#442 1st Summary of Samuel

These things happened and were recorded for our admonition. I will probably tend to more of the comparisons between Saul and David later, and there were many interesting characters herein the pages of the first book of Samuel. The testimony of Samuel himself is amazing, yet nothing in the Bible can be understood from the garden of Eden till this time of the shepherd king, without the light of the gospel. It can only be understood as the finger pointing to the time of Christ, the gospel message of old, that God created this world, takes responsibility for this world, has judged that sin has entered the world, and death through sin. He has provided in His Son the satisfaction of His righteous glory and wrath toward sin. I grieve the old man in me because I see him in so many. He could see, but not, memorize, but not hear. I thought I sought truth, had love, respect, was a decent individual, and I could recite the 23rd Psalm for you, but I refused to admit God's sovereignty. I have said this before, I loved hippy Jesus, then conservative NRA Jesus, what a friend to talk to about the things I want Jesus. Listen to what the Psalmist David prophecies about Him. It's the passage before the one we all know. This is the 22nd Psalm. Maybe I missed it. 

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

2 O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

8 He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.

10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.

11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. Psalm 22 KJV

David rightly pointed to Messiah, and that is the biggest difference between him and Saul. Saul refused to give up the throne. David placed his sin in perspective, it is against YOU and YOU only that I have sinned. Saul tried to justify himself, to kill the man that God chose to take his place. Do you still find the Old Testament so foreign from the New, or did you make up your own Jesus? He told the Scribes and Pharisees, you know Who I Am. If you read this and spent anytime in the Word then you know, that I am the Word become flesh and dwelling among you. Saul knew what God said as well, but he wouldn't bow, his pride ate him alive and ran itself through. If you read God's word, if that has become the desire of your heart then don't be smug, die to any notions of self enlightenment, don't trust your feelings, hope in a manufactured god of some worldly system. Know that His ways are not our ways. Know the uniqueness, the humility, the power of the Gospel. Lift up Jesus, it's your only hope. 

David was born in Bethlehem. (1 Sam. 16:4) Matt. 2:1 Jesus was born in Bethlehem. David was a shepherd. (1 Sam. 16:11) John 10:11 Jesus is the good shepherd. David did not seem to be great—even to his own family. (1 Sam. 16:11) Matt. 13:55–56; John 1:46 Jesus did not appear to be great—especially to his own family. David was anointed among his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him. (1 Sam. 16:13) Matt. 3:16; Acts 10:38 Jesus was anointed among his brothers at his baptism as the Spirit of the Lord descended upon him. David was sent by his father to his brothers. (1 Sam. 17:17) John 8:42 Jesus was sent by his father to his brothers. David was rejected and mocked and accused of having evil motives. (1 Sam. 17:28) John 1:11; Matt. 27:12, 41–42 Jesus was rejected and mocked and accused of having evil motives by his brothers. David was confident of God’s victory as he faced Goliath (1 Sam. 17:37) Matt. 20:17–19 Jesus was confident of God’s victory over death as he faced the cross. David went out to face Goliath alone but with the presence of God. (1 Sam. 17:40, 45) John 16:32 Jesus faced the cross alone but with the presence of God. The sword that Goliath intended to use to slay David was used to destroy Goliath. (1 Sam. 17:50–51) Col. 2:15 The cross that Satan intended to use to destroy Jesus was used by Jesus to destroy Satan’s power of death. By destroying Goliath, David delivered the Israelites from being subject to lifelong slavery to the Philistines. (1 Sam. 17:9, 52) Heb. 2:14–15 By dying and rising again, Jesus delivered the people of God from lifelong slavery to the fear of death. All of Israel shared in the victory over the Philistines, achieved by David as their representative. (1 Sam. 17:52) 1 Cor. 15:55–57 All of those in Christ share in the victory over death, achieved by Christ as our representative.