Friday Devo
Scripture:
1 Samuel 9:15-21
15 Now the Lord had told Samuel the previous day, 16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him to be the leader of my people, Israel. He will rescue them from the Philistines, for I have looked down on my people in mercy and have heard their cry.”
17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said, “That’s the man I told you about! He will rule my people.”
18 Just then Saul approached Samuel at the gateway and asked, “Can you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”
19 “I am the seer!” Samuel replied. “Go up to the place of worship ahead of me. We will eat there together, and in the morning I’ll tell you what you want to know and send you on your way. 20 And don’t worry about those donkeys that were lost three days ago, for they have been found. And I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel’s hopes.”
21 Saul replied, “But I’m only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?”
15 Now the Lord had told Samuel the previous day, 16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him to be the leader of my people, Israel. He will rescue them from the Philistines, for I have looked down on my people in mercy and have heard their cry.”
17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said, “That’s the man I told you about! He will rule my people.”
18 Just then Saul approached Samuel at the gateway and asked, “Can you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”
19 “I am the seer!” Samuel replied. “Go up to the place of worship ahead of me. We will eat there together, and in the morning I’ll tell you what you want to know and send you on your way. 20 And don’t worry about those donkeys that were lost three days ago, for they have been found. And I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel’s hopes.”
21 Saul replied, “But I’m only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?”
Commentary:
9:15 In a flashback the narrator relates that a day earlier “the LORD had revealed to Samuel [lit., “uncovered the ear of Samuel”]”—an idiom derived from the practice of drawing aside the fabric of a head covering to whisper confidentially in someone’s ear.
9:16 “I will send” reveals that God has directed Saul’s roundabout journey so that his path and that of Samuel would cross just then. As an Israelite “from the land of Benjamin,” there is no national or religious barrier preventing Saul from becoming king (Deut. 17:15). So Samuel is instructed to anoint Saul (cf. comment on 1 Sam. 2:10) as “prince,” or “leader” (Hb. nagid, “one of prominence”; the Hebrew term does not imply being a son of a king or a crown prince). “King” (Hb. melek) is deliberately avoided here. Cf. Introduction: Theology of 1-2 Samuel.
The threefold reference to “my people” demonstrates that the Lord is not relaxing his rule over Israel. Another level of government is merely being introduced between the Lord and the people in the person of the king, who “shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines.” Even though the Philistines did not advance against Israel throughout Samuel’s judgeship (7:13), they still used their economic and military power to harass the land. So the Lord is providing a king because of his concern over Israel’s distress under oppression—something he had done before (Ex. 3:7, 9).
John L. Mackay, “1-2 Samuel,” in 1 Samuel–2 Chronicles, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, vol. III, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019), 114.
9:16 “I will send” reveals that God has directed Saul’s roundabout journey so that his path and that of Samuel would cross just then. As an Israelite “from the land of Benjamin,” there is no national or religious barrier preventing Saul from becoming king (Deut. 17:15). So Samuel is instructed to anoint Saul (cf. comment on 1 Sam. 2:10) as “prince,” or “leader” (Hb. nagid, “one of prominence”; the Hebrew term does not imply being a son of a king or a crown prince). “King” (Hb. melek) is deliberately avoided here. Cf. Introduction: Theology of 1-2 Samuel.
The threefold reference to “my people” demonstrates that the Lord is not relaxing his rule over Israel. Another level of government is merely being introduced between the Lord and the people in the person of the king, who “shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines.” Even though the Philistines did not advance against Israel throughout Samuel’s judgeship (7:13), they still used their economic and military power to harass the land. So the Lord is providing a king because of his concern over Israel’s distress under oppression—something he had done before (Ex. 3:7, 9).
John L. Mackay, “1-2 Samuel,” in 1 Samuel–2 Chronicles, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, vol. III, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019), 114.
Questions:
Have you ever made a decision and wondered if you had just made a mess you couldn't undo? Maybe it was something you said that you wish you could take back. A relationship you damaged. A season of disobedience you knew was wrong. A decision you made even though you knew better. We can look at our failures and think, I'm never coming back from this... How could God possibly bring anything good out of this?
Israel had plenty of reason to think that way! Just one chapter earlier, they had rejected God as their King. They wanted a human king because they wanted to be like the nations around them. They knew God had been faithful to them, but they still decided they wanted something else.
But, in 1 Samuel 9, God hasn't walked away from them. Instead, God is already at work.
Saul loses his father's donkeys. He goes looking for them. He gets frustrated. His servant suggests they ask the man of God for help. Saul ends up at Samuel's house, and Samuel already knows he is coming. Saul didn't know when he set out to find some lost donkeys where any of this was leading. But God did.
Israel's rebellion was real. Their desire for a king was wrong. Their decisions had consequences. But their sin did not make God powerless. Their failure was not bigger than His sovereignty. Sin can cause real damage. Sometimes repentance means confessing what we did, asking someone to forgive us, making things right, or accepting consequences we wish we could avoid. But repentance is not the same thing as believing your failure has put you beyond the reach of God's grace.
The cross shows us this more clearly than anything else.
Human sin and rebellion led to the crucifixion of Jesus. But, the darkest moment in history is where God accomplished salvation. Jesus willingly gave Himself for sinners so that our sin would not have the final word. Our worst failure is not more powerful than the grace of Jesus. That doesn't give us permission to sin. It gives us hope when we do!
Israel had plenty of reason to think that way! Just one chapter earlier, they had rejected God as their King. They wanted a human king because they wanted to be like the nations around them. They knew God had been faithful to them, but they still decided they wanted something else.
But, in 1 Samuel 9, God hasn't walked away from them. Instead, God is already at work.
Saul loses his father's donkeys. He goes looking for them. He gets frustrated. His servant suggests they ask the man of God for help. Saul ends up at Samuel's house, and Samuel already knows he is coming. Saul didn't know when he set out to find some lost donkeys where any of this was leading. But God did.
Israel's rebellion was real. Their desire for a king was wrong. Their decisions had consequences. But their sin did not make God powerless. Their failure was not bigger than His sovereignty. Sin can cause real damage. Sometimes repentance means confessing what we did, asking someone to forgive us, making things right, or accepting consequences we wish we could avoid. But repentance is not the same thing as believing your failure has put you beyond the reach of God's grace.
The cross shows us this more clearly than anything else.
Human sin and rebellion led to the crucifixion of Jesus. But, the darkest moment in history is where God accomplished salvation. Jesus willingly gave Himself for sinners so that our sin would not have the final word. Our worst failure is not more powerful than the grace of Jesus. That doesn't give us permission to sin. It gives us hope when we do!
- Think about a failure or regret that you keep coming back to. When you remember it, what do you believe about yourself, your future, or your relationship with God? Be honest about the story you keep telling yourself when you think about what happened.
- Sometimes guilt leads us toward repentance, but shame keeps telling us that we are defined by what we have done. How have you seen that difference play out in your own thoughts? Is there something you have already confessed to God that you are still punishing yourself for?
- Israel's rebellion was real, but it was not bigger than God's grace or His ability to accomplish His purposes. How does reflecting on the cross increase your confidence that your standing with God rests on what Jesus has done rather than on your ability to get everything right?
- Is there something from your past that you need to stop hiding from God and bring honestly into His presence? Maybe that means confessing sin, asking someone for forgiveness, making something right, asking for help, or receiving God's forgiveness without continuing to condemn yourself.
Prayer Topics:
- Confess the sin, failure, or regret you have been carrying instead of bringing honestly to God.
- Ask God to give you humility to make things right where your choices have hurt others.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help you receive forgiveness instead of continuing to live under condemnation.
- Thank Jesus that His grace is bigger than your failures and that your hope rests in Him, not your perfect performance.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
4. Can a person be good enough to go to heaven? No. Because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He is God, I believe a person is saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
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