Israel’s first king was called to the throne after the nation had demanded a king, contrary to God’s will. It was the tendency to trust in man, coupled with a desire to be like the other nations, that drove their demand for a king. And by so doing, their distrust of God was exposed. But God, who has given us the freedom of choice to choose either good or evil, with consequences, had permitted them to have their own way even though a very graphic warning of the results of their choice was given by the prophet Samuel.
Yet they insisted that they would have a king. When Saul was first called to the throne to serve, he had very miniscule ideas of himself, for he regarded himself as least among his father’s house. And God, who always gives men the best opportunities to do right, anointed Saul with His Holy Spirit, so that he would have clear concepts of truth and duty, and he would thus be enabled to serve well in his office.
In harmony with His good purposes, Saul was taken under Samuel’s wings so that he could be instructed in the ways and purposes of God for the nation. And it even became a proverb in all Israel, that Saul was among the prophets. No one can serve God on their own, even if they desire to do so, and that is why a change of heart and mind was granted to the new king. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 10:1 Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance? 6 And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. 7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.
9 And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day. 10 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11 And it came to pass, when all that knew him before-time saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?
But after the dawning of a new day in his life, pride of opinion, and a stubborn resistance to God’s will, caused things to quickly unravel, for it was made manifest by his actions that he could not be trusted in emergencies. Whenever Saul’s back was against a wall, he would lose sight of God, and then, his will, and not God’s would be done. Our characters are revealed not so much in those good times, when everything is running smooth, but in those difficult circumstances which will test the mettle of our faith in God.
The tensile strength of our faith is tested mainly in the fires of our affliction and adversity. Now that our backs are against a wall, with millions of persons losing their jobs, and with evictions and foreclosures looming on the horizon, it will be made manifest whether we will trust God, just as in those sunny days of our life experience. Our tithes, as well as our offerings should be returned on the stimulus check received from uncle Sam, for it is an increase.
One of the most important lessons God will have us learn from this current pandemic, is to be humble, because, way too much pride and love of praise was being indulged in high and low places, just as it was with king Saul. After the first signal victory God had given to Saul, his head began to swell with pride, and, as is too often the case, his will began to take precedence over God’s will. When God commanded through Samuel, that Saul was to defeat the Amalekites, he decided that he would bring back Agag alive as a national trophy, to boost his already inflated ego.
In other words, Saul desired his signature on the victory God had given, in addition to which he spared the flocks and herds which were supposed to be devoted to destruction. He did not fully agree with God that the command should be carried out to the letter, for he thought a mistake in judgement, and discretion was made by God. Thus, he thought of himself as wiser and more intelligent than God as too many in our day do. God has not called us primarily agree with Him, but to obey Him.
In the process of obeying God, it is true that we may come to agree with His commands, but at the onset we are often at odds with what God instructs us to do, and therefore, it becomes a matter of whether we will let God’s will be done, or whether our will is going to take precedence. Saul’s will was allowed to overrule God’s explicit commands, and even though God continued to give him great victories and continued to plead with him through His Holy Spirit, the time came when things would take a turn for the worse, and the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from him, because of his persistent resistance to God’s voice. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 16:14 But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. 15 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubles thee.
It is critically important for us not to misinterpret that passage which says, “An evil spirit from God troubled Saul”. This current condition of Saul is the default setting, whenever The Holy Spirit leaves any person, and thus the question is asked: “How did Saul get from there to here? How did Saul go from being anointed by the Holy Ghost, to being demon possessed? The answer is given in the scriptures. Let’s read:
Matthew 12:32 And whosoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaks against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. 43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he finds it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
Whenever this has taken place in a person, satanic traits of character, and all cultivated evils are often brought to maturity, where there’s opportunity to do so, in those who have rejected the only agency by which we can be saved. The Bible teaches that persons are taken captive at the will of evil spirits, whenever God is not sitting on the throne of the heart. And in Saul’s case evidences began to spring up that made it manifest God’s Spirit was missing in his life, and these evidences should be studied closely in the context of the times in which we now live for there is nothing new under the sun, and history would be, and is now being repeated, even as we speak. These evidences are outlined as follows:
[1] Wherever, and whenever there is an insatiable desire for commendation, applause, or praise, and approbation of men, there we may be certain that satan has, or is taking up residence. In certain cases, persons may not have passed the boundaries of God’s grace, but in other cases, the problem can be incurable. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 18:6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music. 7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? 9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
A desire for praise is what caused lucifer to become satan, and ever since his fatal fall, he has sought to imbue human beings with his own attributes. Thus, whenever and wherever persons are observed to be thriving on praise, and the commendations of men, there we may be certain that demons have, or are actively taking up residence. Let’s read:
Isaiah 14: 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north. 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most-High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
[2] Wherever and whenever there is an irrepressible desire to harm or get rid of those with whom one may disagree, there we may be certain that satan has, or is in the process of taking up residence. The habit of indulging revenge upon one’s enemies does not come from the Holy Ghost, and should never be practiced by any person. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 18:10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand. 11 And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice. 12 And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul.
Proverbs 24: 17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falls, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbles; 18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
[3] Whenever, and wherever there is a continuous disposition to blame others for one’s misdeeds and sins, there we may be certain that satan has, or is taking up residence. One of the sure signs of godly repentance occurs when a person willingly accepts responsibilities for his or her actions. But the tendency to blame others for one’s faults or shortcomings is a manifestation of the presence of evil spirits, and if that practice is cultivated, it will eventually mummify the person in a stoical form of self-righteousness, which, not even The Holy Ghost can penetrate. Thus, it was with King Saul. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 15:14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? 15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. 21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.
20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.
When we contrast Saul’s attitude with David’s we see that the difference between them is like night and day. Not that David was faultless by any means, but whenever The Holy Spirit pointed out his wrong, he was quick to blame himself and not others. And it would be well if some persons would imitate his example under such circumstances. Let’s read:
1st Chronicles 21:8 And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. 16 And David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
17 And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O Lord my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.
And there are other evidences that we should be cognizant of, because whenever The Holy Ghost has left a person, they often experience very wild mood swings. They can go from laughing and smiling, to a state of resentment, self-pity and revenge. Happiness may suddenly turn into violent outbursts, and complimentary words can turn into cursing, as in a moment. This was unmistakable evidence that Saul was becoming unhinged, not able to rule his own spirit anymore but being moved upon by devils increasingly. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 20:25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty. 27 And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor today? 28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem.
30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness? 31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.
32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done? 33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 650] Saul opened his heart to the spirit of jealousy by which his soul was poisoned. Saul had not learned, while ruling the kingdom of Israel, that he should rule his own spirit. He allowed his impulses to control his judgment, until he was plunged into a fury of passion. He had paroxysms of rage, when he was ready to take the life of anyone who dared oppose his will. From this frenzy he would pass into a state of despondency and self-contempt, and remorse would take possession of his soul.
Years went by, but Saul did not improve, for any sort of improvement in one’s character can only take place by the power of God, working in our hearts to subdue evil tendencies, replacing them with upright motives and habits. But without the power of God to enable us, all who reject God’s Spirit will end up at Endor, just as king Saul did, for whenever God stops speaking, and we stop listening, then the only other remaining option on the table is to come under the direct power of devils. Thus, it was with Judas, and thus it was with Saul. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 28:5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. 6 And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. 7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
John 13:26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. 28 Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spoke this unto him.
If anyone listening today is struggling with any of these traits of character, or any of the latent evil tendencies mentioned, there is still hope for such, because the very fact that there is a struggle going on in one’s mind, tells us that The Holy Spirit is still at work. Whenever The Holy Ghost leaves a person, there is no struggle with evil anymore, and therefore, if we find ourselves battling these evils it is usually a good sign that a breakthrough can still occur.
But persons should be willing to listen to the voice of God when He speaks through His word and in our consciences. Whenever the voice of God points out our sins and failures, it is not to embarrass us, nor to condemn; it is with the sole purpose of restoration, so that the dross in our characters may be removed. And if like David, we acknowledge our sins, the same God who pointed them out will be the first to forgive us and heal.
Therefore, let none despair because of their sins, but rather, let us turn to God, to The only One who can help us out of our predicaments, because God delights in showing mercy unto all who will see their need, and call upon Him when whenever we fall. We therefore end with two passages of scripture which encourage us to seek for help whenever we need it, for God stands always ready to deliver us from ourselves, as long as we do not harden our hearts. Let’s read:
Proverbs 3:11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction. 12 For whom the Lord loveth he corrects; even as a father the son in whom he delights. 13 Happy is the man that finds wisdom and the man that gets understanding.
Hebrews 4: 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
God Bless!