Welcome! We are in the middle of a series called “Broken Vessels,” looking at key people in the Old Testament history and examining their faith and their experiences with God, warts and all. We have seen that each person has had their strengths and weaknesses, their victories and failures, and we have also learned a lot about God; His unchanging nature, His holiness, His wisdom, His goodness, His justice, and His mercy. Some of these attributes were always plainly seen from the very beginning; others, such as His mercy, we only saw glimpses of; but all attributes of God are only seen in their complete fullness in Christ. Given that this is true, it is good to be reminded why we are spending so much time in the Old Testament; it is because, as it says in I Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, correcting, rebuking, and training in righteousness.” And we have focused on people of the Old Testament in part because Hebrews 11 gives examples of people with regards what it means to live by faith, and of course this is something we want to do. And so this week, we begin a two-part “mini”-series on Saul.
Now, Saul is not mentioned in Hebrews 11. And as we talk about his life this week and next, you will see that there is a good reason for this; Saul is not an example of a person whose faith we should imitate. Jesus, who often quoted Old Testament scripture and talked about many of the Old Testament people, never is recorded in the gospels of talking about Saul either. In fact, Saul is only mentioned once in the entire New Testament. It is in the book of Acts, where Paul is giving a history of the Jews in a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. Here is the total of what Paul says:
After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. Then the people asked for a king, and He gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. After removing Saul, he made David their king. – Acts 13:20b-22a
This is not a very flattering description; Saul was the first king, but Paul remembers him as the guy who was removed from office. As I tried to think of a modern analogy, one person I came up with is Richard Nixon, who even today is primarily remembered in the same way. The other thing that strikes me about this short description is that the people asked for a king, and so they got not prophet Saul, or judge Saul, but king Saul. Saul was the first real king of the Israelites.
Now, kings and kingdoms may be things you feel have little real understanding for, given that we live in a land where we elect our leaders. But I would disagree – on some level, all of us, when things seem out of control, tend to wish that someone would come and set things right. Today many people – although they would not admit it – look for that in our government leaders, and specifically in our president.
Now the story of Saul really begins with Samuel in I Samuel 8. Samuel was a “judge” of Israel much like the judges described in the book of Judges. He settled disputes, advised on spiritual matters, and generally encouraged the people to seek after God.
When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel. The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. – I Sam. 8:1-3
The Bible does not say why his sons did not follow after God the way Samuel did. But they didn’t, and their misdeeds became widely known.
So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have." But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. – I Sam. 8:4-6
Samuel prayed. I am sure there was much pain in this prayer; how hard it is for any parent to come to God in prayer because of the failure of your children! This had to be especially hard for Samuel because not only was he dealing with this very personal issue; it also now had severe ramifications for the entire nation of Israel.
And the Lord told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do." – I Sam. 8:7-9
Saul went on to describe in detail the bad things that would result from this idolatrous desire for a king. Many people would be forced to serve him, fight in his armies, and tend his fields. He would tax them (in addition to the temple tithe), and he even went on to say that they would become the king’s slaves. He then said,
"When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the Lord will not answer you in that day." But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. The Lord answered, "Listen to them and give them a king." – I Sam. 8:18-22
With this inglorious introduction, we come to Saul.
There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites—a head taller than any of the others. – I Sam. 9:1-2
Now the donkeys belonging to Saul's father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, "Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys." So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them. – I Sam. 9:3-4
When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, "Come, let's go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us." But the servant replied, "Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let's go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take." – I Sam. 9:5-6
So Saul and his servant sought out the “man of God,” and this was the prophet Samuel. Now God had already told Samuel that Saul was coming and would be the man Samuel should anoint to be a leader; through him, God would deliver the people from the Philistines. (God told him the donkeys were already found.)
When they met, after introductions, Samuel asked Saul an interesting question:
"And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and all your father's family?" Saul answered, "But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?" – I Sam. 9:20b-21
This cryptic foreshadowing (cryptic to Saul) reminds me of the foretellings and prophecies of John the Baptist and Jesus in Luke. Samuel went on to treat Saul like a VIP guest; the next day, he got alone with Saul and anointed him with oil, saying that it was really the Lord who had anointed him as leader, as king. Samuel went on to describe what would happen next to Saul: he would receive word that the donkeys were found, he would receive nourishment from people (described in great detail) at Tabor, and then he would go to Gibeah, a Philistine outpost, where he would prophecy with prophets there. He then said,
The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you. – I Sam. 10:6-7
These things happened exactly as Samuel said. To be more specific, we can say that these things happened to Saul as Samuel said. Saul had little choice in the matter; in particular, I do not believe Saul had any choice about the Spirit. These things happened to Saul. But how did Saul feel about them? This had to be quite a lot to take in.
We get an answer when Saul spoke with his uncle. After they talked about the donkeys, the passage says this:
Saul's uncle said, "Tell me what Samuel said to you." Saul replied, "He assured us that the donkeys had been found." But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship. – I Sam. 10:15-16
If you are wondering why Saul did this, if you are wondering what he was thinking, the answer comes when Samuel summoned an assembly that had representatives of all the tribes of Israel. This had to be some time later, and all this time, Saul has not spoken of what Samuel had said. During this meeting, whose purpose was to declare a king, Samuel took some time, narrowing down by tribe, then clan, and finally person: Saul.
Finally Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. So they inquired further of the Lord, "Has the man come here yet?" And the Lord said, "Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage." – I Sam. 10:21-22
The passage goes on to say they brought him and out, and Samuel declared him as the one the Lord had chosen, and then the people shouted long live the king. So Saul didn’t really want to be king; he was afraid. It is a funny scene, and yet it is also not so funny. Saul had known now for some time that he was to be king; he had seen God’s prophecies from Samuel come true, and he had been filled with the Holy Spirit and filled with power. And yet, Saul was afraid, he hadn’t told anyone, and it doesn’t look like he had prayed to God about it in a meaningful way. In fact, in this passage, who inquires of the Lord? Everyone else! And God gave them an answer as to where he was hiding. Saul’s subjects prayed, but Saul wanted to do his own thing.
I Sam. 11 tells of Saul’s first real act as king. The Israelite town of Jabesh was besieged by Ammonites, led by one called Nahash. The Israelites asked for terms of a treaty whereby the Israelites would subject themselves to the Ammonites, but Nahash wasn’t really interested; he told them the terms of the treaty was that he would gouge out the right eye of every one of them. The Israelites asked for a week to “think it over,” and they sent messengers to Saul. Saul was living as he had before, doing farm work, and when he heard the situation, the Spirit of God came on him in power, and he led the Israelites to total victory. They then reaffirmed Saul as king and had a great celebration.
Now the real problem the Israelites had was with the Philistines. The Israelites led an attack on one Philistine outpost, and perhaps, thinking of their easy victory against the Ammonites, expected similar easy success. But the attack stirred up the full wrath of the extremely powerful Philistine empire. Saul sent word for Israelites to gather to fight at Gilgal, but while waiting, the Philistine armies gathered, and they were huge; their soldiers were described as numerous as the sand on the seashore.
When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. - I Sam. 13:6-8
What was happening? Saul’s “standard” army was with him in Gilgal, literally quaking in their boots. Meanwhile, the call to the men of Israel to form an army for the time of need was failing, because the men weren’t even making it to Gilgal. Instead they were hiding wherever they could hide.
Now, when Samuel had told Saul of the things that were going to happen, there was one that had not happened yet. It is described in I Sam. 10:
"Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do."- I Sam. 10:8
These were pretty clear instructions, right? Did Saul remember them? Yes, he did. Did he obey them? No, he didn’t. But before I go on to the passage, make sure you understand. Samuel was speaking on behalf of the Lord. Samuel was the “man of God” that you go to for direction and leading from God Himself. Times could not be any more desperate and in need of God than what they now faced against the Philistines. Samuel said he would “surely” come down and make the offerings and that Saul “must” wait seven days until he came. So what happened?
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. – I Sam. 13:9-11
He made it to the 7th day, but he didn’t make it through the 7th day. Saul had planned to wait, but now he didn’t. Why? Because his men began to scatter. What was Saul really trusting in? His army. His own strength. He was looking at the situation without faith, but from a human perspective. In this, he was unfaithful to God.
"What have you done?" asked Samuel. Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering." - I Sam. 13:11-13
What do you think of Saul’s explanation? Two things strike me: it is filled with excuses, and it is dishonest. The men were scattering. He didn’t come “at the set time.” The Philistines were assembling. The Philistines will come. I have not sought the Lord’s favor. These are all excuses. In addition, they aren’t entirely true. Samuel did come; the day wasn’t over yet. It is just a lie to say that he didn’t come at the set time. And this not seeking the Lord’s favor – this is intellectually dishonest. What is he saying? That he can only seek the Lord with offerings? If this is true, then he should have also known that he could only seek the Lord with Samuel doing the offerings. Besides, he could have sought the Lord simply calling out to him in prayer! I think the truth is that he knew that if he got his soldiers busy with assembling the offerings, he could stop them from leaving. He was using the offering in a way far from how it was ever intended. And the real truth was that he was afraid, and he had no faith in God at this moment of crisis.
"You acted foolishly," 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 leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord's command." – I Sam. 13:13-14
This was clearly a test for Saul, much like the tests God put Abraham through; here, though, Saul failed the test. Saul was not seeking after God’s heart; he was living pragmatically, self-centeredly. Many would say he was acting reasonably, practically, logically. But this is not what God desired of him, and it is not what God desires of us. We are to live by faith; we are to live obediently. Many times obedience and logic, obedience and pragmatism, obedience and practicality go together; but sometimes they don’t. When there is a conflict between these values, between these worldviews, we should choose obedience, we should choose faith. This isn’t easy, but it is the life God rewards. It is the life God can work through to accomplish His purposes in us and for us and through us. The obedient life is what Jesus modeled for us, and if we are to be His disciples, it is how we too should live.
I Samuel 14 explains that there was a bit of a standoff between Saul’s army and the Philistines. Jonathan, Saul’s son, was a man of faith, and he led a two-man exploratory incursion to their territory. He had great success in an attack, and God then made the ground shake and caused the entire Philistine army to panic. They fled, and thus God prevented the rout against the Israelites that, based on numbers, should have certainly happened.
On this same day, Saul had bound the people under a foolish oath; he told the men they could not eat food that day until he had avenged his enemies, or they would be cursed. This caused the soldiers to be very faint, not what you want when fighting for your lives. Jonathan, the hero of the day, did not know this, and he ate some honey. He was told why the soldiers wouldn’t eat, and Jonathan spoke honestly and said that his father had caused needless trouble by doing this. Jonathan was right. Why did this happen? Because Saul was not seeking the Lord for wisdom.
Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive." "Do whatever seems best to you," they replied. But the priest said, "Let us inquire of God here." – I Sam. 14:36
So whose idea was it to ask the Lord what to do next? Saul’s? No. It was a priest who was traveling with them. Once again, Saul works apart from the Lord, doing what he thinks is wise in his own eyes. So the priest asks, but God gives no answer. Saul suspected it was because of “sin in the camp,” and so he drew lots to see who was the cause. It was Jonathan. Jonathan explained he had eaten some honey, and Saul said he needed to die. Saul even swore another foolish oath about this:
Saul said, "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan." – I Sam. 14:44
Who is Saul cursing here, potentially? Himself! And when he said this, the army came to Jonathan’s aid (remember, he was the hero – if it weren’t for his faith and bravery, there might not have been a victory), and because of the army’s support of Jonathan, Saul backed down.
Is this good leadership, any of it? No. And Saul did not further pursue the Philistines, and they went back to their own land. But throughout Saul’s time of being king, there was never peace with the Philistines. Just as God had said, they were a constant problem for Israel.
Samuel said to Saul, "I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'" – I Sam. 15:1-3
And so now we come to one of the saddest chapters in Saul’s life. Saul has shown a pattern of not seeking the Lord, doing things his own way. Look at how Samuel addresses Saul – how formal it is, and how he tries to make it clear that this is important, straight from the Lord, so do it! The command is pretty simple to understand: attack and destroy everything. Totally destroy everything. This is very clear, right?
The first part Saul seemed to get the message with. They went, and since the command didn’t mention Kenites, he warned them and told them to move away from the Amalekites, which they did.
Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, to the east of Egypt. He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed. – I Sam. 15:7-9
So here we go again. Saul didn’t completely obey, not at all. He kept the king alive! He kept all the good animals!
Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: "I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from Me and has not carried out My instructions." Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the Lord all that night. Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, "Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal." – I Sam. 15:10-12
There is so much to say here. First, I am struck by the phrase, “I am grieved.” We can grieve God. Grief is one of the most powerful experiences we can go through. Nearly all of us will experience grief some time in our lives. God can be grieved. One of the consequences of our sin is that we grieve God; we grieve the Holy Spirit.
I am also struck that Samuel is grieved. He cried out to the Lord all night. Sin affects others. It has collateral damage, sometimes damage that to people that we have no idea about. Who wasn’t grieved? Saul! He probably slept just fine that night. This is what sin does.
And so Samuel, operating on little or no sleep, gets up at the crack of dawn to talk to Saul about what the Lord has shown him, and what he hears must have been like a knife to the heart. Saul set up a monument in his own honor! So instead of giving credit to God, where it belongs, he is seeking it for himself. Isn’t this just amazing?
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." – I Sam. 15:13-15
Again, so many details strike me. “The Lord bless you!” People can use “Christianspeak” – they can use all the lingo – but it doesn’t mean that they really seek the Lord or that they live for Him. I have actually tried over the years to not use spiritual sounding words – especially around unbelievers – unless I really mean what I am saying. This kind of talk can really turn off unbelievers – they can tell when it is fake – they have an extra sense that points it out. Some tips: Don’t call something an “answered prayer” unless you were really praying for it. And don’t tell someone you will pray for them unless you will. Be careful with the word “blessing.” Many unbelievers assume with that word that you mean that it is a deserved blessing because of something you have done. Be careful with the word “miracle.” Save it for the real thing.
And how could Saul possibly have the chutzpah to say he had carried out the Lord’s instructions in the presence of all these animals he had kept? Saul’s answer – was it true? I don’t know. Let’s suppose it was. What’s wrong with it? Well, he modified very clear instructions to make them appear better in his own eyes. This is the opposite of being teachable; the opposite of being humble. If you have ever been in a boss-employee relationship as the boss and had people like this under you, you understand how absolutely frustrating it can be. Over the years as a professor I have had my fair share of students like this. Perhaps this is why I have lost my hair – they have made me pull it out in frustration. I love the phrase “we totally destroyed the rest.” Totally destroyed part. Some things truly are black and white. The word “totally” is one of those things. Now, was Saul’s answer true? I don’t think so. What about that part about a monument to himself?
"Stop!" Samuel said to Saul. "Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night." "Tell me," Saul replied. Samuel said, "Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel." – I Sam. 15:16-17
Every parent knows that phrase – “Stop! Just stop talking. I don’t want to hear any more.” And in his response, Samuel tries once more to get Saul to understand that everything Saul has is because of the Lord. The Lord is why he is king. The Lord is why they have had victories. He goes on and asks him why, oh why, didn’t he just simply obey?
"But I did obey the Lord," Saul said. "I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal." – I Sam. 15:20-21
This is so painful for me to read. Saul is not listening to Samuel or himself. “Stop! Just stop talking!”
But Samuel replied: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king." – I Sam. 15:22-23
Rebellion and arrogance – this is what it is to reinterpret Scripture in a way that you like better. This is what it is to selectively obey Scripture that clearly applies to all Christians. This perfectly describes Saul.
Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the Lord's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them. Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord." But Samuel said to him, "I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!" – I Sam. 15:24-26
As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you. He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind." – I Sam. 15:27-29
Saul replied, "I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God." So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord. – I Sam. 15:30-31
Am I just cynical, or does it appear that the real reason for Saul’s request is all about how he appears before the people? This is about appearances. It appears to be a political show – and if so, it is sickening.
Because Saul could not be trusted, Samuel himself had Agag brought before him and killed him. The chapter ends with this:
Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the Lord was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel. – I Sam. 15:34-35
We will continue next week, but I did want to highlight some things that struck me about Saul:
(1) Beware of false humility. Saul’s comments about being nothing when told he would be king, his hiding when being named publically, these are not signs of humility; it’s a form of disobedience: even here, Saul is trying to do things his own way.
(2) Beware of growing pride. Even for Christians, it is very easy to grow in pride. As we get older and are given new responsibilities at work, or put in years in the “parent gig,” we can easily start to grow arrogant or prideful, taking credit for our success. There are temptations along these lines that we simply don’t experience when we are young.
(3) Beware of excuses. This is a tough one for me. Excuses – even when justified – are often just a way to avoid listening to what the other person is saying. It is very hard to listen while you are forming excuses in your mind. And repentance and excuses never go together – they are mutually exclusive.
(4) Beware of putting on false appearances. This is not how we are to function as a body – as it says in Galatians 6:2, Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. You cannot do this if you are not revealing your burdens.
So Saul and his servant sought out the “man of God,” and this was the prophet Samuel. Now God had already told Samuel that Saul was coming and would be the man Samuel should anoint to be a leader; through him, God would deliver the people from the Philistines. (God told him the donkeys were already found.)
When they met, after introductions, Samuel asked Saul an interesting question:
"And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and all your father's family?" Saul answered, "But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?" – I Sam. 9:20b-21
This cryptic foreshadowing (cryptic to Saul) reminds me of the foretellings and prophecies of John the Baptist and Jesus in Luke. Samuel went on to treat Saul like a VIP guest; the next day, he got alone with Saul and anointed him with oil, saying that it was really the Lord who had anointed him as leader, as king. Samuel went on to describe what would happen next to Saul: he would receive word that the donkeys were found, he would receive nourishment from people (described in great detail) at Tabor, and then he would go to Gibeah, a Philistine outpost, where he would prophecy with prophets there. He then said,
The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you. – I Sam. 10:6-7
These things happened exactly as Samuel said. To be more specific, we can say that these things happened to Saul as Samuel said. Saul had little choice in the matter; in particular, I do not believe Saul had any choice about the Spirit. These things happened to Saul. But how did Saul feel about them? This had to be quite a lot to take in.
We get an answer when Saul spoke with his uncle. After they talked about the donkeys, the passage says this:
Saul's uncle said, "Tell me what Samuel said to you." Saul replied, "He assured us that the donkeys had been found." But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship. – I Sam. 10:15-16
If you are wondering why Saul did this, if you are wondering what he was thinking, the answer comes when Samuel summoned an assembly that had representatives of all the tribes of Israel. This had to be some time later, and all this time, Saul has not spoken of what Samuel had said. During this meeting, whose purpose was to declare a king, Samuel took some time, narrowing down by tribe, then clan, and finally person: Saul.
Finally Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. So they inquired further of the Lord, "Has the man come here yet?" And the Lord said, "Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage." – I Sam. 10:21-22
The passage goes on to say they brought him and out, and Samuel declared him as the one the Lord had chosen, and then the people shouted long live the king. So Saul didn’t really want to be king; he was afraid. It is a funny scene, and yet it is also not so funny. Saul had known now for some time that he was to be king; he had seen God’s prophecies from Samuel come true, and he had been filled with the Holy Spirit and filled with power. And yet, Saul was afraid, he hadn’t told anyone, and it doesn’t look like he had prayed to God about it in a meaningful way. In fact, in this passage, who inquires of the Lord? Everyone else! And God gave them an answer as to where he was hiding. Saul’s subjects prayed, but Saul wanted to do his own thing.
I Sam. 11 tells of Saul’s first real act as king. The Israelite town of Jabesh was besieged by Ammonites, led by one called Nahash. The Israelites asked for terms of a treaty whereby the Israelites would subject themselves to the Ammonites, but Nahash wasn’t really interested; he told them the terms of the treaty was that he would gouge out the right eye of every one of them. The Israelites asked for a week to “think it over,” and they sent messengers to Saul. Saul was living as he had before, doing farm work, and when he heard the situation, the Spirit of God came on him in power, and he led the Israelites to total victory. They then reaffirmed Saul as king and had a great celebration.
Now the real problem the Israelites had was with the Philistines. The Israelites led an attack on one Philistine outpost, and perhaps, thinking of their easy victory against the Ammonites, expected similar easy success. But the attack stirred up the full wrath of the extremely powerful Philistine empire. Saul sent word for Israelites to gather to fight at Gilgal, but while waiting, the Philistine armies gathered, and they were huge; their soldiers were described as numerous as the sand on the seashore.
When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. - I Sam. 13:6-8
What was happening? Saul’s “standard” army was with him in Gilgal, literally quaking in their boots. Meanwhile, the call to the men of Israel to form an army for the time of need was failing, because the men weren’t even making it to Gilgal. Instead they were hiding wherever they could hide.
Now, when Samuel had told Saul of the things that were going to happen, there was one that had not happened yet. It is described in I Sam. 10:
"Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do."- I Sam. 10:8
These were pretty clear instructions, right? Did Saul remember them? Yes, he did. Did he obey them? No, he didn’t. But before I go on to the passage, make sure you understand. Samuel was speaking on behalf of the Lord. Samuel was the “man of God” that you go to for direction and leading from God Himself. Times could not be any more desperate and in need of God than what they now faced against the Philistines. Samuel said he would “surely” come down and make the offerings and that Saul “must” wait seven days until he came. So what happened?
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. – I Sam. 13:9-11
He made it to the 7th day, but he didn’t make it through the 7th day. Saul had planned to wait, but now he didn’t. Why? Because his men began to scatter. What was Saul really trusting in? His army. His own strength. He was looking at the situation without faith, but from a human perspective. In this, he was unfaithful to God.
"What have you done?" asked Samuel. Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering." - I Sam. 13:11-13
What do you think of Saul’s explanation? Two things strike me: it is filled with excuses, and it is dishonest. The men were scattering. He didn’t come “at the set time.” The Philistines were assembling. The Philistines will come. I have not sought the Lord’s favor. These are all excuses. In addition, they aren’t entirely true. Samuel did come; the day wasn’t over yet. It is just a lie to say that he didn’t come at the set time. And this not seeking the Lord’s favor – this is intellectually dishonest. What is he saying? That he can only seek the Lord with offerings? If this is true, then he should have also known that he could only seek the Lord with Samuel doing the offerings. Besides, he could have sought the Lord simply calling out to him in prayer! I think the truth is that he knew that if he got his soldiers busy with assembling the offerings, he could stop them from leaving. He was using the offering in a way far from how it was ever intended. And the real truth was that he was afraid, and he had no faith in God at this moment of crisis.
"You acted foolishly," 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 leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord's command." – I Sam. 13:13-14
This was clearly a test for Saul, much like the tests God put Abraham through; here, though, Saul failed the test. Saul was not seeking after God’s heart; he was living pragmatically, self-centeredly. Many would say he was acting reasonably, practically, logically. But this is not what God desired of him, and it is not what God desires of us. We are to live by faith; we are to live obediently. Many times obedience and logic, obedience and pragmatism, obedience and practicality go together; but sometimes they don’t. When there is a conflict between these values, between these worldviews, we should choose obedience, we should choose faith. This isn’t easy, but it is the life God rewards. It is the life God can work through to accomplish His purposes in us and for us and through us. The obedient life is what Jesus modeled for us, and if we are to be His disciples, it is how we too should live.
I Samuel 14 explains that there was a bit of a standoff between Saul’s army and the Philistines. Jonathan, Saul’s son, was a man of faith, and he led a two-man exploratory incursion to their territory. He had great success in an attack, and God then made the ground shake and caused the entire Philistine army to panic. They fled, and thus God prevented the rout against the Israelites that, based on numbers, should have certainly happened.
On this same day, Saul had bound the people under a foolish oath; he told the men they could not eat food that day until he had avenged his enemies, or they would be cursed. This caused the soldiers to be very faint, not what you want when fighting for your lives. Jonathan, the hero of the day, did not know this, and he ate some honey. He was told why the soldiers wouldn’t eat, and Jonathan spoke honestly and said that his father had caused needless trouble by doing this. Jonathan was right. Why did this happen? Because Saul was not seeking the Lord for wisdom.
Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive." "Do whatever seems best to you," they replied. But the priest said, "Let us inquire of God here." – I Sam. 14:36
So whose idea was it to ask the Lord what to do next? Saul’s? No. It was a priest who was traveling with them. Once again, Saul works apart from the Lord, doing what he thinks is wise in his own eyes. So the priest asks, but God gives no answer. Saul suspected it was because of “sin in the camp,” and so he drew lots to see who was the cause. It was Jonathan. Jonathan explained he had eaten some honey, and Saul said he needed to die. Saul even swore another foolish oath about this:
Saul said, "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan." – I Sam. 14:44
Who is Saul cursing here, potentially? Himself! And when he said this, the army came to Jonathan’s aid (remember, he was the hero – if it weren’t for his faith and bravery, there might not have been a victory), and because of the army’s support of Jonathan, Saul backed down.
Is this good leadership, any of it? No. And Saul did not further pursue the Philistines, and they went back to their own land. But throughout Saul’s time of being king, there was never peace with the Philistines. Just as God had said, they were a constant problem for Israel.
Samuel said to Saul, "I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'" – I Sam. 15:1-3
And so now we come to one of the saddest chapters in Saul’s life. Saul has shown a pattern of not seeking the Lord, doing things his own way. Look at how Samuel addresses Saul – how formal it is, and how he tries to make it clear that this is important, straight from the Lord, so do it! The command is pretty simple to understand: attack and destroy everything. Totally destroy everything. This is very clear, right?
The first part Saul seemed to get the message with. They went, and since the command didn’t mention Kenites, he warned them and told them to move away from the Amalekites, which they did.
Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, to the east of Egypt. He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed. – I Sam. 15:7-9
So here we go again. Saul didn’t completely obey, not at all. He kept the king alive! He kept all the good animals!
Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: "I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from Me and has not carried out My instructions." Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the Lord all that night. Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, "Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal." – I Sam. 15:10-12
There is so much to say here. First, I am struck by the phrase, “I am grieved.” We can grieve God. Grief is one of the most powerful experiences we can go through. Nearly all of us will experience grief some time in our lives. God can be grieved. One of the consequences of our sin is that we grieve God; we grieve the Holy Spirit.
I am also struck that Samuel is grieved. He cried out to the Lord all night. Sin affects others. It has collateral damage, sometimes damage that to people that we have no idea about. Who wasn’t grieved? Saul! He probably slept just fine that night. This is what sin does.
And so Samuel, operating on little or no sleep, gets up at the crack of dawn to talk to Saul about what the Lord has shown him, and what he hears must have been like a knife to the heart. Saul set up a monument in his own honor! So instead of giving credit to God, where it belongs, he is seeking it for himself. Isn’t this just amazing?
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." – I Sam. 15:13-15
Again, so many details strike me. “The Lord bless you!” People can use “Christianspeak” – they can use all the lingo – but it doesn’t mean that they really seek the Lord or that they live for Him. I have actually tried over the years to not use spiritual sounding words – especially around unbelievers – unless I really mean what I am saying. This kind of talk can really turn off unbelievers – they can tell when it is fake – they have an extra sense that points it out. Some tips: Don’t call something an “answered prayer” unless you were really praying for it. And don’t tell someone you will pray for them unless you will. Be careful with the word “blessing.” Many unbelievers assume with that word that you mean that it is a deserved blessing because of something you have done. Be careful with the word “miracle.” Save it for the real thing.
And how could Saul possibly have the chutzpah to say he had carried out the Lord’s instructions in the presence of all these animals he had kept? Saul’s answer – was it true? I don’t know. Let’s suppose it was. What’s wrong with it? Well, he modified very clear instructions to make them appear better in his own eyes. This is the opposite of being teachable; the opposite of being humble. If you have ever been in a boss-employee relationship as the boss and had people like this under you, you understand how absolutely frustrating it can be. Over the years as a professor I have had my fair share of students like this. Perhaps this is why I have lost my hair – they have made me pull it out in frustration. I love the phrase “we totally destroyed the rest.” Totally destroyed part. Some things truly are black and white. The word “totally” is one of those things. Now, was Saul’s answer true? I don’t think so. What about that part about a monument to himself?
"Stop!" Samuel said to Saul. "Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night." "Tell me," Saul replied. Samuel said, "Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel." – I Sam. 15:16-17
Every parent knows that phrase – “Stop! Just stop talking. I don’t want to hear any more.” And in his response, Samuel tries once more to get Saul to understand that everything Saul has is because of the Lord. The Lord is why he is king. The Lord is why they have had victories. He goes on and asks him why, oh why, didn’t he just simply obey?
"But I did obey the Lord," Saul said. "I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal." – I Sam. 15:20-21
This is so painful for me to read. Saul is not listening to Samuel or himself. “Stop! Just stop talking!”
But Samuel replied: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king." – I Sam. 15:22-23
Rebellion and arrogance – this is what it is to reinterpret Scripture in a way that you like better. This is what it is to selectively obey Scripture that clearly applies to all Christians. This perfectly describes Saul.
Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the Lord's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them. Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord." But Samuel said to him, "I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!" – I Sam. 15:24-26
As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you. He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind." – I Sam. 15:27-29
Saul replied, "I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God." So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord. – I Sam. 15:30-31
Am I just cynical, or does it appear that the real reason for Saul’s request is all about how he appears before the people? This is about appearances. It appears to be a political show – and if so, it is sickening.
Because Saul could not be trusted, Samuel himself had Agag brought before him and killed him. The chapter ends with this:
Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the Lord was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel. – I Sam. 15:34-35
We will continue next week, but I did want to highlight some things that struck me about Saul:
(1) Beware of false humility. Saul’s comments about being nothing when told he would be king, his hiding when being named publically, these are not signs of humility; it’s a form of disobedience: even here, Saul is trying to do things his own way.
(2) Beware of growing pride. Even for Christians, it is very easy to grow in pride. As we get older and are given new responsibilities at work, or put in years in the “parent gig,” we can easily start to grow arrogant or prideful, taking credit for our success. There are temptations along these lines that we simply don’t experience when we are young.
(3) Beware of excuses. This is a tough one for me. Excuses – even when justified – are often just a way to avoid listening to what the other person is saying. It is very hard to listen while you are forming excuses in your mind. And repentance and excuses never go together – they are mutually exclusive.
(4) Beware of putting on false appearances. This is not how we are to function as a body – as it says in Galatians 6:2, Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. You cannot do this if you are not revealing your burdens.
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