In this week’s All Heart series, we’re focusing on two men and examining our hearts. One man continually turned toward God, and one continually didn’t. Know who I’m talking about? Let’s find out as WE examine our own hearts this week!
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Transcription:
You’ve heard of the classic novel, A Tale of Two Cities Today on the Bible for Busy People. I invite you to join me as we study a tale of two hearts. I’m Erica, your host. We are going to study the lives of two men from the Bible, one whose heart was turned toward the Lord, time after time, even when he made mistakes, and another whose heart was continually turned away from the Lord. As we look into these two hearts, I want you to consider what’s in your own heart today, and ask the Lord to show you if there’s anything in you that causes you to turn away from him. Actually, at the end of this episode, you and I are going to pray a couple of verses from Psalm 139 together, as a way of inviting the Lord into our own hearts. We want him to examine us. I know it’s a little bit terrifying, kind of like when you go to the doctor, right? And you have to take your clothes off and you feel so vulnerable. But you need to be examined for your own good; for your own physical health. This is for our own spiritual health. We have a God who calls himself the great physician, and we can trust him. Alright, well, let’s look into the heart of King Saul today. You want to join me now In one Samuel chapter 13, beginning in verse one,
Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty-two years. 2 Saul selected 3,000 special troops from the army of Israel and sent the rest of the men home. He took 2,000 of the chosen men with him to Micmash…
I kind of like the name of that, Micmash
…and the hill country of Bethel. The other 1,000 went with Saul’s son Jonathan to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. 3 Soon after this, Jonathan attacked and defeated the garrison of Philistines at Geba. The news spread quickly among the Philistines. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land, saying, “Hebrews, hear this! Rise up in revolt!” 4 All Israel heard the news that Saul had destroyed the Philistine garrison at Geba and that the Philistines now hated the Israelites more than ever. So the entire Israelite army was summoned to join Saul at Gilgal. 5 The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore!
That’s a formidable army, right?
They camped at Micmash east of Beth-aven. 6 The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns. 7 Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead. Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. 8 Saul waited there seven days for Samuel,
And if you’re going, who’s Samuel? He was a prophet at the time. A priest, the son of Hannah, who longed for a child and told God that if he blessed her with a child, she would give him back to the Lord, and that is why Samuel served the Lord. Okay, back to our story. Now, picking it up in verse eight.
Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. 9 So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself. 10 Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, 11 but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?” Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. 12 So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.” 13 “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart.
And by the way, we’re going to meet that man in tomorrow’s episode.
The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
It’s a harsh rebuke from Samuel, the prophet, the priest. But Saul would over and over disobey the Lord. He was jealous, he was murderous. There are other adjectives I could use, but I don’t want to pile on King Saul. I just want to study his life with you as a warning. We must examine our hearts. And I love that in Psalm 139, we are given a prayer that we can pray to invite God to examine us. So are you ready? We can be bold together, right? Psalm 139 verse 23,
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Father, in the name of Jesus, my friend who’s listening and I, we just pray this prayer.. We invite you into our hearts to look around and see if anything is amiss, if there is anything that is offensive to you, I pray that you would point it out. That you would help us to get rid of it, like we would get rid of a spider in our house. Lord, we trust you as our Great Physician. You take such good care of us, we entrust our hearts to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Alright, until next time when we study the man after God’s own heart, that’s how God describes him. Remember, you are loved. Oh, and spoiler alert, the man we’re going to study tomorrow wasn’t perfect. You and I don’t have to be perfect. Jesus is the only perfect person who ever lived. Okay, see you next time.
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