God will provide humility and then the followers

God will provide the humility and then the followers

The first two kings of Israel were vastly different men. Saul, who began his rule with success, would later greatly fail. David who began his commission on the run as an outlaw, would soon enough find great success.

The request for a king by the people was a rejection of God as king. 1SA 8:7 And the Lord said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. The first king therefore would be a reflection of Israel herself. His monarchy would at first succeed and then finally fail when, under the test of trials, its inmost tendencies would be brought to light. This is just the picture of Israel's history. The second king would be a reflection of God's choice and will. 1SA 13:14 But now your kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people. David was a king after God's heart, and Israel would enthusiastically gather around him. This is just the picture of repentant Israel returning to her King at the Second Coming of Christ.

In the first monarch, Saul, God gave the people what was the desire of their heart - the most handsome man and the tallest man. Fleshy people look to fleshly characteristics in their leaders. It is in the very handsome and tallest man in Israel that they see the best of themselves - the most amount of good looking flesh. The second king, David, represented God's desire over and above the peoples'. God saw in him what Israel would not dare look for: faithfulness, humility, and a deep love of Jehovah. David desired to do all God's will, and although he didn't always fulfill that desire, like any of us, he did fulfill God's design for a spiritual king, and so God blessed him as the father of the one true King to come - Jesus Son of David.

Saul was allowed to rule for a time, even after Samuel the prophet had told him that God had torn the kingdom from him. As only God could fashion it, the young David became a member of Saul's court, his greatest warrior, and even his son-in-law. Yet Saul became intensely jealous of David and eventually sought to kill him. As David took flight from Saul, God constantly encouraged David and verified his faith by adding to him many valiant and true men from all tribes.

It is no ordinary courage to face the dangers and difficulties of being an outlaw; no common determination to leave home and country in such a cause. And yet, while he faced such perils, we find that during this time, leading men joined David at different periods. At the start David was assisted by Jonathan, Saul's very son. When David was at Ziklag [1CH 12:1-7], he was joined by certain tribesmen of Saul, and by some men from Judah. While in the mountain wilderness of Judah, certain of the Gadites separated themselves unto him, who when breaking away from the army of Saul had not only crossed the Jordan in the dangerous flood time of early spring, but cut their way through those who would have barred it [1CH 12:8-15]. A third contingent from Benjamin [Saul's tribe] and Judah came during the same period [1CH 12:16-18]. And finally, on the road back to Ziklag, David was joined by seven chieftains of thousands of Manasseh. These all followed David while he was on the run from Saul as a fugitive for ten years and therefore, before he could officially be crowned as king. These were not fair weather fans who were simply following the front runner, but were admirers of something they saw in David that Saul did not possess. And if they has so supported him during Saul's lifetime, what would be their enthusiasm for David's kingship after Saul died and David was officially enthroned?

During the first advent Israel desired for Jesus to be an earthly king much like Saul. They wanted independence and preeminence before all the world with Jesus sitting on an earthly throne. Eternal redemption was not upon their minds but only earthly glory. Of this, Saul is a type. But when Christ returns, all who are true Israel will mourn for Him and join Him as their true Messiah King. Of this David is a type.

After the death of Saul, the elders of Israel made a covenant with David and anointed him king over Israel, and while they did so, hundreds and thousands of men of war marched down to Hebron from the most remote parts of the country. Such enthusiasm had never been seen before in Israel. They did not come because they were bidden to war, but voluntarily they came from Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali bringing with them the contributions for a three day feast in order to honor this great event. All in all over 339,600 warriors and 1,222 chiefs appeared in Hebron in national unification around David, the lover and worshipper of Jehovah Elohim.

The difference between the first two leaders of Israel is a striking lesson to all of us. If we follow God, if we allow God to humble us under His mighty hand, then He will exalt us at the proper time. If God has leadership destined for any of us, it is He who will provide the followers. Saul tried to please the people by caving in to popular demand in violation of God's command. Saul was commanded to strike the city of Amalek and to destroy Agag the king, all the people, and all the livestock.

The command: 1SA 15:3 'Now go and strike Amalek [name of the city] and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'"

What he did: 1SA 15:9 Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

Saul's confession: 1SA 15:24 Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice.

Saul gave in to the desire of the people, or popular opinion, and for this the kingdom was torn from him. David did not pursue any such solicitation. David followed God and pursued God's law as a man who was first and foremost after the heart of God, and God blessed him with followers even before he was crowned. What encouragement David must have felt when hundreds of men showed up in his camp pledging allegiance to him, even men from Saul's own tribe. His courage must have swelled, for it was only too obvious that God was with Him and that God would see Him through. I know it is very simple and it is stated over and over, and rightly so - all that is necessary for us is to follow our Lord by allowing His mighty hand to humble us. Everything that is needed, even the humility, will be graciously provided by Him. But as we see in the case of Saul, God is opposed to the proud.

When General Washington crossed the Delaware on Christmas night, 1776, he and his army of 2,400 were three hours behind schedule due to a fierce nor'easter that brought wind, rain, hail, and snow. Instead of arriving at Trenton New Jersey at the planned hour of 5am, two hours before daylight, they would arrive at 8am, one hour after. Surprise was of greatest importance in this attack and this was ruined. It is rumored that one of the officers turned to Washington and said, "We'll all be killed, being so late," to which Washing replied, "Well, if this doesn't work we'll all be killed in two weeks time anyway." The battle of Trenton was a turning point in the War of Independence and not one American life was lost.

When the British retook the town of Trenton, Washington retreated south, but not in the way that the Brits expected. From south of Trenton he headed east and then northeast in order to completely go around Trenton to the rear and then to attack Cornwallis's rear guard at Princeton. The bloody battle lasted all of fifteen minutes and ended in another American victory. Washington rushed the field with Pennsylvania militia who had little or no training, but who refused to yield as Washington, Gen. Nathaniel Greene (of Rhode Island), and Gen. John Cadwalader rode among them to lead the way. The sight of Washington set an example of courage such as he had never seen, wrote one young officer afterward. "I shall never forget what I felt … when I saw him brave all the dangers of the field and his important life hanging as it were by a single hair with a thousand deaths flying around him. Believe me, I thought not of myself." Washington is said to have called out to them, " Parade with us, my brave fellows. There is but a handful of the enemy, and we will have them directly."

Washington was not a brilliant strategist or tactician, not a gifted orator, and not an intellectual. He was sometimes indecisive and had made mistakes in judgment, but he never forgot what was at stake and he never gave up. After being elected President, Washington stressed in his first inaugural address: No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the United States. Every step, by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation, seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency.

Washington was a great leader of a republic for the same reasons that David was a great leader of God's nation; both men humbled themselves before God and that humility and drive to do God's will inspired a great many to follow them. Both of these great men have changed history.

Press on beloved,

Pastor Joe Sugrue

Grace and Truth Ministries