So, in 1960, he had the lyrics rewritten to focus on JFK’s greatness. High Hopes became Kennedy’s campaign anthem. Kennedy spent time at Frank’s Palm Springs home. Events together, parties, introductions. The song was Frank’s ticket into Camelot. After JFK’s win over Nixon, Sinatra was tapped to produce the Inaugural Ball.^[3] Quite a promotion from golfing buddy.

But the song had unintended consequences. The FBI heard it and took notice. What was a mob-connected crooner doing with the president? J. Edgar Hoover started compiling files.

What started with a happy song threatened to bring down JFK’s presidency. Kennedy soon turned his back on his famous friend. It was a blow, but Frank’s star was still rising. By ‘62 he had his own record label, his own private jet. He was “Chairman of the Board.” A year later, Kennedy was dead.

In our text, young David ascends in fame and position. He’s made a fixture in the king’s court. He’s promoted, successful, beloved. But when a hit song about him hits the airwaves, things change. Saul becomes angry, jealous, and full of suspicion toward David. Their relationship never recovers.

As we watch David, we’ll see his consistency. We’ll also see that though his relationship with Saul breaks apart, God replaces it with one of the most powerful, most significant relationships in all the Bible. A friendship that speaks volumes of our Lord’s love and affection for us.

1 Samuel 17:55 – ⁵⁵ When Saul had seen David going out to confront the Philistine, he asked Abner the commander of the army, “Whose son is this youth, Abner?” “Your Majesty, as surely as you live, I don’t know,” Abner replied. ⁵⁶ The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is!”

These verses jump around in time a little bit. Here we have a quick flashback. As David trots out to fight Goliath, we’re shown Saul and Abner talking.

Right away we might think, “How could Saul not know him? He’s been his court musician and armor bearer.” Well, it’s possible the end of chapter 16 actually happens chronologically after chapter 17. Or, what’s also possible is that David had served for a brief, intermittent time when he was 12 or 13 years old.^[4] This scene could be several years later, with David more like 17 or 18.

It’s not that Saul doesn’t know who David is. He asks who his father is. Typically the boss doesn’t know the family of the interns. He’s wondering about David’s social status and pedigree.

But while Saul and Abner are looking at David, our author has us looking at them. These two men should’ve been leading the fight, not just looking out at others who were willing to do God’s work. Both of these men had been called and commissioned and positioned by God to be a part of His plans and purposes. Instead, because of their lack of faith and obedience, they’re on the sidelines, depicted as weak, frozen, hard-hearted, and somewhat ignorant of what’s going on.

Friends, you’re called. You’re commissioned to go and make disciples. That’s not only the job of a pastor or a youth leader. It’s a responsibility and privilege we’ve all received. It will not do for us to sit on the sidelines while others serve the Lord.

1 Samuel 17:57-58, 18:2 – ⁵⁷ When David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the Philistine’s head still in his hand. ⁵⁸ Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” “The son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem,” David answered… ^18v2 Saul kept David with him from that day on and did not let him return to his father’s house.

Look at how askew Saul’s priorities have become. There is a war going on. An army had invaded Israel. Thanks to God’s miraculous mercy, their Nephilim champion was dead and the Philistines were running for the hills. But what does Saul do? Does he engage the enemy? No. He wants to talk. Saul is not actually concerned for the people of Israel, he cares only about himself.

He’s focused on collecting David. His interest is how David can benefit him. The word there where it says “Saul kept David” refers to snatching,^[5] to grasp and take hold of something.^[6]

This is the default of our human hearts, by the way. That is the sin nature. It’s the same word used when Eve took the fruit and ate it. The Christian is commanded to die to self. To that inclination.

Saul asks David about his father – partly because he needed to keep his promise to not impose taxes on the family and partly because he was going to send a message saying, “You’re tax free, but I’m permanently drafting your son.” But Saul’s priority – his real concern and investigation – should’ve been to ask about the Heavenly Father. He should’ve seen that the Spirit of God was filling up David’s life. Saul should’ve longed for that filling that he had before. But he doesn’t care about spiritual things. He’s inward focused. He’s consumed with material, worldly concerns.

Lives were hanging in the balance. There was battle to be done. But Saul’s thinking about himself. He’s so sluggish to serve the Lord and to follow the Spirit.

God forbid that we slip into that mentality. That we forget what living out our faith is really about. There’s a war out there. Not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces that destroy lives, destroy the work of God, and ruin communities. Lives and souls hang in the balance and we are empowered, called, commissioned, and positioned to be a part of Christ’s work of rescue.

1 Samuel 18:1 – ¹ When David had finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan was bound to David in close friendship, and loved him as much as he loved himself.

Jonathan is back! His courage and ability in battle have been impressive. His faith in the Lord is inspiring. But it’s his loyal, hesed love toward David that is the most profound aspect of his story.

First, because of the time in which we live, I should address a controversy that perhaps you’ve heard. There are those today who suggest that David and Jonathan had a sexual relationship. That flies in the face of thousands of years of careful Hebrew and Christian scholarship. But there was a paper written in 1978 which made that assertion. In reality it has nothing to do with the text, but the continual sexualization of every aspect of life in Western societies.^[7]

The text says Jonathan loved David as much as he loved himself. It is not suggesting Jonathan had an erotic relationship with himself. Also, while the term used for “loved” is used in a romantic sense in Song of Solomon, but it’s also used to describe Jacob’s love for his son, Benjamin.

In the Old Testament, it is mainly used to describe Yahweh’s love for His people.^[8] Our author wants us to understand that Jonathan’s love for David was not sexual, and wasn’t run-of-the-mill friendship. There is a theological component to it. And throughout the story, the transcendence of this relationship will be highlighted. It is more important than the other relationships in their lives.

Jonathan serves for us in many was as a foreshadow of Christ. In Jonathan’s life, character, activity, and choices, we can see glimpses of the gracious, loyal, hesed love that Jesus shows us.

We see one of those glimpses here. The verse says, “Jonathan was bound to David.” It speaks of inseparable devotion.^[9] That is exactly how God’s love for you is described. Paul wrote,

Romans 8:38-39 – ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

But not only can we not be separated from God’s love, we need to understand that He has bound Himself to us. He has attached Himself to us. In Deuteronomy 10, God says He set His heart on His people and loves them. It’s the same word – that He is bound to  them.

Jesus loves you. You know, in this early part of the David story we’re told everyone loves him. A couple passages ago we were told Saul loved him. Later in this chapter we’ll be told all the people loved him. Saul’s daughter Michal falls in love with him. But Jonathan’s love was different.

You see, Saul loved David for what he could get from David. The people loved his celebrity. There would be times where they weren’t so enamored with David and couldn’t decide if they really wanted him to be king. Michal loved David at first – his charm, his handsomeness. But her love for him would dry up after a few years. But Jonathan’s love would endure to the very end. And more than once he promised and proved it. Look at verse 3.

1 Samuel 18:3 – ³ Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as much as himself.

The grammar clear: Jonathan initiated this covenant.^[10] It wasn’t like a 50/50 idea. Jonathan had all the power. Jonathan had the position. Jonathan was the crown prince of Israel. David’s a teenager from a tiny town. He didn’t own a sword or a chariot. He had no treasure to give to the throne of Israel except himself. All he could do is go along with and benefit from Jonathan’s covenant.^[11]

Why would Jonathan do this? It was motivated not by political agenda, not for clandestine reasons, but out of love. Jonathan’s was a selfless, sacrificial, pure love. We see just how sacrificial in verse 4.

1 Samuel 18:4 – ⁴ Then Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his military tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.

Do you remember when Joseph was taken out of the prison and brought to Pharaoh? He needed a palace outfit. This is a generous gift, but we have to understand that more is happening here than just helping David look the part.

Jonathan is transferring his status as crown prince to David.^[12] We don’t know how he knows, but he recognizes that David is going to be the next king. Now understand – everyone thinks Jonathan will be the next king. Saul takes it for granted.^[13] But Jonathan gives it all over to David.

The Lord Jesus does not abdicate His throne to us. But He has made a way that we can rule and reign with Him. And consider the symbols in this scene. Christ gives us His robe of righteousness.^[14] Christ provides us with the full armor of God. Christ shares what is His with those He loves.

When Saul tried to give clothing and armor to David, what did David say? “I can’t walk in these.” They didn’t fit. That’s not the case here. And it’s not just because Jonathan and David happened to be the same size. The clothing and armor that Christ gives us always fits. It’s always sufficient. Always effective. But we must never forget what it cost for our Lord to share these things with us.

1 Samuel 18:5 – ⁵ David marched out with the army and was successful in everything Saul sent him to do. Saul put him in command of the fighting men, which pleased all the people and Saul’s servants as well.

This job Saul gave David could either have been like secretary of the army,^[15] or that he was put over an elite group of troops.^[16] Like their special forces. We’ll see in a few verses that Saul, out of anger and jealous, demotes David to leading 1,000 men. The point is, David is now doing what Saul should have been doing. Leading and fighting

1 Samuel 18:6-9 – ⁶ As the troops were coming back, when David was returning from killing the Philistine, the women came out from all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul, singing and dancing with tambourines, with shouts of joy, and with three-stringed instruments. ⁷ As they danced, the women sang: Saul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands.  ⁸ Saul was furious and resented this song. “They credited tens of thousands to David,” he complained, “but they only credited me with thousands. What more can he have but the kingdom?” ⁹ So Saul watched David jealously from that day forward.

Listen – it’s a song. These ladies probably didn’t mean anything by it.^[17] It was normal Hebrew poetic style to say something in the first line then amplify it in the second line. And they gave Saul first billing. I mean, have you ever had a hit song written about you? Isn’t that honor enough?

But Saul takes it personally. Because he’s all about headlines. He’s about credit. He’s about himself. The song was evil in his eyes.^[18] And so his whole attitude toward David changed. It didn’t matter how much David was helping the nation. It didn’t matter how God was using him. Saul watched him suspiciously from that day out and will soon orient his whole life around killing David.

Frank Sinatra once invited President Kennedy to his home. To prepare for the visit, he remodeled his house, added cottages to the property, and had a helipad installed. But JFK decided to cut ties with his friend a few days before the trip. Sinatra smashed everything in his path, then took a sledgehammer out to the helipad and destroyed it.^[19] The two never spoke again.

What about David? He doesn’t say much in this text. But we should notice his faithfulness. His consistency. Multiple times we see him go out and come in. When it’s a fight against one giant, he goes out and comes back. When it’s leading troops against a whole army, same thing. When he’s famous and the favorite of the king, he serves. When the king hates him and is jealous, David serves. He’s following God’s leading, despite the changes in the circumstances of life.

And because David obeyed God and was full of the Spirit, he was like a tree planted beside a flowing stream, bearing fruit, and his leaves not withering. Whatever he did prospered.

That’s what God wants for you. Not necessarily material prospering, but spiritual growth and fruitfulness. Effectiveness in the callings God has placed on your life. Look at all God had done already for this young man. He had already accomplished so much and would continue to do so. And not because God needed David as a worker bee. God was busy cultivating and working in David’s life because He loved David.

That’s how God feels about you. Our part is to respond in faith and faithfulness. Our part is to be led. Our part is to walk with God and love Him in return. Loving Him the way He loves us. Loving others the way He loves us. Serving in the generous provision He has given us.

Headlines and editorials around the world amplified the groundbreaking arrangement. Thousands of applicants came to Detroit from all over the midwest and would not leave Ford’s front gate.^[1] But workers didn’t just go home with a crisp fiver in their pocket each day. The cash wage stayed the same. And then, if they met the company’s requirements, they’d share in the profits.

That’s where things take a surprising turn. After unveiling this plan, Henry Ford established a “Sociological Department” to monitor employees lives, habits, and homes. Ford wanted to make sure his workers would use their newfound “largesse” properly.

To qualify for the pay increase, you’d have to keep your home clean, you couldn’t abuse your family, you had to contribute regularly to a savings account. When violations were discovered, inspectors offered counsel and resources offered through the company to help. An employee wouldn’t be able to receive their full bonus until those problems were dealt with.

Less work, more pay, but the contract expected a level of moral righteousness. Many people signed on and stayed on. Employee turnover at Ford fell from 370% in 1913 to 16% in 1915.

In our text tonight, Jesus introduces the Lord’s Supper. It’s not only a memorial. It’s also a new contract between God and man. In this new agreement, there would be less work for God’s people, with more spiritual benefits offered. Yet, some aspects of would’ve stunned His disciples. On the night they celebrate the Old Covenant, Jesus cancels it and inaugurates a new one.

For most Christians, communion is a routine part of our church life. Tonight, we want to focus on how the Lord introduced it, some of the depth of the symbolism within it, address some of the controversies around it, and remind ourselves of what we’re agreeing to as we take it.

Mark 14:22 – ²² As they were eating, he took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.”

This comes just after Jesus’ prediction that one of His closest friends – would betray Him. It sent a shockwave through the group and each man wondered if they were the one He was talking about.  But now Jesus moves right on to what He meant to accomplish that night. He didn’t wallow in self pity or resentment. His work continues. His work for humanity would not be derailed.

Jesus identifies two elements in the Lord’s supper: The bread and the juice. Now remember, this was a Passover meal. Unleavened bread was a major component, but even more prominent was the roasted lamb. The third major element was bitter herbs.^[2]

By the end of the night, Jesus will have set Passover aside and instituted this new meal, comprised of bread and juice. In fact, there’s absolutely no mention of the lamb throughout this scene. Jesus was the Lamb. But this was also an important moment that wraps up the Mosaic system.

Passover had a specific menu, specific liturgy, specific timing, an order of how things were done. The Lord replaced all that with communion. Passover was commemorated once a year, communion can be done at any interval. Paul gives instruction on communion and said, “As often as you do it.”^[3]

There’s grace and kindness here. Jesus could’ve demanded the Lord’s supper be made up of white truffles and bluefin tuna. White truffles are more than $350 an ounce.^[4] Instead, He designated two of the cheapest, most widely available menu items. The rich and the poor can lay hold of communion elements. They are “simple and universal.”^[5]

Jesus not only blesses them with a piece of bread, He says, “This is Me.” He’s sharing Himself. His presence. His spiritual provision for life. It looks forward to the time when the Lord would not be with them, bodily, but He constantly within us, spiritually. Communion reminds us of the continual, day-by-day presence of the Lord in our lives.

Now, many of you know there is disagreement over the nature of the communion elements. Certainly between Catholics and Protestants, but even among some Protestant groups. Catholic doctrine teaches that, during communion, the bread and wine really changes into the substance of Jesus’ body and blood. His actual flesh.^[6] The doctrine is called transubstantiation.

There are more than a few problems with this doctrine. Not least of which is that the words we read in English are not exactly what Jesus said in Aramaic. In fact, in Aramaic, there is no verb “is.”^[7] So, what Jesus literally said was, “This – My body.” And scholars note that “body” didn’t just mean skin and bones. One writes, “To a Semite, the body encompasses the whole person, not just the physical part of oneself.”^[8]

So Jesus handed them the bread and communicated that the bread represented Himself. Not just His flesh, but His Person.^[9] Jesus told many people, “I Am the Bread of Life.” The manna from heaven, given by God to the Israelites in the wilderness, was just a foreshadow of the Bread of Life. If you ate the manna, you were filled, but you still died. Jesus said, “If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.”^[10] When we partake of this offer of salvation, when we join God in this new covenant, then He promises to raise us up on the last day and give us eternal life.

Mark 14:23-24 – ²³ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. ²⁴ He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.

One of the rules that Henry Ford enforced for his employees’ bonus was that none of them were allowed to consume alcohol. His Sociological Department didn’t last long – only about five years – before the company was restructured and most of those requirements went away.

You may have noticed I said “juice” earlier instead of wine. That was on purpose. Typically the liquid element of communion is called “wine.” However neither the Gospels or Paul use the Greek word for wine when detailing the Last Supper. They use another term which means “fruit of the vine.”^[11]

Remember: One of the most essential aspects of Passover was that you would remove all leaven and yeast from your home. And though scholars are divided, some point out that you could not have fermented drink, either. One Jewish rabbi, Dr. S.M. Isaacs wrote, “The Jews do not, in their feasts for sacred purposes, including the marriage feast, ever use any kind of fermented drinks.”^[12]

If they did use fermented wine, it would’ve been heavily diluted – two parts water to one part wine.^[13] And it doesn’t mean it’s wrong when churches use wine today. But it’s always important for us to realize that sometimes our interpretations come more from tradition than from the text.

Now, at Passover dinner, there would be four cups that you would drink from during the meal. Each cup corresponded to one of the four promises given in Exodus 6:6-7.^[14]

The third cup was the cup of redemption. It’s likely it was at this third cup that Jesus announced the change of covenant in His blood. He was about to accomplish His redemptive work.

He gave thanks for it. That’s where we get the term “eucharist,” by the way. It’s from the Greek word that means “thanks.”^[15] But Jesus thankfulness would not have matched the disciples’ response to what He said. This would’ve been an extremely shocking moment.

One commentator writes, “Partaking of human blood was seen as abhorrent by Jews and indeed would likely be seen as drinking someone’s very life or life force.”^[16]

It’s not just a Jewish thing. The Noahic Covenant forbade drinking blood, as did the Jerusalem Council for Christians. But that’s the point. Without the blood of Jesus, there is no remission of sins. His blood would be poured out. That describes a violent death.^[17] But His blood washes us, white as snow, from the inside out. It is an offensive thing to the human mind. But this is what the Lord’s Supper proclaims – that there’s nothing we can do to save ourselves or purify ourselves. The only way we can enter the heavenly sanctuary is through the blood of Jesus. He inaugurated a new and living way through the curtain, as our Priest and sacrifice.^[18] He is manna and Lamb. He is the new exodus, not out of slavery in Egypt, but slavery to sin.

Because of Jesus, we no longer sacrifice an animal for temporary atonement. We no longer work to keep ourselves ritually clean. The Lamb of God laid down His own life and His blood covers all, once for all. As we join this new covenant in His blood, His life comes into us to cleanse us, to transform us, to justify us, to let us share in His nature. And every Christian shares equally.

This new covenant must be sealed in blood. And it could only be established through the blood of the Lamb, the GodMan, the Son of God, because the life is in the blood. It’s all His doing.

Now, that is not to say that we don’t actively participate in this covenant. We are commanded to abide in Christ. To obey His commands. To walk in righteousness, in our lives, in our habits, in our homes. Because if we say we have faith in Christ but our faith does not work or exercise or operate, then that faith is dead. But the accomplishment of salvation and transformation is all of Christ.

Jesus said His blood was poured out for “many.” Some might use this to suggest that Christ’s atoning work was limited – not extending to everyone, but only to the elect. However, That is not what Jesus is saying. Even John Calvin, whose theology differs from ours on the issues of election and salvation, commented on this verse, saying: “By the word many he means not a part of the world only, but the whole human race.”^[19]

Christ’s offer is for whosoever will. He is the Savior of all people, especially those who believe. He is your Savior. Christ went to the cross for you. He poured out His blood because He loves you. Because you need to be reconciled to God and without Him you cannot live forever.

Mark 14:25 – ²⁵ Truly I tell you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new, in the kingdom of God.”

Have you ever waited to see a movie until you could see it with a certain someone? This is a remarkable act of self-denial. That Jesus Christ would withhold something from Himself, even now. But He’s so excited about this work He’s doing, He’s so excited about the plan of God to not only reconcile humans but then bring them to live with Him forever, He’s given Himself this restriction. He refuses to drink from the vine till we’re feasting with Him in the Kingdom.

The third Passover cup was the redemption cup. The fourth was the consummation cup. We don’t get every detail, but it’s possible that as Jesus refused the traditional fourth cup, because the work was not done it. And it’s still not done until we join Him at the marriage supper of the Lamb, depicted in Revelation 19 after His second coming.

Mark 14:26 – ²⁶ After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

At Passover, Jews sang the Hallel Psalms (Psalm 113-118). It wasn’t singing the way we think of it. One member of the table would chant the text, and the others would respond to each half verse with the shout of “hallelujah!”^[20] One scholar writes, “ To our ears, it would be a strange, loud and raucous noise.”^[21]

Psalms 113 and 114 would be sung before the meal, 115 through 118 after. In that closing song, Jesus would’ve recited these words: “I will not die, but I will live and proclaim what the LORD has done…[He] did not give me over to death.”

It was near midnight when Jesus announced they were leaving the upper room.^[22] This is also somewhat surprising. At the original Passover, there was a command to stay indoors. Either this ordinance was no longer in effect,^[23] or Jesus also set this ceremonial practice aside. But off they go to Jesus’ betrayal. The new exodus had begun.

The $5 a day contract was incredibly expensive for the Ford Motor Company. But competitors and other industries soon followed suit. The Henry Ford museum writes, “In time, workers in any number of fields were earning genuine ‘living wages’ that afforded them comfort and security above basic food, shelter and clothing needs.”^[24]

The Lord’s Supper inaugurated a new era of relationship with God. A spiritual life that was not defined by rite or ritual, but by the presence and work of the Savior in our hearts and lives moment by moment. With it that work comes the comfort and security of His love and power.

To accomplish this was extremely costly. But Jesus paid it all. Paid in full. So that we could receive Him. His salvation. His presence. His power. His promise of the coming Kingdom. And now, we not only receive, but we participate in the work.

As we partake, it is like the children of Israel painting their doorposts with the blood of the Passover lamb. We recognize that Christ is the Lamb. He is the manna. He is the King and Priest. And He has done much that He might give much to those who will covenant with Him.

Rosecrans dubbed the fight a lost cause.^[2] He left the battlefield, retreating to Chattanooga, hoping to organize some sort of defense for the city there when the Confederates inevitably came.

George Thomas took command of what Yankees were left. Thomas was outnumbered, with many of his fellow soldiers dead or retreating. But, he took his stand on Snodgrass Hill. He was no stranger to battle, having fought in the Mexican-American War. In the Seminole Wars, Thomas had gone from one post to another, making sure all the regiments were well supplied.^[3]

Friends and historians said the worse the battle situation was, the more calm Thomas was. The famed general Sherman had been Thomas’ roommate at West Point and praised his steadiness and steadfastness in battle. He said throughout the war, Thomas’ services were transcendent.

Even more remarkable was that George Thomas was a southerner. Yet, when his home state joined the Confederacy, Thomas pledged his loyalty to the Union – an act his siblings disowned him for.

As he fought that bloody battle in September of 1863, Rosecrans sent his chief of staff James Garfield (who would later become President) to report on the battle. Observing the heaviest fighting, Garfield wrote, “Thomas standing like a rock.” For the rest of his days, George Thomas would be called “The Rock of Chickamauga.” He kept the Union army from being totally routed.^[4]

Our text this morning depicts a historic battle. The commander of Israel’s army has dubbed this situation a lost cause. But then a southern boy, despised by at least one of his siblings, takes the field. He’s calm, he’s steadfast, he’s ready Despite the odds, he engages the enemy.

If we were on the field that day, we’d report that the fight was won by a rock flung from a shepherd sling. But the shepherd boy would tell you that the battle was won by the Rock of Ages.

It wasn’t about tactics. It wasn’t about artillery. It was about the power of God. David was the weapon in God’s hands. He was the living stone God would use to bring deliverance that day and keep His people from being completely routed by their enemies.

Do you know that you Christians are not only God’s servants, His sons and daughters, you are living stones in His hands, being emboldened, strengthened, and built for God’s victorious, redemptive purposes? Let’s learn about what it means to be a living stone, starting in verse 32.

1 Samuel 17:32 – ³² David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged by him; your servant will go and fight this Philistine!”

David came to the Valley of Elah to drop off food for his brothers. Once there, he found the army of Israel had done nothing for 40 days, while the giant Goliath taunted them and demanded a champion come out and fight. David saw, first hand, how terrified all the soldiers were. And yet, as we saw last time and see here, he is convinced that any soldier could’ve defeated the Philistine.

Since he was the only man not cowering in fear, he’s brought to Saul. But he doesn’t embarrass or demean Saul or his brother or anyone else. His opening line is, “Don’t be discouraged. Don’t let your heart fail.” He knows they are discouraged! Verse 11 said “They lost all courage!”

He doesn’t swagger in and say, “I want half the pay now, and half when the job’s done.” He first tends to the hearts of those who were so afraid. He first shows compassion.

George Thomas was a teacher at West Point before the Civil War. His students observed and noted his compassion toward them. A compassion that extended onto the battlefield as a commander.^[5]

What David was about to do, he was doing as an act of service, not self-aggrandizement. He said, “Your servant will go.” The Christian life is a life of service. You are called to serve someone.

One of the most profound moments in Isaiah is that scene where the Lord God says, “Who will go for us?” And Isaiah says, “Here am I. Send me.”^[6] “Lord, use me for your work, for your purposes, for your glory. Use me to serve others and save others.” He doesn’t first ask about the pay or the pain.

1 Samuel 17:33 – ³³ But Saul replied, “You can’t go fight this Philistine. You’re just a youth, and he’s been a warrior since he was young.”

Saul knows what God can do. He saw Jonathan destroy a whole garrison. He felt the ground shake as God sent the whole Philistine army in panic. But in this moment, he does not trust God.

If we want to be living stones used in God’s hands, we have to trust the Cornerstone.

1 Samuel 17:34-37 – ³⁴ David answered Saul, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, ³⁵ I went after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” ³⁷ Then David said, “The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and may the LORD be with you.”

This is more than just a resume. David reveals a lot here about the heart of faith. First, he knows that tending sheep includes doing battle. When lions came, David did not act like a hireling. Rather, he was willing to lay down his life for the sake of the sheep. Second, he knew that his victories over the lions and bears weren’t because he was a great warrior. He recognizes that he rescued those lambs because God had rescued him from those predators. And third, that testimony of God’s power and grace in his life gave David confidence that God would be faithful again. He knew “all the enemies of God are [on] the same level.”^[7] The word for paw is the same word as Goliath’s hand.^[8]

It doesn’t matter if the enemy before us is Egypt or Babylon or Philistia or Rome. Nothing can separate you from God’s love and no weapon formed against you can stand as you serve the Lord.

Something that’s easy to miss: We read in verse 34, “David answered Saul.” Then in verse 37, “Then David said.” According to the Biblical convention, there should have been a response from Saul after verse 36.^[9] But he says nothing. He doesn’t know what to say. So, David continues proclaiming the Lord’s faithfulness. Saul finally says, “May the Lord be with you.” But He was already with David.

You don’t have to convince God to love you. We don’t have to coerce Him into hearing us or working in our lives. He began the good work in you and He will be faithful to complete it.

1 Samuel 17:38-40 – ³⁸ Then Saul had his own military clothes put on David. He put a bronze helmet on David’s head and had him put on armor. ³⁹ David strapped his sword on over the military clothes and tried to walk, but he was not used to them. “I can’t walk in these,” David said to Saul, “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off. ⁴⁰ Instead, he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pouch, in his shepherd’s bag. Then, with his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.

Saul still thought David needed human equipment. He’s trusting in the weapons pulled from human forges, just like the Philistines were.^[10] And I am convinced Saul hoped people would see his armor and he would get the credit. He had no intention of risking his life for his people, but he’d love to get any accolades that might come.

But David says, “I can’t walk in these.” You know, we need armor to live the Christian life. But it’s not human armor. It’s not human equipment. The armor of God is made of things like righteousness, truth, faith, the Gospel of peace, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.^[11]

We can’t walk by faith with worldly add-ons. Churches can fall victim to this. They bring in worldly methods and ideas, thinking it will give them some advantage. All it does is keep us from being able to walk in the Spirit.

So David says, “take it all off.” Not just the chainmail or the helmet, but the sword, too! He has what he needs already – his shepherd’s staff and his sling.

The morning of the Battle of Chickamauga, George Thomas ordered his men to be supplied with twenty rounds of ammunition each so they wouldn’t be caught off guard.

David goes down to the dry river bed to get ready for this fight. Whenever I imagine David’s five stones, I think of a dollar coin sized rock – something for skipping on the water. The sling stones they’ve found from this era were as big as tennis balls^[12] and could be hurled at 100mph.^[13]

You’re a stone in the Good Shepherd’s bag. Selected by hand for unique purposes.

1 Samuel 17:41-44 – ⁴¹ The Philistine came closer and closer to David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. ⁴² When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a youth, healthy, and handsome. ⁴³ He said to David, “Am I a dog that you come against me with sticks?” Then he cursed David by his gods. ⁴⁴ “Come here,” the Philistine called to David, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts!”

Goliath was already scary. Now’s he’s hollering mad. He makes the worst threat he can. In Israel, being denied burial was worse than death.^[14] But notice how Goliath just looks at the stuff. The equipment. His god is fake, so why wouldn’t Israel’s be? He’s about to learn there is a living God.

1 Samuel 17:45-47 – ⁴⁵ David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with a sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Armies, the God of the ranks of Israel—you have defied him. ⁴⁶ Today, the LORD will hand you over to me. Today, I’ll strike you down, remove your head, and give the corpses of the Philistine camp to the birds of the sky and the wild creatures of the earth. Then all the world will know that Israel has a God, ⁴⁷ and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the LORD saves, for the battle is the LORD’s. He will hand you over to us.”

Is the Name enough? David said, “I come against you in the name of the Lord.” We don’t engage in war like this. God sends us out it’s as ambassadors to save our human enemies, not slay them.

Even still, we need to remember that the Gospel is the power of God for salvation. We don’t need the world’s add-ons. We don’t need worldly methods to deliver the Good News. We don’t need to bribe people in to Christianity. God’s power is sufficient. His truth is sufficient. And we should do battle in a Godly way, not a worldly way.

In this speech, David doesn’t take Goliath’s insult personally. He says, “This situation isn’t about what you think of me, this is a testimony God is building in my life for His glory.”

And David knows God wants to use this situation to remind God’s people of His faithfulness. The world would know and “this assembly,” meaning the terrified Israelites. They would be reminded that God has not forsaken them and that it’s not by sword or spear that the battle is won.

Israel, as a group, had slid into faithless materialism. “Give us a king like the nations.” Where has that worldliness led them? To fear, helplessness, hopelessness. Verse 11 of this chapter talks about their fear and the word means they were shattered.^[15] Like stones that had been broken apart. God wanted to mend their hearts and their faith that day by showing His grace and power.

1 Samuel 17:48-51a – ⁴⁸ When the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly to the battle line to meet the Philistine. ⁴⁹ David put his hand in the bag, took out a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown to the ground. ⁵⁰ David defeated the Philistine with a sling and a stone. David overpowered the Philistine and killed him without having a sword. ⁵¹ David ran and stood over him. He grabbed the Philistine’s sword, pulled it from its sheath, and used it to kill him. Then he cut off his head…

Just like Dagon, Goliath fell face down before the power of God and was relieved of his head.^[16] All his armaments did nothing. No weapon formed against the Lord makes the least bit of difference.

1 Samuel 17:51b-54 – When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they fled. ⁵² The men of Israel and Judah rallied, shouting their battle cry, and chased the Philistines to the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. Philistine bodies were strewn all along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. ⁵³ When the Israelites returned from the pursuit of the Philistines, they plundered their camps. ⁵⁴ David took Goliath’s head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put Goliath’s weapons in his own tent.

The last time the Israelites shouted a battle cry, it was just posturing. They were too scared to fight. Now the battle cry actually means something! But look at what it took: A faithful servant had to walk in the Spirit when no one else would. They would all follow David, but he had to stand alone at first. He had to be the stone the others were knit to. He had to be willing to say, “Here am I, send me.”

Israel started that day thinking, “There’s no way we can fight against a giant.” They end the day having not only destroyed the whole army before them, but they even storm the gates of Ekron.

Jesus once said, “On this rock I will build My Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”^[17] You know, gates don’t march out to battle. You go to them. God’s intention is for us to gain ground in His power. Saving captives. Winning spiritual victories. Accomplishing His work.

The Israelites expected defeat that morning. A few hours later, they’re plundering the camps of the Philistines. God truly did more than they could ask or imagine. But they didn’t have to imagine. He had been faithful. He is always faithful. It was they who had forgotten.

David takes the head of Goliath to Jerusalem. But Jerusalem was not controlled by Israel at the time. It was this major city that separated the northern tribes from the southern tribes.^[18] So, either David later brought the skull of Goliath as a trophy into his city, or after the battle here in chapter 17 he went and threw the head over the wall, putting the Jebusites on notice.^[19] Interestingly, Jerusalem would be the first city David conquers as king.

After his accomplishments in the Mexican American War, George Thomas was presented with a beautiful sword that he displayed prominently over the mantle of his home.

We’re told David put Goliath’s sword in his tent. But David was only at the battle for a food delivery. He didn’t have a tent. So this either means that he was given Goliath’s tent as spoils,^[20] or that he sent the sword to the Lord’s tent, which is where it will next be seen. If so, what a sweet idea. That David’s tent was the Lord’s tent.

Why do we know the names General Sherman and Stonewall Jackson but we don’t know about the Rock of Chickamauga? Sherman believed that George Thomas was a hero deserving of a monument beside George Washington’s in the capitol. But George had a troubled relationship with Ulysses S. Grant. Plus he destroyed all his private papers and published no memoirs, not wanting his life “hawked in print.”

But he was one of the most important military leaders in American history. One of the few Civil War generals who never lost a battle. After Chickamauga, General Rosecrans was relieved of his command and replaced with Thomas, who went on to drive the Confederates out of Tennessee.

David was on his way to replacing Saul and crushing the Philistines. But he knew the real Commander of the armies of Israel was the Lord. He was there to serve. He was ready to fight in faith, but he knew the battles, the army, the nation, and his life belonged to the living God.

You are described as a living stone, being used by God. Built into a spiritual house, a spiritual priesthood, scattered and deployed according to God’s providence and plan for His glory and the good of those around you. Proclaim His praises. Present yourself to be the one sent.

You see, the year before his book came out, Byron buried 12 ceramic boxes (which he called ‘casques’) in 12 different cities, no more than three feet underground.^[1] Each box had a painting and a poem in the book which gave insight into what city and where in that city a box might be found.^[2] Though, there’s no sure way to tell which poems match with which paintings.

Should you discover one of these boxes, the casque is yours to keep. They’re worth more than $1,500 today.^[3] But inside the box you’ll find a key. Send the key in to the address in the book, and you will be rewarded with one of twelve precious gemstones that have been set aside in a vault.

Preiss expected the first box to be found within 30 days. But the clues were tougher than he realized. It took a year. In 44 years, only three of the twelve have been discovered. One in Chicago, one in Cleveland, one in Boston.^[4]

Over the years, various people connected with Preiss have verified which twelve cities the casques are buried in. The clues from the book are freely available online, with this line from the opening page: “You are cordially invited to participate.”

In our text, Jesus sends two of His disciples on a bit of a scavenger hunt. They need to know where to prepare the Passover meal, but instead of Jesus just giving them the address, He invites them into this exhilarating day of discipleship. Along the way, we’ll see there were others obeying, too.

It’s a fun story to read, but this was a serious and time-constrained day. The Passover meal had to happen that night. More importantly, Jesus was going to use that Passover meal to introduce not only the Lord’s Supper, but the new covenant! This is the most important, most significant meal in Jesus’ whole ministry. And He makes it a scavenger hunt!

As it plays out, we learn some things about discipleship, about walking by faith, and about being part of the orchestra of obedience, conducted by our Master.

Mark 14:12 – ¹² On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrifice the Passover lamb, his disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare the Passover so that you may eat it?”

Jesus and His disciples had been camping outside Jerusalem, as were many pilgrims. They spent their evenings in Bethany and the Mount of Olives. But regulations required Passover to be eaten within the city walls.^[5] Jerusalem is at least doubled in population. It might have a million people. Everyone’s crowding in to find a place. And they all have to go to the Temple in order to get a lamb that was slaughtered by the priests.^[6]

There were only a couple of days to accomplish this. I say a couple because Galileans and Judeans did celebrate Passover on different days.^[7]

They’re cutting it close. It’s day of. This wasn’t just a small, family meal. There would be at least 13 people in attendance. I don’t know how many of you have planned a catered party the day of and, if you don’t get the party done, you’re in violation of the law! That’s a lot of pressure.

But the thing I want us to focus most on is how we’re simply told the question was asked by “His disciples.” This text gives us no names but Jesus’. Four times it will say “disciples,” two times “the Twelve,” and five times just referring to they or them.

This situation is meant to teach us principles of discipleship. Remember, a disciple is not just someone who believes certain things. It is a person who is a learner and a follower. The term implies a close relationship than merely knowing information.^[8] It is those who love the Lord through obedience. Those who hear and are sent. Those who have a faith that walks.

Now, the question was straightforward. Jesus’ response was anything but.

Mark 14:13 – ¹³ So he sent two of his disciples and told them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him.

Just tell us the house! You know, when the Holy Spirit sends Ananias to heal Paul, He says, “Go to this street, to this house, owned by this guy, and here’s what you’re going to do.”^[9] He could do that. And clearly Jesus knows not only the place, but exactly how the afternoon is going to play out.

But all He says is, “Go into the city.” And notice – the man with the jar would meet them, not vice versa. It’s like a reverse Where’s Waldo where Waldo finds you in a sea of people.

“Ok Lord, but where in the city?” “You’ll figure it out.”

It would be pretty easy to know which guy Jesus meant because it was not only unusual for a man to be carrying water, when they did they didn’t typically use an earthen jar, but a leather bottle.^[10]

Some commentators are convinced that Jesus had set all of this up beforehand in secret. That because the Sanhedrin was on the hunt for Him, it had to be undercover and clandestine. Maybe. But even so why not just tell His disciples? It’s Peter and John that are sent. They could be trusted. And Jesus doesn’t send them in disguise or under cover of night.

He just sends them to go, trusting God would accomplish this extremely necessary and time-sensitive task. Were they supposed to talk to the man? Did the man know he’s was going to be followed by a couple of rough fishermen? We’re not told.

What would you think if you went downtown on an errand and a couple of strangers started following you back to your house?

The Lord pulls back the curtain here. We are seeing how providence moves many pieces to accomplish heavenly goals. By the end, we’ll see there are all these different disciples, each worshipfully playing their part. An orchestra of obedience leading to spiritual outcomes.

Mark 14:14-15 – ¹⁴ Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ ¹⁵ He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.”

Who is the owner? How does Jesus know him? We don’t know. But let’s notice two things: First, the disciples were to identify Jesus as the Teacher. It is assumed that would mean something to this homeowner. I don’t think it goes to far to suggest that the homeowner is also a disciple. Now he’s not one of the Twelve. But he’s still a disciple. He’s still a crucial and meaningful part of this magnificent turning point in spiritual history, the move from Old covenant to New.

The second thing to notice is what Jesus said: “Where is My guest room?” The owner’s name was on the deed, but that room, that house, belonged to Jesus Christ.

All we have belongs to the Lord. Now, God gives us things to enjoy. And He has given us the freedom and responsibility to administrate the resources, money, and things that we have in this life. But it does belong to Him. Job 41: “Everything under heaven belongs to [God].”

But that shouldn’t discourage us, as if we’re doing something wrong. It should excite us. Because this story reveals that your living room can be used by God for eternal purposes. Your couch can bear spiritual fruit as you offer your life and the trappings of your life to the Lord.

You can translate what Jesus said about “My guest room” this way: “The [room] divinely appointed for Me.”^[11]

Of course, we can’t imagine this homeowner refusing Jesus use of the room, of the couch, of the carpets. Many believe this was actually the home John-Mark – the author of this Gospel – lived in.^[12] But what an encouragement of how God can use our regular lives for His glory. The daily chores of a guy carrying water. The upstairs room that was perfect for a special meal and then to become a temporary headquarters for the disciples.^[13] A colt. A jar of perfume. Five loaves, two fish.

It’s exciting. But with the exciting revelation of how God can use what we have should come the expectation that He wants to use what we have. Not to make us ascetics. But to use all aspects of our life to bear fruit. Not only our hearts, but our hands, our homes, and our hard-earned cash.

Mark 14:16 – ¹⁶ So the disciples went out, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

Well that’s a relief! But what a great, practical picture of discipleship. “Lord, we’d love to have a few more details, but we will obey the word You have given.” And they had to figure it out, trusting that God would accomplish what He sent them to do. And He did!

But discipleship requires devotion. They had to step out in faith. They had to wait for their cue. And they had to walk from Bethany the two miles uphill to Jerusalem, find this house, do a bunch of party prep, then walk back to Bethany to get Jesus and the others when everything was ready, then walk back to Jerusalem again!^[14] That’s a long day.

Mark 14:17-18 – ¹⁷ When evening came, he arrived with the Twelve. ¹⁸ While they were reclining and eating, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”

The Passover was eaten with your family. This is Jesus’ family unit at the time.^[15] What a heart-wrenching thing to realize that one of your closest relations would betray the Lord in such a way. It would be one of the worst actions in human history.

During dinner, Jesus would’ve recited the Hallel Psalms – Psalm 113 through 118. But here He also refers to another Psalm, Psalm 41. That is a song where David experienced a terrible, treacherous betrayal from a man who had been a friend.

Mark 14:19 – ¹⁹ They began to be distressed and to say to him one by one, “Surely not I?”

This is another straightforward question, but Jesus doesn’t give a straightforward answer. Nor does He reassure them. Because, no, 11 of them wouldn’t betray Jesus, but one would deny Him, and all would abandon Him in just a matter of hours.

I appreciate that in the moment the disciples were willing to admit their potential for failure. Lord, is it I? That’s not a bad question for us to ask. Lord, am I the one at fault? In the wrong? Am I out of tune or off beat? Lord, see if there be any wickedness in me, then lead me in the everlasting way.^[16]

Mark 14:20-21 – ²⁰ He said to them, “It is one of the Twelve—the one who is dipping bread in the bowl with me. ²¹ For the Son of Man will go just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had not been born.”

They all had been dipping bread with Him.^[17] Why not just say it was Judas? Well, for one thing, Jesus was allowing the night to play out so that He would be arrested, tried, and crucified. In fact, where He says, “The Son of Man will go,” it speaks of a “voluntary act of homegoing.”^[18]

You see, Christ didn’t just ask the disciples to serve. He was the Servant of all. The Suffering Servant. He was obedient to His Father Who sent Him on this task. And it’s contrasted with the path of ruin and, ultimately death, that the betrayer was on.

Now we are sent by the Lord, day by day, to discover the spiritual treasures He’s prepared beforehand for us to walk in. We are being directed and conducted to perform a melody of faith and obedience in our Lord’s orchestra.

You know, Byron Preiss died in 2005. He said he’d tell others where the last 9 casques were buried, but he never did. His estate and publisher have acknowledged that they do not know the locations, but they have the gems. They will still honor the terms of the hunt for anyone who finds a box.

Our God has not forgotten us. He has not forgotten His plan. And He has more than 9 opportunities in this ongoing treasure-hunt that is the Christian life. Morning by morning we wake to a new sending, a new task, a new opportunity to give ourselves as living sacrifices to our Lord, the One we’re discipling after.

You are cordially invited to participate. To be sent as disciples. To be instruments in God’s providential orchestra of obedience.

He wasn’t stronger or faster than the other players. In fact, he had been physically disqualified from military service multiple times.^[2] He didn’t move with a whole lot of speed. He spent a number of years grinding in the minor leagues, with a few stalls in his playing career along the way.

But when he got to the majors, he started making impacts on and off the field. One newspaper wrote of his debut saying, “Starving for run making power, the Phillies’…found in their lap a brand new outfielder. He hit a homer with the bases full. Also a triple, double, and two singles. He batted in six runs in the first game…Dangerous Dan Litwhiler is the name.” Quite a debut.

In 1942, Dan became the first player ever to play every game of an entire season without a single error. Not only did he play in every game, he played in every inning that season.

Dan was the first to stitch the fingers of his mitt together. He introduced the radar gun to measure pitch speed.^[3] His path was unlikely, but his was an undeniable contribution to the baseball field.

1 Samuel 17 is the most famous story in all the Old Testament: David and Goliath. Use those two names and everyone knows what you’re talking about, whether they grew up in church or not.

Perhaps the most definitive aspect of this story is how unlikely David was to triumph. When we say, “David vs. Goliath,” we mean there is almost no chance the shepherd boy can take down the giant.

But when we observe David in the text, he has no question in his mind about whether he can kill Goliath. He is absolutely confident. Not in himself, but in the power of the living God.

Now, from the human perspective, David is an unlikely champion. Saul will list his deficiencies and say, “You can’t do it.“ His big brother is going to chew him out and say, “You can’t do it.“

And yet, as we all know, he does it. Is it because only David was capable? In the text, he seems confounded as to why no other soldier has taken King Saul up on his offer to reward whoever kills Goliath. As far as David is concerned, any Israelite could take the giant down. So, the question is: How was it that there was an entire army of God’s people without a single champion? They had men of stature like Saul and Eliab. Men with experience, men with equipment. Men who had seen God’s faithfulness. Yet they overcome by fear, frozen, and unable to rise to the occasion and advance in the hour of need.

In this life, we will face difficulty. Whether it’s suffering, temptation, oppression, confusion. Obstacles that loom large on our horizon. Christians, we serve a God Who empowers us to grow in any field we’re sent to, whether that’s a work field, a field of study, or a battlefield. And all of us can walk in victory as we walk in the Spirit. Whether it seems unlikely or not.

1 Samuel 17:1-3 – ¹ The Philistines gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah and camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim. ² Saul and the men of Israel gathered and camped in the Valley of Elah; then they lined up in battle formation to face the Philistines. ³ The Philistines were standing on one hill, and the Israelites were standing on another hill with a ravine between them.

We’re 14 miles west of Bethlehem,^[4] the western frontier of Israel. They’re near Philistine territory. There’s no free-flowing water in this area.^[5] The Philistines are closer to supply lines. So, not only do they have a material advantage, they have a mental advantage, too. The last time we saw the Philistines, they were routed by Saul and his army. But they’re not afraid of Saul anymore.

No problem. Israel has an army full of warriors. And this is why they demanded a king – to save them from the Philistines.^[6] Five times we’ll be told, “They got in battle formation.” But there’s no fight for weeks on end. Why?

1 Samuel 17:4-7 – ⁴ Then a champion named Goliath, from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was nine feet, nine inches, tall ⁵ and wore a bronze helmet and bronze scale armor that weighed one hundred twenty-five pounds. ⁶ There was bronze armor on his shins, and a bronze javelin was slung between his shoulders. ⁷ His spear shaft was like a weaver’s beam, and the iron point of his spear weighed fifteen pounds. In addition, a shield-bearer was walking in front of him.

Goliath wasn’t just suffering from gigantism. In Genesis, there were times before and after the Flood where fallen angels cohabited with human women and produced giant offspring with great strength. These offspring are known by different names in the Old Testament: The Nephilim, the Rephaim, the Zamzummim, and the Anakim.^[7] Joshua exterminated them from the Promised Land in all but three places: Gaza, Ashdod, and Gath.^[8] All Philistine cities.

Goliath was one of the Anakim.^[9] Using the short cubit, he would’ve been 9 feet, 9 inches tall. This at a time when the average Hebrew man was between 5 foot and 5 foot 5 inches tall.^[10]

Now, an average Israelite soldier went into battle wearing regular clothes.^[11] The king would have armor, but the infantry didn’t. Other than his face, Goliath’s whole body was covered in metal.^[12] His armor would’ve been made from several hundred bronze plates overlapped, resembling fish scales.^[13] He was armed with a mighty spear, a straight sword sheathed on his side, and we’re told a “javelin” was slung on his back. Scholars believe this was actually a scimitar.^[14]

His armaments would’ve limited his speed and maneuverability, so he had a full time shield bearer, dedicated to protecting him. In other words, he could play offense and defense at the same time.

If you find yourself thinking, “Ok, well just have an archer snipe this guy,” understand that their arrows wouldn’t penetrate his armor, certainly not at range. But there was a more important question than caliber that kept Israel from engaging. Was God going to fight for them today?

They know they can’t win if the Lord doesn’t fight for them. King Saul certainly doesn’t have any reason to believe God will empower them for this fight. The fighters are frightened. Meaning they are not forming up in faith and full of the Spirit. The gathering is a formality.

There’s no escaping this threat. They have to go out. They’ve been invaded by an enemy that is dedicated to their destruction. But they have no courage or power to deal with this situation. Day after day, for more than a month they go through this charade of lining up in formation. It was God’s providential mercy that kept the Philistines from charging at the petrified army of Israel.

1 Samuel 17:8-11, 16 – ⁸ He stood and shouted to the Israelite battle formations, “Why do you come out to line up in battle formation?” He asked them, “Am I not a Philistine and are you not servants of Saul? Choose one of your men and have him come down against me. ⁹ If he wins in a fight against me and kills me, we will be your servants. But if I win against him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us.” ¹⁰ Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel today. Send me a man so we can fight each other!” ¹¹ When Saul and all Israel heard these words from the Philistine, they lost their courage and were terrified… ¹⁶ Every morning and evening for forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand.

Goliath makes them an offer: A one-on-one fight to decide it all. Now, the Philistines have absolutely no intention of following through on this deal, but this was a common option in ancient warfare. It’s seen in Egyptian history, Greek history, Canaanite, Hittite.

Who should fight him? Obviously Saul. Who was the tallest Israelite at the time? Saul. Who had bronze armor like Goliath? Saul.^[15] Who had extensive battle experience against Philistine warriors? Saul. Who was picked to be the king who would go out before Israel and fight their battles? Saul.

Why can’t he? He has no spiritual power. His strength, experience, and equipment can’t overcome enemies like this. He’s overwhelmed by the pressure. God had wanted Saul to be the one to deliver Israel from the Philistines. But in his state of faithless disobedience, all he can do is lead the retreat.

What happens when suffering or temptation invade our lives? Are we overwhelmed? God gives us power to withstand the tribulations of life. So why are some Christians unable to advance?

J.I. Packer wrote, “The fact we must face is that impenitent and unconsecrated Christians will be out of earshot when God calls them to service…Apathy and sluggishness with regard to ordinary obedience brings deafness when God calls to special service.”^[16]

God provides what we need for victory. But When we stop walking by faith overcoming the difficulties of life not only seems unlikely, but impossible. Into this seemingly unwinnable scene, enters a man who did walk by faith.

1 Samuel 17:12-15 – ¹² Now David was the son of the Ephrathite from Bethlehem of Judah named Jesse. Jesse had eight sons and during Saul’s reign was already an old man. ¹³ Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war, and their names were Eliab, the firstborn, Abinadab, the next, and Shammah, the third, ¹⁴ and David was the youngest. The three oldest had followed Saul, ¹⁵ but David kept going back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s flock in Bethlehem.

Dan Litwhiler had six older brothers. They lived in a tiny town, population 150. He spent his early years following them around as they played ball. He was their batboy.

David, the eighth son from a tiny town will become the savior in this story. He’s introduced to us as a faithful shepherd. One engaged in his father’s business. He repeatedly makes the long trip from the pasture to the front to bring the supplies his brothers need. He’s serving, humbly.

1 Samuel 17:17-22 – ¹⁷ One day Jesse had told his son David, “Take this half-bushel of roasted grain along with these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. ¹⁸ Also take these ten portions of cheese to the field commander. Check on the well-being of your brothers and bring a confirmation from them. ¹⁹ They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines.” ²⁰ So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with someone to keep it, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had charged him. He arrived at the perimeter of the camp as the army was marching out to its battle formation shouting their battle cry. ²¹ Israel and the Philistines lined up in battle formation facing each other. ²² David left his supplies in the care of the quartermaster and ran to the battle line. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were.

David wasn’t looking for his big break to become rich and famous. He didn’t plan on slaying a giant that day. He’s sent to deliver food. He does not know he’s really being sent to deliver Israel.

In this scene, David is contrasted with the rest of the soldiers. They posture, he delivers. They are scared, hopeless, retreating. He is faithful, obedient, fearless. We know what made the difference: He’s full of the Holy Spirit. His faith is alive enough to know that God‘s desire is to deliver his people. That God‘s power is available for those who walk with him. That God works in our lives.

Power for living comes from the Lord. Power to shepherd or to soldier. Power to witness or power to worship. Power to endure suffering or to employ the Spirit’s gifts.

We can’t move on without noticing David’s tender care for the sheep. He made sure the lambs were properly cared for before he left for the bigger opportunity.

You know, in 1939, Dan Litwhiler had the chance to become part of the world champion Detroit Tigers’ organization. At the time, Dan was a science teacher and JV basketball coach at Bolton High School. He waited to take his baseball assignment until a new teacher could be found for his kids.

1 Samuel 17:23-27 – ²³ While he was speaking with them, suddenly the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, came forward from the Philistine battle line and shouted his usual words, which David heard. ²⁴ When all the Israelite men saw Goliath, they retreated from him terrified. ²⁵ Previously, an Israelite man had declared, “Do you see this man who keeps coming out? He comes to defy Israel. The king will make the man who kills him very rich and will give him his daughter. The king will also make the family of that man’s father exempt from paying taxes in Israel.” ²⁶ David spoke to the men who were standing with him: “What will be done for the man who kills that Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” ²⁷ The troops told him about the offer, concluding, “That is what will be done for the man who kills him.”

David can’t believe no one had taken the king up on this offer. He thinks he must not have heard it right. His faith was like Jonathan’s in chapter 14. Nothing can stop the Lord from saving by many or by few. He’s not afraid at all. Because, after all, what is an Anakim compared to the living God?

1 Samuel 17:28-29 – ²⁸ David’s oldest brother Eliab listened as he spoke to the men, and he became angry with him. “Why did you come down here?” he asked. “Who did you leave those few sheep with in the wilderness? I know your arrogance and your evil heart—you came down to see the battle!” ²⁹ “What have I done now?” protested David. “It was just a question.”

If Saul wasn’t going to do what he was clearly called to do, a next logical choice was Eliab. He was a big guy, too. Instead he turns his verbal weapons on his brother. He claims to be able to see into his heart. He insults David and his own father’s sheep. The term he uses is, “that bit of flock.”^[17]

We can’t see into another person’s heart. We shouldn’t pretend we can. What we can do is see the fruit of a life. From the heart, fruit is grown. Eliab is among those who are faithless and fearful before Goliath. He denigrates others. David is shown to be brave, trusting God, willing to serve. Most of all, David is shown as understanding this situation is spiritual, not material. It’s clear that he thinks any Israelite would’ve been able to defeat Goliath in God’s strength.

The question is actually for Eliab. Why did you come down here? You’re a soldier who doesn’t fight. Why haven’t you taken a step of faith? Instead of thinking he knew what was in David’s heart, he should’ve asked himself, “Why are you downcast, oh my soul? Why are you afraid of Goliath?” When the question is posed in the Psalms, the solution is then provided: “Put your hope in God, your Savior, and praise Him.” You see, God wanted to do a powerful work in Israel’s physical circumstances, but He would wait to do so until He found someone who had spiritual faith. God uses hearts, not helmets. Coming out victorious over temptation or suffering or opposition in the Christian life isn’t about swords and shields, but faith and fidelity. And any of us can have those.

1 Samuel 17:30-31 – ³⁰ Then he turned from those beside him to others in front of him and asked about the offer. The people gave him the same answer as before. ³¹ What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, so he had David brought to him.

No one thinks David is cut out for this job. Not Eliab, not Saul. Yet he’s immediately brought to the king. Why? Because they’re desperate for deliverance. And we’ll see God was ready to use him that day. He didn’t need a training montage. He didn’t need super-soldier serum. He didn’t need to watch film of Goliath’s fighting style. The Lord was ready to work through the power of His Spirit.

The same is true in our lives. God is ready to work in us and through us. He’s ready to accomplish His will in your life’s circumstances for our growth and His glory. It doesn’t matter if you are an unlikely candidate. It doesn’t matter if the circumstances seem overwhelming. God has plan and power for each one of His people. The battle is the Lord’s. We don’t have to forge bronze iron or grow an extra 5 feet in order to overcome temptation, sorrow, tribulations in life. The Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power. His divine power has given us everything required for life. How do we receive it? By being filled with the Holy Spirit, by growing in our knowledge of God and hearing His call.^[18] By living as Christians in whatever field we find ourselves in.

The man was Billy Wilkerson – the owner of The Hollywood Reporter. He asked Judy if she’d like to be in the movies. Judy said, “I’ll have to ask my mother.” Soon Judy found herself in the publisher’s office, mom in tow. Wilkerson later said Judy “had a quality all her own that was unforgettable.”^[1]

He wrote a note to Zeppo Marx (of the Marx Brothers) about Judy and a star was born. For the next two decades, she was one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood.^[2]

Stories like that are part of why America became known as the land of opportunity. It didn’t matter where you were from. It didn’t matter what others said. You could make it in America.

This text is all about opportunity. The priests and scribes are looking for a chance to get Jesus. Judas is looking for a way to enrich himself. And a young woman sees a chance to express her devotion and love to the Lord. Jesus uses the moment to teach the disciples how the Christian life is a life of opportunities to worship, opportunities to be generous, opportunities to be used.

In the end the lesson we take away is that our Christian lives should not be lived in a pattern of selfishness or cynicism, but with a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, Who wants to reveal to us possibilities and pathways that He has prepared for us specifically to walk in.

Mark 14:1-2 – ¹ It was two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a cunning way to arrest Jesus and kill him. ² “Not during the festival,” they said, “so that there won’t be a riot among the people.”

Mark spends a huge chunk of this book on Passion week. Six out of sixteen chapters. After the Triumphal Entry, Jesus had a series of conflict conversations in the Temple. Then He left, went to the Mount of Olives, and delivered the Olivet Discourse.

Those confrontations in the Temple with the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Scribes, the Herodians, didn’t convince any of the Jewish leaders, but it did convince many of the people. During Passover week, the population of Jerusalem had at least doubled.^[3] There were hundreds of thousands if not millions of people crowding in and around the city.^[4]

The Sanhedrin was murderously angry. They have a series of meetings to try to figure out how they can get Jesus and kill Him.^[5] But then the poll numbers came in: Lots of pilgrims were very excited about Jesus. That was one of the main reasons the Jews were so mad. Many people were deserting them and believing Jesus.^[6] But if they attacked Him now, they’d have a riot on their hands.

So, they pivot. Earlier their plan was to arrest Him on sight.^[7] But now they decide they’re going to wait until after Passover is over to get Him.

But God’s will cannot be thwarted by man’s schemes. Here we see a wonderful glimpse into God’s sovereignty. Jesus was the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world. The Lamb would be slain not just on time, but on God’s time. By the end of our text, we’ll see that these wicked men will pivot once again so that the Savior of the world would be crucified at the exact right time.

Mark 14:3 – ³ While he was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured it on his head.

All four Gospels have a passage describing Jesus being anointed by a woman at a dinner. But there were two separate occasions when this happened. Matthew, Mark, and John tell this story where Mary, not Mary Magdalene but Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus, pours perfume on Jesus’ head. Luke tells a different story where an unnamed woman – a notorious sinner – comes and weeps on and anoints Jesus’ feet and dries them with her hair.

Luke’s story happens in the house of a Pharisee named Simon and Jesus uses the situation as a chance to teach him (and us) about forgiveness.

Matthew, Mark, and John tell this story of Jesus being in the house belonging to another Simon, who had once been a leper. We know he wasn’t still a leper, because no one would’ve been in the house with him. It is the Passover festival, after all, and they must keep ritually clean.

Lazarus, Mary, and Martha are also there and it seems they’re hosting the dinner. So, it’s possible they’re just using Simon’s house or that Simon was actually the three siblings’ father.^[8]

Mark doesn’t name her, but John explains the woman is Mary. What she does is shocking. First of all, she’s breaking the social conventions of the day by coming in among the men as they eat.^[9]

Not only is she going against conventional etiquette, she’s also way outside of conventional wisdom. We’ll see everyone else in the room – other than Jesus – thinks this is a terrible idea.

You see, this perfume was no ordinary perfume. It was pure nard. Imported from India.^[10] We’ll be told it’s value in a moment. But this could have been what Mary had for a marriage dowry.^[11] It was probably a family heirloom, passed from mother to daughter for generations.^[12] The kind of item so valuable it would be kept for times of need so that it could be sold to save the family.^[13]

We sense a comparison between this gift and the widow’s two coins Jesus recently observed and praised. Only the widow gave to God, not knowing Jesus. Mary gives to the Lord, personally.

But we also sense the compulsion in Mary’s heart. Humanly speaking, it’s not the right gift, it’s not the right time. She hasn’t asked Jesus permission. But we watch her enter, without a word, and do what what in her heart to do. And what she does, she does to the utmost. The jar is broken. No part saved back. This is an act of pure, generous, devotion and worship.

Mark 14:4-5 – ⁴ But some were expressing indignation to one another: “Why has this perfume been wasted? ⁵ For this perfume might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the poor.” And they began to scold her.

These guys took the opportunity not to praise, not to be encouraged or encouraging, but to disparage. Mark is kind in his vagueness. John reveals that Judas, specifically, led the criticism, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was stealing from the money bag.^[14] But Matthew explains that the rest of the disciples joined in with Judas chewing Mary out.

And they were really upset. One Greek term used elsewhere refers to the snorting of horses.^[15] The words express “violent displeasure.”^[16]

Their reasoning is that this perfume – which was worth more than a working man’s annual salary – should’ve been sold and given to the poor.

Now, pause for a moment and realize a couple things: First, this was not theirs to give. It’s her perfume. It’s, perhaps, her dowry. What right do they have to tell her she should liquidate her dowry only for things they approve of?

Second, their complaint is theoretical. There was no starving beggar on the doorstep. There was no crowd of 5,000 which had no food to eat.

Third, Mary had been very generous to them many times over. Hosting them. Serving them. Feeding them. Up to and including that very evening! And yet, they’re so quick to complain.

But do you remember what the guys said back when they were around crowds of hungry people? “Send them away. They’re not our problem.”

Their knee-jerk reaction here reminds us of how quick our human hearts can be to complain about others. God’s people are not immune from a complaining heart. Sometimes we’re the best at it. Look at the children of Israel in the Exodus. Look at the older Jews in Ezra. The American Church is certainly not immune. Our culture fosters attitudes of complaint. Left to our own devices, we want everything our way. From the carpet color to the temperature to the songs we sing to the length of the service. And often we will find ourselves cynically criticizing the faithful service of others. They should’ve done this, not that, and they should’ve done it that way, not this way.

A Spirit-filled life is not looking for opportunities to condemn. Rather, a Spirit-filled life is waiting for opportunities to worship, to serve, to magnify the Lord in our midst.

Mark 14:6 – ⁶ Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a noble thing for me.

Jesus not only defends Mary, but notice that He invites them to evaluate why they were acting that way. “Why are you bothering her?” Why tear down someone as they worship the Lord? What right did they have to judge this service to the Lord? It clearly was service to the Lord.

You know, Jesus had defended the 12 when their activity was criticized by others. “Why are they eating grain on the Sabbath? Why aren’t they fasting like we do?” What a great comfort that our Lord defends us. He is an Advocate. A Comforter. A Master Who truly cares about His servants.

He says here, “What Mary has done is beautiful.” Your version may have that. Meanwhile, the 12 were trying to make her gift and worship to the Lord difficult to accomplish.^[17]

Had the disciples been paying attention to what Jesus had been trying to tell them, they would’ve realized that this was one of the last meals they would have with the Son of God. Instead of looking for an opportunity to criticize a fellow believer or complain about something they didn’t like, they could’ve been looking for an opportunity to show devotion and affection to the Lord themselves.

Part of the Christian life is finding ways to show devotion and affection to our Lord. Worshipping Him. Honoring Him. Being generous to Him. Bringing thanksgiving and praise and adoration and demonstrations of our love to Him. Looking for those opportunities.

Mark 14:7 – ⁷ You always have the poor with you, and you can do what is good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have me.

Jesus isn’t saying, “Hey there’s always gonna be poor people, so don’t worry about helping them.” In fact the opposite is true. We’re to minister to the poor in our church family. But Jesus’ point here is that this was a specific opportunity. There was no other time for this act to be accomplished. Yes, Mary’s gift is outside conventional wisdom, but spiritually the timing was just right.

There are going to be moments in your walk with the Lord where the Holy Spirit prompts you to do something and the timing will be just right. What seems like a chance encounter or occurrence to us is, in fact, a great work of providence. We want to be ready when that opportunity knocks.

Mark 14:8 – ⁸ She has done what she could; she has anointed my body in advance for burial.

In the haste to get Jesus’ body in the tomb, He would not be anointed for burial. That’s why the women go to the tomb after He’s buried. They go with perfume. It should’ve been done before, and Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus do their part to wrap and embalm the Lord, but this moment was prompted by the Holy Spirit for a disciple to give honor to the King of kings.

Mark 14:9 – ⁹ Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

Our Lord and Savior, the Almighty God remembers and is excited about your service to Him. Your worship of Him. Your generosity to His work. He keeps a record. He gives reward. He brags on you.

Do we live a life that is worthy of God’s memory? Do we live life in search of the Spirit’s leading? His opportunities? Those moments where we can give God another token of our love and devotion?

Mark 14:10-11 – ¹⁰ Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. ¹¹ And when they heard this, they were glad and promised to give him money. So he started looking for a good opportunity to betray him.

Judas, goes looking for an opportunity to make money through betrayal. Luke explains that Satan, himself, entered Judas at this point.^[18] Satan plays the long game.

Do you remember when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness? Satan is defeated and has to retreat. But we’re told he departed until “an opportune time.”^[19] But he will be defeated again and again.

This text is all about opportunities. On the one side, you have the Sanhedrin, the disciples, Judas, and the devil himself. They’re looking for opportunities to undermine, to destroy, to complain, to criticize, to enrich themselves, to tear others down.

On the other side is Mary, and the image of a disciple that the Lord wants us to be. Looking for opportunities to worship, to give to God, to proclaim the Gospel, to enjoy our relationship with the Lord, to honor the service of others, not nit-pick it.

We’re living our lives. As Christians, we’re to live it not only Spirit filled, but in step with the Spirit.^[20] Which means as you live your life you can know the Spirit wants to work in and through you. Maybe it’s in your living room. Maybe it’s in your front yard. Maybe it’s talking to someone across the pump at the gas station. Maybe it’s in your workplace, your classroom, your cruise, your hospital bed.

The New Testament shows that as we live out the lives God has given us, He will guide and direct us into the good works He’s prepared beforehand for us to walk in. Our part is to be led. To watch for those opportunities. To remember that my life is given for these purposes. To remember that moment by moment there are many ways we can honor God, worship Him, bless others, build up the Church, spread the Gospel, please God’s heart. Just by being willing to be positioned by God the Holy Spirit and responding with a faith that obeys, a faith that adores, a faith that is awake and alive to the opportunities God gives us.

By age 40, William was a millionaire. But his zeal and risk-taking didn’t always work out. He lacked the judgment to tell between good ideas and bad. He was erratic and impulsive in his decisions. His employees spoke of how difficult he was as a boss. It was as if he had a dual personality. Workers like Walter Chrysler quit because of his unpredictability and interference in their work.

His leadership didn’t only cause trouble with personnel. A lot of his choices didn’t pan out. GM ended 1921 with $200 million in unsold cars. Their stock fell from $85 a share to $7. With the company on the verge of collapse, William was forced out. He was the one that had hired his replacement. Alfred Sloan became president of GM, turned things around, and has since been called “The greatest business man in American history.”

William Durant’s leadership only worked when things around him were good. When the economy was booming, when investors were infusing the company with cash, it looked like his gambles couldn’t miss. But take away those external benefits and William’s empire crumbled – not once but twice. He actually gained and then lost control of the largest corporation in the world two times!^[6]

We have echoes of the Saul story here. Saul, who had flashes of success, has shown himself to be a failed leader on the spiritual level. In this text, Saul brings his replacement into the palace. Of course, Saul doesn’t know that – he acquires David because he wants David’s services.

It’s a compelling turn of events, historically speaking. But how does a text like this apply to our lives? We don’t really deal with this kind of palace intrigue today. Even so, there are significant spiritual principles to learn from both Saul and David here. And that’s what we want to do.

1 Samuel 16:14 – ¹⁴ Now the Spirit of the LORD had left Saul, and an evil spirit sent from the LORD began to torment him,

If you look up at verse 13, you will see the defining description of David. After he was anointed by Samuel, “the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully on him from that day forward.” The very next thing we’re told is that the Spirit of the LORD had left Saul. They are contrasted: A Spirit-filled life and a Spirit-empty life. A person who has a growing relationship with God and someone who doesn’t.

What does it mean to be a Spirit-filled Christian? Sometimes believers get confused or wonder if we really have the filling of the Spirit. We pray that God would fill us – not a bad prayer. There were times in Acts, after Pentecost, where the disciples were filled with the Spirit in a special way.^[7]

But listen: If you’ve been born again, that means the Spirit of the Living God dwells within you. Romans 8:9 says that if you don’t have the Spirit, you don’t belong to Christ.

But, that doesn’t mean we automatically have a proper, healthy, fruitful relationship with the Holy Spirit. He’s in you if you’re a Christian, but is He working in you? Are we fervent in the Spirit?^[8] We can grieve Him.^[9] We can quench the Spirit.^[10] We can resist Him.^[11] We can neglect His gifts.^[12]

When we see the difference between Saul and David, the conclusion we should come to is: I need God the Holy Spirit in my life. I need Him to be operating in me, growing me, teaching me.

Here at Calvary we are continuationists, meaning we believe the Holy Spirit didn’t just take a vacation after Acts 28, but that He still works and operates today as He did in the New Testament. That none of His gifts have ceased, but that they continue.

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit’s relationship to people was different. There wasn’t a permanent indwelling. That is a spiritual reality in the Church age. Jesus said after He left earth the Father would send the Holy Spirit and that He would be in us and remain with us.^[13]

Saul is an example of how we don’t want to be in our relationship with God. Not that God the Holy Spirit is going to abandon us, but we should look at this in the sense of damaging our relationship with Him, which will limit His activity in and through us.

Now, we see that the Spirit had not only left Saul, but that an “evil” spirit was sent by God to torment him. That’s an upsetting image. Why would God do that? Well first, let’s understand the terminology. The word for “evil” doesn’t have to refer to something morally wicked. In other words, this need not refer to a demonic spirit.^[14] In fact, in could refer to an angel of judgment.^[15] And the word used for “torment” could mean “terrified.”^[16]

Remember: Saul has repeatedly, decisively turned from obeying God. He will not listen. He will not humble himself. And now he is reaping the consequences of his rebellion.

Romans 1 explains that when a person or a people do not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God will deliver them over to a corrupt mind.^[17] It’s a sad and ugly thing to witness. It’s not because God is unfair or unloving, but because He will not force us to obey Him.

1 Samuel 16:15-16 – ¹⁵ so Saul’s servants said to him, “You see that an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. ¹⁶ Let our lord command your servants here in your presence to look for someone who knows how to play the lyre. Whenever the evil spirit from God comes on you, that person can play the lyre, and you will feel better.”

The servants come and say, “Hey we should do something about this troublesome spirit from God that comes on you.” They know why this is happening. But notice: They don’t encourage Saul to repent. That was the answer. If he would turn from his rebellion, if he would turn from his pride, if he would turn toward God and ask God for mercy, God would have given it! Instead they say, “Let’s figure out something to make you feel better.”

Our culture is all about feeling better. I’ll buy a thing, I’ll have an experience, I’ll take a pill, I’ll go to that place so that I can feel good. But the primary need in life is the spiritual need.

The Philistines were a problem. But the absence of the Spirit in his life was way worse than a Philistine invasion. Instead of finding a temporary way to feel better, he needed to be made whole.

Christians, our goal is not a ministry of warm and fuzzy feelings, it’s the light of the Gospel, which really transforms a life. Which really gives the proper perspective to life. Which really edifies a life.

Notice also: None of his servants could do the job. They have a plan, they were eager to help, but it’s theoretical at this point. “Maybe we can find someone.” It would seem none of them had the kind of communion with God which would’ve helped in this situation.

We don’t want to be the kind of people who have no spiritual help to give when those around us are in need. The people around us will need strength and comfort and truth and joy. Do we have those spiritual supplies to give? Or would we need to first go find someone who does have a relationship with God? You don’t have to be an apostle to be used by God to share the Gospel or give people spiritual help. Consider Philip. What was his qualification? He was full of the Holy Spirit.

1 Samuel 16:17 – ¹⁷ Then Saul commanded his servants, “Find me someone who plays well and bring him to me.”

When William Durant was forced out of GM, co-workers said he showed no grief on his face. He smiled pleasantly as he packed up his desk, as if it was a routine thing.

Saul gives the order, but doesn’t acknowledge his need. He doesn’t say, “You’re right. I need to get right with God.” He won’t humble himself. He wants to feel better, but he’s still not interested in going God’s way. He wants solutions without salvation, because salvation requires repentance.

1 Samuel 16:18 – ¹⁸ One of the young men answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is also a valiant man, a warrior, eloquent, handsome, and the LORD is with him.”

Did David do public music performances? It’s possible. The lad says, “I have seen this guy and he can really play that lyre.” Probably a six to eight string, plucked instrument.^[18]

Now, there’s some question about the timing of this story. We don’t know how much time has elapsed between verses 13 and 14. And in chapter 17 we’ll see Saul doesn’t know who David is. It’s possible this happens after the Goliath story.^[19]

What’s important is that David’s renown is starting to spread. People have heard of his skill in music. His skill in battle – either against the Philistines or the wild animals who came after his sheep.

Most of all, they know that the Lord is with him. We’ll be told that phrase, specifically, no less than five times in the David story. That’s what really made David the man he was.

David had a testimony.^[20] When people talked about him they said, “Oh, David? That guy has a relationship with God.” He had a lot of natural gifts, but it was the spiritual gifts that made the difference in his personal life, in his professional life, in his ability to lead, his ability to write, his ability to endure, and battle. The work of God in him is what made his human activity matter.

1 Samuel 16:19-20 – ¹⁹ Then Saul dispatched messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” ²⁰ So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a wineskin, and one young goat and sent them by his son David to Saul.

These items that Jesse sent may have been a gift to Saul, or they may have been provisions David needed for a time. Israel had not yet established a formal tax system to support the government.^[21]

But notice the items: A goat, bread, and wine. Where have we seen this group before? Well, on Saul’s first mission after being anointed. Samuel said, “You’re going to take this trip and you’ll meet some travelers and here’s what they’ll be carrying: Goats, bread, and a jug of wine.”

Listen: God wants to overflow our life with supernatural supplies of grace and joy and so many other things. But if we will not follow as disciples, if we will not obey Jesus, He will set us aside and work through others. And that should concern us very much. Saul could’ve been a great king. He could’ve had a great dynasty. He could’ve ended his story in victory instead of defeat. But he would not obey. He would not actually walk by faith. And so now he has been set aside. Disqualified.

Paul himself said, “I discipline my body and bring myself under control so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified.”^[22] The term means rejected, failing the test, worthless.^[23]

1 Samuel 16:21-22 – ²¹ When David came to Saul and entered his service, Saul loved him very much, and David became his armor-bearer. ²² Then Saul sent word to Jesse: “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor with me.”

Saul would’ve had multiple weapons carriers.^[24] But this is a great honor and promotion.

Willian Durant used to lavish salaries on his employees. When bringing Walter Chrysler on board, Chrysler planned to ask for $50,000 a year. Durant offered him $500,000!

How sad that in a short time, Saul’s love for David will turn into hate. He’ll personally try to kill him. He’ll send the entire army out after him. But David was not Saul’s enemy. And David, despite having been anointed as king, did not try to push Saul out. David is ever-gracious to Saul.

But grace means giving kindness to those who don’t deserve it. We are called to a life of grace. When our boss is a jerk. When we don’t get recognition. When we’re wronged or mistreated. Grace upon grace multiplied to us to operate in us, not just for our feelings but toward others.

1 Samuel 16:23 – ²³ Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would pick up his lyre and play, and Saul would then be relieved, feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

It would’ve been strange to work in the court of Saul in this period. You’re just waiting around for your king to go into some sort of tormented frenzy.

Alfred Sloan recalled how executives would just have to sit around William Durant’s office while his barber shaved him. Their scheduled work was neglected. Sometimes at their executive meetings, they’d just have to wait all day for the Chief to show up.

But notice how David carried himself. He did what he could to help Saul – truly. He would wait and watch, be attentive and sensitive. He wasn’t there to just enjoy the perks of the palace. He wasn’t just there to have a fancy title. He acted the way he did as a shepherd to sheep. When a lion came to get a lamb, he fought it off. And now, when the spirit came, David stood in the gap for Saul.

Now, obviously it’s not David accomplishing this. It’s not that he knew a special, anti-evil spirit melody. Though Amos tells us David was a great improviser.^[25] God was working through David. But consider that: God, Who was rightly bringing judgment on Saul was still willing to show grace and compassion to His enemy.

What God did through David was a gift of the Spirit.^[26] David himself was a gift given by God to Saul. A timely gift of compassionate grace.

What about you? What gift have you been given? If you’re a Christian you have one. Or how have your abilities and talents been marshaled to be deployed by the Holy Spirit for His purposes?

You know, David was afraid that the Spirit would leave him, probably because he watched it happen with Saul. We should be concerned not about the Spirit abandoning us – He won’t – but about us grieving Him, quenching Him, resisting Him. About us being non-operative when it comes to our spiritual growth and usefulness.

One way for us to stay in relationship with the Spirit is to remember that the highest ideal or goal for my day today is not just to feel better, but to function according to my calling and gifting. The gifts and callings the Holy Spirit has Personally given me are for my life. They’re for my faith. They’re for such a time as this. But we need to realize that to properly enjoy the work and power of the Holy Spirit requires a Biblical, Godly perspective. It requires that we allow Him to position us where He wants so that our gifts can bear fruit. As Paul wrote in Galatians:

Galatians 5:25 – ²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

And so, today is not only the day the Lord has made, it’s the day for me to walk with Him. Filled and functioning in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit Who is with me.

John started his academic life by teaching himself to write.^[2] His dyslexia made the work hard and he found little support from his school teachers. One turned back some english homework to John with a note that said, “This assignment was too much for you, wasn’t it?”^[3]

But fast forward a few years, John earned a mathematics degree from Yale. The year was 1943, so John enlisted. A teacher convinced him to apply to the US Army Air Corps’ meteorology department.^[4] So the mathemetician became a weatherman.

After the war, a new field was on John’s horizon: Physics. A Yale professor had recommended him for a graduate program without his knowledge. John had only taken basic courses in the subject, but back to school he went. One instructor said, “Don’t you know that anyone who has ever done anything significant in physics had already done it by the time he was your age—and you want to begin?” But John ended up earning a PhD in physics from the University of Chicago.^[5]

Fast forward thirty more years and where was John? Head of the Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory at the University of Oxford. That was after two and a half decades at MIT where he worked to develop some of the first random access memory in computers.^[6]

So now the mathematician, meteorologist, physicist, computer-scientest was a chemist, despite never having studied chemistry in grad school. Oxford had mandatory retirement at 65.^[7] So John moved to Texas, where he became a professor in the mechanical engineering department. At age 97, he became history’s oldest recipient of a Nobel Prize. A couple of years before his death at age 100, John was interviewed and said, “There’s work to be done, so I continue.”^[8]

In 1 Samuel 16, Israel has suffered a heavy setback. Their first king has been rejected by God. But human failure doesn’t stop God’s grace. God was still working, still powerful, still faithful. He had already prepared the new king who would step into Saul’s place.

Our text today is the story of that new king being anointed. Now, here’s what’s interesting: We have already seen this happen once, when Saul was anointed. But this time the story is very different.  Last time, the scene unfolds from the king’s perspective. It was a drawn out passage showing what Saul was doing, what he was thinking, what he said, how he responded. He was the focal point.

Today, David is selected and anointed as king. David is one of the most significant characters in all the Bible. And yet, when this person is introduced and anointed, he doesn’t speak. We hear no inner monologue. All he does in the text is walk into the room.

The focal point in these verses is not David, but Samuel. His situation. His frustrations. His conversation with God. His desire to walk by faith while also learning what God desires. In some ways this scene, toward the end of Samuel’s life has so many parallels with that first story he was in.

Samuel had been the prophet of God for many decades. He has faithfully served God and known God. He may have been the most spiritual person on the planet at the time. And yet, we still see him discovering. He is still learning from God. Still exercising faith. He’s still in that submissive yet trusting position he was as a young boy when he said, “Speak Lord, your servant listens.”

That’s not a failure, by the way – it’s very encouraging. Because none of us have arrived in our spiritual growth. None of us can say we’re done when it comes to knowing exactly what the Lord wants, how we’re being led, what the Lord might want to do. Instead, we know there is work to be done, so we continue. We continue walking by faith. Not by habit, not by ritual, not by thinking I can just let spiritual gravity take me across the finish line. But like Samuel realizing there are new discoveries, new fields, new opportunities, new wonders to discover as we disciple after Jesus.

1 Samuel 16:1 – ¹ The LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem because I have selected for myself a king from his sons.”

The scene opens on Samuel heartbroken, frustrated, we might even say depressed about the Saul situation. Samuel cared about Saul and he definitely cared about Israel. In this moment, the Lord comes to him and says, “It’s time to press on.” It wasn’t that mourning for Saul was bad, but it was time to put his hand to the plow of God’s work and look forward, not back.

Maybe your heart is heavy with regret over some failure in your past, over some lost dream, over some situation in life. God cares about those sorrows. And remember: His mercy is new every morning. His will for you is good. If you’re weighed down by guilt, remember what 2 Corinthians 7:10 says: “Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret.” Remember God works all things together for the good that love Him and are called according to His purpose and the good pleasure of His will is to bring everything together in Christ at just the right time.

The reference to Jesse is significant. If you read through the Bible, you’ve seen that name once before, in Ruth. That Ruth passage is tied to Genesis, which is a book about finding humanity’s redeemer. So we’re clued into the fact that Jesse’s son is not just the next guy to sit on the throne, but that he is the son of Adam, of Seth, of Shem, of Abraham, of Judah, of Perez. This is about the messianic line.

With something this important, shouldn’t God just tell Samuel it’s David? But the Lord delights to teach Samuel, to keep growing Samuel, so God gives him just enough light to step forward.

1 Samuel 16:2-3 – ² Samuel asked, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!”

The LORD answered, “Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ ³ Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you are to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate to you.”

Samuel didn’t only have personal discouragement, he had professional problems, too. Obviously Saul is not taking news of his replacement well. He was a very real threat to Samuel’s life. And yet, Samuel must be the one to anoint the new king. That’s the job. Walking by faith brings opposition. Praise the Lord that at this point we’re not facing death for being Christians. Samuel was. Saul would be watching. On top of that, to get to Bethlehem, Samuel would have to pass through Saul’s hometown!^[9] So, Samuel is understandably fearful and unclear on how this was going to work.

So what does God do? He takes something that we think should be covert and secret and He essentially makes Samuel a slow-moving target. He’ll have to walk a cow somewhere between 10 and 25 miles down the road,^[10] right past where Saul is. Through the valley of the shadow of death.

Will Samuel do it? That depends on if he trusts God. That depends on whether he believes God can be counted on. That depends on if his faith is true or is just lip-service.

1 Samuel 16:4 – ⁴ Samuel did what the LORD directed and went to Bethlehem. When the elders of the town met him, they trembled and asked, “Do you come in peace?”

Why were they so afraid? The political situation was very tenuous. And this prophet didn’t just give messages, sometimes he hacked people to pieces. Also, Samuel showing up with a heifer like this could indicate that he was there, under the Law, to atone for an unsolved murder.^[11] They’re not sure what’s going on, but they’re worried about what it will mean for their community.

1 Samuel 16:5 – ⁵ “In peace,” he replied. “I’ve come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

There’s one aspect of John Goodenough’s life that is more consequential than all the others: Despite being raised in an atheist home, he became a believer in Jesus. In his autobiography, Witness To Grace, John talks about how he started to understand the beauty of holiness. How without holiness there was a veil between himself and the spiritual reality revealed in the Bible.

Samuel and the people do this work of consecration. It was ritual cleanness, which usually included things like bathing and putting on clean clothes.^[12] But the outward ritual illustrated a spiritual truth: Peace with God requires holiness. They didn’t have to be afraid because Samuel was there to feast with them and offer a sacrifice. But before that celebration, there had to be consecration.

Friends, we must be holy as God is holy.^[13] More than holy, you must be perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect.^[14] Of course, we’re not perfect. So how can we have peace with God? Well, not by putting on a freshly-washed shirt, but by putting on the holy robe of righteousness, by submitting to God, believing on Jesus, and exchanging our guilt for His perfection. You see, though we were doomed by sin, Jesus came and died on the cross in our place so that we could be washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.^[15]

Have you been consecrated by the blood of Jesus? If you have, are you living a consecrated life? Not defiled by the sins and temptations around us, but set apart for God’s purposes? Samuel was.

1 Samuel 16:6-7 – ⁶ When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Certainly the LORD’s anointed one is here before him.” ⁷ But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the LORD sees, for humans see what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart.”

Pause and realize this: Samuel is known as the seer. And yet, he’s not seeing this right. He’s sure Eliab is the guy because of his physical attributes. So God took him to the school of the Spirit.

Despite all he knew, all he’d done, despite his intimate communion with God, Samuel still had things to learn! And that’s not a bad thing. That’s true for all of us. Because being a Christian means being made new, being conformed, being transformed more and more and more, continually. We don’t just get a PhD in Christianity and then stop learning.

God specifically says, “Don’t look at his appearance.” When God is choosing, He does not care about human priorities. God cares about our hearts. Not our strength, not our wealth, not our giftedness, not our influence. Just the heart. Because He can do what He wants with an obedient heart. But take away faith, take away the obedience, then strength or genius or talent or any of other human asset will fail. Jesus said, “What is highly admired by people is revolting in God’s sight.”^[16] And that’s demonstrated in Eliab’s case. Eliab wasn’t just not chosen, he was rejected, the way Saul was rejected. And we’ll get a look into Eliab’s heart in chapter 17.

As we walk by faith, we want to constantly focus on our heart health. What posture does God want my heart to be in? That’s the question. How can my heart be more consecrated, more worshipful? God works through lives after He’s worded in hearts.

1 Samuel 16:8-11 – ⁸ Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. “The LORD hasn’t chosen this one either,” Samuel said. ⁹ Then Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, “The LORD hasn’t chosen this one either.” ¹⁰ After Jesse presented seven of his sons to him, Samuel told Jesse, “The LORD hasn’t chosen any of these.” ¹¹ Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” he answered, “but right now he’s tending the sheep.” Samuel told Jesse, “Send for him. We won’t sit down to eat until he gets here.”

This is amazing. The mission God gave Samuel is really important. And yet, God just lets this moment sit. Why not just tell Samuel it’s David? Why not providentially make David show up to be anointed the way Saul had been providentially moved into place to be anointed?

The conclusion we have to come to is that God wanted Samuel to have opportunity to grow. Opportunity to experience God’s power and revelation. God taking His time so that Samuel’s faith could strengthen, could exercise, could bear fruit.

And not only him, but us, too. We need this story. Because that truth: “humans see what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart,” is one of the most important statements of Scripture.^[17]

All the sons come by, none are chosen. God just waits. Samuel doesn’t know what the answer is, but he does know God is can be trusted and that if God said there was a king among Jesse’s sons, well there must be another son. And so he walks by faith. He speaks by faith. Is there another son?

We’re told David was out tending the sheep. Already he is contrasted with Saul, who was introduced as a man who could not properly oversee his father’s donkeys and, frankly, wasn’t too worried about it. David is shown as a young man who is willing to serve. A shepherd among the flock. Someone who answers when called. Someone who does not demand his own way.

1 Samuel 16:12 – ¹² So Jesse sent for him. He had beautiful eyes and a healthy, handsome appearance. Then the LORD said, “Anoint him, for he is the one.”

How long did they have to wait? It must’ve been awkward. They’re all hanging out after Samuel went son by son saying, “Yeah, not you.” But here’s what blows my mind: What is the BIG lesson God gives Samuel? Don’t look on the outward appearance. What’s the one thing we’re told about David? His outward appearance!

He was a good-looking young man. But it didn’t matter! What mattered is what he looked like to the Lord. His heart was what God was excited about. Not the outward. At the same time, Samuel didn’t overcorrect and say, “Well God doesn’t look on the outward, so which is your UGLIEST son?” He waited to hear from the Lord. To be directed based on God’s word and the Spirit’s leading.

1 Samuel 16:13 – ¹³ So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully on David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.

The story gives the impression David was immediately anointed. What don’t we see? Consecration. In other words, Jesse’s other sons had to be consecrated, but it’s as if David already was. Yes, he was dirty from the pasture, yes he stank of sheep, but we know David wasn’t just working with the sheep, he worshiped there. Writing Psalms and praising God and meditating on His word day and night. David’s heart was consecrated and it was ready to be filled up by God the Holy Spirit.

In verse 1, God said to Samuel, “Fill your horn and go.” That oil represented the calling of God and the presence of God’s Spirit. And now David is the horn and he goes. From that day forward the Spirit came powerfully on David.

For what? Many things. To lead. To worship. To write more songs. To rally the people. To administrate. To build a nation. To slay giants. To glorify God day by day.

Meanwhile, Samuel goes home. But he’s still not done serving, not done learning, not done being led by God. Do you know what Samuel does next? Next time we see him, it seems he has established a school to train a new generation of prophets.

John Goodenough never made a royalty off his lithium-ion invention. He gave the patent away in hopes that others could benefit humanity with his discovery. Even the money he won from awards like the Nobel Prize he gave away to endow scholarships for the next learners who came after him. When he was asked about not personally benefitting from his invention he points out it’s not completely true. “I have a pacemaker,” he said. “The ticker is still working.” What he learned kept his heart healthy.

How’s your heart? Is it spiritually healthy? God has a desire to work in our hearts no matter how long we’ve walked with Him. His message to us is, in one way, very similar to Samuel’s mission. He told Samuel, “Fill your horn and go.” Now we are the vessels. We’re the horn. We’re to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to go make disciples. To walk by faith, learning from God, day after day. There is work to be done, so God continues. Let us continue to walk and work with Him.

Randy Gardner set out on such an adventure back in 1963. He wanted to win at his local science fair, so he decided to do an experiment to see what happens when you stop sleeping. Not just miss a night of sleep, but stop sleeping as long as possible. Without any drugs or stimulants other than the odd can of Coca-Cola, Randy did not sleep for 11 days and 24 minutes.^[1]

Randy’s project got the attention of some serious scientists. The US Navy Medical Neuropsychiatric Research Unit asked if they could monitor Randy, as did researchers from Sanford University.^[2]

60 years later, “Randy’s science project remains one of the most documented accounts of a human intentionally going without sleep.” Though Randy did win the Greater San Diego Science Fair, the results of the experiment were conclusive: Humans should not go without physical sleep.

After two days awake, Randy’s vision blurred. After three days, nausea set in. His senses of taste, hearing, and smell faded. By day five, he was hallucinating and still had more than half way to go. His cognition and ability to carry out tasks diminished. He was soon unable to properly repeat back tongue twisters or finish simple calculations.

When he finally went to sleep, Randy was out for 14 hours and 46 minutes.^[3] Decades later, he would struggle with serious insomnia that he believed resulted from his science project.

This text is about not falling asleep. But Jesus doesn’t mean physical sleep. He’s talking about something more important. He’s talking about being spiritually awake. Tonight we want to see how being spiritually awake applies to the life we’re called to as Christians living in the last days.

Mark 13:32 – ³² “Now concerning that day or hour no one knows—neither the angels in heaven nor the Son—but only the Father.

These are the closing verses of the Olivet Discourse. Remember, it began when four disciples said to Jesus, “Look how awesome the temple is!” Jesus responded by saying that the whole thing was going to be destroyed. The disciples asked when that was going to happen, and Jesus took the opportunity to not only speak about that coming judgment, which would take place in 70 AD, but more importantly talk about His second coming at the end of the age after the Great Tribulation.

When speaking about the destruction of Herod’s temple, Jesus said that there will be signs that signal it’s coming. Like a fig tree heralding the arrival of summer. And, sure enough, the Roman rumblings that brought Titus and his legions could be seen and heard coming.

But here Jesus says “that day or hour” no one knows. Here He’s referring not to 70 AD, but to the Day of the Lord. No one knows. Not us, not angels, not even the Son.

Of course, the headline here is where Jesus says, “Even I don’t know when it is.” That statement is packed with a lot of implications and questions, isn’t it? How could Jesus be limited in knowledge? Does that mean He isn’t omniscient? How can He be God and not know something?

This verse became a central text in the Arianism debate of the fourth century. Arians argued that Jesus was not divine, but was, in fact, created. They thought Mark 13:32 backed that heresy up.

Historically, there have been a variety of ways faithful Christians try to answer this question. One was to say that “nor the Son” is not in the original, but was added in later. But, the manuscript evidence is clear that Jesus really did say this.^[4]

Others argue Jesus was both omniscient and ignorant of the information at the same time.^[5] One commentator says, “Jesus…left part of His divine attributes in heaven when He was incarnated.”^[6]

These are somewhat problematic ideas. Yet there are times in the Gospels where Jesus demonstrates omniscience and times when His omniscience does not seem to be informing Him.

Remember when He’s talking to the disciples about Lazarus? They misunderstand what Jesus means when He says Lazarus is “sleeping,” so He says, “No, Lazarus is dead.” He knew from afar. But then, when He goes to Lazarus’ house, He has to ask, “Where have you put him?”

We have a really difficult time understanding what theologians call the “hypostatic union.” That’s the theological term for how God took on a human nature – adding it to His divine nature.

Here’s what’s important to remember: Jesus is not just God wearing skin. And Jesus is not just a superpowered human being. He is fully God and He is fully man. And Jesus will forever be the unique GodMan for all eternity.

While on earth, Jesus did not leave parts of His divinity in heaven. But He did give up the independent use of His divine power. He was totally submitted to the leading and directing of God the Father moment by moment. And in this moment, before Jesus’ ascension and glorification, He did not exercise His omniscience and therefore did not know the day. He certainly does know, now.

That’s a sidetrack off the main point of these closing verses, but I think it’s important for us to talk through some of that doctrine because it’s significant. Historically, the divinity of Jesus is one of the most contentious battlegrounds between orthodoxy and heresy. The Arians said He wasn’t God. The Gnostics said He wasn’t a man. Cults today still attack Jesus’ divinity and nature.

But Jesus’ point in verse 32 is not the fact that He didn’t know the day. His main point was that we do not know either. So what does that mean? That means we should not be setting dates for the end of the world or the rapture or the second coming. Rather, as William Lane writes, the whole point of Jesus’ conclusion is that vigilance, not calculation is required.^[7]

Mark 13:33 – ³³ “Watch! Be alert! For you don’t know when the time is coming.

Once more, Jesus gives the command to watch. The term doesn’t just mean look at things, it refers to being on guard.^[8] It is a position and activity and responsibility given to us. We’re sentinels, not sightseers.

A couple of weeks ago we were honored to host the retirement of a navy chief. My favorite part of those ceremonies is when they recite this poem called The Watch. It begins:

For twenty years this sailor has stood the watch

While some of us were in our bunks at night this sailor stood the watch

While some of us were in school learning our trade this shipmate stood the watch

Yes even before some of us were born into this world this shipmate stood the watch

That’s the kind of watchfulness Jesus has in mind. Not just observing, but operating. A faith alive with growth and activity on behalf of the Master Who has called us and the people around us we’re positioned to serve. That we live not as passive observers but participants in a great work.

Now, we are not focused on the second coming at the end of the Tribulation. For us the day to look toward is the Rapture. And nothing needs to happen before that event. It could be tonight. It could be years from now. What we do know is that it is coming. We should be appropriately alert.

Verse 33 reminds us of a simple truth that I find easy to forget: Disciples should be disciplined. Disciplined in our faith. Why? Because we have the watch. And next Jesus gives a closing parable to explain how He wants us to carry out that calling.

Mark 13:34 – ³⁴ “It is like a man on a journey, who left his house, gave authority to his servants, gave each one his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to be alert.

There are multiple parables that describe us as members of a great household, whose Master is away, and we have been commissioned to be about His business until He returns. Here, Jesus points out that every disciple has been given authority, activity, and the attitude to maintain.

You have the authority of God in heaven. You are authorized to be Jesus’ hands and feet. To preach the Gospel, to make disciples, to bear the fruit of the Spirit, to shine light in the dark, to do greater works in the power of God. In this era, the doorkeeper held the master’s keys.^[9] Do you remember what Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 16? “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.”^[10]

God has a great deal of confidence in you. Because He’s going to empower you and work through you. But He wants you to walk in His power and authority, not by your own strength or according to your own will, to submitted to His. But when we do, He invests all sorts of authority in us.

And then we see that the Master has given each one his work. Activity. God has assigned you some specific calling, some specific opportunity, specific people He brings into your life so that you can accomplish particular work in their midst. There are things God has prepared for me beforehand to discover and do that you can’t do. And things He has prepared for you that I can’t do. Because He scatters us into different places with different gifts and different levels of influence and access so that many activities can be accomplished.

What work has the Master assigned to you? It’s something! The question is whether we’ve clocked in, redeeming the time that we have in this life. Are we on call?

And then we have the attitude: Be alert. The term means “stay awake.”^[11] Not physically going without sleep, but staying spiritually awake. Not falling asleep on the job. Not being drowsy to the realities of culture around us. Not being spiritually asleep when the call comes in.

When Christians “fall asleep” spiritually, that means we stop serving God. We stop living distinct, holy lives. It’s not time for that. Romans 13 says the time has come for us to wake from sleep. To cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. To go into the harvest.

Mark 13:35 – ³⁵ Therefore be alert, since you don’t know when the master of the house is coming—whether in the evening or at midnight or at the crowing of the rooster or early in the morning.

When Randy Gardner stayed awake those 11 days, paranoia set in. He started thinking a radio host was trying to make a fool of him. The brain needs sleep.

God doesn’t want us to live paranoid Christian lives. It’s not that we should be terrified of not being alert enough. But He doesn’t want us to miss out on opportunities, on rewards, on future usefulness. These parables about being alert to the Lord’s coming always have this element. The virgins who did not keep their lamps ready. The servants who wasted the Master’s resources. It’s not that there’s never a time for rest, it’s that even in rest we keep ourselves ready for that moment when we might stand before our Master, or when we might get an opportunity to serve His household. Where we might get to carry out a task or bring someone through the door.

Mark 13:36 – ³⁶ Otherwise, when he comes suddenly he might find you sleeping.

We’ll see a version of this literally play out in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus, the Master, asks His disciples to dedicate themselves to prayer. Instead they sleep. And then they sleep again. And each time they’re found the Lord says, “Hey, I’m asking you to do this spiritual work right now.”

We don’t want that to happen to us in life. Where we miss some aspect of our calling because we’re too spiritually undisciplined or drowsy – too weighed down by the temporal to be active in eternal work.

Mark 13:37 – ³⁷ And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be alert!”

What began as a private talk with Peter, James, John, and Andrew is suddenly expanded to not only the rest of the 12, not only Mark’s original Roman readers, but to all of us. Jesus says this to everyone: Be alert. That has been the consistent command throughout this discourse. It contains a lot of important eschatology information, but really Jesus sees this as a chance to direct us.

What started as a question about when some things in Jerusalem were going to happen ends with an urgent instruction about the things that should be happening in our lives, no matter where or when we live.

Clearly in Jesus’ mind, these commands are urgent and essential. But God does not want us to live in frantic, agitated, paranoid exhaustion. We shouldn’t leave the Olivet Discourse thinking, “Well I guess I can never rest. I’m always on duty. I can never sleep.”

No, Jesus made it so clear that He wants us to serve Him from a position of rest. He said, “Are you weary? Come to Me and I’ll give you rest.” And the term He uses means to be refreshed from tiredness.^[12] But, spiritually speaking, it’s a wakeful rest. We are on call. We have the watch.

You can be about the Master’s business at any moment because He has given you His authority and specific activity and the proper attitude. He has provided the resources you need. He surrounds you with fellow servants who can support you in your work.

But here is the final point: Today is the day to be a Christian. To have an operative faith. Awake, alert. Acting in the rest and authority Christ has given to us. Because our days are few. The day is coming. “Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes.”^[13]

The original design demanded support columns, but Lee’s new plan needed escalators. So, he removed some support columns on every floor to maximize retail floor space. Then he added a fifth floor. The original builders protested and so were replaced. The support columns on that story didn’t line up with those underneath. Of course, the changes would require much larger air conditioning units on the roof. The roof was only one fourth the required strength.

More corners were cut, rules bent, bribes tendered,^[3] and the massive Sampoong Department Store opened without any review process. Things were fine for a few years. But on June 29, 1995 it all came crashing down.^[4] The building flaws, particularly those at the top, led to the collapse. In 20 seconds it was all rubble. More than 500 dead and 900 injured because those in charge would not adhere to the original design and “showed blatant disregard for structural precautions.”

In our text, Saul’s reign comes crashing down. The key contributor to this disaster was he would not follow the Architect’s design. He would not listen to God’s word and then do it. The consequences did not only hurt him, but his family, his nation, and people generations removed from him.

The question we must ask ourselves as we look at this text is: Will we hear God’s word and do it? If not, we’re also headed for disaster. And we can’t expect to please God if our faith is not obedient.

1 Samuel 15:1-3 – ¹ Samuel told Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now, listen to the words of the LORD. ² This is what the LORD of Armies says: ‘I witnessed what the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they opposed them along the way as they were coming out of Egypt. ³ Now go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have. Do not spare them. Kill men and women, infants and nursing babies, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’ ”

God could not be any clearer. Samuel says, “The LORD sent me, listen to the words of the LORD, this is what the LORD of Armies says!” And then he gives very specific instructions.

God’s word is specific. There are situations in life that don’t have a one-to-one example in the Bible. The Bible doesn’t have a chapter where someone is being cyberbullied on social media. But the path of righteousness, the Christian way of life is detailed and described and clarified for us. From how we should think to how we should speak to what we should do and how we should do it.

We need to accept the fact that God’s directives are not suggestions, they are statutes. They are commands. Commands for our good – they lead to abundant life – but they are binding upon us.

But now, let’s consider the content of this mission. The modern mindset does not like hearing God say things like this or doing things like this. In fact, this kind of total war is one of the things that unbelievers often throw up as unacceptable – disqualifying not only the Bible, but God Himself.

So what are we to make of this treatment of the Amalekites? First we need to know who the Amalekites were. They weren’t Canaanites. They lived in the desert south of Israel.^[5]

They were the first people to attack the Israelites after the exodus. They tried hard to keep them from entering the Land. If you remember that dramatic battle where Moses held up his arms and as long as his arms were up, God’s people won the fight, that was against the Amalekites. They had snuck up behind Israel and attacked those falling behind when they were weak and weary.^[6]

Later, they went out of their way to join the Canaanites in attacking Israel. Then they joined the Moabites. Then the Midianites. They would travel hundreds of miles for a chance to kill Israelites.^[7] Philips Stern writes the Amalekites were, “a uniquely dangerous and perpetual challenger to the divine order of YHWH…in the Bible.”^[8]

After hundreds of years of mercy, judgment had come. They would reap what they sowed. Now, on the individual level, God is always merciful. God will spare Rahab. He will accept Ruth and Uriah and anyone who is willing to come to Him in faith, no matter what they’ve done. But on the corporate level, God’s mercy can time out. He is patient, but when people won’t repent, eventually the Flood comes. Eventually Sodom is destroyed. Even among His own people. God gave Israel generations of opportunity, but finally sent them to exile. In the New Testament, He sends warnings to the churches, saying, “If you don’t start obeying Me, I’m going to remove your lampstand.”

When whole communities repent, God spares them. Look at Nineveh. But God deals with nations and He uses other nations to bring down the hammer of divine justice on them. The Amalekites would not fear God. And so, the time of mercy had finally expired. And notice how God presents Himself as “The LORD of armies.” It’s His war, not Saul’s.^[9] The time for the nuclear option had come.

1 Samuel 15:4-9 – ⁴ Then Saul summoned the troops and counted them at Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah. ⁵ Saul came to the city of Amalek and set up an ambush in the wadi. ⁶ He warned the Kenites, “Since you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came out of Egypt, go on and leave! Get away from the Amalekites, or I’ll sweep you away with them.” So the Kenites withdrew from the Amalekites. ⁷ Then Saul struck down the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is next to Egypt. ⁸ He captured King Agag of Amalek alive, but he completely destroyed all the rest of the people with the sword. ⁹ Saul and the troops spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and choice animals, as well as the young rams and the best of everything else. They were not willing to destroy them, but they did destroy all the worthless and unwanted things.

The Kenites lived in the same area. During those wilderness years, they had shown hesed to Israel. Where the Amalekites had been longtime enemies, the Kenites had been longtime friends.^[10] They also reaped what they sowed. But they sowed mercy. Compassion. Hesed faithfulness.

Saul and the troops fall short of their assignment here. And we’re told the motivation: They wanted to keep the valuable stuff. The worthless stuff, well God can have that! Don’t offer God worthless offerings. Don’t give to God that which costs you nothing and then deceive yourself into thinking you’ve done something spiritual. That’s what was happening here.

1 Samuel 15:10-11 – ¹⁰ Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, ¹¹ “I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned away from following me and has not carried out my instructions.” So Samuel became angry and cried out to the LORD all night.

God’s not saying He should’ve made a different decision. He doesn’t make mistakes. But God does have emotions. That’s why you have emotions. The Lord is saying that He suffered emotional pain because Saul would not fulfill God’s word.^[11] It’s grief. Grief at human rebellion.

When we sin, we break God’s heart. Not only because He deserves to be obeyed, but because He only wants what is best for us. And God knew what this rebellion would lead to: Years of struggle, upheaval, civil war, bitterness, and bloodshed. He didn’t want any of that for His people.

1 Samuel 15:12-13 – ¹² Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but it was reported to Samuel, “Saul went to Carmel where he set up a monument for himself. Then he turned around and went down to Gilgal.” ¹³ When Samuel came to him, Saul said, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”

Samuel has a hard mission of his own. He has to go confront the king of Israel who is in sin. Confrontation is no fun, but it is part of our calling. When we see a brother or sister caught up in sin, we’re commanded to confront them and try to restore them back into obedience and faith in a spirit of gentleness. It does not help them or the Church for us to just turn a blind eye and hope it all works out. It’s not easy, but it is something we’re enabled to do and empowered to do.

Saul, for his part, feels great! He speaks as if he’s got spiritual authority. But did you notice how self-centered he is? He set up a monument for himself. He said, “I have carried out the mission.”

Let’s ask ourselves this question: Are we carrying out the Lord’s instructions? God has instructed you. In your relationships. In your choices. For your future. Are you carrying those things out?

Perhaps you think, “I don’t know what those instructions are.” Ok. You discover them in God’s word and by submitting yourself to the leading of the Holy Spirit. If you feel ignorant of God’s word, work to grow in your knowledge and understanding.

But for those things we do know, are we carrying them out? Not selectively, like Saul was, but faithfully. Then the fruit of our life won’t be pride or greed or selfishness, but the fruit of the Spirit.

1 Samuel 15:14 – ¹⁴ Samuel replied, “Then what is this sound of sheep, goats, and cattle I hear?”

The morning that the Sampoong Department Store collapsed, workers reported that they heard creaking noises in the building. Audible signs of danger. They were told not to talk about it.

Saul’s speech about his obedience is drowned out by farm noise. You’ve heard of the sound of silence? This was the sound of defiance. Yet, even though it was obvious Saul had not fully obeyed, the Lord is still patient. It reminds us of Eden, where God comes, knowing exactly what happened, and says, “Where are you? Who told you you were naked? What have you done?”

The God of the Bible is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. He comes in kindness, because His kindness is intended to lead us to repentance.^[12]

1 Samuel 15:15 – ¹⁵ Saul answered, “The troops brought them from the Amalekites and spared the best sheep, goats, and cattle in order to offer a sacrifice to the LORD your God, but the rest we destroyed.”

Just like Adam and Eve, Saul immediately shifts the blame. Hebrew scholars note he was purposefully vague. “They have brought them…”^[13] But then when talking about the good part, he throws himself in. “The rest we destroyed.”

But again, look at the details. Notice the character of Saul’s faith. “The Lord your God.” There’s distance rather than personal communion between Saul and the Lord. And if he really believed these animals were going to be used in a sacrifice, you know he would’ve included himself in it.

1 Samuel 15:16-19 – ¹⁶ “Stop!” exclaimed Samuel. “Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” “Tell me,” he replied. ¹⁷ Samuel continued, “Although you once considered yourself unimportant, haven’t you become the leader of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel ¹⁸ and then sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go and completely destroy the sinful Amalekites. Fight against them until you have annihilated them.’ ¹⁹ So why didn’t you obey the LORD? Why did you rush on the plunder and do what was evil in the LORD’s sight?”

Joon Lee and his executives knew they were cutting corners. But greed drove them to make hasty decisions that fed that temptation, while putting 40,000 shoppers in danger every single day.^[14]

In verse 19, the heart is uncovered. This was all about plunder. They chose selfish desire over obedience. And then they tried to rationalize it and call it spiritual. But it was materialistic.

Samuel reminds Saul that he had been called to a high purpose. A high calling. So have you! You have been called to walk the road of righteousness. To be an active member of the Body of Christ. Paul said in 1 Corinthians, “Brothers and sisters, consider your calling.”^[15] It is a heavenly calling.^[16] And we are urged and commanded to walk worthy of this calling.^[17] It’s no small thing.

1 Samuel 15:20-21 – ²⁰ “But I did obey the LORD!” Saul answered. “I went on the mission the LORD gave me: I brought back King Agag of Amalek, and I completely destroyed the Amalekites. ²¹ The troops took sheep, goats, and cattle from the plunder—the best of what was set apart for destruction—to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal.”

Saul’s hard-heartedness shows here. “I DID destroy the Amalekties. Also here’s their king.” And again he props himself up while denouncing his own troops. But if they were going to do some great sacrifice, why haven’t they done it? Promises, promises. But often we make promises to the Lord and then put off obeying them, right?

In the Christian life the end does not justify the means. You can’t please God by disobeying Him. Your end goal may seem good, but if it’s done in human effort, with man’s wisdom, God doesn’t want it. So, as Christians, we should never use worldly methods to try to accomplish spiritual goals.

1 Samuel 15:22-23 – ²² Then Samuel said: Does the LORD take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. ²³ For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.

Samuel announces that Saul has been rejected. That might make us think, “Wait, I thought he was already rejected back in chapter 13?” In chapter 13, when Saul had earlier failed to obey the word of the Lord, his dynasty was rejected. Now, he was personally rejected.

Samuel’s poem drives home the spiritual point that how we do things is just as important as what we do. We must live life according to the word of the Lord. That is what God asks of us.

1 Samuel 15:24-25 – ²⁴ Saul answered Samuel, “I have sinned. I have transgressed the LORD’s command and your words. Because I was afraid of the people, I obeyed them. ²⁵ Now therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the LORD.”

So Saul changes his story a bit here. He confesses, but still excuses himself. After all, he was afraid of the people. And yet, a believer knows they must obey God rather than men.

Saul says, “Make this go away and let me worship.” He always talks a big game about how he’s going to worship, he’s going to have this great spiritual life with the Lord. But it never materializes.

1 Samuel 15:26-29 – ²⁶ Samuel replied to Saul, “I will not return with you. Because you rejected the word of the LORD, the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.” ²⁷ When Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the corner of his robe, and it tore. ²⁸ Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingship of Israel away from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you. ²⁹ Furthermore, the Eternal One of Israel does not lie or change his mind, for he is not man who changes his mind.”

Saul tries to physically grasp what must be spiritually received. But that’s the problem. He should’ve torn his own clothes in repentance. Instead he tries to force Samuel to undo this divine decision.

Joon Lee was judged for cutting corners on his building. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. His family ultimately gave away all their wealth to the victims – hundreds of millions of dollars.

1 Samuel 15:30-31 – ³⁰ Saul said, “I have sinned. Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me so I can bow in worship to the LORD your God.” ³¹ Then Samuel went back, following Saul, and Saul bowed down to the LORD.

Saul tries to save face. “Honor me before the elders.” He wants Samuel to give him “glory.”^[18] But God honors those who honor Him.^[19] We can’t disobey the Lord and expect Him to smile on us.

1 Samuel 15:32-33 – ³² Samuel said, “Bring me King Agag of Amalek.” Agag came to him trembling, for he thought, “Certainly the bitterness of death has come.” ³³ Samuel declared:  As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women.  Then he hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

Samuel’s words reveal what sort of society the Amalekites had. They were still guilty of terrible, terrible sin before God. So Samuel does what the king should have. Saul is officially bypassed. He may have a human title, but in God’s mind, it’s over. And as Samuel obeys God’s command here, he makes sure it’s fully carried out. No half measures. No selective interpretation. Full obedience.

1 Samuel 15:34-35 – ³⁴ Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. ³⁵ Even to the day of his death, Samuel never saw Saul again. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted he had made Saul king over Israel.

These were hard scenes. But note the heart of the truly spiritual characters. Samuel is in mourning. The Lord is heartbroken. They’re not excited that this has happened to Saul, but God cannot just sweep rebellion under the run.

But there’s no word of Saul mourning.^[20] Sadly, he will continue down the path of selfishness and disobedience, leading to his own ruin, the ruin of his family, and the defeat of his nation.

Partial obedience is full rebellion. When we resist God, when we go our own way, spiritual disaster is the destination for ourselves and those around us. So, how do we avoid a life of partial obedience? How can we keep our way pure? How do we keep from wandering from the Lord? By keeping the word of God. It washes us. It directs us. It informs us. It trains us.

The Bible is what we need for life. For Godliness. And here is the key: Not just hearing it, but doing it. Saul heard, but did not do, and so he deceived himself. We must come to God’s word, not making ourselves the authority over it, but recognizing this is the revealed truth from the Almighty Master of the Universe. Given so we might have life more abundantly. A life that pleases God. But for that, we must pay attention, hear, and obey. Obey faithfully, fully, even when it’s not easy. Even when we’re tempted to something else.

Are we carrying out the word of the Lord? Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”^[21]

Charles “ushered in a new period of high esteem for the crown,”^[4] and became known as Charles the Beloved by his subjects.

On paper, this king was doing well. But in person things were different. He was going insane. Charles suffered from fits of psychosis and paranoia. At times he would run wild through the corridors of his home and, to keep him from escaping, the entrances had to be walled up.

Once, while traveling through a forest with a company of troops, a page boy dropped a lance, causing a loud crash. Charles burst into a psychotic frenzy, killing five of his own knights before being subdued by the others.^[5]

He was “Charles the Beloved” at first, but history knows him by a different name: The Glass King.^[6] You see, Charles suffered from a specific affliction: He believed his entire body was made of glass. He thought if anyone bumped him, he would shatter. No one was allowed to come near him. He had iron rods installed in his clothing for protection.

Year after year, his madness deepened. One source wrote, “beneath the polished veneer of…pageantry, a slow-motion catastrophe was unfolding.”^[7]

On first look, our text this morning seems both straightforward and positive. It’s a summary of Saul’s reign. Saul, like Charles VI, was king for 42 years. And those years saw many military victories.

On paper, the summary is impressive. But as we look deeper, as we probe beneath the surface, we find Saul’s victories were temporary and hollow. And it’s not just because we’re pessimistic on Saul. Our author does this interesting thing with Saul’s story – he goes back and forth between showing him in a positive light, then showing him in a negative light. And while there are positives in this text, we know that Saul’s story is a spiral downward into personal tragedy, spiritual tragedy, national tragedy. We will watch as Saul slides into madness and violence toward the innocent. We will see a king who started with some promise, but ends his reign not just failing to obey God, but actively resisting God. Actively working against what God has said. Actively fighting to destroy what God desires. And so his

That’s why, though tall and handsome, though he tallied military success, Saul is remembered not in victory, but in defeat. His is a cautionary tale. An example of what we should avoid in life.

1 Samuel 14:47 – ⁴⁷ When Saul assumed the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies in every direction: against Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he caused havoc.

“Assumed the kingship” here may also mean “seized territory beyond Israel.”^[8] After those initial years of occupation, things are much better, politically speaking for God’s people.

These names listed in this verse represent enemies to the north, the south, the east, and the west.^[9] One scholar writes, “The implication is that [Saul] carried out punishing expeditions against Israel’s enemies…without actually conquering them.”^[10] So there was success, but not lasting peace.

1 Samuel 14:48 – ⁴⁸ He fought bravely, defeated the Amalekites, and rescued Israel from those who plundered them.

Yet another enemy is tacked on here – the Amalekites. Now, if you’re able to be with us next time, remember this verse. The Amalekites, who had a long history with Israel, are defeated. They are right where God wants them after centuries of refusing to repent. But despite Saul’s victory over them on paper, they would prove to be final nail in the coffin of his reign.

And that’s what’s surprising about these verses. They read like the end of life summary passages that we see again and again in 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, when wrapping up a monarch’s story. But Saul is going to be with us for 17 more chapters! So why is the Bible speaking about him as if he’s done?

It’s because as far as the Lord is concerned, Saul’s kingship is over. After another great spiritual failure in chapter 15, Samuel will be sent to anoint a new king. And though Saul will be with us for many more texts and lots of time, he is no longer the focal point of God’s work. David is. And Saul will become an antagonist to the man the Lord is raising up to rule.

So verses 47 and 48 are like a closing summary. On paper, it looks pretty good. Lots of victory. Territorial expansion. But as one commentator writes, “Saul’s summary is more notable for what it does not say than for what it does say.”^[11] There is no mention of Yahweh. And what he does accomplish will not last. And as the book closes we will see that Saul was not able to conquer any of these enemies. That was left to David to do. Which 2 Samuel 8 tells us he was able to do by Yahweh’s power and ability.

Now here’s a spiritual principle we can draw out from these verses: Saul had significant success. He was brave. He did win some battles. But behind the scenes, the man was in shambles. His family relationships were a mess. His spiritual life was crumbling.

We should not assume that material success means we’re right with God. Don’t slip into a theology that tricks you into thinking, “the fact that I’m doing well financially or professionally means I’m a really good Christian.”

Maybe God is pouring out His favor on you, but our physical circumstances are not the measure of our spiritual fruitfulness. Saul looked like he was king of the hill for awhile. But if you know the rest of the story, you know that the Amalekites, though defeated physically, would ultimately come out victorious over Saul. And though for a time he won battles against the Philistines, we know in the ned they are the ones who kill him and his sons, including the man who might have been the greatest Old Testament king of all, Jonathan.

So, if things are going well, praise the Lord for it. Ask the Lord how you can use your life for His glory. And if circumstances are going badly in your life, don’t automatically assume it’s because you’re not Christian enough. Paul’s circumstances were often very bad as he was serving the Lord and doing exactly what God wanted him to do.

This is one reason why we need to personally cultivate a relationship with God the Holy Spirit. He’s the One Who guides us into all truth. He leads us and intercedes for us and helps us in our weakness and reminds us of Jesus’ teachings. He fills us up with hope and gives us gifts and helps us comprehend the thoughts of God and the depths of God.

So, am I living in a way that pleases God? Am I on the path He wants me on? Those questions are no longer answered by casting lots or by whether the crops come in or are destroyed, but through the Word and the Spirit.

1 Samuel 14:49 – ⁴⁹ Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua. The names of his two daughters were Merab, his firstborn, and Michal, the younger.

Saul had more than three sons. Three will die with him in the closing chapter of this book. Another named Ish-bosheth but briefly take Saul’s place as a figurehead king. But again, scholars note that a listing of family like this is usually what indicates the end of a character’s story.^[12]

Jonathan and Michal are going to be key figures in the David story. Both loved David. Jonathan as a friend and loyal subject, Michal would become his wife. Saul will try to use both of them to kill David, which is a special kind of tragedy.

1 Samuel 14:50-51 –  ⁵⁰ The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of his army was Abner son of Saul’s uncle Ner. ⁵¹ Saul’s father was Kish. Abner’s father was Ner son of Abiel.

Pretty straightforward. But here’s what I find interesting: Saul, apparently, only had one cabinet position.^[13] Abner commanded his army. Beyond that, there really wasn’t much going on. Saul did not seem to do any building within the nation. Lots of fighting, lots of brawling, but we’re not told of any building, any growth, any development.

You know we think of Solomon building the Temple and other palaces and buildings. Hezekiah constructed waterways. David – David was an amazing administrator. 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles tell us that he not only had an army commander, he had a court historian, court secretary, chief officials, he appointed stone cutters for preparing to build the temple. He organized the heads of the Israelite families to serve for one month of the year, each one over 24,000 men.^[14]

He set apart musicians to play music and worship and prophesy. He created a new and complex administration for the divisions of the priests and Levites. 6,000 set apart as officers and judges, 4,000 as gatekeepers, 4,000 as full time musicians, 24,000 to work in the future temple.^[15]

And now we contrast that with Saul. Saul could swing a sword – we’ll see he’s not too good with a spear – but as far as we know he never wrote a psalm. He never builds anything other than a monument to himself instead of carrying out God’s commands. After 42 years, really it all came down to this:

1 Samuel 14:52 – ⁵² The conflict with the Philistines was fierce all of Saul’s days, so whenever Saul noticed any strong or valiant man, he enlisted him.

Fierce fighting all his days. On a spiritual level, that was not a good sign. What God wanted was to give His people rest all around. When Joshua was old, we’re told God had given rest from all the enemies around them.^[16] In the book of Judges, there were these periods where they had rest from enemies all around.^[17] Once David was king and settled in his palace we read, “the LORD had given him rest on every side from all his enemies.”^[18] The Lord will tell David about the son who would be king after him and God says, “But a son will be born to you; he will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies.”^[19]

This is what God wanted to do. It had been the promise He made back in Deuteronomy, when Moses was leading the people.

Deuteronomy 25:19 – ¹⁹ When the LORD your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven. Do not forget.

Do you know what’s going to happen in the very next chapter? Saul will have a chance to obey this command, but he won’t do it. And so, he knows no rest all the days of his kingship.

And because of that, he had to rule in his own strength. Of course, his ow strength wasn’t enough. So whenever he saw a strong man, he took him. You know, the same verb for enlisted will be used when David takes Bathsheba into his house after having Uriah killed.^[20]

It didn’t matter if that valiant man had other responsibilities, other dreams, other opportunities. No, he was drafted by the king who had to keep his army as strong as he could.

In contrast to when God is your King. When God is the King, He doesn’t need strong warriors, He is the Mighty Warrior.^[21] His goal is not to keep His people in perpetual combat, but to give them rest.

Saul’s reign was made of glass. On paper, we might be impressed with his resume. But the reality is not one we’d want for ourselves. Instead of rest, Saul found himself in a state of continuous combat.^[22] Not only with the Philistines, but with his family, with his countrymen, with the priests, with his God. He tries to kill his own son.

One of the great lessons of Saul’s story is that there’s more to life than material success. More to life than prominence or title or position. More than just expanding our territory. Do we have a growing, personal relationship with the living God? Because if we don’t, no matter what we try to build it will get torn down in the end. It won’t last.

And as believers, Saul’s example gives us a good question to ask as we think about our lives. Are we building or are we always just brawling? Fighting against God’s leading, against His commands? Do we find ourselves constantly in conflict with our brothers and sisters around us? Or can we say, “Yes, sometimes there is a struggle against principalities and powers, but as we do that spiritual warfare there is also building, growth, the bearing of fruit?”

Jesus offers us rest. Not necessarily ease, but rest. We’re encouraged and commanded to make every effort to enter into the rest God wants for us. A rest that flows from obeying God, honoring God, hearing God, and following Him. So that when the final summary of our lives is given, it’s not that we had some earthly success that died with us, but that we were found to be faithful servants of the One True King.

A major thrust fault runs through the mountain. Over the centuries, large surface cracks along the summit allowed water to pour deep into the Turtle to freeze, then thaw, ever-weakening the structure. This mountain was going to have a major rockslide. It was geologically inevitable.

That didn’t stop the town of Frank from forming at the base of Turtle Mountain. The settlers didn’t help matters. They mined deep into the mountain, further weakening its integrity. And so, by April of 1903 Turtle Mountain was “essentially standing up out of habit.”^[3]

The people of Frank built quite a little community for themselves. They built a resort around the sulfur-rich hot springs at the base of the mountain. They had two dry goods stores, two clothing stores, two doctors, two police officers, saloons, a theater, a schoolhouse, and some churches. They even boasted an insurance agent to cover their concerns. If only they had a geologist.

As the town grew, the mountain groaned. In the mines, the signs were clear. Coal was coming loose without any effort. Sixteen inch timbers used for stability were found twisted and splintered within a day of installation.

There was an old saying back then, “when timbers start talking, miners start walking.” Some miners saw the signs of what was coming and quit, preferring their lives to their profit.

The imminent disaster came with a speed and intensity that is hard to imagine. At 4:10am on April 29, 120 million tons of rock broke from the peak of Turtle mountain and slid into the valley below at 75 miles per hour. The wave of air pressure alone nearly tipped a steam engine off its tracks. Soil in the path of the slide liquefied. The sound could be heard 110 miles away in Calgary. In 90 seconds it was all over. 90 were killed in what became North America’s worst rockslide in history.^[4]

It was a terrible tragedy, but any geologist could see that rockslide was absolutely inevitable. Even without the mines, the peak was eventually going to come down. It was only a matter of when.

We’re studying the Olivet Discourse. It’s an important teaching from Jesus about the end of the last days, which we commonly call the Great Tribulation and Christ’s second coming at the end of those seven years.

Jesus’ emphasis in these verses is that His return is absolutely inevitable. In fact, it is the most stable and unshakable and bankable truth in the universe. Firmer than any mountain. More secure than our whole earth or the cosmos beyond. Because Christ’s words can never pass away. So let’s take a look at this mountain of a promise.

Mark 13:24-25 – ²⁴ “But in those days, after that tribulation: The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light; ²⁵ the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

The Great Tribulation ends with the greatest event of human history: The return of Jesus Christ. This is an obvious reason why we don’t believe that the destruction of the temple in 70AD fulfills the Olivet Discourse. Jesus did not return.

There are groups that say Christ already returned. The Jehovah’s Witnesses say it wasn’t a literal coming, but an invisible “presence” that occurred in 1914.^[5]

Maybe you’ve heard the term preterism or partial preterism or full preterism. It comes from the Latin word for “past.”. Full preterists say that Jesus already returned.

These verses make it very clear that there is no way a person could miss or misunderstand when Jesus really comes. All the universe will dim, like the house lights going low before the curtain rises.

And that’s an important perspective for us to have: The Great Tribulation, which culminates in the battle of Armageddon, is not the end of things. Jesus Christ is the Omega. He is the culmination.

The sun and moon are singled out in verse 24. Do you remember how the sun and moon are introduced in Genesis? We’re told God created the sun to rule the day and the moon to rule the night.^[6] But no longer. Once He returns, the Lord Jesus rules not just over the nations of the earth. He rules over all the universe. And in heaven, He will be our light. There won’t be a sun or moon, no night there, because the Lord’s glory will light up every place.

The stars falling from the sky could refer to celestial bodies being thrown off their normal course.^[7] Jesus’ words connect to Isaiah’s prophecies of this day, which says that the stars will dissolve and wither.^[8] All of creation will be breaking apart, held together only by God’s power and will.

Mark 13:26 – ²⁶ Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

Everyone will see. You can’t miss it. But notice: With all that’s happening – the sun being wrecked, the cosmos dissolving, whatever other things will be happening with gravitational disruption – what will get people’s attention? Not the sun but the Son of God. All eyes will be drawn to Him.

There are many who say that Jesus never claimed to be God. It’s absolutely untrue. He definitely did. Read John 5. Read John 10. What Jesus says here is also a clear claim of divinity. This imagery of a powerful figure coming on the clouds was reserved for God in Jewish literature.^[9] This is an unmistakable claim that the Son of Man is God and Jesus has used that title for Himself many times.

Mark 13:27 – ²⁷ He will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

This isn’t suggesting that the Church will be left to endure the Great Tribulation. The Church will be removed before it begins in the event known as the rapture.

Scholars debate whether elect here refers to the Jews still alive or the people who became Christians during the Great Tribulation. The truth is, when Jesus returns, all Israel will be saved!^[10] Meaning the Jews that survive believe and become Christians. As Christ returns with His Church, He supernaturally gathers all mortal believers to Himself, no matter where they are on earth.

Here’s why these words are so precious: Not only does God rescue those who have been suffering so greatly for being believers, but He specifically talks about those who have been scattered away by the four winds. It’s not just poetic. It reminds us of the many times God told Israel that if they didn’t repent of their idolatry and wickedness, He would be forced to “scatter them to the four winds.” Jeremiah 18. Ezekiel 5. Ezekiel 17. And now, after those long centuries of scattering, the Lord brings them back by His power and mercy and grace. What a faithful God He is.

Mark 13:28-29 – ²⁸ “Learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ In the same way, when you see these things happening, recognize that he is near—at the door.

Photos from before the Turtle Mountain disaster still exist. They show what are called “pistol butt” trees along the mountain’s eastern face. They were living signs of previous rockslides. The settlers could’ve looked to those trees and seen what was going to happen. But they ignored the signs.

And then the spring came. All that ice that was frozen in the joints of the limestone started to melt, like it did every year. Only this was the year, this was the spring when the disaster would happen.

Jesus shares a little parable here. In Israel, most of the trees were evergreen. The fig was an exception. In the fall, the fig trees lost their leaves. When those trees started to become leafy again, summer was just around the corner.^[11]

There was nothing you could do to stop or delay the arrival of summer. That’s what Jesus is saying. All these prophecies may seem surreal, even fantastic, but they are true and they are coming. It cannot be stopped. The Great Tribulation can be personally avoided if you will be born again before the rapture, but the events cannot be stopped. They’re coming like summer comes.

The fig tree was also commonly used in Jewish literature to symbolize the joys of the Messianic age.^[12] Now, it’s been quite a few weeks, but what else with a fig tree recently happened in Mark?

Just a day or two before this speech, Jesus came to a fig tree, found no fruit on it, cursed it, and it withered. That tree was a symbol of the nation of Israel, which rejected their Messiah.

For two thousand years, that fig tree was leafless. Fruitless. And yet, Isaiah prophesied:

Isaiah 27:6 – ⁶ In days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will blossom and bloom and fill the whole world with fruit.

Ultimately, that looks forward to the Kingdom. But doesn’t it make our pulse quicken to realize that after nearly two millennia, Israel became a nation again. Today, Israel exports nearly $1 billion worth of fruit and nuts every year.^[13] That is not the final fulfillment of Isaiah 27. But it does cause us to think about that withered tree.

Jesus speaks to those in the Tribulation and He uses this image of being near, at the door, about to arrive. About to show up and come in. When He comes, He comes in wrath to destroy His enemies. To reap the earth in judgment. Did you know that He is still near and at the door, today?

Revelation 3:20 – ²⁰ See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

He knocks, hoping you’ll invite Him in to have a relationship with Him. To receive Him as Savior and Lord and King of your heart. In a sense, if you refuse to let Him in now, He will one day return with a warrant, not for your arrest, but for your eternal destruction.

Maybe you’re not a Christian. Maybe you don’t think any of this is going to happen. The citizens of Frank, Alberta didn’t think it was going to happen either. They lived their lives in spite of the signs and the messages. Most were asleep when it happened.

In this discourse, the Lord Jesus has been saying over and over again, “Wake up. Be alert. It’s coming.” And it is coming, whether you believe it or not. If you find yourself thinking you still have time to figure it all out, I understand. But I would plead with you the way Paul did to the Corinthians: “See, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation!”^[14]

Mark 13:30-31 – ³⁰ “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place. ³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

What does Jesus mean by this generation? That terminology causes some people to think He must’ve been talking about 70AD after all. The truth is, in the Bible, “this generation” can refer to someone’s contemporaries in their time, to all those living at a certain time, or even to a group descended from a common ancestor.^[15]

Jesus spoke these words around 30AD. That contemporary generation would see a partial, near fulfillment of some of these prophecies. The Jewish generation alive during the Great Tribulation will see the full and final fulfillment.

Meanwhile, Jesus makes another claim of deity here. He doesn’t say God’s words never pass away. He says MY words. Christ’s words are eternal, because He is eternal. And that means His word is never invalid. Never outdated. Never needs to be decontextualized for our modern understanding.

This is why we feel so strongly about centering our lives, our perspective, our choices, our church activities, our positions on the Bible. It is the Word of God. It will never pass away. So, we anchor our lives, our faith, our activity on the word. Not on culture. Not on trends. Not on emotions or experience. What does the Word say? The word says Christ is coming back again, that those who “love His appearing” will be blessed by God and that we can and should live in light of the certain, unstoppable, second coming of Jesus to earth.

As we close, one thought. We saw that one day everyone will see Jesus coming in the clouds. How do they see Jesus today? God makes Himself known to the unbelieving world by showing them the mystery of Christ in you, the hope of glory.^[16] They see Christ in you – a light shining in the dark.

Listen to what Paul said in Galatians 1:

Galatians 1:15-16a – ¹⁵ God, who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by his grace, was pleased ¹⁶ to reveal his Son in me, so that I could preach him among the Gentiles

Christ revealed in you. And so tonight the encouragement is to live today and tomorrow not as Saul of Tarsus, kicking against the goads of God’s commands and callings, but as Paul, the messenger of the Gospel, spreading light and hope by the power of God’s grace.

Here’s what happened: After encamping to defend the city, the Austrian army sent out cavalrymen to scout across the river.^[1] They found a group of travelers who offered them some schnapps.

The weary men took advantage of this lucky find. A night of drunken indulgence followed – there were barrels of the stuff available.

Late in the evening, some Austrian infantrymen showed up. They asked to join in the party, but were denied. The mounted troops were unwilling to share the spoils. They quickly built fortifications around the barrels of schnapps to keep it from their brothers in arms.^[2]

A fistfight soon broke out. Shots were fired. Back at Karánsebes, the army assumed the Ottomans had come. Seeing troops riding toward the camp, the general ordered the artillery to open fire. By the morning thousands were dead or wounded in one of history’s worst friendly fire incidents.^[3]

Our text is a dramatic battle story. The wildly outnumbered Israelites win an upset victory over the Philistines. But these verses are less about the battle and more about the blunders of King Saul.

Last week we saw an amazing example of what can happen when God’s people walk by faith – when we trust God and submit to His leading and allow Him to use us for His good purposes.

Today we’re going to see a very different kind of example. Instead of triumph, we very nearly see tragedy. The day ends in a total fiasco. Yet, the circumstances are the same. It’s the same fight. It’s the same situation, the same opportunity, the same God willing to work.

What made the difference? In the last text we saw what happens when we walk by faith. In this one we’ll see what happens when we don’t. When we live life reacting to our circumstances or driven by our own, selfish feelings. Let me spoil the ending for you: It’s not good. It not only end in friendly fire, but it also limits God’s ability to use us for His victorious work.

1 Samuel 14:16-19 – ¹⁶ When Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, they saw the panicking troops scattering in every direction. ¹⁷ So Saul said to the troops with him, “Call the roll and determine who has left us.” They called the roll and saw that Jonathan and his armor-bearer were gone. ¹⁸ Saul told Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God,” for it was with the Israelites at that time. ¹⁹ While Saul spoke to the priest, the panic in the Philistine camp increased in intensity. So Saul said to the priest, “Stop what you’re doing.”

The last text had Jonathan in view. This narrative focuses on Saul. It’s going to show us again and again that Saul is not patient, he will not wait, he reacts impulsively, but his impulses are bad.

His first instinct is to say, “Who left the camp?” The real question is, “Saul, why didn’t you leave the camp? Why did you just sit under a tree while Israel was occupied and oppressed?”

Throughout Saul’s story, he’s a man without understanding. He always wants to know what to do, but because he won’t wait on God, because he won’t live by faith, because he won’t obey God’s commands, because he is self-centered rather than God-submitted, he’s always flailing in the dark.

But he does something worse than flounder here. He puts himself in authority over the priesthood.^[4] One commentator writes, “This incredible [and unthinkable] interruption of the divine pattern—[is] an action without precedent in the Bible.”^[5]

It does no good to say you want to follow God if you are unwilling to stop and wait on Him and actually allow Him to direct you. Saul acted like he wanted spiritual insight, but on his own terms.

1 Samuel 14:20-23 – ²⁰ Saul and all the troops with him assembled and marched to the battle, and there the Philistines were, fighting against each other in great confusion! ²¹ There were Hebrews from the area who had gone earlier into the camp to join the Philistines, but even they joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. ²² When all the Israelite men who had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they also joined Saul and Jonathan in the battle. ²³ So the LORD saved Israel that day. The battle extended beyond Beth-aven…

The best part of this scene is not the Philistines killing each other. The best part is that deserters and defectors, traitors and cowards were allowed back into the Lord’s army.

In the human way of thinking, we’d say, “They were AWOL. They were traitors. They actually fought for our enemies. They should die for what they did.” But our God is a God of grace and mercy. A God Who doesn’t only destroy His enemies, but has made a way for His enemies to become His children. And thank God that is true. Because we were at war with God. Hostile toward Him. Sinners and rebels. At one point, the Apostle Paul lists a number of sins that disqualify people from ever inheriting eternal life and he says, “Such were some of you. But you were washed. You were sanctified. Justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”^[6]

These defectors and deserters turned from their sin. As Christians, our attitude should be, “Better late than never.” Thank goodness Peter was restored after he denied Christ. Thank goodness the father ran to embrace the prodigal son. That’s our God. A God Who restores and forgives.

1 Samuel 14:24 – ²⁴ and the men of Israel were worn out that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath: “The man who eats food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies is cursed.” So none of the troops tasted any food.

Compare this little speech to what Jonathan said last time. Jonathan was worried about what God wanted – about saving Israel. Saul makes it all about himself. “I want vengeance on my enemies.” And he’s calling curses down not on the Philistines, but his own troops!

The battle that day was going to cover upwards of 20 miles of terrain through hills and forests.^[7] Experts have estimated that a Roman soldier would burn 6,000 calories a day when in war action.^[8]

Where was Saul a few verses ago? Sitting. Doing nothing. Unable to lead or act. Now he’s swollen with pride and he forces his men to take this oath. The words can also mean Saul “played the fool.”^[9]

He tries to invoke Joshua here. Joshua once fought a hard battle and he called out to the Lord to keep the sun from going down so that the nation could take vengeance on her enemies. The difference is, Saul is not thinking of others, just himself. And Saul does not have the faith of Joshua.

1 Samuel 14:25-28 – ²⁵ Everyone went into the forest, and there was honey on the ground. ²⁶ When the troops entered the forest, they saw the flow of honey, but none of them ate any of it because they feared the oath. ²⁷ However, Jonathan had not heard his father make the troops swear the oath. He reached out with the end of the staff he was carrying and dipped it into the honeycomb. When he ate the honey, he had renewed energy. ²⁸ Then one of the troops said, “Your father made the troops solemnly swear, ‘The man who eats food today is cursed,’ and the troops are exhausted.”

This honey is not just a coincidence. This is a reminder of Who God is. It is a fulfillment of His generous promises. When God told Israel about the land He was giving them, how did He describe it? A land flowing with milk and honey. And here, in their hour of need, the Lord provided.

We’re told Jonathan had renewed energy. Your version may say his eyes or his countenance brightened. It means he was filled with strength.

This is what God wants to do: Renew our strength for the fight. To invigorate us for the callings He’s placed on our lives. He does not want us to live out our faith in weariness and exhaustion.

He did it for Jonathan. He did it for the children of Israel day by day for 40 years in the wilderness. He gave them manna, which “tasted like a pastry cooked with the finest oil.”^[10]

And here’s what Psalm 19 says to us:

Psalm 19:7-10 – ⁷ The instruction of the LORD is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. ⁸ The precepts of the LORD are right, making the heart glad; the command of the LORD is radiant, making the eyes light up. ⁹ The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are reliable and altogether righteous. ¹⁰ They are…sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb. 

In other words, as you and I fight the good fight, as we navigate the hills and forests of life, God gives us His Word to nourish and strengthen us. Sweeter than honey. More precious than gold.

1 Samuel 14:29-30 – ²⁹ Jonathan replied, “My father has brought trouble to the land. Just look at how I have renewed energy because I tasted a little of this honey. ³⁰ How much better if the troops had eaten freely today from the plunder they took from their enemies! Then the slaughter of the Philistines would have been much greater.”

Jonathan rightfully points out that Saul’s demand wasn’t just a bad idea, it was truly harmful. He uses the same verbs used of Achan, who caused Israel’s defeat at Ai. The same terms used of Jephthah’s rash vow that led to terrible tragedy.^[11]

It’s not wrong to call out wrongdoing. You know, there are churches out there that have formal membership and make you sign an agreement that you’ll never say anything negative about the church. Churches that demand their employees sign nondisclosure agreements to work there.

Jonathan isn’t wrong to say what he said. He’s not gossiping. If you ever find yourself at another church, don’t sign those things. It’s Saulish behavior.

Now here’s one more wonderful but subtle thing we might miss: Jonathan ate honey he found. But notice what he said: “They could’ve freely eaten from the plunder.” This indicates Jonathan took no plunder for himself. Otherwise, according to his logic, that’s what he would’ve eaten, not the honey.

1 Samuel 14:31-35 – ³¹ The Israelites struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash all the way to Aijalon. Since the Israelites were completely exhausted, ³² they rushed to the plunder, took sheep, goats, cattle, and calves, slaughtered them on the ground, and ate meat with the blood still in it. ³³ Some reported to Saul, “Look, the troops are sinning against the LORD by eating meat with the blood still in it.” Saul said, “You have been unfaithful. Roll a large stone over here at once.” ³⁴ He then said, “Go among the troops and say to them, ‘Let each man bring me his ox or his sheep. Do the slaughtering here and then you can eat. Don’t sin against the LORD by eating meat with the blood in it.’ ” So every one of the troops brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there. ³⁵ Then Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first time he had built an altar to the LORD.

Don’t imagine they’re just eating raw goats here. It’s that they weren’t taking the time to fully drain off the blood before cooking. That’s a big no-no under the law of Moses.

In 1788, Austrian Emperor Joseph II wrote a letter about what happened in Karánsebes. He admitted he could not maintain discipline among the troops and struggled to command them.

Saul immediately reacted with hostility and accusation toward his men. He’s the one that created this situation. Yet he says, “You have been unfaithful.” But he does not pause to consider what he has been. He has been unwise. Uncaring. Unrealistic. Impatient. Legalistic. He casts himself as this righteous leader, yet the author points out Saul had never built and altar to the Lord in his life.

This is where Saul’s “leadership” brought them. Demoralized and starving and pushing boulders. He loads his men with burdens and is unwilling to lift a finger to assist them.

1 Samuel 14:36-37 – ³⁶ Saul said, “Let’s go down after the Philistines tonight and plunder them until morning. Don’t let even one remain!” “Do whatever you want,” the troops replied.

But the priest said, “Let’s approach God here.” ³⁷ So Saul inquired of God, “Should I go after the Philistines? Will you hand them over to Israel?” But God did not answer him that day.

Once again, Saul acts impetuously. He’s just knee-jerking from one choice to the next. Finally, the priest says, “Hey man, how about we consult the Lord?” This is Saul’s whole problem. He won’t give his life to God. He won’t submit to God’s commands and directions. And every time Saul takes the helm of his life, trouble follows for himself and for those around him.

Notice his mindset: We need to plunder the Philistines. Jonathan’s mindset was, “We need to save Israel.” Big difference.

We’re told God did not answer. What does that mean? Well, it seems that the priests at this time would pray and ask God a question then would draw out either the Urim or the Thummim to discern an answer. So when asking, they must’ve drawn multiple times and if one stone kept coming out over and over, that was the Lord giving direction.^[12]

1 Samuel 14:38-42 – ³⁸ Saul said, “All you leaders of the troops, come here. Let’s investigate how this sin has occurred today. ³⁹ As surely as the LORD lives who saves Israel, even if it is because of my son Jonathan, he must die!” Not one of the troops answered him. ⁴⁰ So he said to all Israel, “You will be on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will be on the other side.”

And the troops replied, “Do whatever you want.” ⁴¹ So Saul said to the LORD, “God of Israel, why have you not answered your servant today? If the unrighteousness is in me or in my son Jonathan, LORD God of Israel, give Urim; but if the fault is in your people Israel, give Thummim.” Jonathan and Saul were selected, and the troops were cleared of the charge.

⁴² Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan,” and Jonathan was selected.

This is a bad scene. Remember – these are the guys who just won a big battle. But Saul lines up against the troops as if they’re the enemy. He says, “even if it’s Jonathan, he’ll die!” Notice, he leaves himself out of that part of the oath.

Saul has no idea what’s going on, but immediately jumps to capital punishment. He’s reacting out of a desire to save face or protect his own ego. He calls himself a servant while acting like a tyrant.

1 Samuel 14:43-46 – ⁴³ Saul commanded him, “Tell me what you did.” Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the end of the staff I was carrying. I am ready to die!” ⁴⁴ Saul declared to him, “May God punish me and do so severely if you do not die, Jonathan!”

⁴⁵ But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die? He accomplished such a great deliverance for Israel? No, as the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he worked with God’s help today.” So the people redeemed Jonathan, and he did not die. ⁴⁶ Then Saul gave up the pursuit of the Philistines, and the Philistines returned to their own territory.

Fearless Jonathan. Ready to lay down his life. He reminds us of Jesus willingly going like a Lamb to the slaughter. We sing that song of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, “So gracious it’s outrageous.” And it was. The Son of God, the King of Glory, the only Person to ever live a perfect life, and they crucified Him.

Jonathan did not die that day – the people vetoed the king’s foolish demand. Israel’s wave of victory suddenly stops. The Philistines escaped. Saul was facing open mutiny. What a bad end to such a wonderful start.

After the blunder at Karánsebes, the Emperor was so demoralized he ordered the army to withdraw from their position. That war ended with a few meager gains for Austria but not much to show for all the fighting.

When we don’t walk by faith, when we’re reacting to circumstances or emotions, even victory gets spoiled. Imagine how this text ends if Saul had let God rule and guide and empower. Instead, out of selfish faithlessness, Saul tries to rule. The result is exhaustion, weakness, inability to finish the task, antagonism toward brothers.

Walking by faith matters. He will strengthen you and invigorate you as you submit yourself to the guidelines and directions given in His Word and by His Spirit. Our part is to be led. To follow our King into His purposes and callings for our lives.

Before it was over, more than 13,000 homes were destroyed.^[3] A man named Samuel Pepys lived through the disaster and kept a diary of what he experienced. He said, during the fire, the streets were full of “people and horses and carts laden with goods, ready to run over one another.”

When Samuel decided what he was going to save from the coming flames, he made an interesting choice. He sent his money and silver by cart to another house. Then he dug a pit in his garden into which he put his (apparently) beloved wheel of parmesan cheese. He wrote a letter to his father to tell him how close the fire was to their home, but found the post house had already burned.”^[4]

We are in the middle of what is known as the Olivet Discourse. It’s an extended teaching Jesus gave just days before His crucifixion which focuses on the end of the end times – specifically what is called the Great Tribulation followed by the second coming of Christ.

In our text, Jesus warns of a fiery wrath that will leave no time for parmesan cheese or photo albums. It is a crisis so great that if God did not cut the days short, no one would survive. It is a sobering text, but hopefully also an instructive one as we consider not only the coming judgment, but God’s persistent mercy.

Mark 13:14 – ¹⁴ “When you see the abomination of desolation, standing where it should not be” (let the reader understand), “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.

As I pointed out when we started this chapter, depending on your eschatology – meaning your perspective on the Bible’s prophecy of things to come – a Christian may have a very different interpretation of the Olivet Discourse.

Here at Calvary we are futurists, meaning we believe Bible prophecy is going to be literally fulfilled. We are Premillennial, Pre-Tribulational, and Dispensational. Those are not-so-common terms which simply mean we believe Jesus is going to rule over a literal, thousand year Kingdom from a throne in Jerusalem. That before He arrives to rule and reign there will be a 7 year period of wrath and trouble on the earth. And that before that, the Church will be removed from earth in an event called the Rapture. We believe that the Great Tribulation is predominantly a time focused on Israel, the ethnic descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because God has a unique work for that nation.

Those beliefs are very important to us, but eschatology is not an essential doctrine. Meaning if you have a friend who thinks the rapture is after the Great Tribulation, or if they think we’re in the Kingdom now, they can still be Christians.

But here’s one important aspect of Bible prophecy: It can and often does have both a partial fulfillment and a final fulfillment. Isaiah’s virgin birth prophecy, Samuel’s prophecy about David’s enduring house, Joel’s prophecy about the Holy Spirit falling upon God’s people – these and others have both a partial fulfillment and yet a fuller fulfillment that has not happened yet.

In this verse, Jesus says something called the “abomination of desolation” is a pivotal moment in the prophetic timeline. The abomination of desolation is a term that Daniel used multiple times in his book. It refers to a person or an object that is placed in the Jewish temple that defiles it.

Those who read the Bible without a futurist perspective will typically say that the abomination of desolation was fulfilled by a guy named Antiochus Epiphanes in 167 BC, or they will say Jesus was simply foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD by the Roman legions.

The reason why some people pick Antiochus Epiphanes is because when he conquered Jerusalem he defiled the temple by setting up an altar to Zeus in it and sacrificed swine flesh on the altar.^[5] The Maccabees said, “Hey, that’s the abomination of desolation.”

The reason why we don’t think these verses are just talking about 167 BC is because Jesus is in 30 AD and clearly sees this as yet future. Even Daniel, when prophesying about the abomination of desolation, then says that he’s referring to the time of the end, that it must happen after the Christ died, and that those events are followed by the resurrection of the dead.^[6]

Now we usually think of the abomination of desolation as a thing – an idolatrous image of the beast. That’s part of it. But the grammar here and the prophecy of 2 Thessalonians 2 indicate that the Antichrist himself is the abomination.^[7]

This individual is going to kick off the Great Tribulation by signing a seven year peace treaty with the nation of Israel. He guarantees them safety and lets them worship in a rebuilt temple. Three and half years into that treaty, he goes into the temple, proclaims himself to be god, sets up an idolatrous image to himself, and starts to kill any Christian or Jew he can find. Jesus gives a very practical warning to anyone living in that time: When you see that moment, run.

Mark 13:15-18 – ¹⁵ A man on the housetop must not come down or go in to get anything out of his house, ¹⁶ and a man in the field must not go back to get his coat. ¹⁷ Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! ¹⁸ “Pray it won’t happen in winter.

As the London fire raged, one witness said people congregated watching, “looking aimlessly at the destruction, till the advancing flames drove them away.”^[8]

If a person is living in Jerusalem during the Great Tribulation, there is no time for aimless staring. Jesus has sounded as loud an alarm as He can.

Eusebius records that in the lead up to the Roman invasion of 70 AD, the Christians in Jerusalem received an oracle from God warning them and they removed themselves around 66 AD.^[9]

This is one reason why we don’t see 70 AD as the fulfillment of the Olivet Discourse. Not only do the descriptions not line up, but there were, apparently, no believers left in the city to flee.

Jesus uses that familiar Old Testament term that gets used so often when describing judgments: Woe.^[10] The Great Tribulation is not about climate change or nuclear war. This is a work of God. It is a time of divine judgment on the earth. The Day of the Lord.

And yet we see the heart of God, even as He pours out His wrath. He wants to save lives. He wanted to save the Christians from 70 AD. He wants to save people during the Great Tribulation. He wants to save lives and souls today. Remember, in wrath God remembers mercy.^[11] He must judge sin, and He’s going to on a global scale. But day by day, step by step, He is so desiring and determined to rescue anyone who will surrender to Him and be saved.

Mark 13:19-20 – ¹⁹ For those will be days of tribulation, the kind that hasn’t been from the beginning of creation, which God created, until now and never will be again.  ²⁰ If the Lord had not cut those days short, no one would be saved. But he cut those days short for the sake of the elect, whom he chose.

We believe in reading the Bible plainly. This verse, on its own, cancels out Antiochus Epiphanes or 70 AD as being the fulfillment of the Olivet Discourse. Those were times of terrible suffering. But in no way do they fit this description.

Over a three day period, Antiochus Epiphanes killed 40,000 Jews and sold 40,000 more into slavery. A terrible tragedy. But history has served up much worse many times over.

The Great Tribulation is detailed in Revelation 6 through 19. We don’t have a context for the level of trouble depicted on those pages. I mean, consider what Jesus is saying here: From the beginning of creation. That means the global flood is included in the comparison! And again, the reason we read the Bible through a literal lens is this: If Jesus is speaking figuratively or hyperbolically, which some scholars say He is, where in this sentence does the allegory start and end?

One scholars says, “If we allow for hyperbole,” this could just mean what happened to Jerusalem in 70 AD.^[12] Another says, “It’s hard to know whether [these] references are figurative or literal.”^[13]

Is it figurative that God created the universe? Well, no, that’s literal. So, what reason has Jesus given us to think He’s being figurative about the Great Tribulation? It is the final culmination of man’s rebellion and God’s judgment.

Mark 13:21-22 – ²¹ “Then if anyone tells you, ‘See, here is the Messiah! See, there!’ do not believe it. ²² For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and will perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the elect.

The Antichrist and his false prophet will be able to perform great signs and wonders. And there have been many throughout history, from Jannes and Jambres in Egypt and others to the present, who have been able to do remarkable things, generate great followings, and seem to have power.

But the demonstration of power is not what we use to decide whether a person should be followed. The size of a ministry or the amount of influence are not what we look to to verify authority. Instead, 1 John tells us not to believe every spirit, but to test every spirit to see if they are from God because many false prophets have gone out in the world. The false prophet and the Antichrist will dominate the Great Tribulation, but there are false prophets today.

We need to watch out because some of them are very effective. So, how do we keep ourselves from being led astray?

Mark 13:23 – ²³ And you must watch! I have told you everything in advance.

History records that the Lord Mayor of London had been warned about the potential of what fire could do to the city. Particularly because they experienced smaller fires.Yet he and the other leads had taken no effective steps to defend against the possibility.^[14]

Jesus gives us the antidote to false prophecy, false teaching, and spiritual deceptions. “Watch. I have told you everything in advance.”

So here’s what this means: When a fellow like Joseph Smith comes along and says, “I’m a prophet. I have the real truth from heaven that you haven’t heard before. The Bible has been corrupted and now this is how you should live to be right with God,” we can absolutely, categorically reject him. Because Jesus has promised to deliver us His Word. The Scriptures are reliable. They are true. By God’s power we are provided all we need for life and Godliness through the knowledge of Him.^[15]

Remember what Paul said: If anyone gives you another Gospel – whether it’s someone who can work a sign or an apostle or an angel from heaven – let that person be accursed.^[16]

And so, when a person comes claiming to have new truth or spiritual power or spiritual direction for your life, the most important question is: Does their teaching align underneath the authority of the Bible? We’re to know what Jesus has said so that we’re not misled. It is our responsibility.

In Old London, do you know where the equipment to fight fires was kept? Buckets, ladders, axes, and strong iron fire hooks were kept in each city church. Throughout the 16th and early 17th centuries, churchwardens stayed on top of their use and upkeep.^[17] But by 1666 the tools necessary to stop a fire came to be neglected. The river Thames was high, so people became careless.

We are not going to be part of the Great Tribulation. But that doesn’t mean we don’t face troubles of our own. That doesn’t mean there are false prophets and false teachings out there today. There are. Who has been commissioned to be the firefighters? We have. You and I.

And once again Jesus gives the command to watch. Yes, the ultimate fulfillment of these things is at the end, but as we talked about last time, we’re in the “end times” now. The end times began when Jesus arrived. They certainly were in swing when the Church was born on Pentecost. We are commanded to pay attention. To be ready to rescue. Ready to put out fires.

Robert Utley writes, “Naive Christians, gullible Christians, baby Christians are all too common.”^[18] We want to be readers who understand. Believers who are not tripped up by clever deceptions. We are called to be strong in the Lord. Mature and maturing. Because when we bear fruit, lives are saved. And our God is a saving God, Who sends us out to be part of the mission.

The first Sunday after London burned, the homeless citizens encamped on the city’s edge crowded into the churches that remained. 87 had burned.^[19] Our eyewitness Samuel described that services as “mighty full.”^[20]

When tribulation comes, people seek the truth. We’re the ones who have it. A truth that saves. A truth that rescues and restores lives.

Samuel Pepys wrote that he watched the fire of London rage in every direction for over an hour and in that time there was nobody “endeavoring to quench it, but [only] to remove their goods and leave all to the fire.”^[21]

Knowing Bible prophecy not only helps us understand more about God, but it also helps keep us aligned with what is truly important. It helps keep us from becoming people who are most concerned with our wheel of parmesan cheese, rather than our neighbors.

1628 has been called the birth-year of cardiology. But by 1929, the field was in “a state of stagnation.”^[2] A young doctor named Werner Forssmann was determined to do something about it.

He was convinced that you could gain access into the human heart using the body’s own highways – blood vessels. That you could insert a catheter through the veins and travel into the chambers of the heart. But no one would allow him to try out his hypothesis on a patient. After all, most other doctors were convinced it would end in death.

So, Werner made a secret plan with one of the scrub nurses at his hospital. He would perform the theoretical procedure on himself. He made an incision over his left elbow, took a urologist’s catheter and fished it 25 inches up his arm, into his right atrium, and then administered drugs directly in.^[3] He and his partner in courage then climbed the stairs to the x-ray department to get the images proving that his procedure would not kill patients, but could save countless lives.^[4]

Their action changed heart medicine forever. Many of us here today are alive because of the diagnostics and treatments that flowed from Werner’s brave willingness to put himself on the line.

In our text, Jonathan has a bold hypothesis: He and a single ally can go into the heartland of Israel, and drive out the Philistine invaders. The route he takes is improbable, dangerous, and from a human perspective ill-advised. But he puts himself on the line. The result is not suicide but salvation as God works through Jonathan’s faith not just for one skirmish, but for the whole nation.

Let’s take a look to be inspired, to be instructed, and to see what this means for our own lives.

1 Samuel 13:23 – ²³ Now a Philistine garrison took control of the pass at Michmash.

This geographical note establishes at least three important realities: One, the Philistines have fully invaded Israel. Michmash is in the heartland. It was an elevated site^[5] – very strategic for any army.

Two, this puts the Philistines less than four miles from where Saul is camped with what few soldiers remained with him.^[6] If a king was going to lead Israel’s army, now is the time.

Three, Michmash had been the place Saul staked for himself in the last chapter. He sent Jonathan and his men to Gibeah, where there already was a Philistine garrison. “Jonathan, you can take care of that. I’m going to Michmash!” Jonathan did take care of it. Now, not only has Saul lost Michmash, but he’s back in Gibeah, thanks to the earlier victory Jonathan won.

1 Samuel 14:1 – ¹ That same day Saul’s son Jonathan said to the attendant who carried his weapons, “Come on, let’s cross over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” However, he did not tell his father.

Before Werner performed his heart experiment, he shared his theory with the hospital’s head of surgery, Dr. Richard Schneider. Schneider categorically and specifically forbade Werner from self-experimentation. Werner did it anyway, secretly.^[7]

Why didn’t Jonathan tell his father about his plan? It’s likely he would’ve forbidden Jonathan to go and fight. Saul seems to be somewhat paralyzed in this situation. Unable to lead or to act.

There was a deep ravine between Gibeah and Michmash.^[8] There’s nothing simple about what Jonathan is setting out to do. And note, not only does he not have permission, he’s had no premonition that this was exactly what God wanted him to do. This is purely a step of faith.

1 Samuel 14:2-3 – ² Saul was staying under the pomegranate tree in Migron on the outskirts of Gibeah. The troops with him numbered about six hundred. ³ Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod, was also there. He was the son of Ahitub, the brother of Ichabod son of Phinehas, son of Eli the LORD’s priest at Shiloh. But the troops did not know that Jonathan had left.

As Jonathan slips away the camera pans over to Saul. This single image speaks volumes. The whole reason the people demanded a king was so he could go out before them and fight their battles.^[9] Now here he is, sitting beneath a tree. Sitting, as Eli had so often sat. Another leader who would not obey God faithfully. To drive the point home, our author points out that Saul has a descendent of Eli there with him. The rejected king sits with the rejected priest.^[10]

Ahijah is wearing an ephod. This was a special garment worn by the priest which contained the Urim and the Thummim.^[11] In other words, Saul is hoping for a divine oracle because he doesn’t know what to do. He had been unwilling to obey and wait for the Lord’s message, now he hopes to secure God’s authorization and battle plan, but neither are forthcoming.

1 Samuel 14:4-6 – ⁴ There were sharp columns of rock on both sides of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine garrison. One was named Bozez and the other Seneh; ⁵ one stood to the north in front of Michmash and the other to the south in front of Geba. ⁶ Jonathan said to the attendant who carried his weapons, “Come on, let’s cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will help us. Nothing can keep the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.”

The numbers, the geography, the positioning – it’s all against Jonathan. Two exposed soldiers against a fortress. Only one of them had an iron sword. These names tell how difficult the passage would be to navigate. One name is roughy equivalent to “slippery,” the other to “thorny.”^[12]

But Jonathan had no intention of living peacefully with the Philistines. There would be no compromise. There would be no appeasement. No negotiation or bargain made. Why? Because this was a covenant issue. Jonathan recognized that this land belonged to the Lord and the Lord had given it to Israel. Israel had been mandated to take possession of it.

Jonathan calls the Philistines “uncircumcised men.” In other words, they were outside of the covenant. And because he had such faith in God, that’s all that mattered. What about the numbers? What about the improbability of a successful attack? Jonathan wasn’t bothered by those things at all. Because he knew for God’s people, victory is not about numbers.

Notice also that Jonathan was not just trigger happy. It’s not just that he was hungry for a fight. This was about saving people. “Nothing can keep the LORD from saving.”

He understands that God’s desire was to save, to drive out the Philistines, he had confidence that God could accomplish that with just two guys. But notice also Jonathan’s humility. “Perhaps the Lord will help us.” That’s not doubt, it’s a willingness to be led and corrected by God as he steps out in faith. He recognizes that God is not required to act in the way they want Him to.^[13] So, Jonathan assumes God will be gracious, will act on their behalf, but he does not demand it.

1 Samuel 14:7 – ⁷ His armor-bearer responded, “Do what is in your heart. Go ahead! I’m completely with you.”

Another way of translating “Go ahead” is, “You go first!”^[14] But no, the armor bearer shows a great deal of courage and faith as well.

You know, Werner Forssmann had to trick that scrub nurse into his plan. She demanded that she be the person he tried the procedure on. So after she helped him get the equipment he needed, he prepped her on a table and strapped her down, only to then do the experiment on himself.

1 Samuel 14:8-10 – ⁸ “All right,” Jonathan replied, “we’ll cross over to the men and then let them see us. ⁹ If they say, ‘Wait until we reach you,’ then we will stay where we are and not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say, ‘Come on up,’ then we’ll go up, because the LORD has handed them over to us—that will be our sign.”

Let’s talk about this plan: First, they give up the element of surprise. Second, one option is, “We’ll go up and fight.” The other is, “We’ll stay where we are.” In other words, there is no escape plan.

Some commentators say this is like how Gideon asked for a sign using a fleece back in Judges. But that’s pretty unfair to Jonathan. Gideon already had an angel visit, telling him YES, go fight the Midianites. Then he was shown a miracle. Then he said, “I’m not sure. Show me two more miracles.”

Jonathan’s faith is bold and determined. He’s ready to be a part of what he knows God wants to do.

1 Samuel 14:11-12 – ¹¹ They let themselves be seen by the Philistine garrison, and the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they’ve been hiding!” ¹² The men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armor-bearer. “Come on up, and we’ll teach you a lesson!” they said. “Follow me,” Jonathan told his armor-bearer, “for the LORD has handed them over to Israel.”

The enemies see them, revile them, and invite them to come up to die. Jonathan says, “This is great news!” In that closing phrase, we see two important aspects of Jonathan’s mindset.

First, he says, “The Lord has handed them over to Israel.” He knew God was not done with His people. Even though they were on the ropes. Even though they had made serious mistakes. God’s would not abandon them.

Second, Jonathan talks about this situation as if it’s a gift. “The Lord has handed them over to us.” He’s so satisfied to have this opportunity and to be a part of God’s deliverance.

1 Samuel 14:13-14 – ¹³ Jonathan climbed up using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer behind him. Jonathan cut them down, and his armor-bearer followed and finished them off. ¹⁴ In that first assault Jonathan and his armor-bearer struck down about twenty men in a half-acre field.

That first assault. There would be more. Much more. Jonathan was no one-hit wonder.

After his successful heart cath procedure, Werner went on to run the experiment on himself another 6 times. Decades later, he won the Nobel prize for his discovery.

The odds were ten to one against Jonathan. Though the Philistines had jeered at them and invited them up, don’t assume this was a good-natured scene like Inigo Montoya’s first sword fight in The Princess Bride. The Philistines may have been shooting arrows or throwing rocks on Jonathan and his partner as they climbed.^[15] But Jonathan dispatched them in this tight space.

1 Samuel 14:15 – ¹⁵ Terror spread through the Philistine camp and the open fields to all the troops. Even the garrison and the raiding parties were terrified. The earth shook, and terror spread from God.

What on paper looked like a minor triumph led to a great work of God. From Michmash a supernatural fear spread through the whole army of the Philistines. With the internal shaking came the literal shaking of the earth. The Lord had promised to send this sort of fear into the hearts of Israel’s enemies back in Deuteronomy 2.^[16] He didn’t want them occupied and oppressed. He wanted victory for them. His faithfulness and power reverberated through Jonathan’s step of faith.

As I mentioned last week in his introduction, Jonathan’s character and action, even his name, give us glimpses of Jesus. His name means “Given by God.” Jesus is the ultimate Gift given by God so that we can be saved. Delivered from sin, death, and the devil. The Philistines dominated the land, destroying whatever they wanted. But the deliverer was greater than the destroyers. Much greater.

Jonathan acted without fear. Just a few miles away, hundreds of soldiers were too scared to fight. What was the difference? Did Jonathan have any less reason to fear? His faith made him fearless, just as Christ was fearless. Like Jesus, when Jonathan was reviled, he did not revile in return.^[17]

Like Jesus, Jonathan brought a servant along for the victory. He clearly didn’t need to. Nor does our Lord need to include us in His work. Yet, He delights to invite us, to equip us, to empower us.

But I love this image most of all. There’s Saul, beneath a pomegranate tree. In chapter 13 he was caught in sin and placed under judgment. Suddenly, we see the great prince put his own life on the line to save. While mankind stood guilty beneath the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the plan was put into motion. The Son, the Prince of Peace, would rescue the guilty. He would intervene for the powerless. He would do what all the Adams and Sauls cannot do for themselves. He could’ve stayed safe in the camp, but instead traveled through the valley of the shadow of death.

Now we might think, “Great story. What difference does it make in my life?” Well, Jonathan is not only a foreshadow of Jesus. He gives us an example to follow here. A demonstration of how a believer can step out in faith. But perhaps we think to ourselves, “Oh come on. I don’t have the kind of faith Jonathan had.” Fair enough. But what about the guy climbing next to Jonathan? It wasn’t his idea. It wasn’t his great spiritual power. But he was invited along by the prince to live by faith. Just like we are.

But what does that mean? We’re not supposed to go wipe out Philistines. We are not sent out with swords of steel, but with the sword of the Spirit. Not to slay but to save. Our charge is to help people be born again and to make disciples.

The question is: Am I walking by faith? Are you? There’s a difference between walking by faith and just sitting in the faith. Look at the image in this text. All the Hebrews faced the same enemies, the same situation. All had the same God. Yet hundreds stood just out of frame, doing nothing. Waiting and hoping the fight wouldn’t come to them. Just two took a step of faith. But it should not be that way. Because the Bible says the righteous will live by faith^[18] and that without faith it is impossible to please God.^[19]

As we watch Jonathan, we recognize that walking by faith is not always easy. It can be a difficult, uphill climb. But here’s the good news: Like Jonathan, we know God wants to accomplish His work through us. And we serve a God Who can do a lot with very little. One smooth stone. Two widow’s mites. Five loaves and two fish. One faithful step can lead to the world being changed.

Now it’s not that we’re so concerned with how big of a work God is going to do. Jonathan is a great example of not worrying about numbers or prominence. But God can take a cup of cool water given in His name and make it eternal. He can take a simple act of faith and obedience and change the course of a life, the history of a community. He can take a sowed seed and bring a harvest 30, 60, 100 fold.

Are we walking by faith? One marker for whether I’m walking by faith is to evaluate whether I’m advancing in my spiritual life or if I’m retreating. Saul had Mishmash. But in his faithless state, he’s lost it to the enemy. So, am I losing ground in my Christian activity or in my relationship with God? Have I given up on regular church attendance? Have I stopped feeding on God’s Word in my personal life? Have I become preoccupied with luxury and comfort and ease? Saul had a bit of that.

He had all the trappings of spirituality. He had opportunity. He had authority. He had equipping. But in this text he says and does nothing.

So how can you take a step of faith in your walk with Jesus today? I can’t specifically answer that for you because I’m not the Holy Spirit. But I can encourage you to ask yourself and allow God the Holy Spirit to direct you. There is some step He would have you take today. He wants you to advance because He’s committed to finishing the work He started in you. And He’s decided to work through your life to accomplish things for others. For the Kingdom. For the Gospel. We must walk by faith.

At first, the cost would be shared, 50% paid by the Scots, 50% by the English and Dutch. But at the last minute, Holland and England withdrew support, leaving the whole investment to Scotland.^[2]

The people rallied. Every Scot with £5 to spare invested. In fact, they piled up about half of the nation’s available cash to fund the scheme. If America did that today it would be about $1.2 trillion. Thousands of Scots not only contributed, but volunteered to go with Paterson.

A fleet of ships set sail on “a great wave of emotion.”^[3] So, why is it called Panama and not New Scotland? Poor leadership was a big factor. Paterson had never been to the Isthmus of Darien. The plan that began with such promise and optimism soon took a deadly turn.

The first task the colonists had when they arrived was to dig graves for those who already died. Eight months after that, only a third of the travelers were still around. From the beginning they faced disease, desertion, attacks from hostile Spaniards who wanted the land for themselves.

News traveled slow. Too slow. Before word reached Scotland that the settlers abandoned the colony a second fleet with another 1,300 citizens set out. Then a third. In the end, 16 ships were sent. One returned. Over 2,000 lives were lost and the whole nation was nearly bankrupt.

1 Samuel 13 is the story of a nation in trouble. They’ve been in trouble for some time, so they made a plan – the plan we’ve been talking about for five chapters now. They decide not on a new colony, but a new constitution. A new king. That, they’re convinced, with usher them into a new era of safety and prosperity. And they’re all in. They’ve invested. The people volunteer to serve Saul.

In chapter 11 we saw some initial success. But by the end of our text we will see a total collapse of the military, of the economy, and their national sovereignty. Why did this happen? It’s not because their enemies were so strong. In this book we’ve seen the Philistines destroyed. We’ve seen the Ammonites destroyed. And yet, by verse 22 Israel will be in the most desperate position it’s been in in centuries. Why? Because her king would not obey God. Because the king made his own plans. And he becomes a living demonstration of the spiritual principle told to us in Proverbs:

Proverbs 16:2 – ² All a person’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs motives.

So, let’s look at this text and see how essential and how consequential obedience is to our faith.

1 Samuel 13:1-2 – ¹ Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty-two years over Israel. ² He chose three thousand men from Israel for himself: two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in Bethel’s hill country, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the troops away, each to his own tent.

Your version may say something very different with the numbers in verse 1. It depends on which manuscripts the translation relies on. Paul later says Saul reigned 40 years – he’s using a round number.^[4] Josephus says the same thing.^[5]

We’ve got another time jump between chapters 12 and 13. The author does this sometimes. We’ve already seen jumps of 20 years. Here it’s somewhere between 2 and 10 years.^[6] After the victory over Nahash, Saul drafted a standing army of 3,000 men and sent the other 99% home.

Two important things happen here: First, we are introduced to Jonathan. I think Jonathan is one of the most under-appreciated Bible characters and I’m very excited to study more about him. Second, we see that Saul sends Jonathan to Gibeah. Why is that significant? Well, Gibeah was Saul’s hometown and the de facto capital at the time. We also know it had a Philistine garrison. So, Saul leaves the capital and makes his son responsible to protect it from current occupiers with half as many men. But you know what? Jonathan is always up to the task.

1 Samuel 13:3-4 – ³ Jonathan attacked the Philistine garrison, in Gibeah, and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the trumpet throughout the land saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!” ⁴ And all Israel heard the news, “Saul has attacked the Philistine garrison, and Israel is now repulsive to the Philistines.” Then the troops were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.

The Hebrew word for “garrison” might mean the governor.^[7] That seems likely, given the Philistine buildup throughout this section.

In many ways Jonathan serves as a type of Jesus Christ. In no way am I suggesting that Saul then is a type of God the Father. But Jonathan is a valiant, humble, fearless prince who is always ready to save and serve, and will ultimately lay down his life to save the guilty because of his hesed love.

He’s just been introduced for the first time and already he takes immediate, offensive initiative. His name means “Yahweh has given,”^[8] and what God gives through Jonathan is victory.

What does Saul do? He hadn’t done any defending yet, but he blows the horn and gets the credit. Jonathan doesn’t complain. He’s not in it for personal glory. Saul, on the other hand, will become very adept at making headlines and less at making any meaningful headway.

Israel had been expecting war with the Philistines for a long time. Now is the moment. They rally to Saul. But instead of facing the enemy head on, he goes to Gilgal. In other words, he retreats to the far east of the nation, even though the Philistines are occupying deep into the heartland. Gilgal is isolated and the Philistines were very unlikely to attack them there.^[9]

Now, perhaps it wasn’t fear, but that Saul realized this was the moment Samuel had told him about so long ago. In chapter 10, Saul was told there would come a time where he must go to Gilgal, wait seven days, then Samuel would meet him there, offer sacrifices, and then show him what to do.

1 Samuel 13:5 – ⁵ The Philistines also gathered to fight against Israel: three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

The first Scottish ships landed in Darien in November of 1698. In April of 1700, they lost their courage and abandoned their fort to the Spanish.

So far, Saul’s leadership hasn’t led to victory. He’s lost the place he was previously fortifying – Mishmash. Now, again, perhaps he was willing to lose that position in order to do what Samuel told him. But it would seem the judge spirit he had in the fight with Nahash was gone.

The Philistine force was overwhelming. Everyone feared their chariots.^[10] God’s people are fantastically outgunned. And the odds made most of the troops so scared they deserted.

1 Samuel 13:6-7 – ⁶ The men of Israel saw that they were in trouble because the troops were in a difficult situation. They hid in caves, in thickets, among rocks, and in holes and cisterns. ⁷ Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul, however, was still at Gilgal, and all his troops were gripped with fear.

The situation keeps getting worse. They lost their main camp (Michmash), they’re losing soldiers, and those who remained have lost heart. They are in trouble.

What do we do when we’re in trouble? The first thing a Christian must do is remember this eternal truth: God is our Refuge and Strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.^[11] We’ll see that Jonathan understood that. He was never concerned about numbers. He’ll say, “Nothing can keep the Lord by saving, whether by many or by few.”

Yet many Israelites were not only retreating, they were retreating out of the Promised Land altogether, and we’ll find that some even defected to the Philistines.

1 Samuel 13:8-9 – ⁸ He waited seven days for the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the troops were deserting him. ⁹ So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” Then he offered the burnt offering.

An offering like this was necessary before God’s people went into battle. After all, the Lord only authorized holy war. Rather, He would only be with them if He sent them into battle.

Saul does the ritual, not because he actually expects to hear from God but because the people needed to see it to feel better about what was happening. It’s to manipulate their emotions.

The leaders of the colony at Darien didn’t want to lose investors, so they sent letters home that gave the false impression things were going well. In reality they were burying 10 settlers a day.^[12]

1 Samuel 13:10-12 – ¹⁰ Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. So Saul went out to greet him, ¹¹ and Samuel asked, “What have you done?” Saul answered, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me and you didn’t come within the appointed days and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash, ¹² I thought, ‘The Philistines will now descend on me at Gilgal, and I haven’t sought the LORD’s favor.’ So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering.”

When we’re caught in sin, we’re great at blame shifting, aren’t we? “The woman you gave me…” “I put the gold in the fire and this calf came out!”

Saul puts the blame on three others: The Philistines, the people, and Samuel himself. Linguists note he uses a very emphatic term when he says, “you didn’t come on time.”^[13]

One of the most important lessons we need to learn from Saul’s story is that to obey is better than sacrifice. He said, “I’ll seek the Lord’s favor by not doing what the Lord commanded.”

Friends, we cannot please God through disobedience. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commands.”^[14] If you’re a Christian, you know the commands of Jesus. Are we obeying? Now, if you’re a brand new Christian, maybe you don’t know everything God has commanded you. That’s ok. Learn what He’s commanded by studying His word. But we know the command to repent, to believe, to the love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. To love our neighbors as ourselves. We will not do these things perfectly, but are we obeying?

If you want God’s favor in your life, you must obey. James says that if we look into the word and do what it says we will be blessed.^[15] It’s when we go our own way that life starts to collapse. And it does no good to try to rationalize our disobedience. “I forced myself to disobey…” Instead, we need to walk in repentance which will then lead us to truth and help us escape spiritual traps.^[16]

1 Samuel 13:13-14 – ¹³ Samuel said to Saul, “You have been foolish. You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. It was at this time that the LORD would have permanently established your reign over Israel, ¹⁴ but now your reign will not endure. The LORD has found a man after his own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over his people, because you have not done what the LORD commanded.”

The problem was not that Saul offered sacrifices. It’s that he’s specifically bypassing both the prophetic word he already received and he’s bypassing the whole office of prophet. Remember, God established that the office of prophet so that the king would know what God wanted. But Saul says, “I’ve got my own plan.” He does spirituality his own way rather than by the word of God.

The result is a dramatic discipline from God. Now, God is not petty. And it’s not just that Saul made one mistake and that’s it. God knows the heart. Saul’s hardened unwillingness to obey will be revealed as his story unfolds. But this situation reminds us of a very important truth: Your choices matter. Your spiritual choices matter.

If I say I love God but do not obey Him, I should expect negative consequences. I should expect discipline and the loss of spiritual fruit, and ultimately that God will stop using me for His work until I repent and obey Him. Listen to what Paul says in Titus 1:

Titus 1:16 – [There are those who] claim to know God, but they deny Him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.

Saul acted foolishly. The term means, “to act foolishly in self-reliance.”^[17] When we try to live life on our own, apart from God’s leading and boundaries, it is foolish. It’s like building a house on sand. When we rely on Him in obedience and faith, it is like building a house upon the Rock.

1 Samuel 13:15 – ¹⁵ Then Samuel went from Gilgal to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul registered the troops who were with him, about six hundred men.

Saul is great at counting. But where is the leading? Where is the victory? Where is the power? Without the Lord, without the word of the Lord, he’s got nothing.

The rest of our verses describe the state of things for Israel. It’s worse than one looming battle.

1 Samuel 13:16-22 – ¹⁶ Saul, his son Jonathan, and the troops who were with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, and the Philistines were camped at Michmash. ¹⁷ Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three divisions. One division headed toward the Ophrah road leading to the land of Shual. ¹⁸ The next division headed toward the Beth-horon road, and the last division headed down the border road that looks out over the Zeboim Valley toward the wilderness. ¹⁹ No blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise, the Hebrews will make swords or spears.” ²⁰ So all the Israelites went to the Philistines to sharpen their plows, mattocks, axes, and sickles. ²¹ The price was two-thirds of a shekel for plows and mattocks, and one-third of a shekel for pitchforks and axes, and for putting a point on a cattle prod. ²² So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hand of any of the troops who were with Saul and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.

After the Dairen disaster, Scotland lost her national sovereignty. Things were so bad that by 1707 they had to fully unify with England.

The Philistines could now do whatever they wanted. They locked Israel down militarily and economically. They’ve sealed Saul off so he can’t move troops out and no other troops can come to him.^[18] They’ve parked their army just a few miles from where he is, and he’s absolutely powerless.

Meanwhile, the Philistines regularly send out parties of destroyers through the land.^[19] They’ve outlawed blacksmiths, so Israel is becoming impoverished by the fees the Philistines charged to get their tools in working condition. Two thirds of a shekel to get your plow ready for planting. A shekel was the average monthly income.^[20]

How could they have no weapons yet still be an army? They had no iron weapons. Meaning they’d be fighting with things like clubs, ox goads, and slings. Not much compared to chariots.

Now that Saul is really, finally king how were things in Israel? Depleted, defenseless, despair. But even still there were hints of God’s grace. Reminders of His hesed love. One, Jonathan. Yahweh has given. Two, the Philistines should have been able to just wipe Israel out. Why didn’t they? God would not allow His people to be destroyed. Three, a new king was coming. One who would follow the Lord to victory, to provision, to fruitfulness, to Godliness, which would bless the nation.

God wanted Israel to enjoy the Promised Land. He wanted peace for them, growth for them, victory, and rejoicing. But when we go our own way we will not end up at those destinations. Again and again the Lord says, “Let Me lead you. It requires faith. It requires obedience. But if you’ll listen and obey, then I can do more for you than you could ever ask or imagine.”

Proverbs 16:3 – ³ Commit your activities to the LORD, and your plans will be established.

It was started in 1986 by Gary Cantrell.^[2] Everything about the Barkley Marathon is a trial. The application process is notoriously secretive. You must answer a series of strange questions and write an essay on why you should be allowed to compete. Only 40 are allowed each year.

If accepted, you are told the starting day, but not the starting time. There’s a 12 hour window where you must listen for the blowing of a conch shell, which signals the race will begin in one hour. It’s billed as 100 miles, but it’s not so simple. The course is unmarked and changes every year. You must run 5 loops of the course in 60 hours. Runners estimate that each loop is actually somewhere in the 26-28 mile range, which ends up being another marathon on top of 100 miles.^[3]

If you complete the course, you will have traversed over 60,000 feet of elevation gain. That’s two times up Mount Everest. One section of the race takes you through a sawbrier thicket which will shred your clothing and your skin. You’ll have to be on the lookout for wild boar, snakes, bears, and poison ivy while you deal with severe swings in the weather, including snow and hail. Oh and half of the race is run in the dark of night.

It took 10 years for a runner to even finish this race. For perspective, one fellow who completed a 7 marathons in 7 continents in 7 days in the fastest time ever fished just one loop of the Barkley.^[4]

As Jesus continues the Olivet Discourse, He explains to Peter, Andrew, James, and John that their race is going to get very difficult. He says, “Guys, you and disciples after you are going to go through some serious hazards. Unfair treatment. Imprisonment. Pain. Suffering. Even death. You’ll face it at the local level, the regional level, and the national level. You’ll face it in your communities and in your own homes.”

Seeing the course mapped out might make us quickly retreat to the fact that Jesus’ main focus in the Olivet Discourse is the Great Tribulation. “This doesn’t have to apply to us, right?”

And it’s true that the ultimate fulfillment is yet future in that time of trouble, which will be unlike anything the world has ever seen – a time we will not be on earth for.

But we know from verses 14 and 37 of this chapter that there is application here for all of us. Why? Because though we are not yet in the final seven years of earth’s history, we are in the last days. We know that because of what the Bible says. Hebrews 1:2, “In these last days, God has spoken to us by His Son.” In Acts 2, Peter explains Pentecost by saying, “The prophet Joel said this would happen in the last days.” John said, “Guys, the spirit of the antichrist is already in the world.”^[5]

So, we are not in the Last Days (capital L, capital D), and the capital A Antichrist is not yet in power. But the warnings Jesus gives here became a reality as soon as He ascended. Acts gives the record of persecution Christians face. That opposition is not limited to the 12 apostles. It’s happening today in places like Nigeria. China. Kazakhstan. And many other places around the world.

But Jesus’ words are not meant to scare us. Instead, they show there is hope even during terrible suffering. There is power given from heaven when the Church is persecuted. And something truly magnificent is waiting for us at the end of the race.

Mark 13:9 – ⁹ “But you, be on your guard! They will hand you over to local courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a witness to them.

We start with another command to be spiritually awake. What does He mean by “be on guard?” Does He mean we need to be ready to fight? Ready to escape? Become preppers of one kind or another? Some suggest that this is a command to not try to escape persecution,^[6] but that doesn’t line up with what we’ll read in verses 14 through 16. And we see there were times in Paul’s life where he escaped persecution legally, other times clandestinely, other times he willfully endured it.

The command is to have spiritual sight. “On guard” here literally means: To have the faculty of sight.^[7] Seeing your life circumstances according to what the Lord desires.

In this case, the Lord says His desire is for these individuals to be witnesses of the truth of the Gospel and the power of Jesus Christ.

Now here’s what I find amazing: God establishes governments. Many of those governments not only turn away from God, but violently oppose His Word and His people. And so what does God do? He sends witnesses to share the Good News with the governors. With the kings. Consider Nineveh and what lengths God went to so they could hear the message of salvation.

Now, when they still reject Him, the witnesses now are not just to the rulers, but are actually against those governing rulers. One day they will be on trial before the Judge of heaven and earth. The language used for “witness” can mean either witness to or witness against.^[8] But first there is grace. How can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher?^[9]

There’s another grace here. We imagine the rulers of these synagogues cruelly flogging a Christian – something that happened to Paul many times. The rules were that a person would be struck 13 times on the chest and 26 on the back, being struck as hard as possible.^[10]

But did you know those who endured the lash in the synagogues did so in order to be able to remain part of the synagogue? Otherwise they could just be thrown out.^[11] So what we’re seeing here is a Christian, like Paul, so willing to share the Gospel with the lost that they willingly endured the pain of flogging so that they would be allowed to stay so they could preach to them again.

Mark 13:10 – ¹⁰ And it is necessary that the gospel be preached to all nations.

This verse has led some to the conclusion that Jesus cannot come back until the whole world has been evangelized. As one scholar wrote, “The sooner the gospel is preached to all nations, the sooner the kingdom will arrive and all suffering will cease.”^[12] But this is not at all the case.

You and I are not responsible for the culmination of global evangelism. Remember, the primary setting of the Olivet Discourse is the Great Tribulation – a time when the Two Witnesses, the 144,000, and even angels will be covering all the globe with Gospel preaching.

God is not hemmed in by our activity. We are not responsible for the culmination. But, here’s what is true: We are Christ’s Body on the earth today. We are His ambassadors. We are the light of the world. We are commanded to go and make disciples. So we are responsible not for the culmination, but for cooperation. And see what Jesus says: The Gospel must be preached.

We cannot compromise on the Gospel. We can’t hide it away and just make our churches more entertaining and hope people figure it out on their own. We must preach that human beings are sinners, dead in trespasses and sins, condemned to hell for all eternity unless we are saved from our sin. And that the only way to be saved is through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. That He was crucified for our sins, to bear the penalty of all the wrong things we’ve done. And that He was buried and then rose from the dead 3 days later in victory over sin and death. And that whosoever will believe on Him will not perish but have everlasting life. Because we are not saved by any works of our own, but by grace, through faith.

We are the witnesses today. Praise the Lord that we don’t have to witness through the brutal sufferings of persecution. But we are the preachers sent to sow the seed and work the harvest.

Mark 13:11 – ¹¹ So when they arrest you and hand you over, don’t worry beforehand what you will say, but say whatever is given to you at that time, for it isn’t you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

The point is not that skipping preparation is good. That’s not actually the command. The command is not to worry. How can we not worry if we’re being beaten and arrested and brought before a corrupt judge who holds our fate in his hands? Well, because he doesn’t hold our fate, does he?

One of the great encouragements from these verses, tense though they are, is the reminder that God’s plan cannot be thwarted. He says here, “In moments of extreme persecution, you will have My extraordinary presence. The Holy Spirit, right there on the courtroom floor with us.

Gary Cantrell, the designer of the Barkley Marathon discussed how he loves to make things harder for applicants to the race. “Anything that makes it more mentally stressful for the runners is good.”^[13] Runners are given a general map, but are expressly forbidden from using any kind of GPS help.

What does the Designer of our race do? He says He’ll run with us. He’ll show us the way. He gives us His own strength so we can continue. He not only directs, He lives in our hearts, in our minds, to fill us with joy, with contentment, with knowledge, with all we need for life and Godliness.

Mark 13:12 – ¹² “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.

It’s not only about social hazards. There will be even familial breakup over Jesus Christ. Certainly this will be very true in the Great Tribulation, as total war is being waged on both Christians and Jews. But remember what Jesus said in Matthew 24. As the last days continue and especially at the very end, “the love of many will grow cold.”^[14] Haven’t we see an increase of that kind of behavior? Whether it was during COVID or today when we see people so obsessed over politics that they say things like, “I don’t talk to my family anymore because they voted for this person for president.”

The love of many is growing cold. But what are Christians called to? Never a chilling of love. Never! Rather, our love is supposed to grow and deepen toward an ever-widening family of brothers and sisters that are brought into the Church. A love that overflows,^[15] not drains away.

Mark 13:13 – ¹³ You will be hated by everyone because of my name, but the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Let’s deal with that scary, closing phrase first. The one who endures will be saved? Does this mean that if I’m not a good enough Christian I’ll lose my salvation? Quick answer is: No, that is not what this means. Jesus said in John 10, “My sheep know My voice and follow Me, the Father has given them to Me, and no one can snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”^[16]

Salvation is not received by works and it is not maintained by works. An example that has always been very vivid and encouraging to me was one I once heard about Noah’s ark. When God had Noah build the ark, how was Noah saved? By going inside the ark God provided by design. God did not say, “Noah, a flood is coming. On the outside of the ark, place one six inch peg for your feet and another 6 inch peg up higher for your hands. And Noah, as long as you can hold on, you’ll be saved. You won’t drown!” No. The Lord closed Noah in. With all the supply necessary. And the Lord brought them out safe and sound on dry land.

The endurance shows us who a true disciple is. We might ask: Was Judas a true disciple? Why not? Because in the end it was revealed. Back to 1 John, we see how ton identify true Christians, “They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. They went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us.”^[17]

In these verses Jesus has described a difficult race course. Beaten. Arrested. Betrayed. Killed. Hated. “Lord, I don’t know if I can finish a race that hard. It seems as though I’ve lost everything.”

You know, if you do finish the Barkley Marathon, there is no award. No prize money. No medal.

For a persecuted Christian, the race is hard. It may cost a great deal. Our race has trials and troubles even if we don’t live under persecution. But what do you receive at the end? You will be saved. Those who lay down their lives for Jesus receive a crown of life. But even if we aren’t called upon to die as martyrs or even be really persecuted, consider what we receive at the end of the race: Everlasting life. Eternal reward. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived what God has prepared these things for those who love Him.”^[18]

The mistake is if we see difficulty and then turn from our Christian calling. Jesus said if that’s the quality of our faith, we’re not worthy of Him. He said, “Listen, if you refuse to follow Me and run this race and instead try to save your life, you’re going to lose it.”^[19]

So tonight, we recognize, soberly, what faces those who come to faith in Christ during the Great Tribulation. We recognize that there are many, many thousands of our brothers and sisters who face these realities today in parts of the world. We thank God that He has shown us such mercy and grace that we get to live in a land where we can freely worship and freely gather and freely proclaim the Gospel. And so let’s remember that and take advantage of how clear the path is for us right now. The Gospel must be preached. We are the preachers. These are the last days. We do not need to worry, but we need to be awake. We run the race to win the race.

It was his sentences that went viral. Rather, it was the choices he offered the guilty. They could choose jail or a more unusual punishment meant to teach the defendant a valuable lesson.

A woman convicted of stealing from a church was ordered to spell out “I stole coins from this church” in coins and apologize to every person who came one Sunday. A man who ripped off a Salvation Army red kettle would have to spend 24 hours homeless.

Then there is the case of 19 year old Victoria Bascom. She and a friend took a cab and skipped out on paying. Cicconetti gave Victoria a choice: 30 days in jail or walk 30 miles in 48 hours.

At first Victoria was upset. But later she said, “I’m lucky he gave me this option.”^[3] Not only did the judge give grace, he doubled down on mercy. As she walked, he personally checked up on her. He saw her pace was not enough to finish in 48 hours. So he reduced the sentence to 20 miles.

There was a crowd on hand for Judge Cicconetti’s final day of rulings. After the last gavel, everyone started clapping.

Our text shows Samuel’s last day as judge over Israel. It doesn’t end with clapping, but crying as the nation is punished for their sin. But in his final ruling, Samuel gives the guilty defendants a choice. They could either walk with God or they could swerve off the path into emptiness and ruin.

Would they choose the walk? Will we choose to walk with God? Today we choose who we will serve, who we will follow. The choice set before us is following or wandering – life or death.

1 Samuel 12:1-3 – ¹ Then Samuel said to all Israel, “I have carefully listened to everything you said to me and placed a king over you. ² Now you can see that the king is leading you. As for me, I’m old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have led you from my youth until now. ³ Here I am. Bring charges against me before the LORD and his anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Who have I wronged or mistreated? Who gave me a bribe to overlook something? I will return it to you.”

On his last day in court, Judge Samuel does something remarkable: He puts himself on trial. He invites anyone in the nation to bring an accusation of wrongdoing against him.

His words are a powerful bookend. The very first thing he said in his story was “Here I am.”^[4] Now, on the final day of his official service as judge and he says once again, “Here I am.” Samuel has been faithful and upright in his choices both before God and man. He finished well.

Friends, we are called to live righteous lives. Meaning we choose to do what God has commanded, go God’s way, and be like Jesus. Not just when it’s easy or popular, but day by day. The Bible says we are to live “above reproach.”^[5] Here’s how Paul fleshes it out in Philippians chapter 2:

Philippians 2:14-16a – ¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling and arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked & perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, ¹⁶ by holding firm to the word of life.

Sounds hard, doesn’t it? It’s a high calling. But this is the Christian life. And if we are in Christ, we have the power we need to follow this command. It’s not one way of living, it’s the Christian way.

1 Samuel 12:4-5 – ⁴ “You haven’t wronged us, you haven’t mistreated us, and you haven’t taken anything from anyone,” they responded. ⁵ He said to them, “The LORD is a witness against you, and his anointed is a witness today that you haven’t found anything in my hand.” “He is a witness,” they said.

When the people demanded a king, they were not only turning from God’s authority, they were also rejecting the judges He selected. The Israelites are making a mistake and taking a terrible risk.

You have a judge, chosen by God to help the people, he had never done anything to hurt them or take advantage of them. But still the people say, “Give us a king.”

Ironically, what was the first thing Saul did when he started to lead? Threatened to kill their oxen. So here’s Samuel, filled with God’s wisdom and power and grace. He has a spotless track record. Israel says, “give us a king.” And right away the king says, “I’ll kill all your oxen if you don’t do what I want.”

None of Israel’s kings would live up to the integrity of Samuel. Not even David. Many of them would be terrible for the people. But that’s what happens when we stop pressing into our relationship with the Lord and go our own way. We settle for less and bring loss upon ourselves.

1 Samuel 12:6-7 – ⁶ Then Samuel said to the people, “The LORD, who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors up from the land of Egypt, is a witness. ⁷ Now present yourselves, so I may confront you before the LORD about all the righteous acts he has done for you and your ancestors.

Judge Samuel now brings charges against the nation. He says, “I’m going to confront you.” The charge was: Were they faithful? Samuel had been. More importantly, the Lord had been.

The people acted as if they had no other choice than to demand a king. But Samuel will show that God had been nothing but faithful and powerful and generous toward them for hundreds of years.

If you had a neighbor who, out of the kindness of his heart, mowed your front lawn every single week for the last 20 years and he always did a good job, would you go hire someone to do the job for $200 a week? That would be silly, right? And that’s the basic point Samuel is going to make.

One of the best things we can do to maintain a healthy spiritual attitude toward God is to remember the great things He has done for us. That’s one of the reasons we sing about them so often. Because when we do not fill our hearts with memories of God’s faithfulness, complaining rushes in. Discontent rushes in. Frustration and jealousy and greed rush in. And error follows.

1 Samuel 12:8-12 – ⁸ “When Jacob went to Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the LORD, and he sent them Moses and Aaron, who led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place. ⁹ But they forgot the LORD their God, so he handed them over to Sisera commander of the army of Hazor, to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab. These enemies fought against them. ¹⁰ Then they cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned, for we abandoned the LORD and worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths. Now rescue us from the power of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ ¹¹ So the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel. He rescued you from the power of the enemies around you, and you lived securely. ¹² But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was coming against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king reign over us’—even though the LORD your God is your king.

How much does the Lord have to do for me before I will trust Him? How many times does He have to reveal His goodness before I no longer make decisions motivated by fear and doubt? It’s so obvious when we read the Old Testament, isn’t it? We see these stories and think, “Just trust the Lord!” But the same unfaithfulness lives in my heart. The same propensity to worry that God won’t really come through for me this time.

The people were afraid of Nahash. We saw he was a scary guy. Yet what had the Lord done? He rescued them from enemies in the north, , the south, enemies in the west, enemies in the east.^[6]

Faith doesn’t mean we never have trouble. It means that in trouble we trust the Lord.

Psalm 46:1-2 – ¹ God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. ² Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas.

That is the faith we want. One that sees the works of God and is at rest, knowing that He is God. If you’re in some sort of crisis today, it is not time to withdraw from Jesus. It’s time to press into Him.

Meanwhile, we get a reminder here of how God does things. In most cases He decides to use His people to do His work. You and me! Notice in each of these troubles – whether it was Egypt or the Philistines or Moab or Nahash – what did God do? He appointed and sent His servants.

What has God appointed and sent you to do? It’s something. Some calling He has placed on your life. Being appointed was not just an Old Testament thing.^[7] In John 15, Jesus said that all of us are appointed to go and bear fruit. Is that happening in your life?

1 Samuel 12:13 – ¹³ “Now here is the king you’ve chosen, the one you requested. Look, this is the king the LORD has placed over you.

God was always faithful, always good, always right, always victorious. Would that be true of every kings? They might be brave, they might not. They might be virtuous, they might not. They might be holy, they might not. Quite a gamble. But there was no turning back. Their choice was locked in.

1 Samuel 12:14-15 – ¹⁴ If you fear the LORD, worship and obey him, and if you don’t rebel against the LORD’s command, then both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God. ¹⁵ However, if you disobey the LORD and rebel against his command, the LORD’s hand will be against you as it was against your ancestors.

Even now the Lord would be gracious to them. They had made a terrible, unfaithful choice despite God’s track record, despite the warnings, but the Lord still kept the door open. They could still walk with Him. He would still lead and help and provide for them. One commentator noted, “Everything has changed – and nothing has changed.”^[8]

To fear the Lord does not mean God wants us to cower in fright. The connotation here means awe and reverence toward the Lord.^[9] Here it’s demonstrated by a life of worship and obedience and discipleship. Following God’s leading. That’s what Samuel means by “if you fear the Lord.”

1 Samuel 12:16-18 – ¹⁶ “Now, therefore, present yourselves and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes. ¹⁷ Isn’t the wheat harvest today? I will call on the LORD, and he will send thunder and rain so that you will recognize what an immense evil you committed in the LORD’s sight by requesting a king for yourselves.” ¹⁸ Samuel called on the LORD, and on that day the LORD sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

When Judge Cicconetti sentenced Victoria to walk 30 miles, there was still the matter of a fine. She would have to pay $100 to the cabbie and have four months of probation.

God offered them grace, but there were still consequences. A judicial fine, as it were. Why? Is God being vindictive? No. Remember Hebrews tells us: “The Lord disciplines the one He loves.”

God is not interested in letting us throw our lives away as we wander from Him. He forgives our sin, but sin brings consequences. One of the first things it does is destroy the spiritual fruit in our lives.

This crop would be damaged if not destroyed. That’s what happens when we rebel against God. Destruction of harvest. Damage to the fruit He wants to grow in us.

The Lord was also establishing an important aspect of this new system: The king would lead, but the prophet would have power the king didn’t have. God was not relinquishing the throne of Israel.

1 Samuel 12:19 – ¹⁹ They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so we won’t die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of requesting a king for ourselves.”

They had been convicted and now they confess. But there’s a sad aspect to what they say here. In chapter 7, when the people were afraid, they said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying out to the Lord our God for us.” But now we sense the rift in their relationship with the Lord. “The Lord your God.”

Of course, there were still faithful people in Israel. This text isn’t suggesting that Samuel was the only real believer. But we remember that God deals not only with individuals but also with nations. And generally speaking the nation had turned away from the Lord. The result wasn’t good.

1 Samuel 12:20-22 – ²⁰ Samuel replied, “Don’t be afraid. Even though you have committed all this evil, don’t turn away from following the LORD. Instead, worship the LORD with all your heart. ²¹ Don’t turn away to follow worthless things that can’t profit or rescue you; they are worthless. ²² The LORD will not abandon his people, because of his great name and because he has determined to make you his own people.

Even after all this, God’s said, “You’re still My people and you don’t have to be afraid.” No matter what mistakes we’ve made, we can always turn to God. He is ready to save. He is determined to love you. He won’t force you to receive that love or to love Him in return, but He has His mind made up. He will always keep His promises. Both to the nation of Israel and to us.

But it’s a choice. Just like in Deuteronomy: “I set before you today life and death. Choose life.” Just like in Joshua: “Choose this day whom you will serve.” You can follow Jesus or you can turn away from Him. The Hebrew is vivid. It can be translated, “Swerve away after mere emptiness.”^[10]

So, we can either continue walking after Jesus as He leads us on a solid path, straight and narrow, to life everlasting and joy overflowing, or we can swerve off that path into a ravine of emptiness.

1 Samuel 12:23-25 – ²³ “As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and right way. ²⁴ Above all, fear the LORD and worship him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things he has done for you. ²⁵ However, if you continue to do what is evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”

Judge Cicconetti admitted that at one point he almost quit the bench. He became so depressed with the people coming through the courtroom and he was frustrated that he couldn’t help some of them. But, he stayed and did what he could, case by case.

Samuel was no longer leading the people. But he wasn’t done being a part of God’s work. He was old and grey, but he still had things he could do. Though he was hurt by their choice, he shows the kind of mercy the Lord has. He was actively gracious and compassionate like the Lord was.

Sometimes we become limited by resources or age or disease or circumstances. The Lord still gives us power to serve Him. In prayer. In encouragement. In all sorts of ways. And no matter what stage of life or faith we find ourselves in, here is another call to worship God, fill our hearts with gratitude, fear the Lord, and to follow Him.

You know, Victoria Bescom had a friend in the cab that day that they committed their crime. The friend did not take Judge Cicconetti’s deal. The news didn’t follow up, but what a shame if she chose captivity over a long walk.

Every day we have the same choice we see presented in this story. Growth or waste. Discipleship or on some detour that leads to a dead end, the ruin of spiritual fruit, uselessness in God’s hands. Fear the Lord. Worship Him. Proclaim His goodness and power in all His righteous acts. Follow His leading. Hold firm to our Refuge and Strength. Give Him the throne, the gavel, the helm of your life.

Today we have a tender command given with powerful imagery.

1 Peter 5:5b – ⁵ All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

One scholar wrote, “Humility is the oil that allows relationships in the church to run smoothly and lovingly.”^[1] It is an absolutely essential virtue in the Christian life.

When Peter wrote these words, humility was not an ideal in Greco-Roman society.^[2] Today it is a virtue, thanks to how the Bible has permeated our society. But we know humility is not a natural inclination of the human heart. We struggle with selfishness, self-centeredness, and pride.

That’s why Peter reminds us of what God said all the way back in Proverbs. Not only does pride not help us, but God actively resists the proud. James also quotes that verse in his letter.

There is one perfect example of humility given to us in the Bible. It’s when, on the night before His crucifixion, Jesus put on a servant’s towel, and washed His disciples’ feet. There has never been a greater example of humility. God Himself stooped to do the lowest job. Not begrudgingly, but lovingly and contentedly.

Undoubtedly Peter had that scene in mind as he used the illustration of putting humility on like a garment. But that’s not just good writing, it’s actually important.

Everyone here today is clothed – thank you! But at the start of your day, you picked those clothes. You decided to wear that shirt instead of the others. Those shoes. It was a willful choice to present yourself a certain way. And tomorrow you’re going to do the same thing. And then Tuesday, and Wednesday. Every day you choose to clothe yourself with certain garments.

And that’s how Peter views this command. That we make a daily, willful choice to put on humility, not just in the way we think about ourselves, but humility toward one another. It’s not just about not being arrogant or not being a boaster or not demanding your own way, but wearing humility the way Jesus did. An active humility that serves others rather than always expecting to be served.

And not only are we commanded to clothe hearts, our tongues, our thoughts, our actions with humility, but Peter uses a peculiar word here – he’s the only one to use it in the New Testament. The clothing refers to the apron of a slave, like the one Jesus used at the last supper, but the verse can be paraphrased this way: “Put on and wrap yourselves about with humility, so that the covering of humility cannot possibly be stripped from you.”^[3]

The Christian life is not only about belief, and not only about behavior, it’s also about deciding ahead of time to go God’s way. To look for ways you can carry out your Christianity. To choose the path of humility before the moment presents itself. And not allowing our circumstances or pressures to strip the power of God from how we live.

When we do that, we we clothe ourselves with humility, God can lavish His grace on us.

Mark 13 has those syllabus elements. A couple days before the crucifixion, four disciples find themselves in a seminar with their Rabbi. As Mark records the scene, we’ll find that he suddenly looks right at us and says, “You readers need to understand this.” This text is full of prophecy and principle and is foundational for our understanding of eschatology.

What is eschatology? That simply means what the Bible teaches about the end times. The end of human history, the end of the world, and the eternal life that follows.

Eschatology is one of those topics that people tend to get very passionate about. They say if you want to stay out of a fight at Thanksgiving don’t talk about politics or religion. If you’re among a group of Christians who go to various churches and you don’t want to get into an argument, there are certain things you don’t bring up. Gifts of the Spirit. Predestination. Eschatology.

Among faithful believers there are some who say the Church is going to be raptured, some who say it isn’t. Some who believe that there will be a literal, 1,000 year Kingdom on earth, some who say we’re in the Kingdom now. Even when people agree, there’s disagreement. Among Christians who believe in the rapture, some say it’s before the Great Tribulation, some say after, some day part way through, some say a different part of the way through. Some say there is a partial rapture.

How can there be so much disagreement? Well, there are a lot of things that feed into our doctrinal positions. What church traditions have we been exposed to? What authors do we read? But most of all when dealing with the end times: How do we think Bible prophecy should be interpreted?

Here at Calvary, we believe that the Bible should be interpreted literally. Or, as some scholars put it, the “grammatical-historical method.”^[1] That means we assume a prophecy is literal unless we’re given clear and convincing textual evidence that it’s meant to be understood figuratively.

Some other believers assume that prophecy is allegorical. But that creates problems. We know many prophecies are or were literal. So, how do we pick and choose which are really going to happen and which are just an allegory? All the prophecies about Jesus’ first coming really happened. And even tonight, we’ll see Jesus make a specific prophecy about something that really happened later in history. How then can we move to His next set of prophecies and say they’re just an analogy or allegory for the Christian life? It’s not a consistent way of interpreting the Scripture.

So we assume Bible prophecy is literal. That doesn’t mean the Bible never uses allegory or illustration in prophecy. Sometimes it does. And when it does, it gives us a heads up!

A large portion of the entire Bible is prophetic in nature. But there are certain passages that are foundational to our understanding of what is still going to happen in God’s plan for this world.

For example, Daniel 9 gives us the extremely important 70 Weeks Prophecy. Revelation 6 through 19 shows us the Great Tribulation. Chapters 20 through 22 show us the Millennial Kingdom and the eternal state. Ezekiel 40 through 48 show us the Millennium and how things like worship and tribal allotment will happen in that period. 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5 speak to us about the rapture and the second coming of Christ. 1 Corinthians 15 teaches about the nature and quality of the resurrection.

And then there’s the Olivet Discourse. It’s a lecture Jesus gave to four of His disciples about the end times. It’s recorded in Matthew 24 and 25, Mark 13, and Luke 21.

While we work our way through it, we want to keep a few things in mind. First, it deals with the Great Tribulation and the second coming. It does not show us the rapture or the Millennium.

Second, it has a great emphasis on God’s dealings with the nation of Israel. When you go to Matthew, you see that it flows from Jesus pronouncing the destruction of Jerusalem because they rejected Him as Messiah. The Lord then imposes judicial blindness on the nation.^[2] The Olivet Discourse refers to the Temple and the Sabbath. It those ways, it’s extremely Jewish in character.

Third, we need to keep in mind the Scriptural connections. Not just the other Gospels. The Olivet Discourse is connected to Daniel’s prophecies and has very close harmony with Revelation, particularly chapter 6.^[3]

Fourth, the prophecies Jesus makes here are definitely meant to be understood literally. He begins with a specific prophecy that is absolutely, 100% proven to be true. He ends with a discussion about how He is literally coming back one day, which is a fundamental and essential doctrine. Yet, some Christians and commentators will say things like, “The Olivet Discourse is not to encourage eschatological forecasting.” Most of what Jesus mentioned happened in 70AD.^[4] They say it’s purpose is not to give details about the future.^[5] They label Jesus’ lesson here as “apocalyptic literature,” which they say is “highly figurative, symbolic, even extravagant.”^[6] But then they will quietly acknowledge this speech does not have many of the features of apocalyptic literature.^[7]

The fifth thing to understand as we go through this text: Even though we are not going to be present for any part of the Great Tribulation, there are still commands and directives that apply to us. Jesus concludes His lecture by saying, “What I say to you, I say to everyone.”^[8]

That’s a very long introduction but I think it’s important because how important this section of the book is. And prophecy can be difficult to understand. But here’s the encouragement: God wants you to understand. He wants to reveal. He wants us to be aware so we can be alert. So, let’s take a look at the first few verses and start into this remarkable lecture from Jesus.

Mark 13:1 – ¹ As he was going out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look! What massive stones! What impressive buildings!”

Herod’s Temple was magnificent. Twice as large as Solomon’s. It was made of white marble. One whole side was covered in plates of gold.^[9] Over the doors was a huge vine of solid gold. You could pay to add a cluster.^[10] Some individual stones were over 40 feet long, weighing 100 tons.^[11]

Yet we know that Temple was not only spiritually bankrupt, but God’s presence did not dwell there.

Even Christians can be distracted by the worldly and the material. We want to keep the spiritual in focus. There’s nothing wrong with having a lovely building, but that’s not what should impress us the most or be the thing we’re most excited about. What good is a palace without God’s presence?

Mark 13:2 – ² Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another—all will be thrown down.” 

This literally happened in 70AD. Now, Jesus wasn’t happy about it. Matthew and Luke explain how Jesus wept and lamented over Jerusalem and the terrible disaster that was coming.

Jesus wasn’t speaking figuratively here. Josephus – who saw it happen – said the destruction was so complete you could plow the temple mount like a field.^[12] The Romans were so effective in razing the temple that the exact location on the mount is still disputed today!^[13]

Mark 13:3-4 – ³ While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴ “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?”

They walked out of Jerusalem, across the valley, up the mount where they had a little base of operations. The location is prophetic in and of itself. In Ezekiel, the glory of the Lord departs the temple and where does He go? The mount of olives. Now, just days before Israel will reject their Messiah, He departs the temple and goes to the same place. And where is Jesus going to return when He comes back again? The mount of olives!^[14]

The disciples were confused. They thought the Messiah was going to establish a Jewish Kingdom. How could the temple be destroyed? They ask for specific information so they can be ready.

The answer Jesus gives is not what they asked for. Instead, the Lord will give them com sign posts, commands, encouragements, and ways to understand the flow of human history.

The Olivet Discourse is the longest uninterrupted teaching of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark – one of only two. It is incredibly important as far as Mark is concerned. And as you read it, notice not only the elements of prophecy, but notice how often the Lord gives us commands. He starts with one.

Mark 13:5-6 – ⁵ Jesus told them, “Watch out that no one deceives you. ⁶ Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and they will deceive many.

There were a string of Jewish figures who claimed to be the Messiah. That pretty much ended in 132 AD with a guy named Bar Cochba.^[15] But throughout history there have always been people who claim to have the power or the answers that only the Messiah has. Whether it’s a political leader or someone who claims spiritual authority, we need to watch out for these false Christs so that we’re not deceived by them.

If these pretend messiahs are so effective and able to deceive many, how can we keep ourselves protected? How do we watch out? Jesus said if we continue in His word we will know the truth and the truth will set us free.^[16] The Bible is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Know the word and you will not be deceived.

Mark 13:7-8a – ⁷ When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be alarmed; these things must take place, but it is not yet the end. ⁸ For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

For those that want to confine the predictions in the Olivet Discourse to the battles of 70AD, we simply have to admit that terrible though they were, they did not in any way compare to the carnage of WWI or WWII or many other terrible wars throughout history.

Jesus indicates here that war is always going to be a reality until the Messiah returns and puts a stop to war forever. Meanwhile, believers are commanded to “[not] be alarmed.” What does that mean? It means that even if our own society becomes engulfed in war, the Lord is with us. He has help and hope and power and presence and grace for us. And as geopolitical conflicts happen, we don’t need to jump to hasty conclusions.^[17] We don’t want to become sensational in our interpretation of current events because when we do, we tend to make mistakes.

Some Thessalonians Christians did just that. They assumed the Day of the Lord had already happened and they had missed it. One of the great encouragements of the Olivet Discourse is that no one is going to miss the second coming. It’s preceded by the sun being darkened and stars falling from the sky. All the people alive on earth will see Him arrive.^[18]

Mark 13:8b – There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

Are earthquakes increasing? This week we saw the images of a devastating earthquake in Colombia. The truth is, we’re able to record more earthquakes than ever before because of technology. Does that mean the number is increasing? 2024 had a few less than average. 2025 had a few more. We want to be alert because Jesus told us to, but He also wants us to understand that the world is always going to be defined by these consequences of sin.

Now, once the Great Tribulation starts, then there are going to be some clearly observable phenomenon, detailed in this discourse and in Revelation, which clearly increase in frequency and intensity. And we need to remember that the Olivet Discourse is about the Tribulation. But the suffering is not the end focus. It’s not the labor pains that we really look forward to, but the birth at the end. The return of Christ, the establishment of His Kingdom, and eternal glory forever.

As a refresher, here’s how we understand what the Bible reveals about the end times: We’re in the Church age. It continues for an unspecified amount of time. Suddenly the rapture will occur. The dead in Christ will rise and Christians who are alive will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

After the rapture, maybe not immediately, but at some point after, the Great Tribulation will begin. From earth’s perspective, it begins when Israel signs a 7 year peace treaty with a world leader who the Bible calls the Antichrist.

After 3 and a half years, the Antichrist comes into the temple, declares himself to be God,^[19] and then sets up the abomination of desolation. This is another reason why we know Jesus wasn’t talking about 70AD. In 70AD the temple was destroyed but not desecrated.^[20]

After 3 and a half more years, as the world is engulfed in war and wrath, Jesus will return in His second coming, destroy the armies of the world at the battle of Armageddon, and carry out what we call the “Sheep and Goats” judgment described in Mark 13. After that, Christ will set up a physical Kingdom covering the whole earth for 1,000 years, with its capital in Jerusalem.

After 1,000 years, Satan is released from the Abyss where he was held since the end of the Tribulation. He leads a final rebellion against Jesus which is immediately crushed. Jesus then carries out the Great White Throne judgment where the devil is judged, as are all unbelievers.

After this comes eternity in hell for those who rejected Christ and eternity in the new heaven and new earth for all those who were saved.

Meanwhile, nothing needs to happen before the rapture occurs. It is always imminent. It was imminent in 70AD and it’s imminent today. The world is going to continue to experience things like wars and earthquakes and famines. There are specific earthquakes and famines in the Great Tribulation, but even beforehand the world will continually know trouble and tribulation, small ’t.’ Our part is to understand God’s plan and to follow the commands He gives.

In this Discourse, Jesus will say watch out, be on guard, don’t be alarmed, don’t be deceived, don’t worry, endure, don’t go after false Messiahs, notice the times, work and be alert. And because we understand Bible prophecy is literal, we should expect the world to be trending toward the future described by Jesus. And this knowledge should not worry us, but be a tool we use to spread the truth. To spread the hope of the Gospel. And to be an active part of God’s work in the dispensation we find ourselves in. We’re not going to be in the Great Tribulation – praise the Lord – but here we are in the church age. What’s our part? We have a big one. A joyous part to play. And as we go, Jesus really wants us to be spiritually awake and aware. That we have a living faith in God’s word, in God’s ways, in God’s will for this world. Not distracted by materialism or worldliness, but engaged with the revelation of the Word and the power of the Spirit as we live this life as God’s people.

On the campaign trail, Eisenhower promised the American people, “I will go to Korea.” It was a bold statement. But voters paid attention and gave him their trust. Ike took the 10,000 mile trip. He spent time on the front lines. He brought new leadership and a new plan to the conflict. Just 188 days after his inauguration, the armistice was signed and the War ended.

What’s most remarkable about Ike’s visit to Korea was that he wasn’t president yet! He went before inauguration. He took the trip, secretly, just a few weeks after the election.

We expect the president-elect to be spending those months before inauguration assembling a team and picking out new curtains for the Oval Office. But in Ike’s case, he began the job before he was installed in the job.

Something even more dramatic happens in this text. Saul has been anointed king, but when the story begins, he’s not yet ruling. But then a serious threat crops up and the people need not only a leader, but a deliverer. Saul immediately goes to save them, and then finally his reign begins.

This text reminds us that our God is a Savior, He is a Supplier of power and mercy and grace, and that He is a King to be celebrated.

1 Samuel 11:1-2 – ¹ Nahash, the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.” ² Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I’ll make one with you on this condition: that I gouge out everyone’s right eye and humiliate all Israel.”

The Philistines threatened from the West. The Ammonites were a threat on Israel’s east. When Israel finally came into the Promised Land, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh said they didn’t want to cross the Jordan. They stayed on the east side. Jabesh-Gilead was in that region. The Ammonites regularly attacked seeking to claim the land.^[1]

The Samuel scroll found among the Dead Sea Scrolls gives us additional historical background. It records, as does Josephus, that Nahash had gone through the whole region of the Reubenites and the Gadites conquering and gouging out eyes. In fact, that scroll says, “there remained not a man of the Israelites beyond the Jordan whose right eye Nahash did not gouge out,” other than 7,000 who had escaped to Jabesh-Gilead.^[2]

They were in a tough spot, facing a terrible enemy. One much stronger than them. Nahash means “snake.”^[3] His brutal example reminds us of the great enemy, that serpent of old, the devil. He has no intention of coexisting with you. His goal is to attack, maim, humiliate, and subjugate you.

He didn’t just want to hurt them, he wanted to make it so they could no longer fight. At that time, a soldier’s shield would cover the left eye with the right eye exposed.^[4] Nahash is very specific: “I want to gouge out your right eyes.” He wanted to make it so they could never fight again.

What’s sad is how quickly the people were to compromise. He laid siege and they immediately said, “Let’s make a covenant. We’ll be vassal servants under your authority and influence.”^[5]

1 Samuel 11:3 – ³ “Don’t do anything to us for seven days,” the elders of Jabesh said to him, “and let us send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If no one saves us, we will surrender to you.”

Why would Nahash agree to this? Remember: It’s a siege. He’s going to be waiting a long time anyway. Seven days would be a very short siege. He’s going to get this city at a discounted rate!

The people of Jabesh don’t have much hope. They think it’s very possible this ends with them all lining up to have their eyes gouged out.

Why? Well, there’s history here. In the time of the Judges there was a situation where the western tribes would not come help the Jabeshites. And then later, when the western tribes needed help, Jabesh refused to come to their aid.^[6] It was a sad cycle of selfishness and isolationism.

But now they realize they needed a savior. “If no one saves us, we will surrender.” You can sense the hopelessness. They’re not strong enough to fight Nahash alone. They had settled for land outside of God’s plan and command. They had been unfaithful when others needed help.

But we’ve already heard the text read. We already know what happens. God is going to save them!

What about you? Have you been saved? The enemies we face are worse than an Ammonite king. Our enemies are the devil. Death. Sin. Have you been saved from them? One great encouragement from this story, one wonderful promise is that God will save you. It doesn’t matter where you are, what you’ve done, how you’ve failed, left turns you took when you should’ve gone right. God is the savior of all people, especially those who believe.^[7] You can stop running from your enemies and start running to Him.

The Bible says we are saved by believing the message of the Gospel. By turning from your sin in what the Bible calls repentance. Turning to God. Believing He will save you.

1 Samuel 11:4-5 – ⁴ When the messengers came to Gibeah, Saul’s hometown, and told the terms to the people, all wept aloud. ⁵ Just then Saul was coming in from the field behind his oxen. “What’s the matter with the people? Why are they weeping?” Saul inquired, and they repeated to him the words of the men from Jabesh.

Clearly, Saul has not started to reign. Jabesh sent messengers throughout all Israel, not know who might answer. Even in Gibeah, Saul’s neighbors don’t bring the report to him. He asks them.

Before the presidential election of 1952, Eisenhower publicly told people he had no interest in politics.^[8] Throughout his career as a soldier, he had never even voted.

Saul had gone back to his regular life as a farmer. But now it wasn’t just a moment of ceremony, but a moment of crisis. And now was the time God was going to move Saul forward in his calling.

1 Samuel 11:6 – ⁶ When Saul heard these words, the Spirit of God suddenly came powerfully on him, and his anger burned furiously.

Israel was in a time of historic change. The time of the judges was ending. The time of the kings and prophets was beginning. Previously, when the Spirit came upon Saul, he acted like a prophet. Now, as the Spirit rushes upon him, he acts like a judge. We see this happen to individuals like Samson where acts of deliverance are needed and God comes upon someone for what one scholar describes as as sort of “berserker” mode.^[9]

This verse gives us something to think about both doctrinally and devotionally. Doctrinally, we understand that this is no longer how God the Holy Spirit comes upon His people. In the Old Testament, God’s Spirit would come and go in the lives of His people. He would “rush upon” them for particular situations.^[10] But the Spirit would also depart after times of disobedience or unfaithfulness. That happened to Samson. It will happen to Saul.

In the New Testament dispensation, the Holy Spirit does come and go. He permanently indwells our hearts. We are sealed in the Spirit. The Counselor given to us by the Father forever.^[11] But that doesn’t mean we don’t need to really think about our relationship with God the Holy Spirit. We absolutely do. In Acts 19 there were disciples in Ephesus, yet they didn’t know about the Holy Spirit. But a relationship with God the Holy Spirit is an absolute essential in the Christian life.^[12]

The devotional aspect of this verse is that it is the Holy Spirit Who makes the difference in our lives, in our difficulties, in our callings. Saul didn’t need strategy. He needed the Holy Spirit. It’s not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit.^[13]

1 Samuel 11:7-8 – ⁷ He took a team of oxen, cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout the territory of Israel by messengers who said, “This is what will be done to the ox of anyone who doesn’t march behind Saul and Samuel.” As a result, the terror of the LORD fell on the people, and they went out united. ⁸ Saul counted them at Bezek. There were three hundred thousand, Israelites and thirty thousand men from Judah.

Historians note that Eisenhower got America’s attention by using 30 second TV commercials during his campaign. It was the first time ever that political ads on TV played a role in an election.^[14]

Saul got their attention with a threat. It’s too bad Saul felt the need to do this. Was it heavy-handedness on his part or did he rightfully expect sluggishness from the people? We don’t know.

As we participate together in the work of the Gospel and the will of God, hopefully we’re not making it a habit of threatening others. If you someday find yourselves in a church, for example, where coercion or pressure or threats are utilized to get you to participate, get out of there.

1 Samuel 11:9-11 – ⁹ He told the messengers who had come, “Tell this to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot.’” So the messengers told the men of Jabesh, and they rejoiced. ¹⁰ Then the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Tomorrow we will come out, and you can do whatever you want to us.” ¹¹ The next day Saul organized the troops into three divisions. During the morning watch, they invaded the Ammonite camp and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. There were survivors, but they were so scattered that no two of them were left together.

The message Jabesh sent to Nahash probably made them let their guard down. The Ammonite camp was likely relaxed and hung-over after a night of partying since they wouldn’t have to fight.^[15] But in came Saul with thousands upon thousands of rescuers sometime between 2am and 6am.^[16] He didn’t just send others, he put himself into the fight.

President-elect Eisenhower went to the front lines in Korea. He ate meals with the troops in the extreme cold.^[17] He knew what it was to be a soldier risking his life for others.

But what a victory was won by Israel that day. And what did the people of Jabesh-Gilead do? Nothing! They called out for deliverance and God supplied what they couldn’t win on their own.

If you’re not a Christian here today, that’s what you need to know. You don’t earn salvation. You don’t have to fight your own way out of sin and damnation. Jesus Christ has already won. You receive salvation as a free gift. It is given to you by grace and you receive it by faith.

1 Samuel 11:12 – ¹² Afterward, the people said to Samuel, “Who said that Saul should not reign over us? Give us those men so we can kill them!”

In the last passage we saw that group of good-for-nothings who didn’t want to accept Saul as king. But this group isn’t much better. Notice, they don’t go to Saul, they still go to Samuel as the decider. Their first instinct is to turn their weapons on their own kin. I’m sure they thought it was a spiritual thing to say and do, but in reality it was just bitter and vindictive.

1 Samuel 11:13 – ¹³ But Saul ordered, “No one will be executed this day, for today the LORD has provided deliverance in Israel.”

Saul is stepping into his role. It’s not just about attacking enemies, it was also about leading the people and giving them a proper perspective. And here, Saul does great. He says, “It wasn’t me, it was God Who delivered Israel.” And he stops this bad plan in its tracks.

President Eisenhower is remembered for a lot of things. Some historians argue that one of his greatest achievements was his willingness to challenge his own party when necessary.^[18]

We sometimes talk about “doing things” for God. But if there is any fruit, if there is any Gospel success, it’s not because of us. It’s because of God’s gracious power that He pours into our lives. It’s because He has invited us to be used for His purposes.

Sadly, later in the story there will be a similar situation, only that time it will be Saul who demands death of someone who is totally innocent and it’s the people who have to restrain him.

Perspective matters. We want to keep a humble perspective that acknowledges God’s greatness, and not become convinced that we’re more important than we really are.

1 Samuel 11:14-15 – ¹⁴ Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let’s go to Gilgal, so we can renew the kingship there.” ¹⁵ So all the people went to Gilgal, and there in the LORD’s presence they made Saul king. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings in the LORD’s presence, and Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

Saul is officially inaugurated. And not only do they celebrate him, they also celebrate the Lord. They offer Yahweh fellowship offerings. Of course, He was always willing to fellowship with them. They were the ones that had turned their backs on Him. But there the Lord remained. Ready to hear them. Ready to help them. Ready to share His power and His grace with them.

If Jesus has delivered you, then celebrate your King. Seek His Kingdom. Determine in your heart to be in fellowship with Him and to come into His presence with rejoicing and with offering and with thanksgiving.

And remember we don’t have to be afraid of the Snake anymore. He comes to destroy. He comes to devour. But Christ has beaten him. Christ has defeated death. He has defeated sin. He has rescued us and we do not need to compromise with Nahash. We don’t need to live outside of God’s plan anymore. We don’t have to feel hopeless anymore. The King has come to save and He’s coming again. And that is cause for great rejoicing.

It certainly gets a lot of attention and tons of favorable media coverage for those folks. But often it’s more fanfare than follow through. Of those 256 individuals or families who signed, only 9 have kept their promise.^[1] And those that have, like Warren Buffett, tend to make large “giving” contributions to, well, themselves. This year, Buffett announced he’d be giving $4.4 billion to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation and half a billion dollars to each of his children’s foundations.^[2]

Dale Schroeder was the opposite. His story of giving is all follow through with zero fanfare. Dale had a hard childhood. His father abandoned the family during the Great Depression.^[3] There would be no money for college. Dale grew up and became a carpenter. He worked at the same company for 67 years.^[4] He never married, never had kids. He lived very frugally. He owned two pairs of jeans: One for work, one for church. When he started receiving his Social Security checks, he left them uncashed. A friend later said the stack of checks was nearly an inch and a half thick.

Before he died, he decided he wanted to give what he had saved directly to young Iowans from small towns who wanted to go to college but couldn’t afford it. He got together with a couple of his friends, one of whom was an attorney, and asked them to accomplish his plan after he died. They said they would, then asked how much he had to give away. Dale’s answer? $3 million!

Dale died in 2005 and his friends got to work. In a world where charitable giving is so often just a way to move money to other family members or political organizations, outside observers didn’t believe Dale’s friends would really do all of this for free. They were audited three times.

Between 2007 and 2015, Dale’s gift paid for 33 kids to go to college, totally free of charge. Naturally, the first year the scholarship was available, hundreds of students applied. The finalists were interviewed at Dale’s friends’ church and none went go home empty-handed.^[5]

In our text tonight we have one of the most dramatic examples of giving recorded in the Scriptures. Because, like Dale Schroeder, this lady gave all. But what’s much more astounding is that she did not wait until she was dead. As she does it, Jesus tells all of us to pay attention.

Now, while this is a story about giving, it’s not primarily going to teach us about the doctrine of giving. Certainly there are principles we can draw out which give us direction when it comes to our own generosity and offerings to the Lord. But more than a text about giving, this is a text about living. How to live out our faith, trusting God.

Mark 12:41 – ⁴¹ Sitting across from the temple treasury, he watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in large sums.

It’s been over a month since we’ve been in the Gospel of Mark, so perhaps a quick recap would be helpful. Mark 11 shows us the Sunday before the crucifixion. The chapters that follow are all that final week leading to the cross. Mark 16 shows the following Sunday, resurrection morning.

In Mark 11 and 12, we’ve had five conflict encounters, where different groups come to Jesus, each trying to trap Him or discredit Him or question Him. Chief priests and scribes and elders and Pharisees and Sadducees. Each of these groups claimed to have spiritual authority. Each thought they had discovered the right way to be religious, to honor God, to live rightly.

But in each case, Jesus either exposed their inadequacy, their hypocrisy, or He would outright warn the regular people around them, “Don’t be like these guys.”

Finally, the onslaughts have stopped. And Jesus goes out into the area known as the Court of the Women and sits down for a minute. What’s interesting is that, number one, none of the crowds are bothering Him, and number two, the disciples seem to be giving Him some space.

The Court of the Women was a large space. It’s been said that it could accommodate 15,000 people.^[6] Along the wall there were 13 chests, shaped sort of like trumpets, that served as offering boxes.^[7] The chests were labeled. The majority were for what was legally required of Jews. Things like the Temple tax. But some of them were for free-will offerings.^[8]

Jesus takes a break to do a little people watching. The Temple is jam-packed. It’s feast week. Lots of people are there and lots have come to give their offerings as required and desired. But Jesus isn’t just zoned out. The word used for watched means He observed thoughtfully.^[9]

It’s good to remember that Jesus is watching our lives. He does so because He loves us and because He has plans for us and because He wants reward us. But I know I find it easy to get into a mentality where I kind of only think of God watching me to make sure I’m not sinning. That He’s watching like a referee, ready to call something I do as out of bounds. But God doesn’t want to relate to me as a referee. He wants to relate to me as a Father.

He watches not just to make sure we’re not doing things, but to see what we are doing. What am I spending my life on? He’s given me life, what am I doing with it? He observes all our steps.^[10]

In this case, there were lots of people. They’re there in God’s house. They’ve come for different reasons and different attitudes. And God sees past the surface into the heart of each of them. Again, not so He can disqualify as many people as He can, but because He cares about them. Remember the scribe from the last passage? Jesus said, “You’re not far from the Kingdom.” He knew and He cared and He was calling that individual to follow in faith.

Mark 12:42 – ⁴² Then a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little.

These coins were called “leptons” which can literally mean “the thin ones.”^[11] They were the smallest copper coins in circulation. While people at other boxes are chunking in silver and gold, each coin clanging on the pile, this lady drops in two little pennies that would’ve made barely a sound.

The amount she put in would’ve been equivalent to 1/64 of a days wage.^[12] In our terms, what a laborer would get for 7.5 minutes of work. It’s not enough to be the Temple tax, which means this was a freewill offering.^[13] She’s not giving out of obligation, but by choice.

Now here’s what we know about her: She is both poor and a widow. It would be hard enough to be a widow in this society – there weren’t many options for you. But one would hope to be at least a wealthy widow. But she is in double trouble being a poor widow.

Mark 12:43 – ⁴³ Summoning his disciples, he said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.

Where were the disciples? We don’t know. But Jesus formally calls them over and says, “Guys, take a look at this. This is officially a teaching moment.” By summoning them and saying, “Truly I tell you,” Jesus was signaling that this was an important lesson not only for the 12 disciples, but all subsequent disciples. This widow is an example we’re supposed to learn something from.^[14]

Let me say right away, the lesson we’re supposed to learn is not that every disciple must give 100% of their money every time they come to church. That would be impossible and unwise. We have a potent example in the case of Ananias and Sapphira. Peter told them their money was theirs to use at their disposal.^[15] Paul later said God’s goal in our Christian giving is not self-affliction.^[16]

So what is the immediate lesson the poor widow teaches us? First, we learn about how God does accounting. In His eyes, value is not assessed by decimal points, but by devotion. The gift she gave was given not out of obligation, but in faith. And we’ll see that it was truly a sacrifice for her to give this money, despite how little buying power it had. Through her we learn about God’s valuation.

Jesus said not only was hers the most valuable gift that day, but actually that on heaven’s books, her donation was worth more than all of the others combined.^[17] In verse 44 He gives more context.

Mark 12:44 – ⁴⁴ For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had—all she had to live on.”

Warren Buffett gets a lot of accolades for promising to give away 99% of his fortune. But listen, that still leaves him $1.45 billion. Meaning, Warren will still have more money that the median American would earn in 850 lifetimes. He gives out of his surplus.