Saul's decline is matched by David's rise, a theme that will appear in an intermittent fashion throughout 1 Samuel. Saul was rejected as king not specifically because he offered sacrifices, but because he disobeyed a direct command that God had given him through the prophet Samuel. So Saul said, ‘Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me’ ”(1 Samuel 10:6–9). For now, though, God would not just turn his people over to another human being, even if he were a king. God is sovereign. They were turning against God himself instead of Samuel. So, why did God love this red- headed harp player? Israel was languishing under the despotic rule of Saul, whose reign was coming to an end. God told him of Jesse, I have provided Myself a king among his sons (1 Samuel 16:1). 5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. When little Samuel arrived at the temple, God was paying close attention. Saul sinned. He was Israel’s perfect King and allowed them to request a human king. Samuel beheads Agag, cuts him in half, and thretens to continue mutilating the body. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city." The anointing with oil was the promise that David would be King one day. Yet here were the seven sons of Jesse and God did not choose any of them. The Israelites did not ask for a king that God would choose, but one that the world would choose. He consulted a witch and asked her to conjure Samuel up from the dead—another direct violation of God’s Law (1 Samuel 28:1–20). After Saul was found to be less than perfectly fit as king (1 Samuel 13:14 and 15:11), God told Samuel to anoint David as king (1 Samuel ch.16). This is a good question, because in Deuteronomy 17 God allows for the people to have a king. God told Samuel to warn them of what life with a human king would be like. "I will not return with you," Samuel replied. However, God had taken him through a grueling regime to prepare him to be king. God told Samuel to listen to the people and give them a king. [I Samuel 15:31-33] 32 Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. Saul ended his life by committing suicide (1 Samuel … In the New Testament, Ananias expressed his fear to the Lord concerning his mission to commission Saul of Tarsus in Damascus (Acts 9), but God knew the danger. Your excuse is that Samuel’s sons are corrupt - but why aren’t you asking for another judge/prophet rather than a king? Yet as Samuel says, Israel demanded a king “when Yahweh your God was your king” (1 Samuel 12:12). When Saul sinned by making a sacrifice to God that wasn't his to make: Then the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. 13:14, Acts 13:22). b. Samuel tells the Lord, anointing a new king while the reigning king is still alive is dangerous -- as if God didn't know. Why did God reject Saul as king for offering sacrifices, but not David or Solomon when they offered sacrifices? David In Saul’s Service (1 Samuel 16:14-23) Say: Now, God did not make David the King of Israel right away. Having been born in Bethlehem, David was a member of the tribe of Judah. That means He is in control of all things. He didn’t want to be King to begin with – God forced it on him. David is good looking as it turns out, but this is not the basis for his election by God. Incredibly, King Saul ordered the slaughter of eighty-five innocent priests and their families (1 Samuel 22:18–19). The problem was that Samuel, God’s prophet, had promised to meet Saul there but he hadn’t arrived yet. King Saul had the look of a king, but it didn’t take long for him to show he didn’t have the heart of a king. Saul had disqualified himself to rule; God decided on another man: young David. And the LORD was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel. While far from perfect, he had a passion for spiritual things (Ps. 1 Samuel 15:35 Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. David was young when God chose him to be the next king. 8 When Samuel grew old, he made his sons judges in Israel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. We want a king over us." Why was this such a big deal, you might ask. That is true but although David was anointed to be a future king, he gladly laid all his plans at the Master’s feet, to await patiently the unfolding of the workings of God. Later, after “their king” fails, God will give Israel “His king” – David. Though not without flaws, he was an incredible leader, and a very impressive man. 1 Samuel 15:29 He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind. The example of David, the renowned king of Israel for 40 years, is well known, and found in 1 Samuel 16. The historical event is recorded in both 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21. 1 Samuel 15:35 And to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul. Even after Saul was killed in battle (1 Samuel 31:6; 2 Samuel 1:4), David grieved over Saul and Jonathan with deep and genuine sorrow. "No! Since Samuel knew God’s word was true he knew there must be another son of Jesse who was not at the sacrificial feast. Q. 2 The older son was named Joel and the younger one Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. (God ALWAYS keeps His promises!) In 1 Sam 13:8 Samuel was late – Saul waited seven days – then made a sacrifice – to God! God makes it clear to Samuel that outward appearance is not the criteria for God’s choice of king (1 Samuel 16:7). 1 Samuel 16:3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you are to do. But God allowed Saul to remain as king for several years, even after He had chosen David to replace him. In between, Saul's behavior is contrasted with that of Jonathan, his son. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted He had made Saul king over Israel. 1 Samuel 30:8 Context. 1 Samuel 8:22 "And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. God directed Samuel to go to the abode of Jesse, where he would anoint a king from among Jesse's sons. Finally king. First, the Israelites were using the failure of certain men as an excuse for rejecting the system of government God had ordained. "For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and He has rejected you as king over Israel." Saul’s family and the northern tribes of Israel refused to accept David as king even though God had chosen him. 1 Kings 8:16 Why did God discipline David after telling him to take the census in 2 Samuel 24? Right: Samuel orders Saul to bring him King Agag so he can carry out God's command. 1 Samuel 8:19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. In the meantime, G‑d arranged for Samuel to meet the man who was to become the first king of Israel. He expects that God’s king will be “tall, dark, and handsome,” so to speak. These are God’s words of resignation as He grants the people’s request. So, the anger of God is not based on the fact they wanted a king, but the reason why they wanted a king. God, after, all, looks at the heart (see 1 Samuel … Are all the young men here: Samuel had a problem. 1 Samuel 13:1-15:33 – God Rejects Saul as King Summary Saul is rejected as king for disobedience at the beginning and end of this segment. God sent the Prophet Samuel to a man named Jesse, explaining simply, “I have provided me a king … Bible Answer: First, we will look at the historical event and then look at why God disciplined David. 1 Samuel 8 Good News Translation (GNT) The People Ask for a King. Samuel is wrong about who God’s king will be. Samuel’s mother had made a promise to bring Samuel to the temple so that he could serve God from his childhood. This seems wrong. God spoke a word through the prophet Samuel, declaring David’s destiny. 24 When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “See, David is in the desert of Engedi.” 2 Then Saul took 3,000 chosen men from all Israel, and went to find David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. Saul, Israel’s first king, did in fact lead them in victory over Nahash (1 Samuel 11). In 1 Sam 10:7, Samuel tells Saul to do “as occasion serves him, since God was with him.” In 1 Sam 10:8 Samuel tells Saul to wait seven days. Sin grieves God (Gen. 6:6). In the small but valiant tribe of Benjamin there lived a man named Kish. The gist of it is "You (nation of Israel) are just going to be the king's slaves." At that time, however, God set in motion the events that would help make David the King of Israel at just the right time. Although King Saul was initially filled with the Spirit, he was not in the ordained position of being one to offer sacrifices. Read 1 Samuel 8:18-20. Jewish scholars maintain that the story of David and Saul makes this contrast clear. After Saul died, David became king of Judah (2 Samuel 2:4). Outward appearance secondary. Context is important here: A few hundred years earlier, God has rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. No, but we will have a king over us: God will give Israel “their king” – Saul. 3 But they did not follow their father's example; they were interested only in making money, so they accepted bribes and did not decide cases honestly. Analysis. Someday they would be sorry, but they would have to learn that the hard way. When did God decide to remove Saul, Israel's first king, and raise up David in his place? they said. That is why he did not come to the king's table." It all started when God sent Samuel to anoint a replacement for King Saul. The Israelites not only wanted a king, but a king who would judge them (1 Sam 8:6). 1 Samuel 24 New Life Version (NLV) David Did Not Kill Saul. Saul got a raw deal. Instead of turning to the Lord, Israel traded Yahweh for an earthly king out of fear of the serpent. saying, 'Please let me go because our clan is holding a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has told me to be there. David had a heart after God (1 Sam. David Commands Israel Be Counter. 1 Samuel 10:20-21, 24 When Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me go and see my brothers.' While David was the youngest son of Jesse, God raised him up, not one of his older brothers, to be king of Israel, proving that God delights in exalting the humble and humbling the exalted. According to the scriptures, the elders thought that Samuel was too old and his sons did not have the same walk with God that Samuel had. King: a ruler who answers to no one Lesson Outline Lesson Text Israel wanted a king. So the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed their voice, and make them a king.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.” a. (1 Samuel 2:12-17) As a result, God wasn’t able to communicate heart to heart with Eli in the same way he had with others, such as Moses. Saul 's Family. And Agag came unto him delicately. 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