And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man (1 Sam. 10:6).
The prophet Samuel had anointed Saul to be king over Israel. As soon as the ceremony was finished, he predicted by divine inspiration certain events to happen to Saul that very day. In verse 7 they are called "signs." They were proof that God had appointed him as leader of His people. The most important sign of all was that God would give him another heart and he would "be turned into another man."
Did these signs come to pass? Here are the words of verse 9: "And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day." It was by the gift of another heart that Saul was turned into another man. This illustrates the need of every one of us. Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born...of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
Why do we need this new birth? Because our natural heart "is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Rom. 8:7). We need a new birth, a new heart. We need to be born again, to be regenerated, for "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:...neither can he know them" (1 Cor. 2:14). This change is not wrought by any labors of our own, but entirely by the power of God. By earnest prayer, accompanied with complete dedication and surrender to God, the change will come, and several results will follow: first, an increase of spiritual understanding (Eph. 1:18); second, a change of heart (Jer. 31:33); third, a change of will (Heb. 13:20, 21); fourth, a new attitude toward sin (1 John 5:18); fifth, a new obedience (1 John 2:3); sixth, a separation from the world (verse 15); seventh, a new love for other people (1 John 3:14). Let us pray for this new birth.
MEDITATION PRAYER: "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me" (Ps. 51:10).
The prophet Samuel had anointed Saul to be king over Israel. As soon as the ceremony was finished, he predicted by divine inspiration certain events to happen to Saul that very day. In verse 7 they are called "signs." They were proof that God had appointed him as leader of His people. The most important sign of all was that God would give him another heart and he would "be turned into another man."
Did these signs come to pass? Here are the words of verse 9: "And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day." It was by the gift of another heart that Saul was turned into another man. This illustrates the need of every one of us. Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born...of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
Why do we need this new birth? Because our natural heart "is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Rom. 8:7). We need a new birth, a new heart. We need to be born again, to be regenerated, for "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:...neither can he know them" (1 Cor. 2:14). This change is not wrought by any labors of our own, but entirely by the power of God. By earnest prayer, accompanied with complete dedication and surrender to God, the change will come, and several results will follow: first, an increase of spiritual understanding (Eph. 1:18); second, a change of heart (Jer. 31:33); third, a change of will (Heb. 13:20, 21); fourth, a new attitude toward sin (1 John 5:18); fifth, a new obedience (1 John 2:3); sixth, a separation from the world (verse 15); seventh, a new love for other people (1 John 3:14). Let us pray for this new birth.
MEDITATION PRAYER: "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me" (Ps. 51:10).
RSS Feed
