1 Samuel: One Thing

I am fascinated by the life of Saul and David.  Borderline obsessed. Ever since God so powerfully used Damian Kyle’s Life of David series in our Santa Clara experience, their lives always seem to surface in my own.  A Tale of Three Kings is another powerful look at the dynamics at play here–if you haven’t read it yet, do now!  The Lifeway study Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed also gives a glorious glimpse into this story if you’re hungry for more. If you can’t get enough then there’s Alan Redpath’s Making of a Man of God on the life of David.  Sorry, no more book plugs. I told you I can get carried away here!

All that to say that I love 1 Samuel.  It is a remarkable book. If you’re struggling in your Bible reading, army crawling through Numbers or something, why don’t you just jump on up to Ruth or 1 Samuel and just feast on the richness of these portions of Scripture.  Really, it’s ok. 🙂

So last week I read 1 Samuel and watched as Samuel and Saul walk into the dawn of a new era for Israel–of letting men be kings.

God was reluctant to do it, but Israel insists, so although God warns them of the dangers, He gives them their way and Samuel anoints Saul as King.  It doesn’t take long for the whole thing to go south. It might be fun to do a whole Sketch of Saul series, because there’s so much here on what not to be.

But what’s the key?  We’ve talked before about the difference between David and Saul, hinging on the right response to sin.  But this time reading through this is what struck me:

It’s one thing.

It’s all about one thing.  Neither man is perfect, neither man is sinless. Both have moments of courage and moments of failure. Both are celebrated and despised at some point in their lives.  But the key difference is one thing.

One thing drives Saul. One thing drives David.

Saul’s one thing was himself.  When he feels inadequate, he hides. When he feels victorious, he builds a monument to himself.  When given directions by God, he obeys to the extent that he thinks is right.  When confronted, he wants the sin removed so that he can quickly get on with himself.

Saul’s one thing was himself.  That’s all he really wanted.

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David’s one thing was God. When he feels inadequate, he charges ahead with courage. When he feel victorious, he praises His God. When given directions, He obeys. When confronted, he repents.

David’s one thing was God.  That’s all he really wanted.

David writes,

One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD. (Psalm 27:4)

One thing. Only one thing. His deepest heart’s craving was to dwell with God and gaze upon His beauty. That is what made David the greatest earthly king the world has known.

God was reluctant (with good reason) to let men be kings. But in David He found a man with the heart of a king.  A heart that ached simply to see the King. The King of Kings. The beauty of the LORD and the glory of His presence.

What is my one thing? What is your one thing? Oh to God that He would give us the courage to throw ourselves down off the throne of our hearts and insist that only the true King resides in that place.  That is the one thing that distinguished Saul and David from each other. It is the one thing that will distinguish us from the world.

What is your one thing?