1 Samuel 15:34–16:5

Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul. And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.

Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”

And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.”

But the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”

So Samuel did what the LORD said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”

And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.

Why is Samuel grieving over Saul? Nothing is his fault. God told him to anoint Saul. God caused the lot to fall to Saul so that the people declared him king. Samuel did exactly what the LORD commanded him to do. So why is he grieving?

Who wouldn’t? It’s sad. Just as a teacher will grieve over a student who, through no fault of the teacher’s, flunks out, so Samuel grieves over what might have been.

And Saul is more than just any old student; he’s Samuel’s main “project”. Samuel has a lot invested in Saul—and Israel (which needs a good king).

So, he’s heartbroken.

This is an important part of being a Christian. Our heart needs to be in the things we do for the Lord.

This isn’t easy. It’s a sacrifice. We lay our hearts on the altar and run the risk that we’ll be hurt.

This is in stark contrast to the secular methods for helping people. Psychology texts mention the value of insulating oneself from a “case”. Volunteers are sometimes similarly trained. It protects them.

But it makes them less effective. Christians who do “bolder” ministry, like prison ministry or helping severely hurt people, can be far more effective than secular counselors because of their heart.

You can’t fake this. They can tell.

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These weekday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. The Saturday ones are written by Matt Richardson. To subscribe to the DEEP click here: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/community

The weekly study guides, which include questions for discussion or meditation, can be downloaded here: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies

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