Old Testament # 22
“The Lord Looketh on the Heart”
1 Samuel 9–17
Challenge from Lesson 21: do one thing from President Nelson’s talk that will enable you to improve your ability to receive revelation
Introduction
In Mosiah 29 King Mosiah changes the form of government from monarchy to judges. Keep in mind that this takes place around 1,000 years after Samuel, and for the most part Israel has been ruled by kings. But that was not the intent. From Adam to Moses, and from Moses to Samuel, there had been no kings, since Jehovah was their King. Even though the children of Israel had waxed and waned in their acknowledgment of Jehovah and their status as the Chosen people, as far as I am aware, up until this point, they had not gone so far as to set someone up as an earthly king. There is one mitigating factor and it comes from Mosiah 29:13
Therefore, if it were possible that you could have just men to be your kings, who would establish the laws of God, and judge this people according to his commandments, yea, if ye could have men for your kings who would do even as my father Benjamin did for this people—I say unto you, if this could always be the case then it would be expedient that ye should always have kings to rule over you.
This, then, apparently is the next, best thing—but a rarity to find. We just have to look at the Book of Ether to see that. And from now on, we basically look at flawed human beings who become kings of Israel first by divine investiture, but then . . . ?
If you will pardon a somewhat frivolous lead-in . . . I like science fiction. And one of my favorite characters from the Star Wars universe is Grand Admiral Thrawn (who doesn’t appear in the films—as yet!). He has the ability to see and understand body language to a depth that humans cannot, but despite that, he does not appear to be able to “look on the heart.” That appears to be a spiritual gift and I imagine is part of the gift of discernment. We often say that someone has a “good heart,” but what does that mean. I think we will see several examples of this in our reading this week.
1. Saul seeks guidance from Samuel and is anointed to be king. 1 Samuel 9–11.
If we look at Saul’s heart, in these first chapters of our study this week, what do we find? The manual tells us:
· He was diligent in his search for his father’s donkeys (1 Samuel 9:3–4).
· He was willing to listen to and follow the wise counsel of his father’s servant (1 Samuel 9:5–10).
· He trusted the prophet Samuel and communed with him (1 Samuel 9:18–25).
· He was humble (1 Samuel 9:20–21).
· He was spiritually reborn, and he prophesied (1 Samuel 10:6–10).
· He forgave his critics (1 Samuel 11:11–13).
· He recognized the help of the Lord in Israel’s victory over the Ammonites (1 Samuel 11:13).
So far so good. I am ashamed to say, as I have studied about Saul this week, that I looked into my own heart to see if I could remember a time when I was perfectly obedient. I can’t. I am hoping that there is a redeeming time in there when I was, and that maybe I am not as rebellious as I once was. But I find myself each week as I take the sacrament, asking for forgiveness for the same kinds of things—so the Lord, who looks on our hearts, reminds us with infinite love and infinite patience of what we need to do.
Elder Uchtdorf helps us understand Saul a little better:
Saul’s life began with great promise, but it had an unfortunate and tragic end. In the beginning, Saul was “a choice young man, … and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he.”Saul was personally chosen by God to be king.He had every advantage—he was physically imposing,and he came from an influential family.Of course, Saul had weaknesses, but the Lord promised to bless, uphold, and prosper him. The scriptures tell us that God promised to always be with him,give him another heart,and turn him into another man.When he had the Lord’s help, Saul was a magnificent king.[1]
2. Saul offers a burnt offering without the proper authority.1 Samuel 13:1–14.
It all comes down to “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6). And here is where total obedience to the Lord comes in. Here is Elder Uchtdorf again:
Soon a much greater problem faced him—the Philistines, who had a terrible army with chariots and horsemen “and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude. . . . The young king needed help. The prophet Samuel sent word for him to wait and that he, the prophet, would come and offer sacrifice and seek counsel from the Lord. Saul waited seven days, and still the prophet Samuel had not arrived. Finally, Saul felt he could wait no longer. He gathered the people together and did something he had no priesthood authority to do—he offered the sacrifice himself. When Samuel arrived, he was brokenhearted. . . . On that day, the prophet Samuel recognized a critical weakness in Saul’s character. When pressured by outside influences, Saul did not have the self-discipline to stay on course, trust the Lord and His prophet, and follow the pattern God had established.
Saul got caught up in the performance of the ordinance, rather than the obedience principle behind it. As if he could command the Lord’s help by waving a wand. It wasn’t the sacrifice that brought the Lord’s counsel, it was obeying His commandment to offer sacrifice in the way the Lord prescribes. Exactness and honor. And by that one act, he lost so much. But he didn’t stop there.
3. Saul disobeys the Lord in the battle with the Amalekites and is rejected as king.1 Samuel 15.
It gets worse. Saul has now gone so far away from trusting in the Lord, that he feels he knows better. Case Wade, who lived in our ward and is still in our Stake, once said, “rationalization is easier than repentance.” And here Saul is rationalizing away his disobedience—making him diametrically opposed to King Benjamin’s description of how we should be “willing to submit.” Elder Maxwell had quite a bit to say about that:
Saul, when chosen, was “A choice young man, … and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he.” (1 Sam. 9:2.) Later, he became encrusted with ego and puffed by power. Samuel then recalled a time when Saul “wast little in [his] own sight.” (1 Sam. 15:17.) In contrast, true submissiveness greatly enlarges the soul, but withouthypocrisy and guile. (See D&C 121:42.) . . . Whether it is walking away without looking back from “great possessions” (Mark 10:22), or from a statusful place in the secular synagogue (see John 12:42–43), or from proud but erroneous attitudes accrued over the years, or merely “straightway” from fishing nets (Mark 1:18), the test is always the same. With honest, individualized introspection, each of us could name what we yet lack—and in my case more than one thing. Spiritual submissiveness is so much more than bended knee or bowed head. Alas, insofar as we “mind the things of the flesh” (Rom. 8:5), we simply cannot have the “mind of Christ.” (1 Cor. 2:16.)[2]
4. The Lord chooses David as king. 1 Samuel 16.
Saul has lost everything, but I don’t believe he really accepted that. He still felt his power as King of Judah. But the Lord had turned from him and Samuel was instructed to find a new king. This blogpost is getting over long, so I will leave you to find out for yourselves how Samuel went about this, but this chapter contains our all-important scripture: “The Lord looketh upon the heart.” This story, and that of David and Goliath are so well known, but there are still things we can learn from them.
I’ll end with a quote from President Hinckley:
“There are Goliaths all around you, hulking giants with evil intent to destroy you. These are not nine-foot-tall men, but they are men and institutions that control attractive but evil things that may challenge and weaken and destroy you. Included in these are beer and other liquors and tobacco. Those who market these products would like to enslave you into their use. There are drugs of various kinds which, I am told, are relatively easy to obtain in many high schools. For those who peddle them, this is a multimillion-dollar industry, a giant web of evil. There is pornography, seductive and interesting and inviting. It has become a giant industry, producing magazines, films, and other materials designed to take your money and lead you toward activities that would destroy you.
“The giants who are behind these efforts are formidable and skillful. They have gained vast experience in the war they are carrying on. They would like to ensnare you. It is almost impossible to entirely avoid exposure to their products. You see these materials on all sides. But you need not fear if you have the slingshot of truth in your hands. You have been counseled and taught and advised. You have the stones of virtue and honor and integrity to use against these enemies who would like to conquer you. Insofar as you are concerned, you can hit them ‘between the eyes,’ to use a figurative expression. You can triumph over them by disciplining yourselves to avoid them. You can say to the whole lot of them as David said to Goliath, ‘Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.’ “Victory will be yours. … You have His power within you to sustain you. You have the right to ministering angels about you to protect you. Do not let Goliath frighten you. Stand your ground and hold your place, and you will be triumphant” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1983, 66; or Ensign,May 1983, 46, 51).
Additional Material
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-066-the-lord-will-deliver-me?lang=eng
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