Through all his reign his wars and victories Saul had endeavored to secure a perpetual and preeminent place in Israel’s history. However, his ambition was his downfall. He mismanaged one little battle and all his planned autocratic splendor was lost. None of his progeny would inherit the kingdom. [1 Sam 15]

Saul was told to utterly destroy the people of Amalek. He was to kill every man, woman, and child as well as all their livestock. But he kept the livestock.

And Samuel said to him,  “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you 1Sam. 15:28

Twice Saul said that the PEOPLE took the animals to sacrifice to YOUR God. [1 Sam 15:15,21] He says he feared the people and obeyed their voice. [1 Sam 15:24]

Messiah uses almost the same words as Samuel.

 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?  43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it.” Matt. 21:42

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,  30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Thus you witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.  32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.  33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?  34 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from town to town,  35 that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.  36 Truly, I say to you, all this will come upon this generation. Matt. 23:29

The Jews of the first century were just as egocentric with their interpretations of the kingdom as Saul had been. The Pseudepigrapha (which are books of prophecy from the two centuries before Messiah) explained that the Kingdom of Messiah was to be one of Jewish domination, where they would guard every more vigilantly the sanctity of the temple. The idea that Messiah would come to bring “great joy to all people” was lost to them. They saw themselves above others because they would be maintained in a state of ceremonial cleanness, that no ordinary person could achieve. The idea that Messiah came to emancipate us from the rule of such men and restore the liberty of the individual was very disturbing to them. It threatened everything they held dear. Messiah’s principles were of positive freedom and an inward subjugation to God. There is no need to be concerned with whether something or someone is clean for Messiah’s touch makes anything and anyone clean. His guardianship is not over the physical temple but rather the spiritual temple of the soul.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, Luke 4:18

So the kingdom was given to David, for he was a type of Messiah in that he was a prophet, priest, and king. Israel’s national political condition was about to be cast aside and given to believers of any background. Those who took up this faith would be able to move the mountains of the nations.

The typology Continues with David’s reign

Let us not forget that David was personally a mess. He was an adulterer and a murderer. But his heart was after God. So it has been with God’s people in the kingdom age. We are a mess, we are partly pure and partly corrupt, yet our hearts are after God

Our corruption comes with a cost. There are weeds in the wheat, there are foul birds in the mustard tree, bad fish in the net, etc. All must be collected and destroyed. We stand before God corrupted and corrupting. Somedays it is hard to see the wheat for the weeds. Only five of the virgins were ready with enough oil.

We need to get back to the young David before power, wealth and old age corrupted him. In our old age, we worry that our lives will be safe. In our wealth, we try to buy health. In our power, we try to fix the world. We need to go back to that time when peace was in our hearts when we knew that, come what may our souls were safe.

Our spiritual leaders and denominations all have formulas for saving souls. Maybe it is Latin words over a baby at baptism, or asking Jesus into our hearts, etc. However, there are no magic words or acts in the Bible. Salvation is a gift. A gift we must find by searching diligently.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; Phil. 2:12 

We now face the twilight of our dispensation. Our course is nearly done. We have valiantly struggled through the great Roman persecution, we survived the great suffering of the INQUISITION, we bravely took the Gospel to the nations, and now we sit and sleep like old men waiting to die. We are not to be sleeping on this last watch. Over and over we are admonished to stay awake at this hour. Too many lives have been given for us to now lose faith and fall asleep at the end of our course.

. . . but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away Matt. 13:25

But know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. Luke 12:39

As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. Matt. 25:5

But you are not in darkness, brethren, for that day to surprise you like a thief. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 1Th. 5:4-6

(“Lo, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is he who is awake, keeping his garments that he may not go naked and be seen exposed!”) Rev. 16:15

The King is Coming. We must be about our Lord’s business. Stop being lulled back to sleep by those damnable croaking frogs.[Rev 16:13]

4 Make me to know thy ways, O LORD; 

teach me thy paths. 

5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me, 

for thou art the God of my salvation; 

for thee I wait all the day long. Psa. 25:4-5