Samuel
– A Lifetime
Serving God
·
Samuel
gave Saul an awesome message, and anointed him (10:1)
·
Saul
may not have quite believed what was happening, so God provided three
miraculous signs that what Samuel said was from God. (just as God did with the
birth of Isaac and Jesus)
1.
"Two
Men at Rachel's Tomb" (10:2) Again how can others know what Saul was
seeking?
2.
"Three
Men Going to Bethel" (10:3) Note the detail!
3.
"A
Procession of Prophets" (10:5) In the midst of the enemy… (v. 5, and see
v. 26)
·
Note
that all three prophecies came true that day (10:9, recall 3:19)
·
What
happened when Saul met the prophets? See verses 6 & 9. How many times have
we seen how people change when they experience the power and presence of God?
·
Is
verse 11 a clue to Saul's (former) character?
·
Even
if we feel God's call, we still often retain our same basic personalities. Saul
wondered aloud to Samuel how someone from a small tribe could be so great a
person.
·
Now,
Saul's uncle asks him about the donkeys. Saul tells him about Samuel, but…
there is not one word about being anointed king of Israel!!! Why?
·
Once
again, Samuel summons the people to Mizpah. Remember what happened there
before?
·
Note
what Samuel says (10:17-19). Contrast with what Samuel said at Mizpah before
(7:6-11)
·
The
king was chosen by lot. But it wasn't really random. God had already determined
who would be king. And Saul knew it. Note his reaction! (10:21,22)
·
If
God knows where lost donkeys are, He surely knows where Saul is! (10:22)
·
Rather
an embarrassing beginning for the King of Israel (10:24)
·
What
is God doing in all of this? He is giving Israel a second chance. They wanted a
king. But instead of punishing them, God showed Saul in particular that His
hand was in this process of choosing a king.
·
God
would still watch over Israel, and hear their prayers to be delivered from the
oppressive Philistines. Truly a God of love…
#1) God is willing and waiting
to give all of His children a second chance
#2) God often brings others into
our lives to enable us to have second chances
#3) If God calls another person
to help us, He will enable them to face the challenge
For
next week read I Samuel 12:1-25
