369
. T H E
K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
June 1924
sense th e indignity of Isra el’s leaders when they renounced God for an earth ly king? God sometimes perm its w hat He does not approve. He gives men the desires of th e ir hearts. The prodigal was perm itted to go away, and the history of th e prodigal, is th e history of Israel and th e histo ry of every backslider. One sure way (b u t a sad way) .ip show men th eir mistake,, is to let them have th e ir own way. So God let Israel have th e ir own way and gave them Saul ( “the asked one).—a. typical man, a specimen of the ideal physical man. Saul stands for all th a t is typified by th e “ flesh.” , He was selfish, proud, self-im portant, inde pendent of God, wilful. There are a few things which m ight be placed to Saul’s credit, did we not know th a t he was the embodiment of all th a t is Satanic— a foreshadow ing of th e Antichrist. When God sent Saul to Samuel, He said, “Behold, the m an !” This was said of the first king of Israel (Saul) and of th e last king (Jesu s). (2 ) SAUL ACQUAINTED WITH GOD’S CHOICE, vs. 18-24, “And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it no t on th e e?”av. 2 0 . God had whispered His secret into the ear of Samuel (Psa. 2 5 : 1 4 John 7 :17) and now assures him th a t the man is before him. God always guides and teaches if we are teachable (Isa. 48:17; Acts 8:26-29; 10:5, 6 ). Some times, through th e most seemingly triv ial incidents God brings about His purposes; as w ith Moses and the burning bush. Note the submission of Samuel to the will of God, like th a t of John th e Baptist, “ He must increase, b u t I must decrease.” A communion feast is prepared, suggesting in timacy a t the table. ' Saul is given the best place and the best portion. I t was probably a peace-offering of which they were p artak ing ' (Lev. 7 :3 4 ). Saul was given the shoulder (ty p ify ing 'streng th ) and not the b reast (love). (3) SAUL ANOINTED AS CAPTAIN OF GOD’S PEO PLE, 9:25-10:1. “The Lord h ath anointed th ee” v. 1. On th e housetop Samuel communed w ith Saul. The housetop was also P ete r’s prayer room (Acts 1 0 :9 ). Samuel anointed Saul by pouring th e oil upon his head. God’s law provided th a t prophets, priests, kings and cleansed lepers, should be anointed. Oil is a symbol of th e Holy Spirit (Lev. 8 :1 2 ). Anointing is a symbol of consecration — setting ap art. Believers are anointed when the Holy Spirit comes in to possess them . They are set ap a rt as sons of God, the Holy Spirit also gives special anointing (Heb. 1 :9 ). God was with' Saul for the accomplishment of His own purposes, as He was w ith Israel in th e wilderness, and with Abraham in Egypt; b u t both Israel and Abraham lost much by reason of th e ir own w ilfulness, and poor Saul’s career ended in th e blackness of darkness. Why can we not learn to say, w ith glad h earts, “Have thine own way, Lord; have th in e own way.” (4 ) SAUL’S ACCESSION TO THE KING’S OFFICE, Ch. 11, “There they made Saul king before the Lord in 'Gilgal.” v. 14. (a) The Insolence of Nahasli, vs. 1-3. Three things,had been promised Saul, and they were verified (1 0 :6 ). “ The Sp irit o f th e Lo rd w ill co m e up on th ee, an d th ou s p roph esy w ith th em , and s h a lt be. tu rn ed in to aooth er. m an. The S pirit of th e Lord did come upon 'h im ;, he prophe sied; he became ano th er man. He repaired to Gilgal as Samuel commanded and awaited Samuel’s coming to offer sacrifice and to announce th e election of Saul. Samuel
were religious-political trick sters. They took bribes and perverted judgment. Had they lived today, they would have been “ hail fellows, well m et.” , This phase of Samuel’s life casts a shadow upon him. In the. eighth chapter we have Israel demanding a king. They have no one to suggest. I t was no t a case where some leader had arisen who desired to be king, b u t where God led both Samuel and th e young man, Saul, into harmony w ith His will in a strange, bu t natu ral, way. “ God works in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform .” In the. case of Saul, God led th e asses away in order to bring about a meeting which was destined to play a large p art in the life of Israel. The Lord had spoken to Samuel th e day before and told him of His purpose (vs. 15, i 6 ) as He did to David (2 Sam. 7 :2 7 ). God had heard the cry of His people, as He always does. Were we today to cry from our h earts unto Him, as we ought to cry, for a revival, He would respond to th a t cry and send the showers. OUTLINE OF THE LESSON: (1) God’s Announcement of His, Choice for King, 9:17. ( 2 ) , Saul Acquainted w ith God’s Choice, 9:18-24. (3 ) Saul Anointed as Captain of God’s People, 9:25- 10 : 1 . (4) Saul’s Accession to the K ing’s Office, Ch. 11. (1) GOD’S ANNOUNCEMENT OF HIS CHOICE FOR KING, 9:17. “Behold, the m an !” v. 17. Israel was dissatisfied w ith God’s ru le and God’s plan for them . They had been walking by faith , and now they wanted to walk by sight. God’s order had been—“ a man, a fam ily, a trib e, a nation, a priest, a high priest. Israel h ad an invisible King and a Divine legislation. Their Ruler was manifest in the Shekinah glory, working through human in strum en talities,-^ as Moses, Joshua, the judges. (Judges 2 :1 8 ). They had tried to make Gideon king (Judges 8 :2 2 ), They had the lu st of th e eye (1 John 2 :1 6 ). They wanted to be like o ther nations. The basis o f th e ir request was th a t Samuel was growing old, th a t his sons were unfit to succeed him , and if they were to b e on a p ar w ith other nations they must have a king. Samuel took th e m a tte r to th e Lord, and th e 'L o rd said to Samuel,; “They have not rejected you, bu t they have re jected me.” : (v. 7 ). Then He gave Samuel a picture of the king they would have and th e accompanying sorrows. God’s plan for Israel was th a t He would be th eir ruler, th e ir protector. He did not w ant them to be like other nations. K ings of nations have always been .successors to Nimrod, Saul, Solomon, Nebuchadnezzar, Herod, Antichrist. God’s people were designed to illu strate— in the m idst of the earth—rGod’s ideal (Deut. 1 4 :2 ). “F or th o u are a h o ly p eop le u n to th e Lord th y God, and, th e Lord h a th ch o sen th e e to be a p ecu lia r p e o p le . u n to H im self, ab ove th e n a tio n s th a t are up on th e ea rth .” , (T itus 2 :14 ; 1 Peter. 2:9) The desire to be like th e world was Israel’s curse, and it is the curse of th e church today. God bears a sorrow ful testimony,' .“They have rejected me,” In rejecting Samuel as judge (God-appointed) they rejected God. When men reject our testim ony for Christ, they reject Him. Israel refused to heed th e w arning and suffered the con sequences (Jer. 17:5, 6 ). God had foreshadowed Isra el’s request in Deut. 17:14-20. Did you ever th in k of the sor rows o f Jehovah? Of th e sufferings which Israel brought upon Him? Of His patience?. Of His, grace? Of His mercy? How He bore them on eagles’ wings? Can you
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