Rock Harbor Christian Fellowship
Driven by Despair and Desperation - 1 Samuel 28
How can we find hope throughout the book of Samuel? Find out this morning!
Locations & Times
Rock Harbor Christian Fellowship
1475 Quintana Rd, Morro Bay, CA 93442, USA
Sunday 8:30 AM
Sunday 10:00 AM
Big Idea: Despair and desperation are an opportunity for us to see our need for God and to run to Him.
I. Driven by Despair (vv. 1-19)
A. David finds himself in a dilemma here (vv. 1-2), but that will be resolved in the next chapter. For now, we see that Saul’s continual disobedience, his killing the priests at Nob (chap. 22), and the death of Samuel, has left him without a source for divine counsel or guidance. Rather than repent, Saul falls even further into sin (vv. 6-7; cf. Ps. 32:1-5; 1 Jn. 1:8-10).
B. The appearance of Samuel’s spirit is not the real focus of this narrative (though it is fascinating). Rather, the emphasis is just how far Saul has fallen that is the lesson and that his turning from the Lord has caught up with him (vv. 15-19).
C. Saul would have been wise to remember:
1. God has explicitly prohibited occult practices (v. 3; cf. Deut. 18:9-13).
2. We are to be holy (set apart) as He is holy (cf. Lev. 20:6-7).
3. God does not want us to open our lives to demonic activity (cf. Eph. 4:25-27).
II. Driven by Desperation (vv. 6-25)
A. What we see with Saul here is that you can’t force God’s hand. Saul has been walking out of relationship with the Lord and it has finally brought him to his lowest point. Saul is:
1. Ignoring God’s will (cf. 1 Sam. 13:13).
2. Disobeying God’s Word (vv. 3, 17-18).
3. Refusing to repent and humble himself before God.
B. When we are in distress and desperate, we should run to the Lord, not from Him (cf. 2 Sam. 24:10-14).
C. Saul is, in many ways, a tragic figure. But he brought many of his troubles upon himself through persistent disobedience. This need not be our fate. If we turn to the Lord and trust wholly in Him, we can experience an inexpressible peace and joy through Jesus Christ!
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