Are you a modern day Saul?

I've never taken much time to read past the first couple chapters of 1 Samuel, mostly because I thought the main purpose of the book was to explain Hannah's cry for a child and how the Lord answered.

I have soon learned why this is one of my dad's favorite books of the Bible.

It's full of life long lessons.

Saul was placed as Israel's first king.

But something happened.

Saul was king for many years and then there was a war against the Philistines. Samuel agreed to come and offer sacrifices to seek God's favor on Israel's army, but he didn't arrive soon enough. Saul took it into his own hands to offer the sacrifices himself. When Samuel arrived he asked Saul, "What have you done?" and went on to say later, "You have done foolishly: you have not kept the Commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you: for now would the Lord have established your kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now your kingdom shall not continue: the Lord has sought Him a man after His Own Heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be Captain over His People, because you have not kept that which the Lord commanded you."

You may wonder why offering the sacrifices was such a severe violation that it would even cost Saul his kingdom. God had carefully separated the kingship from the priesthood. Therefore, Saul went against God's command. He was rebellious. God wanted the Israelites to always seek Him through the priests who descended from Aaron, who God had chosen as Israel's first high priest.

Saul was likely influenced by kings surrounding his nation, as they did not do as God said. Saul decided to take his role as king and the priests role on himself which was contrary to God's design for the nation. It all went downhill from there.

To have a life that remains true to God we must have a changed heart, but it's apparently not sufficient when we go against God's Word and Commands.

What I learned from Saul is that we can not put our trust in people or ourselves. And we most definitely cannot go against God. Even though his army was fearful of the war they were in, they should have ran to God instead of trying to fix the problem themselves. How often do we try to fix problems on our own and never ask God what He wants us to do? When is the last time you took a matter into your own hands and everything turned out alright? Or like Saul, have you ever trusted yourself over even what God told you to do or said?

Disobedience is a sin of omission. Read James 4:17.

Go ahead, I will wait while you go find your Bible.

Are you living a life full of disobedience?

Has God told you to do something one way, and you have found an easier way out, so you're choosing that path?

If you love someone, you want to please them. You want to honor them. You want to obey them.

Do you live to please, honor and obey God?

This world is FULL of self-loathing thanks to television, social-media, and just good ol' fashion SIN.

Also, just like he was likely influenced by the kings surrounds Israel, we too are influenced by those we are surrounded by. Be very careful who you take advice from and who you look to as a role model.

 

Saul was confident in himself, not in God.

Are you a Saul?


It's a serious question, and I beg that you pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you any areas in your life that you need to give over to Him.