Fully Devoted: Israel, Act 1Sample

Saul and David

Judges tells us that after Joshua—and the whole generation of Israelites he was a part of—had passed away:

... another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. Judges 2:10-11 NIV

The rest of Judges tells us the story of the people of Israel continually turning their backs on God, and God continually delivering them from their sins and bringing them back home.

He does that through judges—leaders He raises up to lead His people back to what’s good and true. This cycle continues throughout the entire book of Judges. The people reject God and worship the gods of the Canaanites, a hostile nation invades and takes over, and then God raises up a judge to rescue the people. It’s a cycle of rebellion and redemption. 

And it’s a repeated reminder that God will never abandon His people, no matter how many times they abandon Him. That means God will never abandon you, no matter how many times you may mess up or fall short. 

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit. Judges 21:25 NIV

These are the last words in the book of Judges. They point right to the next part of the story, in which God raises up a king to lead the nation of Israel on His behalf. The people of Israel go to their leader, a judge named Samuel, and appeal to him:

“... now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” 1 Samuel 8:5 NIV

Samuel goes to God with the people’s request and God responds: 

… “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.” 1 Samuel 8:7 NIV

The nation of Israel was God’s chosen nation, a kingdom of priests, set apart and made holy to represent Him to the world. They were called to establish His reign and rule on earth as it is in heaven. Israel’s true king was God, but that wasn’t what they wanted. So God decided to give them what they wanted—a king “such as all the other nations have.”

This is where Saul enters the story. 

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

Saul was handsome, well-respected, and very tall. He was exactly the kind of person you would expect to be a leader, because he looked like the kind of leader that all the other nations had—and that was the problem.

Israel was not supposed to be like the other nations. Israel was intentionally established and structured to be different, standing out so that they could properly represent their holy God. 

God gave the people what they wanted, even though it isn’t what He wanted. 

You see, far too often, we look at what’s on the outside to determine someone’s worth. We look at their charisma, their competency, and their confidence. 

But God looks at what’s on the inside. He looks at our character. God sees what we don’t. He recognizes that the most important thing isn’t what we do or how we do it, but the kind of person we become. 

So, even though God allowed the people of Israel to have a king just like the other nations had, God was preparing the way for a better king to eventually take the throne—the type of king He wanted.

God first needed the people to be ready. But it wouldn’t be too long before He would send Samuel to anoint David as king.  

Journaling Questions

• Write down a verse (or verses) from today’s reading. What stands out to you about that verse? 
• If you were really honest, would you say you evaluate people more based on what’s on the outside (confidence/competency/charisma) or what’s on the inside (character)? Provide some examples. 
• Think about someone you know who often gets overlooked by others. Take some time to pray for them and ask God how you can best help them feel seen and valued today.

Memory Verse

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome ... 1 John 5:1-3 NIV