WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:01.800 Did you hear it? 2 00:00:04.100 --> 00:00:06.100 Did you hear how the people responded 3 00:00:06.100 --> 00:00:10.400 when Samuel announced that they had a new king? 4 00:00:10.400 --> 00:00:12.300 That Saul was their King. 5 00:00:12.600 --> 00:00:16.900 Samuel announces and the people proclaim long live, the 6 00:00:16.900 --> 00:00:17.800 king. 7 00:00:20.100 --> 00:00:23.400 But there's a part, you didn't hear because we didn't read that part 8 00:00:23.400 --> 00:00:24.900 of the text today. 9 00:00:26.300 --> 00:00:31.800 Three verses later after Samuel tells the people all about the rules 10 00:00:31.800 --> 00:00:33.200 and regulations of the kingship. 11 00:00:33.200 --> 00:00:36.400 After he writes it down and deposits it before the Lord. 12 00:00:37.300 --> 00:00:39.100 He sends the people away. 13 00:00:41.800 --> 00:00:43.100 Saul goes home, too. 14 00:00:44.500 --> 00:00:48.300 There's an army of men who go with him men who have been touched by 15 00:00:48.300 --> 00:00:54.300 the Lord who are now faithful followers of Saul but there are some 16 00:00:54.300 --> 00:00:57.700 worthless fellows, the text said. 17 00:01:00.500 --> 00:01:02.900 How can this man save us 18 00:01:03.500 --> 00:01:08.000 they asked? Long live the king. 19 00:01:10.600 --> 00:01:12.100 How can this guy save us? 20 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:16.600 Those are two very different reactions. 21 00:01:16.600 --> 00:01:21.900 How can they have such different reactions to the same event? 22 00:01:23.700 --> 00:01:25.000 Long live 23 00:01:25.000 --> 00:01:26.000 the king. 24 00:01:27.300 --> 00:01:28.300 He's tall. 25 00:01:29.300 --> 00:01:29.900 Apparently 26 00:01:29.900 --> 00:01:35.500 he's handsome. Samuel tells them he's finer than anyone else among the 27 00:01:35.500 --> 00:01:36.000 people. 28 00:01:36.100 --> 00:01:40.300 He looks like a king a king who can lead them into battle, which is 29 00:01:40.300 --> 00:01:44.800 what they're asking for a king, like the kings of the other nations. 30 00:01:45.500 --> 00:01:46.500 He's a king. 31 00:01:48.100 --> 00:01:49.400 Chosen by God. 32 00:01:50.600 --> 00:01:54.300 For God's prophet, Samuel has come to him 33 00:01:55.300 --> 00:01:56.600 and anointed him. 34 00:01:58.600 --> 00:01:59.600 He's a king. 35 00:02:00.800 --> 00:02:07.400 Chosen by God, Samuel has summoned the Twelve Tribes to mitzvah. 36 00:02:08.800 --> 00:02:13.800 And then probably using the ERM in the thumb and among those 12 tribes 37 00:02:13.800 --> 00:02:19.100 one is chosen the Tribe of Benjamin and among the families and clans 38 00:02:19.100 --> 00:02:23.700 of Benjamin, one family is chosen. 39 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:29.100 And from that family, one man is chosen. 40 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:32.200 High drama and suspense 41 00:02:32.200 --> 00:02:35.000 we're about to get our King Saul. 42 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:37.500 Saul is chosen as king. 43 00:02:40.600 --> 00:02:44.600 But where's Saul? Didn't he 44 00:02:44.600 --> 00:02:45.700 come here? 45 00:02:45.700 --> 00:02:49.100 And so they have to inquire of God and God tells them 46 00:02:49.100 --> 00:02:51.100 Yeah, he's off among the stuff. 47 00:02:51.600 --> 00:02:56.400 The, the baggage that the people brought for their trip to mitzvah for 48 00:02:56.400 --> 00:02:58.900 this, for this momentous event. 49 00:03:00.700 --> 00:03:04.600 Could this guy really be the king? 50 00:03:06.700 --> 00:03:09.700 Well, yes, he's the one selected. 51 00:03:09.700 --> 00:03:14.500 In fact, he's he's the one announced an anointed by Samuel. The king. 52 00:03:14.500 --> 00:03:16.800 We have a new king long live 53 00:03:16.800 --> 00:03:17.800 the king. 54 00:03:20.300 --> 00:03:21.700 And off everyone goes. 55 00:03:22.900 --> 00:03:29.300 Dismissed to their homes, but some mingle and say, 56 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:32.700 how can this guy be our King? 57 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:36.400 It's understandable, isn't it? 58 00:03:36.600 --> 00:03:39.200 I mean after all the guy was hiding among the baggage. 59 00:03:39.200 --> 00:03:44.500 He was the one Chosen and he's off hiding somewhere and maybe these 60 00:03:44.500 --> 00:03:46.200 guys know what you 61 00:03:46.200 --> 00:03:50.200 and I get to know as privileged readers of the text. 62 00:03:50.200 --> 00:03:52.600 The first part of our text today. 63 00:03:53.500 --> 00:03:53.700 What 64 00:03:53.700 --> 00:03:55.900 we know once we've read it carefully. 65 00:03:57.700 --> 00:04:01.600 The people asked for a king like the other nations that's First Samuel 66 00:04:01.600 --> 00:04:04.300 8, and and God agreed to give them a king. 67 00:04:04.300 --> 00:04:07.500 Even though he himself was their King. 68 00:04:08.900 --> 00:04:13.400 After all, he had given provision for a king long, long ago. 69 00:04:13.400 --> 00:04:16.600 When he had brought his people out of Egypt, when he had brought 70 00:04:16.600 --> 00:04:20.600 them through the Wilderness, as they stood on the east side of the 71 00:04:20.600 --> 00:04:22.500 Jordan, looking over into the land. 72 00:04:22.500 --> 00:04:24.300 And through his Prophet Moses 73 00:04:24.300 --> 00:04:27.800 He had given what you and I call Deuteronomy 17. 74 00:04:27.800 --> 00:04:28.600 Check it out. 75 00:04:28.600 --> 00:04:31.300 The monarchy was was prepared for. 76 00:04:33.300 --> 00:04:38.800 And so to initiate this monarchy, the Lord works to bring Samuel and 77 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:42.000 Saul together at a sacrifice in Ramah. 78 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:43.600 That's chapter 9. 79 00:04:45.800 --> 00:04:53.200 And we heard God at work anointing Saul through Samuel. 80 00:04:54.800 --> 00:04:57.800 And as soon as he's anointed God is still at work 81 00:04:57.800 --> 00:04:59.700 through Samuel to assure Saul. 82 00:04:59.700 --> 00:05:00.000 Yes, 83 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:02.400 this is the real thing. 84 00:05:02.600 --> 00:05:08.000 He gives him signs that he will be the king and that God will be with 85 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:08.400 him. 86 00:05:08.500 --> 00:05:13.000 Three signs, three events that are going to happen this very day, and 87 00:05:13.000 --> 00:05:17.600 and the last of these signs we quite climactic for the spirit of 88 00:05:17.600 --> 00:05:22.500 Yahweh will rush upon Saul and Saul will prophesy with the prophet 89 00:05:22.500 --> 00:05:22.900 something 90 00:05:22.900 --> 00:05:24.300 he wasn't inclined to 91 00:05:24.500 --> 00:05:28.900 do as we understand from the questions of the people's. 92 00:05:31.100 --> 00:05:33.400 You would think that would be kind of compelling. 93 00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:40.100 Saul was given these magnificent signs to confirm that he's the 94 00:05:40.100 --> 00:05:44.800 king and that God himself was with him and his response was supposed 95 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:46.000 to be twofold. 96 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:46.900 First. 97 00:05:48.500 --> 00:05:49.600 He is supposed to do 98 00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:51.300 what does that hand to do. 99 00:05:52.900 --> 00:05:56.400 And when he has done that, then he is to go to Gilgal and and wait, 100 00:05:56.400 --> 00:05:59.300 seven days and Samuel will come and they'll be 101 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:00.800 sacrifices. 102 00:06:03.400 --> 00:06:08.200 What is it that said hand to do and that's where a careful reading of 103 00:06:08.200 --> 00:06:10.200 the text needs to be done. 104 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:13.700 And those who study this text very carefully. 105 00:06:14.500 --> 00:06:19.500 Tell us that the thing at hand is what Samuel had said before. 106 00:06:19.500 --> 00:06:24.300 He had reminded Saul, there is a garrison of the Philistines there in 107 00:06:24.300 --> 00:06:26.800 Gibeah just a short distance away. 108 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:30.800 The people have asked for a king to lead them out to fight their 109 00:06:30.800 --> 00:06:31.900 battles for thrm. 110 00:06:32.100 --> 00:06:35.600 So it should have been obvious to Saul. 111 00:06:37.500 --> 00:06:40.700 Here is the king thing to do. 112 00:06:42.300 --> 00:06:43.400 Go out 113 00:06:43.400 --> 00:06:45.900 fight the Philistine garrison. 114 00:06:46.200 --> 00:06:47.700 This is the thing at hand. 115 00:06:47.700 --> 00:06:49.100 He is the king at hand. 116 00:06:49.100 --> 00:06:51.800 This is the kingly thing to do at hand. 117 00:06:51.800 --> 00:06:53.000 He was the king. 118 00:06:53.100 --> 00:06:54.500 Who else could do it. 119 00:06:57.600 --> 00:06:58.800 But he didn't do it. 120 00:07:01.400 --> 00:07:04.100 And then he didn't go to Gilgal for the sacrifice. 121 00:07:05.800 --> 00:07:06.700 He went home. 122 00:07:08.700 --> 00:07:12.700 And when he gets home, also not part of our reading for today, his 123 00:07:12.700 --> 00:07:19.100 uncle asks him and and Saul talks about the lost donkeys, but he omits 124 00:07:19.200 --> 00:07:20.200 anything 125 00:07:21.500 --> 00:07:22.800 about the kingship 126 00:07:23.800 --> 00:07:24.700 and the kingdom. 127 00:07:27.100 --> 00:07:28.400 Long live 128 00:07:28.400 --> 00:07:29.400 the king. 129 00:07:32.200 --> 00:07:34.500 Long live the king, this King? 130 00:07:37.300 --> 00:07:40.700 Maybe the, how can this guy save us crowd? 131 00:07:42.100 --> 00:07:43.200 Was more on track. 132 00:07:43.200 --> 00:07:44.700 Maybe they got it, right. 133 00:07:47.600 --> 00:07:48.900 We're headed through Lent. 134 00:07:50.900 --> 00:07:52.200 Got a long way to go yet. 135 00:07:54.400 --> 00:07:56.900 But when we get near the end. 136 00:07:58.100 --> 00:08:01.800 We're going to here and perhaps, depending on how your congregation, 137 00:08:01.800 --> 00:08:02.300 does it. 138 00:08:02.600 --> 00:08:05.500 Maybe we'll even cry out Hosanna. 139 00:08:05.500 --> 00:08:07.000 Hosanna to him 140 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:09.000 who comes in the name of the Lord. 141 00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:13.800 It's sort of like long live the king. 142 00:08:16.600 --> 00:08:20.500 Here comes the king, gentle and riding on the donkey on the foal of 143 00:08:20.500 --> 00:08:22.700 colt of a donkey 144 00:08:22.700 --> 00:08:29.800 just as the prophet said. The king headed into Jerusalem, King Jesus. 145 00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:38.200 Do you know, there were plenty of people there who were not shouting 146 00:08:38.799 --> 00:08:39.400 Hosanna? 147 00:08:41.100 --> 00:08:45.600 Plenty who had other things to say about this King Jesus 148 00:08:45.800 --> 00:08:50.100 and by the end of the week, they've got everybody convinced to say 149 00:08:50.100 --> 00:08:51.100 something else. 150 00:08:51.100 --> 00:08:52.100 Instead of hosanna 151 00:08:52.100 --> 00:08:54.400 they cry out crucify. 152 00:08:56.200 --> 00:08:57.500 Crucify him. 153 00:09:00.400 --> 00:09:01.300 Sort of like, 154 00:09:02.800 --> 00:09:04.500 How could this guy save us? 155 00:09:07.500 --> 00:09:12.400 In a thousand years people hadn't changed people are fickle. 156 00:09:14.400 --> 00:09:15.400 Long live 157 00:09:15.400 --> 00:09:16.900 the king Hosanna. 158 00:09:18.800 --> 00:09:19.600 How can this guy 159 00:09:19.600 --> 00:09:22.200 save us? Crucify. 160 00:09:24.200 --> 00:09:25.900 People hadn't changed at all. 161 00:09:28.600 --> 00:09:29.700 But neither had God. 162 00:09:31.800 --> 00:09:37.100 God was at work through his chosen instrument Saul to do the work of 163 00:09:37.100 --> 00:09:38.500 his kingdom. 164 00:09:41.100 --> 00:09:41.900 Saul didn't get it 165 00:09:41.900 --> 00:09:43.300 all right, all the time. 166 00:09:44.100 --> 00:09:45.600 In fact, in the end 167 00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:46.800 he did quite poorly. 168 00:09:48.800 --> 00:09:51.800 But what human King gets it, right? 169 00:09:54.500 --> 00:09:59.800 And God was at work through his chosen instrument, Jesus. Jesus, his 170 00:09:59.800 --> 00:10:00.300 son. 171 00:10:00.300 --> 00:10:04.000 Jesus, who is God In the flesh, 172 00:10:04.100 --> 00:10:11.500 our flesh. Jesus, who came to King in the right way to do the work of 173 00:10:11.500 --> 00:10:13.800 the Kingdom as its king. 174 00:10:15.300 --> 00:10:18.400 Throughout the history, some Kings had done better, some had done 175 00:10:18.400 --> 00:10:18.800 worse. 176 00:10:19.000 --> 00:10:23.900 But Jesus came to do the job of King, the way it was meant to be done. 177 00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:30.400 But that was a bit surprising in itself. 178 00:10:33.100 --> 00:10:36.900 Crucify, they cried and and crucify, they did. 179 00:10:38.100 --> 00:10:38.800 The king. 180 00:10:40.800 --> 00:10:41.600 Stripped. 181 00:10:43.300 --> 00:10:44.000 And beaten. 182 00:10:46.100 --> 00:10:49.800 The king walking carrying his cross. 183 00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:55.100 The king hung upon the cross dying. 184 00:10:57.000 --> 00:10:57.700 Dying. 185 00:11:00.800 --> 00:11:01.400 Dead. 186 00:11:04.700 --> 00:11:10.600 He's got a crown of thorns, but it doesn't look much like a king. 187 00:11:12.300 --> 00:11:13.600 Behold the king of Israel 188 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:14.500 He saved others 189 00:11:14.500 --> 00:11:16.200 let him save himself. 190 00:11:19.100 --> 00:11:21.800 How can this guy save us? 191 00:11:24.400 --> 00:11:25.100 The king 192 00:11:26.900 --> 00:11:28.400 dead on a cross. 193 00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:36.900 The King buried and sealed in a tomb. 194 00:11:40.300 --> 00:11:41.000 The king 195 00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:44.300 alive? 196 00:11:46.700 --> 00:11:49.600 Alive in the garden and speaking to the women. 197 00:11:51.900 --> 00:11:55.500 The King on the road to Emmaus with the disciples. The King in the 198 00:11:55.500 --> 00:11:56.100 room. 199 00:11:57.200 --> 00:11:59.800 Yes, the king in the room and the King on the 200 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:08.400 shore. The king restoring and the King commissioning. The King on the 201 00:12:08.400 --> 00:12:09.500 mountain. 202 00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:12.800 King ascended 203 00:12:13.900 --> 00:12:15.000 and reigning. 204 00:12:16.800 --> 00:12:17.300 The king 205 00:12:17.300 --> 00:12:18.400 who promises 206 00:12:18.400 --> 00:12:25.800 that he will come. The king, long-awaited Hosanna long, live the king. 207 00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:30.700 But people are fickle. 208 00:12:32.600 --> 00:12:37.700 You and I we're fickle too. 2000 years later 209 00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:40.600 it's easy to wonder. 210 00:12:42.600 --> 00:12:43.600 Wonder about this king. 211 00:12:43.600 --> 00:12:44.800 Is he really King? 212 00:12:46.700 --> 00:12:50.500 How can this guy save us? 213 00:12:53.600 --> 00:12:57.500 We are fickle and the people around us are too. 214 00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:03.400 But our God, our king is not. 215 00:13:04.800 --> 00:13:08.800 And he has not left us without signs for assurance. 216 00:13:09.900 --> 00:13:14.800 He gave to Saul signs of assurance signs that he was King signs that 217 00:13:14.800 --> 00:13:15.800 he would be with him. 218 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:19.000 He has done the same for us. 219 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:20.200 Here 220 00:13:20.200 --> 00:13:25.100 we are today gathered in his name where he promises 221 00:13:26.200 --> 00:13:26.800 to be. 222 00:13:28.700 --> 00:13:35.000 He's promised to be with us, his church to the very end of the age. 223 00:13:36.500 --> 00:13:38.600 He's given us his Spirit 224 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:42.100 with water and word. 225 00:13:43.700 --> 00:13:49.000 He's with us in body and blood given in Bread and Wine. 226 00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:52.900 King, Jesus is alive 227 00:13:52.900 --> 00:13:55.000 and well, he's kinging. 228 00:13:56.300 --> 00:13:58.800 He's Kinging in the only right way to King. 229 00:13:58.800 --> 00:14:04.400 Even if it looks strange to us, the perfect way to King. 230 00:14:05.900 --> 00:14:12.500 And right now, maybe it's not real glorious or or even obvious. 231 00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:17.000 But Lent can help us with this. 232 00:14:20.300 --> 00:14:21.000 Lent. 233 00:14:22.400 --> 00:14:24.000 It'll come to an end. 234 00:14:25.100 --> 00:14:28.300 And when it comes to an end, we're going to celebrate Easter, King 235 00:14:28.300 --> 00:14:30.800 Jesus coming forth from the tomb. 236 00:14:32.600 --> 00:14:38.800 And just so a more glorious day, the King of Kings coming to be king, 237 00:14:38.900 --> 00:14:41.100 obviously and gloriously. 238 00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:45.500 That day is coming, when no one will be able to miss the king. 239 00:14:47.000 --> 00:14:51.900 It will take no explanation and no proclamation. 240 00:14:52.700 --> 00:14:55.100 Yes, the king will come, 241 00:14:56.600 --> 00:14:57.600 be assured. 242 00:14:59.400 --> 00:15:00.300 Hosanna. 243 00:15:02.400 --> 00:15:02.900 Long live 244 00:15:02.900 --> 00:15:03.700 the king. 245 00:15:05.500 --> 00:15:06.000 Amen.