I have always been troubled by this passage. The reason is simple, I don't understand what Saul did that was so wrong. As you read through the Old Testament its like a who's who of sinners carrying out wickedness. Cain kills his brother, Jacob steals the inheritance, the judges do unspeakable acts of violence, and here's Saul, who offers a sacrifice to God. It's the kind of thing you could easily miss. From my perspective I almost have to go back and find the problem that caused God to call David in place of Saul.
Was Saul's action really that bad?! And here lies the trouble for me. You see, in my supposed wisdom I categorize sin and consider some things worse than others. Saul's act might have been mistrusting, but certainly God's chosen ones have done much worse. This passage is trouble for me because it unmasks my wrong assumptions about God; that He and I naturally see eye to eye. That I know as well as He does what is good and evil. This is what the world around us tempts us toward regularly. To make God in our own image and to separate ourselves from the "truly evil". And so God speaks to me and to you in this passage, reminding us that no rebellion on our part is too small to require judgment. This is a hard word and it drives us to God's other Word. The Word that is necessary because no rebellion on our part is too small to require forgiveness.
The whole thing about Saul versus David, is that God was looking for a King who would follow after his (God's) heart. Saul continually is trying to find ways to follow God, but doing it Saul's way. God says "Follow me", but Saul seems to think he gets a vote in how things should be done. For me this is an important reminder to seek the will of God in all things, not just when I have a question. Frequently when I am most sure of myself is when I have gone farthest from God.
ReplyDeleteDan Perling
With Saul it was always about what he would do, never about what God wanted. When God contrasts David with Saul as a man after God's own heart it doesn't mean that David never did wrong, but he looked for God's will first before taking action.
ReplyDeleteSo when God's prophet told Saul to wait for the sacrifice, Saul went ahead. When God's prophet told David to wait on building the temple, David waited.
Dan Perling
In 1 Samuel 13, I see my own struggle with obedience in Saul as he disobeys God's Law, disqualifying himself from being God's representative to the Israelites. God wants servants who will obey. Only then can He communicate through them to His people. As for me... I thank God for the Resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Try as I may, try as I might… I fall terribly short of being the obedient servant.
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