C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON FOR MAY 10, 2020 Unit Three: THROUGH THE KINGS, LESSON NINE : TOPIC – GOD BRINGS KINGS ON BOARD
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C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
God in the Administration of Man.
Unit Three: THROUGH THE KINGS.
Lesson: LESSON NINE.
May 10th, 2020.
TOPIC: GOD BRINGS KINGS ON BOARD
Memory Scripture
… the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses
(Dan. 5:21).
What a privilege! God started the monarchy with Saul. He didn’t take it lightly with him when he abused this grace. Don’t abuse God’s grace on you.
BRIEF COMMENT
Belshazzar had not learnt from the judgment upon Nebuchadnezzar. He had insulted God by using the vessels of God to celebrate idols to remind the people celebrating with him of the previous victory over Israel. Belshazzar hoped it would boost their morale and spoil the God of Israel — blasphemy in the highest order, and therefore was punished by God. Sinners are pleased with gods that neither see, nor hear, nor know; but they will be judged by One God to whom all things are open. Belshazzar saw a Hand writing on the wall and called upon Daniel for interpretation. In Daniel 5:18-20, before the interpretation of what was written on the wall, Daniel told him the story and doom of Nebuchadnezzar (his grandfather). God called Nebuchadnezzar “my servant.” God used him to work out His purposes, and to rule and reign for His own purposes (Jer. 25:8; 27:6; 43:10). When he misbehaved, he was seriously dealt with. His downfall was due to pride. He learnt his lesson the hard way, through divine discipline … till he acknowledged that “the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He choose.”
Implication: God knows and rules in the kingdoms of men. He also knows the future. God is never surprised about any event in history, because He knows all events, simultaneously. He is not a sequential being neither is He a time or space being. He transcends time and space
Remember, He is the unchanging God who changes things. Don’t wait to learn acknowledge Him in the hardest way. We shall not fumble, we shall not be neglected and replaced, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Devotional Bible Readings For Week One
Mon. 4: The Lord Promised Them A King (Deut. 17:14)
Tue. 5: The King will not be a Foreigner (Deut. 17:15)
Wed. 6: The King shall not be Greedy (Deut. 17:16)
Thur. 7: The King shall not Multiply Wives (Deut. 17:17a)
Fri. 8: The King shall not Amass Wealth (Deut. 17:17b)
Sat. 9: The King shall Value the Law (Deut. 17:18-20)
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
1. God has a purpose for man, and accomplishes these through the leadership He either puts in place or allows.
2. The leadership in every organisation is either put there directly or permitted/allowed. This He does to fulfil His eternal redemptive purposes, whether the people concerned know or not. It doesn’t matter to Him who is at the helm of affairs in any organisation. God will fulfil His purpose.
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURES : Psalm 115:3
AIM AND OBJECTIVES
AIM: To show that God is one but functions in in divers ways in the affairs of man, whether by invitation or otherwise.
OBJECTIVES: At the end of this lesson, readers should be able to:
i. show that it is the business of God to function in the administration of man, since He created the world and the people there in;
ii. defend the fact that He knows the right instrument to use in any dispensation;
iii. discuss the fact that God knows all He created, perfectly and absolutely, and He weighs actions; and
iv. show that God unquestionably brings low and lifts up whoever He pleases.
INTRODUCTION
TEXTUAL SOURCE: DEUTERONOMY 17:14,15; 1 SAMUEL 8:1-22; 9:1-27; 10:1-27; 11:1-11; 13:1-15; 15:1-26
What shall we say unto the Lord, for all we have learnt and received in past weeks, through His Word, and greater goodies He has prepared for us in our mega-theme for this year 2020 (GOD IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF MAN), which we have been discussing since the beginning of the year? We ascribe all the glory to Him.
Last week, we looked at the topic, THE ERAS OF ABIMELECH AND SAMSON, which ends Unit II: THROUGH THE JUDGES. It is expected that we should have better understood that we should check out attitudes towards assuming position of authority and how we use or abuse such positions. This is because, God is there watching, and He definitely repays according to our motives and actions, His Word being the standard. May we not fail Him. Amen.
Today’s lesson, the ninth in the series and the first in the unit III, teaches that we have God who works through, and in seasons and time. He knows the right instrument to use for any season and time. We have seen the effects of His fingers through priests and judges in time past. When His appointed time came for Him to work through kings, He perfectly brought monarch on board, though to complement His theocracy. He has the right timing and positive events for His Children. May we not miss these through complacency and disobedience. Amen.
INTRODUCTION TO EACH DIVISION
This lesson has two divisions I and II. Each division is further divided into A and B.
DIVISION I: THE PEOPLE ASK FOR A KING:
This division lays more emphasis on what prompted the Israelites to ask for king and how God gave it to them. Samuel’s old age and failure over his sons (they did not follow his footsteps and God’s) moved the elders of the land to request for monarchy. Despite that Samuel was displeased by their request, God told him to listen to all that the people said and give them a king.
DIVISION II: THE APPOINTMENT AND SERVICE OF SAUL:
This second division irons out how the Lord instructed Samuel to appoint Saul as the first king of Israel. God also facilitated Saul’s appointment. One wonders why God did that. The LORD is the Ruler of Israel. God knew it that Saul will cooperate for a while but later fumble and be replaced by a man after Yahweh’s heart. What a great and all-knowing God!
LESSON OUTLINE
I. THE PEOPLE ASK FOR A KING
A. SAMUEL’S FAILURE CAUSES IT
B. SAMUEL ORDERED TO GIVE THEM SAUL
II. THE APPOINTMENT AND SERVICE OF SAUL
A. HOW GOD FACILITATES HIS APPOINTMENT
B. HOW WELL HE COOPERATES WITH GOD
LESSON EXPOSITION
I. THE PEOPLE ASK FOR A KING (1 Samuel 8:1-22)
The Israelites were using the disappointment of certain men as an excuse for refusing the system of government God had ordained and established over Israel, with His own person as the sovereignty behind it. What the Israelites should have asked for was someone else to judge or rule Israel. Whoever God might have given to them, with whatever nomenclature – judge or king or something else, would have come from God Himself, with the right timing, tittle and pattern of ruling.
A. SAMUEL’S FAILURE CAUSES IT (vv. 1-8)
Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your son do not work in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations” (vv. 4-5)
i. vv. 1-3: Samuel made his sons judges, but did God make them? Obviously, he didn’t consult God before doing this. How would God have approved of such wayward sons (v. 3) who refused to learn from Eli’s failure? Our processes of appointing leader la need examination.
ii. vv. 4,5: The failure of Samuel to mentor his children well informed the elders’ desire for a king, a thing God had foretold to take place in the future. Other things that occasioned this request might include:
a. Samuel’s old age, likely incapability, and he fear that he might die (v. 1). Couldn’t God who provided Samuel have provided another?
b. Samuel’s sons had failed as judges (v. 3). Who appointed them, man of God?
c. The Israelites wanted to be like other nations (v. 5), with a warrior-king who would lead their battles and wars (v. 20). What of God who had been winning their battles for them? Don’t reject God’s leadership (cf. 2 Cor. 6:14).
d. They wanted a stable hereditary leadership, with a human leader who would be recognised by other nations. They belittled their God.
e. They wanted a political nation governed by law and order. What of the Law God gave to them through Moses?
f. Their failure to recognise Yahweh as their unseen king (v. 7). A costly mistake of rejecting God. They were punished for that through the first King.
iii. In all, God cannot be caught unawares. He had long made provision for monarchy, ever before they asked for a king (Deut. 17:14ff). No wonder He calmed the frayed nerves of Samuel. He knows the end from the beginning.
iv. Circumstances open doors for the next thing on God’s agenda. Whoever S put in place or allowed, is ultimately traceable back to God who manages the administration of man, not a coincidence.
v. Hosea 8:4: They set up kings, but not by Me… this suggested that, they did not find out from the LORD, whether they might officially do it, may be it would be the best for them, or it is time for such, but they hurriedly and authoritatively wanted to fulfil their desires and not to God’s glory. They clamoured for king Are you not like these ones?
B. SAMUEL ORDERED TO GIVE THEM SAUL (vv. 6-22)
And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the Lord. So the Lord said to Samuel “Heed their voice, and make them a king” (vv. 21-22).
i. vv. 6-8: The thing obviously displeased Samuel. Truly it was a show of open rebellion to Samuel, after all the Lord had used him for among them. But God calmed him down. He has a better view of the situation.
ii. One wonders why the all-knowing God would allow Samuel to give them a king. He has given us the ability to choose that requires a mind, will and desire. God respects that. And He knows how to work out His programmes, even when such choices are seemingly bad.
iii. Demanding for human king isn’t wrong in itself. After all, God had foreknown and fore-planned it, but they didn’t wait for His timing, and it dissatisfied the Lord and His prophet.
iv. vv. 7,9: Despite the issues involved, that God instructed Samuel to heed, and give them a king suggests that their request conformed to God’s provision for setting up monarchy in Israel. Everything was working according to God’s plan (cf. Acts 15:18; Rom. 8:28).
v. vv. 9-20: God asked Samuel to fore-warn them in line with Deut. 17:14ff, nevertheless the people refused to obey (v. 19).
vi. vv. 21,22: Yahweh had known before Samuel reported back to Him. He permitted their request. However, despite their unpleasant demand for king, He did not abandon them. He guided them through Prophet Samuel, in the choice of King Saul.
vii. What the Israelites had not noticed is that, although, everyone may do something, it can still not be the best thing to do. Majority will not always carry the vote, most especially, in spiritual matters (cf. Exod. 23:2).
LESSONS DERIVED
1. God knows the right thing for the right time. He permitted institution of Israel’s monarchy at the appointed time. Don’t try to outrun Him.
2. The system of human government would keep changing till eternity, but God remains the unchangeable Governor of all nations.
WORK TO DO
Draw out contemporary situations in the Church and the world, similar to how Israel requested for king.
SUGGESTED ANSWER TO WORK TO DO
i. Every nation of the world today wants physical leaders to lead them, ignoring the Creator and Administrator of all nations to rule as of old.
ii. In our contemporary church and world, we choose our leaders by ourselves, asking God for permission to carry on or to ratify our selfish choices, instead of us to ask Ana wait on God to choose for us. That is why there is no peace in the world, today.
iii. Both churches and nationa of the world today choose our leadera based on the influence and affluence of the prospective candidates.
iv. The hard lesson learnt by ancient Israel warns us against the temptation to become like the world in our leadership. God should be accorded the sovereignty/supremacy He truly deserves and owns on matters of leadership and administration.
v. Today, we face the same decision the Israelites had. Who or what do we want as our king? To whom or what do we appeal on times of great need? Concerning the world today, every man walks in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world.
vi. God’s final choice for ideal king is Jesus, the Messiah. He must be our choice, as well.