1 Samuel 9&10
Raw Material
The people of Israel want a king just like the other nations. God knows the people want someone who looks like he is strong and able to lead and defeat any foe and solve every problem. Saul stands head and shoulders above the rest of the people so God knows that to the people Saul will seem like the perfect man for the job.
God knows it will take more than the physical appearance to accomplish their desires, but the nation is going to have to learn this the hard way. Physical appearance does not make a leader in spite of what we have been taught by Hollywood. What makes a good leader is character, godly character.
It seems as we read Chapter 9 that Saul’s servant knows more about God than Saul does. Saul’s knowledge about God is superficial. I fear that is the case with many people today. People say things like, “God bless America” or “our thoughts and prayers are with you,” but in reality there is no depth of relationship with God.
Saul is like raw material for God to work with. Actually, we all are. In Chapter 10 Samuel anoints Saul as king and tells him of three signs that God is going to fulfill in that day. We can learn much about God as we examine these signs.
The first sign in verse 2, demonstrates that God is able to solve our problems and that God is concerned about us. The second sign, found in verses 3&4 demonstrates that God is able to provide. The third sign in verses 5&6, will demonstrate that God is able to empower Saul for the task at hand and that God is able to transform him into the man for the mission. By the time we end the chapter all these signs are fulfilled.
Now what does Saul have to do? In verse 7 we read, “And it shall be when these signs come to you, do for yourself what the occasion requires, for God is with you.” NASB
Saul has to believe what God has said and trust that God is able to do what He says He will do. No problem, right? The signs prove that God is with him and able to empower Saul to deal with what he faces.
Signs and miracles are great faith boosters but I have observed that they lack sustaining power. They are kind of like eating dessert and getting a sugar high but the high soon disappears and is soon forgotten, or we will get obsessed on signs and crave more and more. To sustain our energy we need a steady diet of good food several times a day. The same is true for spiritual food.
In Deuteronomy 17: 14-20 God makes it clear that he expected Israel to want a king so in these verses He makes it clear that the king needs to be a man guided by the Word of God.
I used to say that the Word of God was manna for the day. That is still true but in reality if we desire a relationship with Jesus, and if we claim to be a Christian, we need to be reading the Word of God on a continual basis. John 1:1-5 and verse 14 tells us that Jesus is the Word of God. We spend time with what or who we love. If we truly love God we will spend time with Him in His word. There is just no way around this.
We all come to God as raw material like clay. God wants to take us and form us into a new creation useful for noble work. Isaiah 64:8; 2 Corinthians 5:14-6:2; 2 Timothy 2:19-21.
I am grateful for each one of you who are reading these studies and I hope and pray that you are blessed, but if you are not reading the chapters associated with each of these studies it is like eating a little appetizer but missing the main course. David says in Psalm 23:5, “Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.” NASB
The Lord knows what we will face each day and I have found that with a steady diet on God’s Word He has prepared me for what is ahead. There is a great example of this found in John 16:33.
God wants to take us from raw material and form us into a new creation useful for noble work. Our part is to let Him do it as described in Romans 12:2
To be transformed we need to eat healthy spiritually.
Pastor Dave