FHBC Sermon Notes

America is an anomaly among the nations is several ways, probably the most noticeable in its form of government.  Most nations throughout history have been ruled by one individual called either a King, or Emperor, or Dictator. We are a nation of the people by the people.  Yet, this does not mean we can do whatever we want. We are still governed by the rule of law.  This is fine, as long as that law is truly for the betterment of the people.  But how do we know what that is?

In our passage here we are transitional moment between the deliverance of Israel by God from Egypt, and through a chaotic time of rebellion and repeated deliverance by judges sent by God.  It is a story of how the people of Israel characterized by evil, who in the state of ruin, receives a king. 

As such we will look today at three movements of the time. 

By the end of Judges there is nothing by chaos and anarchy left.  God does not send a judge to deliver his people.  The book ends by simply stating,

>In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Judges 21:25

So total was this sinfulness and corruption, that it effects even the highest level, those who should have remained set apart.  The priests are affected.

>Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord. 1 Samuel 2:12

They were stealing from the sacrifices for themselves. They did not care about the sacrifices offered to God, and took whatever they wanted.  They lay with the prostitutes at the gates.  This chaos in the country came out of their sinfulness.  For what is this chaos.  It is God's judgment.  The product of sinfulness is judgment.  The people exert their own authority and turn their back on God.  And God says he will judge them.

>Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: 'I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,' but now the Lord declares: 'Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.  Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your house.  Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever.  The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men.  And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day.  And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever.  And everyone who is left in your house shall come to implore him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and shall say, "Please put me in one of the priests' places, that I may eat a morsel of bread."'" 1 Samuel 2:30-36

Consider what the entirety of this story looks like.  God spoke to a child (Samuel) instead of to his high priest Eli, and sends through him the word of his judgment.  And the judgment does come. And God is just to simply have been done with them.

But God again attacks with his mercy.  He once again intervenes and redeems his people.

>And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, "If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines."  So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only.  Then Samuel said, "Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you."  So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, "We have sinned against the Lord." And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah.  Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines.  And the people of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines."  So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. And Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him.  As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel.  And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.  Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, "Till now the Lord has helped us."  So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 1 Samuel 7:3-13

This is our story.  This is a story of redemption.  We were just like these people, wanting our own way.  But God has radically saved us in the blood of Jesus.

The people come to Samuel and clamor for a king.  Now if we remember back to Genesis 49, and we see that promise for a king.  In Numbers 14, Balaam also mentions a king. In Deuteronomy 17 we see the description what righteous king would be.  It was indeed the plan of God that a human king was to rule over his people.  But there is an issue here. 

Why do the people want a king? That do not want a king for the reasons why God wanted it.  No, they want to blend in with the people of the land.  They wanted a king because the other people wanted a king. Israel failed to understand the already had a king. God was their king.  So in this they were rejecting the true king, and sought to be instead like the world. Look at how the law was presented in Deuteronomy and Numbers.  It is the voice of a king. 

Just like before though, this is our story as well.  How often have we as individuals, as organizations, do we also look for worldly ways to solve our problems? We look for every solution possible rather that seek the one who has already saved us.  We also clamor for a king.  To us we often clamor not just for one king, but for many. 

From this point forward, for the rest of 1 Samuel and into 2nd Samuel is the contrast between two kings.  Saul the king of the peoples choice and David the king of God's choice.

When the people picked their king, they started with a job description and sought someone for find that.  They wanted a tall, good-looking man, with wealth, who would stand up and protect them. Did that person need to trust God?  We so often when we pick our own leaders, governmental, family, spouses, even pastors - how often do we do the same thing as what they do here.

But there was another king.  This king was the "king after God's own heart.". This isn't simply an assessment of David's state of worthiness, but instead it is God's heart to choose him.  This person was nothing like what the people wanted. He was a warrior, yes, but because he trusted God.  He was one who desired God's heart and will as we see in the Psalms.  We was the least of his brothers, from a family of no account.  He did not fit the people's requirements, but he did fit God's requirements.

So our challenge is this.  What have we given ourselves to, that we have made our king?

For God has chosen for us a king as well.  The king for which David was a foreshadowing.  The messiah, who came in the name of the Lord. He would come to face and destroy our true enemy, our own sinfulness. 

The story of David and Goliath is not about overcoming our giants in life, mustering up our strength to face our fears and overcome.  No this is the story of the destruction and victory of that which has prevented us from following God.  That by trusting in God's promises, in his Word, but following in the steps of Christ, that we will see our greatest enemy, our own sinfulness which has birthed death, be utterly destroyed.  Forever.

Amen.