Devotion in a divided world A series in 1 Samuel A major theme of the Bible is the power of devotion in a divided world. When sin entered the world, it began to fragment everything. But God is on a mission to bring complete wholeness back into this world through His Son, Jesus Christ. One of the most memorable books of the Bible in the Old Testament is 1 Samuel. It’s the 9th book of the Bible, and it includes many popular historical accounts like David’s fight with Goliath. 1 Samuel is Biblical history in story-form. As you read the story, you begin to see that the key to flourishing in this world is learning how to be devoted to God in a divided world. Saul leads (1 Samuel 11:1-15) The first crisis Saul’s unique anger A crafty plan The power of self-deception Questions: In verse 6 the Bible says that "the Spirit of God" came upon Saul, not "the Spirit of the LORD." In the Hebrew language, the word "LORD" points to the personal name of God. But the word "God" is a more general term that doesn't communicate personal relationship. What is this communicating about Saul? Saul was angry. That was the outward emotion he expressed. But we, as the readers, are led by the author to question the origin of Saul's anger. We can ask, "Was he angry in defense of God's glory, or in defense of himself." Does the motive behind our emotions matter? Why or why not? Discuss this statement: When we measure our lives by our visible circumstances, and not God's Word, we are practicing self-deception. In what way did the Israelites do this in verse 12? In what ways do we do this?