Getting What We Deserve

1 Samuel 10:19 ESV

19 But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, ‘Set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.”

Last week, we looked at the anointing of Saul as King of Israel. In those verses, we find Samuel giving a stern warning to the Jews. God is going to give you what you want, even if it’s not what He wants for you.

In reading this verse, we see a group of people who forgot who they were serving. We see people who were more interested in their personal desires than the desires of God. The one who had guided them from Egypt, through the desert, into the promised land. The one who faithfully provided them with all they would ever need.

This is something we see today, also. We have fair weather Christians - those who will praise God when everything is going well, and who abandon Him when life gets rough. We have modern day Pharisees - those who will praise God in their own way with warped theology, and believe their way of belief is the only way. We have the fire insurance Christians. Those who have made a profession of faith as a means to escape hell but will more than likely enter heaven with the hems of their robe smoking. They’ve forgotten what Jesus has done for them, what He has seen them through, and what He has guided them to.

This phenomenon is not a modern day issue…but it still has the dire consequences it always has throughout the ages. It simply is rejection of God and His Will for our lives. And, one day we will too have to present ourselves before the Lord. King Saul would not even escape this problem in his faith. We KNOW Saul had been chosen by God. We KNOW Saul had been changed by God.

1 Samuel 10:9 ESV

9 When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. And all these signs came to pass that day.

Yet, Saul would waver and fail when it came to following God’s Will for him and ultimately the nation of Israel. He will prove himself disqualified for service to God, and His people.

Fear and Panic

1 Samuel 13:1–7 ESV

1 Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two years over Israel, 2 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. 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.” 4 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. 5 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. 6 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, 7 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.

The nation of Israel was in a full-scale war with the Philistines and it caused an uneasiness among the people. We know from the description of David and Goliath that the Philistines were large people with a highly trained army. Simply put, they were an army looking for a battle and it didn’t matter where or when. Knowing there could potentially be problems, Saul put together a standing army. Two thousand would be stationed with Saul in Michmash (Mik Mahs)and a thousand were with his son Jonathan in Gibeah. When Jonathan met with a garrison of Philistine soldiers in Geba, he defeated them.

(A group of soldiers protecting the outskirts of the town, of unknown numbers)

Now, the interesting part comes when the word of this victory came. Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land saying HE had defeated the garrison of Philistines. Strike one. Saul was using someone elses victory as a way to make himself look more important, like HE was the mighty warrior. Instead, he was with the larger army in safety while God allowed Saul’s SON Jonathan to achieve the victory.

Oh, how many times have we tried to take credit for something God allowed to happen? Do we really thing God finds it humorous when we take credit for something He did? You see, in all reality it usually comes with a consequence. Just as it did for Saul.

Once word got back to the Philistines, they gathered up all the army to fight back. Thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand of the seashore. Up against three thousand rough shod “army” of Israelites armed with plow shares, scythes, and pitch forks. I find it interesting, when Saul chose the three thousand for his army, he sent everyone else away but now that a victory has been won by Jonathan, he uses it as an opportunity to call EVERYONE to join him and his army at Gilgal. I just don’t see much humbleness in Saul, but we will see fear.

When the men of Israel saw the Philistines camped in Michmash, they realized they were in trouble. Scripture says they hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, while some fled to the land of Gad and Gilead. I love the picture of verse 7…and all the people followed Saul trembling.

This speaks volumes to Saul’s leadership abilities. It showed how deep his faith ran. And it showed in the response of the people. They were trembling in fear.

Let me tell you something, church, when we try to follow our own desires, when we rely on our own senses, when we put our faith in our abilities, we have already failed. What if Saul had recognized and realized it was GOD that led the victor over the Philistines? Would there have been a different outcome? Instead, we find a scared group of Israelites and ultimately a scared king who lacked faith in God.

Disqualifier

1 Samuel 13:8–14 ESV

8 He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. 11 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, 12 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.” 13 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. 14 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.”

Waiting on God was driving Saul nuts. He was ready to go to battle. Was he afraid if he did not strike while the iron was hot that the Philistine army would continue to grow and there would be no way he could get a victory?

Saul’s faith was not firm. Now, we know from previous scripture that God had changed Saul’s heart, so we know he knew who God was. But let me point this out very clearly there is a tremendous difference between KNOWING God and putting your FAITH in God. Saul KNEW God, but he did not put his FAITH in God.

Samuel had told him he would come to Gilgal in seven days. The seventh day had come and Saul was getting impatient. His army was disintegrating before his eyes, there were deserters. Plainly put, they saw something that looked impossible to them and they were SCARED. They, too, had forgotten that God had delivered them from the Egyptians and placed them in the land He had promised them. They only saw the impossible, and not that anything is possible through God.

Saul then requests the burnt offering and the peace offering be brought to him so that HE could offer the sacrifice. Now, what was wrong with this? Was he not the king God had put in place over His kingdom? You see, Saul disobeyed the man of God.

1 Samuel 10:8 (ESV)

8 Then go down before me to Gilgal. And behold, I am coming down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, until I come to you and show you what you shall do.”

Was this a time God was trying to use as a way to show Saul patience and grow his faith? We must also remember, Saul had only been on the throne one year, and all this was taking place in his second year - he was not prepared, he was not experiences, and he was not following God. His action would serve as a disqualifier of him serving God and would prove him unfit to be king.

Saul would not wait on Samuel, for whatever reason. He was impatient, and he was nervous seeing the size of the army facing him and the Israelites. Simply put, he placed more faith on his ability to fight the Philistines than on waiting for Samuel to give God’s blessings on the upcoming battle. He assumed a role in which he was not qualified for. He assumed he would be able to act as priest and offer the burnt offering but just when he had finished the burnt sacrifice, Samuel arrived. Now, Saul runs out to Samuel like a young child caught red handed in disobedience and trying to make excuses for what they have done. Yet Samuel would have none of it. What have you done?

We do realize that when we are also disobedient to the will of God, He asks us the same question. What have you done? And often, just like Saul we offer excuses.

Saul uses these excuses:

I thought everyone was abandoning me

I thought you did not come at the appointed time

I thought the Philistines were mustering for battle

AND, the coup de gras I have not sought the favor of the Lord “So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering”.

What do we see wrong with Saul’s way of thinking? Saul was thinking instead of letting God lead! Have you ever heard the term educated beyond their intelligence?

Additionally, the Peter principle states that a person who is competent at their job will earn a promotion to a position that requires different skills and they will continue to be promoted a until reaching a level at which they are incompetent and will be stuck at that final placement or Peter's plateau.

Saul had reached his Peter’s plateau, he had reached a level to which he was incompetent. Unfortunately all he lacked was faith. Because of that lack of faith and subsequent disobedience to God, Samuel proclaims his kingdom would not continue. Notice very closely that is NOT the path God had chosen, HE had chosen to establish Saul’s kingdom over Israel forever. In other words, His lineage would have sustained the nation of Israel but because of his disobedience God removed His hand from Saul and the rest of his family.

Why? The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. All God required was for His appointed King to have enough faith to follow Him. He wanted someone with the heart of God. Someone who would follow Him regardless of his own thoughts, plans, and even fears. He wanted someone with the faith to seek the face of God in even the most miniscule of details. You see, God had already won the battle…He was just looking for someone with enough faith to recognize that.

Closing

The last words of verse 14 are some of the most haunting. It show God’s hand being removed from Saul as king.

1 Samuel 13:14 (ESV)

14 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.”

Your kingdom shall not continue. Saul and his families reign would end with him. Someone else had already been chosen as his replacement. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over His people.

Notice closely though, this was not God changing His mind. Look at this next word…BECAUSE - you see this was simply God’s response to Saul’s rejection of Him as His personal God. The word could also be translated as “SINCE”, and it really drives home the disappointment God had in Saul. SINCE you have not kept what the Lord commanded. Literally, God had no choice but remove Saul’s blessing as king SINCE he had not shown enough faith to obey Him. You see, for many of us, this would be a “small” sin. Just a slip up, a lapse of judgment. But to God, it was seen as total rejection of God.

Many of us today try to justify our rejection of God. We try to make the same excuses of why we didn’t or we did do something we know God wants. We struggle with the same issue as Saul… “I”. We want our own personal desires to be completed, maybe God takes us out of our comfort zone and we are scared, maybe we are impatient and try to “help” God out. Listen carefully to this…if these “small” lapses caused God to remove His hand from Saul (the one CHOSEN by God to lead His people), will the results be different for us?

If you feel as though you aren’t as close to God as you used to be, if you can’t hear God clearly like you have before, if you haven’t put your full trust and faith it God…has He removed His had from you so you, too, can learn to rely fully on Him? Today is the day for you to restore that relationship with God. Today is the day you put your full trust and faith in God. Today is the day for you to place Him first in your life. Would you come?