Skip to main content

Saul's Slippery Slope: Part 7

For the past several weeks, we have studied about King Saul's behavior and foolish choices found in 1 Samuel 13-14. In these chapters, you will see that self reliance, pride, and impatience would begin to control Saul's steps. Probably though, the most glaring testimony of his fall from being a godly king and a faithful servant of the Lord is recorded in 1 Samuel 15. There is no set time-line given as to when this took place during Saul's reign. Only that from the very beginning of the chapter, Saul is commanded by God, through the prophet Samuel, to completely destroy the Amalekites. Not a single person or livestock were to be kept alive. Because of their cruel and wicked treatment of the Israelites, during the days of Moses, God had declared that judgment would fall on the people of Amalek.
There were no spoils to be had in this battle, only that Saul would, “....claim everything they have for God by destroying it (1 Samuel 15:3 / GWT)” Upon hearing the Lord's command, Saul amassed an army of over 200,000 men and set an ambush for the Amalekites. He also alerted the Kenites, who dealt kindly towards Israel, warning them to flee the region so they wouldn't end up being killed alongside the Amalekites (Vs. 4-6). This was it. After his irreverent altar fiasco (1 Samuel 13), this was the opportunity to step back into God's favor once more.
Sadly, verse nine states, “But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction (ESV).” Rather than simply heed to all that God commanded, he decided to carry out what he thought was a better way. Discard the undesirable and keep the seemingly profitable. The Jewish historian Josephus once stated that one of the reasons Saul preserved King Agag was to parade him around like a trophy!
Yet again, he allowed pride and presumption to deter him from following the will of God. Oh but how often do we also allow our own ignorance over God's truth and arrogance over our Christian walk to hinder us from truly growing in the Lord and fulfilling His will?! I remember when I was in Bible college I had developed this sort of rigid concept over what holiness was. For so long I heard different preachers shout that the KJV was the only true translation, wearing a tie was best for worship (Wednesday nights were debatable), and any Christian music apart from Southern Gospel was bordering the line of ungodliness. All of a sudden holiness could be reduced to regulative appearance, rather than heartfelt availability. Instead of solely looking unto Jesus in humbleness, I began sneering at others in self-confidence.
I also started looking at myself as a lighthouse rather than a rescue boat. Instead of faithfully witnessing to others, I tried to perfect the art of separating from the world. I am simply warning against using man made preferences to determine what is best in the Christian life. Look to Jesus! Follow Him in full obedience! Christianity is not a Try Harder Religion, it is a Trust Him Relationship! We do well to remember the call of Proverbs 3:5-7, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil (KJV).

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Star Light

I remember, when I was a child, my brother and I wanted to camp out in our front yard. We even talked our friends into joining us. We begged our parents to let us sleep out under the stars without a tent, because it would not rain that evening. It was somewhat foolish, but we were not thinking about the insects, strong winds, or even the morning dew. We just thought it would be fun to sleep outside. I think we lasted a solid hour in the dark, but once the cold wind blew and the mosquitoes landed, our imagination dissipated and we ran back indoors. Though we didn't stay out long, I do remember the stars that night. They were unusually bright and seemed to crowd the sky more than any other night. I don't think I will ever “grow out of” being in awe over the beauty of stars. I don't believe King David did either. He wrote in Psalms 19, “ The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky displays what his hands have made. One day tells a story to the next. One night shar...

Madam Darkshade continued

My most despicable Marah, The abyss of my heart has grown beyond measure! Everything your sister has told me about your efforts - how undeniably successful they are - is just another reminder as to why I always saw myself in you. So, that foolish grungy has finally declared himself as bishop. Naturally, during their meeting, there was tremendous conflict and a choosing of sides. Classic. It reminds me of the struggle at Corinth, when so many fought over who was on Paul's side and who was on Apollos' side. Of course, you are much too young to know what I am referring to! Now, I must remind you that there is still much work to be done. Divide and conquer. The ecclessia is split, therefore, waste no time instilling pride and hatred. I know you are enticing our self exalted puppet to start his own assembly, which is good, but before he does, through slander and lies, he must cripple those who withstood him. Make him feel betrayed. As if he were a great captain who ...

The Devil Wears a Tie (Continued)

Of all the ways the devil will tempt a person, catering to one's vanity is his favorite means to get them to fall. After all, before the inception of time, he also succumbed to pride. He believed he had an inward right to the heavenly throne, and through promulgating the potential of self exaltation to other angelic beings, he led a massive insurrection against the Almighty. There was absolutely no chance of a “successful rebellion”, but reason often dissipates when one is steeped in prideful bitterness. Simply put, the devil began to hate God, for being, God. This attitude of entitlement parades itself in every heart. We may be able to mask it for a while, but given enough hardships and displeasure, we often become the corrupted clay, vilifying the ways of God and distrusting the commands of His word (Isaiah 29:16). The apostle Paul's warning to believers at Ephesus was,  “Don't give the devil any opportunity to work  (Ephesians 4:27).” Yet, in the garden of Eden, we ...