signs were fulfilled, Saul was told that he could do whatever his hand found to do for God was with him; he was to act according to the strength given him by the Holy Spirit to accomplish God’s will.

Applications

1. What are you seeking after? Do you know what God is doing behind the scene? Do you know how God wants to raise you up? Do you know who you are in Christ?

2. How do you know who you are in Christ? ----Do you wait for the message from God?

3. Are you helping others to discover who they are in Christ like Samuel did with Saul?