Crystallization-Study of 1 and 2 Samuel
Message Twelve
Spiritual Principles, Life Lessons, and Holy Warnings
concerning the Enjoyment of the Good Land Seen
with Five Major Figures in 1 and 2 Samuel
OPENING WORD OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
1 Sam. 3:10 Then Jehovah came and stood by and called as at the other times, Samuel! Samuel! And Samuel said, Speak, for Your servant is listening.
1 Sam. 13:14 …Jehovah has sought a man according to His heart for Himself, and Jehovah has appointed him ruler over His people…
2 Tim. 2:22 But flee youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Word of Appetizer
What are the five major figures in the books of Samuel, and what lessons does this teach us?
In the books of Samuel, there are five major figures: Eli, Samuel, Jonathan, Saul, and David. We need to learn the lessons of these five persons in relation to God’s economy. The books of Samuel, as books of history, are on Christ for our enjoyment that God may carry out His economy. These books reveal the right, the particular, and even the full way for us to enjoy Christ that we may be a part of God’s economy. Concerning this we need to realize that God desires people who are according to Him, people who are His duplication.
Spiritual Burden
We all need to reject anything of staleness, oldness, lukewarmness, and pride and keep ourselves empty, open, fresh, new, living, and young with the Lord; we need to be one with His desire for us to be one with Christ, filled with Christ, and occupied by Christ to live Christ for the organic building up of the Body of Christ.
In the Lord’s recovery, whenever we do anything, we must take care of the sense of the Lord’s presence; we all need to learn the lesson of caring for two things: the inward presence of God and the outward confirmation in our environment.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
Under Eli the old Aaronic priesthood had become stale and waning, and God desired to have a new beginning for the accomplishing of His eternal economy.
Samuel was faithful to God in all his God-given statuses and offices.
Jonathan loved David, made a covenant with him, and predicted that David would become the king and that the kingdom would be his kingdom.
Saul was chosen by God and anointed by Samuel to be the king of Israel.
David was chosen and anointed by God through Samuel to be the king of Israel.
The Experience of Life
The words that the Lord speaks to us are spirit and life (John 6:63); our listening to the Lord’s word afforded the Lord the opportunity to communicate Himself to us and to dispense Himself into us so that we could gain the Lord Himself.
The lust of the flesh is a devastating element that can destroy us; Regardless of our attainment in our spiritual pursuit, it is possible for any of us to commit such a sin; we should read this account seriously in the presence of God; this account warns us that the indulgence of the flesh is a serious thing.
Practice and Application
We all need to reject anything of staleness, oldness, lukewarmness, and pride and keep ourselves empty, open, fresh, new, living, and young with the Lord; we need to be one with His desire for us to be one with Christ, filled with Christ, and occupied by Christ to live Christ for the organic building up of the Body of Christ.
We need to continually exercise ourselves to have an ear to “hear what the Spirit says to the churches”; furthermore, we need to follow the pattern of Mary, who “sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to His word”.
We should learn the lesson of crucifying our flesh and denying our selfishness—our self-interest and self-seeking.
We should search our hearts and make a strong resolution of heart never to go the way of the indulgence of the flesh.
PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
Day 1
T1 Learning the lessons of these five persons in relation to God’s economy (1 Sam. 2:28-29)
(Please illustrate that how Eli disregarded the priesthood in his loose disciplining of his two evil sons.)
T2 Under Eli the old Aaronic priesthood had become stale and waning (1 Sam. 2:12-30)
(Please illustrate that we all need to reject anything of staleness, oldness, lukewarmness, and pride and keep ourselves empty, open, fresh, new, living with the Lord.)
Day 2
T1 Samuel enjoyed his portion of the good land to the fullest for his whole life (1 Sam. 3:10; Luke 10:39)
(Please illustrate that how Samuel was faithful in all his statuses and offices.)
T2 Samuel was established as a prophet of Jehovah to speak for Him by listening to His word (1 Sam. 3:10; Luke 10:39)
(Please illustrate that we need to follow the pattern of Mary, who “sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to His word”.)
Day 3
T1 Jonathan loved David, made a covenant with him, and predicted that David would become the king (1 Sam. 20:16-17; 31:2)
(Please illustrate that Jonathan lost the proper and adequate enjoyment of his portion in the good land promised by God because of his failure in not following David according to God’s will due to his natural affection for his father.)
T2 Jonathan stood between Saul and David; he was one man standing between two ministries (Gen. 6:13-14)
(Please illustrate that in order to catch up with the ministry of the age, there is the need for us to see the vision.)
Day 4
T1 When Saul disobeyed God, he actually rebelled against Him (1 Sam. 13:13-14; 15:19, 23)
(Please illustrate that Saul disobeyed God’s word at least twice so that he lost his kingship and his kingdom.)
T2 From the tragic end of Saul we can learn many things concerning God’s economy (1 Sam. 28:17-19)
(Please illustrate that how instead of cooperating with God, Saul was selfishly usurped God’s kingdom to build up his own monarchy.)
Day 5
T1 David feared God in that Saul was God’s anointed (1 Sam.24:3, 6)
(Please illustrate that David had two chances to destroy Saul. However, what was the reason that David would not do this?)
T2 David is a typical model of a genuine child of Israel by trusting in God and walking with God according to His leading and instruction (1 Sam. 17:36-37; 23:14-16; 30:6-10)
(Please illustrate that David was a person who trusted in God and walked according to God’s sovereignty in all his trials.)
Day 6
T1 Learning of David on the negative side as well as on the positive side. (2 Sam. 3:2-5; 2 Tim. 2:22)
(Please illustrate that David’s defect was that he did not restrict his flesh.)
T2 Even though David was a man according to God’s heart, had a great failure in the matter of the lust of the flesh (2 Sam. 11:4, 24, 27)
(Please illustrate that what severe punishment God exercised upon David.)
