Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - The Serpent-Crushing King | Historical Books | 1 Samuel 11

Episode Date: April 16, 2025

Is Saul the king that will save Israel? What's the bigger story behind Saul's victory? Do you trust the saving King? In today's episode, Jensen shares how 1 Samuel 11 points us to King Jesus, who crushed the head of the serpent and will come again to bring everlasting victory. If you're listening on Spotify, comment below one takeaway from today's episode! Read the Bible with us in 2025! This year, we’re exploring the Historical Books—Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, and 1 & 2 Kings. Download your reading plan now. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it so that others can find it, too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: 1 Samuel 11

Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life and the time it takes to get to work. I'm Jensen Holt McNair. My husband and I are currently watching the extended version of the Lord of the Rings films. Now, I love Lord of the Rings, and as I was reading the opening paragraph of 1st Samuel Chapter 11, I kept having flashbacks to the battles of Helmsdeep and of Gondor. Now, you don't have to love Lord of the Rings to follow this, okay? Just trust me. In both of these battles, man finds themselves trapped, vastly outnumbered by the orcs and the forces of evil.

But they've been told to look for help at the first light on the third day, or something along those lines. In both of these battles, things seem really bleak. It's not looking good for a man. And then bam, in comes reinforcements to come to their rescue. And there's always a savior figure riding in at the head. At Helms Deep, it's Gandalf, the white wizard. But in the Battle of Gondor, it's Eragorn, the rightful king. He's returning to rescue his people and take his place on the throne.

The armies that he brings with him bring about a sweeping defeat of evil. Man is saved by their true king's rescue. Now, if you're reading along and already read through today's chapter, then you get why I made the connection. Chapter 11 begins by introducing an enemy of God's people, Nahash the Ammonite. Interestingly, in Hebrew, Nahash means serpent. If you're familiar with Scripture, then you'll know that the devil first presents himself as a serpent in Genesis 3, when he introduced evil into the world by deceiving humanity

and leading Adam into disobedience and distrust of God. The failure of Adam sends all of creation into darkness, put under a curse. curse. God then curses the serpent, and in the same breath, poetically lays out his plan for redemption of his creation that has just been marred by sin. Genesis 315, And I will put enmity between you, the serpent, and the woman, between your offspring and hers. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. So, from the very beginning, we are told to expect that the forces of the devil would come up against God's people. There would be enmity until finally one of Eve's offsprings would come and defeat him.

And so, as we read 1 Samuel 11, this isn't just a story about an epic battle in Israelite history. There's something deeper and spiritual happening. Nahash, this man who represents the serpent, the devil, and his schemes to crush the seed of Adam and destroy God's people, is seeking to do just that. He surrounds an Israelite city. and tells them to surrender, and he won't destroy them. Just gouge out one of everyone's eyes. Now, the city isn't into that idea, so they ask for time to seek out rescue,

and if it does not come, they'll surrender. Nahash is confident they cannot win, so he allows this. What happens next is epic. Saul, the newly appointed king over Israel, a man who has yet to prove himself, who still has doubters among the Israelites, is going to be tested. Will he step up? Will he defeat the serpent? Will he crush the enemy and deliver God's people?

When Saul heard their words, the spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger. He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, this is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel. Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people and they came out together as one. When Saul mustered them at Bazaq, the men of Israel numbered 300,000, and those of Judah, 30,000. They told the messengers who had come, say to the men of Jabash Gilead, By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be rescued. When the messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabash, they were elated.

They said to the Ammonites, tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever you like. The next day, Saul separated his men into three divisions. During the last watch of the night, they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered so that no two of them were left together. What we have here is total defeat. This conquering king defeats the enemy, and the people rejoice celebrate their new king. They seek to put to death the men who had questioned his authority previously, but Saul says this, no one will be put to death today. For this day, the Lord has rest of Israel. And with that, Saul's position as king is solidified, not just by his anointing, but by his

recognition as king by the people. Then Samuel said to the people, come, let us go to Gilgall, and there renew the kingship. So all the people went and made Saul king in the presence of the Lord. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration. This story may have left the people living it, wondering if Saul would be the one to deliver God's people from all evil. Is this what God meant back in the garden? Their king had come. He had conquered the serpent. He was victorious. Now from our vantage point, we know that Saul was not that final king to defeat Satan. God used him to powerfully deliver his people from the scheme to the devil. That's true. But in the end, Saul finds himself far from God, under the power of sin.

a slave to the schemes of the devil. Instead, as we read this story, we can learn from the larger story that God is weaving throughout all of history. Even now, before the redemption of all things, God is at work, empowering his people to resist and to overcome the schemes of the devil. First Peter 5, 8 through 9 says, be sober-minded, be watchful, your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, resist him. firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. The serpent has not been fully eradicated from this world. The curse lives on, and so as believers, we're called to resist him, to keep a watchful eye to stand firm in our faith.

What is our faith? Well, our faith in Jesus, our belief that on the cross, death was defeated, Satan was bound his power to deceive the nations taken away. The gospel that Jesus is king, that the one promised in Genesis 315 has come, has taken away the power of Satan to keep us from relationship with God and has made a way for us to live with him forever in his kingdom, under his rule. That's where we are in this story. We know who the true king is, and we await his return to rescue us, to deliver us from the threat of Satan. We know he cannot win. Satan knows he cannot win. The cross secured that.

The gospel is spreading. The kingdom of God is growing, which is why the following verses in 1 Peter 5 say this. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. to him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. After a time Jesus will return. He will rescue us, he will restore us, and he will be king on his throne forever. There is another epic battle scene in scripture. This one is not a historical account, but a beautiful picture of what's to come when Jesus returns and defeats the serpent once and for all. Revelation 20 describes it this way. Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore.

They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. The serpent is defeated. in one final battle. Revelation 19 gives us another vantage point of this battle using poetic imagery that includes Jesus returning, writing into battle, delivering his people. He's called the king of kings and Lord of Lords. Guys, our king is coming. Though things may look bleak at times, though we may feel surrounded by the deception and schemes and evil of the serpent, we remain firm. We fight, we resist, because we know that our endurance will be met with the return of Jesus, our king.

He is coming back, coming back to rescue his people, crush the head of the serpent, redeem humanity and all of creation, and reign over his eternal kingdom of love, justice, and mercy. That's the end of our epic story. The end is written. It is sure. The final words of Revelation tell us, surely I, Jesus, him coming soon. Amen. Come Lord Jesus. Our king is coming. Your rescue is coming. Remain strong today. Fight against the schemes of the devil and rest in the peace of knowing that one day, no matter what

this life brings, you will reign alongside your king Jesus in his kingdom and under his dominion forever and ever. Amen. Come Lord Jesus.