Sharper Iron from KFUO Radio

Although Jonathan initially does not think his father still intends to kill David, Jonathan listens to his beloved friend loyally and agrees to participate in a plan to discern the king's true intentions. Saul irrationally expects David at the new moon feast, and Saul is enraged when he learns from Jonathan that David will not be coming. This serves as the testimony to Jonathan that Saul does inte...

Four times King Saul attempts to kill David, and four times the LORD spares David's life. Saul's own son Jonathan successfully intercedes for David before Saul, who momentarily stops pursuing him. When war against the Philistines brings out Saul's murderous rage again, David flees from Saul's spear. David's wife and Saul's daughter Michal lies in order to save David's life. Finally, the LORD inter...

After David’s defeat of Goliath, Jonathan joins himself to David in true friendship, despite any ramifications that may have for his potential to be king. When Saul realizes just how popular David is becoming, Saul eyes David with suspicion. Saul’s bad conscience before the LORD leads him to attempt to kill David both directly and indirectly. In every instance, however, Saul fails. Even when he th...

As the Philistine and Israelite armies line up against each other, the Philistine champion Goliath taunts Israel for forty days straight. Though his size and strength are impressive, his defining feature is his idolatrous mocking of the living God. Forgetting God’s promises, Saul and his army are fearful of this Philistine. Only David, the young shepherd from Jesse’s family, remembers. David volun...

The LORD commands Samuel to go to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem to offer a sacrifice with Jesse’s family and anoint the next king from among his sons. As the sons of Jesse come before Samuel in the order of age, Samuel wrongly assumes that the oldest will be king. The LORD corrects His prophet; the LORD looks at the heart. No man, not even his own father, realizes that it is the youngest son tha...

Samuel gives the Word of the LORD to Saul, telling the king to devote to destruction the idolatrous Amalekites. Saul faithfully spares the Kenites, who had previously attached themselves to Israel, but Saul unfaithfully spares the Amalekite king and the choicest animals. The LORD sends Samuel to tell Saul that Saul has been rejected as king. When Saul claims to have been obedient, sparing the anim...

Saul’s son Jonathan continues to show himself to be a faithful Israelite and a capable soldier. The LORD gives Jonathan and his armor-bearer the victory over a Philistine garrison, and then He gives a larger victory to the rest of the Israelite army through Saul. The growing victory is cut short, however, by Saul’s foolish vow that comes from his personal desire for vengeance. Jonathan unknowingly...

As Saul's reign as king is formally introduced, his weaknesses begin to show more clearly. Even as he takes credit for the victory won by his son Jonathan, the Philistines remain a formidable enemy who bring fear to Israel. Initially, Saul waits for Samuel as the prophet had instructed. However, as Saul's army dwindles, he takes matters into his own hands and usurps the priestly role. When Samuel...

With Israel gathered together at Gilgal, Samuel takes the opportunity to give a farewell sermon as his time as judge comes to an end. He reminds the people of his faithful service to the LORD and to them. He recalls the faithful dealings of the LORD with Israel over their history, even when Israel was unfaithful. Now that Israel has a king, both the people and the king must remain faithful to the...

When the Ammonites renew their enmity with Israel at Jabesh-gilead, the news eventually gets to King Saul, who is plowing with his oxen. The Spirit of God rushes upon Saul, and in anger, he calls Israel to come out and fight, lest they face his sword. The army musters at Saul's command, and he leads the people to victory over the Ammonites. Saul rightly puts aside any desire for personal vengeance...

Samuel anoints Saul as the first king of Israel and gives Saul signs to confirm this reality for him. Each of the signs comes to pass. When the Spirit of the LORD rushes upon Saul, he begins to prophesy, which surprises those who witness it. As Saul returns home, he does not trust the authority that God has given him as king over Israel. That continues as he is revealed publicly in Israel for the...

Although Saul has the outward appearance of a king, several warning signs are present, indicating that he may not serve the people as well as they would like. He is from the tribe of Benjamin rather than the tribe of Judah. He is unable to find lost donkeys; will he be able to lead men? The most concerning detail is Saul's ignorance of Samuel as the prophet in Israel. Nonetheless, the LORD reveals...

As Samuel grows old, the elders of Israel rightly recognize the corruption of Samuel's sons, who are unfit to be judges in Samuel's place. However, the elders of Israel wrongly ask that Samuel set up a king over them so that they would be like the other nations. The LORD says that this request is a rejection of His reign, but He still tells Samuel to give Israel what they want. Even as Samuel warn...

Samuel's faithful preaching to Israel called God's people to repentance for their idolatry, and Israel listened. As Samuel led the people in confession of their sins, the Philistines used the opportunity to attack. This time, Israel implored Samuel to pray for them and sought the LORD's counsel. After the LORD won the victory over the Philistines for Israel, Samuel set up a stone and named it Eben...

The Philistines were quite mistaken to think that their capture of the LORD's ark meant that their idol had defeated the LORD. The LORD shows the impotence of Dagon in its idolatrous shrine, and the LORD inflicts a plague upon the Philistines. The Philistines soon want nothing to do with the LORD's ark, and as they send it back to Israel, the LORD shows that He has been the One at work against the...

Although Samuel was preaching God's Word to all Israel, the people did not bother to consult him in their fights against the Philistines. After suffering a terrible defeat, the elders of Israel treat the ark of the LORD as a magic talisman in taking it out to battle faithlessly. Though the Philistines initially tremble, they fight nonetheless and rout Israel even more than previously, taking the a...

When Samuel was a young man serving under Eli in the LORD's house, the LORD's Word rarely came as it had to Moses and Joshua. Yet the LORD was bringing about an increase in His Word through Samuel. He made Samuel, Eli, and all Israel certain of His call to Samuel as a prophet, even though it took some time for Eli and Samuel to catch on. Samuel's prayer in response to the LORD's call is one that a...

The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, act wickedly in their service at the LORD's house, unlawfully taking parts of the sacrifices for themselves and committing adultery with temple servants. Although Eli speaks to his sons about these things, they do not listen, and he does not take decisive action against them. For this, the LORD sends a prophet to Eli to reveal that the priesthood will be ta...

As Hannah fulfills her promise to give her son Samuel into the LORD's service at the tabernacle, she prays with joy and thanksgiving at what the LORD has done for her. He has shown Himself to be holy and faithful, so that the prideful cannot speak or stand in His presence. He brings about great reversals, making low the mighty and raising up the humble. As the Creator and the Redeemer, He protects...

The book of 1 Samuel begins at a religious low point for Israel, when there was no king and everyone did what was right in his own eyes. The LORD began His work of calling His people back to Himself through the family of Elkanah. His wife Hannah suffered greatly from her barrenness, yet she prayed to the LORD for a child. Once Eli's initial assumptions about Hannah proved to be unfounded, he bless...

"A Kingdom Unlike All the Nations” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through 1-2 Samuel. This time in Israel's history has its highs and lows, but the LORD's faithfulness never wavers. He provides His Word to be proclaimed faithfully through prophets like Samuel and Nathan. Even as princes like Saul and David sit on an earthly throne, the LORD remains King over His people, even as He does now...

When envoys from Babylon come to Hezekiah in Jerusalem, he gives neither thanks nor glory to the LORD for the blessings He has so freely bestowed on Hezekiah. Instead, the king shows the Babylonians all the wealth he has, as if he has won it for himself. Isaiah confronts Hezekiah, revealing that the consequences for the king's actions will be exile in Babylon. Hezekiah drops the ball again, showin...

Today’s sermonette based on John 2:1-12 is given by Rev. Timothy Koch. This is a rebroadcast from February 7, 2017. Hear a guest pastor give a short sermonette based on the day’s Daily Lectionary New Testament text during Morning and Evening Prayer. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

When Hezekiah became sick to the point of death, the LORD's Word came to the King that he would die. Hezekiah responded by crying out to the LORD in prayer, and the LORD responded by mercifully extending Hezekiah's life for another fifteen years. This gracious promise not only spared Hezekiah,but also sustained the line of the promised Messiah for all people. Hezekiah's prayer rightly recognizes t...

King Hezekiah and his royal officials seek the Word of the LORD in the face of the Assyrian threat. After Isaiah delivers the LORD's promise of a miraculous rescue, the Rabshakeh continues to tempt the people of Judah to unbelief. Hezekiah responds by bringing the enemy's words to the LORD and asking that the LORD show Himself as the one true God. Isaiah again brings the LORD's Word of promise to...