The Heart of God: Judges through 1 Samuel (6)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24.27

Read and meditate on 1 Samuel 8-11.
Israel takes on a new identity by appointing a king to rule over her “like all the other nations.” But that has an ominous sound, no?

For reflection
1.  It’s clear that God chose Saul to be king over Israel. But he was the wrong man, from the wrong tribe, even though all the people jumped to anoint him. Why did God allow Israel to make this false start toward monarchy?

2.  You can see that the people are still stuck in the time of the judges – looking back, but not looking ahead. How can you tell this by their motivation in seeking a king, and the kind of leader they chose to rule over them?

3.  Allowing Saul to be king accomplished two things, both of them in line with God’s promises. First, it established the institution of the monarchy, as Jacob had prophesied in Genesis 49.8-11 and Moses had promised in Deuteronomy 17.14-20. Second, it asserted the primacy of God’s Word over outward appearances. Israel wanted a king, but they didn’t want the kind of king God had promised. They had to learn that their own preferences were not to be relied on, but only God’s Word. Nevertheless, how can you see that God’s grace was at work in Israel, in spite of their rejecting Him as King over them (1 Sam. 8.7; 10.19)?

4.  What do you make of the incident of God’s Spirit coming upon Saul (1 Sam. 10.9-13)? This, in a sense, is a kind of foreshadowing of Israel’s entire history under the monarchy. God anoints a king, and provides him with His Spirit so long as he remains in the company of the prophets. Is there a lesson in this for how God’s covenant people today ought to think about civil government (Rom. 13.1-4)?

5.  Meditate on 1 Samuel 11.12-15. How can you see that God is using Saul, for all his shortcomings, to begin turning the people back toward His primary covenantal themes?

Summary
Saul represents a start toward monarchy for Israel. God began to establish a king in Israel at the point of the people’s sense of their need – for a strong political and military ruler. At the same time, He began to develop the role of the prophet in Israel, and thus to turn the hearts of His people back to His Word. God often works gradually to bring His promises to fruition among His people. What can we learn from the coming of Israel’s kingdom to guide us in thinking about the coming ofGod’s Kingdom in our day?

Closing Prayer
Teach me Your way, O LORD;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And I will glorify Your name forevermore.
For great is Your mercy toward me,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
O God, the proud have risen against me,
And a mob of violent men have sought my life,
And have not set You before them.
But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,
Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.
Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me!
Psalm 86.11-16


T. M. Moore

Two books can help you gain a fuller understanding of the terrain we will be covering in this series. Kingdom Documentsprovides a concise overview of the primary teaching of the Old and New Testaments, and shows, through early Church creeds, how our forebears understand the primary teachings of God’s Word. (click here to order). I Will Be Your Goddevelops more fully the idea of God’s covenant and leads us to consider the practical implications of our covenant relationship with God (click here).

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.