GODtalks Holy Spirit The Killing of the pagan

Every story has a beginning a middle and an end. The story I am about to share has a great beginning, a frightful middle and a tragic end.

Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance? -I Sam. 10:1-

This story from the Bible about Saul has an epic beginning. Saul was exhausted, he had been out searching for lost donkeys for days, possibly a week or more. He and a friend had traversed east, west, north and south and yet no success. The donkeys were valuable to his family, they were used to assist in the daily farm work and also some were to be sold to make money for the family.

The journey Saul was on was the only journey he knew in that moment. All his world was on the family farm. He was likely satisfied that this was as good as life could get. He was a good looking guy, he had friends, he had a job and probably a girlfriend. What else could one want out of life?

The path God has purposed for our lives can go unseen without heart change. We too can make a place for ourselves here. We can become focused on ourselves, our comfort, our ideas, our wants, needs. It came as quite a shock for Saul to hear the word of God coming through the prophet Samuel. Saul had a plan for Saul but he never thought God might have a plan for him.

C.K. Chesterton captured our pagan journey to fulfill self in these words…

“The great psychological discovery of Paganism…can be expressed with some accuracy in one phrase. ‘The Pagen set out, with admirable sense, to enjoy himself.’ By the end of his civilization, he had discovered that man cannot enjoy himself and continue to enjoy anything else. Mr. Lowes Dickinson has pointed out in words too excellent to need any further elucidation, the absurd shallowness of those who imagine that the pagan enjoyed himself only in a materialistic sense, Of course, he enjoyed himself, not only intellectually even, He enjoyed himself morally, he enjoyed himself spiritually.

“But it was Himself that he was enjoying”

-GK Chesterson-

A journey with self in the center will always miss purpose and meaning and leave us, ultimately unfulfilled. God used the prophet Samuel to help course correct Saul. God had chosen Saul to be the first King over Israel. Saul was on a journey that would have missed his purpose in life but Samuel explained God wants you to be captain over His inheritance. the Bible says as soon as Saul moved in the direction God had given him his heart was changed.

9 And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day -I Sam. 10:9-

In a moment of time God changed the heart of Saul. He could now see Gods purpose for his life, his world view changed instantly. He no longer wanted to live just for himself. Now his desire was to please God and captain God’s inheritance. How long does it take for God to work if your heart is open to what God has to say? Once I have surrendered my heart to God is it 24 hours, 48 hours a week, a month? Does God need to test me a while to see if I am really committed? The Work of the SPIRIT is immediate. Salvation is instant Sanctification is lifelong. You will change immediately but you will also change slowly. Saul had a new heart. A heart that saw more than self.

Saul had an incredible beginning. His middle is recorded in I Samuel 16. He disobeys the Lord and grieves the Holy Spirit and God takes His Holy Spirit away from Saul. Tormenting spirits begin to trouble Saul night and day. His only relief is when David comes into his home and plays worship music to God on a harp. A few moments of rest and peace are afforded Saul as David leads worship. As soon as the worship is over the tormenting spirits return. A frightful picture.

In the end Saul is on the battlefield and as the battle turns against him, Saul requests that a young men in his army kill him so he will not be taken captive. The young man is fearful so Saul takes out his sword and lays down upon its blade piercing him through the chest. What a tragic end, especially in light of the great beginning.

The lesson for us all is that the battle with our pagan self is a daily battle. We need the Spirit of God to help us overcome it. When we invite God’s presence in the person of the Holy Spirit the work God does on our heart is immediate.

 “And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart”