Just Can't Quit
Do you have something that you just can’t quit? Maybe a TV show, an author, a musician, golf, pickle ball, pickles? Even after a bad outing, a disappointing album, something sour; you just find your self going back for more! You can’t quit even if you tried. In many ways this describes YHWH as we are seeing Him in 1 Samuel. It probably is more accurate to say that He won’t quit His people than he can’t, but such is his determination. This week we are going to be looking broadly at chapters 9-11, focusing on Saul’s call to the kingship and his anointing in chapters 9 and 10. These are not glorious chapters, either for Saul or for Israel. Saul’s reticence and Israel’s rejection of YHWH are still front and center. But despite that (maybe because of that?), YHWH continues to purse his people. D. Ralph Davis puts it this way in his commentary,
“Although YHWH sees Israel’s idolatry in her cry for a king, he also hears her distress in her cry for relief (9:16). Israel’s stupidity cannot wither YHWH’s compassions.” YHWH just won’t quit his people!
I look forward to digging into this good news with you Sunday morning. My guess is that we could all look at this past week and, if we are honest with ourselves, see a lot of reasons why YHWH might give up on us. But praise be to Him, the Gospel is that no matter how hard we might run away, He pursues us with His grace even harder.