POWER STUDY - A29

[Albert Finch]

Road To Destiny

(Read John 14 & Colossians 1)

Paraclete – (Greek Paraklesis) comfort, consolation, encouragement, exhortation – Holy Spirit

1Samuel 9:1-3 1Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. 2He had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.3Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to his son Saul, “Take now with you one of the servants, and arise, go search for the donkeys.”

Hosea 6:2 2“He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, That we may live before Him.
2 Peter 3:8 8But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.

(Kish asked his son to go out in search of his father’s prized possessions. In obedience to his father Saul goes out and is accompanied, by an unnamed servant who is a type of the Holy Spirit who leads us and guides us into all truth. Saul is maturing as a son in the thing that will prepare him to receive the inheritance of his father. There is a three day journey which is in type and shadow a picture of death, burial, and resurrection and a symbol of this third day that we are now living in. Peter quotes the Palmist by saying “a day to the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day. We have entered into the third day since the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The Prophet Hosea tells us that after two days He will revive us and on the third day He will raise us up.)

John 10:10 10“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Philippians 3:14 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

(As we launch out to pursue the abundant life God has promised it often begins with the apparent loss of something with perceived value. In this case it was the donkeys of Kish:

1. Because they were important to his father, they were of necessity important to Saul, as they were part of his inheritance.

2. He is at a age of transition and right of passage; and in all rights of passage when you move from one level of life to another there is always something you lose in order to obtain something else as a gain.

3. The donkeys represent the perceived loss; the gain, the participant’s promotion.)

1 Samuel 9:5-7 5When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, and let us return, or else my father will cease to be concerned about the donkeys and will become anxious for us.” 6He said to him, “Behold now, there is a man of God in this city, and the man is held in honor; all that he says surely comes true. Now let us go there, perhaps he can tell us about our journey on which we have set out.” 7Then Saul said to his servant, “But behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is gone from our sack and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?”

(At the end of the second day Saul’s hope of finding his father’s donkeys has died. On the third day he decides to turn back to home. The servant however, has inside information. Though they have not had success in finding the donkeys the servant says “they are in the territory of Samuel, the Seer, and he has the word of the Lord.” Saul knows enough not to come before the man of God empty handed and yet searches his pockets to find that they are empty.)

1 Samuel 9:8-10 8The servant answered Saul again and said, “Behold, I have in my hand a fourth of a shekel of silver; I will give it to the man of God and he will tell us our way.” 9(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he used to say, “Come, and let us go to the seer (Samuel)”; for he who is called a prophet now was formerly called a seer.) 10Then Saul said to his servant, “Well said; come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.

(The servant has a quarter of a shekel of silver. Silver is a type of redemption, a type of the finished work of Christ. The servant, being a type of the Holy Spirit, has more than enough to present an acceptable offering to the Seer. The servant obtained his resources from the son’s father. Saul’s dad sent the servant to supply all the needs that went beyond what Saul could anticipate. Our heavenly Father has sent His Spirit as Comforter and Paraclete to accompany us on our journey to be our exceeding great reward.)

1 Samuel 9:15-21; 10:1 15Now a day before Saul’s coming, the LORD had revealed this to Samuel saying, 16“About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over My people Israel; and he will deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have regarded My people, because their cry has come to Me.” 17When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said to him, “Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you! This one shall rule over My people.” 18Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.” 19Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today; and in the morning I will let you go, and will tell you all that is on your mind. 20“As for your donkeys which were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father’s household?” 21Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me in this way?” 1Then Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it on his head, kissed him and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you a ruler over His inheritance?

(Saul wanted a word from the Seer about the donkeys (those things that represent what we lose). We don’t always realize how supernatural the leading of God is on our own three day journey because we are so focused on what we think we have lost that needs to be found, that we are unaware of the larger story of our lives that is unfolding supernaturally right before our eyes. The donkeys were on Saul’s mind while Samuel, a prophet, was to reveal the secrets that were on Saul’s heart. It would take one more day of reflection for Saul to be ready to admit what his heart knew all along since he was a child. He was not intent to be heir of his father’s land; he was born to be a king.)

Matthew 6:33 33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

(The principle: when you seek the greater (the Kingdom) the lessor (the donkeys) will be included. Until, however, we “lose the donkeys” we can’t find the Kingdom.)

Questions:

What was “lost” that I have been seeking after that has evaded my grasp?

Is God endeavoring to deliver me from what is on my mind in order to reveal the greater purpose of what He has placed deep within my heart?

Can I hold on to my dreams and move forward with redeemed ambition yet at the same time trust God, relax and wait on him to bring all good things my way in His timing?

Sign-up on the Albert Finch Ministry web-site:
http://afministry.ning.com/