How long will you mourn for Saul?

Text: I Sam. 16:1 – And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite:for I have provided me a king among his sons.

After the death of Joshua, God always raise Judges who will lead them to war. So that we have people like Gideon – against Midianites; Samson – against the Philistines; Jephtar – against Amonites; Deborah – against Canaanites.

Outside of this, each tribe was governed by the leaders of that tribe and then centrally by the High Priest.

It got to a time when Prophet Samuel was old and his sons were wayward, that the Israelites demanded from Samuel that they needed a king like other neighbouring kingdoms around them. This request troubled Samuel greatly, God had to pacify him that the people had rejected Him as their leader and not Samuel.

So, by God’s allowance, Saul the Benjamite was chosen to be the first king in Israel. He was humble, very attractive and energetic. Not too long afterwards though, he became a men pleaser rather than a God pleaser.

He was given specific and highly sensitive instruction from God. He partially obeyed because he listened to people and that led to his downfall.

God told Samuel to go and asked him why he disobeyed knowing the intensity of the instruction. But Saul started lying and making justification for his actions (I Sam. 15: 10-11, 16-19).

So Samuel pronounced his rejection as the king and heaven stamped it. In the night however, realising the extent of what he has said, Samuel began to weep for Saul, but God spoke to him to wipe his face, that the era of Saul was indeed over.

– If there be anything that is troubling you, it’s era has come to an end this hour in Jesus name. Have you mourn for something for so long? God will comfort your heart in Jesus name.

– You are here and you always say ‘those good old days’, God says that will not be your testimony anymore in Jesus name.

– You are here, there was something you were expecting that failed. God says He will give you another opportunity.

– To somebody, God says I allowed you to have that Saul initially because you were impatient to wait for your David. But now I will have mercy on you.

– You were expecting something you have to last long, but didn’t. God says He will replaced that with something that will really last. Saul – 2 yrs. David – lifetime

Part of why Samuel was mourning would be that he felt Saul’s success will amount to his own success. But no, his success could only be determined by God.

You are mourning because you think the success of something or someone will determine your own success, and that thing has failed. Your success is in God alone.

Fill your horn with oil. – praise, celebrate and be glad.

Go to the house of Jesse – God’s gift, God exists.

God will bless you with a gift that will correct your mistake. He will show you that He exists.

The Bethlemite – House of Bread

God will take you to a place of abundance.

– Samuel must be feeling bad because he anointed Saul as king in front of the whole Israel. A high calibre prophet as him, how could he explain this failure?

You are troubled because you are thinking, ‘how can people hear that something I am involved with became bad. How did I not see ahead?

Get over it! God wants to give you a better alternative.

– Samuel may be feeling bad, because people might say he must have wished Saul bad as Saul took the position of Samuel’s children in ruling the kingdom.

May be you warned someone that something might go wrong, but they didn’t listen. Not too long, that thing actually went wrong and you are feeling bad. Thinking that you will be said to be the cause. – Fill your horn with oil and move on.

– Samuel may also be thinking that surrounding kingdoms may attack them once they know that they no longer have a king. But God had planned not to leave a vacuum. A boy of seventeen was to be anointed immediately. That was why he was able to save Israel in chapter 17 of I Samuel.

Are you thinking that other problems may come upon you because of an initial problem? God already has a plan to take care of that. Fill your horn with oil.

– You are here, something happened recently that have unsettled your mind and it’s affecting you a great deal, God s saying “fill your horn with oil.”

– You had a dream/vision that you have pursued vigorously and passionately. Unfortunately, that dream died. You are wandering what you are living for. God says He will give you a bigger dream that will excite you all your life. David was by far a better king than Saul.

Stop mourning for Saul!

2 Samuel 12:15-25

And Nathan departed unto his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth:but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead:for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice:how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead? But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead:therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped:then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept:for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her:and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon:and the Lord loved him.

And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord.

David did nine things

Arose from the earth
Washed
Anoint himself
Changed his apparel
Came to the house of The Lord
Worshipped
Came to his own house
He requested for bread to be brought
He ate.

God loved the second child. The first one was called ‘it’, while the other was ‘him’. David named him Solomon. God only named few people in the bible, a version says God told Nathan that the boy’s name will be Jedidiah – beloved of The Lord.

What is the Saul that you are mourning for? Could it be:

A lost item, damaged or stolen item?

Departed love one?

Broken engagement?

Failed test?

Exam that went bad?

An interview that has gone wrong?

A case that was lost?

An application rejected?

A mortgage refused?

A collapsed business?

A miscarriage or still born?

An offer that was withdrawn? Etc.

God will make a way for you.

Prayers

Genesis 41:50-52

And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him. And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh:For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house. And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

1. Father, let me forget all my past toils in life.

2. Father, let me be fruitful in this land.

How long will you mourn for Saul?

Message delivered at the July Anointing Service on July 27th, 2014

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