Last Judge - First King
This Sermon preached at St Andrew’s Wakefield 4 July 2004
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There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bekorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. 2 Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else.
3 Now the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.” 4 So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them.
5 When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, “Come, let’s go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us.”
6 But the servant replied, “Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let’s go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.”
7 Saul said to his servant, “If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?”
8 The servant answered him again. “Look,” he said, “I have a quarter of a shekel[a] of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take.” 9 (Formerly in Israel, if someone went to inquire of God, they would say, “Come, let us go to the seer,” because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.)
10 “Good,” Saul said to his servant. “Come, let’s go.” So they set out for the town where the man of God was.
11 As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water, and they asked them, “Is the seer here?”
12 “He is,” they answered. “He’s ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place. 13 As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time.”
14 They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel, coming toward them on his way up to the high place.
15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: 16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.”
17 When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.”
18 Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”
19 “I am the seer,” Samuel replied. “Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will send you on your way and will tell you all that is in your heart. 20 As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?”
21 Saul answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?”
22 Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and seated them at the head of those who were invited—about thirty in number. 23 Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the piece of meat I gave you, the one I told you to lay aside.”
24 So the cook took up the thigh with what was on it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, “Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion from the time I said, ‘I have invited guests.’” And Saul dined with Samuel that day.
25 After they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of his house. 26 They rose about daybreak, and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get ready, and I will send you on your way.” When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together. 27 As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us”—and the servant did so—“but you stay here for a while, so that I may give you a message from God.”
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Listening
Introduction
Background to today's story is in 1 Samuel Chapter 8. Israel wanted to be like other nations and have a King. Israel was God's chosen people, God reigned, they were a theocracy - God was their king. Samuel took their demand for a king as a vote of 'no confidence' in him.
Let us enter this passage by looking at their Hannah’s Problem, them Hannah’s Prayer and finally Hannah’s Response.
The Last Judge
Listening to God
God’s Response
Last Judge
When we are on the brink of a general election are a presidential election the parties produce a manifesto. In it they claim that their policies will solve the nations problems. But no nation or party has ever found a formula that will solve the political, social and moral problems of their nation.
Churches also have different strategies and approaches to work within a community and to reach out to people with the gospel. But none of them are perfect, there is always the chance that our human nature has put an ungodly slant on a church strategy.
But when we seek the Lord God as the ruler and vision giver of the church there is real hope that we will see God work in a mighty way among us and through us. How we do this is another question, but it has to start with our leadership, pastors, elders, home group or cell group leaders seeking God in their personal lives through prayer, bible and praise. Also about listening to the voice from the 'edge.'
Samuels experience in the temple taught him to keep that habit of keeping at least a daily appointment with God and in seeking Gods will.
The bible passage 1 Samuel 9 is about the elders of Israel looking for political solutions. We read in Chapter 8 that Samuel is old, his sons have not been faithful to God and the Philistines are still a threat.
The other nations around seemed to be better off with a king so the elders became anxious for their future and asked Samuel for a king of Israel. They were rejecting the period of Judges (Samuel was their last judge). More importantly, they were rejecting their unique witness as a nation of having God as their King, the last theocracy. And yet through Samuel's relationship with God (he was on his way to worship God when they met) they heard from God. Samuel had a revelation the day before about God's chosen one (it was to be Saul).
The voice from the 'edge' was Saul a son of Kish (he was wandering, looking for a donkey).
Listening to God
Samuel gives a clear picture of a good servant of God and a good leader of the people - he listens to the people but relies on God to give him the answer.
Notice God will not impose his will on his followers. We have our freedom to act and make choices. We can make wrong choices. Later when Israel's monarchy went wrong they could not turn round and accuse God for the mess their kings had got them in to.
Nonetheless, God allowed their desire for a king and was even Sovereign over their choosing and made sure his man (Saul) was chosen as their first king. Later God gave them Solomon to rebuild the temple and the great king David (Psalms).
Notice how God was in control of the small things aswell as the big picture in this story.
Some people call it coincidence you may have heard the word God-incidences!
One of the wonderful things about being a Christian and having a personal relationship with God is that he is in control of both the big things and the little things in our lives. This story starts off talking about lost donkeys and ends up anointing a young man as king of Israel bringing to an end the period in Israel's history of the judges (Samuel the last of the judges) - God-incidence!
The heart of the matter is in the listening. Listening for God's answer.
Have you a decision to make today or this week -where you need to listen to God more carefully to discern his leading?
God’s response
Let us look around and think of how you first met some one in church, what were the different places and circumstances. Samuel first met the person to be chosen as king through a lost donkey!
In some ways it is a rags to riches story [eg Oliver the musical] . Saul is not poor, Kish was rich but he is not aristocracy, not royalty, the Benjamin tribe is less important than Ephraim and Judah.
Notice the kind of people God chooses to minister for him - Saul in all innocence set out to find his fathers lost donkeys. He had no expectations or ambition to become famous or powerful. God is looking for people who will be vessels, conduits for him to fill and flow through.
After the people rejecting the Judges era there would have been people trying to be noticed or trying to impress Samuel but God was looking for someone who would allow God to reign and minister through him and that person was Saul. [He would be the conduit for God’s glory].
Today in our church, God is looking for people to minister for him who have no expectations or ambition except to be used by God people who prepared to let Jesus have the pre-eminence, people who will (like John Baptist) be prepared to decrease so that Jesus may increase. Empty vessels for him to fill, conduits for him to flow through.
Our Responsibility
God is interested in the people we meet, the friends we make, he is not just interested he is involved.
Did you ever think about this - if you listed all the people you know friends, neighbours and family, there would be no other person in the world with that same list of people that you have, there would be some repeats but that portfolio of people is unique to you and God has chosen you to be his 'person on the ground' for serving them and for praying for them and for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with them. What an honour and what a responsibility.
