Samuel was alerted this was going to happen.
Now, God comes along and He confirms this to him. Saul He was not sent into this world. to play the role of a fool. He was intended to play the part of a king. And he failed.
And we look at that and we say, okay. If I'm called into this world, to serve The Lord He hasn't called me to be a fool. But I can be a fool if I want to be one. Choice comes to me. You're listening to Cross Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston.
Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of 1 Samuel. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Cross-Reference Radio, specifically, how you can get a free copy of this teaching. Meeting Saul is the title of Pastor Rick's message, and today he'll be teaching in 1 Samuel chapter 9. God says they go together.
Truth and love, they don't get separated and kindness is a part of love. What use is love if you're mean? That's indicating you're not loving. Had Saul shown God the Father the care he showed his earthly father? It would have been a different story.
Caring for the feelings of those nearest to us. is still not enough. Gangsters can be very kind to their family. I mean, there are drug lords that are very kind to their children.
Well, they're getting other people's children strung out on all sorts of drugs. and other vicious things. Thug love. Nobody needs that. It's hellish.
But On the surface, this is still a good start. God is not altering His truth because someone doesn't like His truth. And that's, you know, the facts really aren't interested in what your opinion is of them. They're going to remain the facts whether you protest or not. It is up to us to decide what truth.
Truth makes a demand on us when we hear it. When someone comes to the church and they've never heard the gospel, and we tell them you're a sinner before the eyes of a holy God and you can be forgiven, but you've got to come through Christ, that is a fact. And you don't have to like it, you can like it. But it's not going to change. Matthew 22, verse 16, they're sending those to Jesus.
He says, And they sent to him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, they're addressing Christ. We know that you are true and teach the way of God and truth. Nor do you care about anyone, for you do not regard the person of men.
Now it makes it sound like he's just this insensitive brute. While he's healing people and changing their lives, right? But what they're saying is that Christ sticks with the truth and he does not move from it because people don't like him sticking with the truth. Yeah, I heard. I don't know, fifth North High School sometime.
Ninth grade, or something. She was an older lady, an English teacher, and she would say, And it was It was not original, but coming from her at her age, if you don't like it, you can lump it. What does that mean? I thought I lumped you. But essentially, he was saying it's too bad, there's nothing you can do about it.
My mom would say tough. Oh man, that was like what's for dinner, Mom. Cereal. What? Tough.
She said, You had to live with this. Yeah, see, I hated it. It was something inside of me. I mean, I didn't let her know. She throws something at me.
Man, it was just so final, so cold. But that's what truth is. The truth is it just doesn't care. It doesn't say, well, let me bake you a cake and see if we try to convince you.
So, as I mentioned earlier, some prefer kindness over God's truth, and as such, They don't come into the truth. They do not become carriers of light. They actually work against it. They think they know better because of their feelings. That doesn't feel right.
Well, but is it right? Others suppose that they are exempt from kindness because of truth. That's the flip side. I have the truth. I don't have to be kind to you.
I know the gospel, and too bad for you if I'm mean. That's wrong too. Again, Christian kindness is built on truth and love, and those two are not separated.
Well, verse six And he said to him, Look, Look now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honorable man. All that he says surely comes to pass, so let us go there. Perhaps he can show us the way. that we should go.
Now this is the servant. that is speaking to us now And He knew where the man of God was. Saul did not. The servant is initiating this. And that, of course, is attractive to us.
The servant knew that this man was reliable. That he was honorable. Saul did not? The servant was ready to make an offering to the man of God. Saul was not.
These are the little hints that are coming out, this contrast that are built into the story. The servant becomes a dominant figure while Saul is disconnected at this point. As the man of God is introduced But to the story. And the man of God is an honorable man. Those two should not be disconnected, going back to truth and love.
That's the honorable facet of our faith. The men of God fail. But they retain Honor through perseverance, through pursuing nonetheless the things that God has put before them. This is what makes David so special over Saul, David failed also. which say David persevered in paths of righteousness.
So here's Israel's future king. And he doesn't recognize that there's Samuel around, and the Bible has already told us that Samuel was known in 1 Samuel chapter 3. And all Israel from Dan to Bathsheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of Yahweh.
So why doesn't he know about him? Later on in chapter 10, we'll find out that his uncle, Saul's uncle, knew about Samuel. Why is Saul so removed from the whole thing? Is it because? His house was rich enough where they really didn't need a spiritual leader.
Were they that self-important and so successful that Who needs the help of a prophet? We're doing pretty good with all of our. Possessions.
So let us go up there. Perhaps he can show us the way to go. Then Saul said to the servant, But look, if we go, What shall we bring the man? You see? He's supposed to be the next king.
He's supposed to be the master. The other one's the servant. He's acting like he's the follower. He says, For the bread now vessels is all gone. And there is no present to bring The man of God What do we have?
And so of course he's thinking on Carnal plane. He's not thinking about the spiritual man. It's just somewhat common to bring a gift of gratitude. Pay your way. But let's be careful of this proverb found in Ecclesiastes 10.
Money answers everything.
Solomon said that. He had a lot of money. Of course, he found out money does not answer everything, but it answers a lot of things.
So you have to be careful. The Bible comes and tells us right out, yeah, money is an excellent tool. but it is a vicious master. If you use money as a servant, then that is a good thing. But if you become its servant, Uh that is a bad thing.
Verse 8: Then the servant answered Saul again and said, Look, I have here. At hand, one-fourth of a shekel of silver, I will give that to the man of God to tell us our way.
Sort of treating him like fortune tellers, the prophets like fortune tellers. But here we have the empty-handed Saul. who was also empty headed, but the servant is ready. See, these little hints, if you know the story, you say, Well, you're reading into it. No, I'm not.
So It is there on purpose. Warning us not to be so shallow when it comes to spiritual things, to be more in tune, not so insensitive. Can scarf down Philet Mignon like he can scarf down, you know, baloney. Doesn't even chew and make it A distinction between the two. Would you serve that person, Philemon, if they came out?
Give them bologna. Keep the good stuff for me. I don't know if you all get that.
Some of you, I know, got it, but I don't know, just younger ones, maybe you didn't get it. Be sensitive to what God is doing. Don't miss it. You won't grow shorter. By being sensitive.
to things of the Spirit. And if you don't have it, if you say, I've tried, I just don't get it.
Well, have you asked God? Usually, well, not usually, but I've heard them say, yes, I have, and I know they really.
Well, if you have... then you have the lesson is to persevere. to push through. to not abandon To not dictate to God.
Okay, I've asked, you've got now two days to answer me, or else I'm moving on. Call out to him. Verse 9 formerly in Israel when a man went to inquire of God. He spoke thus, Come, let us go to the seer, for He who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.
So, a little bit of a history lesson here. that is given. Prophet refers to the one that Speaks, God speaks through them. You could say they speak for God in that sense. Things that have been hidden from ordinary eyes, that's why they are called seers.
But now the prophet covers both of them. Ten. Then Saul said to his servant, Well said. Come, let us go.
So they went to the city where the man of God was.
So Saul says, okay, it's a good plan. Let's do it. Spiritually and naturally, the servant is the one calling the shots. Verse 11. And they went up the hill to the city.
And they met some young women going out to draw water, and said to them, Is the seer here?
Now, this is a common occurrence. The women that was fell into their job description, they were the ones that would haul the water. And water is heavy. It's a lot of work involved. But Isaac and Jacob and Moses have met their or their brides, their future brides, were somehow connected to women.
Drawing water. Remember the watering of the donkeys by Rebecca. What a gal.
So Verse 12. And they answered them and said, Yes. There he is just ahead of you. Hurry now, for today he came to this city because there is a sacrifice of the people today. On the high place.
Some sort of festival, unsaid what it is, but Samuel, apparently, remember he's an itinerant, he's traveling around. In a circuit to different places, and he would preach the word there. And well, this is where part of his. Circuit travelings have landed him. And he's going to make an offering here on the high place, which is at this point in their history permissible.
Not until 1 King does God say, You will not offer anywhere else but in this place. But at this point, this is permissible. Shiloh is destroyed, likely the Battle of Aphex, where they lost the ark and they got the ark back. The Philistines evidently ransacked the temple there because we don't read of the altar and the other items joined with the ark again until David.
So a high place where they're going to conduct this Offering. Verse 13: As soon as you come into the city, you will surely find him before he goes up. to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes because He must bless the sacrifice. Afterward, Those who are invited will eat.
Now therefore go up, and For about this time, you will find him.
Well, they weren't invited. They're at the well drawing water for themselves. And it's kind of cute they put those who were invited. Not a protest, just telling it like it is. But you better hurry up.
Festivities are going to begin. The reverence shown to Samuel as a prophet judge in Israel, he's a Levite. He seems to be in authority over the priests, but not carrying out their duties, which is legitimate. But the reverence of the people, you know, no one's going to eat till Samuel blesses the food. I mean, that's appealing to us to read that.
It should be. If it's not, why is it not? As Christians, do we not bless the food before we eat? And uh It's fun that when sometimes someone gets excited and another Christian starts eating, he says, Hey, hey, why don't you bust the food for us? And they got a mouthful of food.
But that's how you kind of. playfully catch them. Verse 14.
So they went up to the city. As they were coming into the city, there was Samuel coming out toward them on his way up to the high place.
Now this is an arranged meeting by God, and that's going to come out in the story. Samuel has to tell these things for us to know. What is happening? In Matthew 10, we read: Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin, and not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will, but the very hairs on your head. are all numbered.
some more than others. Yeah. Yeah. Anyhow, that verse in Matthew, of course. A bird doesn't drop to the ground without God knowing about it.
There's nothing that gets past him. He's omniscient. He knows everything. God cannot learn. And Here he knows Right when Samuel and Saul's paths are going to cross.
And he has engineered it, and now it is happening. And verse 15, Now Yahweh had told Samuel in his ear, the day before Saul came, Saying, Tomorrow, about this time, I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. and you shall anoint him commander over my people Israel, That he may save my people from the hand of the Philistines, for I have looked upon my people because of their cry, because their cry has come to me. And so when Samuel saw Saul Yahweh said to him, There he is. the man whom I spoke to you.
This one shall reign over my people. This God of the universe just kind of casually See, there he is, right there. That's the one I was telling you about. It's amazing. And Samuel's telling this, he says, I'm telling you, God did all of this, this is what happened.
This predictive prophecy It's God tell telling future Events And the day earlier, the day before, Samuel was alerted this was going to happen.
Now God comes along and He confirms this to him. Saul He was not sent into this world. to play the role of a fool. He was intended to play the part of a king. And he failed.
And we look at that and we say, okay. If I'm called into this world, To serve the The Lord He hasn't called me to be a fool. But I can be a fool if I want to be one. The choice comes to me. He was intended, as I said, to be this great king.
And when we get to chapter 10, we're going to see God investing in him. Helping him along, giving him everything he needs, taking away all the excuses. Youth may get tired of hearing me say, you go to a church that preaches the word, your excuses have been taken away from you. You won't be able to say to God, well, I didn't know. Um Serious.
Business. Faith. things about God. Every cemetery Calls out to the living. and says this is serious stuff.
You're going somewhere when you leave here. Not the body. That's of no use. Any more? But what's inside?
The heart where God was looking. Yeah, you can either take that as bad news or good news.
So If I was Younger again. I would be asking, God, what do you want me to do? I hear these older saints telling me All these things. What do you want me to do? And that would be the beginning.
It might take a little time for God to Give it to you. He may give it to you in doses because you can't handle but so much. And part of that experience is your development.
Well He was intended to be a king, like I said, and he became obsessed. With David's death. And what started that? Saul is killed as thousands. David is ten thousands.
Jealousy. Oh envy. He wanted to be the center of everything. Life was supposed to revolve around him. And his little, you know Heart was, his little feelings were hurt.
Somebody was better than him at something. He hated David so much for this, he spent his rest of his kingship. Chasing David. neglecting the Philistines When we just heard God say, My people's calling out, I'm giving them the king to deliver them. He Neglected that.
Sent whole regiments after David. Until finally the Philistines got strong enough, they cornered him and they killed him and his sons.
So many lessons about being distracted in this case, being distracted, being pulled away, being seduced away, is some devil. luring you away into something you're not supposed to be doing. And that is the story of Saul. to the point where he became an enemy of everything that was righteous. Verse 18, Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Please tell me where is the seer's house?
So out of touch. With who Samuel was. You say, well, how's he supposed to know?
Well, God could have alerted him, but there's just nothing in really in this man. His spiritual disregard became legendary by the time he dies on Mount Gilboa. These are the early hints about his shallow character, So the first time Saul is shown speaking to Samuel. He doesn't even know who he is. And By the time this chapter is over, and Samuel is going to be such a host, such a kind person to him.
We're not even going to hear Saul say thank you. In fact, we'll just have to wait till we get there to see it come off pages for itself. Knowing what we know again, what's coming, we are ready for Saul's inability. To see God in the godly. You can't even, is there anyone here that cannot point out someone else who is godly?
I don't mean a family member you just love and think the world of. I don't mean a sports figure or somebody. I mean somebody who you think that this is a person that is just trying to serve God. with everything they've got. And you have no charges against them.
Can you pick somebody out like that? because Saul couldn't. In verse 19, Samuel answered Saul and said, I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today, and tomorrow I will. let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart.
But as for your donkeys, that were lost three days ago, Do not be anxious about them. for they have been found. and on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you? And on your father's house.
Well, Samuel has just gave himself a pretty strong introduction. He's telling him things that he, how could he possibly know? You'd think Saul would pick up on this. It's just like again, someone coming to a solid church and getting a solid Bible study, not even knowing what they're getting. Hearing scripture verses quoted, not even knowing a scripture, and not even caring to know.
not even moved by them. Thief on the cross, you know, the two outlaws on the cross. One was deeply moved at one point, and the other one was never got it.
So we don't get the feeling that the honor of being with Samuel has registered. Even at this miraculous moment, you would think, right? You would just say. How'd you know that, Samuel? Yeah, what happened when Philip The Lord told him before, I saw you, I saw you, Philip.
And he's still you know. Philip was so taken by it. And Jesus said, Because I saw you and said these things to you, are you ready to believe? Are you? but not with Saul A lack of spiritual sensitivity.
puts him in the same class with these characters as Lot, Is Laban There's Ishmael. Esau and a cast of thousands, These men were like goats. They just, you know, just totally and just would eat anything. is a whole different character than the sheep. He probably questioned the the attention he was getting.
And it doesn't appear he would question anything else. The Bible is very careful. That when someone shows evidence of moving towards God, it points it out. Like with Ruth. Naomi didn't catch it.
She moved on, but Ruth got it, and the Bible takes the time to point it out.
So here he is found. in the presence of Saul. The subtle alarms are going off. This introduction to Saul, meeting Saul, saturated with his shallowness.
So let's contrast again Saul and David's beginnings. Both men began, when we meet them, on an errand for their father. Saul is searching for his father's donkey, and he ends up finding a. The crown. He comes to king.
What will he do with it?
Well, we know what he's going to do with it. David started out bringing supplies to his father's sons, David's brothers. Of course, he ends up killing a giant. There, he begins to find his crown also. because that was his introduction to the king's court.
And what did he do with it? Both started looking for someone else's Things. one for donkeys, one for sons. Both received high honours. One trampled the honor.
The others struggled through it. I'm interested in the one that struggled through it because it tells me it's doable. See, I can identify with David.
Sometimes it's a little difficult to identify with a guy like Joseph. Or Daniel. or Paul, because they're such dynamos. But David I can easily see, yeah, David's a guided. Just messed up.
And was still this person in love with God, being used by God, he was used by God until his death. And That gives so much hope to the sinner. No sinner can say, I'm just so awful. God can't use me. I mean, look at David, what he did with Uriah.
I mean, it's just. God says, I'm gonna put this story in print because people are gonna As a young Christian, when I became a young Christian, I was just so impressed with King David. In fact, When I was called my first calling to ministry, Was around the book by Alan Redpath, The Making of a Man of God, which is the life of David. Thanks for joining us for today's edition of Cross-Reference Radio. This is the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Virginia.
Currently, Pastor Rick is in the book of 1 Samuel. If you'd like to listen again to this or other messages or share it with someone you know, please visit crossreferenceradio.com. Here, you can also listen to interviews with Pastor Rick to learn more about his life and ministry. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast so you'll never miss another edition. All you have to do is find us on your favorite podcast app.
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