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Enemies of Israel, Faith

The Enemies of Israel-Part 5-God or a King

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Now, all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition (warning) upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 1 Corinthians 10:11

“We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us and His teaching in our history.” EGW

We Want A King!

The children of Israel had settled in the promised land.  All seemed good. But they soon began to complain to Samuel for a king.  They wanted to be like other nations and be ruled by someone they could see but still keep God—two masters, as it were.   No longer satisfied with a theocracy governed by God through judges and priests, they desired an earthly monarchy.  They felt a king would make them acceptable and powerful like other nations.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 1 Samuel 8:4-5

Samuel was not pleased with their request despite the sound reasoning that Samuel’s sons would soon be their judges, but they were not like Samuel.  They were corrupt:

But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. 1 Samuel 8: 3

Samuel understood that establishing a king was a giant step in the wrong direction for the people of Promise. As the old proverb goes, “absolute power corrupts absolutely.”  Like their forefathers who wandered in the desert for 40 years, the people had not come to trust God and put Him first.

Thought question:  Do we make God our sole source of direction, or do we put our trust in a person or persons?  The children of Israel would start down a path that would lead them further away from God by substituting God with a king.

We must balance this thought with the fact that God works through people whom He educates and gives power to do his will through truth and goodness.  But the enemy also works through people to harm and divide.

Rejection of God’s Rule

Samuel did not know what to do nor how to respond to their logical reasoning about his sons and the eventual rule by corrupt judges.  He did what every believer must do when faced with a challenging situation.  He prayed to seek God’s wisdom.

So Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. 1 Samuel 6-7

Samuel must have been surprised by the response from God.  Let them have what they want!  Don’t feel bad, Samuel.  They have not rejected you.  They have rejected me and don’t want Me to rule over them.

Thought question:  Do we do the same thing when we trust in priests, pastors, and strong personalities rather than God our Father?  How can we know which are good and which have a different agenda than God?

After all that God had done for them by delivering them from the rule of Egypt and a powerful pharaoh, they sought to be placed under the sovereign whims of an earthly king.  God told Samuel to remind them what God had done for them.  Then, He warned them about what to expect.  Samuel obeyed God and laid it all out in 1 Samuel 8: 10-18.

Consequences:

A king would take advantage of them. He would build up an army.  They didn’t need an army under the protection of God.  God had protected them from the pursuing army of Egypt. 

A king would take their daughters and put them to work for him.  He would bring the best of their agriculture and a tenth of produce and livestock.  The people of God would become servants to the king. At some point, they would cry out to God, but He would not listen to them.

And you will cry out that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you that day.” 1 Samuel 8:18

Consequences-The Theme Going Forward

They would have to bear the consequences of not trusting God.  That is the central theme of the people of God’s mistakes, which Paul warns us in our opening passage.  It is what Paul wants us to hear, see, and understand so that we don’t do the same. 

Thought question: How well is your trust in God?  Can you trust Him, no matter the circumstance?  Have you had to bear the consequences of making someone or something else king in your life?

Despite the gloomy prophecy, the people went ahead with their desire to have a man rule over them.

Nevertheless, the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”  1 Samuel 8: 19-20

When the people of God desire to compromise and become like “all the nations,” they lose the power of God.  They would become ineffective for Him and the truth that would save the lost.  They would become poor witnesses to the only true God.

Our failure to trust in Him leaves us vulnerable.  Instead of letting God fight our battles, we seek the government or some other entity to fight them for us.  This is an unholy alliance and not in the will of God.  In the book of Revelation, a corrupt church (Babylon) and the State will unite to enforce the church’s ungodly dogma through the government.  The people of God should never seek to have the government force people to believe as they do.  Our God does not work by force or through any government edicts. 

Moral laws, as described in the last six commandments, are acceptable legislation to produce for a safe society, but the first four commandments of God relate to Him alone.  These, in particular, are never to be legislated.  They are about the worship of the only Creator.  The beast of Revelation 13 creates laws about worship because the enemy seeks to replace God and how people worship Him.

As we will see as we move along in understanding the enemies of Israel, their captors want to eliminate the true God of the Israelites.  The hate is not just about a people, but the only true God.  Herein is the primary goal of the enemy.

The First King-Saul

And Samuel heard all the people’s words and repeated them in the hearing of the Lord. So the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed their voice, and make them a king.” And Samuel told the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.”

1 Samuel 8: 21-22

Samuel broke up the crowd of unsatisfied grumblers and sent them home.   Then Samuel went about the task of finding a good king. He desired a candidate who would be obedient and submissive to the guidance of God. His journey would lead to a Benjamite man named Kish, who was powerful and wealthy.  Kish’s son Saul, a very tall and handsome man, was his choice.  On the outside, he looked like a king who could influence the nations around Israel.

Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else.1 Samuel 9: 2 NIV

The meeting between Samuel and Saul is very interesting.  Saul’s journey to look for his father’s lost donkeys is recorded in 1 Samuel 9.  I won’t take much time here, but I want to point out a couple of passages.

Saul is Born-Again

When Saul and Samuel’s paths cross, as directed by the Lord (See 1 Samuel 9: 16), the exchange of their first words is important:

Samuel said, As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?” 1 Samuel 9: 20b

Saul came looking for a prophet (Samuel) to help him find the lost donkeys.  Instead, he is greeted by the prophet in a very respectful and unusual way.  Then Saul reveals his character with these words:

Saul answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?”

1 Samuel 9: 21

God does not use the biggest, strongest, and most famous to initiate His will and leadership.  It is the small and humble He seeks. 

Something else demonstrates that God has prepared Saul for his journey as a king.  He gave him a new heart.

So it was, when he had turned his back to go on Samuel, God gave him another heart, and all those signs came to pass that day. When they arrived there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; then the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. 1 Samuel 9: 9-10

God directed the meeting of Saul and Samuel.  At least at this point, Saul was a humble young man born again (another heart), and the Spirit of God was upon him.  Saul started well with a new heart and the direction of God’s Spirit.

However, as the story goes, this same Saul, after many years as king of the united kingdom of Israel, would change and lose his way.  The people would also become different people. 

Among the people were rebels who did not accept Saul as their king. This is important because, ultimately, there would be a clear division of the people of God’s kingdoms of the North and the South.

Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched. But some scoundrels said, “How can this fellow save us?” They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent.

1 Samuel 10: 26-27

Saul’s mentor, Samuel, had died. There came a point when Saul lost his way and did not rely on God.  He grew impatient with God because of the clear and present danger of the Philistines.      

In desperation, instead of waiting on the Lord, he sought wisdom from a medium.  God forbade this for His people (Lev. 19:31), but Saul went to the medium of En Dor disguised in other clothes and at night.  He hoped to have Samuel brought up from the grave to give him advice.  Saul should have humbled himself and trusted God, but Saul had rejected God, and God rejected him.

When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, by Urim, or by the prophets…. So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Please conduct a séance for me and bring up for me the one I shall name to you.” 1 Samuel 28: 5-6, 8

In the beginning, God had selected Saul and gave him what was needed to rule over His people, but now Saul was under this medium’s bewitching power and deception.  She brought up a spirit that Saul “assumed” was Samuel (1 Samuel 28: 14) .  This spirit made a prediction that would come true.

The spirit of God had departed from Saul and became his enemy. God had torn the kingdom from Saul and given it to David.  Why? Because Saul did not obey the voice of the Lord nor attack the enemy with the wrath of God as God had instructed (1 Samuel 28:18).

As a result, Israel would be given over to the Philistines on the very next day.  Further, Saul and his sons would die in battle. For the full story, see 1 Samuel 28 and 1 Samuel 31

After Saul came David, a good ruler. Then Solomon, who would take Israel to great heights.  These three were the only three kings that would rule a united kingdom.  Then, God’s promised land would be divided into the northern kingdom of Judah and Israel in the south.

As predicted by Samuel, the kings that the people cried for would become their enemies, oppressing and dividing them.  Most of the future kings would lead them into sin and evil.

In the chart below, you can see that only a few were faithful to God.  The 20 kings of the northern tribes of Israel were ALL disobedient to God.  The southern kingdom had only 6 out of 20 (30%) who were obedient to their Maker!  What a terrible record of these kings!

Without a doubt, the choice to have kings rule them was a very bad one.  But God allowed them to have what they wanted.

Thought question: Is getting what we want better than what God has in mind for us?

The story of Saul and the following kings was recorded to show how turning our backs on God in favor of a king only leads to misery and failure.  In the final events of Earth’s history, individuals will decide like the Israelites.  Will God be our ruler, or will someone else steal our worship and devotion?  Those who we think will be our savior will become our enemy…just as the kings of Judah and Israel became the enemies of God’s people.  May we learn to lean on and trust the only faithful Savior of the world…. Jesus is the Messiah and the soon-coming King of Kings.

May their story of poor choices and lack of trust in God give us wisdom so we do not make the same mistakes.

Final thought question. Does the church have a religious king in modern society? Who is it?

Now, all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition (warning) upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 1 Corinthians 10:11

Kings of Israel
NameReign (BC)Ref. in 1& 2 KingsDeeds
Jeroboam I931-9101 Kings 12: 25-14:20Evil
Nadab910-9091 Kings 15: 25-32Evil
Baasha909-8861 Kings 15: 33-16:7Evil
Elah886-8851 Kings 16: 8-14Evil
Zimri8851 Kings 16: 15-20Evil
Tibni885-8801 Kings 16: 21-22Evil
Omri885-8741 Kings 16: 21-28Evil
Ahab874-8531 Kings 16: 29 – 22:40Evil
Ahaziah853-8521Kings 22:51 – 2 Kings 1:18Evil
Jehoram (Joram)852-8412 Kings 3:1 – 9:26Evil
Jehu841-8142 Kings 9:1 – 10:36Right and Evil
Jehoahaz814-7982 Kings 13: 1-9Evil
Jehoash (Joash)798-7822 Kings 13:10 – 14:16Evil
Jeroboam II793-7532 Kings 14: 23-29Evil
Zechariah753-7522 Kings 15: 8-12Evil
Shallum7522 Kings 15: 13-16Evil
Menahem752-7422 Kings 15: 17-22Evil
Pekahiah742-7402 Kings 15: 23-26Evil
Pekah752-7322 Kings 15: 27-31Evil
Hoshea732-7222 Kings 17: 1-6Evil
Kings of Judah
NameReign (BC)Ref. in 1&2 KingsRef. in 2 ChroniclesDeeds
Rehoboam931-9131 Kin. 12: 1-24, 14: 21-312 Chr. 10:1 – 12:16Evil
Abijam (Abijah)913-9111 Kin. 15: 1-82 Chr. 13: 1-22Evil
Asa911-8701 Kin. 15: 9-242 Chr. 14:1 – 16:14Right
Jehoshaphat872-8481 Kin. 22: 41-502 Chr. 17-1 – 20:37Right
Jehoram853-8412 Kin. 8: 16-242 Chr. 21: 1-20Evil
Ahaziah8412 Kin. 8:25-29 – 9: 21-292 Chr. 22: 1-9Evil
Athaliah (queen)841-8352 Kin. 11: 1-202 Chr. 22:10 – 23:21Evil
Joash (Jehoash)835-7962 Kin. 12: 1-212 Chr. 24: 1-27Right & Evil
Amaziah796-7672 Kin. 14: 1-222 Chr. 25: 1-28Right & Evil
Azariah (Uzziah)792-7402 Kin. 15: 1-72 Chr. 26: 1-23Right & Evil
Jotham750-7322 Kin. 15: 32-382 Chr. 27: 1-9Right & Evil
Ahaz735-7162 Kin. 16: 1-202 Chr. 28: 1-27Evil
Hezekiah716-6872 Kin. 18:1 – 20:212 Chr. 29:1 – 32:33Right
Manasseh697-6432 Kin. 21: 1-182 Chr. 31: 1-20Evil
Amon643-6412 Kin. 21: 19-262 Chr. 33: 21-25Evil
Josiah641-6092 Kin. 22:1 – 23:302 Chr. 34: 1 – 35:27Right
Jehoahaz6092 Kin. 23: 31-342 Chr. 36: 1-4Evil
Jehoiakim609-5982 Kin. 22:34 – 24:72 Chr. 36: 5-8Evil
Jehoiachin598-5972 Kin. 24:8-16, 25: 27-302 Chr. 36: 9-10Evil
Zedekiah597-5862 Kin. 24:17 – 25:212 Chr. 36: 11-21Evil
Israel in Bible Prophecy

THE ENEMIES OF ISRAEL-PART 4-Egypt

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Saul was a Jew by birth and by training, Righteous by the law, a Pharisee, and a blameless member of the tribe of Benjamin (Philippians 3: 4-6).  But he gave all that up after his conversion to Christ.  He surrendered his religiosity to the Savior.  His mind and heart had been changed by an encounter with Jesus on a lonely road to Damascus.  His intent before Jesus appeared was to take prisoner the followers of Christ. Instead, he became a preacher of Jesus as the Son of God (Acts 9:20). 

Concerned about the Jewish people and new believers in Christ, he warned the Corinth church of the failures of Israel in the desert.  He tells of those “things” that were written down so they could be forewarned of God’s promised people’s mistakes.  He directed their attention to the evil things they did after they were freed from their enemy and captors:  Egypt.  That warning message applies to modern-day followers of Jesus, too…if not more.

Now, these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters, as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 

Now, all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10: 9-11)

After spending 430 years in Egypt, the promised people of Abraham had been changed.  As the old saying goes, You can take the boy out of the country, but you can take the country out of the boy.  Their Egyptian habits went with them.  They looked, talked, and walked like Egyptians.  But God remembered his promise to Abraham.  He loved His people.   

Are we not the same as modern society?  Has there ever been a time when these sins have not been part of all world nations? Even more concerning is that the people of God may be indulging in the same sins as ancient Israel:

  • Lust for evil things
  • Idolaters
  • Sexual immoral
  • Tempting (disrespecting) their maker and God
  • Complaining and never happy

Enemy #1-Egypt

Since the stories of Israel’s journeys and missteps were written down for us, it would be wise to take heed lest (we) fall as they did, e.g., 23,000 fell, destroyed by serpents, destroyed by the destroyer. 

Yes. It is possible to be a promised child of God and fall.  This is the mystery of iniquity.  We are privileged to watch from our comfortable homes the 40 years of the Jews’ wanderings in the desert.  The big question for us is how can we learn to trust God by observing their failures?. Complete faith and trust in God,, regardless of the circumstances, was what they lacked.

How did the promised people land in Egypt?  It all started with the favoritism of Joseph, one of the sons of Israel (Genesis 37:3).  The entire story of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and the transition of the family from Cannan to Egypt starts in Genesis 11:27.. It continues through the end of the book of Genesis Chapter 50 and on into Numbers.  This written account is almost 80% of the Bible’s first book!  It is an example for us, something we should consider that will help us to avoid the same mistakes and thereby avoid failure and destruction. More importantly, their journeys should show us the patience, sacrifice, and love of God for His people.

Joseph’s brothers despised Joseph due to his dream of their eventual servitude to Joseph.  They became very angry and decided to kill him, but the oldest brother (Reuben) intervened. Judah recommended that Joseph be sold and spared his life by selling him to a caravan of travelers as a slave.  Joseph is resold to Potiphar in Egypt (Genesis 37: 21, 28, 36). 

The story continues with the success of Joseph in Egypt, drought and famine, and the eventual move of Israel and his 70-member family to Egypt.  A series of events started with hatred within the family and ended with dependence on a nation that would eventually turn the promised people into slaves.

In the family of God, favoritism can lead to jealousy, which can lead to hatred and the selling of an innocent soul to the slavery of Egypt.  A practice of disrespect for others in the family will destroy independence from the world’s influence and disrupt the purpose of God unless God leads the offender to repentance.  Jesus asks us to love, not hate.  This is the identifying—trait of the followers of Jesus.  Anything else disqualifies us from the family of God.

By this, all will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another.” John 13:35

Escape from Egypt?

The children of Israel lived in Egypt for 430 years (Exodus 12:40).  Generation after generation, molded by the conveniences of city life, had turned God’s people into Egyptians even though they were in bondage.  Their uniqueness as God’s people was being wiped clean by their enemy.

But God heard their cries for independence.  He “remembered” His promise to give them Cannan.  God sent a reluctant Moses to free the Israelites. God had instructed Moses to go directly to Pharaoh; instead, he went to the children of Israel, a seemingly easier task.  They rejected the prophet and deliverer. This gave Moses an excuse, a way out as he argued with God (Exodus 6: 1-13). Moses doubted God’s power and his own abilities.  God, again, told Moses to go to Pharoah (Exodus 6:- 28-30).

Moses and Aaron went before the Pharaoh to tell him to let God’s people go free, but he was equally non-compliant, as were God’s people.  God sent ten plagues on Egypt to help change the Pharoah’s heart, but He protected His people through the last seven plagues (Exodus 8: 22-23).(Exodus 9:4) (Exodus 9:26) (Exodus 11:7). 

The final plague was the death of the firstborn among the Egyptians, even their animals (Exodus 11: 4-5).  For the children of Israel, it would require them to do something.  They were to put the blood of the unblemished sacrificial lamb over the doorposts so the destroying angel would “pass over” their home. God directed other requirements of the “Passover.” This night would begin the cycle of months beginning on the 10th day (Exodus 12: 1-11) and continuing to the 14th day.  This time would be a celebration and instruction on the plan of salvation throughout their generations.  Jesus would be pronounced hundreds of years later as the “Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29)

Disaster in the Desert

Finally, after a multitude of generations bound by their captors, the children of Israel left their captors with their livestock,  wealth from the Egyptians, and the bones of Joseph (Exodus 12: 31-36) (Exodus 13: 17-22)

Israel would take 40 years of travel to realize the promised land of Cannan.  It could have been shorter, perhaps only 30 days, had they trusted God at His word and believed the good report of the spies.  God desired their love and trust in Him alone.  Something they would fail to do for many generations to come. 

The generation that left Egypt would never see the promised land.  Only two men who trusted God at his word and those under 20 years old would receive the promise (Numbers 14: 26-32).  The others would wander in the desert for four decades lusting for evil things; they were sexually immoral, they tempted Christ, complained, and were unhappy.

Do we love and trust God?  Are we complainers sexually immoral and test Christ?  Will we fail to enter the promised land through Christ because of these things? 

 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore, consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.  Romans 11: 21-23

May God have mercy on us.

Eventually, the people of God would settle in the promised land and build a temple to the Lord despite their backsliding from God.  But it would not last forever; that magnificent tribute to the only true God built by the very wealthy King Solomon would be destroyed, and the people would be taken captive again (for 70 years) by their next enemy, Babylon.