Good morning everyone. This morning we are in 1 Samuel chapter 13 and Saul has now become king. In verse 1 it says, Saul was 30 years old when he began to reign and he reigned 42 years over Israel. That's a long time by the way. Sometimes it's
hard to capture this when you're reading the Bible and say it goes from one king to the next or something like 42 years as mentioned. That's a long time. I mean, think of, you know, as I speak this morning, it's 2024.
So 42 years ago, I mean, I can't even do the math on that 24 and another what 18. So 1982, that'd be like having someone rain from 1982 to today. That's a long time.
And Saul chose for himself 3,000 men of Israel, of which 2,000 were with Saul in Micmosh in the hill country of Bethel, while 1,000 were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. Now, Jonathan is gonna really have quite a role in the next season of history, the son of Saul, who ends up becoming a confidant of the next king that's gonna come on the scene and that's David.
But he sent away the rest of the people each to his tent, and Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was in Giba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout the land saying, let the Hebrews hear. Then all Israel heard the news that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become odious to the Philistines.
the people were then summoned to Saul at Gilgal. So Jonathan had a significant victory here. And it appears that Saul takes credit for that victory. And it wasn't, I guess that's not totally abnormal that the king gets credit for what happens during the season of his kingship. But it does seem as though he's stealing the thunder from his son, Jonathan.
Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen and people like the sand, which is on the seashore in abundance. And they came up and cammed at McMosh east of Bethaven. Now the men of Israel saw that they were in a straight for the people were hard pressed and
It's kind of an interesting translation of that word straight. People were distressed. People were concerned. People that really is what that word means when you look it up in Hebrew. It can mean straight as well, but it's almost like a straight jacket. You know, they were, they were stressed out. So as a result, then the people hid themselves. Excuse me. They hid themselves in caves and thickets.
and cliffs and cellars and in pits. Also, some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead, but as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal and all the people followed him trembling. So there's great fear over this big army of the Philistines.
So he waited, this is Saul now, seven days according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gogol and the people were scattering from him.
So Saul said bring near to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings and he offered the burnt offering and as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering behold Samuel came and Saul went out to meet him and agreed him but Samuel said what have you done and Saul said because I saw that the people were scattering from me
and that you did not come within the appointed days and that the Philistines were assembling it mikmosh. Therefore, I said, now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal and I have not entreated the favor of Yahweh. So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering. Well, here we have it in Saul's leadership here. He runs on ahead of Samuel and offers an offering and does
not wait for Samuel as was prescribed by him. And this is going to be a clear sign that Saul's kingship is not going to last. And that really, even the selection of Saul, God allowed him to become king, but it really wasn't the man that God would have chose. He chose someone that the people would choose, someone tall and handsome and strong, but not a man after God's own heart. And here we have
uh, saw acting impatiently and running ahead of Samuel back in first Samuel chapter 10.
Verse eight, it says this, and you shall go down to me before Gilgal and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings. You shall wait seven days until I come to you and make you know what you should do. So clearly Samuel says, the man of God, he says, wait, you need to wait till I come. Wait seven days and wait till I come and I'll tell you what to do.
Now, Saul, it says in the text here, he waited seven days and that people were afraid and leaving the army. So Saul, and you can understand from that perspective, if your army is running in fear and you waited for Samuel, he hasn't showed up. So then you take matters into your own hands.
And I can see as a you know someone in leadership sometimes you feel the need to take things into your own hands But clearly as we'll see he's gonna be punished for this and this is not what God wanted him to do And it's kind of discerning this this morning and what I think happened is listen to what it says He offered the burnt offering so it appears to me that on the seventh day I
Samuel was, excuse me, Saul was tired of waiting. And right away on the seventh day, he goes to offer offerings on his own.
And in verse 10, it says, and as soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. So literally on the seventh day, Saul takes matters into his own hands. He begins to make the offering when he should have waited and sure enough, Samuel showed up. So I think really what this text is saying is that Saul did not have the patience and wisdom that he should have had.
the text almost makes it appears like, Oh, well, maybe, maybe it was like 10 days later, you know, and, and Samuel didn't show up, but I don't think that's the case. And, you know, back in that day, things were not like clockwork, like, like they are today. I mean, they didn't have watches on their wrists. I mean, you know, the seventh day, you got to give some grace on the seventh day. I mean, you know, the seventh day, right? It could, you know, the morning
Well, for the Jews, the sun set. Now it's the next morning. And I'm guessing what happened here is saw right away that morning's like, well, there's no Samuel. I'm going to go ahead and, you know, do this on my own. And he came that day, you know, probably on the seventh day in the afternoon and, and saw it already rushed ahead. And it, it, it's not a good sign when Samuel said to wait for me because
You know, God has been providing victory through Samuel, and Samuel is hearing the Word of God clearly, and Saul should have waited. He tries to come up with an excuse, but he did not do it right. So in verse 13, and Samuel said to Saul, you acted foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of Yahweh your God, which he commanded you.
For now Yahweh would have established your kingdom over Israel forever, but now your kingdom shall not endure. Yahweh has sought out for himself a man after his own heart. And you know who that is, right? That's going to be David. Although David's not going to really be taking this kingship for quite some time.
But Yahweh has sought out for himself in man after his own heart and Yahweh has appointed him as ruler and Over his people because you have not kept what Yahweh commanded you and although this is true Saul is not following what God commanded. I think God is making a point that this king that you guys wanted isn't the right king and
And what you really should have is not someone who's tall and handsome, not that David, you know, didn't end up becoming handsome. But at the time that he was selected, you might recall they say, Hey, don't look at his appearance. Don't look at outward signs because God looks at the heart. And that's what God cares about more is the heart. And he wanted to have a king who would be a man after his own heart.
not just someone who is tall, strong, and handsome. We need the right inside of a man, not just the right outside of a man. So God is going to eventually take the kingship from Saul and give it to David because he wants a man of God. Then Samuel arose
and went up from Gilgal to Gibia of Benjamin and Saul numbered the people who were present with him about 600 men. Nalsan and Esau Jonathan and the people who were present with them were staying in Giba at Benjamin and the Philistines camped at Mikmash and the Raiders came from the camp of the Philistines in three companies.
One company turned toward Oprah to the land of Shui. Another company turned the way of Beth Horan. And another company turned to the way of the border, which overlooks the valley of Zoboam toward the wilderness. So the Philistines are coming in battle. And listen to this, verse 19 is kind of an interesting verse. Now, no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel.
For the Philistines said, lest the Hebrews make swords or spears. So because there was no blacksmiths, isn't that interesting? You know, we need everybody. And right now in Israel, there was no blacksmiths to make the weapons that were needed for war.
So all Israel went down to the Philistines. Apparently they could still go into the cities, even though this battle was going to be taking place elsewhere. And they each to sharpen his own plow share, his madak, his axe and his goad. So they're taking, you know, items for farming and taking them into the Philistine city and trying to get them sharp in there because they didn't have blacksmiths in Israel and they were needed.
And the charge was two thirds of a shackle for the plow shares, the Maddox, the forks and the axes and to fix the goal. So the Philistines are overcharging in order for Israel to sharpen their farm equipment, which maybe they're going to use as weapons of war.
So it happened on the day of battle that neither sword nor spear was found in the hands of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, but they were found with Saul and his son Jonathan. So his army didn't have the correct equipment, but Saul and Jonathan did have what they needed personally. And the garrison the Philistines went out to the pass at Mick Mosh.
It's interesting scenario there. There were no blacksmiths sound. Everybody's needed in the kingdom of God. And in your country, all these different jobs and
people in different places doing works in order to not only had God kingdom seek succeed, but the countries succeed. And if you don't have what's needed, it can be a big problem. You know, it's interesting. You know, there here, there was no blacksmiths. You know, today, one of the things is these chips.
and America is trying to invest into making computer chips in America so that our enemies don't close us off from having chips we need to run our country.
All this kind of stuff is important for survival of a country. You need everybody doing doing their part. Well, I guess what really is coming to mind for me is that we need to seek God and we need to be a people after God's own heart and not run ahead on our own and make our own decisions.
apart from God. And that was the problem of Saul. And as a result, David's going to be raised up and someone who really, although who didn't do everything right, really did have a heart for God. So let's assess our own hearts.
Let's make sure that we really have a heart for God. And you know, I hope and pray that when we study this word together, that you're allowing it to spiritually penetrate your inner being and my inner being, that we're not just taking in words of a page, but that we're reading about our Lord and our God. And what a beautiful thing it is. And may the Lord through being in his word,
Help our hearts to reflect a heart like his. God bless you all.
