Baptism of Fire • 1 Samuel 10-11
43:31 Teaching begins
Notes
God has chosen a man to be king in Israel and He has confirmed it to him so he knows: you are My man. Saul knows that this was not his idea, this is God.
Now God will confirm His choice to the entire nation so that they too will know this man is God’s choice.
Saul is an impressive guy. Everyone sees it. But “impressive” isn’t what makes him effective in his first big emergency. It’s what the Holy Spirit does in him that makes him effective as king.
This is a practical demonstration of what it says in Zechariah 4:6 Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.
I’m reading in 1 Samuel 10 from verse 14 (to 24).
1. Saul allows God to make him king, vv. 14-25.
A. He does not tell his uncle. What would his uncle think? Would anyone believe him? No way. God has to make Saul king.
B. So Samuel calls all Israel together to the Lord at Mizpah.
C. He tells them again, “You’re making a mistake.”
1. By the word of the Lord he recounts their history: God has been saving you ever since Egypt. That’s hundreds of years now.
2. Today you are rejecting the God you saves you.
3. Samuel is a faithful witness whether anyone listens to him or not. People will know that he spoke the word of God in truth. They have been warned.
D. The priests use the Urim and Thummim to inquire of God. It was something like casting lots, something that looks coincidental and random. Yet the Lord is lord over coincidence. The tribe of Benjamin is taken, the family of Matri, and finally Saul himself. He is the king chosen by God.
E. When they find Saul and he stands up it’s an exciting moment.
1. With all Israel surrounding him, Saul turns out to be the tallest guy there by a head. He is the handsomest man in Israel. They know this because they are all there to see. Wow, is he ever impressive!
2. In the excitement of the moment even Samuel is carried away. Do you see? There is no one like him! Everybody goes nuts. Long live the king. Swoon. He is impressive.
F. Samuel writes up the ordinances of the kingdom, what he can do, what he can’t do. It’s also written out in Deuteronomy 17. This is a contemporary document showing that this is history. Then he sends everyone home.
2. Two responses to the new king are to be for him or against him, vv. 26-27.
A. Valiant men went with Saul to his house in Gibeah because God touched their hearts.
1. A king can’t govern by himself. He needs a group of capable men around him, even more capable than himself. You hope you get those kind of guys because what good are they if they just have good hearts but they’re incompetent? How much does God love you if He sends you clueless people?
2. Notice that they are not motivated because Saul is tall or handsome.
3. The Holy Spirit touched their hearts to submit themselves to him. Even though they might be better men than Saul and they could easily pursue their own interests, they say, “I will do all that I can to help the king and get him where he needs to be.” They submit themselves and give of themselves to Saul for the Lord’s sake, as unto the Lord. The Lord is building Saul’s government by His Spirit.
B. The other response is to despise Saul and dishonour him.
1. These guys are worthless men. They don’t have a good reason to hold themselves back from Saul. They really aren’t submitted to God, so it’s no wonder that they aren’t submitted to Saul. Their rebellion against God produces their dishonouring of Saul.
2. Notice that they are not neutral. If they’re not for Saul, they dishonour him. If they’re not a help, they’re a hindrance. If they’re not for him, they’re against him. But they are not neutral. They are worthless.
3. This is why Jesus emphasised, you are either for Me or against Me. You gather with Me or you scatter against Me.
C. But notice that Saul is effectively supported not because of his qualifications but by the Holy Spirit moving and influencing men.
D. And Saul lets God establish his kingdom as much as choose and confirm him as king. So he doesn’t defend himself to these worthless men.
3. God does establish Saul in his first big emergency: Nahash attacks Jabesh Gilead, vv. 1-15.
A. Nahash attacks Jabesh Gilead because he’s a bully. He’s not after more land or spoils of war and riches. He has nothing better to do than to degrade and disgrace Israel.
B. A bully causes someone to do something by force or coercion. Compel an action or choice by threat, or force. Use language or behaviour that is cruel, insulting, threatening or aggressive.
C. Bullies are invariably cowards. They don’t have the courage of their convictions. They only have the courage when they have the muscle. The governments who are pushing and coercing people to take vaccines are bullies. They use aggressive language. They vilify those who do not obey them. Notice Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada using cruel language against the truckers protesting his mandates. Then when 1500 miles of convoy arrives in Ottawa he flees and says he was exposed to someone who tested positive. French President Macron is also tough. He’s going to make the unvaccinated irritated and angry. Love is not rude, ever. He is unloving, Trudeau is unloving, Biden is unloving. Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand is unloving. Something is wrong when you can’t do everything you do in love.
D. Nahash is so confident that he lets Jabesh Gilead send out messengers pleading for help.
E. When Israel hears, people weep and mourn as if it’s all over and Jabesh is gone. There’s nothing we can do against all that power!
F. But when Saul hears about it the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him mightily. That’s the force of the original language. The Spirit rushes upon him, breaks forth upon him. Saul becomes angry with the Lord’s indignation against ignorant, arrogant bullies who threaten His people. Picking on people because you are stronger is wrong. Nahash is not loving God’s people, he’s oppressing like he’s the devil. So God is indignant, angry against what is wrong.
G. In the indignation of the Lord Saul communicates the fear of the Lord. If you don’t show up your oxen is going to end up like this piece right here. You can’t say, well, too bad for Jabesh, it’s not my fight. Their fight is your fight. The next time it’s going to be your town, your city. You have to stand up and share the conviction and be counted.
H. So as one man they show up and wipe out the Ammonites.
G. We see at the end what the Spirit of the Lord has accomplished.
1. Tremendous motivation, focus and unity.
2. Victory over the enemy.
3. Mercy and forgiveness. Don’t put anyone to death on my account—the Lord has accomplished this salvation in Israel.
4. Submission to the king and the Lord as they renew the kingdom in Gilgal.
5. Great joy.
6. None of this happened because Saul was handsome or tall. It was all the result of Saul being filled with the Holy Spirit.
4. So what?
A. That scripture “not by might nor by power but by My Spirit, says the Lord”, is for the real world. The principle is, we put God first and do everything we do in His Spirit. That means we do everything we do in love.
B. We have very practical things to do.
1. In Zerubbabel’s case, he had to rebuild the temple of God that was in ruins. He had to clear away rubble, get building supplies, organise labour, defend against enemies of God, motivate people to get involved, and do the work.
2. We have to respond to wickedness and accomplish practical things. These guys in Israel were not stuck in a church. They were out in the real world, dealing with wickedness in the real world.
3. But this is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel. This is how it played out with Saul. Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord.
B. The Spirit works in us through the love of God in our hearts.
1. God is not a bully. He doesn’t coerce, threaten, force you by beating you and making you feel guilty. He does not force you to lay down your life for Him
2. He lays down His life for you. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10 He pours out mercy, forgiveness, cleansing, love in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
3. Then He says, “Do you love Me? Feed My sheep.” Or love those people in Congo. Save unborn lives. Resist bullies. Love your neighbours. Teach Sunday school. Teach the Bible. Let all that you do be done in love. That’s the secret.
C. When we think of following and serving Jesus we look at our own resources and either say I can do this or I can’t do this.
1. I have ability. I’m smart, I can play an instrument, I’m capable, I’m good-looking, therefore I’m useful to God. We might even go as far as to think: He’s lucky to have me on His team.
2. Or we can excuse ourselves from showing up. I can’t do anything. I’m small, I’m not a musician, I’m an ugly, ordinary person. Therefore I can’t do anything. Please excuse Robbie, signed, his mother.
D. How you serve Him is to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
1. Your own abilities do not qualify you to serve Jesus. Your inability doesn’t disqualify you. You being you is not the issue. The Holy Spirit upon you is everything.
2. The toughest lesson I’ve ever learned is that God does not need anything that I bring to the table. All that I am and all I can do is insufficient because all that I do must be done in love. Without love I am nothing, I accomplish nothing. That’s impossible without the Holy Spirit.
E. Has the Spirit of the Lord touched your heart to follow Jesus? He is your Lord, or else He is not your Saviour. Has He touched you with His love? In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10). Have you received Him to love you in your heart?
F. Then you will think as God thinks and feel what God feels. You won’t weep like a human being but you will be indignant like God. You will oppose bullies and have compassion on the lost like God.
G. Then you will know the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit. Those Canadian truckers have the courage of their convictions to resist abusive treatment and language from a cowardly bully. There’s videos of them praying the Lord’s Prayer as they resist. God bless them.
Let’s pray.