In this sermon about king Saul’s foolish vow, pastor Matt shows us that apart from God’s life-giving word we are left to our own folly. To forget the Lord is to do what seems right in our eyes, to care more about our reputation, and ultimately to remain under the curse of sin. But it […]
In the story of Saul’s faul we were introduced to a certain man named Jonathan who “defeated the garrison [outpost] of the Philistines that was at Geba.” We now learn in chapter 14 that this is Saul’s son. And while he would not be the next king, he proves to be a better man than […]
Our passage today marks the beginning of the end of the first king of Israel. In this sermon, pastor Matt shows us that a fearful people need a faithful king whose kingdom endures forever. What we need is a king who will pass the test of obedience which Adam failed on behalf of ruined sinners, […]
At the end of chapter 11, Samuel summoned Israel to Gilgal to “renew the kingdom” (v. 14). Here, at the transition from the last of Israel’s judges to the first of their kings, Samuel will call them all to a renewed allegiance to Israel’s true and everlasting King. In this sermon, pastor Matt shows us […]
After Saul is anointed and proclaimed as king, we have a story of God working salvation for Israel through him. When Jabesh-Gilead was surrounded by their enemy, the Ammonites, God grants them salvation through Saul. In this sermon, pastor Keith shows us that the LORD works salvation for His people. First, we see the enemy’s […]
In this sermon, Pastor Keith Ryoo covers the coronation of an apparent hesitant King Saul, Israel’s first monarch, and Israel’s complete and total rejection of God as their sole ruler. God permits Israel to have a king, despite the dire warnings of the obvious pitfalls of such a governmental system. What we see is that, […]
1 Samuel 8 ends with Israel foolishly asking for a king “like all the nations” and the Lord telling Samuel to give them the king they wanted. In chapter 9 we are introduced to Saul and how he is anointed to be Israel’s king. In this sermon, pastor Mitch reminds us that, despite his people’s […]
Chapter 8 begins the next major section of the book. It also marks a turning point in the history of Israel. Here we discover how God’s people came to be a nation ruled by kings. But this all came about as they experienced yet another crisis of faith. Once again Israel was faced with a […]
In chapter 4, at the battle of Aphek and Ebenezer, Israel was twice defeated (by Yahweh) before the Philistines. As a result, the ark of the covenant was captured; the Glory departed from Israel. This is why the priest Eli’s daughter-in-law named her son Ichabod, “no glory.” And while Yahweh had gone into exile on […]
