April 11- Guest Post By Mrs.Oz

Today's reading from the One Year Chronological Reading Plan is 1 Samuel 9-12.

Be careful what you wish for cause you just might get it....

These passages of scripture are both extraordinary and depressing. They are extraordinary in the sense that God's omniscient character is displayed. He tells Samuel so many details not only about who is coming, but what to tell Saul when he departs.
"Then you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine. They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from them.
"After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying. 6 The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person."
Top this with the casting of lots and you just get one good dose of God's orchestrating things. I just love when we get a spotlight on that fact because we sometimes forget in our human state of uncertainty that every second, every detail, all is known by God.
God also does one of His regulars, a man who comes from the least of men. I like this too because it's as if He's saying "okay, if we are going to do this, it's going to be my way." He will choose and he will bring one that has to be powerfully moved and filled with the Spirit of God. The power will still come from the Almighty. Man is not allowed to glory in his strength. Isn't it true that even when we think we've taken control, we really havn't at all.

Still, at the same time there is sadness in me when I read that God's strength, protection, might, and guidance were not enough for them even though they had it on the most intimate level any group of humanity has ever had. We can have God himself (that which we really need) and still be discontent because our sin nature does not know how to respond, respect and recognize this, let alone submit to it joyfully. Oh, again, as through the law, we see our need for our precious Savior to come.
There is part of me that wonders through this part (chapter 10) why God is giving in to the people? Like a father that has been hounded and annoyed by the whining of his children, he seems to be bending. But can God bend, can he give in, and does this mean he has weakness? This is quite another mystery up with predestination, hardening and softening of hearts, our part and God's part working together, etc. Here we have God giving in to man but the fact is that it's all part of His plan. It's what he knew would happen, and what he would use to bring about His perfect will. In fact all of history with it's dark, light, good, bad, ups, downs, IS...if you believe in the full sovereignty of God, part of the working of his plan for His glory. I feel as though I'm side stepping into doctrine though and I don't mean to take that glorious rabbit trail. I'm just letting you see where my thoughts went in the reading.
Yes, the Spirit of the Lord has been given to Saul now. John MacArthur does indeed say this is the Holy Spirit coming upon Saul. Yet, right away we see a first glimpse into his human weakness and cowardice. After all these amazing things, Samuel, the signs, being called from among the least of the Tribes of Judah, our hero is hiding in the military supplies and luggage! Can you imagine what Samuel was thinking at this moment? "Really Lord? THIS is your brave leader? Really?" Yet, his response is to point out to the people that he is indeed chosen and there is none among the people like him. LONG live the king!
There is something so anticlimactic here though. He tells them they have rejected their God. They have not been happy with the way God wanted things to be. They have cried out for something THEY wanted, not what God wanted for them. So, here he is, the special tall chosen one hiding in the baggage! Long live the king, let me right this down, you got what you want, now go home! He must have walked home himself chatting with the Lord with something like "well, this should be interesting." More than that, let's join the beginning of this scene with the ending!? "You have rejected God".....and you're still cheering!? There is something wrong with this picture.
Still, BACK to the extraordinary....
Chapter 11 find us a different Saul. The Spirit once again is upon him and he is fearless of the enemies of Israel! The weakling is but a vessel for God to work. He leads him to demand that the people rise up against the Ammonites. He definitely takes on the strong leadership role here. They go up against their enemy and they have success. The people, who are passionate and despair when things go wrong, are passionate and hot blooded with it goes right as well. They question Samuel "who questions whether this man should be our king? where are those men? we should kill them!". They are SO stoked that their enemies have been conquered they are emotional believers for sure. Samuel tells them that there will be no killing (thank goodness they are still listening to Samuel here) out of motivation to show devotion to any man, FOR THE LORD HAS ACCOMPLISHED DELIVERANCE IN ISRAEL! The people wanted a person to tell them what to do, but God is totally holding the strings of every man.
This all makes me think of Prov 21:1
The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD;He turns it wherever He wishes.

and all I can say is ....THANK GOODNESS!

Tomorrow's reading is 1 Chronicles 9:35-39, 1 Samuel 13:1-5, 13:19-23, 13:6-18 and 14:1-52