King Saul (2)

A House of Cards

When someone refers to a situation as “A House of Cards” they are referring to something that is dangerously unstable – like a house built with playing cards. This seems to be the story of King Saul. Because of an issue of the heart, King Saul’s reign which begins by looking so good would come crashing down through his disobedience to the Word of God. His life becomes an example of a man whose heart did not match his outer royal appearance. Charles Spurgeon described this mismatch this way:

If your child should have a rapid growth in its arms but not in its legs, or if its legs should lengthen but not its arms, what a strange being it would be! What a monster! It is the growth of each limb in proportion that brings the man to perfection.

So, when our heads grow faster than our hearts, it is a bad sign. Yet how many know a great deal more than they feel and criticize much more than they believe! It is also an evil thing when a man’s tongue grows bigger than his head; when he has more to say than he knows or does; when, like Mr. Talkative [of Pilgrim’s Progress], he can talk about the road to heaven but makes no progress in it.

God give you an abundance of his Holy Spirit, that you may never deserve our Lord’s rebuke to the Pharisee, “It was necessary to do these things while not neglecting those,” but “Whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are pleasing, whatever things are commendable, if there is any excellence of character and if anything praiseworthy, think about these things” (Phil 4:8). May you have them all.

What are the chances of you and I jeopardizing all the advantages and good deeds we have done and falling hard due to a failure of obedience (ultimately a reflection of our hearts)?

Lessons of the Kings

We will be learning some of the lessons that the Bible teaches us through the kings of both Israel and Judah. We will begin with the first king, King Saul, this morning. My nephew, Sam, has put together some great graphics for us to use as we go through the summer in this series.

One thing that can be confusing is that the nation that we refer to as Israel was only united under 3 kings – Saul, David, and Solomon. After Solomon the nation will divide into Judah and Israel. We will see that in a few weeks.

Slide 3 – Shows the lineage of Saul and that of David

Slide 4 – Shows the landmass that is governed under the United Monarchy

With each of the kings that we will study I’d like to point out one “take away” that is more than just a historical footnote. It is a timeless truth that we can learn about God and apply to our personal relationships with Him.

The Lesson of King Saul

Saul, The Picture-Perfect King

Let’s begin with King Saul.

Prior to Saul, the twelve tribes of Israel were ruled by a series of judges, who were basically temporary leaders who led armies during times of crisis. But according to the Bible, the people eventually got tired of that system and demanded to have a king. Saul, who was chosen by God through the prophet Samuel. The story of Saul's selection is told in 1 Samuel 9-10.

The story begins with a man named Kish, who was from the tribe of Benjamin and had lost his donkeys. Kish sent his son Saul and a servant to search for the donkeys, and after several days of searching, they came to the town of Zuph. There, they encountered Samuel, who was a judge and prophet of Israel. Samuel had been informed by God that he would meet the man who would become the first king of Israel. When Samuel saw Saul, he recognized him as the one whom God had chosen to be king.

King Saul had a lot going for him.

1. He was wealthy, tall, and handsome. (1 Sam 9:1-3)

2. He was divinely appointed (1 Sam 9-10)

3. He was a successful warrior (1 Sam 11:14-15; 13-15)

4. He was a loyal worshiper (1 Sam 14:32-34; 1 Sam 14:35)

Saul reigned for 42 years but the latter years of his reign were in rebellion to God. It is very easy to see when Saul’s reign changed from being a success to being a failure. His failure is seen in 2 parts – (1) against the Philistines, and (2) against the Amalekites.

Part One – The Philistine Failure

Let’s get into the story at 1 Samuel 13

1 Samuel 13:5–14 NIV

The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash, east of Beth Aven. When the Israelites 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. 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. “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 Mikmash, 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.” “You have done a foolish thing,” 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 ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

This is the beginning. As a result, Saul’s kingdom would not be continued.

Part Two – The Amalekite Failure

Chapter 14 of 1 Samuel tells the story of how Jonathan, the prince, heroically defeats the Philistines and Chapter 15 brings the next opponent, the Amalekites, and the next failure of King Saul:

1 Samuel 15:1–3 NIV

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 all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’ ”

1 Samuel 15:7–25 NIV

Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border 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. Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was angry, 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.” 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.” “Enough!” 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. And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?” “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.” But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying 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.” Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men 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.”

King Saul’s disobedience with the Amalekites is now piled on top of his disobedience with the Philistines. Saul is rejected as the king of Israel.

Failing the Tests of Life

Saul Fails the Tests

In real life tests show up unannounced. It would be nice if God would tell us in advance that we were about to go into a time of testing, but it doesn’t work that way. Saul made several mistakes in these 2 cases. Against the Philistines he struggled with Samuel’s delay, fails to trust God, and is disobedient to God’s instructions. Against the Amalekites, again, he failed to obey because he was afraid of the people and gave in to them.

Saul is not the only person to have struggled with these issues. So do we.

The Problem of Timing

I can understand Saul’s fear in the middle of the battle against the Philistines. He is outnumbered. The Philistines are up armored. The Israelites are scattered, some in retreat, and some who deserted. Saul is up against the wall and the prophet, the visible evidence of the supernatural, is nowhere to be seen. “While we might sympathize with Saul’s plight, Samuel’s delay is a test of Saul’s faithfulness to God. He has disobeyed God’s Word through Samuel (vv. 8, 13).”

Have you ever been there? Of course! We want it now! Or we aren’t ready right now…hang on! Life is filled with interruptions that are outside of our timing. Sometimes we are called to be spontaneous. Sometimes we are asked to be patient.

The 19th-century preacher A.B. Simpson said:

…have you ever thought that someday you will not have anything to try you, or anyone to vex you again? There will be no opportunity in heaven to learn or to show the spirit of patience, forbearance, and long-suffering. If you are to practice these things, it must be now. Yes, each day affords countless opportunities to learn patience. Let’s not waste them.’

Samuel still had time to arrive to be able to do the sacrifices required by the Law, but Saul became impatient and stepped out of bounds. Like Saul we often struggle with the same issue – God’s timing is not our timing.

The Problem of Unbelief

Saul’s root sin is unbelief. He trusts in his own reasoning rather than submitting to God.

Proverbs 3:5–6 NIV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

He sees his army breaking up and determines that this emergency justifies violating God’s Word, believing that it is better to offend God than to lose followers. When confronted with his sin by Samuel, Saul offers many excuses, which further compounds his guilt. He blames the people for scattering, and Samuel for being late. He claims that the situation with the Philistines has made it necessary for him to act quickly. He even suggests that he meant well, in that he was seeking God’s favor before going into battle.

Miriam sang “some trust in chariots and some in horses but I will remember the name of the Lord my God” from the east side of the Red Sea. To her west was the army of the Egyptians entombed in the Red Sea. It was good for her to sing. But it is better to be able to sing on the west side of the Red Sea when the enemy is in pursuit and the impassable Red Sea is closed. Can we remember the name of the Lord our God!

The Fear of Man

In the situation with the Amalekites King Saul owns up to the fact that he was afraid of his own men. When we face difficulty in our lives, we are often motivated by the fear of man. Are we more afraid of what man things about us or what God thinks about us? This often arises in the issues of sanctification and consecration (that we talked about a couple of weeks ago). God asks us to behave in a certain way, but we struggle with it because it looks so different from what our family, friends, or coworkers think. Attend church how much? Choose not to drink or smoke? Choose not to swear or tell sexual jokes? Give generously to your local church? None of those things are considered normal by observers and there is a pressure to join them in their opinions. What is wrong with a few war trophies? We can sacrifice a few cattle and keep some to ourselves. Be careful with God’s commands!

The Problem of Rebellion

You have to admit that King Saul has been a likeable king up to this point. It is also easy to sympathize with him but notice that the prophet Samuel calls him out with rebellion and arrogance. Sometimes rebellion against God is subtle and goes unchecked:

The Hebrew word that the NIV translates “rebellion” has to do with pressing one’s case. It is used to describe the Israelites’ contentiousness in the wilderness. Here it represents Saul’s attempts to justify and excuse his actions. Samuel compares this to divination. Divination assumed that there was knowledge to be gained about the activities and motives of the gods through the use of various indicators (such as the entrails of sacrificed animals). It professed to be able to identify what would please the deity without specific input from the deity. In the same way Saul was contending that he knew what would be pleasing to deity (despite Yahweh’s specific commands). His contentions claimed the same kind of information divination would offer—that he had an inside track on what would please God.

Sometimes a child will be caught being disobedient by his parents. The child begins to plead his case and offer reasons for the disobedience. Sometimes it works, but the wise parent sees through the excuses and sees the smoke screen for what it is - rebellion.

We can be the same way. We hedge around obedience. We make excuses. We take short cuts to hopefully appease the Holy Spirit just enough. The Bible says that the Word of God…

Hebrews 4:12–13 NIV

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

God will not tolerate rebellion and we can never do enough blame shifting to fool God. The only option is to own up to it through repentance and fall on the mercy of God.

The End of King Saul

The disobedience of King Saul with the Amalekites set up the anointing of the next king of Israel- a boy named David who had something that Saul didn’t – a heart for the things of God.

The lesson that King Saul’s life can teach us is that God takes disobedience very, very seriously. When the tests of life come…and they will…be sure to trust the Lord

I can’t read the words of Samuel in chapter 15 without remembering a song written by Keith Green in 1978. It was titled “To Obey is Better Than Sacrifice”. Keith Green was saved in the Jesus Movement in the early 70’s. His music was simple but filled with uncompromising truth. Some of the lines of the song were:

To obey is better than sacrifice

I don't need your money

I want your life

And I hear you say that I'm coming back soon

But you act like I'll never return

Well, you speak of grace and my love so sweet

How you thrive on milk, but reject My meat

And I can't help weeping of how it will be

If you keep on ignoring My words

To obey is better than sacrifice

I want more than Sunday and Wednesday nights

Cause if you can't come to Me every day

Then don't bother coming at all

To obey is better than sacrifice

I want hearts of fire

Not your prayers of ice

And I'm coming quickly

To give back to you

According to what you have done

I would have been 13-14 years old when I heard the song. What a lesson! King Saul looked the part but didn’t have the heart. How ‘bout you?