September 12, 2012
Introduction to 1st and 2nd Samuel
"The true story, is told, of a university president, who was and strong, godly, Christian man----------but few, on the school campus, other than his family and close friends, knew just how deep his faith was, because his position, kept him so isolated from his faculty and his students. A question that was always asked, whenever his name came up was, "Do you know him, what's he really like?" The general consensus was, that he seemed like a really nice, straight-up guy, who walked the walk, the he seemed to talk-----but, no one had gotten close enough to him, to really find out.
Then, a remarkable thing happened that changed the situation for everybody-------Late one night, the president left his office and started off, across the central quad, of the campus lawn, heading toward home -------halfway across, he bumped into a young freshman, who, was away from his home for the first time, and was struggling with a dreadful case of homesickness. Not knowing that he was talking to the president of the college, the young man voiced his loneliness and accepted a kind invitation, to share some hot chocolate and a chance to talk.
That memorable evening, a relationship began, that was of immeasurable benefit to both people. The student came to know the president so well, that he became privy to the desires of the president's heart. And, through the natural flow of his activities on campus and the friendships he developed there, he began to reveal to the whole university, the depth and the breadth of the heart of the man, that he had grown to love like a father.
The result, was a spirit of unity between the president and the faculty and students, that was remarkable; and it served as a precious blessing to the whole campus." (Myrna Alexander)
This, is a clear illustration of what can happen to us, when we spend time with God------ in His word, and talking to Him, in prayer. Gradually, we can begin to know His heart, and, the more we know His heart, the more we can apply His truths, to the daily circumstances of our lives, and the more we apply His truths, as we walk through our days, the more God's heart will be revealed to the world.
It's through the scripture, that God reveals so much of Himself to us. Though it------ He shows us, what He thinks is Important---what He wants us to Pay attention to------what He wants us to know is Absolute------and what He wants us to Stake our lives on.
We live in a society that praises the external, and makes performance, the main criteria for success------ But the Bible teaches us, that God, in total contrast, to the world, is primarily concerned with the heart attitude, of every single person that He's created. 1st Samuel 16:7 says that "Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." And 1st Samuel 13:14 says, "The Lord has sought out a man, after His own heart."
Now, you and I may want to to be women after God's own heart, but in the quietness of our souls, we can't help but wonder, and ask Him, "Lord, what does that mean; to be after your own heart?"
And In response, God doesn't offer us a concrete definition------instead, He has given it to us in His Word-------- He's given the answer in His written word------through the History chapters, through the Gospels, though the life and letters of Paul, through the Judges and the Prophets and the Poetry and the Law--------from Genesis to Revelation-----God tells us how to be women after His own heart----- And He has given us His answer in His revealed Word, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ; through His birth, His sacrifice and His resurrection and in the promise of His Second Coming----- And He has given us His answer in His abiding word, in the person of the Holy Spirit, who teaches us and leads us and helps us to understand what God's word means and how to apply it.
This year we are going to study 1st and 2nd Samuel------both of which are historical narratives. You may or may not love history, but you can't help but love these 2 books because some of the most beloved childhood bible stories, can be found in their pages.
But, in the Bible, though, narratives are never used, just for telling a good story, because God always has a larger purpose----- which is to show, how real people grapple, with His godly principles, in their everyday lives and its to show God in action, carrying out His plan for His creation, as He comes alongside His children, in their struggles, and gives them, Himself.
1st Samuel introduces us to individuals who came to know God and who grew in their faith by applying what they knew about Him, to their daily circumstances. Hannah, was a young woman who desperately wanted a baby and she knew that only God could give her, her hearts desire; Samuel was a young boy who could hear the Lord speaking to him so audibly, that he grew up, strong in the Lord, in the middle of a perverse nation; Jonathan was a young warrior, who loved his friend David more than he did himself and He trusted the might of His all-powerful God, more than he did his military prowess; and young David was a teenager, who faced a Giant with a slingshot and a handful of rocks and the unwavering belief that he couldn't, but He served a God, who could.
These were people who cared enough about God and what was important to Him, to follow His commands and they, in turn, became living definitions of what it is to be, people, after God's own heart.
But, 1st and 2nd Samuel will also introduce us to people who either, didn't care, or who didn't care enough, about the things that God thinks are important. Alongside the shining examples for us to emulate, we will be able to see what can hinder or detour a heart from desiring to be like God's. We are going to learn from people who really lived------ how we are to seek after God's heart and how we can be found by Him, and how to keep from getting lost, somewhere along the way.
Dr. J. Vernon McGee says, that for us to be able to have that right relationship with God, we have to start with prayer and we have to proceed with prayer and we have to end with prayer---- He reminds us, that we will see that 1st Samuel opens with prayer; and that 2nd Samuel closes with prayer; and that there is a whole lot of prayer in between.
In order to understand the historical implications of 1st Samuel, we have to first set the stage, from the perspective that we find in the book of Judges.
And Judges describes a dark, dark period in history, for the nation of Israel. God had delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, and helped them become an independent nation in the Promised Land, of Canaan. The transition had not been an easy one, but under the leadership of Joshua, they had done reasonably well, except for the fact that they had created immediate and future problems, for themselves, from the outset, because they didn't obey what God had told them to do, and annihilate, the pagan gentiles that they found there, immediately. So, after the death of Joshua, Israel kept going though repetitive cycles of blessing and discipline, depending on whether they were being rebellious or obedient to God, at the time. And each time, God would raise up a judge to lead them out of their trouble. The book of Judges ends with the hopelessly bleak words from 21:25, "In those days, Israel had no king, everyone did as he saw fit."
And that's how 1st Samuel begins:
Internationally, this period of time was one of phenomenal transition for the Israelites. The great empires of the ancient world were in a state of weakness, and that allowed Israel, to begin to develop as a nation and to really be reckoned with, without too much external interference or restraint. The Hittites of Asia Minor had passed into insignificance, and the Assyrians hadn't realized their full power, yet and Egypt was weak, and struggled with its own internal conflict. The Philistines, who had migrated from the Aegean Islands, were Israel's main threat during this time period. They had a monopoly on iron and it gave them a decided military and economic advantage, which kept Israel on the defensive. And God used the Philistines combativeness, to unite and grow the nation under the leadership of Samuel, and Saul and David.
The weakness, of the other international powers,at the time, is what made it physically possible, for the expansion and the success of the kingdom under David, enabling Israel to reach the highest peak of military and political power that it would ever know, until the millennial kingdom is established.
Samuel was the last judge of Israel, and he was the first prophet too------and he led Israel into their kingdom age. The rise of this kingdom is particularly important in both the Old and New Testaments, because it's the origin of a very real earthly kingdom, with borders and a geographical location, that was ultimately defeated and its the origin of a very real spiritual kingdom, with borders and a geographical location, that will last for all eternity. The millennial kingdom is foreshadowed in these books and through it, we can see 3 things that our world needs today: 1.) a king with power, who exercises that power in righteousness; 2.) a king, who will rule in full dependence upon God; and 3.) and a king, who will rule in full obedience to God.
I like what I read, that J. Vernon McGee has written-------and it is," that God's chosen form of government is a kingdom ruled by a king."
I know that gives us pause for thought, because we fought a war to free us from a kingdom and we think a democracy is the best way----but the kingdom that Dr. McGee is talking about is the one where Jesus will be in control.
The truth is, that changing our form of government today, wouldn't solve our problems-----its not our form of government that's bad-----it's people, in all their frailty and sinfulness, that make the world's governments less than perfect. Dr. McGee says that a kingdom, is God's perfect ideal, and that He will put His choice for King, on the throne of this earth, someday------and that when He does, and King Jesus rules this world, it will be nothing like the world we live in----we won't need welfare or poverty programs or ecological reclamations, or moral reforms. Instead, like it says in Isaiah, "righteousness and peace will cover the earth, like waters cover the ocean floor."
Originally, 1st and 2nd Samuel were one book and nobody really knows exactly who wrote them, but Jewish tradition says that Samuel is the author of the chapters 1-24 of the first book, and that Nathan and Gad wrote the rest of it, and 2nd Samuel, sometime between 1025 and 900 B.C.
1st Samuel gives us a unique insight into the workings of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. We know that He didn't indwell people permanently, then, like He does now, in the hearts of believers. His coming was selective and temporary. He would come upon people to encourage them and to empower them to be about His business----- and, specifically, the scripture teaches that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul in a mighty way, to empower him for his divinely appointed tasks, and He also also came upon David, after he was anointed by Samuel.
The books of Samuel are very instructive concerning the personal and national effects of sin. The sins of Eli and his sons resulted in their deaths. The lack of reverence for the Ark of the Covenant resulted in the deaths of a number of Philistines and Israelites. Saul's sin and disobedience resulted in him being rejected by God, to be king over Israel. Saul's experience, illustrates for us, that disobedience to God, can eliminate opportunities for our service, to and for Him.
And, even though David's sin with Bathsheba was confessed and forgiven by the Lord, David still had to suffer the inevitable and devastating consequences of that sin.
The sovereignty of God is clearly seen in the fact that it was God who selected both Saul and David to be king. You can clearly see God's permissive will at work------He allowed Israel to have a king, even though He warned them against it, because of their attitudes and imperfect timing. God knew that establishing a monarchy wouldn't solve Israel's problems. What God desired from His people and still desires from us, is the genuine devotion of each person's heart and mind to Him. There is no government or set of laws or leader, that can substitute for the rule of God in our hearts and lives. And God is always at work in the world----even when we can't see what He's doing. No matter what kind of pressures we have to endure, or how many changes that we have to face, or how many times we yield to sin, God is always, ultimately, in control of all things. Being confident of God's sovereignty, we can face the difficult situations in our lives with boldness. And in these books we can see, that God allows sin and evil and heartache, for a time, but eventually, He will act against it.
The books of 1st and 2nd Samuel encourage us and instruct us to live lives of wholehearted obedience to God.
They teach us that God can use both men and women, who may be unappreciated, or rejected by others, or who maybe have even committed a grievous sin that has been forgiven, to do great things for Him-------if their faith, is in Him alone.
They are beautiful Old Testament books, that magnify "the grace of God, which is greater, than all our sin." There is no clearer demonstration in the Old Testament, that we are valued by God, in that "while we were still sinners, in due time, Christ died for us", as it says in Romans 5:8----- than the account of David's sin, against God, against Uriah, against Bathsheba and against his people. It is a testimony to God's marvelous, matchless grace, that David was able to overcome his sin, and become the model for all future kings, with his ultimate descendant, being the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
As we study this year, my prayer is that, we won't look for and focus on human failures and excesses, instead, I want us to will look for God's divine working among His people and His progressive revelation, of Himself to them. The burning questions to ask ourselves, should be "What more can I learn about God, from these books, and how can I become more intimate with Him, though them.
Let's Pray the words of King David from Psalm 103: 1-5, 11, 22
"We bless you, Lord, from the bottom of our souls;
with all that is within us,
we bless Your holy name.
And we don't forget any of your benefits;
You, Lord, forgive our sins,
You heal all our diseases,
You, Lord, redeem our lives from death,
You crown our lives with Your love and mercy;
You, Lord satisfy us with good things;
You renew our lives like an eagle.
….For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is Your faithful love toward those who fear You.
Praise the Lord, and all His works;
in all the places where He rules,
Our souls praise the Lord!
Amen
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