Samuel And Saul Part 3

Deu 17:18-20 The king was to write his own copy of the law, read it all days of his life so he would learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them and never turn aside from the commandment.

·       Ps 72:1-2 God would give the king His judgments and the king should judge His people with righteousness.

·       The king’s copy of the law was to be to be the standard by which he ruled and judged.{to judge was often to plead the cause for before the LORD}

De 18:19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak [the Prophet] in my name, I will require it of him. [1Sam 9:9]

V13:8 The fear of the Philistines had driven the Hebrews out of their inheritance and left it to the spoilers.

·       The set time Samuel “had appointed” 10:8, after he was anointed, for Samuel to come and sacrifice to the LORD []. Saul had to be prepared for the other heart and to prophesy among the prophets. This was a private time between Samuel and Saul. -

·       Where In 13:8 did Samuel did Samuel tell Saul to wait seven days for him to come and sacrifice?

·       When Samuel did not come the people scattered. Could it have been they saw their king falling a part?  

V9-11 Saul took it upon himself to offer sacrifices, (“Bring hither a burnt offering to me.” He intruded upon the office of the priest. Samuel was adopted into the family of Eli the high priest.

Samuel: “What hast thou done?”; Saul’s answer: “I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.”

·       Samuel’s response: “thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee”

·       Where was Saul’s copy of the Book of the law?

Saul was king, he did prophesy, as king he was to judge the people He should have went to the LORD and prayed and acknowledged HIM as sovereign, than called upon the priest to sacrifice and than trusted in the LORD promise to fight their battles.

Ø    The consequences of Saul’s disobedience: Vs13b-14 The royal line would be taken from Saul and be given to “a man after the LORD’s own heart”. Saul was going to be the only king from the house of Saul. Did not remove him from being king.

V13:15 Samuel left Saul, the people were to look to their king. Saul has a 600 man poorly armed army (with farming tools) left. The Philistines spoiled the land.

Ch14 Jonathan and his armor bearer sneak off and go among the Philistines and they kill 20 Philistines over a half acre battle.

·       V15 The LORD sent a great earthquake that so discomfited the Philistines that they fought among themselves. Saul sent scouts who saw the Philistines killing one another.

·       V23 So the LORD saved Israel that day not Saul – The LORD proved that He would go before Israel against their enemies. Deu 31:6

·       V24 the people were distressed because Saul had ordered all the people not to eat on the day of battle V31 after the battle the people were very faint

·       The wisdom of Jonathan (Vs29-30)

·       The outcome of Saul’s foolish order V32 the people ate of animals of the spoil with the blood (raw) which was an abomination to God.

·       V44 Another foolish order by Saul; Jonathan was to be killed because ate of the honey. The people save Jonathan. 

·       V46 Saul lets the Philistines return to their land instead of destroying them.

Ch15 Saul despised the words of the prophet Samuel; thus saith the LORD of hosts

·       V3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

·       V8-9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

·       V13 Saul to Samuel: I have performed the commandment of the LORD. V14 Samuel to Saul: What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep

·       V21 Saul said he spared them to sacrifice to the LORD

·       V22 Samuel: Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

·       Obedience would have brought proper sacrifice

·       V28 The LORD rent the kingdom of Israel from Saul

·       Saul tried to save his kingship but V29 The LORD could not be swayed by Saul’s worship of convenience.  

1Sam 15:35 And Samuel came no more to see Saul (1Sa 28:6)

1Sa 16:14 ¶ But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.