Learning from Saul's Failure

扫罗失败的警惕 Learning from Saul's Failure
Pastor Dr Ling
25/10/2009 1045

1Sa 15:1-11 And Samuel said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the LORD. (2) Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. (3) Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'" (4) So Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand men of Judah. (5) And Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. (6) Then Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart; go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. (7) And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. (8) And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. (9) But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction. (10) The word of the LORD came to Samuel: (11) "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments." And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the LORD all night.

1Sa 15:22-23 And Samuel said, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. (23) For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king."

Failure is the mother of success. We learn from mistakes or we will be doomed to repeat the mistakes.

Joshua learned from the lesson of Moses’ 12 spies. If only the spies were like Joshua and Caleb, they would have entered the Promised Land earlier. When he took over the leadership, he sent only 2 spies.

The biggest failure of Saul is his disobedient to God.

Becoming a Spiritual Giant

Pastor Dr Ling

18/10/2009 1126

Kang Young Woo lost his sight in an accident while he was a teenager. He did not give up and became the first blind professor from Korea. He said he did not get good results when he could see. After losing his sight, his results were excellent. He needed to spend 3 time as much time to read Braille than a normal person with books.

Pro 4:23  Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

We learn from David, the 2^nd king of the Israel kingdom. He was tending to his father’s sheep. His father didn’t ever remember him when Samuel came to look for a king to succeed Saul.

Be a Vessel that God Can Use

Becoming a Vessel that God can Use

Pastor Dr. Ling

04/10/2009 1045

(Jesse, instead of disturbing my note taking spotted some mistakes I made and offered suggestions to correct them. Praise God.)

God build His kingdom through His children. We are the channel with which God reveals His power. He shows His love through us. If we do not understand this, we will not understand how to be a vessel of God.

The Israelites wanted a king. God told Samuel to anoint Sail as the king. Saul fought for the Israelites and obtained much land. He was used by God. But he disobeyed God. He was given a chance the first time but he sinned again. God then asked Samuel to anoint David as the next king.

Saul is often compared with David. Some even think Saul is the caretaker king while David grew up. God had a reason to choose God.