The Death of The Bad King
AS DARK AS THE STORY LOOKS, IT ENDS WITH A GLIMPSE OF LIGHT
After 9 months of sermons, our series in the OT book of 1 Samuel has come to an end. And it ended in a similar way to how it began. 1 Samuel began without a king in the land and everyone doing what was right in their own eyes (see Judges 21:25). The story ends without a king in the land because he only did what was right in his own eyes. The story of the establishment of the monarchy in Israel ends with the death of the bad king, Saul. Saul was the king like all the nations that the people had wanted (1 Sam 8:5), but at the end of the day he was not the king they needed. His failure to deliver his people in battle represents the failure of every one of our false kings to deliver us from trouble and bring us into blessing.
On this dark day in Israel’s history, all the hopes the people had placed in Saul were dashed and disappointed as their army was defeated, their king was humiliated, and their lands taken by the Philistines in battle. Have your hopes ever come crashing down? Have you placed your trust in false kings that have failed you? There’s good news for you, because as dark as this day was, it ends with a glimpse of light. There’s hope because even though there was no human king on the throne, God, the King who is, never stopped reigning. And just as he removed the bad king, he’d raise up the True King who’d never let his people down. Listen to the message and renew your hope in the King who is.