When God Repents & Rejects

In 1 Chronicles 13v3 we read that during the reign of King Saul the Ark of the Covenant was not brought back or desired.

According to Acts 13v21 Saul reigned for 40 years.

The Ark was taken by the Philistines (1 Samuel 4v11) when Israel presumed that they could take God's favour, power and presence for granted.

Eli Ministry & Leadership

The corrupt and wicked sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas were killed and Eli too, when he heard that the Ark had been taken fell of a seat and broke his neck.

God had rejected the Eli ministry in the most dramatic way.

Eli and his sons stood for disobedience. He honoured his sons above God. His sons abused their position for self gain.

During his leadership the lamp or menorah which was always to burn and give light in the Holy Place had almost gone out. 1 Samuel 3v3

The priests were to tend to the lamp morning and evening. Exodus 27v20&21

Corruption and compromise  characterised the Eli ministry and nothing has changed.

We in our day also have the compromise and corruption of the Eli ministry.

They appear to have a form of godliness but reject the power. They esteem self and the things of man over God's demands and the honour that is due to His name.

They purport to represent the Lord but through their compromise and works deny Him.

They have turned from the right way and gone in the way of Balaam the son of Besor who loved money 2 Peter 2v15.

They esteem money, wealth and material things above God.

They have diluted the pure Word of God and despised the light of revelation knowledge. As a result of their attitude toward God's Word and it's demands and revealed truth, just like in the days of Eli’s leadership, the lamp of God has almost gone out.

Messages on self improvement, living your best life now, prosperity, sowing a seed to reap your financial harvest are the order of the day but don't dare preach against sin, dying to self and taking up your cross to follow Christ.

The modern church has created church goers and not disciples.

Those who live for self and satisfy their religious conscience by attending services.

I have news for the church. Jesus did not die an excruciating and humiliating death at Calvary, so that you and I could play church and attend social clubs (that's what many churches are).

If God did not build it or ordain it then it's an idol.

It's a golden calf that we have created from our own imagination. It's the work of man's hands.

We can deny the Word, as Israel denied the 10 commandments and make our own idol and dance around it but there will be inevitable consequences for committing spiritual fornication, just as there was for Israel. Exodus 32.

We need Christ and Him alone to build His true ekkelesia as He promised. Matthew 16v18

We need to patiently wait for God to bring together His elect, His remnant and mould, make and build a true temple not made with man's hands but supernaturally built and compacted together. A habitation of God by His Spirit. Ephesians 2v20-22.

In Solomon's temple not one stone was seen. They were covered with gold and cedar. 1 Kings 6v18&21

The true Church that God is building is made up of living stones but they are unseen.

They make up the structure but they are invisible.

The Stone that the builders rejected, which has become the head of the corner, He alone is seen. Ephesians 2v20

In the days that lie ahead, Jesus alone will be seen and He alone will be glorified and no flesh, nothing of man will be permitted to share or glory in His presence.

Characteristics of Saul Ministry

Back to Saul.

It amazes me, that in the 40 years he reigned, he never thought of bringing back the Ark that the Philistines had returned to Israel. 1 Samuel 6

However we shouldn't be surprised by Saul's behaviour.

Saul too represents leadership that God has rejected. Acts 13v22

God had in His permissive will gave Israel a king, like the other nations but it wasn't in His perfect will.

We see how after only 1 year, Saul presumes to offer burnt offerings unto the Lord. He did that which the prophet Samuel was ordained to do. Samuel had told Saul to wait 7 days. In other words until the fulness or completeness of time, as typified by the number 7.

However, Saul overstepped his area of authority and presumptuously offered the burnt offering.

He was impatient and impetuous.

Again Saul disobeys God in 1 Samuel 15. Instead of killing all the Amalekites he spared their king, Agag and the best of the livestock.

Rejected by God

For this reason God rejected Saul as King and chose David as his successor.

Acts 13v22

22And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

There is a very telling verse in 1 Samuel 15v22&23

22¶And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

23For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

You clearly see from these scriptures, that Saul’s life was characterised by disobedience, rebelliousness, stubbornness which results in a rejection of God’s Word.

How many today, like Saul, love the position, love the control it gives them over others, love the praise of men and in doing so are walking in rebellion and stubbornness and have rejected the absolute truth of God’s Word in favour of another Gospel that tickles people’s ears and makes them popular.

I have news for anyone who matches that description:

• God did not call you to be popular (if He called you in the first place)

• He called those who minister to be faithful in sharing the Word of the Lord even if it cuts and offends. The double edged sword that cuts also cures.

• If we reject the Word of God He will most definitely reject us

Furthermore, we see something of Saul's character in the account of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17.

Saul is fearful and dismayed v11.

What a time to have a living faith like young David. But Saul was of a different spirit. He worried more about how he looked and what people thought of him than humbling himself before God. 1 Samuel 15v30.

He wasn’t operating from the position of knowing God and experiencing His power and might.

The Saul ministry depends on the arm of the flesh as opposed to God’s mighty arm giving them the victory.

David as a shepherd boy, keeping his father’s sheep, had developed a living and unshakable confidence and trust in the God of his salvation.

David’s unwavering faith and confidence in God was misunderstood by his family and contemporaries.

When he arrived at the battle with food for his brothers, Goliath the Philistine champion and giant (most likely offspring of the fallen angels see Genesis 6v4) came out defying and challenging the Israelites.

David’s reaction came from His faith and confidence in God. His spirit was offended at the ridiculing and taunting words he heard.

God’s honour was at stake and as such David didn’t think twice when he said,

Who does this uncircumcised Philistine think he is that he can defy the armies of the Living God. I don’t care how big he is or his spear is, my God is bigger and greater in power and might than any of the Nephilim! v26 paraphrased.

But you see, when we dare operate in that level of boldness and confidence, it is often misconstrued and misunderstood as arrogance and pride.

Look at David’s elder brother Eliab’s response.

28¶And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.

Have you ever experienced the anger and sheer resentment from someone who has what I call elder brother syndrome?

The prodigal son did and David did and you and I will also experience it, if we dare to stand in the power of God and challenge the giants in our day.

We will be ridiculed, misunderstood, resented and belittled.

This is no place for you, this is only for the professionals.

What do you know, who on earth do you think you are?

Get back to your sheep and leave this to the big boys!

29¶And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?

Oh praise God, there is a cause in our day and where there is a cause, God will always have a David to take down the giants that are defying Him.

The problem is, not only the elder brother but the king or leader, who says you can’t defeat the giants!

There is always someone, with a mighty great fire extinguisher, to dampen the fire in people’s lives and unfortunately many times they are leaders who don’t have a living faith in Christ.

David falls back on his experiences with God and how He delivered him out of the mouth of the lion and the bear. v34-37

It is in this confident assurance, that David knew for certain, that God would deliver Goliath into his hands.

I want you to notice another thing the Saul ministry/leadership will do.

If they can’t discourage you and extinguish the fire, then they will try to burden you with their armour, the armour of the flesh.

Their religious carp and that which they think works for them and as such they mistakingly assume that it will work for you.

It might be a denominational creed or tradition. It might be a man made doctrine or encouraging you to rely on  natural abilities.

One sure thing, they will not encourage you to move and operate in the anointing or power of God. The anointing is an anathema to the Sauls. They know nothing of such things because they operate solely

in the natural realm and the  things of man.

Thank God, David had the good sense to reject Saul’s armour.

v39b

And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him

Praise God He put off Saul’s armour!!

And we need to do the same in this our day.

Let’s cast off every cumbersome weight that men would try to burden us down with.

Those who are part of the Saul ministry will always discourage, misunderstand, resent and try to get you to do it their way.

They will burden us and restrict and confine us to the natural realm, however there is an answer:

David put it off him! Hallelujah!

Let us trust in the weapons that God provides and not that which man provides.

You see, like Eli, we have the Saul ministry operating within the church system today. Men who care more about position and reputation than walking humbly with God.

Those who like the position but do not seek the presence of Almighty God.

Like Saul they never even consider the need for the Ark of His presence.

You see, God said that He would meet with His people above the mercy seat of the Ark. Exodus 25v22.

So the Ark represents God manifest presence among His people.

The tablets (10 commandments) were also in the Ark, representing the revealed Word of God.

So Saul in all his 40 years as King, never saw the absolute necessity of bringing God’s presence and revealed Word back, restoring that which had been lost to the enemy.

God rejected and removed Saul. He will also reject those who operate in the Saul ministry and demonstrate the same character in these last days, unless they repent.

God in His long-suffering permitted Saul to remain on the throne for 40 years but He had already rejected him.

He chose David.

David was a man after God's own heart.

Psalm 89v20

20I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:

We read how Samuel anointed him in the midst of his brethren on 1 Samuel 16.

God even permitted Saul to persecute David. He was jealous and resented David. He knew that David was chosen by God.

While Saul was on the throne, David was hiding in the cave.

It appears on the surface that Saul and not David was being blessed by God but nothing could be further from the truth.

Yes by all appearances David seemed to be getting the raw deal as it were while Saul was on the throne enjoying the privileges of being king.

However, when you look closely at their lives during this period it is obvious that Saul has been forsaken and he was a tormented soul who ultimately had been rejected by God.

David on the other hand was being prepared to succeed Saul as king, even though it was a time of trial and testing.

Is God preparing David's in this day. I believe He is.

Like Joseph, who experienced the pit and the prison before coming into a place of authority and great influence with a specific mandate and mission from God, so too David was chosen and prepared in the fields as a shepherd and then in the caves of Engedi hiding from Saul.

God has placed a specific calling on many in these last days. Like Joseph, they will be deliverers to this last generation. Like David they will move in authority and see great victories that will bring glory to God.

It is easy to get discouraged when we see so little of Christ's life and such poor representation of Him in the modern church.

But like the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 we seek a better country, we seek a heavenly manifestation of God's power and glory.

In the time before Jesus birth - known as the intertestamental period or silent years - very little happened, no recorded word of God from a prophet of the Lord.

Then suddenly heaven came down to earth. Angelic visitations (including the Archangel Gabriel) to Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, the shepherd's. Wise men following a star, bringing gifts to the newborn King.

You see Galatians 4 tells us that the fulness of time had come. This was a special season in God's prophetic timeclock.

4But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

John the Baptist burst on the scene as the promised messenger and voice crying in the wilderness Malachi 3v1, Isaiah 40v3, pointing men and women to the Lamb of God. John 1v29.

Matthew4v16

16The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

Then Jesus at the age of 30 began His earthly ministry, culminating in His death, burial, resurrection and ascension and outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

Is it possible that we are the generation that will see the return of the Lord?

Is it possible, that the current wickedness in the world and lukewarmness in the church, will be punctuated and that suddenly, by a mighty manifestation of God's power and glory, the promised latter day outpouring, which will usher in the return of Christ for the second time to planet earth?

We can only, through patience and diligent study of the scriptures, find answers to these questions for ourselves , as we wait upon the Lord.