From The Archives

How much of our income are we suppose to tithe? What does the Bible say about giving? Download or listen to sermons by Alistair Begg about giving and tithing.

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God’s command was clear: Israel was supposed to destroy the Amalekites. King Saul, blinded by his own sin, failed to complete this task; seeking to justify his actions, he replaced true obedience with religious formalism. This passage stands as a warning of sin’s deceitfulness—and also the steadfastness of God and His purposes. As Alistair Begg points out, while God felt sorrow over Saul’s sin, the Lord is always true to His word and consistent in dealing with disobedience.

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Partial obedience is still disobedience. Saul learned this lesson the hard way when he failed to execute God’s judgment against the Amalekites, sparing the king and the best of the sheep and cattle. Instead of a victorious celebration, he met with Samuel’s anger and the Lord’s regret. Our responses matter to God, teaches Alistair Begg. While we can be honest with Him about our frustrations, we are not free to change His word to fit our needs or justify our actions.

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On the heels of victory against the Philistines, Saul found himself waging a new battle—a spiritual war within his own heart. His desire to vanquish enemies in his own strength led him to place a rash oath on the Israelites. This foolish decision led the people to obey manmade laws rather than God’s divine commands. As Alistair Begg teaches, however, Saul’s failed leadership reminds us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the one true King who never fails or disappoints His people.

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With God’s help, we can scale a wall! Such faith empowered Jonathan, accompanied only by his armor-bearer, to face the Philistines. His confidence lay not in his own strength and talent but in the Lord’s ability to save—and the Lord did not disappoint. God is not a bystander, teaches Alistair Begg; He continues to intervene and overrule amid the world’s panic. In Jonathan, we see a hint of Jesus, the great King, only Savior, and our one true hope.

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Trouble was brewing in Israel. As the Philistine army assembled against them, the nation watched in fear and hopelessness, hiding among rocks and tombs. Surveying the circumstances, Saul chose not to wait for Samuel; instead, he offered an unauthorized sacrifice to the Lord. Examining Saul’s actions, Alistair Begg explains that while trusting God is seldom simple, disobeying Him is the heart of folly. Thankfully, our hope does not rest in ourselves, but in Christ, the obedient King.

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Stepping down from his leadership role, Samuel warned Israel that in demanding a king, they’d actually rejected God. While they’d sinned greatly, though, Samuel assured the people that the Lord would not forsake them. Examining Samuel’s testimony of his legacy, Israel’s history, and God’s reliability, Alistair Begg reminds us that instead of reaching for empty things that cannot deliver, we should fear the Lord, serve Him, and be thankful. Whatever evil we’ve done, God’s grace is greater, and He will complete what He’s begun.

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Salvation is the melody line that runs through Scripture, pointing us to Jesus. When Nahash the Ammonite came to intimidate and humiliate Israel, for example, they certainly needed saving. The people had forgotten what God had previously done for them and nearly capitulated—until Saul, angered by their faithless lament and empowered by God’s Spirit, led them to victory. God’s redemption plan isn’t a business venture that relies on our initiative, teaches Alistair Begg; it’s a battle that requires a divine invasion.

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As word of the Ammonites reached Saul in 1 Samuel 11, the anointed king was in a field, oblivious of the brutal threat against his people. Before long, though, he had led his people to victory had been installed as king under the Lord. What changed? Alistair Begg leads us through this exciting chapter, demonstrating that Israel was saved not because they had a king but because their king possessed the Spirit of God. The Israelites may have been keen to reject the Lord, but He was not about to give up on them.

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Today’s culture exhorts us to be masters of our own destinies, in control of our own lives, and absent any restrictions other than our own. True freedom, though, is actually found in obeying God’s precepts, not in release from them. Examining the cultural, biblical, and personal significance of freedom, Alistair Begg helps us discover that even a self-serving life is enslaving. Abiding rest is ours only when we surrender our lives to Christ and receive the forgiveness He freely offers.

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