Episode Details

Beware of Your Assumptions

1 Samuel 10:17-11:15; Remsen Bible Fellowship; 11/22/2020

Introduction:

One of my favorite poems, one which I’m sure I’ve quoted from the pulpit before, is William Cowper’s God Moves in a Mysterious Way. The first line is the most famous, God moves in a mysterious way / His wonders to perform / He plants His footsteps in the sea / And rides upon the storm / Deep in unsearchable mines / Of never-failing skill / He treasures up His bright designs / And works His sovereign will. The poem goes on, but the driving idea is that while life may be full of storms and trials, we can always trust that our sovereign God is at work. As Charles Spurgeon would later put it, when we cannot trace his hand, we must trust his heart. Hard times come, but even then, we can trust that God is working all things together for the good of those who love him. 

But are we only in spiritual danger when walking through the valley of the shadow of death? No,  there other times when we may be tempted to doubt God-or perhaps more dangerous still, to simply forget him. Perhaps the most dangerous times for us are when things seem to be going well. When we look at the circumstances, see good things happening, and assume: things are going my way, I must be doing something right! But is that necessarily so? This text will force that question upon us.

We’re going to divide our study into three portions this morning. We’ll begin by looking at the latter half of chapter ten, where God gives the people their king.

God Gives the People their King, 10:17-27

17 Now Samuel called the people together to the LORD at Mizpah. 18 And he said to the people of Israel, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ 19 But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, ‘Set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your thousands.” 

20 Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. 21 He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken by lot; and Saul the son of Kish was taken by lot. But when they sought him, he could not be found. 22 So they inquired again of the LORD, “Is there a man still to come?” and the LORD said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.” 23 Then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. 24 And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!” 

25 Then Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship, and he wrote them in a book and laid it up before the LORD. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home. 26 Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched. 27 But some worthless fellows said, “How can this man save us?” And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace. 

A Conveneing Word

If you remember the last time we were in 1 Samuel, a young man named Saul had gone in search of his Father’s donkeys. He and his servant strike out when it comes to searching for the beasts of burden, but in the process they head into a city where the man of God, Samuel the prophet, is staying. This is not long after chapter 8, where the people have demanded that Samuel appoint for them a new king. And though Samuel is reluctant, God instructs him to obey their voice. Wh