Security or Obedience?

The Biblical Emphasis

Scripture Focus

2 Samuel 1:1, 17–27

Theme

Salvation and righteousness

Sermon Summary

David’s eulogy for the deaths of Saul and Jonathan are troubling when considered in relation to the question of the security of salvation. Would Saul have been saved?

Introduction

Today’s Old Testament reading is assigned from the beginning of the 2^nd book of Samuel, in which David has just heard the news of the death of King Saul and his son Jonathan, a good friend of David.

¹After the death of Saul, David returned from defeating the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days.

¹⁷David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan, ¹⁸and ordered that the men of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar): ¹⁹“Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen! ²⁰“Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice. ²¹“O mountains of Gilboa, may you have neither dew nor rain, nor fields that yield offerings of grain. For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul —no longer rubbed with oil. ²²From the blood of the slain, from the flesh of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not turn back, the sword of Saul did not return unsatisfied. ²³“Saul and Jonathan —in life they were loved and gracious, and in death they were not parted. They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. ²⁴“O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and finery, who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold. ²⁵“How the mighty have fallen in battle! Jonathan lies slain on your heights. ²⁶I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women. ²⁷“How the mighty have fallen! The weapons of war have perished!” (2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27)

This is a fitting eulogy for a king and a prince, by a king-in-waiting, but also a surprising one, considering all the trouble that David faced at the hand of Saul. Even more surprising, is that, in the verses sandwiched, but not included, by today’s reading, the soldier who assisted Saul’s suicide, and collected trophies, reports the outcome to David (1 Samuel 1:6-10), who then orders his death, after asking him, “Were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” (:14)

David calls Saul, “The Lord’s anointed”, despite all the trouble between them. To understand the animosity between Saul and David, and the questions raised by this pronouncement, I must recount for you the story of Saul’s rise to fame and fall from grace.

The Story of Saul and Jonathan’s Death

1.   Saul was the son of a man named Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin

      a.   since Saul’s name means, “asked for”, we can presume that he was probably Kish’s only son and a child who had been prayed for

2.   Some of Saul’s father’s donkeys had strayed and Saul went to look for them, finally seeking the advice of “a local prophet” —i.e. the prophet-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 8-10)

3.   The day before, God had spoken to Samuel, revealing that Saul would approach him, and that Samuel should anoint Saul as the first king over the Israelites (9:15-17)

      a.   the people had requested an earthly king, so as to be like the surrounding nations; thereby rejecting, to some degree, the direct, theocratic governance of God

4.   God’s choosing of Saul was confirmed by three signs, the last of which being an extraordinary indwelling of the Spirit, by which he was transformed (9:25-10:9)

      a.   the locals interpreted this manifestation as Saul becoming a prophet (:10-12)

5.   Saul’s kingship was confirmed to the nation during a solemn assembly led by Samuel (10:17–27)

6.   His kingship was vindicated as he led the nation’s armies into victory (11:1–11)

7.   Saul then sought to free the land of their mortal enemies, the Philistines

      a.   God, through Samuel, gave Saul explicit instructions to wait in Gilgal for seven days (13:8)

      b.   at the last moment, Saul became impatient, made an unlawful sacrifice to God, and Samuel was forced to warn him of the fatal consequences of his inappropriate action (13:9-14)

            i.    although Saul had been chosen by God, empowered by God miraculously, he still relied on his own power and judgement to sort out his problems

8.   During the next great battle against the Philistines, Saul enforced a rash oath upon his soldiers to fast until the battle was won (17:24)

      a.   Jonathan had not heard this charge (:27) and enjoyed a snack of honeycomb

      b.   Saul was forced, by his oath, to sentence his own son to death (:42)

            i.    luckily, the people interceded on Jonathan’s behalf (:42-46)

9.   Saul was commanded by God to utterly destroy the Amalekites, but spared their king

      a.   this elicited God’s rejection of Saul as the king of Israel (15:23, 35)

            i.    the Spirit of God was removed from Saul (16:14) and a tormenting spirit was sent to discipline him towards repentance

      b.   David was then anointed as the future king (:10-13)

            i.    David defeated Goliath, the Philistines champion soldier (:32, 48-49)

            ii.   recognising David’s claim to the throne, Saul became enraged and pursued David to kill him (18:10-16)

10. Sometime after David’s defeat of Goliath, the Philistines gathered for what would be Saul’s final battle

      a.   without God’s guidance, Saul sought out a medium (28:3–14) to channel the spirit of Samuel, who had since died

            i.    Samuel reported that the Israelites would be defeated and that Saul would die (:16–19)

            ii.   this prophecy came to pass, with both Saul and all his sons being killed in battle (31:1-6)

Now here is my question that arises from all of this: If we accept that God chose Saul because of some level of righteousness that made him appropriate to be the first king of Israel, and that God filled Saul with his Holy Spirit so as to be able to accomplish this calling, did he truly remain anointed, as David declared? Or, to put it another way, would Saul have been saved after his death?

The Definition of Salvation

To answer this question, let us consider the nature and process that Christians know, and describe, as salvation.

Christian salvation is not a stagnant theology, but involves repentance, faith, regeneration, justification, adoption, sanctification, and prayer

1.   repentance is the condition when one’s intelligence, emotion, will, and nature is confronted by the Word of God, particularly the proof of his existence, shame and regret over one’s worldview and lifestyle leads to confession and a determination to live right, so as to please God

2.   faith is our comprehension of God’s existence and acceptance of his claim on our lives, which then dictates and transforms our worldview ‘lense’, rejecting counter-claims and counter-worldviews

3.   faith leads to regeneration, the crisis by which our essential nature is progressively transformed by the impartation of the Holy Spirit —we might say that were one was once natural, one becomes supernatural; without this transformation we cannot be saved (John 3:5)

4.   justification is a change from guilt and condemnation before God to being acquitted and accepted by God; our standing before God is made right

5.   adoption has to do with our renewed position with God, that is that we have been accepted into God’s family, with all the rights and responsibilities of an heir

6.   sanctification is the process by which our character and conduct our transformed

7.   none of these aspects of a Christian life can be sustained unless prayer maintains them

To summarise, we might say that our positive response to the revelation of God allows him to rescue us from our sin and death, to give us life, and to guide our new life both in and for him.

The problem with Saul is that while the initial repentance was present, none of the other aspects seem to have been present. He certainly received the blessings of God, becoming a part of the family of God. But, he was lost the kingship to which he was called by God. God also was forced to send a spirit against Saul to discipline him and draw him back to righteousness. Saul sought the services of a medium —not an acceptable biblical practice— instead of waiting for God’s guidance.

So does Saul enjoy eternal salvation now, despite his waywardness? This question is important because it has significant implications for our own sense of security in our salvation.

The Answer to the Question

There is no doubt that God chose Saul (i.e. election) and intended for him to be a righteous and holy king of Israel (i.e. predestination). Yet, in this story is revealed that God’s choice is not irresistible.

It was incumbent upon Saul to continue in his faith and reliance upon God. Likewise, our own salvation is dependant upon continued holy obedience (John 15:4-6, 10). Saul was certainly welcomed into the family of God; but, can we imagine there ever being a point at which one can be rejected as a family member?

The answer must be, sadly, yes. The most extreme example is the “unforgivable sin” described by the apostle Matthew (Matthew 12:30-32) —there exists a situation so terrible that even a born-again Christian can do something unforgivable.

The NT writers elsewhere implore all the followers of God to consciously and determinately pursue and maintain their salvation —and that includes even those who have been chosen (Philippians 2:12-16; 2 Timothy 4:7).

There should be no doubt that God develops in his people those aspects of salvation previously described; yet, our responsibility and accountability in this process is never underestimated in the Bible. Despite our obsession and psychological distress over the security of our salvation, the emphasis of the Bible is on the maintenance of a holy and righteous faith and lifestyle.

Saul rejected the enabling and transforming Spirit of God in his life. God sought to help Saul by disciplining him with a pestering spirit, yet Saul continued to walk away from God’s will and ways. Should we be surprised if he lost his salvation? Probably not. But is that really the answer to the question?

Focussing on the security of salvation treats the issue of salvation as nothing more than a ‘magic pill’: “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Now, this is the most basic formulation of salvation and it is a true criteria, but is it the end of the story?

We should also remember that Paul himself declares, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life [...] nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

However, “[God] cuts off every branch in [Jesus] that bears no fruit [...] If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love” (John 15:2, 10). Security cannot be determined separately from obedience.

Conclusion

What is the answer to the questions of Saul’s salvation? I’m not going to give you an answer because the answer belittles the question.

It is not our place to judge another’s salvation. Indeed, we could also say that is inappropriate for us to be concerned about our own security. Our responsibility is to remain in God’s love through faithful obedience. If we are not being faithful, and if we are not allowing the Spirit of God to transform us into the kind of people who can be faithful, then, likely, the question of security becomes important.

Otherwise, let us focus on celebrating the glorious freedom of the children of God and living in the power and glory of his kingdom each and every day.

in support of the biblical account of Jesus’ existence, teaching, death, and resurrection. The evidence in support of Jesus is evidence that one can count on, and a wisdom that transforms us, by drawing us close to the God who loves us.

sermon delivered by Ian Forest-Jones
at Hurstville Church of Christ
on Sunday, 2 July 2006 at 10am
[email]

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