If You Are Picked?

Sermon Title: If you’re picked

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 15:34 - 16:13

Background:

-Saul was told by God to destroy everything the Amalekits had.

I Samuel 15: 7 Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt. 8 He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. 9 Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.

*After he captured Agag he killed everyone else but… he and his tribal leaders kept all the good animals for themselves and got caught by when God lead Samuel to where they were holding them.

10 Then the Lord said to Samuel, 11 “I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the Lord all night.

*Note: The people picked Saul to be King. He was a tall impressive man. He didn't really want to be King. He actually went and hide and they had to go get find him. But because the people wanted him so bad God allowed him to become king.

12 Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal.”

*Note: Saul didn't do what God told him to do with the Amalekits. Now he was setting up a monument to himself.

Now hear the reading of God’s Word:

Scripture Text:

1 Samuel 15:34–16:13 NLT

Chapter 15

34 Then Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul returned to his house at Gibeah of Saul. 35 Samuel never went to meet with Saul again, but he mourned constantly for him. And the Lord was sorry he had ever made Saul king of Israel.

*Note: Would you think the LORD would be sorry for anything since he knows everything from the beginning to the end. How can we explain this?

*Most thinks its because the LORD communicates in a way we can understand. (Try explaining to a 6 year old how to make a quilt. I tied it once and they had to take all my work out when I left.)

*Isaiah 55:9 NLT

For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Chapter 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.”

2 But Samuel asked, “How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” “Take a heifer with you,” the Lord replied, “and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the Lord. 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint for me.”

*Note: Two things happened here. Samuel was afraid. So he says Saul will kill me if I go there to make someone else king.

*Saul started asking questions before the LORD finished telling him what to do. So lets wait and hear the LORD out before we start questioning Him.

**My question was always why didn't the LORD just say go and anoint David King and have it over.

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4 So Samuel did as the Lord instructed. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town came trembling to meet him. “What’s wrong?” they asked. “Do you come in peace?”

5 “Yes,” Samuel replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then Samuel performed the purification rite for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice, too.

6 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!”

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

8 Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “This is not the one the Lord has chosen.” 9 Next Jesse summoned Shimea,* but Samuel said, “Neither is this the one the Lord has chosen.” 10 In the same way all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” 11 Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?”