Too many times there are just those who. Miss the opportunity of the anointing on their lives, as did Saul. There he was supposed to be ruler of the people, protector of the people. Defeating the Philistines and other people in the land that came against God's people, but he was obsessed with destroying one godly righteous man, and it brought him down.
So God will give the people A king after their own hearts, but he will not let them choose. He's not going to give them that much authority. Uh This is 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. But for now, let's join Pastor Rick in the book of 1 Samuel 10 as he begins his message: the anointing of Saul. 1 Samuel chapter 10 We have a lot to cover. And so we'll be getting right to it. The anointing of Saul.
The Old Testament is so challenging. There's so much information, so much background information. How much do you include? How much do you leave out? We can take time to just talk about anointings in the Bible.
We can take time to just so many areas that we can go into.
So, I am going to try to keep it strict to the man Saul and the dadder before us without. discussing where Zelza is and places like that. This is about the anointing of Israel's first king. as you know, and it is a very big deal. It's not a casual thing.
Oh, we're doing, you know, if you're in Israel at that time, oh, they're going to anoint Saul. In fact, in the beginning, only two people know about it. Samuel the anointer And Saul the anointe. And whenever God Singles us out for some service, whatever it may be. It's always a big deal.
It's not like, well, you know, it was a big deal when I was doing this in the church, but it's not so much when I'm. No, it's all a big deal. All of it matters. Just do it wrong. and find out how much it matters.
We are to apply ourselves. And The energy and the attention given to Saul By God through Samuel. makes this very clear to us. Samuel's heart, when God finally tells Samuel, Give up on Saul. Samuel is his heart is just broken over the whole thing.
Saul meant so much to him. He looked at him, he liked him. This says the guy I didn't want a king, but if this is going to be the king, this is the one I would have picked. And you know, many times, for instance, in politics, people they vote what they like, never mind the material or the substance of the matter, it's just that they like you, that's what matters, just by looking at you. And that's not the right way to approach.
Important decisions. And there is a flood of confirmation. Concerning the anointing of this man for him.
So that he would have no doubt that God singled him out of all the people on the earth to be Israel's first king. You could almost say God goes out of his way to do this. Unfortunately, this energy and attention given. To those being anointed for some work by God is often Missed by people today in Christianity. They don't get it.
They don't appreciate it. You know, when someone comes up and says, you know, if you're interested, there's an opening here, and you say, I'll do that. That is a big deal. It's not Oh, okay, I'll help you guys out. No one's helping anybody out with serving the Lord.
Once we get into we're helping each other out, then we're working for the wrong person. But when we remember it's God's house, his property, his rules, it belongs to him. And anything he gives me. It comes from him. And as far as, for instance, tithes and offerings, he lets me keep 90% of, as a rule.
As a rule of thumb, I get to keep 90% of what he's given to me. And it keeps us sober-minded. unless we trivialize these things and dismiss them. And so we learn a lot. From A life like Saul, By looking at his life, we say that's not how to do it.
That is the how not to do it. And it's very easy. I can follow this. Not complicated, and it sticks with you. Samuel began in the spirit.
He was the child that wasn't supposed to be. And when he does come, his mom, you could, in this sense, say his mom prayed him into existence, of course, not without God's permission. And he began in the spirit in that way. and he continued in the Spirit until God took him home. Saul began in the spirit also.
Well, it was a little bumpy. But he still was in the spirit. But he lived in the flesh. and he died in uncertainty. We can say Samuel is in heaven.
I am not so quick to say that about a man like Saul. And we'll find that out as we study his life. A challenge in studying the life of Saul is to not overdo the criticisms. He hands them to us. You just don't want to start.
Okay, here's another one. He's, you know, he didn't clip his nails.
Something, you know, goofy.
Well, let's look at verse 1. Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because Yahweh has anointed you? Commander over his inheritance. That's a pretty large stewardship. The anointing.
This anointing was private.
Now look in the previous verse, the 1 Samuel 9, verse 27, as they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Tell the servant to go ahead of us, and he went on, but you stand here a while, that I may announce to you the word of God.
So this is a one-on-one thing. And there's the old prophet, and there's Tall Saul. Later. In Verse 17, Samuel will present Saul to the people, and then later in chapter 11, he will coronate. He will crown him.
There are three steps to his becoming king. Three phases. Of announcing to the nation that this is now their ruler. But here it says: Samuel kissed Saul. See, this is an indication of not only support, but of love.
There's an emotional side to this. This is not emotional ism where the feelings are running the ship. But this is Genuine. Samuel is he he loved Saul. And he wants this to work.
And as a prophet of God, he is going to do everything he can to make it work. And it's going to be really tough for him to let it go. First. Samuel chapter 16, verse 1.
Now Yahweh said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul? Saul's still alive when he says this. Samuel dies, but long before Saul. Seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel. See, I read this and I say, are these lessons for me?
That in ministry there's hurt feelings. There's tough times. There's things you just got to let go. But you got to keep moving forward. Do your duty.
Samuel anointed a relatively decent man. And Saul was relatively related to other men of his day. He was a decent guy. We know of nothing against him, really. But he would become murderously obsessed With killing one more decent man than him.
In fact, that is the spark that set the fire. That ignited the keg. That was, you know, Saul has killed his thousands. The women got David in trouble. David killed his 10,000s.
And This, of course, was something that just Saul could not live with. That There could be someone better than him. Pride, you know, pride is a serious thing. It drove Nebuchadnezzar crazy. The scriptures tell us that in more than one place, it was pride.
and had him eating grass like a beast of the field. And Too many times, there are just those who. miss the opportunity of the anointing on their lives. as did Saul. There he was, supposed to be ruler of the people, protector of the people.
defeating the Philistines and other people in the land that came against God's people, but he was obsessed with destroying one godly righteous man, and it brought him down.
So God will give the people A king after their own hearts, but he will not let them choose. He's not going to give them that much authority. They get too many things wrong too many times. And so he is going to choose the king that they're looking for. It's not his first choice.
It is not his first love. Two centuries later, the people will start appointing their own kings in the northern kingdom with disastrous. Results and effects.
Now we come to verse 2. When you have departed from me today, you will find two men by Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelza. And they will say to you, The donkeys which you went to look for have been found, and now your father has ceased caring about the donkeys and is worrying about you, saying, What shall I do about my son? As I mentioned, it's just a lot of information here. In fact, I thought about: do I do this chapter in two sections?
And if I get to start doing that, I'm going to do some more like that, and we'll be in Samuel in a long time. But when you've departed from me today, you will find two men by Rachel's tomb.
Well, see, this is one of the things. It says that her tomb was in the territory of Benjamin, but we know it was in Judah. As likely, it's a monument that that tribe wanted to establish for themselves, her tomb being in Judah, and they want a monument. That's just a logical response to that. The reason why he's beginning to give him these astounding details in what we know as being predictive prophecy, there are different types of prophecy.
There's direct prophecy when, for instance, Elisha says, Go dip in the Jordan. That's a direct prophecy. Word from God to Naaman to be cleansed of his leprosy. Predictive, of course, is telling a future event that's not taking place, and that's all over the scripture. But then there's also the prophecy of song, of praising God, the prophecy that involves praise and edification.
It's the traffic of spiritual things from the throne of God to people. That's what overall the meaning of prophecy is. And you have to keep it in context because in a moment we're going to see Saul prophesying, but he's not going to be predicting the future all over the place with everybody. It just would be goofy, and it's not even what is intended by its meaning. The context of what the instruments will Make that Very clear to us.
But the reason why Samuel is saying he's going to give him a flood of signs, of confirmations. That's going to rule out any thoughts of coincidence.
Well, that just happened that way.
Okay, you got two of them. It's you know, beginner's luck or some goofy thing. No, Samuel is saying, I'm anointing you with oil. Is you going to be the king? 'Cause this comes from the throne of God.
And to validate this anointing that it is indeed from God. These things are going to take place on your way back home from Mizpah to Gibeah. and they're remarkable. He says, the donkeys which you went to look for have been found. They were found without him.
That's significant. It indicates that Saul was being relieved. From his farm work and his field work, it's a very subtle indication. The donkeys will be okay without you. You now have another calling in your life.
And that is where your attention is to be turned henceforth and devote yourself to the anointed work. That others will bring him, not yet. Samuel's telling him what's going to happen. And it's going to happen, others will come and tell him. They told Samuel that didn't come direct to Saul.
And it is another confirmation, this time through people. I guess it's important to point out at this point that you cannot serve in public ministry. And neglect Your home leaves some private calling neglected to fail. A man cannot say, Well, I know I'm supposed to be here to support my family, but I'm going to go do God's work, and you're going to have to just trust Him for your food from now on. That is insane.
And one of you says to them, Depart in peace, be warmed and be filled, but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? James is saying, You're kidding? These are false. These are fake blessings. They're meaningless.
You can't say, Lord, bless you. And you see a need that you can help someone with. And you don't. How is that blessing anyone? How is that ministry?
Well, it would be transferred just equally, and there are other passages. I'm gonna spend too much time on this, but. We have no right to neglect responsibilities and blame ministry for it. As Jesus said to the Pharisees, These you should have done without leaving the others undone. You must multitask.
You must get her done. And so here, though, he is now being relieved in symbol and imagery of what's taking place. The donkeys are found without you. Because God is calling you to something else. Because your father will be able to run the farm without you.
And if it were any other way, then you would not be called to this work. He says that now your father has ceased caring about the donkeys and is worrying about you. Yeah, well, Saul's father seems to have been a loving father. He seems to have shown his son more love than Saul showed any of his children. How does that work?
How does someone have a loving Parent or parents. And not appreciate it. I mean, some of you older ones, you know. Yeah, you know, I didn't appreciate it to years later.
So you younger ones. You can either learn the hard way or the right way.
Well, both ways are hard, but one is foolish. I'm going to wait until I get hurt before I learn the lesson, or I can perceive it. From a distance, I can look down the road and see what's going on with some perception. There are a lot of benefits to that. There's much fruit there.
Verse 3, then you shall go forward from there and come to the terebinth tree of Tabar.
Now I'm sure we all want to know where that is.
Well we don't. There, three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you: one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine. This is incredible.
So, you're going to go over to one of the supermarkets and you're going to find this and you're going to find that. It's just incredible. I don't think Saul ever really got it. I don't think when these things happened, did he ever look back and say, Man, I remember the day I was called to the throne of Israel's king. And that old prophet Just predicted one thing after another, ensuring me that God was with me.
No, that wasn't, David would have gobbled that up. David would have written 10 songs about the three goats in the guy's hand, but he does not. have to go that route. This again is predictive prophecy versus the exalted prophecy that's coming. In Bethel Jacob.
Set up his altar there. And at this time in Israel's history, The ark was separated from the articles of the temple.
So really what was tolerated Was that you could offer your offerings wherever the priests were willing to offer them? There was not lawlessness. The Levites were not to offer the offerings. The priests were, and without them, you really could not go forward. Samuel seems to, well, he was the judge of Israel.
So he really judged Prophet Levite.
Some room to say he was a priest on his mother's side, but. Not going to go down that road too much either. Suffice it to say: Samuel is calling the shots in the nation. He is the overseer. And he has a direct line with God.
He is a man of prayer and effective prayer. He gets a lot done, and that comes out in this first book of Samuel. And so the scattered worship is permitted. These men are going to Bethel and they're carrying these items with them to offer. How does one carry three goats at one time?
Seems very busy to me. A lot of squirming going on. I've never carried three goats. I don't know if they cooperate. Of course, it's kind of like a fish riding a bicycle.
There's a lot of stuff going on. But the carrying, of course, is not limited to holding them off the ground. They are in his custody. The other two are carrying the The wine and the bread, and that's not on a leash, that is in their hands, or else who wants to have the bread after it was dragged on the ground? Verse 4, and they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall receive from their hands.
Again, remarkable details. The features of this prophecy just insist that, as it's said of Samuel earlier in chapter 3, none of his words fell to the ground. And he said it had happened. That's why when Samuel showed up, people were nervous. Are you here to judge us or bless us?
What is this going to be? You can't blame them.
Well, the men had these loaves. with them intended these the loaves that they carried, as well as the goats and the wine. They were intended to be given to an anointed priest. But here they're being given two of them are. to Saul.
And his receiving them is symbolic of his receiving the blessings and the anointings that were issued by. Samuel It is God saying, a prosperous people will support their king. I will make them prosperous. And I will have them support you. But.
No Jew that was of the word would lose sight of man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, according to Deuteronomy eight three and Saul lost sight of that all the time. He is again, he is the postal boy for how not to do it. Sad story, but you can't let up on him. You try to find a time to be, I'm going to be kind-hearted. Even if my approach is that I'm all right, I'm going to go easy on Saul.
Why can't? He's not helping. We'll bring it out. Verse 5 After that you shall come to the hill of God, where the Philistine garrison is, and it will happen, when you have come to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with stringed instruments, a tambourine, a flute, a harp before them. and they will be prophesying.
Evidently they're going to a known place of worship. And Where it mentions the garrison of the Philistines. Evidently, the Philistines had an outpost there. It may have been abandoned, it may not have been, but that was one of the markers for Saul when he got to this place. He would also see these men coming, and they would be singing songs, prophesying in the sense of worshiping the Lord.
As we see in the book of Acts, the daughters of Philip, you know, they were all prophesying.
Well, they weren't. God's not a chatterbox. You know, He's just, oh, and this is going to happen, and that's going to happen. These are. Acts of worship, and this is how the Old Testament primarily presents it to us.
It was inspired praise. And Saul gets Caught up in it, wondrously so. In fact, it was something that remained a part of his life. With stringed instruments, tambourine, flute, harp, Later, we're going to see Samuel leading the prophets. 1 Samuel chapter 19.
Then Saul sent messengers to take David. There he is, hunting David like the partridge. And when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as leader over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
So here these men are. They're scouting out. They're looking for David, and they come across Samuel leading the prophets in worship, in song, and they're overtaken spiritually. They start praising God too. I will cause the wrath of man to praise him, says the psalmist.
Music arrested Saul, but it would only do it for a while. And we're going to come to I, verse 6. Then the Spirit of Yahweh will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.
So, the two different exhibitions of prophecy. One is predictive, and this other one here is, of course, full of praise and exhortations. Saul will join them in praising Yahweh. Which was brought on by the prophets in Psalm. And if Saul could be moved into the spirit, anyone can.
That's a lesson for us. If this guy can be moved in the spirit, I have no excuse. I can be moved in the Spirit. But he never cared to develop it. He never cared to seek the potential that was in him to worship God.
He never allowed God to fill him to capacity. As did In contrast, King David, and be turned into another man. And he needed that desperately. And we don't know this at this time. It develops through the story that we wish he stayed another man.
This happened when he was singing songs to the Lord. Afterwards, he just wouldn't seek God. We have no real knowledge. Even when Saul made an altar, it was about him. When he brought worship into the situation, it was really about him.
How did he look in front of the people of God? It really was never about God. 1 Samuel 16 Verse 14, but the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and a distressing Spirit from Yahweh troubled him. Yeah, that void, that vacancy troubled Saul.
So he has this religious experience. Uh but Unlike David, it did not stay. It did not stick because he really didn't want it to. God got in the way of what Saul wanted. Saul quenched the Spirit through his consistent, blatant disobedience.
How many people were fooled? How many people saw Saul saying, oh, he's such a righteous man? Even when he became a full-fledged monster, there were those reluctant to say he's a monster. They couldn't call it We see this sometimes in ministry. You see some pastors just doing this.
In fact, not only is it unbiblical, it's antichrist. Yet people still continue to go to that kind of church. We're going to praise the Lord. I love Jesus.
Well, claiming you love Jesus while you're trampling His Word is a bad idea. Yeah. Um 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. You can also access full-length video messages on YouTube.
So many options are available to you. Again, if you're not sure where to go, just go to crossreferenceradio.com for resources. Tune in again next time for more CrossReference Radio. Mm.
