Eight Ways to Hear from God #6 - Relationships

NOTE:  I have fallen behind on all of my writing projects.  After I had my stroke, it took me a while to feel like engaging in writing again.  Hopefully, my Bible studies and blog posts will be a little timelier.  The Bible study class will be on hiatus until after Lunar New Year and will pick up again after that. 

Let's continue our Bible Study on Eight Ways to Hear from God.  We’ve already looked at Preaching, the Bible, Prayer, Visions and Dreams, and Godly Counsel so today we’re going to look at the sixth way that we hear from God – Relationships.

 Let’s start with our text for the overall study:

 

Hebrews 1:1-2 (NKJV)
^1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ² has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

 So, in the Bible there are a number of times where God spoke to people through a booming voice that came from Heaven.  He spoke at Jesus’ baptism, “This is my Son in whom I’m well-pleased.”  He spoke to the disciples at the Mount of Transfiguration.  He spoke to Paul on the Damascus Road.  But our text here tells us that God spoke at various times in various ways.  In other words, God speaks to us in different ways.  I made a list of eight ways God speaks to us.  So tonight, let’s look at the sixth method – Relationships.  Here’s the text for tonight’s study:

 

Proverbs 27:17 (NKJV)
^27:17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

 Relationships are the thing that makes the world go around.  But relationships are interesting, because relationships aren’t always fun and happiness.  Sometimes there’s friction.

 Have you ever watched a chef sharpen a knife before he cuts into something?  What does he do to sharpen the knife?  He rubs it against a metal sharpener and the metal sharpens the metal.  This is the same thing that this proverb is talking about.  The friction that happens between friends can sharpen our walk with God. 

 I’m not talking about the kind of friction that comes from gossip, and bitterness.  I’m talking about the friction that comes from people warning you about the way you’re behaving:  The sin that you’re flirting with or playing with.   Often, we don’t want to hear our friends call us to accountability, but very often that’s the thing that’s needed.

 In 1 Samuel fifteen, Saul and Samuel are friends.  Saul has been called by God to do something:

 

1 Samuel 15:2-3 (NKJV)
^15:2 Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. ³ Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.' "

 Here’s what God is talking about – as Israel crossed the desert to the Promised Land, the nation of Amalek came up behind them, and started to attack the rear of Israel’s people.  They caused great problems.  Eventually, Israel had to turn back and fight Amalek.

 

Exodus 17:8-13 (NKJV)
^17:8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. ⁹ And Moses said to Joshua, "Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand." ¹⁰ So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. ¹¹ And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. ¹² But Moses' hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. ¹³ So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

 So, there was a great fight, Israel under Joshua’s leadership defeated Amalek. But God wasn’t through with Amalek and sent Saul to utterly destroy them. 

 

1 Samuel 15:3 (NKJV)

Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.' "

 God is pretty clear about this, isn’t he?  He basically says “Kill Everything, moms, dads, babies, cows, sheep, camels and donkeys.  Nobody or nothing gets out alive!” 

 Obedience is what it means to be in the will of God.  You’re doing what God has called you to do.  God told Saul, “You’re going to finish with Amalek.  And what I want is for you to destroy EVERYTHING.”  The problem is that Saul has his own idea.

 

1 Samuel 15:7-9 (NKJV)
^15:7 And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. ⁸ He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. ⁹ But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

 So, Saul attacked Amalek.  He destroyed the people BUT…BUT he brought home the best of the sheep and Agag the King.  Look at what it says:

 He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. ⁹ But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them.

 They were UNWILLING to utterly destroy them.  That’s not what God said to do.  They are disobeying God.  They wanted the good fat sheep.  They wanted all that was good.  Saul wanted to bring the king back to Israel.  It is a way that kings showed their power.  Agag would be a trophy.  Saul has gone completely off in his OWN direction.  He’s not hearing from God, he’s taking what God said and filtering it through his own wants and needs.

 That’s the story.  Saul was outside the will of God.  Saul was now involved in the sin of presumption and disobedience.  The real problem for Saul is that he doesn’t even realize that he’s outside of God’s will.  Look at what he says when he sees Samuel:

 

1 Samuel 15:13 (NKJV)
^15:13 Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord."

 Can you imagine what Samuel is thinking?  Samuel’s a prophet of God.  Samuel has heard from God.  He knows what God commanded Saul.

1 Samuel 15:10-11 (NKJV)
^15:10 Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, ¹¹ "I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments." And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night.

 So, Samuel knows that God is not happy with Saul.  God’s speaking to Saul but Saul’s not hearing what God’s saying.  People do that.  We like to add our interpretation to what God’s saying.  It’s just like this God tells Saul kill everything, but what does Saul do.  He doesn’t kill the good sheep.  He doesn’t kill Agag.  God wouldn’t want me to kill all of these good sheep!

 Someone with whom Saul has a relationship may be able to speak into Saul’s life.  So, God sends Samuel.  Look at what happens, when Saul tells Samuel I’ve obeyed God:

 

1 Samuel 15:14-15 (NKJV)
^15:14 But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" ¹⁵ And Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed."

 Samuel says, “Oh you did what God said?  How come I hear sheep?  They were supposed all be killed.”  Saul says, “We brought them to sacrifice.”  But that’s not what God wanted.  God wants obedience.  Samuel has to remind him that he’s being disobedient.

 

1 Samuel 15:22-23 (NKJV)
^15:22 So Samuel said: "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 heed than the fat of rams. ²³ For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king."

 

BOOM!  To obey is better than sacrifice.  He’s being pretty straight out:  Pretty direct.  You’re a rebel.  Rebellion is like witchcraft.  Do you know what witchcraft is?  It’s trying to CONTROL someone else.  He’s trying to control God.  He’s trying to put his will on God. 

 Samuel is speaking for God, right here.  He’s using the RELATIONSHIP that Saul and Samuel have to speak into Saul’s life.  God speaks to us through the relationships we have in life.  God can speak to us through people we listen to and trust.  I praise God for some of the brothers.  People have spoken REIGHT into my life.  They care about me.  They want to see me be successful in the things of God. 

They care enough about me to rebuke me when it will get me on track.

 We have to be careful, though.  Sometimes we get all offended when someone tries to help us.  Sometimes they have to be blunt.  We often let our pride get in the way when people are trying to help us.  God chooses to use our friends to help us to hear from him.