Faith Baptist Church
05/31/26 Worship Service

      • Psalms 145.14-17NKJV

      • Psalms 145.18-21NKJV

  • Immortal Invisible God Only Wise
  • Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
  • God of the Ages
  • Worthy Of Worship
  • No one is holy like the Lord-
    He is in a category all His own. He is set apart. There is none like the Lord!
    This is what Hannah acknowledged in her prayer in chapter 2-
    1 Samuel 2:1–10 ESV
    1 And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. 2 “There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. 3 Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. 4 The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength. 5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. 6 The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. 8 He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them he has set the world. 9 “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail. 10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
    How does God exalt the humble and bring low the proud?

    1. God can use seasons of dejection to exalt the humble (27)

    1 Samuel 26:25 ESV
    25 Then Saul said to David, “Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them.” So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.
    Summarize-
    1 Samuel 27:1 ESV
    1 Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.”
    Was it wrong of David to escape to the land of the Philistines?
    I believe this is a bad decision by David. This is not an example of David trusting the Lord. Why?
    “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul” This is not a true statement. God had previously delivered David two times from the hand of Saul. Cave & Deep Sleep. God can easily do it again.
    God has already promised that David would be king one day.
    David was anointed by Samuel to be King. David was subsequently filled with the Holy Spirit in a theocratic anointing.
    David never prays or seeks the Lord’s direction before he escapes to the land of the Philistines.
    1 Samuel 30:7–8 “7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.””
    God had previously redirected David to stay in Israel when he had attempted to take refuge in foreign land.
    In 1 Samuel 21 David flees from Saul and he goes to Gath to King Achish. David had to act insane to escape death at the hands of Achish.
    In 1 Sam 22 David then tries to flee to the king of Moab, and God sent the prophet Gad to tell David, “leave and return to the land of Judah.”
    So why in the world does David leave Judah and flee to the land of the Philistines?
    A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: 1 & 2 Samuel Homiletical and Practical

    A good man in a season of dejection. He forgets past blessings and promises, ignores present mercies, exaggerates coming evils, forms unwise plans without consultation or prayer, and often involves himself in great difficulties, from which only some special providence can deliver.

    David is born around 1040 BC.
    He fights Goliath when he is around 16 or 17 years old.
    He then has to hid from Saul in the wilderness for a period of around 10 years. How old was David during this time? He is in his 20’s.
    1 Sam 27 happens just about 9 years into David’s constant hiding and fleeing from Saul in the wilderness.
    I think what we find here is a good man in a season of dejection. Have you ever experienced anything like that before? Can you related to being tired, scared, worn down, spread too thin? What tends to happen when we get that way?
    We forget past blessings and promises. We ignore present mercies. We exaggerate coming evils. We form unwise plans without consultation or prayer. We often involve ourselves in great difficulties from which only some form of God’s special providence can deliver.
    That’s where David is at. Can you relate with David?
    1 Samuel 27:2–3 ESV
    2 So David arose and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3 And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal’s widow.
    How many people is David responsible for? 600 men and their household. Well over 1,000 people are part of David’s band. That adds something to the equation doesn’t it. Can you imagine the weight on David’s shoulders being responsible for that many people?
    So what is the immediate result of David’s plan?
    1 Samuel 27:4 ESV
    4 And when it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, he no longer sought him.
    God mercifully allows David to succeed in escaping Saul’s wrath.
    But now David is living in enemy territory. Yes, he has escaped the attention of Saul, but he created for himself a whole new set of problems.
    1 Samuel 27:5 ESV
    5 Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be given me in one of the country towns, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?”
    David can’t live in Gath with Achish. Why not? We will see in a moment. But, if you are dwelling in enemy territory and you want to get along with your enemies you are going to have to do one of two things- act just like your enemy (which is something David cannot do), or you are going to have to deceive your enemy.
    David chooses the later, but he can’t deceive Achish if he is living right under his nose. So he asks for a place in one of the country towns. Give me a place out in the country!
    1 Samuel 27:6–7 ESV
    6 So that day Achish gave him Ziklag. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. 7 And the number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months.
    1 Samuel 27:8–12 ESV
    8 Now David and his men went up and made raids against the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites, for these were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as far as Shur, to the land of Egypt. 9 And David would strike the land and would leave neither man nor woman alive, but would take away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the garments, and come back to Achish. 10 When Achish asked, “Where have you made a raid today?” David would say, “Against the Negeb of Judah,” or, “Against the Negeb of the Jerahmeelites,” or, “Against the Negeb of the Kenites.” 11 And David would leave neither man nor woman alive to bring news to Gath, thinking, “lest they should tell about us and say, ‘So David has done.’ ” Such was his custom all the while he lived in the country of the Philistines. 12 And Achish trusted David, thinking, “He has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel; therefore he shall always be my servant.”
    Did David defect over to the Philistine side?
    David consistently treats Achish like an enemy.
    v. 10 David intentionally deceived Achish. Your enemy is not entitled to information that might cause you harm. Example: You don’t broadcast your battle plans to your enemy, you might even try to lay false plans to deceive your enemy. Football players run trick plays to deceive their opponents. etc. David consistently treats Achish like an enemy.
    Did David sin when he lied to Achish and devoted whole tribes to destruction?
    David is never punished by God for deceiving Achish or devoting these tribes to destruction.
    God had already commited the Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites were under the ban.
    Deuteronomy 20:16–17 ESV
    16 But in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, 17 but you shall devote them to complete destruction, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the Lord your God has commanded,
    Joshua 13:1–2 ESV
    1 Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the Lord said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess. 2 This is the land that yet remains: all the regions of the Philistines, and all those of the Geshurites
    Exodus 17:15–16 ESV
    15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
    Deuteronomy 25:17–19 ESV
    17 “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, 18 how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God. 19 Therefore when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget.
    Why did the Lord tear the kingdom away from Saul? He failed to devote to destruction the Amalekites.
    But David does what Saul was unwilling to do.
    David was able to fulfill military assignments left undo since the days of Moses.
    God was able to use even season of dejection in David’s life to exalt David into the exact place he needed to be to eventually take control of the throne of Israel.
    conquered old enemies
    grew in military prowess (learned from the Philistines)
    mercifully allowed David’s plan to succeed in giving him breathing room from King Saul
    1 Samuel 2:8–9 ESV
    8 He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them he has set the world. 9 “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail.
    How has the Lord used seasons of dejection in your life?
    Do you trust the God to guard your feet?
    Do you believe that God raises up the poor from the dust?
    Do you acknowledge that your own might is insufficient?
    But we serve a merciful, sovereign God who can and will use the lowest seasons of your life for your good?
    Illustration: moving into the second apartment- opening the door and nothing was done. My wife cried. We had nothing! And yet moving to that slum of an apartment was the major factor that we are here in Oconomowoc.
    Psalm 42:5 ESV
    5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation
    How does God exalt the humble and bring low the proud?

    2. God can use repeated rebellion to bring low the proud (28)

    Now we turn our attention back to King Saul. The events that happen in chapter 28 transpire in the final 24 hours of Saul’s life.
    1 Samuel 28:1–2 ESV
    1 In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Understand that you and your men are to go out with me in the army.” 2 David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”
    More than one year latter and the Philistines are going to war with Israel. And Achish summons David to battle and assigns him as his bodyguard. More on that later-
    Then we turn to Saul in v. 3
    1 Samuel 28:3–7 ESV
    3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land.
    Samuel is dead. Saul at an earlier time had obeyed God by removing the mediums and spiritists from Israel (c.f., Lev. 19:31; 20:6; 20:27).
    1 Samuel 28:3–7 ESV
    4 The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.
    “trembled greatly” also used of Israel at Sinai (Ex. 19:16).
    1 Samuel 28:3–7 ESV
    6 And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. 7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.”
    Was Saul’s “inquiry” of God repentance?
    In 1 Samuel 14:37-38, Saul also asked of God when prompted by priests.
    1 Samuel 14:37 ESV
    37 And Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him that day.
    Saul’s rash oath for the men not to eat food during the battle or else they would be cursed. And do you remember what Jonathan did? He ate some honey! This is why the Lord would not answer Saul. Note Saul’s next repose.
    1 Samuel 14:38 ESV
    38 And Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the people, and know and see how this sin has arisen today.
    When God did not answer, he immediately assumed someone’s sin was responsible for God keeping silent.
    How is Saul’s response different in chapter 28?
    1 Samuel 28:6 ESV
    6 And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.
    Instead of seeking out the sin in his own life, what did Saul do this time?
    1 Samuel 28:7 ESV
    7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.”
    Saul turned to a sin that he at an earlier time sought to destroy. By doing so, he caused those with him to sin by asking them to seek out a medium.
    1 Samuel 28:8–10 ESV
    8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Divine for me by a spirit and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you.” 9 The woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the necromancers from the land. Why then are you laying a trap for my life to bring about my death?” 10 But Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”
    Saul knew what he was doing. He is not being deceived by anyone here. He is willingly sinning against God’s clear lay on this subject.
    1 Samuel 28:10 ESV
    10 But Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”
    Whose name does Saul swear by?
    YEHWEH! Saul uses the name of the Lord whom he is rebelling against, to secure the trust of the medium who is also rebelling against the Lord!
    1 Samuel 28:11–14 ESV
    11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul.” 13 The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.” 14 He said to her, “What is his appearance?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage.
    a) What did she see? Samuel
    i) The passage consistently uses the name ‘Samuel’ to refer to the judge of Israel. The narrator assumes in the following conversation that Samuel is the speaker. No textual indicators exist to point toward a non-Samuel interpretation.
    ii) The woman was scared because this was different than anything she had previously experienced.
    b) Did she summon the spirit of Samuel? Emphatically, no
    i) Her reaction was markedly startled. She recognized that this was not her work.
    ii) It would not fit with the rest of scripture that a rebellious person could temporarily snatch a believer from the presence of God.
    iii) Also, Old Testament believers appearing on earth after their death is not unique to Samuel. Who was with Jesus when he was transfigured? Moses and Elijah.
    God is the one who orchestrated this appearance of Samuel.
    1 Samuel 28:15 ESV
    15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul answered, “I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do.”
    Notice God had turned away from Saul!
    1 Samuel 28:3 “3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land.”
    Same Hebrew term! Just as Saul turned away or put out the mediums from the land at one time in his reign, so now God has turned away from Saul because of his repeated rebellion.
    God is doing to Saul what Saul did to the mediums. In a sense, Saul has come full circle from the one fighting sin to the one who is being fought because of his sin.
    1 Samuel 15:23 ESV
    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.”
    Divination is the same term used for mediums here in 1 Sam 28.
    Sin leads the sinner to do what was once unthinkable
    "Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay."
    “Be killing sin or sin will be killing you.” —John Owen
    1 Samuel 28:15 ESV
    15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul answered, “I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do.”
    What’s the problem with Saul’s question? He already knows what to do! He needs to repent! He needs to turn away from his sin! But that is not the answer he wants to hear.
    1 Samuel 28:16 ESV
    16 And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy?
    Saul and the Lord truly are enemies at this point. Saul is conspiring with mediums. He is attempting to use witchcraft to avoid the judgement of God!
    1 Samuel 28:17 ESV
    17 The Lord has done to you as he spoke by me, for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David.
    Why did God refuse to answer Saul? Because of Saul’s sin and because of God’s earlier promise.
    1 Samuel 28:18 ESV
    18 Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day.
    And Saul has been in a constant state of rebellion ever since. God mercifully gave Saul years to repent. But now God’s patience has run out.
    1 Samuel 28:19 ESV
    19 Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.”
    What does it mean that Saul and his sons would be “with” Samuel?
    Option 1: they are in heaven with Samuel because that is ultimately where Samuel is.
    Option 2: they will be dead… with Samuel in the sense of being in the grave with him.
    The Hebrew word “with” can carry the idea of being “like” or “similar”. If Saul will be “like” Samuel, what does the text say about Samuel’s condition? Verse 3, Samuel is dead.
    Was Saul a believer? At the very least, his actions and attitude cast a shadow of a doubt.
    What do your actions and attitudes say about your spiritual position?
    1 Samuel 28:20–25 ESV
    20 Then Saul fell at once full length on the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. 21 And the woman came to Saul, and when she saw that he was terrified, she said to him, “Behold, your servant has obeyed you. I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to what you have said to me. 22 Now therefore, you also obey your servant. Let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.” 23 He refused and said, “I will not eat.” But his servants, together with the woman, urged him, and he listened to their words. So he arose from the earth and sat on the bed. 24 Now the woman had a fattened calf in the house, and she quickly killed it, and she took flour and kneaded it and baked unleavened bread of it, 25 and she put it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.
    Instead of being a comfort, Saul is left paralyzed by fear.
    Compare Saul to his former state of glory.
    At one time, he stood head and shoulders above the rest of the men of Israel. He was tall, strong, and hesitant to accept authority.
    Now, because he refused to repent of his rebellion, he has lost his kingdom. He has heard his death sentence.
    His lineage would be devastated.
    His kingdom would suffer greatly because of his judgment.
    He is now dependent on sustenance provided by a wicked woman whose only motivation is self-preservation.
    Friends, how should this affect our attitude toward sin?
    What did sin do to Saul’s life in this text?

    Sin causes fear!

    1 Samuel 28:5 “5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.”
    1 Samuel 28:12–13 “12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul.” 13 The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.””
    1 Samuel 28:15 “15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul answered, “I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do.””
    1 Samuel 28:20–21 “20 Then Saul fell at once full length on the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. 21 And the woman came to Saul, and when she saw that he was terrified, she said to him, “Behold, your servant has obeyed you. I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to what you have said to me.”

    Sin causes you to do what was once unthinkable!

    1 Samuel 28:3 “3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land.”
    1 Samuel 28:7 “7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.””

    Sin produces more sin!

    1 Samuel 28:7 “7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.””
    1 Samuel 28:10 “10 But Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.””
    1 Samuel 28:12 “12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul.””

    Sin separates you from God!

    1 Samuel 28:6 “6 And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.”

    Sin brings God’s judgment!

    1 Samuel 28:17 “17 The Lord has done to you as he spoke by me, for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David.”

    Sin brings consequences to everyone around you!

    1 Samuel 28:19 “19 Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.””
    1 Samuel 2:6–7 ESV
    6 The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts.
    1 Samuel 2:9–10 ESV
    9 “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail. 10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
    How does God exalt the humble and bring low the proud?
    God can use seasons of dejection to exalt the humble
    God can use repeated rebellion to bring low the proud
    1 Samuel 2:2 ESV
    2 “There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.
    How do you need to respond?
    Two options-
    Proud- repentance
    Humble- hope

      • 1 Samuel 26:25ESV

      • 1 Samuel 27:1ESV

      • 1 Samuel 27:2–3ESV

      • 1 Samuel 27:4ESV

      • 1 Samuel 27:5ESV

      • 1 Samuel 27:6–7ESV

      • Deuteronomy 20:16–17ESV

      • Joshua 13:1–2ESV

      • Exodus 17:15–16ESV

      • Deuteronomy 25:17–19ESV

      • 1 Samuel 2:8–9ESV

      • Psalm 42:5ESV

      • 1 Samuel 14:37ESV

      • 1 Samuel 14:38ESV

      • 1 Samuel 28:6ESV

      • 1 Samuel 28:7ESV

      • 1 Samuel 28:10ESV

      • 1 Samuel 28:15ESV

      • 1 Samuel 15:23ESV

      • 1 Samuel 28:15ESV

      • 1 Samuel 28:16ESV

      • 1 Samuel 28:17ESV

      • 1 Samuel 28:18ESV

      • 1 Samuel 28:19ESV

      • 1 Samuel 2:6–7ESV

      • 1 Samuel 2:9–10ESV

      • 1 Samuel 2:2ESV

  • Holy Holy Holy
Faith Baptist Church
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