Saul: The Fall of a King
1 Samuel 13:8-15
For the past two weeks, we’ve been working through this idea of what God requires when he calls someone to either be a leader or calls someone to follow him. And it’s simple. It’s literally a broken and humble spirit and heart before him. I think that’s what God requires. He wants our hearts.
Last week, we took a journey through 1 Samuel, Chapters 8-12. And our goal was to allow God’s Word to drive our understanding, our perspectives, and our information gathering specifically related to God choosing the first physical king for the Nation of Israel.
Now, remember that the Nation of Israel were the ones who wanted a physical king and literally chose to replace God as their King with a human King. A man who most assuredly would ultimately be unfaithful to the Nation of Israel and would take advantage of them, their land, their children, and not have their best interest in mind.
But remember that the Nation of Israel didn’t care about all this. They wanted to be like the other nations around them. And so, God allowed the Nation of Israel to have a physical king, but God continually warned them through Samuel, the prophet at the time, that what they were wanting was completely contrary to what he had for them. This was not a good thing, but God told Samuel, “I will select the future king, and you will know him when you see him (remember he was the most handsome and tallest man in the land), and I will be with him, and I will prepare him to be king.”
So, what we saw last week was God doing just that. God chose and prepared Saul. God anointed Saul through Samuel. God gave Saul victory over his enemies, and the Nation of Israel rejoiced.
We purposefully left off on a high note. What we know about Saul leading up to this morning based on what scripture told us last week was that Saul had all the appearances of being a good king. Saul seemed to have a broken and humble heart before the Lord. He seemed to be obedient, and he seemed to listen to God.
But remember this, God specifically told the Nation of Israel that if they would fear him and serve him in truth with all their heart, consider all the great things he had done for them, and flee from wickedness, then both the nation and the king would prosper. But, if they did not do this, the nation and the king would be swept away.
There are significant implications for the Nation of Israel and Saul should their hearts turn away from seeking God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. The same could be said for us this morning.
We’ll be in 1 Samuel 13, verses 8-15, this morning. I would encourage you in your personal time to read 1 Samuel Chapter 15 and see how Saul continued to disobey God’s commands. But for today, let me share a little bit of the background leading up to these verses we are looking at this morning.
What has basically happened before we get to these verses is Saul has taken three thousand choice soldiers of the men of Israel and has divided them between himself and his son Jonathan.
Now, after Jonathan receives a thousand soldiers given to him by his father and by his father’s command, Jonathan goes and destroys a Philistine garrison. What’s interesting for us to know here is that when Jonathan destroyed this garrison of Philistines, it literally caused the Philistines to rise up. They literally have an increased passion and desire to destroy the Israelites. In response to their garrison being destroyed, they raised and assembled an army.
This army was so numerous that it was compared to the number of grains of sand on the seashore. Their numbers were so immense and frightening that it caused the men of Israel to tremble and be afraid when they looked upon this vast army. Many ran away and sought protection in caves, pits, or anything that would hide them because their fear was so great.
Now, it’s also important to understand that Saul, the King of Israel, is still at Gilgal. It’s important to understand and remember that Gilgal is the same place where the Nation of Israel made Saul their king. It’s the place where the primary sacrifices to God were done by Israel and where Samuel the Prophet visited regularly to make sacrifices to the Lord on behalf of the Nation of Israel. Samuel instructed Saul to wait at Gilgal for his arrival. This is a place of remembrance for the Nation of Israel that God had given them victory, God had established a king. This was a place where they had just a couple of chapters ago been rejoicing and offering sacrifices to God. It’s crazy how quickly their hearts are swayed. (Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?) Victory to fear. Fear to victory.
This is important because what Samuel is doing is testing the character and testing Saul’s trust, obedience, and dependence on the Lord.
I do believe that Samuel was going to make sacrifices and seek God’s direction on behalf of the Nation of Israel in order to understand how to confront the Philistine assault that was getting ready to take place.
Remember that as a result of the destruction of the Philistine garrison by the hand of Jonathan the Philistines became enraged and wanted to destroy Israel. As a result, the Nation of Israel is shaken in fear, and many are trembling. This is the condition most of the Nation of Israel is in, and Saul being the king, would have been under tremendous pressure to lead God’s people as their physical king. But Saul was instructed to wait for Samuel’s arrival for the specific purposes of what I believe would be seeking the Lord and what God would want them to do.
It's important to understand that Samuel is the prophet of the Lord, which is a very specific and important office instituted by God. Saul is the king of the Nation of Israel, their physical king, and in no way a prophet or a priest.
1 Samuel 13:8 (NLT)
7(b) Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear.
8 Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away.
Notice that Saul stays in Gilgal as instructed by Samuel, but the people who are with him at Gilgal, the place where just a few chapters earlier they had made peace offerings and sacrifices to the Lord which resulted in all of the Nation of Israel experiencing joy in God’s deliverance, are now crippled in fear of a group of people who God had given them victory over already. Fear had so crippled many of the people of Israel that they again took their eyes off of their true deliverer – God.
Now, how does Saul respond to his people when he sees their fear crippling them and causing them to literally tremble and shake.
1 Samuel 13:9 (NLT)
9 So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.
The first question I asked myself after reading this verse was, so – what’s the big deal? What was wrong with Saul offering burnt sacrifices and peace offerings to the Lord? Didn’t King David, himself, offer burnt offerings to the Lord in 2 Samuel 24? So, what’s different here with King Saul?
And I think this is the right question to ask based on what we see happening in the next verses which we will read later.
So, for us this morning in answering the question, “What was the big deal, and why was this wrong for Saul to do the offerings himself?” we must remember two things.
1). Samuel is the Lord’s prophet and also a priest. God had chosen Samuel to operate in these roles and legally could offer sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord.
2). Saul’s actions show his impatience, disobedience, and self-centered focus in trying to accomplish what he thought was best. What he wanted. What his agenda and timeline looked like. And most importantly, his actions were a visual act which reflected an increasing heart of disobedience and rebellion against God’s command.
Isn’t it interesting that when we see Saul take matters into his own hands and act in disobedience and rebellion against God’s commands that we actually start to see where Saul’s heart really lies?
Proverbs 27 is well known for verse 17, which says, “As iron sharpens iron so too does a friend with his friend.” But it’s interesting that two verses down we read this about our hearts. “As in water face reflects face, so a person’s heart reveals the person.”
We can learn so much about a person and ourselves when we actively watch and listen to how we/they respond in specific situations, how we/they react in certain circumstances, and how we/they act in obedience or disobedience to what God has instructed. Essentially, our hearts reflect who we are. But wait, aren’t our hearts deceptively wicked above all else? You better believe it!
As I was meditating and chewing on this verse, I was reminded I am drawn to do what is wrong. I just have this natural inclination to do what is wrong. And sometimes I enjoy it. I don’t think I am the only one here in this room who feels that way. And it reminded me that daily – daily – I need to be at the feet of Jesus asking him to create in me a clean heart and restore a right spirit within me. So that when I come to him, when I draw near to him, that I do so out of a heart of obedience and humility.
Why? I think we can answer that question this morning. Why does God want us in that posture? Because he demands our heart. He requires our obedience. Why? Because he literally has what’s best in store for you. Sounds like a pretty good God. The flip side to that is when you’re actively living in disobedience and sin, you’re probably going to get some discipline happening because the Lord corrects and disciplines those whom he loves.
Whenever a message like this focuses on a specific person, it is so easy for us to get caught up in what they’ve done wrong and how they have sinned and how they have disobeyed, and how they have gone against what God has decreed. But what about us? How are we different from Saul or even David? What sets us apart, and how can we spot the difference?
This message was difficult because for the past few weeks, I’ve been really looking at the life of Saul. And the reality is – I’m a Saul, too. There’s a Saul in every single one of us. And what I mean by that is we all have the capacity to be disobedient and rebel against God. It’s just plain and simple. What do we do with that? When you’re hit with that reality, it’s like a sucker punch to the face. What am I supposed to do with that, Lord? It’s not complicated – run to him. Fall at his feet and say, “God, search me. Create in me a clean heart. Renew a right spirit within me so that I might then be able to operate in obedience to you because you’re a good God. You’re a great God, and you love and care for me.”
The difference here between King Saul and King David is this: David sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord after being instructed o do so by the Prophet Gad. Did you notice the difference? David acted in obedience while Saul acted out of disobedience.
I think that’s a really great way for us to gauge where we are at. Are you actively living out in your lives, reacting in situations in a heart of obedience or disobedience? Are you actively seeking in situations and circumstances to do what is right before the Lord? This is universal for all of us. It doesn’t matter what age you are. You can literally stop and ask yourself, “Lord, am I doing what you’ve required? Am I being obedient to what you’ve commanded me to be obedient in? To love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength? And then to love my neighbor as myself? Have you called me to walk in uprightness and righteousness and to keep your laws and commandments and meditate on your Word day and night? Am I actively sitting with you and resting with you and chewing on your Word and allowing it to transform my life?” Why? So that when I go out, and I meet someone, I don’t want to tear their head off. When I go out, and someone cuts me off on the freeway, I don’t want to cuss them out.
Family, I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that we are now seeing the same Saul who once showed such promise, who once showed obedience, who once showed mercy, and who once showed a heart of brokenness and humility before the Lord, beginning to progress down a road of rebellion, disobedience, self-centered, and away from what God had required from Saul and the Nation of Israel – hearts of brokenness and humility who fear the Lord and are obedient to his commands.
But then a question presents itself… How does this happen? How does a person go from having a heart of brokenness and humility and a desire to walk in obedience to God into a person who actively places their own desires, needs, cares, agendas, and ways over and above God’s?
To be honest, family, this doesn’t just happen overnight. It involves specific and conscious decisions to actively rebel against what we know to be true already. We don’t just wake up one morning and decide that we are going to turn our backs on God. But what does happen is we allow daily choices to drive our lives and when we are actively allowing our flesh and sin to dictate our lives, when we take our focus off of our Creator and actively participate in acts of disobedience, we move further and further away from the hand of God.
I love this quote. I heard it from Wes Bentley, who is basically the leader of Far Reaching Ministries, and I may have shared this with you already. But when I heard it, it changed my life, and I probably will say it until the day that I die, and hopefully, I will give him credit every single time. He said “An act of obedience moves the hand of God.” Because it is when we are actively obeying what God has commanded us to do, we see him more clearly. You can see him in your life. You begin to put together the pieces of where he is actively leading you and where he wants you to go.
And so, maybe this morning you’re thinking, I don’t really know what God has for me. I don’t know what’s next for me. I really don’t know. My encouragement to you would be to press into that tension and actively seek God. He might not show you what you’re looking for, but trust me when I say the more that you seek God, the more that he will be found by you. It’s not that he’s lost or wandering – he’s always God. But sometimes we wander, and sometimes we get lost.
But how does this and us relate to what Saul did? It’s not like we are offering sacrifices and burning things to the Lord. Well, I think it’s safe to say that when we are actively allowing our flesh and sin to dictate our lives, our choices and our decisions lead to specific responses toward God-ordained leadership and fellow brothers and sisters.
Look with me now at how Saul responds to Samuel when he is caught in the act of offering sacrifices and burnt offerings.
1 Samuel 13:10-12 (NLT)
10 Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him,
11 but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?”Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle.
12 So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”
Did you notice the posture of Saul and how scripture continues to inform us of where his heart really is at?
Remember, it’s perfectly okay and a must for us to allow scripture to drive us toward understanding what is happening along with the Holy Spirit’s guidance and direction. Family, we can understand God’s Word, and I encourage you to actively study God’s Word. Spend time with him and seek him with all your heart.
It doesn’t take a brain surgeon or a degree to understand the Bible. But it does take patience, time, consistency, commitment, discipline, and humility. Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten your understanding of his Word and to draw you into a deeper and intimate relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. But watch out! You might be surprised at what happens in the process.
Okay, enough with my soapbox. Back to Saul. Did you catch how Saul came out to welcome Samuel? It’s almost as if Saul had no conviction or no sense of the gravity of his disobedience and sin in not waiting for Samuel. Saul seems to have no remorse or repentance for actively disobeying God.
But Samuel immediately understands the gravity of the actions Saul has done, and he immediately calls him out on it by asking a question, “What is it you have done?” Samuel gives Saul an opportunity to explain himself. But what does Saul do instead? He points the blame at three different people.
Saul first accuses the very people he was anointed king over to rule and take care of. He points to their fear and their trembling as the reason why he acted in disobedience. Does this sound like a great leader? Does this sound like a person who generally wants to take care of and to protect, and to serve those God has placed under his care?
Notice next that Saul then puts the blame back onto Samuel and says, “Well, the reason why I had to do what I had to do was because you weren’t even here when you said you would be here.” We don’t know exactly why Samuel was delayed, but what we do know is that Saul did not wait the full seven days. Saul’s inability to recognize his own impatience, disobedience and self-centered focus caused him to lose sight of reality.
Finally, Saul puts the blame onto the Philistines. Now, what I believe Saul was trying to do here was to point out the imminent attack from the Philistines as another reason for him doing what he did. Whiles this was true, Saul forgot that the God of the Nation of Israel, his God, would not only deliver them and had delivered them repeatedly but was faithful, just, and fully capable of destroying the Philistines.
Now, we can really focus in on Saul’s responses here, but what about us? Have there been moments in our lives when we have pointed to someone else as the reason we acted in disobedience? Have there been moments in our lives when someone acted like Saul and accused us for the reasons behind their actions and sin? Have we looked at temporary circumstances and situations as a means to justify our own impatience and acts of disobedience by trying to accomplish what only God is able to accomplish?
The answer will almost always be yes. And this is a reason why we are examining the life of Saul. We have an example of a person who understood what God required from him. God literally told him what he was looking for! A heart of humility and brokenness so wrapped up in obeying God that God would then take care of him and the Nation of Israel. I think it’s safe to say, family, that none of us wants to be like Saul.
Look with me now at what happens to Saul…
1 Samuel 13:13-14 (NLT)
13 “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.
14 But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
Do you remember the command given to Saul and the Nation of Israel? It was to fear the Lord and to serve him in truth with all their hearts and to consider the great things that he had done for both Saul and Israel. When God speaks, he is clear. When God commands, it is clear. When God does both – it is for our good.
As we end this morning, the simple truth is this – God requires a broken and humble heart before him. God desired the hearts, the minds, the devotion, the worship, and the praise from Saul and the Nation of Israel.
The same is true for us this morning. God requires hearts that are broken and humble before him. Lives that are surrendered to the one who is worthy of our hearts.
I'd like you to take some time to really reflect on where your heart is this morning. Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and point out areas in your lives you have yet to surrender over to him. God is so good – he wants all of you!
Last week, we took a journey through 1 Samuel, Chapters 8-12. And our goal was to allow God’s Word to drive our understanding, our perspectives, and our information gathering specifically related to God choosing the first physical king for the Nation of Israel.
Now, remember that the Nation of Israel were the ones who wanted a physical king and literally chose to replace God as their King with a human King. A man who most assuredly would ultimately be unfaithful to the Nation of Israel and would take advantage of them, their land, their children, and not have their best interest in mind.
But remember that the Nation of Israel didn’t care about all this. They wanted to be like the other nations around them. And so, God allowed the Nation of Israel to have a physical king, but God continually warned them through Samuel, the prophet at the time, that what they were wanting was completely contrary to what he had for them. This was not a good thing, but God told Samuel, “I will select the future king, and you will know him when you see him (remember he was the most handsome and tallest man in the land), and I will be with him, and I will prepare him to be king.”
So, what we saw last week was God doing just that. God chose and prepared Saul. God anointed Saul through Samuel. God gave Saul victory over his enemies, and the Nation of Israel rejoiced.
We purposefully left off on a high note. What we know about Saul leading up to this morning based on what scripture told us last week was that Saul had all the appearances of being a good king. Saul seemed to have a broken and humble heart before the Lord. He seemed to be obedient, and he seemed to listen to God.
But remember this, God specifically told the Nation of Israel that if they would fear him and serve him in truth with all their heart, consider all the great things he had done for them, and flee from wickedness, then both the nation and the king would prosper. But, if they did not do this, the nation and the king would be swept away.
There are significant implications for the Nation of Israel and Saul should their hearts turn away from seeking God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. The same could be said for us this morning.
We’ll be in 1 Samuel 13, verses 8-15, this morning. I would encourage you in your personal time to read 1 Samuel Chapter 15 and see how Saul continued to disobey God’s commands. But for today, let me share a little bit of the background leading up to these verses we are looking at this morning.
What has basically happened before we get to these verses is Saul has taken three thousand choice soldiers of the men of Israel and has divided them between himself and his son Jonathan.
Now, after Jonathan receives a thousand soldiers given to him by his father and by his father’s command, Jonathan goes and destroys a Philistine garrison. What’s interesting for us to know here is that when Jonathan destroyed this garrison of Philistines, it literally caused the Philistines to rise up. They literally have an increased passion and desire to destroy the Israelites. In response to their garrison being destroyed, they raised and assembled an army.
This army was so numerous that it was compared to the number of grains of sand on the seashore. Their numbers were so immense and frightening that it caused the men of Israel to tremble and be afraid when they looked upon this vast army. Many ran away and sought protection in caves, pits, or anything that would hide them because their fear was so great.
Now, it’s also important to understand that Saul, the King of Israel, is still at Gilgal. It’s important to understand and remember that Gilgal is the same place where the Nation of Israel made Saul their king. It’s the place where the primary sacrifices to God were done by Israel and where Samuel the Prophet visited regularly to make sacrifices to the Lord on behalf of the Nation of Israel. Samuel instructed Saul to wait at Gilgal for his arrival. This is a place of remembrance for the Nation of Israel that God had given them victory, God had established a king. This was a place where they had just a couple of chapters ago been rejoicing and offering sacrifices to God. It’s crazy how quickly their hearts are swayed. (Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?) Victory to fear. Fear to victory.
This is important because what Samuel is doing is testing the character and testing Saul’s trust, obedience, and dependence on the Lord.
I do believe that Samuel was going to make sacrifices and seek God’s direction on behalf of the Nation of Israel in order to understand how to confront the Philistine assault that was getting ready to take place.
Remember that as a result of the destruction of the Philistine garrison by the hand of Jonathan the Philistines became enraged and wanted to destroy Israel. As a result, the Nation of Israel is shaken in fear, and many are trembling. This is the condition most of the Nation of Israel is in, and Saul being the king, would have been under tremendous pressure to lead God’s people as their physical king. But Saul was instructed to wait for Samuel’s arrival for the specific purposes of what I believe would be seeking the Lord and what God would want them to do.
It's important to understand that Samuel is the prophet of the Lord, which is a very specific and important office instituted by God. Saul is the king of the Nation of Israel, their physical king, and in no way a prophet or a priest.
1 Samuel 13:8 (NLT)
7(b) Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear.
8 Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away.
Notice that Saul stays in Gilgal as instructed by Samuel, but the people who are with him at Gilgal, the place where just a few chapters earlier they had made peace offerings and sacrifices to the Lord which resulted in all of the Nation of Israel experiencing joy in God’s deliverance, are now crippled in fear of a group of people who God had given them victory over already. Fear had so crippled many of the people of Israel that they again took their eyes off of their true deliverer – God.
Now, how does Saul respond to his people when he sees their fear crippling them and causing them to literally tremble and shake.
1 Samuel 13:9 (NLT)
9 So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.
The first question I asked myself after reading this verse was, so – what’s the big deal? What was wrong with Saul offering burnt sacrifices and peace offerings to the Lord? Didn’t King David, himself, offer burnt offerings to the Lord in 2 Samuel 24? So, what’s different here with King Saul?
And I think this is the right question to ask based on what we see happening in the next verses which we will read later.
So, for us this morning in answering the question, “What was the big deal, and why was this wrong for Saul to do the offerings himself?” we must remember two things.
1). Samuel is the Lord’s prophet and also a priest. God had chosen Samuel to operate in these roles and legally could offer sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord.
2). Saul’s actions show his impatience, disobedience, and self-centered focus in trying to accomplish what he thought was best. What he wanted. What his agenda and timeline looked like. And most importantly, his actions were a visual act which reflected an increasing heart of disobedience and rebellion against God’s command.
Isn’t it interesting that when we see Saul take matters into his own hands and act in disobedience and rebellion against God’s commands that we actually start to see where Saul’s heart really lies?
Proverbs 27 is well known for verse 17, which says, “As iron sharpens iron so too does a friend with his friend.” But it’s interesting that two verses down we read this about our hearts. “As in water face reflects face, so a person’s heart reveals the person.”
We can learn so much about a person and ourselves when we actively watch and listen to how we/they respond in specific situations, how we/they react in certain circumstances, and how we/they act in obedience or disobedience to what God has instructed. Essentially, our hearts reflect who we are. But wait, aren’t our hearts deceptively wicked above all else? You better believe it!
As I was meditating and chewing on this verse, I was reminded I am drawn to do what is wrong. I just have this natural inclination to do what is wrong. And sometimes I enjoy it. I don’t think I am the only one here in this room who feels that way. And it reminded me that daily – daily – I need to be at the feet of Jesus asking him to create in me a clean heart and restore a right spirit within me. So that when I come to him, when I draw near to him, that I do so out of a heart of obedience and humility.
Why? I think we can answer that question this morning. Why does God want us in that posture? Because he demands our heart. He requires our obedience. Why? Because he literally has what’s best in store for you. Sounds like a pretty good God. The flip side to that is when you’re actively living in disobedience and sin, you’re probably going to get some discipline happening because the Lord corrects and disciplines those whom he loves.
Whenever a message like this focuses on a specific person, it is so easy for us to get caught up in what they’ve done wrong and how they have sinned and how they have disobeyed, and how they have gone against what God has decreed. But what about us? How are we different from Saul or even David? What sets us apart, and how can we spot the difference?
This message was difficult because for the past few weeks, I’ve been really looking at the life of Saul. And the reality is – I’m a Saul, too. There’s a Saul in every single one of us. And what I mean by that is we all have the capacity to be disobedient and rebel against God. It’s just plain and simple. What do we do with that? When you’re hit with that reality, it’s like a sucker punch to the face. What am I supposed to do with that, Lord? It’s not complicated – run to him. Fall at his feet and say, “God, search me. Create in me a clean heart. Renew a right spirit within me so that I might then be able to operate in obedience to you because you’re a good God. You’re a great God, and you love and care for me.”
The difference here between King Saul and King David is this: David sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord after being instructed o do so by the Prophet Gad. Did you notice the difference? David acted in obedience while Saul acted out of disobedience.
I think that’s a really great way for us to gauge where we are at. Are you actively living out in your lives, reacting in situations in a heart of obedience or disobedience? Are you actively seeking in situations and circumstances to do what is right before the Lord? This is universal for all of us. It doesn’t matter what age you are. You can literally stop and ask yourself, “Lord, am I doing what you’ve required? Am I being obedient to what you’ve commanded me to be obedient in? To love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength? And then to love my neighbor as myself? Have you called me to walk in uprightness and righteousness and to keep your laws and commandments and meditate on your Word day and night? Am I actively sitting with you and resting with you and chewing on your Word and allowing it to transform my life?” Why? So that when I go out, and I meet someone, I don’t want to tear their head off. When I go out, and someone cuts me off on the freeway, I don’t want to cuss them out.
Family, I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that we are now seeing the same Saul who once showed such promise, who once showed obedience, who once showed mercy, and who once showed a heart of brokenness and humility before the Lord, beginning to progress down a road of rebellion, disobedience, self-centered, and away from what God had required from Saul and the Nation of Israel – hearts of brokenness and humility who fear the Lord and are obedient to his commands.
But then a question presents itself… How does this happen? How does a person go from having a heart of brokenness and humility and a desire to walk in obedience to God into a person who actively places their own desires, needs, cares, agendas, and ways over and above God’s?
To be honest, family, this doesn’t just happen overnight. It involves specific and conscious decisions to actively rebel against what we know to be true already. We don’t just wake up one morning and decide that we are going to turn our backs on God. But what does happen is we allow daily choices to drive our lives and when we are actively allowing our flesh and sin to dictate our lives, when we take our focus off of our Creator and actively participate in acts of disobedience, we move further and further away from the hand of God.
I love this quote. I heard it from Wes Bentley, who is basically the leader of Far Reaching Ministries, and I may have shared this with you already. But when I heard it, it changed my life, and I probably will say it until the day that I die, and hopefully, I will give him credit every single time. He said “An act of obedience moves the hand of God.” Because it is when we are actively obeying what God has commanded us to do, we see him more clearly. You can see him in your life. You begin to put together the pieces of where he is actively leading you and where he wants you to go.
And so, maybe this morning you’re thinking, I don’t really know what God has for me. I don’t know what’s next for me. I really don’t know. My encouragement to you would be to press into that tension and actively seek God. He might not show you what you’re looking for, but trust me when I say the more that you seek God, the more that he will be found by you. It’s not that he’s lost or wandering – he’s always God. But sometimes we wander, and sometimes we get lost.
But how does this and us relate to what Saul did? It’s not like we are offering sacrifices and burning things to the Lord. Well, I think it’s safe to say that when we are actively allowing our flesh and sin to dictate our lives, our choices and our decisions lead to specific responses toward God-ordained leadership and fellow brothers and sisters.
Look with me now at how Saul responds to Samuel when he is caught in the act of offering sacrifices and burnt offerings.
1 Samuel 13:10-12 (NLT)
10 Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him,
11 but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?”Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle.
12 So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”
Did you notice the posture of Saul and how scripture continues to inform us of where his heart really is at?
Remember, it’s perfectly okay and a must for us to allow scripture to drive us toward understanding what is happening along with the Holy Spirit’s guidance and direction. Family, we can understand God’s Word, and I encourage you to actively study God’s Word. Spend time with him and seek him with all your heart.
It doesn’t take a brain surgeon or a degree to understand the Bible. But it does take patience, time, consistency, commitment, discipline, and humility. Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten your understanding of his Word and to draw you into a deeper and intimate relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. But watch out! You might be surprised at what happens in the process.
Okay, enough with my soapbox. Back to Saul. Did you catch how Saul came out to welcome Samuel? It’s almost as if Saul had no conviction or no sense of the gravity of his disobedience and sin in not waiting for Samuel. Saul seems to have no remorse or repentance for actively disobeying God.
But Samuel immediately understands the gravity of the actions Saul has done, and he immediately calls him out on it by asking a question, “What is it you have done?” Samuel gives Saul an opportunity to explain himself. But what does Saul do instead? He points the blame at three different people.
Saul first accuses the very people he was anointed king over to rule and take care of. He points to their fear and their trembling as the reason why he acted in disobedience. Does this sound like a great leader? Does this sound like a person who generally wants to take care of and to protect, and to serve those God has placed under his care?
Notice next that Saul then puts the blame back onto Samuel and says, “Well, the reason why I had to do what I had to do was because you weren’t even here when you said you would be here.” We don’t know exactly why Samuel was delayed, but what we do know is that Saul did not wait the full seven days. Saul’s inability to recognize his own impatience, disobedience and self-centered focus caused him to lose sight of reality.
Finally, Saul puts the blame onto the Philistines. Now, what I believe Saul was trying to do here was to point out the imminent attack from the Philistines as another reason for him doing what he did. Whiles this was true, Saul forgot that the God of the Nation of Israel, his God, would not only deliver them and had delivered them repeatedly but was faithful, just, and fully capable of destroying the Philistines.
Now, we can really focus in on Saul’s responses here, but what about us? Have there been moments in our lives when we have pointed to someone else as the reason we acted in disobedience? Have there been moments in our lives when someone acted like Saul and accused us for the reasons behind their actions and sin? Have we looked at temporary circumstances and situations as a means to justify our own impatience and acts of disobedience by trying to accomplish what only God is able to accomplish?
The answer will almost always be yes. And this is a reason why we are examining the life of Saul. We have an example of a person who understood what God required from him. God literally told him what he was looking for! A heart of humility and brokenness so wrapped up in obeying God that God would then take care of him and the Nation of Israel. I think it’s safe to say, family, that none of us wants to be like Saul.
Look with me now at what happens to Saul…
1 Samuel 13:13-14 (NLT)
13 “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.
14 But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
Do you remember the command given to Saul and the Nation of Israel? It was to fear the Lord and to serve him in truth with all their hearts and to consider the great things that he had done for both Saul and Israel. When God speaks, he is clear. When God commands, it is clear. When God does both – it is for our good.
As we end this morning, the simple truth is this – God requires a broken and humble heart before him. God desired the hearts, the minds, the devotion, the worship, and the praise from Saul and the Nation of Israel.
The same is true for us this morning. God requires hearts that are broken and humble before him. Lives that are surrendered to the one who is worthy of our hearts.
I'd like you to take some time to really reflect on where your heart is this morning. Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and point out areas in your lives you have yet to surrender over to him. God is so good – he wants all of you!