“He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.” – Lamentations 3:29
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A Kingly Covenant |
In biblical history, when God endeavors to save His people, He saves and anoints a man for the duty. Jesus Christ is Jesus, “the anointed One;” this is the meaning of the title “Christ.” A faithful and faith-filled man does works of faith which save others. Even so, thus it was with King Saul. God said, "To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over My people Israel, that he may save My people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon My people, because their cry is come unto Me" (1 Samuel 9:16). "Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over His inheritance" (1 Samuel 10:1)? “God gave him another heart” (1 Sam. 10:9), and he, as the prophet prophesied, was “turned into another man” (1 Sam. 10:6). All the “signs” of a saved man were his experience (1 Sam. 10:9), as the prophet said to him, “God is with thee” (1 Sam. 10:7). “The Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them” (1 Sam. 10:10). Saul was made an under-king in the Kingdom of God by a prophet’s blessing, the oil of God, the Spirit of power, and newness of heart and life. “The Spirit of God came upon Saul” (1 Sam. 11:6), and he led them to such a great deliverance that the Kingdom was established, “and all Israel rejoiced greatly” (1 Sam. 11:15)! Saul’s valiant deeds are of the sort named by “The Hall of Faith” in Hebrews chapter 11. The Hebrews 11 elders and Saul “out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens” (Heb. 11:34)! Saul, “through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness,” and “obtained promises” (Heb. 11:33)!
Israel and Saul were given clear conditions with the establishment of the kingdom (1 Sam. 12:14-15, 20-25). For an entire year, Saul reigned, faithful to God in these covenantal conditions. He did not “turn aside from following the LORD” with “all” his “heart” (1 Sam. 12:20), he did “only fear the LORD and did serve Him in truth” (1 Sam. 12:24) for a whole year! However, “when he had reigned two years over Israel” (1 Sam. 13:1), then he rebelled from God. Some may think that God did not intend to establish the Kingdom of Saul forever, but this is incorrect. After Saul’s first rebellion, it was confirmed by Samuel - when Samuel was speaking to Saul, he said - “Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which He commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever” (1 Sam. 13:13). God willed for Saul’s kingdom to be established forever (God in the ways of man), but now God was discontinuing those thoughts!
At this Divine rejection God said, “But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought Him a man after His own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over His people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee" (1 Samuel 13:14). Even though this was said then (at Saul’s first rebellion), I suspect that Saul repented of his sins which he committed here in the first rebellion, and, in response to the prophet Samuel’s prayers, God repented of what He had purposed and said to Saul, how that He was going to take the Kingdom away from him. After this Saul went on to do great works of faith. It was written, "So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them. And he gathered an host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them" (1 Samuel 14:47-48).
The Lord, at this point, had not forsaken Saul because Samuel was still continuing with him. This means that God was still on friendly terms with him, commissioning him (1 Sam. 15:1), and Israel was being delivered and secured under him (1 Sam. 14:47-48). David was not sought out and anointed yet, the Holy Spirit was not taken away from Saul yet, the evil spirit was not sent to Saul yet, and when the eventual reprobation of Saul transpired the LORD did repent again (1 Sam. 15:1), which means that He did decide to reject Saul again (1 Sam. 15:23), which must reveal that God had repented of the previous decision to reject him, otherwise God would not have repented again to reject him again. God must have heard the intercessions of Samuel who, doubtlessly, as this second rejection too, was “grieved” and “cried unto the LORD all night” (1 Sam. 15:11). The intercession must have availed last time when Samuel cried out like this, but this time, as Samuel attempts to intercede again even after the final rejection of Saul, it is to no avail. After the LORD finally “repented that He had made Saul King over Israel” (1 Sam. 15:35), then God reproved Samuel and says, "How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided Me a king among his sons" (1 Samuel 16:1). At this final repentance, there was an inability for intercession, an immediate fulfillment of the former word that God, “sought Him a man after His own heart and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over His people” (1 Sam. 13:14), thus the anointing transpired (1 Sam. 16:13), the Holy Spirit came upon David and left Saul (1 Sam. 16:13-14), “an evil spirit from the LORD troubled” Saul (1 Sam. 16:14), God no longer answered nor commission Saul, and likewise, Samuel never saw Saul again unto death.
At the final repentance of God it was said, “The LORD hath rent the Kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, that is better than thou. And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for He is not a man, that He should repent” (1 Sam. 15:28-29). God said He would not repent of this word that was just given, and He repented of the intention that was formerly at work (1 Sam. 15:35), but it is as if Samuel sought any means, as Nineveh, to obtain a repentance in the mind of God if it was possible. As Nineveh said, “Who can tell if God will turn and repent,” also David said after the pronouncement of the death of Bathsheba’s firstborn, “Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live” (Jonah 3:9, 2 Sam. 12:22). God did not repent at David’s prayers, nor did He repent at Samuel’s prayers, and as many other instances throughout history, there is a time when He will not repent (when He chooses not to/when His determinate counsel ordains it).
In the Sovereign purposes of God that are stated as predestinated purposes and counsels (God in the ways of God), the Godlike qualities of 1 Sam. 15:29 are exalted! Samuel said, “the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for He is not a man, that He should repent” (1 Sam. 15:29). So in the Covenants, words, purposes, and counsels done in the context of “God in the ways of God,” the establishment of the spoken word is given in like manners: Concerning the priesthood of Christ (Melchizedek) it was said, “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4, Heb. 7:21). The predestinated counsel of God
(God in the ways of God) can never change, can never fail, will never be repented of nor gone back on. Therefore, in those promises, Covenants, spoken words, and revelations which announce those things which are the staircase and platform for the manifestation of Christ, all things formerly done become significant in the light of Christ, that all things after are accomplished in the work and Person of Christ, that in Christ all the glory of God in a singular lens is manifest! Thus, God will not repent of the ordination of Christ after the priesthood of Melchizedek. Through the fall of Saul, David arose, yet through the same means God does manifest His eternal purposes. Through resisting God’s revealed will men do fall, and through their fall the sovereign, hidden will of God does rise into your attention. The eternal purposes of God are woven throughout the rise and fall of past generations and Covenants!
We shall study each of these Covenants and generations in exhaustive detail, but by way of summary and introduction, let me begin by saying: Through the fall of the Exodus generation, the Abrahamic Covenant is pending until the work of Christ consummates and entirely fulfills it. Through the fall of Solomon, the Davidic Covenant is pending until the work of Christ consummates and entirely fulfills it. Through the fall of the Judaistic nation and people of God in the first century (at the first coming of Christ), the consummated promises of God for the full salvation of Israel is pending until the work of Christ consummates and entirely fulfills it, and temporarily through this fall the predestinated purpose to reconcile the whole (Gentile) world to Himself is manifest until the fulfillment of the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants are accomplished wherein, conclusively, all of physical Israel will be saved, but it is at the end of time, after the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. Of what nature is this END? It is the resurrection, the condescension withdrawn, inaugurating the full reign of the Messianic King Jesus, Who will fully recreate the laws of all creation, remove the curses of sin, and fully reconcile, resurrect, redeem, and save His partially regenerated Christians who waited for Him on earth.
The Abrahamic Covenant was said to be spoken and determined in the word, intent, counsel, and ways of God, therefore, the word was called an “immutable counsel” (Heb. 6:17-18). An immutable counsel is the will/word/promise/intent/Covenant which cannot be breached, which God will not repent of nor go back on, contrary to the will/word/promise/intent/counsel/covenant which he can repent of or go back on. Nevertheless, during the time of Abraham’s sojourning, God revealed His will to be conditional instead of unchanging or immutable. Of the Davidic Covenant, it was said to be in the unfailing faithfulness of God (Ps. 89:33), a spoken word that cannot be broken or altered (Ps. 89:34), a thing spoken and sworn to that He will not go back on or lie about (Ps. 89:35), yet for centuries the men of God were wondering, as with the Abrahamic Covenant, “where are Thy former lovingkindnesses, which Thou swarest unto David in Thy truth” (Ps. 89:49)? Why? Because the Lord did “cast off” (Ps. 89:38), make “void the Covenant” (Ps. 89:39), and did “cast his throne down to the ground” (Ps. 89:44). The Davidic Covenant did not come to pass as it was intended for the present generation, as did the Abrahamic Covenant, but it was so that, through the fall and failure of men, Christ would illuminate the world by a single work to the glory of God, wherein all the promises, shadows, Covenants, and prophecies are fulfilled in Him! As the fall of Saul manifested the rise of David, the breach of the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants did manifest the need and make room for Christ, Who arose, and He will fulfill them in the end of days. As we reviewed the Kingly Covenant made with Saul, let’s turn to the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants.
Israel and Saul were given clear conditions with the establishment of the kingdom (1 Sam. 12:14-15, 20-25). For an entire year, Saul reigned, faithful to God in these covenantal conditions. He did not “turn aside from following the LORD” with “all” his “heart” (1 Sam. 12:20), he did “only fear the LORD and did serve Him in truth” (1 Sam. 12:24) for a whole year! However, “when he had reigned two years over Israel” (1 Sam. 13:1), then he rebelled from God. Some may think that God did not intend to establish the Kingdom of Saul forever, but this is incorrect. After Saul’s first rebellion, it was confirmed by Samuel - when Samuel was speaking to Saul, he said - “Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which He commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever” (1 Sam. 13:13). God willed for Saul’s kingdom to be established forever (God in the ways of man), but now God was discontinuing those thoughts!
At this Divine rejection God said, “But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought Him a man after His own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over His people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee" (1 Samuel 13:14). Even though this was said then (at Saul’s first rebellion), I suspect that Saul repented of his sins which he committed here in the first rebellion, and, in response to the prophet Samuel’s prayers, God repented of what He had purposed and said to Saul, how that He was going to take the Kingdom away from him. After this Saul went on to do great works of faith. It was written, "So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them. And he gathered an host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them" (1 Samuel 14:47-48).
The Lord, at this point, had not forsaken Saul because Samuel was still continuing with him. This means that God was still on friendly terms with him, commissioning him (1 Sam. 15:1), and Israel was being delivered and secured under him (1 Sam. 14:47-48). David was not sought out and anointed yet, the Holy Spirit was not taken away from Saul yet, the evil spirit was not sent to Saul yet, and when the eventual reprobation of Saul transpired the LORD did repent again (1 Sam. 15:1), which means that He did decide to reject Saul again (1 Sam. 15:23), which must reveal that God had repented of the previous decision to reject him, otherwise God would not have repented again to reject him again. God must have heard the intercessions of Samuel who, doubtlessly, as this second rejection too, was “grieved” and “cried unto the LORD all night” (1 Sam. 15:11). The intercession must have availed last time when Samuel cried out like this, but this time, as Samuel attempts to intercede again even after the final rejection of Saul, it is to no avail. After the LORD finally “repented that He had made Saul King over Israel” (1 Sam. 15:35), then God reproved Samuel and says, "How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided Me a king among his sons" (1 Samuel 16:1). At this final repentance, there was an inability for intercession, an immediate fulfillment of the former word that God, “sought Him a man after His own heart and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over His people” (1 Sam. 13:14), thus the anointing transpired (1 Sam. 16:13), the Holy Spirit came upon David and left Saul (1 Sam. 16:13-14), “an evil spirit from the LORD troubled” Saul (1 Sam. 16:14), God no longer answered nor commission Saul, and likewise, Samuel never saw Saul again unto death.
At the final repentance of God it was said, “The LORD hath rent the Kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, that is better than thou. And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for He is not a man, that He should repent” (1 Sam. 15:28-29). God said He would not repent of this word that was just given, and He repented of the intention that was formerly at work (1 Sam. 15:35), but it is as if Samuel sought any means, as Nineveh, to obtain a repentance in the mind of God if it was possible. As Nineveh said, “Who can tell if God will turn and repent,” also David said after the pronouncement of the death of Bathsheba’s firstborn, “Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live” (Jonah 3:9, 2 Sam. 12:22). God did not repent at David’s prayers, nor did He repent at Samuel’s prayers, and as many other instances throughout history, there is a time when He will not repent (when He chooses not to/when His determinate counsel ordains it).
In the Sovereign purposes of God that are stated as predestinated purposes and counsels (God in the ways of God), the Godlike qualities of 1 Sam. 15:29 are exalted! Samuel said, “the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for He is not a man, that He should repent” (1 Sam. 15:29). So in the Covenants, words, purposes, and counsels done in the context of “God in the ways of God,” the establishment of the spoken word is given in like manners: Concerning the priesthood of Christ (Melchizedek) it was said, “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4, Heb. 7:21). The predestinated counsel of God
(God in the ways of God) can never change, can never fail, will never be repented of nor gone back on. Therefore, in those promises, Covenants, spoken words, and revelations which announce those things which are the staircase and platform for the manifestation of Christ, all things formerly done become significant in the light of Christ, that all things after are accomplished in the work and Person of Christ, that in Christ all the glory of God in a singular lens is manifest! Thus, God will not repent of the ordination of Christ after the priesthood of Melchizedek. Through the fall of Saul, David arose, yet through the same means God does manifest His eternal purposes. Through resisting God’s revealed will men do fall, and through their fall the sovereign, hidden will of God does rise into your attention. The eternal purposes of God are woven throughout the rise and fall of past generations and Covenants!
We shall study each of these Covenants and generations in exhaustive detail, but by way of summary and introduction, let me begin by saying: Through the fall of the Exodus generation, the Abrahamic Covenant is pending until the work of Christ consummates and entirely fulfills it. Through the fall of Solomon, the Davidic Covenant is pending until the work of Christ consummates and entirely fulfills it. Through the fall of the Judaistic nation and people of God in the first century (at the first coming of Christ), the consummated promises of God for the full salvation of Israel is pending until the work of Christ consummates and entirely fulfills it, and temporarily through this fall the predestinated purpose to reconcile the whole (Gentile) world to Himself is manifest until the fulfillment of the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants are accomplished wherein, conclusively, all of physical Israel will be saved, but it is at the end of time, after the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. Of what nature is this END? It is the resurrection, the condescension withdrawn, inaugurating the full reign of the Messianic King Jesus, Who will fully recreate the laws of all creation, remove the curses of sin, and fully reconcile, resurrect, redeem, and save His partially regenerated Christians who waited for Him on earth.
The Abrahamic Covenant was said to be spoken and determined in the word, intent, counsel, and ways of God, therefore, the word was called an “immutable counsel” (Heb. 6:17-18). An immutable counsel is the will/word/promise/intent/Covenant which cannot be breached, which God will not repent of nor go back on, contrary to the will/word/promise/intent/counsel/covenant which he can repent of or go back on. Nevertheless, during the time of Abraham’s sojourning, God revealed His will to be conditional instead of unchanging or immutable. Of the Davidic Covenant, it was said to be in the unfailing faithfulness of God (Ps. 89:33), a spoken word that cannot be broken or altered (Ps. 89:34), a thing spoken and sworn to that He will not go back on or lie about (Ps. 89:35), yet for centuries the men of God were wondering, as with the Abrahamic Covenant, “where are Thy former lovingkindnesses, which Thou swarest unto David in Thy truth” (Ps. 89:49)? Why? Because the Lord did “cast off” (Ps. 89:38), make “void the Covenant” (Ps. 89:39), and did “cast his throne down to the ground” (Ps. 89:44). The Davidic Covenant did not come to pass as it was intended for the present generation, as did the Abrahamic Covenant, but it was so that, through the fall and failure of men, Christ would illuminate the world by a single work to the glory of God, wherein all the promises, shadows, Covenants, and prophecies are fulfilled in Him! As the fall of Saul manifested the rise of David, the breach of the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants did manifest the need and make room for Christ, Who arose, and He will fulfill them in the end of days. As we reviewed the Kingly Covenant made with Saul, let’s turn to the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants.