Did David slack bec there were only a few sheep? No, David took extra care precisely bec there were only a few, so every sheep counted.

What was the first thing which David learnt that he and his kinsmen were different from the people around them? Think it was his circumcision.

He was circumcised on the 8th day. Of course he knew nothing. Gradually he grew up and knew more. He knew that he was circumcised and all Israelites were circumcised as a sign of the covenant with the living God (Gen 17:23).

“For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God.” (1 Sam 17:26)

David’s parents taught him well (Deut 6:4-9).

God testified for Himself in David’s life (1 Sam 17:34-36)

Remind ourselves well and teach our children well:
- Our Baptism is in the name of Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.

- Now and everyday, we are living new lives and have victory over sins bec the devil attacks us with a sword, with a spear and with a javelin. But we come against it in the name of the Lord Jesus, the God of the armies of Israel”

The battle is in the Lord’s and He will give victory into our hands. (1 Sam 17:47)

Why did Samuel mourn for a man who would kill him?

Was Samuel mourning for Saul? Or was Samuel mourning for the Israelites?

1 Sam 13:14 Samuel had already declared to Saul that his kingdom would not be long.

1 Sam 15:10 Now the word of the LORD came to Samuel that the LORD greatly grieved that He had set up Saul as king.

1 Sam 15:23 and 26 Samuel declared to Saul that he rejected the word of the LORD and He also rejected him as being king.

1 Sam 15:29 “And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.”

So what was Samuel grieving about?

May be Samuel was grieving for the Israelites that they had a king but the king was not able to lead the people of God back to Him, especially Samuel knew that the Spirit of the LORD would depart from Saul (1 Sam 16:14)

May be Samuel was grieving that the Israelites would enter into dark days when there was a king in Israel but he did what was right in his own eyes, everyone also did what was right in his own eyes.

Samuel was grieving bec the people of God were not following God.

Then the LORD reminded Samuel again that He had sought for a man after His own heart (1 Sam 13:14).

Thus Samuel did what the LORD said and went to Bethlehem to anoint the one whom the LORD had commanded over His people (1 Sam 16:4, 12-13, 13:14)

Samuel trusted the LORD not to leave His people as orphans.

Old Samuel remembered that the LORD has great delight in obedience and to obey is better than sacrifice.

Saul had attacked the Amalekites before 1 Sam 15.

1 Sam 15:3 “Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.”

What did Saul do?

1 Sam 15:7-8 And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

1 Sam 15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen and the best of the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

Tonight at Adam, Pr Chin reminds us again that God looks at our heart.

What did we see?

Saul led the Israelites to utterly destroyed Amalek man and woman, infant and nursing child, despised and worthless ox and sheep, camel and donkey.

What did God see?

1 Sam 15:19 “Why did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop down on the spoil and do evil in the sight of the LORD?”

God saw Saul swooping down on the spoil (chin bible:急忙掠夺财物 ). God saw Saul’s heart.

The irony is that Saul dashed in and grabbed, what did he get?
In the sight of God, Saul only got the despised and worthless spoil.

When we are holding the high-paying job and doctorate, what is in our heart?
In the process of achieving them, what is in our heart ?
After we achieve our goals, what is in our heart ?

Do we hear God’s voice?

(In the bible’s records of David, especially in his psalms, “salvation” and “hope” are mentioned so frequently that it is termed the “Davidic hope”. But for Saul, the 1st king of Israel, salvation and hope is utterly lacking.)

1 Sam 14:7 So his armorbearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart.”

The armorbearer was the best comrade one could have.

Indeed God was with them. They killed 20 by their fists. God made the earth quaked. God trembled and melt the hearts of many. Most likely bec Jonathan and his armorbearer were of the same heart.

James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another (chin bible:彼此), and pray for one another (chin bible:彼此), that you may be healed. The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

This righteous man is made righteous by God.

“One another” refers to more than 2. “Each other” refers to 2. Confess your trespasses to each other(彼此), and pray for each other(彼此).

Matthew 18:19 “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.”

God’s principle does not change. 2 is enough.

2 is the required quantum for a meeting of hearts.

At all times, “me” + Holy Spirit = 2.

“My grace is sufficient for you. For My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:9)

It was no wonder that Saul declared that “today the LORD has accomplished salvation in Israel.” (1 Sam 11:13).

When Saul renewed his kingdom in Gilgal (1 Sam 11:15), unlikely that he had a palace waiting for him. May be not even a proper house for him and his family.

The people were distressed in Gilgal (1 Sam 13:6, 5). Saul and the Israelites were in hardship.

But did God lower His requirement on His people to obey His commands bec of the difficulties in life?

i think never would Saul ever imagine that by not following an instruction given by Samuel 2 years ago that “you shall go down before me to Gilgal; and surely I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and make sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, till I come to you and show you what you shall do” led to his kingdom not continuing.

May be the passage of time has eroded the importance of Samuel’s instruction in Saul’s heart.

Was the LORD too harsh?

1 Sam 13:14 “…because you have not kept what the LORD has commanded you.”

God’s commands are valid for life.

Then upon the expiry of our physical life, we can enter eternal life.

What does God want from His priests?

1 Sam 12:23 “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and right way.”

Unceasing prayers for His people.

What does God want from His people?

1 Sam 12:20 Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.”

1 Sam 12:24 “Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.”

1 Sam 12:21 is clearer in the Chinese bible:若偏离神去顺从那不能救人的虚神是无益的.

Worship God in spirit and in truth.

Consider what a great thing Lord Jesus has done for us. He washes our sins with His blood.

In 1 Samuel 8:10-18, Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the Israelites. The words were forewarning of the behaviors of the king who will reign over them.

If i m Saul, what would be on my mind?

“My kingship resulted from the rejection of the chosen people of our God.”
“But the LORD did not desert us. Yes, we have victory today bec the LORD has accomplished salvation to day.”
“We have fearsome enemies around us, Philistines are one of them. Can i always lead the people to victory? Yes, i taller than other. i can fight and my family can fight (1 Sam 9:1) too. But are our fists enough to bring peace to Israel?”
“God the LORD talks to Samuel directly (1 Sam 9:17). The LORD has given me a new heart. Can i be as close to the LORD like Samuel?”
“Can I lead the Israelites to worship the LORD as my forefather Joshua had led his family to serve the LORD?”

1 Sam 11:15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. There they made sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

Samuel led them before the LORD.

Saul had 2 good starts as king of Israel.

May Lord Jesus help us to remember that we are always before Him too.

In the chinese bible, “explained to the people the behaviour of royalty” is recorded as将国法对百姓说明 literally means to declare the statutes to the people. Statues are applicable to both the king and the people.

Deut 17:14-20 recorded Moses’ prophetic instructions for the king-to-come:

The pitfalls susceptible to the king is similar for every man, then, now and future:

- the lust of the flesh: Deut 17:16
“But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way.’

- the lust of the eyes: Deut 17:17
“Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.

- the pride of life: Deut 17:18-20
“Also it shall be when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites.
And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and this statutes,
that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left…”

There was no record of Saul writing a copy of the law and read it all the days of his life. He might have but not recorded in the bible. But was the writing really that which mattered to God?

God wanted “the king” to learn to fear God and be careful to observe all the laws and statutes.

God really wanted was for “the king” to keep his heart, not let his heart be lifted above his brethren.
( Note: his brethren, not his subjects bec God is the real King.)

God wanted really was “the king” to focus on Him.

God gives “the king” another heart (1 Sam 10:9) to help him to turn into a new man (1 Sam 10:6).

To what extend does God remain faithful to His people?

1 Sam 8:7 …but they rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.

1 Sam 12:12 …the LORD your God was your king.

1 Sam 12:22 For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people.

1 Sam 9: 16 and 17 recorded the words spoken by God to Samuel and these words reflected the unmoving faithfulness that God has for His people:
“Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people because their cry has come to Me.”
“There he is, the man of whom I spoke to you, This one shall reign over My people.”

Count the number of “I”, “My” and “Me”: 3 I, 4 My and 1 Me in just 2 verses.
Saul was only a commander over the people of God.

God remains faithful bec He cannot deny Himself. God remains faithful for His name’s sake.

Titus 1:2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
has in these last days spoken to us by His Son,
who He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person,
and upholding all things by the word of His power,
when He had by Himself purged our sins,
sit down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
(Hebrews 1:1-3)

We have the hope of eternal life bec God is faithful.

Is Lord Jesus our Majesty on high and in life?

(He purged our sins bec He is holy.)

In Book of Joshua, each of the twelve tribes had rulers (Joshua 22:14)

1 Sam 8:3 But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonesty gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.

Were Joel and Abijah, the only 2 who administered the Israelites? There should be other rulers for example those of the individual tribes.

If Joel and Abijah received dishonest gain & bribes and perverted justice. Who did they receive them from? The children of Israel?

1 Sam 8:7-8 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should no reign over them. According to the work which they have done since the dau that I brought them out of Egypt, even to this day - with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods - so they are doing to you also.”

The people had forsaken God. The “bad judges” was just an excuse.

At the place where God chooses to make His name abides (Duet 16:11), it is for the sake of His people, for His name sake.

Bad judges might not break God’s heart.

Rejection from His children does (Psalm 14:-3).
With everyday which we receive from God, serve Him only.