1 & 2 Samuel (Program #12) – The History Concerning Saul (4)

After been established as king over Israel, God enabled Saul to defeat three successive enemies that were plaguing Israel. But during the course of these campaigns, it gradually become more and more clear what Saul was seeking in his own heart was not God’s kingdom, but rather to build up a kingdom or a monarchy for himself. The third of these enemies, the Amalekites had bothered the children of Israel many years before when they were traveling in the wilderness on their way to good land after leaving Egypt. After Joshua defeated them the Lord told Moses that He would war with the Amalekites from generation to generation. Because in typology, the Amalekites signified the most difficult of all of God’s enemies that is the flesh of mankind. Though king Saul may have outward success his battle against the Amalekites, inwardly he was defeated by his own compulsion to serve God according to his own flesh.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #11) – The History Concerning Saul (3)

The children of Israel were in a low condition.  Their enemies were closing in.  They had strayed far from the Lord  both in their hearts and in their deeds.  And they feared that He would no longer look after them and protect them. Their reaction was understandable; they asked the prophet Samuel to give them a king just as all the other nations had to protect them. Reluctantly Samuel sought Jehovah in the matter and the Lord granted the people their request and instructed Samuel to anoint Saul as the first king over Israel. In the beginning it appeared that the Lord was with king Saul. And he was victorious in defeating the Ammonites, Israel’s enemy. But as time went on it became more and more evident that what was filling Saul’s heart was not so much to establish God’s kingdom but rather to build up a monarchy or a kingdom of his own within God’s kingdom.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #10) – The History Concerning Saul (2)

During every period of history it is important to realize God is operating behind the scenes for the accomplishment of His eternal purpose.  When Israel’s first king, Saul was anointed by the priest Samuel, he was confronted with three enemies that were troubling Israel. Jehovah was there working behind the scenes.  And He gave Saul specific instructions how to deal with each of these enemies.  How Saul carried out these instructions gives us a clear window into what was in Saul’s heart, and what kind of king he would turned out to be for Israel.  The first enemy Saul confronted were the Ammonites.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #9) – Samuel—A Man According to God

Through out the history of Israel only two men had ever been identified been raised up by God in three critical aspects, as priest, as prophet and as judge over Israel.  These two are Moses and Samuel. Samuel like Moses before him was unique and having such a position before Jehovah.  In many ways he was God’s representative on the earth and there were none that were higher than he.  Yet it is interesting that when the Lord instructed him in I Samuel chapter 9, to anoint a king over Israel with his status already intact as priest, prophet and judge we can see it would been easy for him to say at least in his heart “how can God ask me to anoint anyone to be above me?”  Yet in Samuel God had found a man who care nothing for his own position but who only care for what was on God’s heart.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #8) – The History Concerning Samuel (5)

For a period of 450 years following their return to the good land, judges ruled over Israel. These Judges were supported by the priests of the Aaronic priesthood but the situation had grossly deteriorated and even the priesthood had waned.  God’s reaction was to raise up a new priest with a new priesthood. this one was Samuel, a man that was completely one with God so much so that it can be said of him that his being was like a photo copy of God’s own heart. Through Samuel not only was the priesthood uplifted and restored but the prophet-hood was ushered in along with the kingship and these things allow God a way eventually to bring forth Christ, the ultimate blessing not only to Israel but to the whole earth. How the Lord needs such ones to be utterly one with Him in this age to turn this age so that Christ could come again.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #7) – The History Concerning Samuel (4)

Through Moses and his brother Aaron, God established the priesthood in Israel.  These priests all in the linage of Aaron continued for nearly 500 years.  The final priest of the Aaronic priesthood was Eli. But by his time the priesthood had become stale and had waned.  God desire to  move in a new and fresh way among His people. But to accomplished His move He needed to turn the age and initiated a new priesthood and raised up prophets in Israel and even established the kingship which would paved the way for Christ to be brought forth. The one that God chose at that time for this major turn in His move was the young boy Samuel.  Samuel become the first among a new priesthood and he also become the first prophet of Israel and he ushered in the kingship by establishing David both to be the king and to be the ancestor of the coming Christ.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #6) – The History Concerning Samuel (4)

Throughout history the ark of the covenant was crucial to the nation of Israel. The Bible tells us that after the tabernacle was completed in Exodus 40, and the ark was placed in the holy of holies, then the cloud covered the tent of meeting and the glory of Jehovah filled the tabernacle. From that moment on the presence of the Lord was associated with the ark. Whenever Jehovah desire to move on the earth, the ark led the way. In battle as long as Israel was following the Lord, Jehovah leads and the ark was present they knew God was with them and they prevailed. However in the waning years of the ironic priesthood, not only the people in general but even the priest themselves no longer had a heart for the Lord and for His needs. Rather all of their attention were focused on their own needs, their own desire and their own security. And when in this situation they tried to use the ark in a superstitious way. Not only did the ark seem to lose its’ miraculous power but Jehovah allowed it to be taken by Philistines and and separated from the tabernacle. And the result as spoken in 1 Samuel chapter 4:22 was the greatest tragedy, for “the glory has departed from Israel, for the Ark of God has been taken”

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #5) – The History Concerning Samuel (3)

The situation in Israel was degraded and even the priesthood was waning but Jehovah reacted as He often reacted to the failures of Israel by raising up one person who would be according to His own heart. The young boy Samuel, son of Elkanah and Hannah had already been consecrated to the Lord.  But the child’s up bringing also had a deep impact upon him for he witnessed the corruption of the sons of Eli firsthand. And he watched, as the priest Eli failed to rule over his two evil sons even as they usurped the ark of the covenant and allowed to be taken captive by Israel’s enemies. As a result the glory of Jehovah departed from the tabernacle and from Israel. But what he had witnessed left a deep impression upon Samuel and was used by Jehovah to produce in him one who faithfully restored the testimony to Israel and whom the Lord ultimately used to turn the age.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #4) – The History Concerning Samuel (2)

In the days of the Old Testament priest Eli, the priesthood among God’s people Israel was waning and has become stale.  The situation was deteriorating and yet God desire to move on the earth even to change the age.  But rather than doing something miraculous from the heavens God did what He has always done when He desires to go further with His purpose and move on the earth. He found persons that would  co-operate with Him, that would be one with Him.  In this instance, He found a weak and fragile and suffering sister among His people, named Hannah. Her co-operation was to pray a prayer that matched God’s need and God’s desire.  And from this prayer came a son, Samuel whom the Lord’s used not only to turn that age but ultimately to bring in David and help to bring forth Christ. In God’s move He always limits Himself to work and co-operation with man.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #3) – The History Concerning Samuel (1)

Throughout history, whenever God has desire to move on earth to carry out His purpose He has always require the co-operation of man. Perhaps the situation is so degraded that He can only find a handful or may be even only one person who would co-operate fully with Him. But even one person, sufficiently one with God and willing to co-operate with Him can provide Him a way to move on earth to carry out His eternal purpose and even to change the age.  Samuel was such a person one with God and one who co-operated with Him fully and enabling Him to change the age in that time.  But even the origin of Samuel demonstrates God’s desire even His need to work in and through man to carry out His move. We’ll consider Samuel’s origin in today’s program

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