When we take matters into our own hands, we remove them from God.

1. blaine bowman and HIS goodtime band
will be leading worship at
Gospel Baptist Tabernacle
781 Salem Road, Rossville GA 30741
Sunday night, February 12, 2012 at six o'clock
February 12, 2012 www.rossvillechurch.com

2. 1 Samuel 13 1-2 Saul reigned one year; and when he
had reigned two years over Israel, Saul chose him
three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand
were with Saul in Michmash and in mount
Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in
Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he
sent every man to his tent.
In his first year as king of Israel, Saul had to
deal with the Ammonite threat with a
militia raised in one day.
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3. Now in his second year, he builds a regular army of
three thousand men.
2000 under his leadership
1000 under Jonathan.
Everybody else he sent home.
The Philistines are the threat now.
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4. 3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines
that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it.
And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land,
saying, Let the Hebrews hear. 4 And all Israel heard
say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Phil-
istines, and that Israel also was had in abomination
with the Philistines. And the people were called
together after Saul to Gilgal.
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5. 5 And the Philistines gathered
themselves together to fight with
Israel, thirty thousand chariots,
and six thousand horsemen, and
people as the sand which is on
the sea shore in multitude: and
they came up, and pitched in
Michmash, eastward from
Bethaven.
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6. 6 When the men of Israel saw that
they were in a strait, (for the people
were distressed,) then the people did
hide themselves in caves, and in
thickets, and in rocks, and in high
places, and in pits. 7 And some of the
Hebrews went over Jordan to the
land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul,
he was yet in Gilgal, and all the
people followed him trembling.
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7. Saul's army began to desert.
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8. 8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set
time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came
not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from
him. 9 And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering
to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the
burnt offering.
Samuel had told him to wait seven days, and he
would come and bless Israel for battle.
Samuel was late.
Saul decided to offer the sacrifices himself.
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9. This was a test of Saul's faith.
Waiting is one of the most difficult trials we face.
Especially when we think God is late.
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10. 10 And it came to pass, that as
soon as he had made an end of
offering the burnt offering,
behold, Samuel came; and Saul
went out to meet him, that he
might salute him.
Saul exceeded his authority (he was not a
priest), and made the offerings, and then Samuel
came.
Saul went to greet him as if nothing was wrong.
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11. 11a And Samuel said, What hast thou done?
"I was afraid and my faith wavered."
"Forgive me."
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12. 11b And Saul said, Because I saw that the people
were scattered from me, and that thou camest not
within the days appointed, and that the Philistines
gathered themselves together at Michmash;
"It's not my fault."
"You didn't get here on time."
"My army was deserting me."
"The Philistines were ready to fight."
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13. 12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down
now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made
supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself there-
fore, and offered a burnt offering.
Saul had not asked for the Lord's help.
So he offered a burnt offering, in direct
disobedience to God's calling of priests.
Saul was neither priest nor prophet; to act as a
priest was disobedience to God.
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14. 13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done fool-
ishly: thou hast not kept the Commandment of the
Lord thy God, which He commanded thee: for now
would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon
Israel for ever.
To disobey anything that God says is foolish.
We take ourselves outside of His Will, and
therefore outside of His Protection.
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15. 14 Butnow thy kingdom shall not continue: the
Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart,
and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain
over his people, because thou hast not kept that
which the Lord commanded thee.
Men see nothing but Saul's outward act, which
seems small; but God saw that he did this with
unbelief and distrust of His Providence, with
contempt of His Authority and Justice, and with
rebellion against the Light of his own conscience.
Matthew Henry Concise Bible Commentary.
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16. Whenever we act from fear, we sin.
Romans 14 23b … whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Let all our acts and decisions be from Faith.
1 John 4 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love
casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that
feareth is not made perfect in love.
To love God completely is to have
no reason to fear.
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17. When we take things into our own hands,
we take them out of God's Hands.
Saul was afraid because his army was
deserting him on the field of battle.
He thought God had failed him in the
person of Samuel.
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18. Fear and/or anger are usually the emotions that
cause us to take matters into our own hands.
Faith leaves it in
God's Hands.
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