The Word of God - A Discussion: 1 Samuel
3/20/22 Sunday Evening Study

Unlike last week, we did not end our reading on a nice clean book end, but we are right in the middle of David on the run from Saul. But as we go back to the beginning of this book, we have a bit of an overall theme again like we did in Judges. That theme was “Everyone did what was right in their own eyes.” However, I think I have a pretty good theme for this week as well, and it came out of the reading from Friday in chapter 15 verse 22-23 - 

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,

    as in obeying the voice of the Lord?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

    and to listen than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination,

    and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,

    he has also rejected you from being king.”

So the theme for 1 Samuel - obedience is better than sacrifice. Let's think for a bit how that applies to our lives as we begin to look at some of the stories and characters in this book. How are we sacrificing instead of obeying?

We begin the book with Hannah - a woman desperate for a son, who promises to dedicate him to the Lord when she is worshiping at the tent. The priest Eli thinks she is drunk because of the fervence of her prayer, but sees her desperation and blesses her. Of course we know she has a son, and she is faithful in her vow, and the world is blessed with Samuel - prophet, judge, and holy man.

Samuel is raised in the priest’s home, and the sons of the priest are no good at all. They are guilty of taking the choice portions of sacrifices and keeping them for themselves. Eli rebukes them, then finally God rejects their whole household, and Samuel is called out of that house as he continues to grow “in stature with the Lord” despite the influence around him. We get the story of God audibly calling Samuel’s name - making Samuel a prophet. Kind of creepy, pronouncing doom on Eli’s family in that manner - I would be pretty terrified if I heard something whispering my name in the dark like that.

We shift to some stories surrounding the Ark - finding that the Ark is just as serious a thing as it has always been. Remember the man who was struck dead just for stabilizing it as they marched? Now they take it into their war camps as though it is some sort of talisman - a good luck charm. Naturally, the Philistines take it away from them, because that is what they do.

The good luck charm for one is the curse for the other, as the Philistines have no idea the reverence due this sacred object as the place of the presence of God. They think it will help them in battle, or at least weaken the Israelites, yet everywhere they take it, horrible things happen, people getting tumors and all kinds of panic. It’s so bad that not only do they send it back to Israel without a fight, they send a bunch of gold and silver as an apology.

Samuel is the judge - the man in charge. He makes the people turn from  Baals and Ashteroth and do what they are supposed to do - to the point that they ask him to call on God on their behalf when the Philistines are attacking, and the Philistines are soundly defeated. All is going well - Samuel is the judge, God is the King.

Israel wants a King - they worry what will happen when Samuel dies, and he is really old. God says to give them what they want, for they are rejecting God and not Samuel. But He warns them that having a king is not going to go well for them - that the king will rule them in a way that will not please them. Still they insist.

Here comes the kingliest king to have ever kinged - the most handsome man in the world, taller than any other man - a real life prince charming. Saul’s father is missing some donkeys, so Saul goes to look for them, speaks to Samuel for help, and God reveals him as the king to Samuel. Now this is surprising - Saul is a Benjamite, so even though he is apparently and absolute stud, he comes from a weak house in the weakest clan - Benjamin was all but wiped out after the Levite and the Concubine. This is who God calls - much like Jesus and how nothing good can come out of Nazareth…

Saul is chosen by lots, and he is made king. The first time a battle comes along, like Samson the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul and he gathered everyone, and they wiped out the Ammonites, and the Kingdom is renewed through sacrifices to God. Seems they are on the right track.

We have this great speech from Samuel, knowing his time is short. He is handing the reins over to Saul, but he warns the people exactly what will happen if they do not remain faithful to God - walking them through history and showing what happened when they strayed. Their king cannot protect them if they do not serve the Lord.

Then, Saul sins. This one seems almost innocent - wanting to offer the sacrifice to the Lord but Samuel is not there at the appointed time - He does it himself, just in time for Samuel to finally arrive and tell him that it’s all over now - his kingdom will perish.

Lots of fighting with the Philistines, and Saul making a dumb vow that gets his own son into trouble. Besides that - who goes into battle without being fed? Isn’t that just plain dumb?

Saul goes to take the Amalekites, and God tells him - kill them all, leave nothing alive. Saul does exactly not that, keeping all of the choice cattle which he claims is a sacrifice for God, and he spares the king himself, only to slaughter him as though to atone - and here Samuel delivers the verse with the theme. Saul wants to repent, but Samuel tells him it is too late now - God is through with him.

Here comes David - the man. The youngest and scrawniest of 8, this unlikely boy joins the service of King Saul, becomes the prince’s best friend, and plates the lyre for the king when he is diturbed.

One day David goes to bring food to his brothers in the battlefield and there is the brute goliath stalking trash about Israel and their God. And honestly, as amazing and awesome as this story becomes, my favorite part is the very beginning. David, scrawny little dude among all the big soldiers who are cowering in their armor at this massive man in front of them. This little guy hears some blasphemy and immediately, he’s not having it. I love his question - “who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” David is concerned with the integrity of the name of the Lord, and nothing else. He kills the giant, goes into Saul’s service as a military leader and proceeds to win everything he tries. Soon Saul is jealous of David, and David marries Saul’s daughter Michal for the low low price of 200 Philistine foreskins.

Now Saul has no choice but to kill David. He is more popular, more successful, and He is going to ruin everything. Michal helps David escape, Jonathan himself helps as well. Finally the moment in the cave - Saul relieving himself and David with the chance to end all of his troubles, cuts off the corner of Saul’s robe to show Him that David spared him.

So our question - how do we sacrifice instead of obeying? Things that come to mind for me are when we tithe or give a lot of money as though it covers sin in our life. Or maybe we devote a ton of time and energy to the church but have no private spiritual life. Or maybe, God is calling us to serve Him in some way that might be outside of our comfort zone, and instead we ramp it up at what we enjoy doing. Are any of us guilty of things like this? What else? How do we fight it?

Let’s Pray.