Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 11 & 12

 

Empty Things That Cannot Deliver

The Hebrew word translated as “empty” in this verse is “tôû.” This word comes from an unused root, meaning “to lie waste.”  It literally means “empty; void; hollow; worthless.”  Samuel, here, exhorts the Israelites to be careful about turning their lives over to empty things that cannot profit or deliver.  Tragically, it is a symptom of the human condition to seek after anything that will fill the empty longing in our hearts.  Even if that “thing” is empty, void and hollow.

People have been known to seek fulfillment in personal pleasure, philosophy, popularity, relationships, riches, education, fame and other vain pursuits.  But the truth of Scripture is that none of these things can (or ever will) bring satisfaction and contentment to the human heart.  None of these empty things can make us complete.  True contentment can only be found in the LORD!  It is only when we turn to Him to satisfy the longing of our hearts that we discover the Holy Spirit and the thirst in our soul is quenched by His living water.

There is only one place to find “completeness” for your human heart.  And that is in Christ. “For in Him [Christ] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power"(Colossians 2:9-10).  Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings rather than pointing you to Christ, who is the Only One who can fill the emptiness of the human heart.

In today’s chapter, Samuel is addressing the people of Israel and exhorts them not to turn aside after “empty” things.  They cannot profit or deliver.  Worship and serve the LORD heart and soul! Don’t chase after false-gods. There’s nothing to them. They can’t help you.  True fulfillment and spiritual rest come only through the true and living God.

Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 10

Hearts Touched by God

We all have “special” days in our lives.  Days which stand out as being unlike any other.  Usually, those days are marked by special occasions – the day we got engaged, our wedding day, the birth of a child, and other events.  At the top of this list for most of us is the day we met Jesus and our hearts were touched by Him.  On that day we became “new creatures” – our old life passed away and all things became new (2 Corinthians 5:17). We seem to remember these types of days for the rest of our lives.  In today’s passage, Saul has one such day.  A day in which his heart was touched by God.  A day he will never forget!

What a day for Saul, Israel’s newly found king.  First, he is approached by Samuel and told that he is to become king.  Then he is anointed with a flask of oil as Samuel inaugurates him into his new office. Then two men approach him and tell him his father’s lost donkeys have been found.  Next, a group of prophets arrive with their harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, prophesying over him.

Then, in arguably the most momentous event of the day (and of Saul’s life), the Spirit of God rushes upon him, he begins to prophesy, and is turned into a “new man.”  Verse 9 tells us that “God gave him another heart.”  As this amazing day nears the end, Saul is publicly proclaimed as the new king and the crowds of people shout, “Long live the king!”

As night falls, Saul heads for home.  He has just experienced a day like no other in his life.  When the morning began, he was just a boy looking for some lost donkeys.  As the day comes to an end, he is a man with a new heart and has become Israel’s first king.

Take note of verse 26, where we are told that when Saul heads for home, he is accompanied by “men of valor whose hearts God had touched.” This scripture always excites me because of its potential. There is nothing more exciting and fraught with possibility than to get a bunch of men and women together whose hearts have been touched by God. To me the potential of a band of people, hearts touched by God, is just incomprehensible. What God can do when He touches the hearts of men and women!

These are the kind of people you want surrounding you.  People who have been in contact with God.  People who will stick by you and endeavor always to support you in your life and ministry.  People who will pray for you and challenge you and walk with you into adventures for God.  Oh, how we need our hearts to be touched by God.  And oh, what a blessing it is when our lives are encircled by others whose hearts God has touched.  Nothing can stop a band of Christ followers who have had their hearts touched by God.

 

Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 9

 

God's Choice For King

The Israelites insisted on having a king “like the other nations” around them.  God directed Samuel to give in to their request, although He delineated many of the hardships they would experience under the rule of such a king.  That’s when we meet Saul, a Benjaminite from the family of Kish.  Saul was a tall and very handsome young man. There was none finer—he literally stood head and shoulders above the crowd!  Samuel and Saul met one day when Saul was out looking for some of his dad’s donkeys who had wandered off.

The day before their meeting, the LORD had revealed to Samuel that He heard Israel’s cries for help and that He was sending a man from the land of Benjamin to meet him. “You’re to anoint him as king over my people Israel.”  So, when Saul arrived in town, Samuel was not surprised.  The moment Samuel laid eyes on him, God said, “He’s the one, the man I told you about.”

Saul appears to be a good choice for king.  He was strong, yet humble. He expressed sincere humility when he said to Samuel, “But I’m only a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel’s tribes, and from the most insignificant clan in the tribe at that. Why are you talking to ME like this?”  It seems that Saul was genuinely taken aback at Samuel’s words.

As Israel’s King, Saul was a great success!  At least, at first.  Saul’s chief contribution as king would be to defend Israel against its many enemies, especially the Philistines.  He was a very strong military leader and would lead the Israelites to many victories during his reign.  Together with his courageous son Jonathan and an army composed largely of volunteers, Saul would win significant victories over the Philistines and would succeed in driving them out of the central hills of Israel.

We will see in the following chapters, however that Saul’s humility was gradually replaced with pride and self-reliance.  His dependence upon God and obedience to His will would deteriorate into a self-serving and self-willed lifestyle.  Saul’s story will become that of someone who “started out well” but did not “finish well” as he let his successes inflate his heart with pride and arrogance.

It is so important that all of us take inventory of our own hearts and lives.  That we dedicate our entire lives, from start-to-finish, to a full life that ends well for the glory of God.  We too, are susceptible to the same weaknesses as Saul, so we must be constantly on guard against the pride and self-sufficiency that can bring us down.  Those who finish well maintain an ongoing and humble lifelong relationship with God by His Holy Spirit.

Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 8

Give Us a King

When Samuel got to be an old man, he set his sons up as judges in Israel. But his sons were shady characters and didn’t take after him; they were out for what they could get for themselves, taking bribes, and corrupting justice.

Fed up, all the elders of Israel got together and confronted Samuel. They presented their case: “Look, you’re an old man, and your sons aren’t following in your footsteps. Here’s what we want you to do: Appoint a king to rule us, just like everybody else.”

When Samuel heard their demand—“Give us a king to rule us!”—he was crushed.  So, Samuel prayed to God, who answered him and said, “Go ahead and do what they’re asking. They are not rejecting you. They’ve rejected ME as their King. From the day I brought them out of Egypt until this very day they’ve been behaving like this, leaving me for other gods. And now they’re doing it to you. So let them have their own way. But warn them of what they’re in for. Tell them the way kings operate, just what they’re likely to get from a king.”

So Samuel told them in no uncertain terms what it will be like when they have a king.  He said, “Your king will take your sons and make soldiers of them and force them into dangerous battles.  He’ll put some of you to forced labor on his farms, plowing and harvesting, and others to making either weapons of war or chariots in which he can ride in luxury. He’ll put your daughters to work as servants and slaves. He’ll confiscate your best fields, vineyards, and orchards and hand them over to his special friends. He’ll tax your harvests and vineyards to support his extensive bureaucracy. Your prize workers and best animals he’ll take for his own use. He’ll lay a tax on your flocks and you’ll end up no better than slaves. The day will come when you will cry in desperation because of this king you so much want for yourselves. But don’t expect the LORD to answer.”

But the people wouldn’t listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We will have a king to rule us! Then we’ll be just like all the other nations. Our king will rule us and lead us and fight our battles.”  It is remarkable that they want to be “like all the other nations,” when no other nation has had such an amazing opportunity as Israel.  No other nation had ever been chosen by the LORD to be His special people.  No other nation had ever had the unimaginable privilege of entering into a covenant with their Creator.  No other nation had been promised the coming of the Savior of the World!  No other nation was the object of God’s special care and protection and provision.  No other nation had the LORD, Himself as their King.  Yet, the people were blind to all of these incredible privileges and decide to settle for a human king.  

Tragically, as humans often do, they settle for “second best.”  Nevertheless, the LORD told Samuel, “Do as they request. Give them a king.”

So often we, too, settle for "second best."  We seek comfort and success in this world's systems when we have the incredible privilege of being God's chosen people and following His leadership.  If we insist long enough, the LORD will allow us to have our way.  But beware, you will regret not staying the course with God's perfect plan for your life.

Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 6 & 7

 

I Will Not Forget

“Ebenezer” means “stone of help.”  Many times in the Bible a stone, or a pile of stones, has been used as a reminder of how God has helped someone. The stories of Noah, Jacob, Joshua, and Samuel are just a few.  Here, Samuel sets up this stone of help so the people will remember all the times the LORD had helped them in the past.  Samuel knew that remembering God’s help in the past would build up the people’s confidence in His help for the future.

Memories of God’s faithfulness enable us to bring the joys and victories of yesterday into today.  If God has done it before, He will do it again.  As we recall God’s faithfulness, we remained centered on Him and we can move forward with a sense of God’s sure promises for our present and future circumstances.  It has been said that God’s past acts are a prophecy of His future acts.

There are things that the Scripture admonishes us never to forget.  We are to “not forget the works of God” (Psalm 78:&); “forget none of His benefits (Psalm 103:2); we are to “remember His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations” (1 Chronicles 16:15). The Psalmist said, “I will not forget your word” (Psalm 119:16); and, “you shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you” (2 Kings 17:38).

In the midst of difficult and heartbreaking times, it can be challenging to remain confident in the future.  That’s one of the reasons God has exhorted all of us to remember His faithful acts in the past.  What are some of the times when God has come through for you?  When has He provided for you, protected you, or enabled you to conquer your rough times?  Remember, since He has done it in the past, He will continue to do it in the future.  His past acts are a prophecy of His future acts.

Have you set up your own “Ebenezer” - some tangible reminder of God’s faithfulness?  Something that you can look at and be reminded of God’s faithfulness?  It’s probably not a pile of stones (though it could be), but I would encourage you to find a tangible article you can look back at.  Perhaps it is a note in your journal, or a poster on your wall, or a stone on your nightstand.  Perhaps it is a Facebook post from years ago that you see and it makes you say, “I will not forget; God has helped me in the past, and I know He holds my future.”

Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 4 & 5

Misplaced Faith

The Philistines were one of Israel’s fiercest enemies.  They are first mentioned in Genesis 21 where we read that Abraham traveled through their land for many days (Genesis 21:34).  Their threat to Israel surfaces during the period of the Judges when they attacked Israel and Samson defeated them (Judges 13-16).  The Philistines were a very war-like people and had a highly trained military organization.  They were equipped with horses and chariots, numerous foot soldiers, and archers.  The armor of Philistine soldiers included bronze helmets, coats of mail, leg protectors, spears, and shields.  The Philistines were by nature an aggressive and expansionist people, which was ultimately the primary reason why they clashed with the Israelites.

Now they are at it again.  They drew their armies up against Israel and attacked them at Ebenezer, an area along the western region of the nation.  They were strong and they defeated Israel soundly.  They killed about four thousand men on the battlefield that day (1 Samuel 4:2).  Afterwards, the Israelites retreated and began to assess their losses.  As they ponder the situation, they reach an unusual and unfounded conclusion: “We lost because the Ark of the Covenant wasn’t with us.  If we bring it here from Shiloh, surely it’s power and protection will save us from our enemies.”

This is an example of misplaced faith.  Rather than turning to Yahweh, Himself, the Living God, to deliver them, they turn to a lifeless artifact. It is true that God had given them the Ark of the Covenant.  And it is also true that God told them to place it at the center of their worship. But it had no power in and of itself.  It was there as an instrument meant to turn their hearts and minds to the True and Living God.  It is not wrong to respect the things of God, but it is wrong to place our faith and trust in those things.

This is why we should never place our faith or trust in “Christian trinkets” or manmade symbols of faith. Bible keychains, necklaces, crosses, beads, prayer cloths, medallions, statues, faith-stones, WWJD bracelets, and the like do not and can not produce any power or victory in our lives and we should never place our faith and trust in them.  There are so-called “preachers” who will send you a “prayer-hanky” which they have purportedly “anointed” with God’s healing power.  They tell their unsuspecting viewers to just send in their donation, and they will receive God’s mighty power through their hanky.  Tragically, many are drawn away after these types of things. While none of these things are wrong in themselves, it is wrong to place our faith and trust in anything or anyone other than our God, Yahweh, Himself.

The Israelites learned this lesson the hard way when their plan to bring victory through the Ark was soundly defeated.  Not only did they lose the ensuing battle, but the Ark of the Covenant was captured and taken by the Philistines.  Spiritual defeat is the inevitable outcome of misplacing our faith.

 

Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 3

 

In Tune With God

Verse 19 says that God let none of Samuel’s words “fall to the ground.”  That means not one of the things Samuel spoke failed.  If he spoke it, it came to pass.  That does not mean that every idle word Samuel spoke, God acted upon.  It means that Samuel was so in tune to God that he continually heard God just as clearly as he did as boy in the Temple.  And when God spoke to him, Samuel spoke to the people the words he had heard.

Not just as a child, but throughout his adult life, God spoke to Samuel. And Samuel heard Him clearly. Samuel spoke the words of God and, as He spoke the words of God, God could move through those words to bring them to pass.  Samuel came to be recognized by all of Israel as being a prophet of God, and all of Israel had witnessed that when Samuel speaks, what he speaks comes to pass.  A mark of Samuel’s life was that God preserved his words so that they would not waste away.

Back in Deuteronomy 18, Moses had taught the people of Israel how to recognize a true prophet from God.  The first test was this, “And I will put my words in his mouth.”  In other words, when a prophet speaks, He speaks not from his own whims or intellect, but he speaks the words given to him by God.  Anyone who claims to be speaking for God must speak words that are given to him/her and that are consistent with the already revealed Scriptures.  God will not contradict Himself.  When He speaks, His words are true. 

Secondly, when a so-called prophet speaks in the “name of other gods,” he/she is a false prophet. 

Finally, Moses said that when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. This is the “acid test” of prophecy.  Did it come to pass?  Or did the “prophets” words fall to the ground and waste away? 

Samuel was a prophet in tune with God.  When God spoke to him, he heard His voice.  And when Samuel spoke in the name of the LORD, none of his words fell to the ground.  As we continue our journey through Samuel’s life, we will see that he was a man in tune with God and who was used mightily by God to speak forth His words.

If you are called to speak for God, make certain you are speaking only the words God puts in your mouth; that you are not speaking in the name of other “gods;” and then allow God to work.  If the words were from Him, they will come to pass.