Daily Devotions

Filled with the Holy Spirit

Filled with the Holy Spirit 
Day 
Day 19

"And the Spirit of the LORD came upon David..."

Text: 1 Samuel 16:13

THE FAILURE OF KING SAUL

Saul was given every chance to succeed as the first monarch of Israel. But he failed miserably. Several reasons may be given as to why he failed so badly. Samuel was the one who anointed Saul as king (1 Samuel 10:1). He was also the one who informed Saul that he could not continue as king.

“So Samuel said, ‘When you were little in your own eyes,
were you not head of the tribes of Israel?
And did not the LORD anoint you king over Israel?

Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD?
Why did you swoop down on the spoil,
and do evil in the sight of the LORD?

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,
And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
He also has rejected you from being king.”
1 Samuel 15:17, 19, 23

1. “Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD?”

a) Disobedience was Saul’s major problem.
b) Disobedience was his deliberate choice.

2. “Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the LORD”

a) Covetousness was another major problem.
b) Covetousness is evil in the sight of God.

3. “Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry”

a) Saul had rebelled against the Lord.
b) He remained stubborn though he was rebuked by Samuel the prophet-judge.

4. “Because you have rejected the word of the LORD”

a) Saul in choosing to disobey had indeed rejected the word of the Lord as well.
b) God consequently rejected Saul as the anointed king of Israel.

THE NEXT KING OF ISRAEL

The Lord chose David as the next king of Israel. He too would be given a similar experience of being anointed by the Holy Spirit.

“Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him
in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD
came upon David from that day forward…”
1 Samuel 16:13

Both Saul and David had a similar experience. Both were anointed by Samuel and also an anointing from the Spirit of the Lord. How each would respond to the Lord in the fulfilment of the Word of God would determine the future of the king. Being anointed does not prevent a person from sinning. But where there is sin there must be a heart that must seek forgiveness and restoration from the LORD! Saul failed in this regard.