Tuesday, March 17, 2009
1 Samuel 13:14 Samuel to Saul: "Your kingdom shall not continue . . . because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you."
JESUS AS KING
Saul's early years serving as the first king of the united people of Israel went well with the Lord's blessings. The people rallied behind him upon his victory over the Ammonites at Jabesh Gilead. But when the Philistines came to attack him at Michmash, and his unarmed army was beginning to scatter from him, Saul took matters into his own hands and offered a sacrifice that Samuel had said he would perform when he arrived.
And then when God commanded Saul to annihilate the Amelekites, he kept back the best of the animals with the excuse that the people wanted to use them for sacrifices to God.
It was for these blatant refusals to listen to the Lord and to follow His direction that Saul lost the right to remain king. God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint David as his successor.
We have been in situations like Saul's -- times when the devil tempts us to think that the only right thing to do is something God has said is wrong.
Thankfully when Jesus was on this earth He never gave in to such temptations. It is true that as He began His last epic battle against the powers of the devil, He prayed that God His Father might find some other way to win the victory. But since that was no other way, Jesus went forward. He faced the sufferings and the death, drinking the whole cup that His Father had given Him to drink. And by this act of love, Jesus our King destroyed the power of the Prince of Darkness!
All thanks to God that Jesus is our King, whose kingdom remains forever!
