09/24/2008
1 Samuel 28:16 - 19 (HCSB) 16Samuel answered, “Since the LORD has turned away from you and has become your enemy, why are you asking me? 17The LORD has done exactly what He said through me: The LORD has torn the kingship out of your hand and given it to your neighbor David. 18You did not obey the LORD and did not carry out His wrath against Amalek; therefore the LORD has done this to you today. 19The LORD will also hand Israel over to the Philistines along with you. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me, and the LORD will hand Israel’s army over to the Philistines.”
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Saul had failed to follow God’s directions explicitly, and for this reason God said the kingdom would be pulled out of his hand and given to another. Samuel was directed to anoint David as the king; however Saul continued to reign. Everything David did prospered but the Lord was not with Saul. Saul became jealous of David and many times tried to kill him. David fled to the philistines and lived there.
At least twice, David had the opportunity to kill Saul, but refused to take the life of God’s anointed. Remember, that Samuel had anointed Saul as king before David. But David would not be responsible for killing Saul.
The philistine army rose up against Israel and David was enlisted with the philistines. Saul became frantic and wanted some direction from God, but God would not hear him. In his panic, Saul sought out a medium and asked her to conjure up Samuel. This is a practice that is strictly forbidden and I am certain that God allowed Samuel to answer Saul on this unique occasion to pronounce Saul’s final stand: “Tomorrow, you and your sons will be with me.”
Imagine hearing those words from beyond the grave. Saul must have been utterly shaken to his core. But worse that that, imagine God removing His counsel from you.
The degree to which God will lead and protect us is in direct proportion to how close we draw to him. This is not to say that we lose our salvation. He has promised never to leave us, but He will withhold blessings and counsel when we choose our own paths ignoring His commands.
We must learn to always seek God’s counsel and to keep His commands so that He will always be near. Saul resorted to an evil practice and was condemned for it. By contrast, David’s heart was always on the Lord and he prospered in everything he did.
We too need to keep our hearts on God and keep His commands as best we can so that we are never far from His counsel.
Jeff Justus
Cleff Publishing
www.cleffpublishing.com
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