1 Samuel 14:47-52

Hey, hey, good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This morning we are finishing up 1 Samuel chapter 14. We've got to talk about what's going on with Saul and how does this finish out. Does he actually become a decent king? Are days good? Did he quit all this foolish stuff with Jonathan?
Let's have some coffee, we'll pray, and we'll get into God's Word. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for this day, and we thank you for your word. We pray that you would please help us as we read your word, that we would understand it, that it would be Lord, helpful to our own hearts and that we would learn and that we would understand and that it would also impact us and somehow teach us. We thank you for the work of your Holy Spirit that gives your word and applies it in wonderful ways to our lives, sometimes mysterious. In Jesus' name, amen. Here we go, 1 Samuel chapter 14. We'll read, it's just verses 47 through 52.
So Saul established his sovereignty over Israel and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the people of Ammon, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he harassed them. And he gathered an army and attacked the Amalekites and delivered Israel from the hands of those who plundered them.
The sons of Saul were Jonathan, Jeshui, and Malkishua. And the names of his two daughters were these, the name of the firstborn, Merab, the name of the second, or of the younger, Michael. The name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner, important guy, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle. Kish was the father of Saul and Ner, the father of Abner, was the son of Abiel. Now, there was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man, he took him for himself.
Well, we need to ask our three questions. A. What's this about?
B. What's the best verse to summarize this? And C. What are we called to do? So, A. What's this about? Well, this is kind of the summary after that whole incident where Saul swears that he's going to kill anybody. He puts an oath. He's going to eat anything until they've completely destroyed the Philistines' army and raided them, et cetera. And Jonathan, he eats some honey. He doesn't know about this. And the people, he saved Jonathan by the skin of his teeth. That's what happens. He cares for him.
He saves him. and Saul continues to win. He actually seems to have some type of military prowess. He's able to find the valiant and the courageous men as he's going along and he's conscripting them into his army and it was actually interesting in the end of verse 47, It says wherever he turned he harassed them.
The Septuagint adds that and he prospered. But the point is Saul is gaining power. His reign is increasing by war, by might. This is a very common way even up through the Middle Ages that you become powerful not just by political prowess but by military, by leading your armies into battle. And so this is how he's establishing his sovereignty. And then it gives his family. Who are his sons? Who's his daughters? What's his wife's name? What's his pedigree? His father and his grandpa. It's given us a whole kind of family gamut here.
The point is that Seems like this is going to be a dynastic line. It's going to go from Saul to Jonathan and it's going to keep on going. You've got the pedigree. You've got grandpa. You've got dad. You've got Saul. You've got Jonathan. You've got the whole family. You know what's going to happen. And the sovereignty is being consolidated in Saul. So things seem to be going well. Spoiler alert. They're not going to keep going well. And even Jonathan's going to play a part in that and recognize it. And so, what's this section about?
This is the centralization of power and the war success of Saul. What's the best verse to summarize this? Well, I think verse 47, specifically the first half, is key as well as verse 52. So, Saul established his sovereignty over Israel and fought against all his enemies on every side. right his establishing of his sovereignty and then verse 52 now there was fierce war with the philistines all the days of Saul and when Saul saw any strong man or valiant man he took him for himself right so this is also part of what Samuel had said was going to happen that as a king would be appointed, that they would take the strongmen.
That was actually, it might seem like a good thing, but may not be if you're home alone and there's raiders who come and the valiant men are gone. So war constantly, doesn't sound like peace, sounds like constant harassment, but that's what's going on here.
Seek calling, what are we called to do? Well, This is one of those areas where I would say I don't think that any one of us are told that we are the kings of Israel. I don't think that we're the ones who are going to consolidate the sovereignty underneath us of God's kingdom.
No, but indeed we have a better king, Jesus Christ himself. Saul is just a type of that. All the kings in the Old Testament are either types or anti-types when they're doing good things. Good, they're types. They're pointing us towards one who's even better. Or they're anti-types. They're wicked or disastrous or unwise kings and they show us what Christ is not like. And so we do see here that Christ does consolidate his power as well. and even now is consolidating his power right he's he's in heaven as our king and we can trust him and we can follow him that we know he's even now king of kings and lord of lords and someday he will come again and judge the living and the dead and he will come as our great warrior king riding upon his white steed with the name written upon his thigh king of kings and lord of lords and he will come with a sharp two-edged sword We can trust that that's the picture of the king that we serve today. And so, unlike a heavy-handed king and unlike just some type of fickle, power-hungry, dynastic desire for a king, Jesus really does rule with equity. with kindness and righteousness and truth and power.
Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for giving us a King that we can follow wholeheartedly. We thank you for the joy of your salvation. We thank you for the love you have shown us in Christ Jesus. We pray that we would trust in our King, our Lord, and love you forever. In Jesus' name, Amen. May God bless you. May you walk in the joy of Jesus, and I'll see you next time. Bye.