The King's Blunder
Heroes and Villains: The Rise and Fall of Saul • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is an honor and privilege to share the Word of God with the saints of Durbin Memorial Baptist Church.
This week I had the opportunity to spend some time with a brother from the church and we were talking about unbelief. I don’t remember every detail about our conversation, but it began by thinking about just how silly it is for people to NOT believe in God. In the world of apologetics, that is the technical word for defending the faith. In apologetics, there are a variety of types of arguments that are used to support the existence of God and from seeing that He exists, leading to belief in Him. Some point to the complexity of creation, the shear beauty and order we see in the world and beyond. Such a universe necessitates an external cause beyond a random smashing of atoms. That is part of what is called the cosmological argument. Others look to the existence of morals. Morals have no place in a “survival of the fittest” creation. It makes sense that a moral law would come from a law giver, a higher being, God. This is part of the moral argument. Those are just a couple examples of a wide field of apologetic arguments that serve as a defense of the Christian faith.
But despite what I would see as clear evidence of divinity, it is still not good enough for many. They remain unconvinced. They still say, ‘There is no God.”
Further, as I was talking about unbelief with my brother, I brought up that there are two kinds of unbelief. There is explicit unbelief, which is what I just mentioned, saying “There is no God.” and then there is implicit unbelief. Implicit unbelief is when someone may say with their words that they believe in God, but their actions would all but suggest otherwise. This is living as if there is no God, even if you might say He exists if you were asked.
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good.
I want to break this down for a second, but first I want to give you a little homework. Look into Psalms 14 and 53 this week. You’ll see that they are almost identical with just a few small differences between the two. Both of them are attributed to David. When you think about the book of Psalms as the hymnal its kind of funny. David wrote them both, but they would’ve been sung to different melodies. In some ways it’s like Chris Tomlin remixing Amazing Grace! Have some fun looking into that this week if you’d like.
But for our purposes this morning, we need to note that the Bible is often repetitive, but it is repetitive on purpose! It reiterate ideas that need to sink in to our thick skulls! The overarching theme of both psalms is the salvation of the Lord given to undeserving people. But right now, let’s just focus on the first 10 words.
The FOOL says in his HEART, “There is no God.”
It is utterly foolish not to believe in the existence of our Heavenly Creator! It is foolish to explicitly say “There is no God.” But look further at this verse! The psalmist does not write that it is foolish to simply say there is no God. He says the fools says it in his HEART! We’ve talked about the heart from time to time. The heart refers to the inner most part of our being. The you you are behind closed doors. Where the mental and the morals meets. Someone can profess with their mouth that they believe in God, but if in the core of their being they do not believe, if there is no fruit of faith, no desire for holiness, then they are nothing but a fool.
Today, through the story of Saul, we are going to be called to full hearted belief. The wisest thing you could ever do is repent from your sins and believe in God. You can turn to 1 Samuel 13 now if you’d like, but before we get there I want to press a little bit deeper into the concept of belief and foolishness.
There are studies that show an inverse correlation between religious belief and IQ. That’s a fancy way of saying that in general, by earthly standards, nonbelievers are smarter than people who believe in God. First of all, What we see in Psalms 14 and 53 proves that wrong. I don’t care what your IQ is if you aren’t bright enough to see the existence of Creator of this World. Secondly, even if that is completely true, I would rather be dumbstruck by my Savior than be able to accurately calculate the area of the paver stones on the high way to hell. Further even than that. Dear Christian, though you might not appear like much before a world that think its knows so much better than you, hold on to this.
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
We are weak a lowly, saved by the grace of God. The world may call us foolish, but we have been given the wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Boast, not in our own intellect, but in the Lord.
With that in mind, let’s get into 1 Samuel 13. We are picking up after renewing of the kingdom in chapters 11 and 12 and we are going to start seeing the deficiency of Saul as king. We are going to primarily focus on Saul’s lack of belief as shown through his actions. Let’s begin in verse 1.
Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two years over Israel,
I don’t want to spend too much time here, but I also don’t want to completely overlook what is considered a verse to translate. Depending on the translation you’re using you might see this play out. I did some study on this verse this week and we could spend a lot of time breaking down each approach, but instead I’d rather get to the main point here and have you send me an email if you want to have deeper discussion about it. All scholars agree that in this verse we are formally transitioning to the commencement of Saul’s reign as king.
Saul is now formally acting as king. For us to better understand what takes place next in Saul’s life, we need to think back on the instructions he was given when Samuel initially anointed him king, the instructions he had yet to follow. Saul was instructed to go to Gibeah and handle the Philistine garrison that was there. Then after he took care of the Philistine army in that area he was to go to Gilgal where Samuel would meet him and make an offering to God.
So now that Saul is actively working as king, let’s see what he does:
Saul chose three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent home, every man to his tent.
The king is doing what the people wanted him to do. He is fortifying the military forces. This makes a whole lot of sense. The Israelites had just been challenged by the Ammonites. The pesky Philistines are still hanging around. The people’s intention in having a king was to have someone fight their battles for them. So Saul makes a logical decision. Get the army ready!
Verse 3
Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” And all Israel heard it said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become a stench to the Philistines. And the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.
Surprisingly for us who have just brushed up on the instructions Saul had been given some time ago, it was not Saul who dealt with the Philistine garrison, but his son Jonathan. Nonetheless Saul directed it happen so he is credited with the victory.
Geba is either another name for Gibeah or a town of similar name located between Gibeah and Micmash.
So this battle is won. The Philistines hear about it, meaning the rest of the nation beyond the small garrison in Gibeah is now on alert. Saul blows a horn and gives notice to all of Israel as well. This is a call to arms. Tension had already existed between the Israelites and the Philistines, but now things are really heating up.
Saul calls everyone to Gilgal. We have to take a second and ask, why Gilgal? Well when we understand what is happening here in the context of the instructions Saul had been given earlier. After the garrison was taken care of, he was supposed to go to Gilgal and wait for Samuel.
Let’s keep going
And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven. When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, and some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
A massive and mighty Philistine army has now gathered against Saul and the Israelites. The army as vast as the sand on the seashore in multitude was set up in Micmash. Saul had been in this city just before the previous attack, but now all of Israel is huddled in Gilgal, further to the east from Micmash. As they heard the reports of the massive army, terror is striking the hearts of the Israelite people. The people scatter into the countryside. Hiding, shaking in their boots.
Saul, however, does not hide. He remains in Gilgal. He was that king. He was doing what his prophet instructed him to do. Waiting. Waiting on Samuel to arrive.
And now in our narrative, we are coming to the place that I want us to give the most attention. It is where King Saul makes his blunder. We see his foolishness and his unbelief.
He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering.
With the enemy seemingly closing in, Saul had been holding on to hope that Samuel would step in, make the sacrifice and all would be well. But the time is waning and so is Saul’s hope! That word so at the beginning of verse 9 is an interesting term of conclusion. Saul didn’t see Samuel, SO he takes things into his own hands. He goes forward with the offering.
But remember the connection back to the original instructions Saul was given. God’s Prophet Samuel says he will come and offer the burnt offerings and the peace offerings! This is God’s prophet! Saul’s willingness to dismiss the prophet is tantamount to discarding the Word of the Lord. Saul’s rushing of things here is not just a sin against Samuel or lack of faith in Samuel. It is showing a lack of faith in God!
Church, we so often fall into sin when surrounded by the pressures of the world we try to take situations into our own hands! We pray to God for rest, but struggle with waiting so we turn to a substance to provide synthetic rest. We desire love an affection so we run head fast into a union with someone who does not love our God and does not seek to keep our relationship holy. We grow upset with someone who has wronged us so instead of working on reconciliation we are quick to severe the relationship completely. This list is far from exhaustive, but the point remains, we find ourselves in an uncomfortable position and instead of holding tightly to the instruction of the Lord and in our haste to get through the situation we give into sin.
Let’s see how things unfold for Saul:
As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him.
Silly Saul should’ve stayed steady. But just moments after he rushed the sacrifice Samuel walks up. I’m giving some conjecture here, but I think Saul instantly knew he had done wrong. Saul goes out of the city to meet Samuel at the gate. This is a great sign of respect and I think a little bit of maybe trying to ease the tension before he admits what he’s done.
Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.”
Saul does what many of us try to do when we’re caught with our hands in the cookie jar. He tries to put the blame on something else. This time it’s on the circumstances he found himself in. “But, but, but Samuel, the people all left me and I was waiting for you and it got to be the seventh day and you weren’t here first thing in the morning, and that army over there is so close and so big, so I just knew I was supposed to give this offering even though I’m not supposed to.”
Saul sounds like a bumbling child trying to defend himself after being caught playing with matches. “Uh, uh, uh I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to, and my friend at school told me they did it, and you didn’t tell me I could burn the house down, I was just curious!”
Saul has tried to justify his actions based on his circumstance. How does Samuel respond?
And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
God’s prophet has told God’s first king of God’s people God’s declaration. Saul would not be the king who’s progeny retain the kingship in Israel. Saul’s sin, Saul’s lack of faith, Saul’s foolish disbelief has proven to be his undoing. We should all take note that the circumstances around Saul did not change the seriousness of his consequences.
I know that all of us are well aware we live in a dark world. You are going to face various types of oppression. If you are living righteously, you will likely be a recipient of mocking and consternation. People are going to try to tempt you to participate in all sorts of lewd activities. Even unseen by mortal eyes, we deal with rulers, authorities, cosmic powers in present darkness, spiritual forces of evil, and the very schemes of the devil. Our world is broken and full of sin. All of that is very true. It is real reality. But nonetheless, it is appointed for man to die once and after that comes judgment. And Just as Saul’s circumstance made no difference on his guilt, neither will yours. some of the folks in this room have seen sights so horrendous the rest of us could not imagine. You have had wretched things happen to you. For that we lament and long for the day when the pain is no more, but even still the command is the same, “Be holy as I am Holy,” says the Lord.
Feeling pressure from the fallenness around you is no excuse to sin against the Lord. In fact, it honestly should draw us to serve him all the more.
Our situation is not a license to sin! Unlike Saul, we have been given the full testament of Scripture. When it feels like the world is crashing down around us and the enemies forces are strong, may we sing Psalm 46.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
When you are tempted to act on your own and take matters into your own hands, Be still and Know that He is God! The God you love will be exalted! He will be lifted above the earth. That God is with us! He is with all who believe in Him. He has given us His Holy Spirit to guide us. We feel conviction. We repent. We seek the things that are above.
Yes the world is dark. Yes, the world is scary. Yes you are going to be challenged. BUT YOUR GOD IS GREATER!
That is, if you truly know God. If you have been saved by grace through faith in the Son.
I’ve mentioned before in this series that there is a lot of debate over whether King Saul is saved. That is a question that we cannot answer. Only God can see the division of soul and spirit and discern the heart. But I can say that in our text this morning, Saul acted with implicit unbelief. And there are consequences for acting in such a way.
Let’s look at how this situation concludes:
And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal. The rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the army; they went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people who were present with them stayed in Geba of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual; another company turned toward Beth-horon; and another company turned toward the border that looks down on the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears.” But every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle, and the charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads. So on the day of the battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and Jonathan his son had them. And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.
The prophet departs. A few meager souls stick with Saul in this moment. An army of thousands down to 600 or less. The Philistines are still in the land. There was no great blessing that Saul had hoping to procure through the sacrifice. Saul and his Son and some others head out pretty close to where the Philistines have planted roots. The Philistines are sending raiding parties out to scatter the people and take away resources. It is almost certain that Saul and Johnathan would have been unsettled as they watch it all unfold.
We’re also given a little history in this section. The Philistines had been in the land so long and so dominating of the Israelites that the Israelites had no blacksmiths. They didn’t have anyone capable of making them weapons, nor maintaining them. The Philistines further had been extorting the Israelites for simple maintenance on even their farming equipment.
We’re going to get into specifics of the battle that is to come next week, but the picture we are given in this moment is intentionally bleak. The Philistines have every earthly advantage. So much so that as the battle is about to unfold, Saul and Jonathan are the only ones with iron weapons.
This is a fearful situation.
But it is fearful for even more than what we see written explicitly in the text. “The really fearful situation for Saul and the Israelites was not the Philistines. It was the Lord God who had made it clear through His prophet that what he required of his people and their king was obedience. We find this hard to see because we are so like Saul.”
There have been many modern scholars debate about Saul and often many will suggest that Saul got a bad wrap in this situation. It wasn’t fair for him to be so cut off for one simple little mistake.
Maybe you too thought that the punishment of kingdom removal was much to harsh for a simple mistake in giving an offering.
As we’re walking through this we might say “we sympathize with [Saul] because we, too, find that to obey God fully, to trust God fully, really is beyond us, in the circumstances in which we find ourselves.”
But don’t forget, Saul was called a fool for this in the inerrant Word of God. Saul was a fool, much like all of us! And in the flesh we remain foolish! Living in the flesh is foolish.
But by the grace of God, The True King gives victory to a people that can never be taken away from Him! This True King is capable of saving people from their foolish blunders and never makes any of His own.
The intention of the message today was to show the seriousness of unbelief, both stated and implied. Our circumstances are no excuse. There are consequences for every sin.
For those of you who know the Lord, who serve Christ the King, remember that every foolish sin you have ever or will ever commit was paid for by Christ on the cross. But also remember that your life right now is to be used in service to the True King. Make your King proud. Do not show disbelief through against against His commands for you. Be resolved to continue to grow in His likenesS.
But if you do not know the Lord, I have to say, you are a fool. I don’t say this as attempt to tear you down. Because I was a fool once too. But by the grace of God through the proclamation of His Word, He opened my eyes, my heart, and my mind to see what should’ve been so obvious all along.
You see here is the situation...
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