The Lord Rejects Saul (Part 2)
Introduction:
Two passages: 1 Samuel 15:24-34 & 1 Samuel 16:14-23 NLT
Saul is experiencing a long and painful consequence for his sins. (15 + years)
Review:
1 Samuel 15:1-3 NLT
15:1 One day Samuel said to Saul, “It was the Lord who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the Lord! 2 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt. 3 Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”
Saul disobeyed this command.
1 Samuel 15:24-34 NLT
Saul Pleads for Forgiveness
24 Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded. 25 But now, please forgive my sin and come back with me so that I may worship the Lord.”
26 But Samuel replied, “I will not go back with you! Since you have rejected the Lord’s command, he has rejected you as king of Israel.”
27 As Samuel turned to go, Saul tried to hold him back and tore the hem of his robe. 28 And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else—one who is better than you. 29 And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!”
30 Then Saul pleaded again, “I know I have sinned. But please, at least honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel by coming back with me so that I may worship the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel finally agreed and went back with him, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
Samuel Executes King Agag
32 Then Samuel said, “Bring King Agag to me.” Agag arrived full of hope, for he thought, “Surely the worst is over, and I have been spared!” 33 But Samuel said, “As your sword has killed the sons of many mothers, now your mother will be childless.” And Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.
34 Then Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul returned to his house at Gibeah of Saul.
1 Samuel 16:14-23 NLT
David Serves in Saul’s Court
14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.
15 Some of Saul’s servants said to him, “A tormenting spirit from God is troubling you. 16 Let us find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you. He will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again.”
17 “All right,” Saul said. “Find me someone who plays well, and bring him here.”
18 One of the servants said to Saul, “One of Jesse’s sons from Bethlehem is a talented harp player. Not only that—he is a brave warrior, a man of war, and has good judgment. He is also a fine-looking young man, and the Lord is with him.”
19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, “Send me your son David, the shepherd.” 20 Jesse responded by sending David to Saul, along with a young goat, a donkey loaded with bread, and a wineskin full of wine.
21 So David went to Saul and began serving him. Saul loved David very much, and David became his armor bearer.
22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse asking, “Please let David remain in my service, for I am very pleased with him.”
23 And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away.
Examine the Scriptures: 1 Samuel 15:24-34 & 1 Samuel 16:14-23 NLT
The Lord Rejects Saul (Part 2)
1 Samuel 15:24-34 NLT
Saul Pleads for Forgiveness
24 Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded.
- Saul finally confesses his sins, but his confession does not appear to be genuine.
It is too little, too late, and is accompanied with excuses.
“I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded.”
Saul is putting the blame on “the people”.
- Saul’s confession appears to be generated more by a concern over consequences he would face than by a felt sorrow for offending a Holy God.
25 But now, please forgive my sin and come back with me so that I may worship the Lord.”
- Saul wanted to avoid a break with the prophet Samuel that could undermine his authority as king.
Saul recognized the importance of a good relationship between the king of the nation and the spiritual leader of the nation.
26 But Samuel replied, “I will not go back with you! Since you have rejected the Lord’s command, he has rejected you as king of Israel.”
In 1 Samuel 13:13 God rejected Saul’s dynasty.
1 Samuel 13:13-14 NLT
13 “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
Here Saul himself is rejected as king.
1 Samuel 15:23 (previous lesson)
1 Samuel 15:23 NLT
23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”
- Previously God had rejected Saul’s dynasty. Now God is rejecting Saul as king of Israel.
27 As Samuel turned to go, Saul tried to hold him back and tore the hem of his robe. 28 And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else—one who is better than you.
Notice the symbolism:
“Torn the hem” “torn the kingdom of Israel from you today.”
- Saul tearing Samuel robe symbolized God tearing the kingdom from Saul and his family.
Past tense.
The decision is made, and the decision has been finalized. Saul has gone past the point of no return. The Lord took the Kingdom of Israel from Saul when Saul disobeyed God’s command to completely destroy the Amalekites.
The actual act was yet to come.
David’s name is not mentioned here.
29 And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!”
- God’s plans haven’t changed. It was always God’s intention for David to become king and for Jesus to come from the line of David.
1 Samuel 16:1 NLT
16:1 Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.”
The people will still recognize Saul as their King for about 15 more years.
- Saul’s consequences for his sins will take place over the next 15 years.
30 Then Saul pleaded again, “I know I have sinned. But please, at least honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel by coming back with me so that I may worship the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel finally agreed and went back with him, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
Saul was still thinking about himself.
- Saul is more concerned with his reputation among the people than the awfulness of his sin.
Saul wanted to save face.
It is not clear why Samuel goes back with Saul.
It could be out of concern for Saul or it could be out of concern for the nation of Israel.
Samuel does go back with Saul and carries out the divine sentence on King Agag and in doing so reemphasizes Saul’s neglect of duty.
Samuel Executes King Agag
32 Then Samuel said, “Bring King Agag to me.” Agag arrived full of hope, for he thought, “Surely the worst is over, and I have been spared!” 33 But Samuel said, “As your sword has killed the sons of many mothers, now your mother will be childless.” And Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.
34 Then Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul returned to his house at Gibeah of Saul.
From that day Samuel never visited the King again.
This estrangement between Samuel and Saul symbolized the permanent break that now existed between the Lord and King Saul.
(Saul and Samuel are mentioned together in 1 Samuel 19:24)
1 Samuel 16:14-23 NLT
David Serves in Saul’s Court
14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.
The spirit of the Lord left Saul.
Saul knows that the kingdom of Israel has been (is being) taken from him.
1 Samuel 15:28
28 And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else—one who is better than you.
Saul is experiencing a long and painful consequence for his sins.
Scripture clearly states that “the Lord sent a tormenting spirit”.
Evil spirits are subject to God’s control and only operate within divinely determined boundaries.
Saul is filled with depression, fear, tendencies to despondency, jealously, anger, delusion, and violence.
These feelings are caused by his knowledge of his rejection as king, David’s growing popularity, and the involvement of an evil spirit in these psychological aberrations.
- The Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.
15 Some of Saul’s servants said to him, “A tormenting spirit from God is troubling you. 16 Let us find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you. He will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again.”
- Certain types of music can have a soothing effect on a troubled spirit.
17 “All right,” Saul said. “Find me someone who plays well, and bring him here.”
18 One of the servants said to Saul, “One of Jesse’s sons from Bethlehem is a talented harp player. Not only that—he is a brave warrior, a man of war, and has good judgment. He is also a fine-looking young man, and the Lord is with him.”
- God’s sovereignty was clearly at work in this narrative.
- God used the evil that had befallen Saul to introduce David into the court of the king and to the attention of the nation of Israel.
19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, “Send me your son David, the shepherd.”
- At this point in time Saul does not know that David will be the next king of Israel.
20 Jesse responded by sending David to Saul, along with a young goat, a donkey loaded with bread, and a wineskin full of wine.
21 So David went to Saul and began serving him. Saul loved David very much, and David became his armor bearer.
David is first introduced as a musician. (Later as a warrior.)
David became a close personal attendant to King Saul. (The time sequence for this is unclear.)
- David is in a good position to learn the duties of a king.
At first Saul loved David very much, but this love soon turned to intense jealously and hatred.
22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse asking, “Please let David remain in my service, for I am very pleased with him.”
1 Samuel 17:14-15 NLT
14 David was the youngest son. David’s three oldest brothers stayed with Saul’s army, 15 but David went back and forth so he could help his father with the sheep in Bethlehem.
23 And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away.
Certain types of music can have a soothing effect on a troubled spirit.
- Beyond this natural effect of music it would appear that in this instance the Spirit of the Lord was active in David’s music to temporally suppress the evil spirt that was tormenting Saul.
Something similar to this happened to Elisha.
2 Kings 3:15 NLT
15 Now bring me someone who can play the harp.”
While the harp was being played, the power of the Lord came upon Elisha,
The Holy Spirit empowered David to drive away the evil spirit that overwhelmed Saul.
- Whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp, Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away.
