Consecrated Trust

I Samuel 13:5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.

6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.

7 And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

9 And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.

10 And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.

11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;

12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.

13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.

14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 8:1 Doth not wisdom cry? And understanding put forth her voice?

3 She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.

34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

Hosea 12:6 Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.

Habakkuk 2:1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

MEMORY VERSE: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. —James 1:5-6

CENTRAL THOUGHT: King Saul had been told by Samuel to wait, but before the time was up, he foolishly, arrogantly, and without faith, disobeyed, a vivid example to the teaching set forth in other scriptures about waiting on God for direction and seeking His wisdom, instead of rushing ahead relying upon one’s own understanding.

WORD DEFINITIONS

I Samuel 13:5 “Thirty thousand chariots”: a term which most scholars and commentators think is a misreading by the copyists, since the Arabic and Syriac versions have “three thousand,” and compared to other armies (Jabin had 900, Pharaoh pursued Israel with 600, King Solomon had 1400) seems an unbelievable number. “People”: infantry.

I Samuel 13:8 “The set time that Samuel had appointed”: a time which many commentators believe was designated by Samuel when he had anointed Saul king (I Samuel 10:8). Others believe there was a different appointment meant by this verse. However this may be, Saul understood that he was to wait seven days. Tragically, he preempted Samuel’s coming by a few minutes.

Proverbs 3:6 “Acknowledge”: know; recognize; discover; be acquainted with.

James 1:2 “Divers”: of different colors; manifold; various.

James 1:3 “Patience”: cheerful endurance.

James 1:4 “Perfect”: mature; fully instructed; not a child; not a novice. “Entire”: sound; complete in every part.

James 1:5 “Liberally”: generously; unfolded; holding nothing back.

LESSON BACKGROUND

If indeed the appointment made in I Samuel 10:8, when Samuel anointed Saul to be king, was the command in reference to this momentous day, Saul was most responsible and had been duly warned and prepared—a year or two prior and probably more recently repeated—to be circumspect and cautious about his actions. Yes, he was in great distress. Yes, his support was dwindling alarmingly. But his regard for God’s commands should have been uppermost in his mind; a settled, no-bargaining-allowed commitment. For the person in command of God’s people, this was a grievous error, and God must forfeit this king in favor of another, who had a heart “after God’s heart,” the commitment Saul lacked.

The Proverbs, written in the God-given wisdom of Solomon, contain the instructions of wisdom. Wisdom is personified as a messenger standing in the gate calling to passersby. Warnings were issued to seek for wisdom as people pursued wealth; to cry unto God for it because He is its only source; to choose to allow Him to direct one’s steps, instead of depending upon one’s own strength and understanding. We are instructed to “watch” daily at wisdom’s gates, and “wait” at wisdom’s doorposts for guidance and direction in life. Why? There are dangers ahead; there are traps leading to death and hell. We can consider ourselves forewarned, as Saul was.

Hosea, reproving Judah and Ephraim for their apostasy, cited Jacob’s prevailing supplication at Peniel, and admonished God’s backsliding people to wait on God continually.

The passage in Habakkuk is striking. Habakkuk had cried to the Lord in chapter one, “How long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear!” But now he speaks as a watchman who stands up on something high so he can see out over everything. Habakkuk’s words have ever been encouraging to those who wait upon God.

Matthew Henry’s commentary on Habakkuk 2:1 adds interest: “When tossed and perplexed with doubts about the methods of Providence, we must watch against temptations to be impatient. When we have poured out complaints and requests before God, we must observe the answers God gives by his word, his Spirit, and providences; what the Lord will say to our case. God will not disappoint the believing expectations of those who wait to hear what he will say unto them. All are concerned in the truths of God’s word. Though the promised favour be deferred long, it will come at last, and abundantly recompense us for waiting.”

This leads us to the admonition from James in the New Testament. Temptations lie in every direction; caution is of life-and-death importance. To navigate safely, we must have wisdom from God. Thank God for this wonderful promise! He is the source, and He has promised to give to those who lack, copiously, abundantly, without shaming, chiding or reproaching. “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him” (Psalm 62:5).

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck

DISCUSSION:

  1. According to James, what do we encounter from every direction, and of every kind?
  2. What was Saul’s “test,” what was its importance, and how did he score?
  3. What did Saul’s actions reveal about the “want” or “lack” in his heart?
  4. Tell which prophet received this instruction when he stood and waited for God’s Word: “Though it tarry, wait for it.”
  5. Which prophet said,“Wait on God continually”?
  6. Share real-life decisions and circumstances which require waiting for God’s wisdom.

COMMENTS AND APPLICATION

What are the “gates” and “doorposts” of wisdom in our lives today, at which we are advised to watch and wait daily? I thought of several; perhaps you can add to the list.

God’s Word should be the first one. A young person, seeking to decide upon a career, a lifelong companion, or any matter in life, should study and seek every day for direction through earnest Bible study.

Closely adjoining Bible study is earnest prayer. In over thirty years of observing people, I have seen many fatal mistakes made by those who simply didn’t do much praying; and watched joyfully the successes of those I knew had diligently sought the Lord in prayer.

Seeking sound counsel and advice from godly examples is certainly a safety precaution well worth one’s while before plunging ahead into important decisions. I have seen young people who obeyed an older person’s “Don’t!” and were so glad of that decision later! Likewise, there were young people who had been told to “Wait!” who decided to go ahead, and there has been heartache.

The Spirit’s still, small voice inside. If you keep bumping your head against a strong, internal impression that you need to step back and reconsider, you would do best to obey it. If you’re fighting to get your way, you can pretty much know that you won’t be happy if you get it. It is better to go slowly and let the “waiting” accomplish a complete work in your life.

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck

REFLECTIONS

I was raised as an evangelist’s daughter and had many experiences of witnessing God directing in the direction of the “whens and wheres” of life. My daddy’s mantra was, “Be willing to go or be willing to stay.” Even as teenagers we were encouraged and included in seeking God’s will in where we needed to move. Or if we had temporal needs, we prayed. And God answered prayer. Our family has numerous “faith-building” stories.

That, and the fact that I married an evangelist’s son, who shared similar stories, provided us with a safe base of seeking God when we needed to make changes in our lives. We were fearful to move anywhere out of the will of the Lord. Prayerful consideration and the belief that God opens doors led us through several relocations in our married life.

The one that stands out the most was about 12 years ago when we were living in Kentucky. We had only lived there for 3 years and relocation wasn’t inviting. But circumstances were leading to a need to go to Missouri to be with my 90-year-old mother who was failing physically and needed help.

In a heartfelt, but maybe not-so-expectant prayer, I asked the Lord to send a buyer for our house, right to our door, if it was His will for us to move. We didn’t even have it “For Sale.” Within days, a lady left a note on our door asking if we would like to sell, along with her phone number. The Lord worked His will almost faster than we could think. A phone call, a couple of walk-throughs, a cash sale, a loaded U-Haul, and we were in Missouri in a month! We didn’t have time to question God. He wanted us in Missouri and fast!

Likewise, we have stories where God closed doors and we were helpless to open them. From experience, we challenge others by these stories, to watch those doors. Don’t push them open. Wait on God to open them and walk through. Or go back to life when they close on you. It’s a safe way to live and avoid a lot of heartache.

–Sis. Jeanie Samons