2019-02-24T08:00:00-06:00
2 From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.
3 And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the LORD only.
5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you.” 6 So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the LORD and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. 7 Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 And the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. And Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him. 10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the LORD thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the LORD has helped us.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright (c)2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. http://www.esv.org
The life of Saul can be summed up by thinking about diet fads. To lose weight and to stay healthy, all we need is exercise and a healthy diet. We all know it. More walking, fewer bear claws. Instead, we invent ways of trying to side step those methods to make “healthy” easier. My favorite is the vibrating platform. All you need to do (besides pay $350 or 10 easy payments of $35) is stand on a vibrating platform for 15 minutes a day, 3 days a week and the pounds will start falling off. But as the Mayo Clinic put it on their website, “comprehensive research about whole-body vibration is lacking.”
At the coronation of King Saul in 1 Samuel 12:14, Samuel said these words to Saul and to the the people of God: “If you will fear the Lord and serve and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well.” Saul knew full well what God required of him: Listen to God’s Word and obey what He said. It is God who saves, not chariots or horses or human effort. But as we see all throughout Saul’s reign, he did everything except those things. But why?
Listening to and obeying God, just like eating healthy and getting on a treadmill, are more difficult than the alternative methods that we come up with. We want the benefits of listening and obeying without having to do the hard work of listening and obeying. And we know where that method leads.
Saul, in 1 Samuel 28 knew that he was in trouble. God had stopped answering him according to any of the proper methods of communication (v. 6). He found himself surrounded by his enemies for the last time (v 4). Like old times, he sought out a medium (an ancient fortune teller) to bring up the one man in his circle who had listened to God, Samuel, to see what he should do about his situation (vv 8-16). Saul asked Samuel what was going to happen to him. Samuel’s response was, “The Lord has done to you as he spoke by me.” God stopped listening to Saul’s voice because Saul had stop listening to God’s.
God knew that our salvation could not be accomplished by taking the easy route. Sin and death are wicked enemies who are not defeated easily. It would take perfect obedience and a cruel death by execution. Jesus listened and obeyed because he knew we couldn’t. And now, all we have to do is give up our own efforts (and the latest spiritual fad), lean into that finished work of Christ, and call to God who hears us and wants to help us. God’s will for life is simple. Philippians 2:13-14 says, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” This method, when done in the community of God’s people, builds us up into Christ-likeness. Any other means leaves us flat on our face surrounded by enemies wishing we had just let God do what only God can do: save us and bring us near to Him.