Title: 10 – Standing Tall, Falling Hard
Series: The Story
Pastor Chad E. Billington
March 20, 2016 PM Service
Smythe Street Cathedral
©2016
As greeting ends, play sermon introduction video for this week.
Review from Last Week: Ruth
I’m glad to be back tonight to talk to you tonight about The Story, our
journey through the big story of the Bible. Don’t forget our reading
guides are available at the back table.
Last Week we looked at the story of Ruth It is the remarkable story that happens in the era of the Judges (the topic
of the previous weeks’ sermon). It tells of three people:
• Naomi, a widow who believes God has turned against her
• Ruth, Naomi’s widowed foreign daughter-in-law whose faithfulness is
extraordinary
• Boaz, the kinsmen redeemer whose role it is to rescue the Naomi’s
inheritance and gives Ruth a future.
The entire story teaches about how God’s redemptive work in Jesus, and
also how God deals with us in adversity, and also reminds us of the call to
serve as ambassadors of redemption in our world today.
This Week: Standing Tall… Falling Hard
This week’s readings come from the books of Samuel. It is his story that
transitions us from the age of the Judges in to the age of the kings.
The Setup: The Birth of Samuel A man name Elkanah in Ephraim had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah.
Hannah was barren (childless) and heart-broken. Peninnah purposely
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T H E S T O R Y provoked Hannah’s pain.
At Shiloh where the Tabernacle rested Hannah desperately prayed to God
for a child, promising to dedicate the child to God. God hears Hannah’s
prayer and Samuel (“God has heard”) is born and dedicated to God in
service at the Tabernacle.
Samuel becomes the final judge, a prophet who leads the people. His
name, ‘God has heard’, is interesting because Samuel ends up hearing
from God, and sharing his words,
1 Samuel 3:19 (NIV84)
The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of
his words fall to the ground.
The Tragedies of 1 Samuel
The book of 1 Samuel, begins with the story of young Samuel, and then
sets up the formation of the changing of the nation of Israel into the
kingdom of Israel.
As with most transitions there are high points, and there low points. In this
transition, this part of the story seems to be a section with three
disappointing stories, that all have a bit of a tragic moment to them.
We read them for the history and learn from the examples As we look at this section of the Old Testament, I recall a passage from the
Apostle Paul in the New Testament. In this passage he was talking about a
story about Israel during the Exodus, but I believe it has a general
application to the Old Testament as a whole.
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T H E S T O R Y 1 Corinthians 10:11 (NIV84) These things happened to them as examples and were written
down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has
come.
These stories are here to help us as we reflect on our own journey.
The Tragedy of Eli’s Sons When Samuel was born, he was dropped off at Shiloh (where the Ark of
the Covenant was kept) into the care of a priest named Eli.
He had two sons, Hophni and Phineas, who abused the sacrificial system
(they took things that were to be offered to God for themselves) and
committed sexually immoral acts with women who served at the Tent of
Meeting.
It is nothing new for the children of believers, or of leadership to rebel
from the footsteps of their parents.
What I forget, when I recall the story, that I remember when reading, is
that God Eli warns his sons about it, but Eli lets them continue to serve in
their positions. He keeps up the façade. Then God warns Eli about this.
Finally, the boy that is not his son, Samuel gets a message from God about
it.
1 Samuel 3:13 (NIV) For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of
the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to
restrain them.
When the Israelites go to war they take the ark of the covenant with them,
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T H E S T O R Y they presume if they have the Ark they can guarantee God’s blessing.
It doesn’t work. The Ark of the Covenant is captured by their enemies.
Eli’s two sons, the troublemakers are killed.
Eli hears the news, and is saddened by the news of his sons (although I
suppose he may not have been surprised), but is shocked by the news of
the Ark, falls over and breaks his neck.
The Lesson: We cannot presume that our position, our status is a
replacement for knowing and following God.
• Eli’s sons kept serving in ‘Servant of God’ position although they did
not serve God
• Israel presumed that God would bless whatever they did when they
took the Ark with them. (we may find that simple, but do we do the
same when we ask God to bless what we do.)
There is no substitute for a relationship with God.
A footnote to the Tragedy of Eli’s Sons We learn from our mentors What I find equally tragic about the story of Eli, is that later in life we read
that Samuel’s sons, who he appointed as Judges over Israel (Joel and
Abijah), also struggled.
1 Samuel 8:3 (NIV) But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after
dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
Although they did not do the same deeds as Eli’s sons, Samuel’s sons did
not follow serve well either. Although not much more is said in the
passage, I wonder how the years of watching Eli’s relationship with
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T H E S T O R Y his sons, trained up Samuel to inherit the same patterns in his own family.
We all must ask God to help us to keep the good, and repent of the
failures we all inherit from our families and mentors.
The Tragedy of Israel’s Choice The people ask Samuel to anoint a king over them so that they can be like
all the other nations.
1 Samuel 8:5–6, 19b-20 (NIV) 5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow
your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other
nations have.”
6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this
displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD.
God tells Samuel that the people are not rejecting him; the people are
rejecting God.
1 Samuel 8:7–9 (NIV) 7 And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are
saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have
rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I
brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and
serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them;
but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will
reign over them will claim as his rights.”
In the end Samuel then warns them of everything a King will do (which
ends up being largely about how a king will tax, take their best money,
servants, crops, horses and descendants as soldiers).
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T H E S T O R Y 1 Samuel 8:19-20 (NIV)
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said.
“We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other
nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our
battles.”
God was upset, he saw this as an affront to his desire to lead the people,
that they would not have a set figurehead above them but him.
1 Samuel 12:16–22 (NIV) – I won’t read all of it, just for reference 16 “Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do
before your eyes! 17 Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call on the LORD to send
thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of
the LORD when you asked for a king.”
18 Then Samuel called on the LORD, and that same day the LORD sent
thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the LORD and of Samuel.
19 The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your
servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil
of asking for a king.”
20 “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do
not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. 21 Do not
turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue
you, because they are useless. 22 For the sake of his great name the LORD will
not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own.
Application: They wanted someone to replace God as their leader.
When Israel tried to look like everyone else, they lost some of what made
them who God called them to be. They were called to be unique.
Israel wanted to look like other nations, and wanted someone to be their
leader more than God. They wanted the king to be their rallying cry.
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T H E S T O R Y (eventually Saul is anointed as their king, and they go to war for Saul, live
for Saul). Saul as a physical king kept their attention.
The Tragedy of Saul God allows the people to have a king (God’s permissive will) although it
was not his perfect intention.
Samuel anoints Saul who is empowered by the Spirit to defeat the
Ammonites. 1 Samuel 11:1-11
Saul disobeys God’s request and oversteps his office Saul disobeys God by not obeying God’s command to destroy the
Amalekites for their sin.
1 Samuel 15:17 (NIV)
17 Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you
not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king
over Israel.
1 Samuel 15:22–26 (NIV)
22 But Samuel replied:
“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as
much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and
to heed is better than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
he has rejected you as king.”
24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the
LORD’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and
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T H E S T O R Y so I gave in to them. 25 Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come
back with me, so that I may worship the LORD.”
26 But Samuel said to him, “I will not go back with you. You
have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you
as king over Israel!”
Lesson: Saul, although once humble, allowed his position to go to his
head, and forgot to submit himself to the God who put him in place as
King.
God looks for our obedience. God is gracious, God is forgiving, but
disobedience brings consequence.
Tragic Decisions
Here is the thing, even in the midst of tragic or foolish decisions, God is
still setting the stage for his big work.
Eli’s sons disobedience sets the stage for Samuel’s entry.
The people’s decision to ask for a king, and Saul’s fall sets up the way for
king David, Jesus’ ancestor.
God will work his purpose out in his plan. He is trustworthy and works in
the midst of messes and tragedy as well as blessing and obedience.
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T H E S T O R Y The Sunday Night after Easter:
From Shepherd to King
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T H E S T O R Y