“Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were shaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him. ‘What have you done?’ asked Samuel.”
1 Samuel 13:7-11
If Saul had an “Achilles Heel” it was very possibly his supreme confidence in his decision-making ability. After all, he lost his kingdom because of two decisions that he thought wise but...God thought otherwise.
The first one was his decision to make an unauthorized offering to God, before battle, rather than wait for Samuel to arrive and make the offering himself. Samuel’s response was swift and severe. “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” (Vss 13,14)
And Saul’s response?
‘I thought...”
These self-generated “thoughts” are tyrannical. We revel in their wisdom and marvel at their clarity. They become addicting. Most of us just can’t give them up
The next incident was after Saul’s conquest of the Amalekites. Samuel had commanded Saul, to attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belonged to them. He was told not spare anything...including the livestock. Why? I don’t know. Neither did Saul. So Saul spared the Amalekite king (Agag) and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. But...they totally destroyed everything that was flawed.
Early the next morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul. When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.”
But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?” Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.”
“Enough!” Samuel said to Saul. The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people and all their possessions”. Why did you not obey the Lord?
And Saul’s response?
“But I did obey the Lord...”
When we become captive to those self-generated “thoughts” that induce awe for our wisdom and clarity it’s only a matter of time before our judgement is clouded and disobedience begins to look like obedience.
Samuel said. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” The Lord said “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.”
It broke Samuel’s heart and reduced him to tears. After that day he never saw Saul again.
Now...to be sure...Saul was not a bad man. In fact, we are told in 1 Samuel 10:9ff after his coronation, “As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day. When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying. When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”
Even after Samuel’s rebuke over Saul’s disobedience with the Amalekites, Saul said “I have sinned...please forgive me!” He and Samuel went together and worshipped the Lord.
We all have a bit of Saul in us. We hear the Lord say something and we have a better idea. Samuel has an answer for us; “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice.” Failure to obey carries weighty consequences. We can repent, we can ask forgiveness and we can continue to worship God but...some of the opportunities God has laid before us may disappear forever.
And...Samuel mourned for Saul...
Micah 6:8 says “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” May I suggest to all believers who are living in the splendor of God’s merciful benefits...they are not ours. They are God’s. The only thing that allows us to enjoy those continued blessings is our obedience...not our brilliant ideas about how best to capitalize or monetize them.
God will not change our destination. But He May very well reroute us. What a tragedy.
Live boldly out there today...
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