 James 4:10  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

 Explore what motivated Saul to turn from God and seek David’s life;  Examine Saul’s visit to the witch of Endor as an example of involvement with the occult;  Demonstrate that Saul’s prideful self-sufficiency led to God’s rejection of him as king;  Explore how God’s criteria for selecting leaders was revealed in the preparation and selection of David as king;  Examine the lessons of godly courage David exhibited through his encounter with Goliath;  Identify principles of friendship as shown by the relationship between David and Jonathan;  Identify psalms of David that are expressive of praise, repentance, and even protest;  Examine the consequences of David’s adultery to himself, his family, and his nation.

 Major Project Due February 6 – Don’t Forget  You have the rubric – so do your best and get the grade you want!  Memory Verse for Friday – Ps 51:10-12 p. 94

 After all the ungodliness in Judges – does it continue?  YES – there was hypocrisy in the church  How do people react to hypocrisy in the church:  1. Close their eyes and hope the problem goes away  2. Some become critical, cynical and judgmental  3. Some will shout – You’re all a bunch of hypocrites – and leave the church  4. Some refuse to be sidetracked by the faults of people – instead they focus on God

 Sons of Eli – the HIGH PRIEST  Were having sex with women in the temple  Told to stop but kept doing it  Despite their sin – God did NOT abandon Israel  God did pronounce and fulfill judgment on them and Eli for failing to stop them. 1 Sam 3:11-14  Eli’s sons killed when they took the Ark of God into battle  Eli died when he heard the ark had been taken from the Israelites

 Samuel brought good to the nation – why?  1. Samuel’s family did NOT abandon the temple – despite the bad things that were happening there  2. God was still present and eager to speak to someone willing to listen  3. God did not allow the evil to continue unchecked  4. God worked through a listening leader to change the course of a nation

 1. In spite of the evil – God does not abandon His people  2. God doesn’t just sweep sins of the church under the rug – He deals with them forcefully and decisively  3. Just as evil leaders can bring evil on many – a righteous leader can bring blessings

 Saul was Israel’s first king  Saul’s self-sufficiency and unwillingness to follow God’s instructions led to his downfall

 Saul helped to rid Israel of idolatry and witchcraft  However – 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the LORD all that night.  Instead of confessing his pride – Saul attempted to retain his power by destroying David  Saul visits the witch of Endor – I Samuel 28

 Saul and the Medium at Endor  3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land. 4 The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. 6 He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. 7 Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.”  “There is one in Endor,” they said.  8 So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”  9 But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?”  10 Saul swore to her by the LORD, “As surely as the LORD lives, you will not be punished for this.”  11 Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”  “Bring up Samuel,” he said.  12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”  13 The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?”  The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure [a] coming up out of the earth.”a  14 “What does he look like?” he asked.  “An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said.  Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.  15 Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”  “I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”  16 Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has departed from you and become your enemy? 17 The LORD has done what he predicted through me. The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. 18 Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the LORD has done this to you today. 19 The LORD will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”

 2 Samuel – really about David  David’s rise to ‘fame’ began when God instructed the prophet Samuel to anoint the young shepherd boy as the new heir to the throne  Known best for his duel with Goliath – he demonstrated a courageous heart that trusted in God’s power to save

 David and Jonathan – a friendship based on mutual loyalty, trust and affection

 David and Bathsheba  Why include it in the Bible?  1. Shows how a single sin can lead to a series of sins that grow more and more serious  2. David’s secret sin ended up hurting many, many people  3. When confronted with Nathan, the prophet, David saw the wretchedness of his actions and simply confessed – “I have sinned against the Lord” 2 Sam 12:13

 Jedidiah – Solomon – was born to them – the wisest man on the earth

 When all we have to offer God is loneliness or pain – He ALWAYS understands and HE will make sense out of chaos, HE will calm the troubled waters, HE will make something beautiful out of our lives.

 Watch video of David and Goliath  Test tomorrow over Lessons 9-12