Josh Benner

Author: the Josh Benner Blog

  • Divine providence and the first king of Israel. Studying 1 Samuel 9:15-16

    Divine providence and the first king of Israel. Studying 1 Samuel 9:15-16

    In 1 Samuel 9, Saul is looking for some lost donkeys. What he didn’t know is that Samuel had had a vision the day before that will change Saul’s life. 

    1 Samuel 9:15-16:
    15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: 16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.” 

    The ESV uses the word prince. Different translations use different words there. Prince. Some translations say leader. Captain. 

    What this word specifically isn’t is “king.” In fact, that word is found nowhere in this passage. Pointing out that God is the true king. 

    The providence of God

    In this passage, we see the providential hand of God. 

    The Lord is going to bring the future king before Samuel. 

    Providence can be a complicated thing. Some could look at all of life as just a random series of events, with nothing being connected.

    In the Bible, we see numerous stories, where God’s guiding hand of providence is leading. We see it in the story of Joseph as the Lord takes a man who was betrayed by his own brothers and uses Joseph to end up saving Israel and saving his brother Judah, from whose line Jesus would come into the world. 

    We see providence in the Book of Ruth when a young women who’s a widow and has nothing moves away from her homeland and goes to Bethlehem. And it is there that a relative of her deceased husband, a man named Boaz marries Ruth and they have a Son who was the grandfather of King David. 

    You have these series of events where the end result would not have happened had one thing been changed. The razor’s edge. 

    We see the providential hand of God working throughout the Old Testament, throughout the history of Israel, throughout the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, all the way to David, all the way to Joseph and Mary through whom Jesus came into the world. 

    God providentially working. 

    We see the providence of God throughout Paul’s missionary journeys. Successes but also times of major setbacks. Arrests, beatings, places he couldn’t travel to. But all of it was for a purpose as the work of God was advancing in the world. 

    Those events are not random. The Lord is working in the world. He is working in history. He is working today, and he is working in our own lives. 

    Saul found out his calling while searching for some donkeys.

    For other Biblical figures, Abraham had a divine encounter when near the entrance of a tent. God spoke to Moses in a burning bush when he was tending to his sheep. 

    Another man named Saul, who we know better as the Apostle Paul was hunting down Christians to persecute them and walking on the road to Damascus when Jesus appeared to him. 

    Events so dramatic don’t happen all the time but God is no less at work. 

    The things we do, the people we are, the backgrounds we have, the things that happen, all of it is for a purpose. 

    And we have an opportunity within those things to serve the Lord and to be part of his story. 

    Saul had his chance and ultimately fell into sin. Instead of being an example of grace, he became an example of how far we can fall.

    The Israelites had demanded a king and told that it would go poorly for them. More taxes, loss of land, everyone would be a subject. But they wanted a king nonetheless. 

    Perhaps you wonder why Saul failed if he was the man whom God chose? Because Saul was a fallible man and fallible people will never be the world’s ultimate hope. Even good kings in Israel still had their failings. 

    But a king would come who would be the ultimate savior of Israel and of the world. And Saul points to that, and David will point to that. And all of the kings of Israel will point to that. 

    The main character of this book is not Samuel, it’s not Saul, it’s not David. The main character is God who despite the failures of the kings, remains the ultimate sovereign over Israel who is leading his people and his kingdom. 

    That was true in the days of Saul. And it’s still true today. God is the king. He is soverengly working.

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  • Saul, the first king of Israel. Studying 1 Samuel 9:1-14

    Saul, the first king of Israel. Studying 1 Samuel 9:1-14

    In 1 Samuel 8, the Israelites demand a king. They will have to pay more in taxes, more of their men will have to serve in the army and fight in wars. The best of their land will have to be given up for service to the king. Women will have to work in various trades that will serve the kingdom. They will be subjects. In spite of all of that, the people still say they want a king.

    In chapter 9, we’re introduced to Saul, the man who would be the first king of Israel. 

    Humble beginnings 

    1 Samuel 9:1:
    There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. 

    As is often the case in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, when a new person is introduced, we see a family line given to introduce the person. 

    The Benjaminites were one of the 12 tribes of Israel. They were the smallest of the tribes numerically. 

    Other noteworthy Benjaminites in the Bible include Esther and the Apostle Paul. 

    The verse also mentions that the family was wealthy. 

    Continuing in verse 2:

    2 And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. 

    Physical descriptions of people in the Bible are generally pretty rare and when we see them, it’s usually for a reason. We don’t even know what Jesus looked like. But First Samuel mentions that Saul is a tall, handsome man. 

    Saul’s appearance matters to the story. Saul is the only Israelite who’s ever referred to as being tall in the Bible. And the word handsome is found just a handful of times. 

    So now that the general introductory things have been told about Saul, the author gets into the story. 

    The lost donkeys

     3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.”

    So Saul might come from a wealthy family, but we’re introduced to him having to engage in a fairly inglorious task of looking for some lost donkeys. 

    Verses 4-5: 

      4 And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them. 5 When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, let us go back, lest my father cease to care about the donkeys and become anxious about us.”

    Still talking about donkeys. 

    It seems that the author is trying to show us the simple life that Saul was living. He’s going to be a king, but here, he’s just doing what his father sent him to do.

    Agin, he’s just some Benjaminite. The smallest tribe. While his family seems well off, they’re not even the most prominent family within their tribe. 

    Saul has no ambition of being a King. Israel has never even had a king at this point! 

    It’s kind of like how I doubt George Washington grew up with aspirations of being president. 

    Because he grew up in a time when the presidency wasn’t a thing. 

    Saul has no aspiration of being the leader of Israel. So Saul is with one of his servants looking for the donkeys and they have wandered into this small town: Zuph. Still no donkeys. But they’ve been gone for awhile and Saul starts to worry that his father is going to start to worry. 

    But the servant of Saul makes a suggestion. 

    Verse 6:
    6 But he said to him, “Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go.”

    The servant refers to “a man of God” in that city. The man of God is the Prophet Samuel. 

    Samuel is essentially a leader over Israel. He’s not a king. But he’s known throughout the land. 

     For instance, 1 Samuel 3:20 says:
    20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. 

    Back in our passage. So it’s not Saul that has the idea to see Samuel. It’s his servant who has the idea. The servant knows and Saul doesn’t. And this is the future king of Israel! So Saul’s servant suggests Saul seek out Samuel. To find some donkeys. 

    Saul responds. He’s uncertain.

     7 Then Saul said to his servant, “But if we go, what can we bring the man? For the bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have”

    Culturally, he feels like he needs to have some sort of gift to present before a prophet. 

    His servant happens to have some silver on him in verse 8. And so the two men go in pursuit on Samuel. 

    After a quick note on how they needed to have a gift, we see in verses 11-12, their journey is interrupted by a group of women. 

    Saul and his servant are looking for Samuel. And the women tell Saul and his servant that Samuel has just returned to the city. 

    1 Samuel 9:11-12:
    11 As they went up the hill to the city, they met young women coming out to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?” 12 They answered, “He is; behold, he is just ahead of you. Hurry. He has come just now to the city, because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place.

    So the women tell Saul and his servant to hurry because Samuel has to perform a sacrifice that day. 

    1 Samuel 9:13:
    13 As soon as you enter the city you will find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat till he comes, since he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now go up, for you will meet him immediately.”

    So the women are talking about this feast. Unknown to the women, unknown to Saul, but the feast is for him. 

    Verse 14:
    14 So they went up to the city. As they were entering the city, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way up to the high place. 

    And it is there where they will meet the Prophet Samuel and where Saul will receive some news which will change his life and the future history of Israel.

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  • Atonement after The Fall. Studying Genesis 3:21-24

    Atonement after The Fall. Studying Genesis 3:21-24

    The first sacrifice 

    After the fall of Adam and Eve, God had made them new garments from animal skins. 

    Genesis 3:21: 

    ​​21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. 

    These are both an act of God’s grace and also a reminder of man’s guilt. Our innocence has been lost because of the fall. 

    This is the Bible’s first sacrifice as God covers Adam and Eve in animal skins. Sacrifices in the Bible point to the final and ultimate sacrifice when Jesus gave his life, and gave up his flesh so that all who believe in him could be forgiven. 

    Exiled from Eden

    In one final act of divine judgment, Adam and Eve are cast out of Eden because of their sin. 

    22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. 

    This penalty is not arbitrary nor is it unfair. 

    The passage has God saying that man has become like one of us. 

    Trinity

    There’s another hint to the Trinity in this verse. 

    Man was told that he’d be like God if he ate of the fruit of the tree. Here God says that man has become like one of us. 

    Who is us? 

    Some might take it similarly to Genesis 1 and suggest God is referring to himself in the plural. This overlooks the theology which develops in the Bible. Man has made himself like the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

    And while Adam is now like them, in a sense, he will not be with them as he is removed from Eden. 

    Eden is the place where the tree of life is. God promised death for eating of the forbidden fruit. And so many  must be expelled from the place where there is the tree of life and be placed outside the garden. 

    Returning to Eden

    The rest of the Bible is the story of man getting back to Eden. 

    In the Bible’s closing chapter, an Edenic heaven is depicted in the new heaven, the new earth and the new Jerusalem. In both places, there is the presence of God where there is flowing water, the tree of life, angelic guards, that faces to the east. 

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  • THE LEGACY OF AMERICA’S FIGHT FOR INDEPENDENCE

    THE LEGACY OF AMERICA’S FIGHT FOR INDEPENDENCE

    A few years ago, my wife and I had the opportunity to visit Philadelphia. Neither of us had ever been there before. I loved it. Thought it was an amazing city. As someone who loves history, there are some incredible sights to see in Philadelphia. It’s surreal that you’ll be in the middle of a major city and you’ll also be walking between buildings that housed some of the most important events in our nation’s history, and that were here over 200 years ago.

    My favorite sight to see was Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were debated and adopted. It was surreal to be in a room, and to think, “George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton have all been in this room.” It felt as though I was standing on hallowed ground.

    Much gets said about our founding fathers and our history. They were imperfect men. But imperfect as they were, they also did something great.

    Revisionist historians like to argue that the only reason the Founding Fathers declared independence from Britain was out of a desire to not pay taxes. This overlooks the fact that the founders committed an act of treason against the Crown when they declared independence. Had the United States lost the war, they would have all been hanged. And it wasn’t a guarantee that the United States would win. The Continental Army had the daunting task of synthesizing an army together from colonies (who had largely been independent of one another) into a cohesive army.

    img_0738
    Assembly Room at Independence Hall

    The last line of the Declaration of Independence says:

    “For the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”

    Many of our Founding Fathers paid dearly in the cause of liberty and freedom.

    Robert Morris of Pennsylvania had amassed great wealth and gave it all away to support the army and navy. He also had loaned money to the Continental Congress in 1776. Morris was never paid back and died in poverty.

    Thomas Nelson of Virginia had his home overtaken and used as a headquarters by General Cornwallis. Nelson ordered his own home to be burned down. He spent $2 million of his own money (an incredible sum in the 18th century), to help fund the war. Nelson was also never paid back and died impoverished.

    Phillip Livingston of New York was one of the richest men in America but also lost all of his fortune and didn’t survive to see the end of the war, dying less than two years after he signed the Declaration of Independence.

    Richard Stockton of New Jersey was arrested by the British in 1776 and spent three years as a prisoner. When he was released, his health was failing, and he died two years later in financial ruin.

    When Charleston, South Carolina was overtaken by the British in 1780, three of the four signers of the Declaration of Independence were taken as prisoners of war. When they were released, their property had been pillaged.

    And there are many other examples. They cost of starting a nation. A nation that is imperfect, but which has also spread more freedom to the world than any other nation in history.

    I think our founding fathers, and the subsequent millions of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who have fought to defend that freedom. Most especially, I’m thankful for the freedom of religion that we have in this nation. That we are free to worship as we desire. So many tyrants throughout the world have attacked the freedom of religion at the alter of imposing religions or eliminating religions. But the beauty of America is that we can worship as we choose.

    Originally published July 4, 2018

  • Sermon: In search of the king – 1 Samuel 10:1-27

    Saul becomes the first king of Israel but we see from a rocky start, some foreshadowing of events to come.

    Sermon manuscript