From The Archives

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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Change was on the horizon for Israel as the nation anticipated its new king. This time of transition was not marked by God’s absence, though. Instead, it highlighted His providential care for His people. Walking us through the events that led the future king, Saul, to meet Samuel, the prophet of God, Alistair Begg helps us see that God uses even the ordinary, mundane details of our lives to bring about His purposes.

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As Samuel aged and his succession plan failed, Israel clamored for a new leader. No longer wanting to be distinct, they chose to imitate the behavior of other nations and asked to trade God’s rule for that of an earthly king. While God granted Israel’s request, Alistair Begg explains, it led to great suffering, revealing our need for a perfect king. Only Christ, the one true King, reigns in absolute love and justice--and His rule will never disappoint us.

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In God's design of the family, both mothers and fathers play equally important but different roles in their children's lives. In these 6 sermons Alistair Begg addresses the role of fathers. Download or listen to them for free. 

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At Mizpah, the Israelites received thunderous, dramatic deliverance from their Philistine oppressors. Samuel had once again prayed on their behalf, his access to God granted through a blood sacrifice as atonement for sin. Alistair Begg helps us realize how this moment anticipated the perfect Lamb to come and depicted God’s enduring faithfulness to His children. As we praise God for all He has done and trust Him for all that is to come, our lives remind others that our help comes from the Lord alone.

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Although the Israelites had rebelled against God’s rule, the Lord mercifully provided a leader for His people in Samuel. As a spiritual leader, Samuel reminded Israel that their fall into idolatry was not an external problem but an issue of the heart. Alistair Begg notes that a pastor’s priority must similarly be to faithfully proclaim God’s Word, for when the Word is present and active, it leads to repentance, right relationship with God, and transformed hearts.

Topics: From the Archives