Here are the notes from last night's LightHouse:
What amazes you, what surprises you, and what questions does this chapter raise?
Chapter 15 ends in tragedy. God’s people are now led by a king who no longer has access to God’s word because he has consistently rejected it. And that tragedy is highlighted in Samuel’s mourning and God’s regret over Saul. Chapter 16 opens with Samuel still mourning over Saul, still sorrowful about one who began well but fell away, who rejected God.
And it is not wrong for Samuel to grieve over Saul, just as it is not wrong for us to grieve over those who start well and fall away. But this chapter shows us that God’s sovereignty means that he will keep his promises, he is not indifferent to Saul and his sin and the tragedy which that is, but neither is God hamstrung by it. God is so sovereign that he works even through the mess and mourning over Saul.
1. One Man’s Sin doesn’t derail God’s plan to save (1-5)
Samuel’s mourning is cut short by God, because Saul’s rebellion and hard heartedness whilst a tragedy won’t derail God’s plan of salvation. God and his plan is at the forefront of this chapter, God takes the initiative, he is anointing his King to lead his people(1). And so begins this shell game, Samuel’s fears are well founded; you can imagine that Saul’s spies were keeping a beady on Samuel. After all Samuel had declared 15:28 that the LORD has taken the kingdom from Saul and given it to someone else, and who would anoint that person? Who was God’s kingmaker – it was Samuel. If Samuel went somewhere unusual then it would be of great interest to Saul. You can understand both Samuel’s fear and that of the elders of Bethlehem.
What if Saul finds out? But God again takes the initiative, providing Samuel’s cover – a heifer for a sacrifice. God is moving forward his plan of salvation but he does so in a way which cares for his servants and individuals, which is wise not naive.
**What surprises you in v3? God keeps Samuel in the dark about who he is to anoint. It is emphasised that God alone knows, Samuel knows where he has to go, he knows he is to invite Jesse, he knows he will make a sacrifice, but not who he will anoint. God alone is in control of and driving events, and as Jesse’s sons gather God alone knows and is bringing about his salvation plan.
And it is a plan which is so much wider than just this chapter, turn back to Genesis 38 there we see this bizarre, soap opera like incident between Tamar and Judah which leads to the birth of twins one of whom is called Perez and as you read the chapter you think why on earth is this here! Why does God record this mess? Turn to Ruth chapter 4 and Ruth, a Moabitess, bears a son - Obed, in the line of Perez, to Boaz who is the granddad of Jesse, and David’s great great granddad. Turn to Matthew 1 and we see Judah and Tamar and Perez(3), Ruth, Boaz, and Obed(5), and Jesse and King David(6) are all part of God’s plan to bring about the birth of Jesus the Messiah, the Saviour of the world.
Very simply that ought to cause us to be amazed at the sovereignty of God who works all things to fulfil his plans. God worked through the sin and slop, the wrong motives and loves of people to bring about his plan to save a people for himself. It ought to give us great comfort and security as well as humble us and lead to us to praise God. When it looks at its bleakest God is already working to save, keeping his promises and plans. God is sovereign and nothing will stop him fulfilling his promises and plan.
We need that confidence that God is at work even as we see Christianity increasingly on the back foot in the UK. We need to reckon with the sovereignty of God so that we do not become disillusioned or long only for the big and powerful, but trust God when things are bleak.
2. God’s wisdom confounds ours
This chapter continues to call us to marvel at the sovereignty and wisdom of God as we see who God chooses as king. I wonder who you think you would have picked as king?
The surprising thing in this chapter is who Samuel thinks will be the next king. **Who does he think it will be and why? (6-7)Eliab, and it is because of his height and appearance. Even Samuel, God’s prophet thinks humanly, just as we would have done.
It’s the way we work, “People look at the outward appearance.” Not much has changed has it, just think back a few years ago to when Susan Boyle stepped onto the stage of Britain’s Got Talent. Everyone wrote her off because of her appearance. We judge by what we see, with the eye.
Even Samuel is guilty of that, and you would think that he having just been in mourning for a physically impressive king just like all the other nations had would not be ready to repeat that again. Israel have just had a king who had all the right worldly criteria for kingship but who has failed God’s test, his heart. And yet when Samuel sees Eliab he is getting the anointing horn and oil ready until God rejects Eliab who seems to be Saul version 2.0.
“So not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things human beings look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
God doesn’t focus on the external but the internal, the heart. It’s important to stress that it is not that God is opposed to or anti- attractive or physically impressive people as his choice in David makes clear. But external appearance is unimportant, what God looks at is the heart. And what is it in particular that God looks for, (13:14) “the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart...” A man who loves God, who knows God is good and loving and worth trusting and who will listen to his word and serve him.
No one but God, not Samuel, not Jesse, not his brothers thinks it will be David, but God sees the heart, and David isn’t picked because he is a ready-made king, because he has charisma, or is battle hardened, or is theologically sorted. But God (13)pours out his Spirit on David to empower and equip him because his heart is right, his longings and desires and listening are right.
It’s one of the themes we’ve seen again and again in 1 Samuel God raises the unlikely and humbles the proud and powerful; Hannah, little Samuel, David. God works through the unlikely for his glory, but they are all those who listen to his word and love him.
It is not just in 1 Samuel, think of Isaac, Jacob, Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Rahab, or Tamar, unlikely key players in God’s plan to save. We see it in Jesus; not powerful in worldly terms, born in a backwater town in shame, insignificant in political terms, an outsider, rejected, crucified on a cross and yet God the Son, the Saviour of the world.
It continues to be God’s MO with us. God’s kingdom is like the mustard seed small yet growing, God sovereignly works to bring about his plans and purposes through his people, people who the world does not rate as powerful or significant but who love him and listen to his word. We need to recognise that this is how God works, so that we don’t become disillusioned when we see the church as insignificant.
It also needs to affect the way we look for leaders in the church. God’s priority in his king was someone who had a heart like his. When you read the descriptions of those who are to be appointed as leaders within God’s church they are character descriptions, they are the marks of a heart after God’s own heart. We must not look for leaders as the world looks for leaders, for an Eliab or a Saul who is outwardly impressive, or whose CV would impressive a top 100 company CEO. We look at the heart, at the convictions and character which shape and determine actions.
3. God’s grace to Saul and training of David
Chapter 16 sets up a direct contrast between Saul and David, especially in (13-14). David is now God’s anointed, he has access to the word of God through Samuel, and he is empowered by the Spirit. Saul is a lame duck king, Samuel will not see him or give him God’s word and Saul doesn’t seek it, and God’s Spirit has departed from him. Which king would you want ruling God’s people? It’s a no contest.
But v14 throws up another question; how and why does God send an evil spirit to torment Saul? Firstly it reminds us that God is sovereign not just over his plan of salvation or who he will have as king but even over evil. Secondly I don’t think we are to equate this with demon possession in the New Testment, the word for evil here can equally mean harmful or injurious, and it is calmed with music which runs counter to the New Testament descriptions of demon possession. It is a spirit which causes Saul to be afraid, terrified and overwhelmed and it is an act of judgement by God on a king who has consistently rejected his rule. Saul will not know peace or contentment whilst he sits on the throne.
But God is also sovereign and gracious to Saul in that David is the very source of calming Saul when the spirit comes on him, because the LORD was with David. And in God’s sovereignty David is chosen and loved by Saul and lives out his life in the court learning about Kingship and life as king. But more importantly this will be the proving ground for David’s faith, here he will learn to trust in God and his promises no matter what. Whilst(21) it looks like happy families here by chapter 18 Saul is jealous of David and trying to pin him to the wall with a spear. Yet God remains faithful to David, protecting him, providing for him, teaching him, protecting him and teaching him to trust God who is sovereign over all and will work out his plan to save. David learns that God is with him and that is enough.
God is sovereign over the big plan of salvation, working even sinful actions to his purposes, and over the little events in life like the appointment of a harpist to the court of the king. God is not passive God is actively bringing about his kingdom.
Yet outwardly things in Israel are bleak, yet God is at work raising up his king to save his people from their enemies, and to rule them as he ought to under the authority of the true King.
This passage calls us to see God afresh in all his glory, majesty and sovereignty and to respond in praise. And trusting in him to live as those the LORD is with, in the world. Standing out from it and yet bringing grace into it.
1. What are the characteristics we are to look for in leaders? How does that contrast with what we are moulded by the world to value?
2. How will recognising ‘God is with us’ change our approach to the ups and downs of life?
3. What knocks your confidence that God is working out his plan of salvation? How can we help one another refocus on that truth and live out of it?
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