Covenant Theology: Obedience, Disobedience, and National Judgment

The Mark of a Tyrant

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Covenant Theology

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2022-10-09

Synopsis: John Weaver examines the life of King Saul to identify six marks of a tyrant, showing how Saul's rebellion against God progressed from disobedience to outright usurpation of divine authority. The sermon applies these marks to modern political leaders, warning that tyranny begins with rejecting God's Word and ends in judgment.

[John Weaver] Samuel, chapter 28, the title of the message is the marks of a tyrant. So notice, if you would, in 1 Samuel, chapter 28, we'll begin reading with verse six and we'll read down several passages. So notice 1 Samuel, chapter 28, and let's begin reading there with verse six. The Bible says, and when Saul inquired of the Lord, The Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by urine, nor by prophets. Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said unto him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. And Saul disguised himself, and put on another raiment. And he went in two men with him, and they came to the woman by night. And he said, I pray thee, divine unto me, by thy familiar spirit, and bring me up him whom I shall name unto thee. And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off from those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.

[John Weaver] Wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die. And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, Is the Lord livid? There shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice, and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why dost thou deceive me? for thou art Saul. And the king said unto her, Be not afraid, for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw God's ascending out of the earth.

[John Weaver] And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up, he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed himself. And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed, for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams. Therefore, if I call thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? And the Lord hath done to him as he spake by me, for the Lord hath writ the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to David, because thou obeyest not the voice of the Lord, nor executest his fierce wrath upon Amalek. Therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day.

[John Weaver] Moreover, the Lord will deliver thee Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow Shalt thou and thy sons be with me. The Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines. So the message is dealing with the marks of a tyrant. Do you understand that marks are identifiers? We all have marks in one way or the other. Many times we talk about physical marks and we think about birthmarks particularly. Years ago I saw a cartoon, I think it was from the far side, it showed these two big buck deer with nice antlers and one was standing beside the other and he had zero targets on his chest and one looked at him and said, bummer, a birthmark, Al.

[John Weaver] Well, I guess it was. But when we think of marks, there are birthmarks. Those are physical, but they're also mental, emotional, political, economic birthmarks or marks, I should say, not necessarily birthmarks. But there are marks in any way that individuals can be identified, grouped or singled out. You can have marks. There are some marks in which we make glory and there are some marks in which we need to be ashamed of the Apostle Paul. had his marks, and they were marks of a Christian and marks of a true servant of Jesus Christ. He said in Galatians 6 and verse 17, From henceforth, let no man trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Usually, when you and I think about the marks, we also need to connect the Greek word for mark, and it is the Greek word stigma. It refers to a mark usually that is pricked into the skin or branded. Originally, slaves were branded or had their owner's name etched in their skin. Oftentimes, soldiers had their commander's name either burnt or etched into their skin.

[John Weaver] And then, of course, usually at times there were those who were so devoted to false gods that they would actually etch or burn the name of the false god into their body as well. I suppose that's one of the reasons why the Word of God says, thou shalt not make any cuttings in your skin, because it would have reference then to a false god. But when Paul spoke of his marks, undoubtedly he had reference to everything that he had suffered.

[John Weaver] For instance, in 2 Corinthians chapter 11, Let me just read verses 23-28. Paul asks this question, Are they the ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool. I more. In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often, of the Jews five times received by forty stripes save one, thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I've been in the deep, in journeyings often, in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils of mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, and in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and

[John Weaver] nakedness, beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care for all the churches." So undoubtedly, Paul did indeed have a lot of marks on his body, not just from being beaten, but being stoned as well. And the truth of the matter is, Lord Jesus Christ also had marks. If you will look in your Bibles very quickly to John chapter 20. Hold, if you would, 1 Samuel, because we're coming back there. But if you look in John chapter 20, you know the story about how our Lord appeared to His disciples And of course, Thomas, called Didymus, was not there originally. So our Lord appeared again. But notice, if you would, what is said in John 20, beginning there in verse 24. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord.

[John Weaver] But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then said he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said to him, my Lord and my God. So our Lord Jesus Christ had his marks as well. Now, the marks that were on the Lord Jesus Christ are usually referred to as the stigmata. Of course, the word stigmata is from the Greek word stigma as well. If you were to look up the word stigmata in a dictionary, You would find it would be something like this.

[John Weaver] It would refer, first of all, to a mark of disgrace or a mark of infamy or a stain upon someone's character or reputation. It may also refer medically to a physical or a mental mark that is characteristic or of a certain defect or a disease That is certainly when we think of Alzheimer's, we can think of the mark of forgetfulness. And so there are medical applications as well.

[John Weaver] But originally, even that still referred to the marks that were in Jesus Christ, because in the Roman Catholic realm, They would say that someone who ended up with Mark supernaturally as Christ did, they would call that the stigmata. And so, in other words, it would be supernaturally imposed upon someone, which, of course, would just be in that particular area. But let me just say this concerning the stigma. There is a stigma to biblical Christianity. Those who obey the Lord Jesus Christ faithfully, and those who believe His Word and follow Him are stigmatized, that is for sure. In fact, our Lord recognized that and He said so in John 15, verses 18-20. If you want to look at it, John 15, beginning there with verse 18. I want you to listen to what our Lord said.

[John Weaver] You know this passage quite well. Our Lord said, if the world hate you, You know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own. But because you are not of the world, but I've chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hated you. Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord.

[John Weaver] If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they've kept my saying, they will keep yours also. So clearly, then, our Lord said there is a stigma to being a true follower of Jesus Christ. And then if you will remember that passage in Hebrews chapter 13, verses 12 and 13, the Bible says, wherefore, Jesus also that he might sanctify the people suffered without the gate. Therefore, he goes on to say, Let us, who are the followers of Jesus Christ, do what? Let us go forth therefore unto him, bearing his reproach. So there is a stigma to being a real, true biblical Christian. And let me just say this. I had much rather be a believer and a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and be hated, mocked, ridiculed, despised by the world than to be praised by a wicked, wicked, ungodly world and then be hated by the sovereign God of heaven and earth. So there's going to be a stigma either way you go, and I'd much rather have a stigma concerning Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Everyone bears marks. You may be marked as a Christian. You may be marked as a sinner. You may be marked as an adulterer. You may be marked as a murderer. You may be marked as a thief. But yes, and the truth of the matter is, even politicians have marks. The leftists, the liberals, the Democrats have their distinctive marks, which most of them are evidenced by mental instability.

[John Weaver] Especially when they try to say that a man is a woman and that a man who claims to be a woman can have babies. That is sheer lunacy and that is sheer insanity as well as ignorance as well. So that lunacy is a mark, I suppose. Wokeness would be a mark, I suppose, as well. But everyone has marks. Even tyrants have marks and many tyrants. I do not want to appear to be tyrants, although they are in reality.

[John Weaver] But our Lord gave us some good counsel in Matthew 7, verse 20, when he said this, Wherefore, by their works you shall know them. Now, when someone thinks of a tyrant, he usually thinks of someone who is cruel and oppressive and someone that has unrestrained power. In fact, if you would take the time to look up the word tyrant and the word tyranny in a dictionary, here's some of the definitions you would come up with. First of all, a tyrant. It says, a sovereign or other ruler who uses power oppressively or unjustly. Here's another definition. Any person in a position of authority who exercises power oppressively or despotically. And then here's the word tyranny, arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power, despotic abuse of authority.

[John Weaver] And listen to this one government by ruler or a small group of people who have unlimited power over the people in their country or state and use it unfairly and cruelly. Well, let me just correct one thing about that definition. There is no individual and there is no group. that happens to have unlimited power. Only God is sovereign. Only God is infinite. They may think they have unlimited power, but that is not true.

[John Weaver] Tyrants are not always cruel and oppressive in the sense that they do not always appear to be so. Stop and think about this. A tyrant may view himself as a benefactor. He may view himself as a benevolent dictator ruling and determining what he believes is in reality in the best interest of his people. And yet he's still a tyrant. Now, let me point something out, and I need you to think about this. A tyrant is also someone that uses lawful power Unlawfully. When you stop and think about lawful authority. And the abuse of lawful authority.

[John Weaver] You could spend all day long on illustrations. Here's a husband. Husbands do indeed have fatherly authority over their children and husbandly authority over their wives. And yet there are men who abuse that authority and that power. There are pastors that have authority over the church that they pastor, but some exceed that authority and just demand that everyone do everything exactly the way they do. And when you think about this, that is lawful power or lawful authority, but then it's turned around and used unlawfully.

[John Weaver] Now, the same thing is true when it comes to politicians. In other words, a politician may be elected lawfully And yet, when he gets in office, he uses the power of the authority unlawfully. For instance, look at our Congress. Because each one of them has taken an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States. And although many of them may have been elected lawfully, they're now using their power unlawfully because they're totally ignoring the Constitution of which they took an oath to uphold. A tyrant can be someone who's just simply using lawful authority unlawfully. King Saul was a tyrant. King Saul had a very humble beginning, and yet the truth of the matter is he became a horrendous tyrant.

[John Weaver] His tyranny actually begins in 1 Samuel chapter 15. Now, we read 1 Samuel 28, and I'm going to come back to that, that 1 Samuel 28 is actually the end result of his tyranny. It is the culmination of his tyranny. And when I show you a certain verse or two in 1 Samuel 28, I hope that you'll be absolutely astounded, because to me, it just shocked me when I realized what Saul actually said. So to understand this, let's go back in our Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 15, if you would please, because I want to give you six marks of a tyrant. And we're going to get all six of these, at least five of them before we get to 1 Samuel 28 and the sixth one out of 1 Samuel 28.

[John Weaver] So the very first mark of a tyrant is that he has no regard for God or God's commands. Now, I want you to remember this. Because you're going to see this in several places. So look in first Samuel 15, beginning there in verse one. Samuel also said in the Saul, the Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel.

[John Weaver] Now, here is a lawful authority. God anointed him. God appointed him.

[John Weaver] Now look what the Bible says. Now, therefore, hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord. In other words, your God's ordained authority. So therefore, you must listen to what God says. Now watch verse two. Thus said the Lord of hosts. I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid weight for him in the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek.

[John Weaver] and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox, sheep, camel, and ass." Note, if you would, he was actually to slay everything. And what did Saul do? He disobeyed God. He spared Agag, the king, and he also spared the best of the sheep and the best of the oxen. And then he blamed this disobedience upon the people. If you look in verse 15, 1 Samuel 15 and verse 15, And Saul said, they, that is the people, have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God, and the rest we have utterly destroyed. So now he's blaming it on the people. And if you'll skip down to verse 17, you'll see this again. Let's see. Yeah, verse 20 it is. Look in verse 20. And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

[John Weaver] But the people took of the spoil, sheep, and oxen, and sheep of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, the sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal. What's the truth? The truth is this. God did not give his orders to the people. He gave his orders to the king whom he had anointed and appointed. So Saul knew that everything was to be destroyed. The people may or may not have known, but he had a responsibility certainly to tell them. But why were the best of the sheep and the best of the oxen spared?

[John Weaver] Well, let me show you. Go back to verse 17. Because once Saul now has claimed that he is indeed obeying God, or has obeyed God, look what Samuel said. And Samuel said, when thou wast little in thine own sight, Was not thou made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel? And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. Now watch verse 19. Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord? Notice what he did. He flew upon the spoil.

[John Weaver] He wanted it for himself. He really didn't care anything about obeying God. He didn't really care anything about God. He really didn't care anything about the people. Saul was for Saul. He wanted that which he wanted. He desired what he saw, and he forsook God and he forsook the Word of God.

[John Weaver] Now, go back, if you would, to verse 10 and 11. Look at what the Bible says. Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying, God is speaking. It repented me that I have set up Saul to be king. For he has turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel, and he cried unto the Lord all night."

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to remember something. I want you to remember that our Lord said in Matthew 7, by their fruits you shall know them." How do we know that Saul forsook God? How do we know that? What was the evidence? Well, he gives it to me and to you. He says, for he is turned back from following me and have not performed my commandments. In other words, when Saul disobeyed, when Saul violated the word of God, forsook God's commandments, that was evidence of the fact that he had turned back. So here's the thing. I do not care how piously Graciously or benevolently, a ruler talks if he will not obey God and His word, he is a tyrant. Why?

[John Weaver] Because he views himself as independent of God, he views himself as a law unto himself, and he views himself as a source of his own authority. That is why in 2 Samuel 23, And David, claiming direct inspiration four times from God, said this, a man must be just ruling over men in the fear of God. So if men are not ruling in the fear of God, then basically they are tyrants because they're saying, I am my own authority. I make my own law. Disobedience is evidence of rejection of God and His authority.

[John Weaver] Now look in verse 26. And Samuel said unto Saul, Saul wants him to return to worship with him. And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee, for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected thee from being king over Israel. And Samuel turned about to go away, and he saw laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it ran. And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine that is better than thou. And also the strength of Israel will not lie nor repent, for he is not a man that he should repent."

[John Weaver] So, I want you to understand this. Here is a biblical principle. In this exact and biblical sense, a tyrant is an individual who arrogates to himself authority without having the right to that authority. Thus, a tyrant is one who rules without God, apart from God, and views himself as an absolute source of authority. Wow. And by the way, 1 Samuel chapter 15 is just the beginning of Saul as a tyrant. And so it all begins when someone rejects God and his word.

[John Weaver] Now, here's the second thing. Here's the second mark of a tyrant. The second mark of a tyrant is is that a tyrant is concerned only with his rule and power and kingdom. I want you to please put two plus two together while I preach this. I hope you understand that Our modern day politicians, once they get in office, their main goal is to stay in office. Doesn't matter what it takes. So it's imperative that we understand that a tyrant has no concern for innocence and has really and truly no concern for the will of God. The main concern of a tyrant is that his rule, that his power, that his dynasty is to continue, and he's willing to do anything to make that right.

[John Weaver] For instance, consider, if you would please, David was mercilessly driven from his home into the wilderness by Saul. Twice David was almost killed by Saul. Saul threw a javelin at him twice, and twice he escaped. He had to fight off attempts of assassination by Saul, by the king. So he's now driven into the wilderness. Saul employs spies to find him, to find out what his haunts are so that he may track him down and destroy him. Now, let me show you why Saul was so absolutely intent on destroying David. If you look in your Bibles, the first Samuel, chapter 20, 1 Samuel chapter 20, you'll remember Saul and David, Saul had had David there before him. And, of course, David and Jonathan had entered into a covenant.

[John Weaver] I'm going to explain that just momentarily. But here it is again. Look in 1 Samuel, chapter 20, beginning there, verse 28, because David already knows that Saul is going to try to kill him again. So he asks permission from Jonathan to go down and visit his parents. But he doesn't visit the parents he's hiding out. So watch this. Saul asks where David is. And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem.

[John Weaver] And he said, Let me go, I pray thee, for our family hath a sacrifice in the city, and my brother hath commanded me to be there. And now if I have found favor in thy eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not to the king's table.

[John Weaver] Now watch what Saul does. Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse, rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and to the confusion of thy mother's nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now sin, and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die." And Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, Wherefore shall he be slain? What have you done? And Saul cast a javelin at him and his own son to smite him, whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. Now, why in the world was Saul so anxious to put David to death? Well, he said, Jonathan, you'll never be king as long as he's alive. He must be killed. Wow.

[John Weaver] Now, the same attitude was exhibited by Jeroboam, who happened to be the first king of Israel, in 1 Kings chapter 12. Because it was Jeroboam who said in his heart, once he was established, now shall the kingdom return unto Rehoboam, if this people go down to Jerusalem and worship, and they shall slay me. What am I going to do? Oh, he took counsel and made him two calves of gold, put one in Dan and one in Bethel, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee up out of Egypt. Jeroboam did not care anything about God. He did not care anything about truth. He did not care anything about his people. All he wanted was to maintain his power, his kingdom, and his rule.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to see how prevalent this is. I want you to hold 1 Samuel, but turn in your Bibles, if you would, to John chapter 11. Look in John chapter 11. And let's begin reading there with verse 47. John chapter 11 and verse 47. John 11, verse 47.

[John Weaver] Now, our Lord has been healing many people. And the Bible says this, and this is after he raised Lazarus from the dead. Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees of counsel and said, what do we? For this man doeth many miracles. What are we going to do?

[John Weaver] Now, look what they say. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him. And the Romans shall come and take away both our place and our nation. And one of them named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, You know nothing at all, nor consider it that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people and the whole nation perish not.

[John Weaver] I'm going to stop right there. Caiaphas spoke this prophetically, yet he did not necessarily mean it prophetically. But what Caiaphas was saying is this. We need to get rid of him. Why do we need to get rid of Jesus Christ? Well, go back and look, if you would, please, at verse 48. If we let Him thus alone, all men will believe on Him, and the Romans shall come and take away both our place, that is, our station in life, our power, and our nation.

[John Weaver] In other words, we'll lose everything. So, here's an innocent man, the Lord Jesus Christ. He just needs to be sacrificed. He needs to be killed in order that we can maintain our power base. So you have to understand that a tyrant is only interested in his power, his position and his control. And all tyrants place themselves above everyone else. And they believe that everyone else is at their disposal because they're the only ones that count. So a tyrant. Not only has no care for God and His Word, he's only concerned, number two, about his power and his rule. Here's the third mark. The third mark of a tyrant is a willingness to distort facts and reality for his own benefit.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look in 1 Samuel, chapter 22. I wish I had time to read this entire chapter for you, but I will take a few verses at the time. But this is showing you again. A tire notice, first Samuel 22, verse seven. And Saul said to his servants that stood about him here now, you Benjamites, will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.

[John Weaver] That all of you have conspired against me. And there is none that showeth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse. And there is none of you that is sorry for me, or showeth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me to lie in wait, as it is this day."

[John Weaver] Now in verse 7, Saul, who was a Benjamite himself, talks to these other Benjamites and he says, do you think David's going to make you all captains of thousands, captains of hundreds? You think he's going to give you 40 acres of mule? You think he's going to do all this for you? He's not going to do any more for you than I'm doing. I'm your own flesh and blood. Now, if Saul had a race card, he would have played it. But he didn't have a race card, but he did have a pity card. And here's what he says.

[John Weaver] He lays it on thick. He plays this pity card and he says, nobody loves me. Nobody appreciates me. No one is sorry for me. No one is going to give me information. Why is everybody against me? I don't think that's so strange. We hear that all the time today. Everybody playing a pity card and I want what I want and I want it right now. Wow. Isn't this interesting?

[John Weaver] He said, why hasn't anybody told me that my own son has entered into a league with David? Now, it seems like we just read in 1 Samuel chapter 20 there, where Saul through a javelin in his own son because of the covenant that he had made with David. And if you look back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 18, look if you would, in 1 Samuel 17, David kills Goliath.

[John Weaver] He cuts his head off. He brings it to Saul. Watch if you would in verse 1, And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that is, David had made an end of speaking to King Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Now watch, And Saul took him that day, and would let him no more go home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David and his garments, even to his sword and his bow and his girdle." All in front of Saul. Saul already knew about this covenant.

[John Weaver] And when you get to 1 Samuel chapter 22, he's saying, nobody told me. I'm the last one to find things out. Why didn't somebody tell me? Really? And then he said, my own son has stirred up my own servant against me. John didn't stir David up. And David was not even against Saul. Why was David running to begin with? Because he didn't want to fight Saul. And when God twice, sovereignly, providentially, delivered Saul into David's hand, David refused to kill him.

[John Weaver] So everything is a total, absolute lie. So what is Saul doing? He's distorting the facts. He's distorting reality. Here's a principle that you need to learn. You need to understand this. Mark this down right now. Listen carefully, there's a vast difference between facts. And the interpretation of facts. You see, everyone interprets facts. And everyone interprets facts from their own perspective. I've counseled married couples for years, and I've had a husband and wife sitting in front of me.

[John Weaver] And I say, sir, would you please tell me what the problem is? And he tells me. And I look at the lady and I said, ma'am, would you please tell me what the problem is? And she tells me exactly the opposite of what her husband said.

[John Weaver] Now, which one is lying? And the answer is neither. They're just interpreting the facts from their own perspective. So when you hear someone say, well, this is a fact, really, you better check and see if it's a fact or an interpretation of a fact, because Saul was interpreting facts and distorting them for his own benefit. Wow, I don't guess January 6 comes in anybody's mind, does it? I don't guess COVID comes in anybody's mind. Vaccines come to anybody. Distorting of facts. Wow!

[John Weaver] Here's the fourth mark of a tired. The fourth mark of a tired is his willingness to receive false witness and to shift blame to others for his own failures. His willingness to receive false witness and to shift blame to others for his own failures. So let's begin looking In 1 Samuel, chapter 22, with verse 9, watch this. Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob to Ahimelech, the son of Ahithah. And he, that is Ahimelech, inquired of the Lord for him, which was a bald-faced lie. And he inquired of the Lord for him, and gave him vittles, which is the truth, and gave him the sword of Goliath of Philistine, which is the truth. It was David's anyhow. Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitab, and all of his father's house, the priests that were in Nob, and they all came to the king. And Saul said, Here now thou son of Ahitab.

[John Weaver] And he answered, Here am I, my lord. And Saul said to him, Why have you conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread and a sword, and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me to lie in wait at this day? Then Ahimelech answered the king and said, And who is so faithful among all thy services, David? Who is the king's son-in-law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honorable in all thine house? Did I then begin to inquire of God for him?

[John Weaver] Be it far from me. Let not the king impute anything to his servant, nor to all the house of thy father, for thy servant knew nothing of all of this, less nor more. And that's the absolute truth. Because when David came to Ahimelech, Ahimelech asked him, why are you alone? And David said, well, the king has sent me on a mission and it was urgent and I didn't have time to get my sword or food or anything. And so Himalaya couldn't know anything other than he's the king's son-in-law.

[John Weaver] And he did give him bread from the. The show table of showbread, and he did give him Goliath's sword. But did he inquire of God? No, he did not. So here's what is happening. He is now actually accusing Ahimelech of conspiring with David, which he absolutely did not do so. No, not at all. And so Ahimelech And his family and his priesthood and the whole priesthood were entirely and completely innocent in the affair. Even if Ahimelech had been complicit, which he was not, then none of the other priests were involved. None of the other people. So here's the point I want to make right now.

[John Weaver] Truth does not matter to a tyrant. Innocence does not matter to a tyrant. Any false narrative Any bald-faced lie or simple innuendo is enough and will suffice if it allows the tyrant to escape responsibility and put the blame on someone else. So let me say this again. I hope you can add. Two plus two equals four. And you think about the last two years in this country. And all of the lies that have been told to we, the people, the false narratives that have been given and everything is someone else's fault or our fault. It's never the fault of those who have been elected as leaders. Have you noticed that? But that's a turret. Here's the fifth mark of a tyrant.

[John Weaver] I want you to listen. The fifth mark of a tyrant is a willingness to murder. And to do so with ease of conscience. So since we're in 1st Samuel, chapter 22, let's begin reading in verse 16. Watch. And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, and I will let down all thy father's house. What? Not only is Himelech innocent, what's his father's house got to do with it if he did inquire of God for David, which he did not. He says, you're going to die in all your father's house. And the king said unto the footman that stood about him, turn and slay the priest of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, which is not true, and because they knew when he fled and did not show it to me, which is not true. But the service of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priest of the Lord. Then the king said to Doeg, turn thou and fall upon the priest of the priest. And Doeg the Edomite turned.

[John Weaver] Now watch. And he fell upon the priest and slew on that day four scored five persons that did wear the linen he put. He murdered eighty five priests. That's not all. Hang on. And Nob, the city of the priests, smote him with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen and asses, and sheep with the edge of the sword." Wow! He not only murdered 85 priests, he murdered the women, the children, the animals, he murdered everyone and everything.

[John Weaver] At least the Israelite soldiers had a little conscience. Because when Saul said, turn and fall upon the priests, they did not do so. They said, we're not going to murder these priests. But then there's Doeg, the Edomite. Let me tell you something. When a tyrant is raging and people with conscience refuse to obey wicked and vain commands, there will always be a Doeg. who will do what the tyrant wishes to ingratiate himself with the kingdom and with the tyrant and with the empire. Wow.

[John Weaver] I hope you're grasping another truth right now. I hope you're grasping what I'm going to call the progression of tyranny. You see how Saul started out in 1 Samuel 15. And then 1st Samuel 20 and 1st Samuel chapter 22. Wow.

[John Weaver] Now I want to get back to our text. I want to give you the sixth mark of a tarot in 1st Samuel chapter 28. I want you to watch this with me. The sixth mark of a tarot. Is that he is willing to usurp the position of God and declare His Word null and void. He started out just denying the Word of God, the commandments of God, and ignoring God, refusing to obey Him. But now He ends up usurping the position of God and declaring God's Word null and void. Look if you would, in 1 Samuel 28, and let's begin reading there with verse 7.

[John Weaver] Then Saul said unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her and inquire of her. But his servants said, and his servants said unto him, Behold, there's a woman that hath a familiar spirit that endure. And Saul disguised himself and put on another raiment, and he went in two men with him. And they came to the woman by night, and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee. And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits and wizards out of the land.

[John Weaver] Wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, Is the Lord livid? There shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up for thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice and spake unto Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? For thou art Saul.

[John Weaver] And the king said unto her, Be not afraid. For what sawst thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw God's ascending out of the earth. Now, what has happened so far because of all of Saul's rebellion and wickedness and disobedience, God has cast him off. The Philistines have gathered together for battle. And Saul is anxious. Yea, he is desperate. He does not know what to do. God does not answer him by dreams. God does not answer him by prophets or seers, nobody's talking to him. And God does not answer him by the Urim and the Thummim, which the high priest wore in his vest. And when a question was asked, he'd pull out one and there'd be an answer. But God was just not speaking to Saul. So Saul now is in a state of desperation, and he says, seek me out a woman that has a familiar spirit. And they say there's one at Endor. Does anybody remember?

[John Weaver] That movie, a TV show that came on many, many years ago called Bewitched. You remember that? Elizabeth Montgomery, I think, was the was the woman. Does anybody remember what her mother, who was a witch, was called? What was her name? Indora. Indora, from the Witch of Indore. Yeah, yeah. Now, the woman said, you're laying a snare for me. Saul has banned us from the land. Let me hasten to say this. Banning these people from the land was unscriptural and unbiblical. How can I say that? Because Exodus 22 verse 18 says, Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

[John Weaver] They were to be executed. They were to be put to death. Had they been put to death, there would have been no witch for this man to go to. But he just simply banned them. He did not execute them. Everybody wants to try to argue over whether or not this woman actually brought up Samuel. And the truth of the matter is, she did not. She could not have.

[John Weaver] She did not have that power to do so. And to show you how absolutely shocked this woman was when Samuel did come, look in verse 12, if you would. 1 Samuel chapter 28. And verse 12, and when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice, and the woman speak to Saul and said, Why dost thou deceive me? For thou art Saul. She wasn't expecting Samuel. She knew she had no power to bring Samuel up, and yet Samuel came up.

[John Weaver] It was when he appeared that truth broke in on her. She knew that she had been set up. Let me show you the point that most people overlook. Everybody wants to argue over whether or not this woman brought up Samuel. Obviously, she did not. But here is the culmination of tyranny. I want you to look at this. Look, if you would, at verses 9 and 10. Watch this.

[John Weaver] This is, to me, just appalling. And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards out of the land. Wherefore, then, layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? And look what Saul said. And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing." What? What? Pardon me. Did you hear what Saul just said? As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. Really?

[John Weaver] Now, let's see, God said thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. Saul may not be going to execute her, but God certainly will execute her. And what did he say? There shall be no punishment. Here is the tyrant with a tyrannical attitude that believes that he has the power and the authority to subvert and overthrow the judgment and the punishment of God. And he even does so in the name of the Lord as the Lord liveth. There shall no punishment be unto thee." He swears by God! Wow!

[John Weaver] Did you know that modern day tyrants do exactly the same thing? They seek to promote that which God condemns, and at the same time, they believe that their political and legal acts make void the judgment of God. All you have to do is look at all of the immorality, the wickedness and rebellion that has been legalized and made acceptable, which is against God, against His law and against society.

[John Weaver] I want to show you. Look in your Bibles to Psalm 94. Go, if you would, to Psalm 94. I've given you this verse a number of times, but I want you to see this verse in light of what I am now saying. Look in Psalm 94, verse 20 and 21. In Psalm 94, verse 20, the Bible said, asking this question, shall the throne of iniquity Have fellowship with thee which frameth mischief by a law. You remember I told you a throne of iniquity, that is, it's a wicked civil government. It's a throne, it's a power, it's authority, but it's a throne of iniquity. Shall it have fellowship with God? No. When that wicked civil government frames mischief by a law, mischief is another word for sin in the Bible. So it says this, shall the throne of iniquity, shall a wicked civil government have fellowship with thee which makes sin legal? Now watch verse 21, they, who is the they, that is that wicked civil government, gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous and condemn the innocent blood.

[John Weaver] Modern man, or shall I say rather, fallen man, believes it somehow that sins are not sins if they are declared legal. And since sins have been made legal, There is therefore now no punishment and no judgment for those sins." Look at abortion. Look at sodomy. Look at all of this that's going on in our land. And it's just like Saul. When Saul said to the woman, as the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. Just do what I say.

[John Weaver] I can declare that God won't punish you. Wow. Modern man or fallen man thinks and believes that his pronouncements and his legal acts makes void the judgment of God. And they wickedly and foolishly believe that somehow that their legal and political acts or the epitome of freedom. And what they mean by freedom is freedom to sin and freedom to escape the punishment that God has demanded for that sin.

[John Weaver] Rush Duny gave a wonderful quote when he said this, Stateism assumes that its law, rather than God's regenerating power, is the principle of freedom. As a result, it legislates against biblical law. The end result is the enslavement of all men. And that is true. That is true.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make just a couple of applications. I want you to look back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel, chapter 28. And I want you to look at verse 16. Here's another important truth, and especially for tyrants. 1 Samuel, chapter 28, verse 16. Saul is telling Samuel, God won't speak to me. By the way, that's a pretty good principle to understand. God's not going to be directing tyrants. God does not establish tyranny. Tyranny is not a biblical form of government. So. Look at it in verse 16, he said, And the Lord hath done to him as he spake by means of verse 17, then said Samuel, Wherefore, then, dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee and is become by an enemy? God is the enemy of tyrants. He fights against them. He overthrows them. He destroys them. You stop and think of all the judgment that modern day politicians are going to face when God makes bare His arm. Somehow they think they're going to escape, but they're not going to escape.

[John Weaver] Deuteronomy 32 and verse 35, God said to me belong vengeance and recompense. Their foot shall slide in due time for the day of their calamity is at hand and the things that come upon them may taste. God said their foot's going to slide. I'm going to take care of it. So marker down. The tyrant is not going to escape. All of these. that have caused the murder of countless numbers of people, not just in America, but in the world, will be held accountable by God. I just read, I hope you did too, but I just read where those young people from 18 to 39 that took the Moderna and Pfizer vaccination, the death rate is up 84%. 84% just among that one group from 18 to 39. I'm just simply saying they're not going to escape. They're not going to get away with it.

[John Weaver] Samuel said that God has become the enemy of Saul and he is thus the enemy of all tyrants. Here's one last quote. Ludwig von Mises from the Mises Institute, the Austrian economist, he said this, the worship of the state or the worship of government is the worship of force. There is no more dangerous menace to civilization than a government of incompetent, corrupt or vile men. The worst evils which mankind ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments. The state can be, and has often been in the course of history, the main source of mischief and disaster. And I would add, also rebellion to God and evil to man.

[John Weaver] The marks of a tyrant. You do not have to be a single individual reigning and ruling cruelly, oppressively and despotically to be a tyrant. Whenever you begin without God. You're not only going to end up being a tyrant. But you're going to end up with tyranny. and the enslavement of mankind. We need to know the marks, and we need to watch. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this day.

[John Weaver] We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And we ask, Father, for Your blessing. May we be awakened by Thy Word. And may we, Father, understand the situation that we're in, and prepare our lives and our hearts. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.

The Mark of a Tyrant

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	101022163139929
Subject	Covenant Theology
Course	Covenant Theology: Obedience, Disobedience, and National Judgment
Genre	Sermon
Date	2022-10-09
Dictation Name
Book	Book 044: Covenant Theology: Obedience, Disobedience, and National Judgment — Chapter 10
Source Timed Segments	83

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: Everyone Bears Marks

Weaver introduces the concept of marks as identifiers, noting that Paul and Jesus bore marks of suffering and that Christians bear a stigma for following Christ.

1 Samuel chapter 28. The title of the message is "The Marks of a Tyrant." So notice, if you would, in 1 Samuel chapter 28, we'll begin reading with verse 6 and we'll read down several passages. So notice 1 Samuel chapter 28, and let's begin reading there with verse 6. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 28:6-19

"And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said unto him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. And Saul disguised himself, and put on another raiment. And he went in two men with him, and they came to the woman by night. And he said, I pray thee, divine unto me, by thy familiar spirit, and bring me up him whom I shall name unto thee. And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off from those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land." "Wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die. And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, Is the Lord liveth? There shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice, and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why dost thou deceive me? for thou art Saul. And the king said unto her, Be not afraid, for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth." "And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up, he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed himself. And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed, for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams. Therefore, if I call thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? And the Lord hath done to him as he spake by me, for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to David, because thou obeyest not the voice of the Lord, nor executest his fierce wrath upon Amalek. Therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day." "Moreover, the Lord will deliver thee Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me. The Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines."

So the message is dealing with the marks of a tyrant. Do you understand that marks are identifiers? We all have marks in one way or the other. Many times we talk about physical marks and we think about birthmarks particularly. Years ago I saw a cartoon, I think it was from the Far Side, it showed these two big buck deer with nice antlers and one was standing beside the other and he had zero targets on his chest and one looked at him and said, "Bummer, a birthmark, Al." Well, I guess it was. But when we think of marks, there are birthmarks. Those are physical, but they're also mental, emotional, political, economic birthmarks or marks, I should say, not necessarily birthmarks. But there are marks in any way that individuals can be identified, grouped or singled out. You can have marks. There are some marks in which we make glory and there are some marks in which we need to be ashamed of. The Apostle Paul had his marks, and they were marks of a Christian and marks of a true servant of Jesus Christ. He said in Galatians 6 and verse 17, "From henceforth, let no man trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Usually, when you and I think about the marks, we also need to connect the Greek word for mark, and it is the Greek word stigma. It refers to a mark usually that is pricked into the skin or branded. Originally, slaves were branded or had their owner's name etched in their skin. Oftentimes, soldiers had their commander's name either burnt or etched into their skin.

And then, of course, usually at times there were those who were so devoted to false gods that they would actually etch or burn the name of the false god into their body as well. I suppose that's one of the reasons why the Word of God says, "Thou shalt not make any cuttings in your skin," because it would have reference then to a false god. But when Paul spoke of his marks, undoubtedly he had reference to everything that he had suffered. For instance, in 2 Corinthians chapter 11, let me just read verses 23-28. Paul asks this question,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 11:23-28

"Are they the ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool. I more. In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often, of the Jews five times received by forty stripes save one, thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I've been in the deep, in journeyings often, in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils of mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, and in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and

nakedness, beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care for all the churches." So undoubtedly, Paul did indeed have a lot of marks on his body, not just from being beaten, but being stoned as well. And the truth of the matter is, Lord Jesus Christ also had marks. If you will look in your Bibles very quickly to John chapter 20. Hold, if you would, 1 Samuel, because we're coming back there. But if you look in John chapter 20, you know the story about how our Lord appeared to His disciples. And of course, Thomas, called Didymus, was not there originally. So our Lord appeared again. But notice, if you would, what is said in John 20, beginning there in verse 24. "But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord."

"But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then said he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said to him, My Lord and my God." So our Lord Jesus Christ had his marks as well. Now, the marks that were on the Lord Jesus Christ are usually referred to as the stigmata. Of course, the word stigmata is from the Greek word stigma as well. If you were to look up the word stigmata in a dictionary, you would find it would be something like this.

It would refer, first of all, to a mark of disgrace or a mark of infamy or a stain upon someone's character or reputation. It may also refer medically to a physical or a mental mark that is characteristic or of a certain defect or a disease. That is certainly when we think of Alzheimer's, we can think of the mark of forgetfulness. And so there are medical applications as well.

But originally, even that still referred to the marks that were in Jesus Christ, because in the Roman Catholic realm, they would say that someone who ended up with marks supernaturally as Christ did, they would call that the stigmata. And so, in other words, it would be supernaturally imposed upon someone, which, of course, would just be in that particular area. But let me just say this concerning the stigma. There is a stigma to biblical Christianity. Those who obey the Lord Jesus Christ faithfully, and those who believe His Word and follow Him are stigmatized, that is for sure. In fact, our Lord recognized that and He said so in John 15, verses 18-20. If you want to look at it, John 15, beginning there with verse 18. I want you to listen to what our Lord said.

You know this passage quite well. Our Lord said, "If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own. But because you are not of the world, but I've chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hated you. Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord." "If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they've kept my saying, they will keep yours also." So clearly, then, our Lord said there is a stigma to being a true follower of Jesus Christ. And then if you will remember that passage in Hebrews chapter 13, verses 12 and 13, the Bible says, "Wherefore, Jesus also that he might sanctify the people suffered without the gate. Therefore," he goes on to say, "Let us, who are the followers of Jesus Christ, do what? Let us go forth therefore unto him, bearing his reproach." So there is a stigma to being a real, true biblical Christian. And let me just say this. I had much rather be a believer and a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and be hated, mocked, ridiculed, despised by the world than to be praised by a wicked, wicked, ungodly world and then be hated by the sovereign God of heaven and earth. So there's going to be a stigma either way you go, and I'd much rather have a stigma concerning Jesus Christ.

Everyone bears marks. You may be marked as a Christian. You may be marked as a sinner. You may be marked as an adulterer. You may be marked as a murderer. You may be marked as a thief. But yes, and the truth of the matter is, even politicians have marks. The leftists, the liberals, the Democrats have their distinctive marks, which most of them are evidenced by mental instability.

Defining Tyranny

Tyranny is defined as oppressive, unrestrained power, often exercised by those who use lawful authority unlawfully.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 7:20

But our Lord gave us some good counsel in Matthew 7, verse 20, when he said this, "Wherefore, by their works you shall know them." Now, when someone thinks of a tyrant, he usually thinks of someone who is cruel and oppressive and someone that has unrestrained power. In fact, if you would take the time to look up the word tyrant and the word tyranny in a dictionary, here's some of the definitions you would come up with. First of all, a tyrant. It says, a sovereign or other ruler who uses power oppressively or unjustly. Here's another definition. Any person in a position of authority who exercises power oppressively or despotically. And then here's the word tyranny, arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power, despotic abuse of authority.

And listen to this one: government by ruler or a small group of people who have unlimited power over the people in their country or state and use it unfairly and cruelly. Well, let me just correct one thing about that definition. There is no individual and there is no group that happens to have unlimited power. Only God is sovereign. Only God is infinite. They may think they have unlimited power, but that is not true. Tyrants are not always cruel and oppressive in the sense that they do not always appear to be so. Stop and think about this. A tyrant may view himself as a benefactor. He may view himself as a benevolent dictator ruling and determining what he believes is in reality in the best interest of his people. And yet he's still a tyrant. Now, let me point something out, and I need you to think about this. A tyrant is also someone that uses lawful power unlawfully. When you stop and think about lawful authority and the abuse of lawful authority.

You could spend all day long on illustrations. Here's a husband. Husbands do indeed have fatherly authority over their children and husbandly authority over their wives. And yet there are men who abuse that authority and that power. There are pastors that have authority over the church that they pastor, but some exceed that authority and just demand that everyone do everything exactly the way they do. And when you think about this, that is lawful power or lawful authority, but then it's turned around and used unlawfully.

Now, the same thing is true when it comes to politicians. In other words, a politician may be elected lawfully. And yet, when he gets in office, he uses the power of the authority unlawfully. For instance, look at our Congress. Because each one of them has taken an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States. And although many of them may have been elected lawfully, they're now using their power unlawfully because they're totally ignoring the Constitution of which they took an oath to uphold. A tyrant can be someone who's just simply using lawful authority unlawfully. King Saul was a tyrant. King Saul had a very humble beginning, and yet the truth of the matter is he became a horrendous tyrant.

Mark 1: No Regard for God or His Commands

Saul's disobedience in sparing Agag and the best spoil reveals his rejection of God's authority, making him a tyrant.

His tyranny actually begins in 1 Samuel chapter 15. Now, we read 1 Samuel 28, and I'm going to come back to that, that 1 Samuel 28 is actually the end result of his tyranny. It is the culmination of his tyranny. And when I show you a certain verse or two in 1 Samuel 28, I hope that you'll be absolutely astounded, because to me, it just shocked me when I realized what Saul actually said. So to understand this, let's go back in our Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 15, if you would please, because I want to give you six marks of a tyrant. And we're going to get all six of these, at least five of them before we get to 1 Samuel 28 and the sixth one out of 1 Samuel 28.

So the very first mark of a tyrant is that he has no regard for God or God's commands. Now, I want you to remember this. Because you're going to see this in several places. So look in 1 Samuel 15, beginning there in verse 1. "Samuel also said unto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel."

Now, here is a lawful authority. God anointed him. God appointed him. Now look what the Bible says. "Now, therefore, hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord." In other words, you're God's ordained authority. So therefore, you must listen to what God says. Now watch verse 2. "Thus said the Lord of hosts. I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek."

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 15:1-3

"and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox, sheep, camel, and ass."

Note, if you would, he was actually to slay everything. And what did Saul do? He disobeyed God. He spared Agag, the king, and he also spared the best of the sheep and the best of the oxen. And then he blamed this disobedience upon the people. If you look in verse 15, 1 Samuel 15 and verse 15, "And Saul said, they, that is the people, have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God, and the rest we have utterly destroyed." So now he's blaming it on the people. And if you'll skip down to verse 17, you'll see this again. Let's see. Yeah, verse 20 it is. Look in verse 20.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 15:1-3

"And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites."

"But the people took of the spoil, sheep, and oxen, and sheep of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, the sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal." What's the truth? The truth is this. God did not give his orders to the people. He gave his orders to the king whom he had anointed and appointed. So Saul knew that everything was to be destroyed. The people may or may not have known, but he had a responsibility certainly to tell them. But why were the best of the sheep and the best of the oxen spared?

Well, let me show you. Go back to verse 17. Because once Saul now has claimed that he is indeed obeying God, or has obeyed God, look what Samuel said. "And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast not thou made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel? And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed." Now watch verse 19. "Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord?" Notice what he did. He flew upon the spoil.

He wanted it for himself. He really didn't care anything about obeying God. He didn't really care anything about God. He really didn't care anything about the people. Saul was for Saul. He wanted that which he wanted. He desired what he saw, and he forsook God and he forsook the Word of God.

Now, go back, if you would, to verse 10 and 11. Look at what the Bible says. "Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying," God is speaking. "It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king. For he has turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel, and he cried unto the Lord all night."

Now, I want you to remember something. I want you to remember that our Lord said in Matthew 7, "by their fruits you shall know them." How do we know that Saul forsook God? How do we know that? What was the evidence? Well, he gives it to me and to you. He says, "for he is turned back from following me and have not performed my commandments." In other words, when Saul disobeyed, when Saul violated the word of God, forsook God's commandments, that was evidence of the fact that he had turned back. So here's the thing. I do not care how piously, graciously or benevolently a ruler talks, if he will not obey God and His word, he is a tyrant. Why?

Because he views himself as independent of God, he views himself as a law unto himself, and he views himself as a source of his own authority. That is why in 2 Samuel 23, and David, claiming direct inspiration four times from God, said this, "a man must be just ruling over men in the fear of God." So if men are not ruling in the fear of God, then basically they are tyrants because they're saying, "I am my own authority. I make my own law." Disobedience is evidence of rejection of God and His authority. Now look in verse 26. "And Samuel said unto Saul," Saul wants him to return to worship with him. "And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee, for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected thee from being king over Israel. And Samuel turned about to go away, and he saw laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine that is better than thou. And also the strength of Israel will not lie nor repent, for he is not a man that he should repent."

So, I want you to understand this. Here is a biblical principle. In this exact and biblical sense, a tyrant is an individual who arrogates to himself authority without having the right to that authority. Thus, a tyrant is one who rules without God, apart from God, and views himself as an absolute source of authority. Wow. And by the way, 1 Samuel chapter 15 is just the beginning of Saul as a tyrant. And so it all begins when someone rejects God and his word.

Mark 2: Concerned Only with His Own Rule and Power

Saul's attempts to kill David and his anger at Jonathan show his primary concern is preserving his dynasty.

Now, here's the second thing. Here's the second mark of a tyrant. The second mark of a tyrant is that a tyrant is concerned only with his rule and power and kingdom. I want you to please put two plus two together while I preach this. I hope you understand that our modern day politicians, once they get in office, their main goal is to stay in office. Doesn't matter what it takes. So it's imperative that we understand that a tyrant has no concern for innocence and has really and truly no concern for the will of God. The main concern of a tyrant is that his rule, that his power, that his dynasty is to continue, and he's willing to do anything to make that right.

For instance, consider, if you would please, David was mercilessly driven from his home into the wilderness by Saul. Twice David was almost killed by Saul. Saul threw a javelin at him twice, and twice he escaped. He had to fight off attempts of assassination by Saul, by the king. So he's now driven into the wilderness. Saul employs spies to find him, to find out what his haunts are so that he may track him down and destroy him. Now, let me show you why Saul was so absolutely intent on destroying David. If you look in your Bibles, 1 Samuel chapter 20, 1 Samuel chapter 20, you'll remember Saul and David, Saul had had David there before him. And, of course, David and Jonathan had entered into a covenant.

I'm going to explain that just momentarily. But here it is again. Look in 1 Samuel chapter 20, beginning there verse 28, because David already knows that Saul is going to try to kill him again. So he asks permission from Jonathan to go down and visit his parents. But he doesn't visit the parents; he's hiding out. So watch this. Saul asks where David is. "And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem."

"And he said, Let me go, I pray thee, for our family hath a sacrifice in the city, and my brother hath commanded me to be there. And now if I have found favor in thy eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not to the king's table." Now watch what Saul does. "Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse, rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and to the confusion of thy mother's nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now sin, and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die." And Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, "Wherefore shall he be slain? What have you done?" And Saul cast a javelin at him and his own son to smite him, whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. Now, why in the world was Saul so anxious to put David to death? Well, he said, "Jonathan, you'll never be king as long as he's alive. He must be killed." Wow.

Now, the same attitude was exhibited by Jeroboam, who happened to be the first king of Israel, in 1 Kings chapter 12. Because it was Jeroboam who said in his heart, once he was established, "now shall the kingdom return unto Rehoboam, if this people go down to Jerusalem and worship, and they shall slay me. What am I going to do?" Oh, he took counsel and made him two calves of gold, put one in Dan and one in Bethel, and said, "These be thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee up out of Egypt." Jeroboam did not care anything about God. He did not care anything about truth. He did not care anything about his people. All he wanted was to maintain his power, his kingdom, and his rule.

Now, I want you to see how prevalent this is. I want you to hold 1 Samuel, but turn in your Bibles, if you would, to John chapter 11. Look in John chapter 11. And let's begin reading there with verse 47. John chapter 11 and verse 47. John 11, verse 47.

Now, our Lord has been healing many people. And the Bible says this, and this is after he raised Lazarus from the dead. "Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees of counsel and said, What do we? For this man doeth many miracles." What are we going to do?

Now, look what they say. "If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him. And the Romans shall come and take away both our place and our nation. And one of them named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, You know nothing at all, nor consider it that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people and the whole nation perish not." I'm going to stop right there. Caiaphas spoke this prophetically, yet he did not necessarily mean it prophetically. But what Caiaphas was saying is this. We need to get rid of him. Why do we need to get rid of Jesus Christ? Well, go back and look, if you would, please, at verse 48. "If we let Him thus alone, all men will believe on Him, and the Romans shall come and take away both our place," that is, our station in life, our power, "and our nation."

In other words, we'll lose everything. So, here's an innocent man, the Lord Jesus Christ. He just needs to be sacrificed. He needs to be killed in order that we can maintain our power base. So you have to understand that a tyrant is only interested in his power, his position and his control. And all tyrants place themselves above everyone else. And they believe that everyone else is at their disposal because they're the only ones that count. So a tyrant not only has no care for God and His Word, he's only concerned, number two, about his power and his rule. Here's the third mark. The third mark of a tyrant is a willingness to distort facts and reality for his own benefit.

Mark 3: Willingness to Distort Facts and Reality

Saul falsely accuses his servants and Jonathan of conspiracy, twisting facts to serve his narrative.

Now, I want you to look in 1 Samuel chapter 22. I wish I had time to read this entire chapter for you, but I will take a few verses at the time. But this is showing you again. A tyrant. Notice, 1 Samuel 22, verse 7.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 22:7-8

"And Saul said to his servants that stood about him, Hear now, you Benjamites, will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds." "That all of you have conspired against me. And there is none that showeth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse. And there is none of you that is sorry for me, or showeth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me to lie in wait, as it is this day."

Now in verse 7, Saul, who was a Benjamite himself, talks to these other Benjamites and he says, "Do you think David's going to make you all captains of thousands, captains of hundreds? You think he's going to give you 40 acres and a mule? You think he's going to do all this for you? He's not going to do any more for you than I'm doing. I'm your own flesh and blood." Now, if Saul had a race card, he would have played it. But he didn't have a race card, but he did have a pity card. And here's what he says.

He lays it on thick. He plays this pity card and he says, "Nobody loves me. Nobody appreciates me. No one is sorry for me. No one is going to give me information. Why is everybody against me?" I don't think that's so strange. We hear that all the time today. Everybody playing a pity card and "I want what I want and I want it right now." Wow. Isn't this interesting?

He said, "Why hasn't anybody told me that my own son has entered into a league with David?" Now, it seems like we just read in 1 Samuel chapter 20 there, where Saul threw a javelin at his own son because of the covenant that he had made with David. And if you look back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 18, look if you would, in 1 Samuel 17, David kills Goliath. He cuts his head off. He brings it to Saul. Watch if you would in verse 1,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 18:1-4

"And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul,"

that is, David had made an end of speaking to King Saul,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 18:1-4

"that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul."

Now watch,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 18:1-4

"And Saul took him that day, and would let him no more go home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David and his garments, even to his sword and his bow and his girdle."

All in front of Saul. Saul already knew about this covenant.

And when you get to 1 Samuel chapter 22, he's saying, "Nobody told me. I'm the last one to find things out. Why didn't somebody tell me?" Really? And then he said, "My own son has stirred up my own servant against me." Jonathan didn't stir David up. And David was not even against Saul. Why was David running to begin with? Because he didn't want to fight Saul. And when God twice, sovereignly, providentially, delivered Saul into David's hand, David refused to kill him.

So everything is a total, absolute lie. So what is Saul doing? He's distorting the facts. He's distorting reality. Here's a principle that you need to learn. You need to understand this. Mark this down right now. Listen carefully, there's a vast difference between facts and the interpretation of facts. You see, everyone interprets facts. And everyone interprets facts from their own perspective. I've counseled married couples for years, and I've had a husband and wife sitting in front of me.

And I say, "Sir, would you please tell me what the problem is?" And he tells me. And I look at the lady and I said, "Ma'am, would you please tell me what the problem is?" And she tells me exactly the opposite of what her husband said. Now, which one is lying? And the answer is neither. They're just interpreting the facts from their own perspective. So when you hear someone say, "Well, this is a fact," really, you better check and see if it's a fact or an interpretation of a fact, because Saul was interpreting facts and distorting them for his own benefit. Wow, I don't guess January 6 comes in anybody's mind, does it? I don't guess COVID comes in anybody's mind. Vaccines come to anybody. Distorting of facts. Wow!

Mark 4: Willingness to Receive False Witness and Shift Blame

Saul accepts Doeg's false report about Ahimelech and blames the priests for his own failures.

Here's the fourth mark of a tyrant. The fourth mark of a tyrant is his willingness to receive false witness and to shift blame to others for his own failures. His willingness to receive false witness and to shift blame to others for his own failures. So let's begin looking in 1 Samuel chapter 22, with verse 9, watch this. "Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob to Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub. And he," that is Ahimelech, "inquired of the Lord for him," which was a bald-faced lie. "And he inquired of the Lord for him, and gave him vittles," which is the truth, "and gave him the sword of Goliath of Philistine," which is the truth. It was David's anyhow. "Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all of his father's house, the priests that were in Nob, and they all came to the king. And Saul said, Hear now thou son of Ahitub."

"And he answered, Here am I, my lord. And Saul said to him, Why have you conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread and a sword, and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me to lie in wait at this day? Then Ahimelech answered the king and said, And who is so faithful among all thy services, David? Who is the king's son-in-law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honorable in all thine house? Did I then begin to inquire of God for him?" "Be it far from me. Let not the king impute anything to his servant, nor to all the house of thy father, for thy servant knew nothing of all of this, less nor more." And that's the absolute truth. Because when David came to Ahimelech, Ahimelech asked him, "Why are you alone?" And David said, "Well, the king has sent me on a mission and it was urgent and I didn't have time to get my sword or food or anything." And so Ahimelech couldn't know anything other than he's the king's son-in-law.

And he did give him bread from the show table of showbread, and he did give him Goliath's sword. But did he inquire of God? No, he did not. So here's what is happening. He is now actually accusing Ahimelech of conspiring with David, which he absolutely did not do so. No, not at all. And so Ahimelech and his family and his priesthood and the whole priesthood were entirely and completely innocent in the affair. Even if Ahimelech had been complicit, which he was not, then none of the other priests were involved. None of the other people. So here's the point I want to make right now.

Truth does not matter to a tyrant. Innocence does not matter to a tyrant. Any false narrative, any bald-faced lie or simple innuendo is enough and will suffice if it allows the tyrant to escape responsibility and put the blame on someone else. So let me say this again. I hope you can add two plus two equals four. And you think about the last two years in this country. And all of the lies that have been told to we, the people, the false narratives that have been given and everything is someone else's fault or our fault. It's never the fault of those who have been elected as leaders. Have you noticed that? But that's a tyrant. Here's the fifth mark of a tyrant.

Mark 5: Willingness to Murder with Ease of Conscience

Saul orders the slaughter of 85 priests and the entire city of Nob, demonstrating a tyrant's disregard for innocent life.

I want you to listen. The fifth mark of a tyrant is a willingness to murder. And to do so with ease of conscience. So since we're in 1 Samuel chapter 22, let's begin reading in verse 16. Watch. "And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, and I will let down all thy father's house." What? Not only is Ahimelech innocent, what's his father's house got to do with it if he did inquire of God for David, which he did not. He says, "You're going to die and all your father's house." "And the king said unto the footman that stood about him, Turn and slay the priest of the Lord, because their hand also is with David," which is not true, "and because they knew when he fled and did not show it to me," which is not true. "But the service of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priest of the Lord. Then the king said to Doeg, Turn thou and fall upon the priest of the priest. And Doeg the Edomite turned."

Now watch. "And he fell upon the priest and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear the linen ephod." He murdered eighty-five priests. That's not all. Hang on. "And Nob, the city of the priests, smote him with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen and asses, and sheep with the edge of the sword." Wow! He not only murdered 85 priests, he murdered the women, the children, the animals, he murdered everyone and everything. At least the Israelite soldiers had a little conscience. Because when Saul said, "Turn and fall upon the priests," they did not do so. They said, "We're not going to murder these priests." But then there's Doeg, the Edomite. Let me tell you something. When a tyrant is raging and people with conscience refuse to obey wicked and vain commands, there will always be a Doeg who will do what the tyrant wishes to ingratiate himself with the kingdom and with the tyrant and with the empire. Wow.

Mark 6: Willingness to Usurp God's Position and Nullify His Word

Saul swears by the Lord that the witch of Endor will not be punished, effectively claiming authority to override God's law.

Now I want to get back to our text. I want to give you the sixth mark of a tyrant in 1 Samuel chapter 28. I want you to watch this with me. The sixth mark of a tyrant is that he is willing to usurp the position of God and declare His Word null and void. He started out just denying the Word of God, the commandments of God, and ignoring God, refusing to obey Him. But now He ends up usurping the position of God and declaring God's Word null and void. Look if you would, in 1 Samuel 28, and let's begin reading there with verse 7.

"Then Saul said unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her and inquire of her. But his servants said, and his servants said unto him, Behold, there's a woman that hath a familiar spirit that endure. And Saul disguised himself and put on another raiment, and he went in two men with him. And they came to the woman by night, and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee. And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits and wizards out of the land." "Wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, Is the Lord liveth? There shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up for thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice and spake unto Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? For thou art Saul."

"And the king said unto her, Be not afraid. For what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth." Now, what has happened so far because of all of Saul's rebellion and wickedness and disobedience, God has cast him off. The Philistines have gathered together for battle. And Saul is anxious. Yea, he is desperate. He does not know what to do. God does not answer him by dreams. God does not answer him by prophets or seers, nobody's talking to him. And God does not answer him by the Urim and the Thummim, which the high priest wore in his vest. And when a question was asked, he'd pull out one and there'd be an answer. But God was just not speaking to Saul. So Saul now is in a state of desperation, and he says, "Seek me out a woman that has a familiar spirit." And they say there's one at Endor. Does anybody remember?

That movie, a TV show that came on many, many years ago called Bewitched. You remember that? Elizabeth Montgomery, I think, was the woman. Does anybody remember what her mother, who was a witch, was called? What was her name? Endora. Endora, from the Witch of Endor. Yeah, yeah. Now, the woman said, "You're laying a snare for me. Saul has banned us from the land." Let me hasten to say this. Banning these people from the land was unscriptural and unbiblical. How can I say that? Because Exodus 22 verse 18 says, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."

They were to be executed. They were to be put to death. Had they been put to death, there would have been no witch for this man to go to. But he just simply banned them. He did not execute them. Everybody wants to try to argue over whether or not this woman actually brought up Samuel. And the truth of the matter is, she did not. She could not have.

She did not have that power to do so. And to show you how absolutely shocked this woman was when Samuel did come, look in verse 12, if you would. 1 Samuel chapter 28. And verse 12, "And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice, and the woman spake to Saul and said, Why dost thou deceive me? For thou art Saul." She wasn't expecting Samuel. She knew she had no power to bring Samuel up, and yet Samuel came up. It was when he appeared that truth broke in on her. She knew that she had been set up. Let me show you the point that most people overlook. Everybody wants to argue over whether or not this woman brought up Samuel. Obviously, she did not. But here is the culmination of tyranny. I want you to look at this. Look, if you would, at verses 9 and 10. Watch this.

This is, to me, just appalling. "And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards out of the land. Wherefore, then, layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? And look what Saul said. And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing." What? What? Pardon me. Did you hear what Saul just said? "As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing." Really?

Now, let's see, God said "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." Saul may not be going to execute her, but God certainly will execute her. And what did he say? "There shall be no punishment." Here is the tyrant with a tyrannical attitude that believes that he has the power and the authority to subvert and overthrow the judgment and the punishment of God. And he even does so in the name of the Lord: "As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment be unto thee." He swears by God! Wow!

Application: God is the Enemy of Tyrants

Weaver warns that God opposes tyrants and will bring judgment, citing Psalm 94 and Deuteronomy 32.

Now, let me make just a couple of applications. I want you to look back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 28. And I want you to look at verse 16. Here's another important truth, and especially for tyrants. 1 Samuel chapter 28, verse 16. Saul is telling Samuel, "God won't speak to me." By the way, that's a pretty good principle to understand. God's not going to be directing tyrants. God does not establish tyranny. Tyranny is not a biblical form of government. So look at it in verse 16, he said, "And the Lord hath done to him as he spake by means of verse 17, then said Samuel, Wherefore, then, dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee and is become thine enemy?" God is the enemy of tyrants. He fights against them. He overthrows them. He destroys them. You stop and think of all the judgment that modern day politicians are going to face when God makes bare His arm. Somehow they think they're going to escape, but they're not going to escape.

Deuteronomy 32 and verse 35, God said, "To me belong vengeance and recompense. Their foot shall slide in due time for the day of their calamity is at hand and the things that come upon them may taste." God said their foot's going to slide. I'm going to take care of it. So mark it down. The tyrant is not going to escape. All of these that have caused the murder of countless numbers of people, not just in America, but in the world, will be held accountable by God. I just read, I hope you did too, but I just read where those young people from 18 to 39 that took the Moderna and Pfizer vaccination, the death rate is up 84%. 84% just among that one group from 18 to 39. I'm just simply saying they're not going to escape. They're not going to get away with it.

Conclusion: The Danger of Statism

The sermon closes with a quote from Ludwig von Mises on the menace of bad government and a call to recognize the marks of tyranny.

Samuel said that God has become the enemy of Saul and he is thus the enemy of all tyrants. Here's one last quote. Ludwig von Mises from the Mises Institute, the Austrian economist, he said this, "The worship of the state or the worship of government is the worship of force. There is no more dangerous menace to civilization than a government of incompetent, corrupt or vile men. The worst evils which mankind ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments. The state can be, and has often been in the course of history, the main source of mischief and disaster." And I would add, also rebellion to God and evil to man. The marks of a tyrant. You do not have to be a single individual reigning and ruling cruelly, oppressively and despotically to be a tyrant. Whenever you begin without God, you're not only going to end up being a tyrant, but you're going to end up with tyranny and the enslavement of mankind. We need to know the marks, and we need to watch. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this day.

We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And we ask, Father, for Your blessing. May we be awakened by Thy Word. And may we, Father, understand the situation that we're in, and prepare our lives and our hearts. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Nature of Tyranny

Summary: Tyranny is defined as oppressive, unrestrained power, often exercised by those who use lawful authority unlawfully.

Evidence: Weaver defines tyrant as 'a sovereign or other ruler who uses power oppressively or unjustly' and notes that a tyrant may use 'lawful power unlawfully.'

Rejection of God's Authority

Summary: A tyrant's first mark is disregarding God and His commands, viewing himself as independent and a law unto himself.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'if he will not obey God and His word, he is a tyrant... he views himself as independent of God.'

Self-Preservation of Power

Summary: Tyrants are primarily concerned with maintaining their rule, willing to sacrifice innocence and truth.

Evidence: Saul's attempt to kill David is motivated by his desire to secure the kingdom for Jonathan, as seen in 1 Samuel 20:31.

Distortion of Truth

Summary: Tyrants manipulate facts and reality to serve their own interests, often playing the victim.

Evidence: Saul falsely claims no one told him about Jonathan's covenant with David, though he knew of it (1 Samuel 22:8).

Scapegoating and False Accusations

Summary: Tyrants readily accept false witness and shift blame to others for their own failures.

Evidence: Saul believes Doeg's lie about Ahimelech and condemns the innocent priests (1 Samuel 22:9-16).

Murderous Disregard for Life

Summary: Tyrants are willing to commit mass murder without conscience to eliminate perceived threats.

Evidence: Saul orders the killing of 85 priests and the entire city of Nob, including women and children (1 Samuel 22:18-19).

Usurping Divine Authority

Summary: The ultimate mark of a tyrant is claiming the power to nullify God's law and judgment.

Evidence: Saul swears by the Lord that the witch will not be punished, contradicting God's command (1 Samuel 28:10).

Divine Judgment on Tyrants

Summary: God is the enemy of tyrants and will ultimately bring them to account.

Evidence: Samuel tells Saul, 'the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy' (1 Samuel 28:16).

Key Arguments

Disobedience to God is the root of tyranny

Summary: Saul's rejection of God's command in 1 Samuel 15 marks the beginning of his tyranny, as disobedience reveals a heart that has turned from God.

Evidence: Weaver cites 1 Samuel 15:11: 'he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments.'

Tyrants prioritize their own power above all else

Summary: Saul's attempts to kill David and his rage at Jonathan demonstrate that a tyrant's primary concern is preserving his dynasty.

Evidence: Saul says to Jonathan, 'as long as the son of Jesse liveth... thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom' (1 Samuel 20:31).

Tyrants manipulate facts to create false narratives

Summary: Saul distorts reality by claiming ignorance of Jonathan's covenant and accusing David of conspiracy, despite evidence to the contrary.

Evidence: Weaver points out Saul's lie in 1 Samuel 22:8, noting Saul already knew of the covenant from 1 Samuel 18.

Tyrants use scapegoats to evade responsibility

Summary: Saul accepts Doeg's false report and blames Ahimelech for his own failures, showing a tyrant's willingness to sacrifice the innocent.

Evidence: Weaver highlights that Ahimelech was entirely innocent, yet Saul condemned him based on a lie (1 Samuel 22:9-16).

Tyranny progresses to mass murder without conscience

Summary: Saul's order to kill 85 priests and the city of Nob reveals the ultimate fruit of tyranny: the destruction of innocent life.

Evidence: Weaver reads 1 Samuel 22:18-19, emphasizing the slaughter of women, children, and animals.

Tyrants claim authority to override God's law

Summary: Saul's oath to the witch of Endor that she will not be punished is a direct usurpation of God's judgment, showing the tyrant's belief in his own supremacy.

Evidence: Weaver exclaims, 'He swears by God!' and notes Saul's claim that 'there shall no punishment happen to thee' (1 Samuel 28:10).

Modern tyrants mirror Saul's rebellion

Summary: Weaver applies the marks to contemporary politicians who legalize sin and believe their laws nullify God's judgment.

Evidence: He cites Psalm 94:20-21 and mentions abortion and sodomy as examples of legalized sin.

God actively opposes and judges tyrants

Summary: Samuel's declaration that God has become Saul's enemy assures that all tyrants will face divine retribution.

Evidence: Weaver quotes 1 Samuel 28:16 and Deuteronomy 32:35 to affirm God's vengeance.

Scripture References

1 Samuel 28:6-19

Context: The primary text, read at the opening, describing Saul's consultation with the witch of Endor and Samuel's prophecy of judgment.

Galatians 6:17

Context: Paul speaks of bearing 'the marks of the Lord Jesus' in his body, illustrating the concept of marks.

2 Corinthians 11:23-28

Context: Paul lists his sufferings, showing the physical marks he bore for Christ.

John 20:24-28

Context: Thomas's demand to see the print of the nails in Jesus' hands, highlighting the marks of Christ.

John 15:18-20

Context: Jesus warns that the world will hate His followers, indicating the stigma of true Christianity.

Hebrews 13:12-13

Context: Believers are called to go forth bearing Christ's reproach.

Matthew 7:20

Context: Jesus says, 'by their fruits ye shall know them,' applied to identifying tyrants by their works.

1 Samuel 15:1-3

Context: God's command to Saul to utterly destroy Amalek, which Saul disobeys.

1 Samuel 15:15, 20-21

Context: Saul blames the people for sparing the spoil, revealing his disobedience.

1 Samuel 15:17-19

Context: Samuel rebukes Saul for flying upon the spoil and disobeying God.

1 Samuel 15:10-11

Context: God regrets making Saul king because he has turned back from following Him.

1 Samuel 15:26-29

Context: Samuel declares the kingdom torn from Saul and given to a neighbor.

1 Samuel 20:28-33

Context: Saul's anger at Jonathan for defending David, revealing his concern for his dynasty.

1 Kings 12:26-28

Context: Jeroboam's idolatry to secure his kingdom, paralleling Saul's tyranny.

John 11:47-50

Context: The chief priests plot to kill Jesus to preserve their place and nation.

1 Samuel 22:7-8

Context: Saul accuses his servants of conspiracy and plays the victim.

1 Samuel 18:1-4

Context: Jonathan's covenant with David, which Saul later claims ignorance of.

1 Samuel 22:9-16

Context: Doeg's false report and Saul's accusation of Ahimelech.

1 Samuel 22:16-19

Context: Saul orders the slaughter of the priests and the city of Nob.

Psalm 94:20-21

Context: The throne of iniquity frames mischief by law, condemning the innocent.

Historical References

Ludwig von Mises

Context: Weaver quotes the Austrian economist on the danger of bad government: 'The worst evils which mankind ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments.'

Rushdoony

Context: Weaver quotes Rushdoony on statism: 'Statism assumes that its law, rather than God's regenerating power, is the principle of freedom.'

Roman Catholic stigmata

Context: Weaver explains the Roman Catholic concept of stigmata as supernatural marks corresponding to Christ's wounds.

Far Side cartoon

Context: Weaver mentions a cartoon about a deer with a target-shaped birthmark to illustrate physical marks.

Bewitched TV show

Context: Weaver references the character Endora from Bewitched, noting her name derives from the Witch of Endor.

January 6 and COVID-19

Context: Weaver alludes to modern events as examples of distorting facts, mentioning 'January 6' and 'COVID'.

Moderna and Pfizer vaccination death rate

Context: Weaver cites a statistic about increased death rates among young people who took the vaccines.

Important Quotes

I had much rather be a believer and a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and be hated, mocked, ridiculed, despised by the world than to be praised by a wicked, wicked, ungodly world and then be hated by the sovereign God of heaven and earth.

Significance: Emphasizes the choice to bear the stigma of Christ rather than seek worldly approval.

A tyrant is an individual who arrogates to himself authority without having the right to that authority. Thus, a tyrant is one who rules without God, apart from God, and views himself as an absolute source of authority.

Significance: Defines the core of tyranny as self-derived authority apart from God.

Truth does not matter to a tyrant. Innocence does not matter to a tyrant. Any false narrative, any bald-faced lie or simple innuendo is enough and will suffice if it allows the tyrant to escape responsibility and put the blame on someone else.

Significance: Highlights the tyrant's disregard for truth and willingness to scapegoat.

When a tyrant is raging and people with conscience refuse to obey wicked and vain commands, there will always be a Doeg who will do what the tyrant wishes to ingratiate himself with the kingdom and with the tyrant and with the empire.

Significance: Warns that tyrants find willing executioners among the unscrupulous.

As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.

Significance: Saul's blasphemous oath, claiming authority to nullify God's judgment.

Modern man, or shall I say rather, fallen man, believes it somehow that sins are not sins if they are declared legal.

Significance: Applies Saul's error to contemporary legalization of sin.

The worship of the state or the worship of government is the worship of force. There is no more dangerous menace to civilization than a government of incompetent, corrupt or vile men.

Significance: Quotes Ludwig von Mises to underscore the danger of statism.

Discussion Questions

How does Saul's progression from disobedience to outright usurpation of God's authority illustrate the nature of tyranny?

Context: Weaver traces Saul's decline from 1 Samuel 15 to 28, showing how small compromises lead to greater evil.

In what ways do modern politicians exhibit the marks of a tyrant described in this sermon?

Context: Weaver applies the marks to contemporary issues like legalized sin and distortion of facts.

What does it mean for a Christian to bear the 'stigma' of following Christ in today's culture?

Context: Weaver discusses the stigma of biblical Christianity and the world's hatred.

How should believers respond when civil authorities frame 'mischief by a law' (Psalm 94:20)?

Context: Weaver cites Psalm 94 to show that wicked governments legalize sin.

Why is it significant that Saul swore 'by the Lord' when promising the witch no punishment?

Context: Weaver highlights this as the ultimate act of tyranny, using God's name to defy God's law.

What lessons can we learn from the fact that God became Saul's enemy?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that God actively opposes tyrants and will bring judgment.

How does the example of Doeg illustrate the danger of those who enable tyrants?

Context: Weaver notes that when people of conscience refuse, there will always be a Doeg to carry out evil.

Applications

Recognize the marks of tyranny

Summary: Believers must be able to identify the marks of a tyrant in leaders, especially disregard for God's law and distortion of truth.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'We need to know the marks, and we need to watch.'

Choose the stigma of Christ over worldly approval

Summary: Christians should embrace the reproach of following Christ rather than seek praise from a wicked world.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'I had much rather be a believer... and be hated... than to be praised by a wicked... world.'

Understand that legalization does not remove sin's guilt

Summary: Do not be deceived into thinking that sins made legal by government are free from God's judgment.

Evidence: Weaver warns, 'fallen man believes... sins are not sins if they are declared legal.'

Trust in God's judgment on tyrants

Summary: Believers can rest in the certainty that God will hold tyrants accountable and bring justice.

Evidence: Weaver cites Deuteronomy 32:35: 'To me belong vengeance and recompense.'

Refuse to enable tyranny

Summary: Like the Israelite soldiers who refused to kill the priests, believers must not obey wicked commands.

Evidence: Weaver notes, 'the service of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priest of the Lord.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T00:04:23Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T14:46:25Z

Clean Transcript

The Mark of a Tyrant

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

1 Samuel chapter 28. The title of the message is "The Marks of a Tyrant." So notice, if you would, in 1 Samuel chapter 28, we'll begin reading with verse 6 and we'll read down several passages. So notice 1 Samuel chapter 28, and let's begin reading there with verse 6. The Bible says, "And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said unto him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. And Saul disguised himself, and put on another raiment. And he went in two men with him, and they came to the woman by night. And he said, I pray thee, divine unto me, by thy familiar spirit, and bring me up him whom I shall name unto thee. And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off from those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land."
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"Wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die. And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, Is the Lord liveth? There shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice, and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why dost thou deceive me? for thou art Saul. And the king said unto her, Be not afraid, for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth."
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"And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up, he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed himself. And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed, for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams. Therefore, if I call thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? And the Lord hath done to him as he spake by me, for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to David, because thou obeyest not the voice of the Lord, nor executest his fierce wrath upon Amalek. Therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day."
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"Moreover, the Lord will deliver thee Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me. The Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines." So the message is dealing with the marks of a tyrant. Do you understand that marks are identifiers? We all have marks in one way or the other. Many times we talk about physical marks and we think about birthmarks particularly. Years ago I saw a cartoon, I think it was from the Far Side, it showed these two big buck deer with nice antlers and one was standing beside the other and he had zero targets on his chest and one looked at him and said, "Bummer, a birthmark, Al."
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Well, I guess it was. But when we think of marks, there are birthmarks. Those are physical, but they're also mental, emotional, political, economic birthmarks or marks, I should say, not necessarily birthmarks. But there are marks in any way that individuals can be identified, grouped or singled out. You can have marks. There are some marks in which we make glory and there are some marks in which we need to be ashamed of. The Apostle Paul had his marks, and they were marks of a Christian and marks of a true servant of Jesus Christ. He said in Galatians 6 and verse 17, "From henceforth, let no man trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Usually, when you and I think about the marks, we also need to connect the Greek word for mark, and it is the Greek word stigma. It refers to a mark usually that is pricked into the skin or branded. Originally, slaves were branded or had their owner's name etched in their skin. Oftentimes, soldiers had their commander's name either burnt or etched into their skin.
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And then, of course, usually at times there were those who were so devoted to false gods that they would actually etch or burn the name of the false god into their body as well. I suppose that's one of the reasons why the Word of God says, "Thou shalt not make any cuttings in your skin," because it would have reference then to a false god. But when Paul spoke of his marks, undoubtedly he had reference to everything that he had suffered.
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For instance, in 2 Corinthians chapter 11, let me just read verses 23-28. Paul asks this question, "Are they the ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool. I more. In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often, of the Jews five times received by forty stripes save one, thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I've been in the deep, in journeyings often, in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils of mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, and in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and
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nakedness, beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care for all the churches." So undoubtedly, Paul did indeed have a lot of marks on his body, not just from being beaten, but being stoned as well. And the truth of the matter is, Lord Jesus Christ also had marks. If you will look in your Bibles very quickly to John chapter 20. Hold, if you would, 1 Samuel, because we're coming back there. But if you look in John chapter 20, you know the story about how our Lord appeared to His disciples. And of course, Thomas, called Didymus, was not there originally. So our Lord appeared again. But notice, if you would, what is said in John 20, beginning there in verse 24. "But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord."
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"But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then said he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said to him, My Lord and my God." So our Lord Jesus Christ had his marks as well. Now, the marks that were on the Lord Jesus Christ are usually referred to as the stigmata. Of course, the word stigmata is from the Greek word stigma as well. If you were to look up the word stigmata in a dictionary, you would find it would be something like this.
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It would refer, first of all, to a mark of disgrace or a mark of infamy or a stain upon someone's character or reputation. It may also refer medically to a physical or a mental mark that is characteristic or of a certain defect or a disease. That is certainly when we think of Alzheimer's, we can think of the mark of forgetfulness. And so there are medical applications as well.
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But originally, even that still referred to the marks that were in Jesus Christ, because in the Roman Catholic realm, they would say that someone who ended up with marks supernaturally as Christ did, they would call that the stigmata. And so, in other words, it would be supernaturally imposed upon someone, which, of course, would just be in that particular area. But let me just say this concerning the stigma. There is a stigma to biblical Christianity. Those who obey the Lord Jesus Christ faithfully, and those who believe His Word and follow Him are stigmatized, that is for sure. In fact, our Lord recognized that and He said so in John 15, verses 18-20. If you want to look at it, John 15, beginning there with verse 18. I want you to listen to what our Lord said.
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You know this passage quite well. Our Lord said, "If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own. But because you are not of the world, but I've chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hated you. Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord."
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"If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they've kept my saying, they will keep yours also." So clearly, then, our Lord said there is a stigma to being a true follower of Jesus Christ. And then if you will remember that passage in Hebrews chapter 13, verses 12 and 13, the Bible says, "Wherefore, Jesus also that he might sanctify the people suffered without the gate. Therefore," he goes on to say, "Let us, who are the followers of Jesus Christ, do what? Let us go forth therefore unto him, bearing his reproach." So there is a stigma to being a real, true biblical Christian. And let me just say this. I had much rather be a believer and a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and be hated, mocked, ridiculed, despised by the world than to be praised by a wicked, wicked, ungodly world and then be hated by the sovereign God of heaven and earth. So there's going to be a stigma either way you go, and I'd much rather have a stigma concerning Jesus Christ.
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Everyone bears marks. You may be marked as a Christian. You may be marked as a sinner. You may be marked as an adulterer. You may be marked as a murderer. You may be marked as a thief. But yes, and the truth of the matter is, even politicians have marks. The leftists, the liberals, the Democrats have their distinctive marks, which most of them are evidenced by mental instability.
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Especially when they try to say that a man is a woman and that a man who claims to be a woman can have babies. That is sheer lunacy and that is sheer insanity as well as ignorance as well. So that lunacy is a mark, I suppose. Wokeness would be a mark, I suppose, as well. But everyone has marks. Even tyrants have marks and many tyrants. I do not want to appear to be tyrants, although they are in reality.
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But our Lord gave us some good counsel in Matthew 7, verse 20, when he said this, "Wherefore, by their works you shall know them." Now, when someone thinks of a tyrant, he usually thinks of someone who is cruel and oppressive and someone that has unrestrained power. In fact, if you would take the time to look up the word tyrant and the word tyranny in a dictionary, here's some of the definitions you would come up with. First of all, a tyrant. It says, a sovereign or other ruler who uses power oppressively or unjustly. Here's another definition. Any person in a position of authority who exercises power oppressively or despotically. And then here's the word tyranny, arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power, despotic abuse of authority.
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And listen to this one: government by ruler or a small group of people who have unlimited power over the people in their country or state and use it unfairly and cruelly. Well, let me just correct one thing about that definition. There is no individual and there is no group that happens to have unlimited power. Only God is sovereign. Only God is infinite. They may think they have unlimited power, but that is not true.
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Tyrants are not always cruel and oppressive in the sense that they do not always appear to be so. Stop and think about this. A tyrant may view himself as a benefactor. He may view himself as a benevolent dictator ruling and determining what he believes is in reality in the best interest of his people. And yet he's still a tyrant. Now, let me point something out, and I need you to think about this. A tyrant is also someone that uses lawful power unlawfully. When you stop and think about lawful authority and the abuse of lawful authority.
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You could spend all day long on illustrations. Here's a husband. Husbands do indeed have fatherly authority over their children and husbandly authority over their wives. And yet there are men who abuse that authority and that power. There are pastors that have authority over the church that they pastor, but some exceed that authority and just demand that everyone do everything exactly the way they do. And when you think about this, that is lawful power or lawful authority, but then it's turned around and used unlawfully.
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Now, the same thing is true when it comes to politicians. In other words, a politician may be elected lawfully. And yet, when he gets in office, he uses the power of the authority unlawfully. For instance, look at our Congress. Because each one of them has taken an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States. And although many of them may have been elected lawfully, they're now using their power unlawfully because they're totally ignoring the Constitution of which they took an oath to uphold. A tyrant can be someone who's just simply using lawful authority unlawfully. King Saul was a tyrant. King Saul had a very humble beginning, and yet the truth of the matter is he became a horrendous tyrant.
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His tyranny actually begins in 1 Samuel chapter 15. Now, we read 1 Samuel 28, and I'm going to come back to that, that 1 Samuel 28 is actually the end result of his tyranny. It is the culmination of his tyranny. And when I show you a certain verse or two in 1 Samuel 28, I hope that you'll be absolutely astounded, because to me, it just shocked me when I realized what Saul actually said. So to understand this, let's go back in our Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 15, if you would please, because I want to give you six marks of a tyrant. And we're going to get all six of these, at least five of them before we get to 1 Samuel 28 and the sixth one out of 1 Samuel 28.
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So the very first mark of a tyrant is that he has no regard for God or God's commands. Now, I want you to remember this. Because you're going to see this in several places. So look in 1 Samuel 15, beginning there in verse 1. "Samuel also said unto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel."
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Now, here is a lawful authority. God anointed him. God appointed him.
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Now look what the Bible says. "Now, therefore, hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord." In other words, you're God's ordained authority. So therefore, you must listen to what God says. Now watch verse 2. "Thus said the Lord of hosts. I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek."
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"and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox, sheep, camel, and ass." Note, if you would, he was actually to slay everything. And what did Saul do? He disobeyed God. He spared Agag, the king, and he also spared the best of the sheep and the best of the oxen. And then he blamed this disobedience upon the people. If you look in verse 15, 1 Samuel 15 and verse 15, "And Saul said, they, that is the people, have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God, and the rest we have utterly destroyed." So now he's blaming it on the people. And if you'll skip down to verse 17, you'll see this again. Let's see. Yeah, verse 20 it is. Look in verse 20. "And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites."
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"But the people took of the spoil, sheep, and oxen, and sheep of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, the sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal." What's the truth? The truth is this. God did not give his orders to the people. He gave his orders to the king whom he had anointed and appointed. So Saul knew that everything was to be destroyed. The people may or may not have known, but he had a responsibility certainly to tell them. But why were the best of the sheep and the best of the oxen spared?
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Well, let me show you. Go back to verse 17. Because once Saul now has claimed that he is indeed obeying God, or has obeyed God, look what Samuel said. "And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast not thou made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel? And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed." Now watch verse 19. "Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord?" Notice what he did. He flew upon the spoil.
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He wanted it for himself. He really didn't care anything about obeying God. He didn't really care anything about God. He really didn't care anything about the people. Saul was for Saul. He wanted that which he wanted. He desired what he saw, and he forsook God and he forsook the Word of God.
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Now, go back, if you would, to verse 10 and 11. Look at what the Bible says. "Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying," God is speaking. "It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king. For he has turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel, and he cried unto the Lord all night."
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Now, I want you to remember something. I want you to remember that our Lord said in Matthew 7, "by their fruits you shall know them." How do we know that Saul forsook God? How do we know that? What was the evidence? Well, he gives it to me and to you. He says, "for he is turned back from following me and have not performed my commandments." In other words, when Saul disobeyed, when Saul violated the word of God, forsook God's commandments, that was evidence of the fact that he had turned back. So here's the thing. I do not care how piously, graciously or benevolently a ruler talks, if he will not obey God and His word, he is a tyrant. Why?
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Because he views himself as independent of God, he views himself as a law unto himself, and he views himself as a source of his own authority. That is why in 2 Samuel 23, and David, claiming direct inspiration four times from God, said this, "a man must be just ruling over men in the fear of God." So if men are not ruling in the fear of God, then basically they are tyrants because they're saying, "I am my own authority. I make my own law." Disobedience is evidence of rejection of God and His authority.
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Now look in verse 26. "And Samuel said unto Saul," Saul wants him to return to worship with him. "And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee, for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected thee from being king over Israel. And Samuel turned about to go away, and he saw laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine that is better than thou. And also the strength of Israel will not lie nor repent, for he is not a man that he should repent."
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So, I want you to understand this. Here is a biblical principle. In this exact and biblical sense, a tyrant is an individual who arrogates to himself authority without having the right to that authority. Thus, a tyrant is one who rules without God, apart from God, and views himself as an absolute source of authority. Wow. And by the way, 1 Samuel chapter 15 is just the beginning of Saul as a tyrant. And so it all begins when someone rejects God and his word.
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Now, here's the second thing. Here's the second mark of a tyrant. The second mark of a tyrant is that a tyrant is concerned only with his rule and power and kingdom. I want you to please put two plus two together while I preach this. I hope you understand that our modern day politicians, once they get in office, their main goal is to stay in office. Doesn't matter what it takes. So it's imperative that we understand that a tyrant has no concern for innocence and has really and truly no concern for the will of God. The main concern of a tyrant is that his rule, that his power, that his dynasty is to continue, and he's willing to do anything to make that right.
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For instance, consider, if you would please, David was mercilessly driven from his home into the wilderness by Saul. Twice David was almost killed by Saul. Saul threw a javelin at him twice, and twice he escaped. He had to fight off attempts of assassination by Saul, by the king. So he's now driven into the wilderness. Saul employs spies to find him, to find out what his haunts are so that he may track him down and destroy him. Now, let me show you why Saul was so absolutely intent on destroying David. If you look in your Bibles, 1 Samuel chapter 20, 1 Samuel chapter 20, you'll remember Saul and David, Saul had had David there before him. And, of course, David and Jonathan had entered into a covenant.
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I'm going to explain that just momentarily. But here it is again. Look in 1 Samuel chapter 20, beginning there verse 28, because David already knows that Saul is going to try to kill him again. So he asks permission from Jonathan to go down and visit his parents. But he doesn't visit the parents; he's hiding out. So watch this. Saul asks where David is. "And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem."
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"And he said, Let me go, I pray thee, for our family hath a sacrifice in the city, and my brother hath commanded me to be there. And now if I have found favor in thy eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not to the king's table."
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Now watch what Saul does. "Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse, rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and to the confusion of thy mother's nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now sin, and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die." And Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, "Wherefore shall he be slain? What have you done?" And Saul cast a javelin at him and his own son to smite him, whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. Now, why in the world was Saul so anxious to put David to death? Well, he said, "Jonathan, you'll never be king as long as he's alive. He must be killed." Wow.
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Now, the same attitude was exhibited by Jeroboam, who happened to be the first king of Israel, in 1 Kings chapter 12. Because it was Jeroboam who said in his heart, once he was established, "now shall the kingdom return unto Rehoboam, if this people go down to Jerusalem and worship, and they shall slay me. What am I going to do?" Oh, he took counsel and made him two calves of gold, put one in Dan and one in Bethel, and said, "These be thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee up out of Egypt." Jeroboam did not care anything about God. He did not care anything about truth. He did not care anything about his people. All he wanted was to maintain his power, his kingdom, and his rule.
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Now, I want you to see how prevalent this is. I want you to hold 1 Samuel, but turn in your Bibles, if you would, to John chapter 11. Look in John chapter 11. And let's begin reading there with verse 47. John chapter 11 and verse 47. John 11, verse 47.
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Now, our Lord has been healing many people. And the Bible says this, and this is after he raised Lazarus from the dead. "Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees of counsel and said, What do we? For this man doeth many miracles." What are we going to do?
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Now, look what they say. "If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him. And the Romans shall come and take away both our place and our nation. And one of them named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, You know nothing at all, nor consider it that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people and the whole nation perish not."
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I'm going to stop right there. Caiaphas spoke this prophetically, yet he did not necessarily mean it prophetically. But what Caiaphas was saying is this. We need to get rid of him. Why do we need to get rid of Jesus Christ? Well, go back and look, if you would, please, at verse 48. "If we let Him thus alone, all men will believe on Him, and the Romans shall come and take away both our place," that is, our station in life, our power, "and our nation."
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In other words, we'll lose everything. So, here's an innocent man, the Lord Jesus Christ. He just needs to be sacrificed. He needs to be killed in order that we can maintain our power base. So you have to understand that a tyrant is only interested in his power, his position and his control. And all tyrants place themselves above everyone else. And they believe that everyone else is at their disposal because they're the only ones that count. So a tyrant not only has no care for God and His Word, he's only concerned, number two, about his power and his rule. Here's the third mark. The third mark of a tyrant is a willingness to distort facts and reality for his own benefit.
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Now, I want you to look in 1 Samuel chapter 22. I wish I had time to read this entire chapter for you, but I will take a few verses at the time. But this is showing you again. A tyrant. Notice, 1 Samuel 22, verse 7. "And Saul said to his servants that stood about him, Hear now, you Benjamites, will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds."
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"That all of you have conspired against me. And there is none that showeth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse. And there is none of you that is sorry for me, or showeth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me to lie in wait, as it is this day."
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Now in verse 7, Saul, who was a Benjamite himself, talks to these other Benjamites and he says, "Do you think David's going to make you all captains of thousands, captains of hundreds? You think he's going to give you 40 acres and a mule? You think he's going to do all this for you? He's not going to do any more for you than I'm doing. I'm your own flesh and blood." Now, if Saul had a race card, he would have played it. But he didn't have a race card, but he did have a pity card. And here's what he says.
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He lays it on thick. He plays this pity card and he says, "Nobody loves me. Nobody appreciates me. No one is sorry for me. No one is going to give me information. Why is everybody against me?" I don't think that's so strange. We hear that all the time today. Everybody playing a pity card and "I want what I want and I want it right now." Wow. Isn't this interesting?
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He said, "Why hasn't anybody told me that my own son has entered into a league with David?" Now, it seems like we just read in 1 Samuel chapter 20 there, where Saul threw a javelin at his own son because of the covenant that he had made with David. And if you look back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 18, look if you would, in 1 Samuel 17, David kills Goliath.
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He cuts his head off. He brings it to Saul. Watch if you would in verse 1, "And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul," that is, David had made an end of speaking to King Saul, "that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." Now watch, "And Saul took him that day, and would let him no more go home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David and his garments, even to his sword and his bow and his girdle." All in front of Saul. Saul already knew about this covenant.
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And when you get to 1 Samuel chapter 22, he's saying, "Nobody told me. I'm the last one to find things out. Why didn't somebody tell me?" Really? And then he said, "My own son has stirred up my own servant against me." Jonathan didn't stir David up. And David was not even against Saul. Why was David running to begin with? Because he didn't want to fight Saul. And when God twice, sovereignly, providentially, delivered Saul into David's hand, David refused to kill him.
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So everything is a total, absolute lie. So what is Saul doing? He's distorting the facts. He's distorting reality. Here's a principle that you need to learn. You need to understand this. Mark this down right now. Listen carefully, there's a vast difference between facts and the interpretation of facts. You see, everyone interprets facts. And everyone interprets facts from their own perspective. I've counseled married couples for years, and I've had a husband and wife sitting in front of me.
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And I say, "Sir, would you please tell me what the problem is?" And he tells me. And I look at the lady and I said, "Ma'am, would you please tell me what the problem is?" And she tells me exactly the opposite of what her husband said.
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Now, which one is lying? And the answer is neither. They're just interpreting the facts from their own perspective. So when you hear someone say, "Well, this is a fact," really, you better check and see if it's a fact or an interpretation of a fact, because Saul was interpreting facts and distorting them for his own benefit. Wow, I don't guess January 6 comes in anybody's mind, does it? I don't guess COVID comes in anybody's mind. Vaccines come to anybody. Distorting of facts. Wow!
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Here's the fourth mark of a tyrant. The fourth mark of a tyrant is his willingness to receive false witness and to shift blame to others for his own failures. His willingness to receive false witness and to shift blame to others for his own failures. So let's begin looking in 1 Samuel chapter 22, with verse 9, watch this. "Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob to Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub. And he," that is Ahimelech, "inquired of the Lord for him," which was a bald-faced lie. "And he inquired of the Lord for him, and gave him vittles," which is the truth, "and gave him the sword of Goliath of Philistine," which is the truth. It was David's anyhow. "Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all of his father's house, the priests that were in Nob, and they all came to the king. And Saul said, Hear now thou son of Ahitub."
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"And he answered, Here am I, my lord. And Saul said to him, Why have you conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread and a sword, and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me to lie in wait at this day? Then Ahimelech answered the king and said, And who is so faithful among all thy services, David? Who is the king's son-in-law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honorable in all thine house? Did I then begin to inquire of God for him?"
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"Be it far from me. Let not the king impute anything to his servant, nor to all the house of thy father, for thy servant knew nothing of all of this, less nor more." And that's the absolute truth. Because when David came to Ahimelech, Ahimelech asked him, "Why are you alone?" And David said, "Well, the king has sent me on a mission and it was urgent and I didn't have time to get my sword or food or anything." And so Ahimelech couldn't know anything other than he's the king's son-in-law.
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And he did give him bread from the show table of showbread, and he did give him Goliath's sword. But did he inquire of God? No, he did not. So here's what is happening. He is now actually accusing Ahimelech of conspiring with David, which he absolutely did not do so. No, not at all. And so Ahimelech and his family and his priesthood and the whole priesthood were entirely and completely innocent in the affair. Even if Ahimelech had been complicit, which he was not, then none of the other priests were involved. None of the other people. So here's the point I want to make right now.
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Truth does not matter to a tyrant. Innocence does not matter to a tyrant. Any false narrative, any bald-faced lie or simple innuendo is enough and will suffice if it allows the tyrant to escape responsibility and put the blame on someone else. So let me say this again. I hope you can add two plus two equals four. And you think about the last two years in this country. And all of the lies that have been told to we, the people, the false narratives that have been given and everything is someone else's fault or our fault. It's never the fault of those who have been elected as leaders. Have you noticed that? But that's a tyrant. Here's the fifth mark of a tyrant.
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I want you to listen. The fifth mark of a tyrant is a willingness to murder. And to do so with ease of conscience. So since we're in 1 Samuel chapter 22, let's begin reading in verse 16. Watch. "And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, and I will let down all thy father's house." What? Not only is Ahimelech innocent, what's his father's house got to do with it if he did inquire of God for David, which he did not. He says, "You're going to die and all your father's house." "And the king said unto the footman that stood about him, Turn and slay the priest of the Lord, because their hand also is with David," which is not true, "and because they knew when he fled and did not show it to me," which is not true. "But the service of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priest of the Lord. Then the king said to Doeg, Turn thou and fall upon the priest of the priest. And Doeg the Edomite turned."
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Now watch. "And he fell upon the priest and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear the linen ephod." He murdered eighty-five priests. That's not all. Hang on. "And Nob, the city of the priests, smote him with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen and asses, and sheep with the edge of the sword." Wow! He not only murdered 85 priests, he murdered the women, the children, the animals, he murdered everyone and everything.
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At least the Israelite soldiers had a little conscience. Because when Saul said, "Turn and fall upon the priests," they did not do so. They said, "We're not going to murder these priests." But then there's Doeg, the Edomite. Let me tell you something. When a tyrant is raging and people with conscience refuse to obey wicked and vain commands, there will always be a Doeg who will do what the tyrant wishes to ingratiate himself with the kingdom and with the tyrant and with the empire. Wow.
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I hope you're grasping another truth right now. I hope you're grasping what I'm going to call the progression of tyranny. You see how Saul started out in 1 Samuel 15. And then 1 Samuel 20 and 1 Samuel chapter 22. Wow.
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Now I want to get back to our text. I want to give you the sixth mark of a tyrant in 1 Samuel chapter 28. I want you to watch this with me. The sixth mark of a tyrant is that he is willing to usurp the position of God and declare His Word null and void. He started out just denying the Word of God, the commandments of God, and ignoring God, refusing to obey Him. But now He ends up usurping the position of God and declaring God's Word null and void. Look if you would, in 1 Samuel 28, and let's begin reading there with verse 7.
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"Then Saul said unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her and inquire of her. But his servants said, and his servants said unto him, Behold, there's a woman that hath a familiar spirit that endure. And Saul disguised himself and put on another raiment, and he went in two men with him. And they came to the woman by night, and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee. And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits and wizards out of the land."
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"Wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, Is the Lord liveth? There shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up for thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice and spake unto Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? For thou art Saul."
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"And the king said unto her, Be not afraid. For what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth." Now, what has happened so far because of all of Saul's rebellion and wickedness and disobedience, God has cast him off. The Philistines have gathered together for battle. And Saul is anxious. Yea, he is desperate. He does not know what to do. God does not answer him by dreams. God does not answer him by prophets or seers, nobody's talking to him. And God does not answer him by the Urim and the Thummim, which the high priest wore in his vest. And when a question was asked, he'd pull out one and there'd be an answer. But God was just not speaking to Saul. So Saul now is in a state of desperation, and he says, "Seek me out a woman that has a familiar spirit." And they say there's one at Endor. Does anybody remember?
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That movie, a TV show that came on many, many years ago called Bewitched. You remember that? Elizabeth Montgomery, I think, was the woman. Does anybody remember what her mother, who was a witch, was called? What was her name? Endora. Endora, from the Witch of Endor. Yeah, yeah. Now, the woman said, "You're laying a snare for me. Saul has banned us from the land." Let me hasten to say this. Banning these people from the land was unscriptural and unbiblical. How can I say that? Because Exodus 22 verse 18 says, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."
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They were to be executed. They were to be put to death. Had they been put to death, there would have been no witch for this man to go to. But he just simply banned them. He did not execute them. Everybody wants to try to argue over whether or not this woman actually brought up Samuel. And the truth of the matter is, she did not. She could not have.
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She did not have that power to do so. And to show you how absolutely shocked this woman was when Samuel did come, look in verse 12, if you would. 1 Samuel chapter 28. And verse 12, "And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice, and the woman spake to Saul and said, Why dost thou deceive me? For thou art Saul." She wasn't expecting Samuel. She knew she had no power to bring Samuel up, and yet Samuel came up.
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It was when he appeared that truth broke in on her. She knew that she had been set up. Let me show you the point that most people overlook. Everybody wants to argue over whether or not this woman brought up Samuel. Obviously, she did not. But here is the culmination of tyranny. I want you to look at this. Look, if you would, at verses 9 and 10. Watch this.
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This is, to me, just appalling. "And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards out of the land. Wherefore, then, layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? And look what Saul said. And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing." What? What? Pardon me. Did you hear what Saul just said? "As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing." Really?
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Now, let's see, God said "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." Saul may not be going to execute her, but God certainly will execute her. And what did he say? "There shall be no punishment." Here is the tyrant with a tyrannical attitude that believes that he has the power and the authority to subvert and overthrow the judgment and the punishment of God. And he even does so in the name of the Lord: "As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment be unto thee." He swears by God! Wow!
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Did you know that modern day tyrants do exactly the same thing? They seek to promote that which God condemns, and at the same time, they believe that their political and legal acts make void the judgment of God. All you have to do is look at all of the immorality, the wickedness and rebellion that has been legalized and made acceptable, which is against God, against His law and against society.
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I want to show you. Look in your Bibles to Psalm 94. Go, if you would, to Psalm 94. I've given you this verse a number of times, but I want you to see this verse in light of what I am now saying. Look in Psalm 94, verse 20 and 21. In Psalm 94, verse 20, the Bible said, asking this question, "Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee which frameth mischief by a law?" You remember I told you a throne of iniquity, that is, it's a wicked civil government. It's a throne, it's a power, it's authority, but it's a throne of iniquity. Shall it have fellowship with God? No. When that wicked civil government frames mischief by a law, mischief is another word for sin in the Bible. So it says this, "Shall the throne of iniquity, shall a wicked civil government have fellowship with thee which makes sin legal?" Now watch verse 21, "They," who is the they, that is that wicked civil government, "gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous and condemn the innocent blood."
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Modern man, or shall I say rather, fallen man, believes it somehow that sins are not sins if they are declared legal. And since sins have been made legal, "There is therefore now no punishment and no judgment for those sins." Look at abortion. Look at sodomy. Look at all of this that's going on in our land. And it's just like Saul. When Saul said to the woman, "As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing." Just do what I say.
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I can declare that God won't punish you. Wow. Modern man or fallen man thinks and believes that his pronouncements and his legal acts make void the judgment of God. And they wickedly and foolishly believe that somehow that their legal and political acts are the epitome of freedom. And what they mean by freedom is freedom to sin and freedom to escape the punishment that God has demanded for that sin.
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Rushdoony gave a wonderful quote when he said this, "Statism assumes that its law, rather than God's regenerating power, is the principle of freedom. As a result, it legislates against biblical law. The end result is the enslavement of all men." And that is true. That is true.
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Now, let me make just a couple of applications. I want you to look back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 28. And I want you to look at verse 16. Here's another important truth, and especially for tyrants. 1 Samuel chapter 28, verse 16. Saul is telling Samuel, "God won't speak to me." By the way, that's a pretty good principle to understand. God's not going to be directing tyrants. God does not establish tyranny. Tyranny is not a biblical form of government. So look at it in verse 16, he said, "And the Lord hath done to him as he spake by means of verse 17, then said Samuel, Wherefore, then, dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee and is become thine enemy?" God is the enemy of tyrants. He fights against them. He overthrows them. He destroys them. You stop and think of all the judgment that modern day politicians are going to face when God makes bare His arm. Somehow they think they're going to escape, but they're not going to escape.
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Deuteronomy 32 and verse 35, God said, "To me belong vengeance and recompense. Their foot shall slide in due time for the day of their calamity is at hand and the things that come upon them may taste." God said their foot's going to slide. I'm going to take care of it. So mark it down. The tyrant is not going to escape. All of these that have caused the murder of countless numbers of people, not just in America, but in the world, will be held accountable by God. I just read, I hope you did too, but I just read where those young people from 18 to 39 that took the Moderna and Pfizer vaccination, the death rate is up 84%. 84% just among that one group from 18 to 39. I'm just simply saying they're not going to escape. They're not going to get away with it.
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Samuel said that God has become the enemy of Saul and he is thus the enemy of all tyrants. Here's one last quote. Ludwig von Mises from the Mises Institute, the Austrian economist, he said this, "The worship of the state or the worship of government is the worship of force. There is no more dangerous menace to civilization than a government of incompetent, corrupt or vile men. The worst evils which mankind ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments. The state can be, and has often been in the course of history, the main source of mischief and disaster." And I would add, also rebellion to God and evil to man.
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The marks of a tyrant. You do not have to be a single individual reigning and ruling cruelly, oppressively and despotically to be a tyrant. Whenever you begin without God, you're not only going to end up being a tyrant, but you're going to end up with tyranny and the enslavement of mankind. We need to know the marks, and we need to watch. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this day.
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We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And we ask, Father, for Your blessing. May we be awakened by Thy Word. And may we, Father, understand the situation that we're in, and prepare our lives and our hearts. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T00:04:23Z

The Mark of a Tyrant

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver examines the life of King Saul to identify six marks of a tyrant, showing how Saul's rebellion against God progressed from disobedience to outright usurpation of divine authority. The sermon applies these marks to modern political leaders, warning that tyranny begins with rejecting God's Word and ends in judgment.

Introduction: Everyone Bears Marks

Weaver introduces the concept of marks as identifiers, noting that Paul and Jesus bore marks of suffering and that Christians bear a stigma for following Christ.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 28:6-19

"And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said unto him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. And Saul disguised himself, and put on another raiment. And he went in two men with him, and they came to the woman by night. And he said, I pray thee, divine unto me, by thy familiar spirit, and bring me up him whom I shall name unto thee. And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off from those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land." "Wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die. And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, Is the Lord liveth? There shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice, and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why dost thou deceive me? for thou art Saul. And the king said unto her, Be not afraid, for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth." "And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up, he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed himself. And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed, for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams. Therefore, if I call thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? And the Lord hath done to him as he spake by me, for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to David, because thou obeyest not the voice of the Lord, nor executest his fierce wrath upon Amalek. Therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day." "Moreover, the Lord will deliver thee Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me. The Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines."

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 11:23-28

"Are they the ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool. I more. In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often, of the Jews five times received by forty stripes save one, thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I've been in the deep, in journeyings often, in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils of mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, and in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and

Defining Tyranny

Tyranny is defined as oppressive, unrestrained power, often exercised by those who use lawful authority unlawfully.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 7:20

But our Lord gave us some good counsel in Matthew 7, verse 20, when he said this, "Wherefore, by their works you shall know them." Now, when someone thinks of a tyrant, he usually thinks of someone who is cruel and oppressive and someone that has unrestrained power. In fact, if you would take the time to look up the word tyrant and the word tyranny in a dictionary, here's some of the definitions you would come up with. First of all, a tyrant. It says, a sovereign or other ruler who uses power oppressively or unjustly. Here's another definition. Any person in a position of authority who exercises power oppressively or despotically. And then here's the word tyranny, arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power, despotic abuse of authority.

Mark 1: No Regard for God or His Commands

Saul's disobedience in sparing Agag and the best spoil reveals his rejection of God's authority, making him a tyrant.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 15:1-3

"and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox, sheep, camel, and ass."

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 15:1-3

"And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites."

Mark 2: Concerned Only with His Own Rule and Power

Saul's attempts to kill David and his anger at Jonathan show his primary concern is preserving his dynasty.

Mark 3: Willingness to Distort Facts and Reality

Saul falsely accuses his servants and Jonathan of conspiracy, twisting facts to serve his narrative.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 22:7-8

"And Saul said to his servants that stood about him, Hear now, you Benjamites, will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds." "That all of you have conspired against me. And there is none that showeth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse. And there is none of you that is sorry for me, or showeth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me to lie in wait, as it is this day."

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 18:1-4

"And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul,"

that is, David had made an end of speaking to King Saul,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 18:1-4

"that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul."

Now watch,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 18:1-4

"And Saul took him that day, and would let him no more go home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David and his garments, even to his sword and his bow and his girdle."

All in front of Saul. Saul already knew about this covenant.

Mark 4: Willingness to Receive False Witness and Shift Blame

Saul accepts Doeg's false report about Ahimelech and blames the priests for his own failures.

Mark 5: Willingness to Murder with Ease of Conscience

Saul orders the slaughter of 85 priests and the entire city of Nob, demonstrating a tyrant's disregard for innocent life.

Mark 6: Willingness to Usurp God's Position and Nullify His Word

Saul swears by the Lord that the witch of Endor will not be punished, effectively claiming authority to override God's law.

Application: God is the Enemy of Tyrants

Weaver warns that God opposes tyrants and will bring judgment, citing Psalm 94 and Deuteronomy 32.

Conclusion: The Danger of Statism

The sermon closes with a quote from Ludwig von Mises on the menace of bad government and a call to recognize the marks of tyranny.

The Mark of a Tyrant

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	101022163139929
Subject	Covenant Theology
Course	Covenant Theology: Obedience, Disobedience, and National Judgment
Genre	Sermon
Date	2022-10-09
Dictation Name
Book	Book 044: Covenant Theology: Obedience, Disobedience, and National Judgment — Chapter 10
Source Timed Segments	83

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: Everyone Bears Marks: Weaver introduces the concept of marks as identifiers, noting that Paul and Jesus bore marks of suffering and that Christians bear a stigma for following Christ.
Defining Tyranny: Tyranny is defined as oppressive, unrestrained power, often exercised by those who use lawful authority unlawfully.
Mark 1: No Regard for God or His Commands: Saul's disobedience in sparing Agag and the best spoil reveals his rejection of God's authority, making him a tyrant.
Mark 2: Concerned Only with His Own Rule and Power: Saul's attempts to kill David and his anger at Jonathan show his primary concern is preserving his dynasty.
Mark 3: Willingness to Distort Facts and Reality: Saul falsely accuses his servants and Jonathan of conspiracy, twisting facts to serve his narrative.
Mark 4: Willingness to Receive False Witness and Shift Blame: Saul accepts Doeg's false report about Ahimelech and blames the priests for his own failures.
Mark 5: Willingness to Murder with Ease of Conscience: Saul orders the slaughter of 85 priests and the entire city of Nob, demonstrating a tyrant's disregard for innocent life.
Mark 6: Willingness to Usurp God's Position and Nullify His Word: Saul swears by the Lord that the witch of Endor will not be punished, effectively claiming authority to override God's law.
Application: God is the Enemy of Tyrants: Weaver warns that God opposes tyrants and will bring judgment, citing Psalm 94 and Deuteronomy 32.
Conclusion: The Danger of Statism: The sermon closes with a quote from Ludwig von Mises on the menace of bad government and a call to recognize the marks of tyranny.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Disobedience to God is the root of tyranny

Saul's rejection of God's command in 1 Samuel 15 marks the beginning of his tyranny, as disobedience reveals a heart that has turned from God.

Weaver cites 1 Samuel 15:11: 'he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments.'

Tyrants prioritize their own power above all else

Saul's attempts to kill David and his rage at Jonathan demonstrate that a tyrant's primary concern is preserving his dynasty.

Saul says to Jonathan, 'as long as the son of Jesse liveth... thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom' (1 Samuel 20:31).

Tyrants manipulate facts to create false narratives

Saul distorts reality by claiming ignorance of Jonathan's covenant and accusing David of conspiracy, despite evidence to the contrary.

Weaver points out Saul's lie in 1 Samuel 22:8, noting Saul already knew of the covenant from 1 Samuel 18.

Tyrants use scapegoats to evade responsibility

Saul accepts Doeg's false report and blames Ahimelech for his own failures, showing a tyrant's willingness to sacrifice the innocent.

Weaver highlights that Ahimelech was entirely innocent, yet Saul condemned him based on a lie (1 Samuel 22:9-16).

Tyranny progresses to mass murder without conscience

Saul's order to kill 85 priests and the city of Nob reveals the ultimate fruit of tyranny: the destruction of innocent life.

Weaver reads 1 Samuel 22:18-19, emphasizing the slaughter of women, children, and animals.

Tyrants claim authority to override God's law

Saul's oath to the witch of Endor that she will not be punished is a direct usurpation of God's judgment, showing the tyrant's belief in his own supremacy.

Weaver exclaims, 'He swears by God!' and notes Saul's claim that 'there shall no punishment happen to thee' (1 Samuel 28:10).

Modern tyrants mirror Saul's rebellion

Weaver applies the marks to contemporary politicians who legalize sin and believe their laws nullify God's judgment.

He cites Psalm 94:20-21 and mentions abortion and sodomy as examples of legalized sin.

God actively opposes and judges tyrants

Samuel's declaration that God has become Saul's enemy assures that all tyrants will face divine retribution.

Weaver quotes 1 Samuel 28:16 and Deuteronomy 32:35 to affirm God's vengeance.

Scripture References

1 Samuel 28:6-19: The primary text, read at the opening, describing Saul's consultation with the witch of Endor and Samuel's prophecy of judgment.
Galatians 6:17: Paul speaks of bearing 'the marks of the Lord Jesus' in his body, illustrating the concept of marks.
2 Corinthians 11:23-28: Paul lists his sufferings, showing the physical marks he bore for Christ.
John 20:24-28: Thomas's demand to see the print of the nails in Jesus' hands, highlighting the marks of Christ.
John 15:18-20: Jesus warns that the world will hate His followers, indicating the stigma of true Christianity.
Hebrews 13:12-13: Believers are called to go forth bearing Christ's reproach.
Matthew 7:20: Jesus says, 'by their fruits ye shall know them,' applied to identifying tyrants by their works.
1 Samuel 15:1-3: God's command to Saul to utterly destroy Amalek, which Saul disobeys.
1 Samuel 15:15, 20-21: Saul blames the people for sparing the spoil, revealing his disobedience.
1 Samuel 15:17-19: Samuel rebukes Saul for flying upon the spoil and disobeying God.
1 Samuel 15:10-11: God regrets making Saul king because he has turned back from following Him.
1 Samuel 15:26-29: Samuel declares the kingdom torn from Saul and given to a neighbor.
1 Samuel 20:28-33: Saul's anger at Jonathan for defending David, revealing his concern for his dynasty.
1 Kings 12:26-28: Jeroboam's idolatry to secure his kingdom, paralleling Saul's tyranny.
John 11:47-50: The chief priests plot to kill Jesus to preserve their place and nation.
1 Samuel 22:7-8: Saul accuses his servants of conspiracy and plays the victim.
1 Samuel 18:1-4: Jonathan's covenant with David, which Saul later claims ignorance of.
1 Samuel 22:9-16: Doeg's false report and Saul's accusation of Ahimelech.
1 Samuel 22:16-19: Saul orders the slaughter of the priests and the city of Nob.
Psalm 94:20-21: The throne of iniquity frames mischief by law, condemning the innocent.

Historical References

Ludwig von Mises: Weaver quotes the Austrian economist on the danger of bad government: 'The worst evils which mankind ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments.'
Rushdoony: Weaver quotes Rushdoony on statism: 'Statism assumes that its law, rather than God's regenerating power, is the principle of freedom.'
Roman Catholic stigmata: Weaver explains the Roman Catholic concept of stigmata as supernatural marks corresponding to Christ's wounds.
Far Side cartoon: Weaver mentions a cartoon about a deer with a target-shaped birthmark to illustrate physical marks.
Bewitched TV show: Weaver references the character Endora from Bewitched, noting her name derives from the Witch of Endor.
January 6 and COVID-19: Weaver alludes to modern events as examples of distorting facts, mentioning 'January 6' and 'COVID'.
Moderna and Pfizer vaccination death rate: Weaver cites a statistic about increased death rates among young people who took the vaccines.

Important Quotes

I had much rather be a believer and a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and be hated, mocked, ridiculed, despised by the world than to be praised by a wicked, wicked, ungodly world and then be hated by the sovereign God of heaven and earth.

Emphasizes the choice to bear the stigma of Christ rather than seek worldly approval.

A tyrant is an individual who arrogates to himself authority without having the right to that authority. Thus, a tyrant is one who rules without God, apart from God, and views himself as an absolute source of authority.

Defines the core of tyranny as self-derived authority apart from God.

Truth does not matter to a tyrant. Innocence does not matter to a tyrant. Any false narrative, any bald-faced lie or simple innuendo is enough and will suffice if it allows the tyrant to escape responsibility and put the blame on someone else.

Highlights the tyrant's disregard for truth and willingness to scapegoat.

When a tyrant is raging and people with conscience refuse to obey wicked and vain commands, there will always be a Doeg who will do what the tyrant wishes to ingratiate himself with the kingdom and with the tyrant and with the empire.

Warns that tyrants find willing executioners among the unscrupulous.

As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.

Saul's blasphemous oath, claiming authority to nullify God's judgment.

Modern man, or shall I say rather, fallen man, believes it somehow that sins are not sins if they are declared legal.

Applies Saul's error to contemporary legalization of sin.

The worship of the state or the worship of government is the worship of force. There is no more dangerous menace to civilization than a government of incompetent, corrupt or vile men.

Quotes Ludwig von Mises to underscore the danger of statism.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does Saul's progression from disobedience to outright usurpation of God's authority illustrate the nature of tyranny?

[Context]

Weaver traces Saul's decline from 1 Samuel 15 to 28, showing how small compromises lead to greater evil.

[Question]

In what ways do modern politicians exhibit the marks of a tyrant described in this sermon?

[Context]

Weaver applies the marks to contemporary issues like legalized sin and distortion of facts.

[Question]

What does it mean for a Christian to bear the 'stigma' of following Christ in today's culture?

[Context]

Weaver discusses the stigma of biblical Christianity and the world's hatred.

[Question]

How should believers respond when civil authorities frame 'mischief by a law' (Psalm 94:20)?

[Context]

Weaver cites Psalm 94 to show that wicked governments legalize sin.

[Question]

Why is it significant that Saul swore 'by the Lord' when promising the witch no punishment?

[Context]

Weaver highlights this as the ultimate act of tyranny, using God's name to defy God's law.

[Question]

What lessons can we learn from the fact that God became Saul's enemy?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that God actively opposes tyrants and will bring judgment.

[Question]

How does the example of Doeg illustrate the danger of those who enable tyrants?

[Context]

Weaver notes that when people of conscience refuse, there will always be a Doeg to carry out evil.

Applications

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