Series: Israel’s 1st King [#4]
THE CONQUEROR
1 Samuel 11:1-15
Introduction:
Saul went back home and did not say anything to his father about being the King of Israel. Life went back to normal for a little while, and then he had to help his people. There were 3 challenges that Saul had to face- Let’s see how he responded to them.
1 Samuel 11:1-6
Challenge #1:
1. The attack of the enemy.
How did the people respond to this crisis? It was a terrible offer- To serve the enemy would be horrible; but to have your right eye gouged out was even worse. Some of the people chose to stall the enemy, while others wept and gave up all hope.
What was Saul’s response to this challenge? He took a leadership role and prepared the men for battle. A crisis doesn’t make a person; rather, it shows what a person is made of. At this point, Saul was not a hero. He was the anointed King; but he had gone back to the farm. When crisis came, Saul met the challenge.
1 Samuel 11:6
Saul…
* Responded with righteous anger.
We should have righteous anger against the enemies of God. We need to declare war on sin. The Spirit of God had changed Saul into another man. He was no longer just a tall, handsome farmer- Now he was the King of Israel.
1 Samuel 11:6a
Saul…
* Received the power of the Holy Spirit.
In chapter 10 we learned that the Holy Spirit of God came upon Saul in great power. Saul was a new man. You cannot fight battles in your own strength. Saul faced this challenge with faith and courage.
1 Samuel 11:7-11
Saul…
* Issued a challenge.
Saul joined himself with Samuel- You can’t win battles alone; you need others standing with you. Samuel was a great man of prayer; and every leader, needs prayer if he is to succeed.
The result of this challenge was the gathering of a large army. The Children of Israel numbered 300,000, and the men of Judah were 30,000 in number. They united to help the people of Jabesh Gilead. Saul used the same approach that Gideon had used- He divided his people into 3 companies and attacked the enemy in the morning. God gave Israel a great victory. The enemy soldiers were so scattered that not even 2 of them were left together.
1 Samuel 11:12-13
Challenge #2:
2. The advice of friends.
This challenge happened after the victory. Although Saul had many good relationships with people, he also had critics. His friends wanted to kill those critics; but Saul reminded them of the victory God had given them; and told them to forget about those critics.
Sometimes your friends can do more damage to you than your enemies can; and often you face a greater test after the victory than you do during the battle. What did Saul do? He ignored their suggestion. When a person uses their victories for God’s glory and not for personal gain; it is a sign of greatness.
1 Samuel 11:14-15
Challenge #3:
3. The warning of God’s Word.
Saul was presented as King, 3 times. He was anointed privately by Samuel; then he was anointed when the Tribes were together at Mizpeh; and then there was this official presentation of him being the King of Israel. It was during this time that Samuel preached a sermon.
He started by reminding them of his faithfulness. Then he reviewed the history of Israel and how God was faithful to them. Then, Samuel called on the people to be faithful to God.
1 Samuel 12:12-15
Samuel reminded the people that they had some responsibilities to fulfill. Just because Saul had won a victory didn’t mean that this was the end; but was actually the beginning. They needed to fear God and serve God. Samuel warned Saul and the people that they must not rebel against the commandment of God. If they rebelled, God’s hand would be against them.
Conclusion:
Saul accepted the call of God on his life and started off his Kingship following God.
