promptings of the Holy Spirit

An internal kingdom

Jesus told his followers parables about the kingdom of God so that they would be convinced of its existence, even though there was no physical evidence to verify that it was real. When he was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or “There!’ for behold the kingdom of God is in the midst of you” (Luke 17:20-21). The Greek word that is translated in the midst, entos (en-tosˊ) means “inside” (G1787). One of the primary parables that Jesus used to explain the internal workings of God’s kingdom was the parable of the sower. Jesus said, “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold” (Luke 8:5-8). When Jesus’ disciples asked him what the parable meant, Jesus told them, “To you has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so they may not believe and be saved” (Luke 8:10-12).

Jesus identified the seed in his parable of the sower as the word of God and said that its intended location was people’s hearts, where it would enable them to believe and be saved. From this we can conclude that the kingdom of God being inside us has to do with God ruling and reigning over people’s hearts. The heart is “the seat and center of circulation, and therefore human life” In the New Testament of the Bible, the term heart is used only figuratively: “As the seat of desires, feelings, affections, passions, impulses, i.e. the heart or mind” (G2588). Jesus described the things that come out of our hearts as fruit and said, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit” (Matthew 13:33). Paul talked about circumcision of the heart in his letter to the Romans and said, “For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, not is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter” (Romans 2:28-29). Paul went on to explain that circumcision was a seal of righteousness that was first received by Abraham as a sign of his faith in God. Paul said, “The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised” (Romans 4:11-12).

Walking in the footsteps of faith means that we are responding to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Grace is defined as “the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life” (G5485). Paul indicated in his letter to the Galatians that the fruit of the Spirit, which the reflection in the life of the divine influence upon the heart, is the result of believers crucifying their flesh with its passions and desires. Paul said:

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Paul contrasted the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit so that it would be clear to us what God’s kingdom on earth should look like. The fruit of the Spirit is not something that can be seen, but it is a physical manifestation of what is taking place in our hearts and therefore, evidence of the existence of God’s kingdom inside of us. When the divine influence upon the heart is reflected in the life of believers, it is obvious because it is very different from what we typically see in the world around us.

The closer we get to the time of Jesus Christ’s return, the more difficult it will be to see any evidence of God’s divine influence upon people’s hearts. Jesus said, “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:26-30). Christ’s sudden appearing from heaven will be an unexpected shock to most people. Jesus said, “For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day” (Luke 17:24). Jesus’ return will be like a bolt of lightning that jolts everyone into a keen awareness of the immediate danger. As noted in the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), there will be no time for believers to refresh their supply of the anointing of the Holy Spirit when the announcement of Christ’s arrival goes out.

We are told in the book of Revelation that the internal kingdom of God will eventually become an external kingdom that will encompass both heaven and earth (Revelation 12:10). The resurrection of the dead is a key element in the transition from an internal kingdom to an external kingdom that is ruled by Jesus Christ. Paul said, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For God has put all things in subjection under his feet” (1 Corinthians 15:20-27). The end that Paul was speaking of, when Christ delivers the kingdom to God the Father, is not an ending in the sense that there is nothing afterwards. The Greek word telos (telˊ-os) refers to “the conclusion of an act or state.” It is “a noun meaning an end, a term, a termination, completion. Particularly only in respect to time” (G5056). Paul went on to explain, “For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’” (1 Corinthians 15:53-54).

Immortality is the opposite of death, the extinction of life (G110). In order for us to be able to participate in the eternal kingdom of God, Paul said our perishable body must put on the imperishable, and our mortal body must put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53). Paul used similar language in his letter to the Ephesians where he instructed believers to “put off your old self which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). The Greek word that is translated corrupt, phtheiro (fthiˊ-ro) means to corrupt in the sense of “to make depraved” (G5351), in other words, to be in a state of moral depravity, exhibiting perversion as shown by a capacity for extreme and wanton physical cruelty. Paul said believers need to put off their old selves (heart desires) because they belong to our former manner of life and are corrupt through deceitful desires (Ephesians 4:22). The only way this can be done is “to be renewed in the spirit of your minds” (Ephesians 4:23). The Greek word that is translated renewed, ananeoo (an-an-neh-oˊ) means “to renovate, i.e. reform” (G365). The internal workings of believers’ hearts have to undergo a transformative change, going from a corrupted way of thinking to a godly way of thinking and behaving.

Jesus warned his disciples to not be concerned about their physical possessions when they become aware of his imminent return. Jesus said, “’On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.’ And they said to him, ‘Where, Lord?’ He said to them, ‘Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather’” (Luke 17:31-37). The disciples’ question, “Where, Lord?” had to do with their misunderstanding of the internal nature of God’s present kingdom. Jesus’ disciples did not believe that the kingdom of God could exist on earth unless it was in a physical form. Jesus’ response was a reference to the apostate church that will be present on the earth at his second coming. At that time, the physical churches that most people think are filled will born again Christians will actually be filled with unbelievers. There will be no evidence of divine influence upon those people’s hearts. The body of Christ will be perceived to be a corpse that has been overtaken by satanic influence, as evidenced by the corrupt behavior of all its members. The actual body of Christ, true believers, will still be present on the earth when Christ returns, they are the ones that will be taken, raptured in that night (Luke 17:34-35; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-5:11).

The end

Jesus’ Olivet Discourse focused on future events that were connected with his second coming. Jesus’ disciples wanted to know when these future events were going to take place, but Jesus told them, “no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36). Instead, Jesus identified signs that would indicate the end was close at hand. Jesus said:

“See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains. (Mark 13:5-8)

Jesus used the analogy of childbirth to describe the events leading up to his second coming. What we know about childbirth is that the labor pains usually come unexpectedly. They might start out as being barely noticeable, but they inevitably gain strength and become more frequent as time goes on. The Greek word that is translated birth pains, odin (o-deenˊ) is “used in the plural when warning of the sorrows that would follow wars, famines, and other catastrophes” (G5604). Odin is similar to the word odune (od-ooˊ-nay) which means “grief” (G3601).

Jesus indicated that “the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations” before the end would come and warned his disciples that, “brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all for my name sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Mark 13:12-13). Childbirth is a very strenuous process and a woman may have to go through hours or even days of labor without any food or water. Endurance is necessary to make it to the end of the process and deliver the baby. The Greek word that Jesus used, hupomeno (hoop-om-enˊ-o) means “to stay under” in the sense of bearing trials, having fortitude, and persevering (G5278). Hupomeno is also translated as patient and suffer and is used in Hebrews 12:2 to describe what Jesus went through when he died on the cross. The reason why Jesus said “the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Mark 13:13) may have been because every woman has to go through the process of childbirth in order for a baby to be born. Jesus told a man named Nicodemus, “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). You cannot separate the process of childbirth from the end result. Although the birth pains may not be felt at the beginning of the process, you will inevitably experience them if you are a child of God.

Jesus set the stage for his second coming with the appearance of a man he referred to as “the abomination of desolation” (Mark 13:14). When this man arrives on the scene, Jesus said, “Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, and let the one who is in the field not turn back or take his cloak” (Mark 13:14-16). The sudden appearance of “the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be” (Mark 13:14) triggers the final escape of those who expect to be saved (Mark 13:20). Jesus warned his disciples about a last ditch effort to trick believers into abandoning their faith. Jesus said, “And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ! Or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand” (Mark 13:21-23). Being on guard means that you have to pay attention to what is happening around you. It is connect to and dependent on the faculty of sight (G991).

Jesus talked about spiritual eyesight and the ability to discern spiritual truth in the context of understanding God’s word. After Jesus told the parable of the sower he explained to his disciples why he spoke to the people in parables. Jesus said:

This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
    and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
For this people’s heart has grown dull,
    and with their ears they can barely hear,
    and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
    and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
    and turn, and I would heal them.’

But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. (Matthew 13:13-17)

“Jesus spoke in parables to explain spiritual truths, but those who had already rejected Jesus did not have divinely enlightened minds with which to perceive these truths, and no amount of explanation would make them understand (1 Corinthians 2:14). They could watch and hear Jesus with their physical eyes and ears, but they were not capable of understanding the truth in their hearts because they had rejected him (2 Corinthians 4:3, 4). Those who accept the true light they have been given will receive even more light, while those who turn away from the light will continue to be increasingly shrouded in darkness (Matthew 13:12). The word ‘for’ at the beginning of Matthew 13:15 should be understood as having the same meaning as ‘because.’ People do not hear and see because their hearts are full of wickedness; consequently, they fail to understand the truth that has been given them. They are so opposed to God’s message that they harden themselves against it, lest they should understand it and ask forgiveness of God. Once they reject Jesus, they also reject the possibility of understanding the parables that Jesus told (Isaiah 55:6-8)” (note on Matthew 13:10-17).

The filling of the Holy Spirit is essential for believers’ to be able to stay focused on the kingdom of God (Hebrews 3:7-11). Believers are warned in Hebrews 3:12-15 to not let their hearts become hardened. It states:

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said,

“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

The writer of Hebrews indicated that our hearts become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. It is not the sin itself that harms us, but the way that we deal with it. Hardening of the heart is basically stubbornness that is left unchecked. The Greek word that is translated deceitfulness, apate (ap-atˊ-ay) means “delusion” (G539) and is derived from the word apatao (ap-at-ahˊ-o) which means “to cheat” (G538). When a husband cheats on his wife, he usually deludes her into believing that everything is alright. He may even compensate by being overly attentive and affectionate to give her the impression that she is the most important person in his life. The more successful a spouse becomes at deluding his or her partner, the more stubborn they usually become in refusing to give up their sin of adultery.

All three of the gospel versions of Jesus’ Olivet Discourse (Matthew, Mark, & Luke) contain the same key conclusions within Jesus’ message: 1) we will see Jesus coming in the clouds (Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:26), 2) we will see certain things taking place that will let us know his return is near (Matthew 24:33; Mark 13:29; Luke 21:31), and 3) the day will come upon everyone suddenly and will affect the whole earth (Matthew 24:37-39; Mark 13:36-37; Luke 21:34-35). Luke recorded this depiction of Jesus’ return:

“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:25-28)

Luke used the phrases straighten up and raise your head to convey the impact that Jesus’ return should have on believers. Mark’s record of Jesus’ parable of the fig tree emphasizes the confidence that believers should have as they see the evidence of his imminent return. Jesus told his disciples:

“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Mark 13:28-31)

Jesus pointed to the fig tree as evidence of his return. Previously Jesus used the fig tree to teach his disciples a lesson about faith and his final public rejection by Israel (Mark 11:12-14, 20-26). It is likely that Jesus intended his disciples to think about both of these things as they prepared for his return. Matthew’s exposé on Jesus’ second coming linked the event with the flood that occurred in the days of Noah. Noah’s great faith contrasted with the unbelief of everyone around him is an indicator that there will be a stark contrast between believers and unbelievers in the final days before Jesus’ return. Matthew also connected Jesus’ parable of the tenants (Mark 12:1 12) with his account of what would happen in the end. Matthew recorded these words from Jesus’ message:

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 24:36-51)

Jesus’ indicated that no one knows the day or hour or his return, not even himself, “but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36). Jesus encouraged his followers to “stay awake” (Matthew 24:42), a phrase that is repeated three times in Mark’s brief account of Jesus’ final words (Mark 13:32-37). The Greek word gregoreuo (gray-gor-yooˊ-o) appears to be connected with the activities of a guard who stands watch at night while everyone else is asleep (G1127). Gregoreuo is derived from the word egeiro (eg-iˊ-ro) which conveys the idea of “collecting one’s faculties” and is used figuratively to refer to wakening from “obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence” (G1453). Egeiro was used by Jesus in the context of the authority of the Son and rising from the dead. Jesus said, “For as the Father raises (egeiro) the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will” (John 5:21).

Luke’s conclusion of Jesus’ Olivet Discourse suggests that some Christians may go through the Great Tribulation and some may escape. Luke stated, “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34-36). Luke said that believers need to pray for strength in order to escape the things that are going to take place. The King James Version of Luke 21:36 states it differently. It says, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things…” Paul used the same phrase in his second letter to the Thessalonians where he talked about the judgment at Christs coming. Paul said, “This is the evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (2 Thessalonians 1:5-8).

Paul’s clarification of what happens in the end makes it clear to us that God’s judgment is intended for those who do not know him and for those who do not obey the gospel of Jesus Christ. Based on this, it would make sense that being counted worthy would mean that you do know God and have obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ, but Jesus indicated the real problem was not knowing when he would return. He said, “Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake” (Mark 13:35-36). The night before Jesus was crucified he was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Matthew tells us, “And he came to his disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, ‘So could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:40-41). The issue that Jesus addressed was the conflict between our spirit and our flesh. Jesus said the spirit inside of us is willing to do what God wants us to, but our flesh, the part of us that makes us human, is unable to resist temptation, it tends to vacillate in opinion and/or faith (G772). Staying awake means that you have to be spiritually alert and pay attention to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus used his parable of the ten virgins to convey the importance of the filling of the Holy Spirit when it is clear the end is near. Jesus said:

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. (Matthew 25:1-13)

The sudden and unexpected arrival of the bridegroom caught all of the ten virgins off-guard, but the five that had kept their lamps full and were ready to leave when the time came were able to enter the marriage feast before the door was shut. The interesting thing to note was that the five foolish virgins returned after filling their lamps, but they were not allowed to enter because the bridegroom didn’t recognize them. The command to watch suggests that after Jesus arrives believers will no longer be able to rely on the filling of the Holy Spirit to keep them in fellowship with God. The only way believers will be able to distinguish themselves is by not taking the mark of the beast and therefore, being willing to die for their faith (Revelation 13:16-17; 14:12-13).

A foolish mistake

Saul, Israel’s first king, from a human perspective, fully satisfied the desires of the people. “He was a man of great stature from the most military-minded tribe in all Israel and was considered capable of leading the people in battle against their enemies” (note on 1 Samuel 10:20-24), but Saul lacked spiritual discernment and was prone to making rash decisions. Only a couple of years into his reign as king of Israel, Saul started to show signs of pride and seemed to be overconfident of his ability to defeat the Philistines, Israel’s most formidable enemy. 1 Samuel 13:5-7 tells us:

And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven. When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, and some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

The Israelites were terrified of the Philistines and Saul’s leadership was little comfort to them. Samuel instructed Saul to go down to Gilgal and wait for him to come and offer sacrifices to God. 1 Samuel 13:8-10 states:

He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him.

Saul’s decision to offer the burnt offering himself was a violation of the Mosaic Law and an indication that his heart was not right with God. When Samuel arrived, he asked Saul:

“What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” (1 Samuel 13:11-14)

Saul told Samuel that he had forced himself to offer the burnt offering. The Hebrew word that is translated forced, ʾaphaq (aw-fakˊ) means “to contain, i.e (reflexive) abstain” (H662). The name Aphek is derived from ʾaphaq. In the sense of strength, the name Aphek means “fortress” (H663).

It seems that Saul had intentionally walled himself off from the promptings of the Holy Spirit when he decided to offer the burnt offering himself. Samuel’s reaction to Saul’s disobedience affirms this viewpoint. “Samuel said to Saul, ‘You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the LORD your God, with which he commanded you’” (1Samuel 13:13). Samuel’s assessment that Saul had made a foolish mistake when he went against the command of the LORD was probably based on an awareness of Saul’s motives. The Hebrew word that is translated foolishly, çakal (saw-kalˊ) means “to be silly” (H5528). Silliness is an indicator of spiritual immaturity or a lack of spiritual discernment. The Hebrew word kaçal (kaw-salˊ), another form of çakal, means “to be fat, i.e. (figuratively) silly” (H3688). The connection between fatness and silliness may be a lack of discipline or in a spiritual sense, mental exercise. A word that is derived from kaçal, keçel (kehˊ-sel) is properly translated as “fatness, i.e. by implication (literally) the loin (as the seat of the leaf fat) or (generally) the viscera; also (figuratively) silliness or (in a good sense) trust…Kecel means ‘stupidity; imperturbability; confidence” (H3689).

Peter’s second letter contained a reference to the prophetic word about Israel’s Messiah being confirmed by Jesus’ transfiguration (2 Peter 1:16-21). In this passage, Peter stated, “No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21). The phrase carried along means “impelled, by the Holy Spirit’s power, not acting according to their own wills, or simply expressing their own thoughts, but expressing the mind of God in words provided and ministered by Him” (G5342). It seems likely that when King Saul forced himself to offer the burnt offering, he was confident that he was doing the right thing, but Saul was acting according to his own will, not God’s will, as it had already been expressed to Saul that he should wait for Samuel to arrive and that he would offer the burnt offering (1 Samuel 10:8). The book of Proverbs discusses at length the foolish behavior of a man who is void of understanding. The fool has a knowledge of God but does not properly evaluate or understand what he knows (H3683). It says in Proverbs 13:16, “Wise people think before they act; fools don’t—and even brag about their foolishness” (NLT). Saul’s explanation of why he had offered the burnt offering himself instead of waiting as he had been told to made it seem as if Samuel was at fault and that Saul had saved the day. “Saul said, ‘When I saw the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, “Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.” So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering’” (1 Samuel 13:11-12). Samuel’s reply made it clear that Saul was acting out of ignorance, rather than a desire to please God. He said, “But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). The Apostle Paul referred to Samuel’s declaration in a message he shared with the Jews at Antioch. Paul said:

“Men of Israel,” he said, “and you God-fearing Gentiles, listen to me.

“The God of this nation of Israel chose our ancestors and made them multiply and grow strong during their stay in Egypt. Then with a powerful arm he led them out of their slavery. He put up with them through forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Then he destroyed seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to Israel as an inheritance. All this took about 450 years.

“After that, God gave them judges to rule until the time of Samuel the prophet. Then the people begged for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years. But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’

“And it is one of King David’s descendants, Jesus, who is God’s promised Savior of Israel! (Acts 13:16-23)

Paul identified David as a man after God’s own heart, someone that would do everything that God wanted him to, and connected him with God’s plan of salvation. It was important for the king of Israel to be completely committed to God, but what was really at stake was the execution of a plan that would result in Jesus’ birth. Samuel told Saul, “You have not kept the command of the LORD your God, with which he commanded you. For then the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue” (1 Samuel 13:13-14). Samuel referred to Saul’s kingdom as your kingdom, rather than the kingdom of God or heaven, and told him that it would not continue. Saul’s reign over Israel was a temporary arrangement that had to do with Israel’s request for a human leader to guide them into military success. Underlying God’s approval of their request was his intention of establishing an eternal kingdom that would be ruled by Jesus.

Jesus often talked about the kingdom of heaven and on more than one occasion associated it with God’s covenant with Abraham. Jesus said, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:10-12). Jesus used the phrase the sons of the kingdom to refer to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Israelites that were not members of the kingdom of heaven. The context of Jesus’ statement was the lack of faith among the Jews. “Jesus had just commended the great faith of a Gentile, the Roman centurion who came seeking healing for his servant (v. 10). The ‘sons of the kingdom’ may refer to unbelieving Jews who thought that their ancestry automatically entitled them to the kingdom of God (see John 8:31-59). The Jews thought that they were assured of special favor by God, but the Lord reminded them that they could be ‘last’ in the kingdom of God while those who thought themselves ‘last,’ such as tax collectors and prostitutes, would be ‘first’ if they exercised faith in him (Matthew 21:31). Furthermore, unbelieving Jews would be, ‘thrown into the outer darkness’ because of their hypocritical claim that they were the children and followers of Abraham. Abraham was the father of the faithful, and although these men were his physical descendants, they were not part of the family of faith” (note on Matthew 8:11, 12).

In the same way that the unbelieving Jews of Jesus’ day thought that their relationship to Abraham would assure them of special favor by God, so Saul thought that his position of king of Israel exempted him from obedience to God’s word. In the heat of a battle with the Philistines, Saul “laid an oath on the people, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening, and I am avenged on my enemies’” (1 Samuel 14:24). It says in 1 Samuel 14:27-30, “But Jonathon had not heard his father charge the people with the oath, so he put out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes became bright. Then one of the people said, ‘Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food this day.”’ And the people were faint. Then Jonathon said, ‘My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey. How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found. For now the defeat among the Philistines has not been great.’” When Saul inquired of the LORD and didn’t receive an answer from him, “Saul said, ‘Come here, all you leaders of the people, and know and see how this sin has arisen today. For as the LORD lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathon my son, he shall surely die…Then Saul said, ‘Cast the lot between me and Jonathon.’ And Jonathon was taken. Then Saul said to Jonathon, ‘Tell me what you have done.’ And Jonathon told him, ‘I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I will die.’ And Saul said, ‘God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathon.’ Then the people said to Saul, ‘Shall Jonathon die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As the LORD lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.’ So the people ransomed Jonathon, so that he did not die. Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place” (1 Samuel 14:38-46).

The quagmire of unbelief that resulted from Saul’s rash vow led to the LORD’s eventual rejection of Saul as king over Israel. During his confrontation of Saul, Samuel asked him:

“Has 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 listen than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
    and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
    he has also rejected you from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23)

Samuel indicated that Saul had rejected the word of the LORD. “Although God had chosen Saul to be king, Saul’s response caused a change in God’s plan for Saul…Purity of heart and attitude are more important to God than perfection and beauty of ritual” (H3988).

Speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, God explained to the people of Israel, “For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in the way that I command you, that it may be well with you’” (Jeremiah 7:22-23). The book of Hebrews further clarifies God’s point by showing that it was not Christ’s sacrifice that made us holy and acceptable to God, but Jesus’ obedience to his Father’s will. Hebrews 10:5-10 states:

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,

“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
    but a body have you prepared for me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings
    you have taken no pleasure.
Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
    as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”

When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Sanctification is “spoken of persons: to consecrate as being set apart of God and sent by Him for the performance of His will.” The Greek word hagiazo (hag-ee-adˊ-zo) means “to make holy” and refers to “the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit on the heart” (G37).

Jesus told his disciples after he was gone, that his Father would give them “another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16). Jesus went on to say, “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:25-26). The Greek word that is translated Helper, parakletos (par-akˊ-lay-tos) “is the one summoned, called to one’s side, especially called to one’s aid and is used of Christ in his exaltation at God’s right hand, pleading with God the Father for the pardon of our sins (1 John 2:1); and the Holy Spirit destined to take the place Christ with the apostles (after Christ’s ascension to the Father), to lead them to a deeper knowledge of the gospel truth, and give them divine strength needed to enable them to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom (John 14:16; 14:26; 15:26; 16:7)” (G3875). The Holy Spirit’s role of Helper is said to be linked with believers gaining a deeper knowledge of the gospel truth.

Paul instructed Titus to “teach what accords with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1). The concept of sound doctrine is related to nourishment, it is that which brings about health and vitality. Paul described the results of sound doctrine as being “sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness” (Titus 2:2). Paul repeated the attribute of self-controlled several times as he continued to talk about the result of sound doctrine on women, young men, and all people (Titus 2:5, 6, 12). The Greek words sophron (soˊ-frone), sophrosune (so-fros-ooˊ-nay), sophronos (so-fronˊ-oce), sophronizo (so-fron-idˊ-zo), and sophroneo (so-fron-ehˊ-o) are all derived from the same root word, sozo (sodeˊ-zo) which means “to save” (G4982). Another word that is derived from sozo is soma (soˊ-mah) which refers to “the body (as a sound whole)” (G4983). The connection between soundness and being saved was apparent in Jesus’ healing ministry. When the Pharisees asked Jesus’ disciples why he ate with tax collectors and sinners, he responded, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:12-13). Later, Jesus was approached by a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years. Matthew tells us that she “came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his garment, I will be made well (sozo, to save).’ Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well.’ And instantly the woman was made well (sozo, to save)” (Matthew 9:20-22).

The Greek word sophron (soˊ-frone), which is translated self-controlled in Titus 2:2, means “safe (sound) in mind” (G4998) and is derived from the base of sozo and phren (frane). Phren appears only in 1 Corinthians 14:20 where Paul told the Corinthian believers, “Brothers, do not be children in your thinking (phren). Be infants in evil, but in your thinking (phren) be mature.” Paul associated phren with immature Christians and conveyed the idea of making a foolish mistake. In the King James Version of the Bible, phren is translated understanding. Proverbs chapter eight focuses on the blessings of wisdom and states in verse five, “O child-like ones, learn to use wisdom. O fools, make your mind understand” (NLV). This verse seems to suggest that being self-controlled is the result of training our minds to think wisely and therefore, eliminating foolish mistakes. After Samuel confronted him, Saul admitted, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice” (1 Samuel 15:24). Saul’s mistake was that he obeyed the voice of the people rather than the voice of God. It wasn’t that Saul didn’t know what God wanted him to do. Saul knew what God wanted him to do, but the people disagreed with it so, he chose to please the people instead of obeying God.