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Sermon Notes of Rev.Dr.I.J.W.Oakley (22-8-1976 Strandtown Baptist Church)
Hitherto, Israel had been a theocracy. The invisible God
was their only king. When the nation was obedient, the land had rest, prosperity
and safety. If they were disobedient, God chastised them, usually by allowing
surrounding nations to oppress them. Then they repented, cried to the Lord, and
the Lord raised up judges to deliver them.
But Israel grew dissatisfied.
They felt the need of a king who was a permanent feature of the land, not the
occasional judge. There was constant danger from both the East (the Amalakites)
and the West (the Philistines). They were also anxious to be like other nations.
In the end, the elders of Israel went to Samuel at Ramah, and said Behold
thou art old and thy sons walk not in thy ways; now make us a king to judge us
like all the nations (1 Samuel 8:5).
The whole thing was upsetting to
Samuel, apart from the personal insult. There were certain advantages to having
a king – political unity instead of a collection of tribes, making it easier
to work together in defence and conquest. But there were also dangers. Kingship
was oppressive. They would pay dearly in taxes and sufferings. Their request was
a sign of moral and spiritual declension. But when Samuel consulted God, God
told him to let the people have their way. They were not really rejecting
Samuel, but God.
They had chosen second best. But in God’s dealings with
individuals and nations, He lets people have their way that they may be filled
with their own desires. Often the best and quickest way of teaching a man a
lesson is to let him realize the folly of insisting on his own way, of reaping
what he sows. At the same time, God in His providence purposed to overrule the
folly of the people, because He would rule them through the king. Their new king
would rule in God’s name and according to God’s will.
So the first King of Israel was
Saul. He was met by Samuel at Ramah while seeking his father’s lost asses. At
God’s direction, Samuel anointed him king. Later he received another call by
the people at Mizpah. He was publicly hailed as king by the people at Gilgal
after his defeat of the Ammonites.
The story of Saul is one of the
most dismal stories of the whole of Scripture. Stark illustration of a man of
high promise who failed to realize God’s lofty purpose for his life. No one
could have guessed he would have been such a dreadful failure. His reign began
with high hopes and great advantages. But ended in such complete shame.
The life of Samuel is a very positive example because of his acknowledgement of God, his prayerfulness and integrity. But the life of Saul is a negative example, and a warning to us of the downward progress possible in any man’s soul. Like a day beginning with sunshine, clouding over, and closing with a fearful storm. He is the most tragic figure in the Old Testament.
Saul was no monster who won
power by false means and then plunged at once into reckless abuse of it. He was
no apostate who turned from God to some heathen idol. He was not the worst of
men. He had considerable advantages and very fine qualities. He had a very
promising prospect at the beginning for a very fine reign. He was a fine figure
of a man, a choice young man and goodly (1 Samuel 9:2). From the
shoulders upward he was higher than any of the people. He looked every inch a
king.
At his first anointing his
modesty and humility were apparent, when told of God’s purposes. Am I not a
Benjaminite, the smallest tribes of Israel? And my family the least of all
families of the tribe of Benjamin (1 Samuel 9:21). He did not seem to have
fallen into the trap to which many succumb when they get a swollen head or
sudden elevation from a lowly to a high position. Saul had a deep sense of his
unworthiness. He shrank from the demands of kingship.
His private life was very
simple. He had none of the luxurious habits of Eastern sovereigns. He was
generous even to his enemies and those Israelites who did not fully support him
against Ammon (1 Samuel 11:1ff). He was willing to admit his faults, e.g. for
wrongly suspecting David. He was a courageous leader and an able soldier. He
drove out the Amalekites, destroyed the Gibeonites, brought victory over the
Moabites and the Philistines. He extended the frontiers of the Kingdom and
therefore gave peace and security to the people.
Saul knew what it was to attend
to the Word of God. He communed with Samuel. Stand thou still a while, that I
may show thee the Word of God (1 Samuel 9:27). So he received guidance
before busying himself with the problems of leadership, and political, economic
and military affairs of the country. He knew God’s presence in his life.
Samuel well said of Saul, God is with thee (1 Samuel 10:7). Signs of this
were seen in his life. The Spirit of the Lord was on him, and marvellous signs
accompanied his work. He was anxious to confess reliance on God. After his
victory over Ammon, he said, Today the Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel (1
Samuel 11:13).
The signs for an outstanding
reign, materially and spiritually, were very propitious. Saul was gifted,
spiritual, and evidently had God’s blessing on him. But it is one thing to
begin well, and another thing to end well. This theme has been recurrent in
several of the lives we have looked at recently. There are so many warnings
about this in the Bible and church history as well as examples all around us.
Many a Christian life has started well, and many a piece of Christian service has begun well, and ministry has begun well. But things have not ended as they begun.
Rarely do man collapse suddenly. There is rarely a sudden
abandonment of profession or meeting with God’s people. Outward backsliding is
usually preceded by months of inward backsliding. It grows gradually, step by
step. It is a gradual process of constant and growing compromise out of the will
of God.
In Saul’s life many weaknesses
became apparent. His savagery in dealing with his enemies, e.g. the Gibeonites
and 85 priests of Nob. But particularly three sins to which he succumbed after
two years of reign. The frightening thing is that these were everyday sins, and
yet they spoiled his life and finished his usefulness.
The first was impatience, seen
in 1 Samuel 13:1-14. Saul’s campaigns were designed to throw out the
Philistines. But Samuel ordered him to wait at Gilgal till all necessary
sacrifices had been offered. This meant waiting seven days, and Saul could not
wait. He had to get at his enemy. A delay would mean total defeat. Behind all in
a crisis, was a feeling he could not trust God. Therefore he impulsively offered
sacrifices, before Samuel arrived. When Samuel arrived, Saul was told he had
ruined everything, and the kingdom would not continue.
Note the stress on patience in
the New Testament. There are 46 references. Being headstrong and impatient has
spoilt many lives and much Christian work. Pastors (especially young ones) who
insist on certain changes within a matter of months; deacons who insist on a
certain policy matter being done, and done at once; church members with outlook
over a matter in the life of the church that no one has ever thought of being a
problem, and expecting everyone to see their point of view immediately and
implement it. Some take matters into their own hands whether others are with
them or not. Often leads to disaster.
“Take
time to be holy,
Let
Christ be thy guide,
And
run not before Him
Whatever
betide.”
The second sin was that of disobedience, recorded in 1
Samuel 15:1-23. This is the campaign against the Amalekites, where Saul was
instructed to destroy all things belonging to the enemy. But Saul was greedy and
thought he knew better than God – so he kept back the best of the spoil. He
destroyed vile things, but kept the best of the sheep, oxen, fatlings and lambs.
He was frankly disobedient to God’s plain command.
And he was quite prepared to lie
about his action. I have performed the commandment of the Lord (1 Samuel
15:13), he says breezily to Samuel when he appears and rebukes him. Samuel again
tells him God has rejected him as king. To obey is better than sacrifice and
to harken than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22). Disobedience was another
disastrous step on the downward path. Saul made service of God an excuse for
greed and selfishness.
There is no clearer guide of
love and devotion than our obedience. Spiritual progress and happiness are bound
up with obedience. In keeping his commandments there is great reward (Psalm
19:11).
Thirdly Saul succumbs to the sin
of jealousy, in 1 Samuel 18:7ff. The Spirit of the Lord left Saul and an evil
spirit came on him. Some form of madness was permitted by God. He was soothed
only by the music of David’s harp. David was Saul’s rival. He was
attractive, Jonathon’s best friend, and Michal’s wife. But the people
proclaimed, Saul has killed his thousands but David his tens of thousands (1
Samuel 18:7). Therefore David was regarded with suspicion and jealousy by Saul.
He made various attempts to kill David by javelin and by hunting him.
Jealousy does not always lead to
murder, but it one of the most destructive forces in families, among friends,
and in the Christian church. It starts when someone begrudges another his
happiness, success or prosperity. It may be the office someone holds in the
church, someone who gets all the solos in the church choir, or the man who
preaches better sermons and draws the largest crowd. Somehow, if blessing cannot
come through us, we would rather it didn’t come at all.
When F.B.Meyer’s crowds were
disappearing to Campbell Morgan’s tent at Northfield Convention, he admitted,
“The only way I can conquer my feeling [of jealousy] is to pray for him daily,
which I do.”
We are all prey to jealousy. We must accept ourselves, our gifts and the will of God. Pray for others. Thank God for another’s gifts. He knows what He is doing. God has given us gifts he has given to no other, and a job that no one else can do. We are stewards, not owners.
Saul was a pathetic sight at the
end of his reign. Alone he faced his enemies. There was the final breach with
Samuel. Samuel came no more to see Saul (1 Samuel 15:35). The Spirit
of the Lord departed from him (1 Samuel 16:14). When Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not (1
Samuel 28:6). The last glimpse we get of Saul, he is consulting the witch of
Endor. Through the spirit of the now dead Samuel, Saul learns that defeat is
sure at the hands of the Philistines. At Mount Gilboa the battle is lost, and
Saul commits suicide, his three sons are slaughtered, the Israelite army is cut
to pieces. Thus fell the most tragic king of all Israel.
One sin after another claimed
his life. The Spirit of God finally left him. Where did it all begin? When
thou wast little in thine own sight wast thou not made the head (1 Samuel
15:17). That was how Saul began – little in his own sight. When he had a deep
sense of unworthiness, when he attended the Word of God, when he knew God’s
presence and God’s spirit was on him, when he was eager to rely on God.
He was no longer little in his
own eyes. He took over management of his own life, trusted in his own wisdom,
picked and chose which of God’s commandments to keep, gave way to jealous
passions. God’s Spirit left him, because he was out of the way of and out of
the will of God. He tried to serve two masters – God and himself. The same was
said of Uzziah the king, he was marvellously helped till he was strong (2
Chronicles 26:15-21).
There is a cross and a throne in every life. When self is on the cross and Christ is on the throne, there is blessing. When Christ is on the cross and self is on the throne, God cannot bless the life.
