He had a son named Saul, who was a handsome young man. There was no other child of Israel more handsome than Saul; he stood head and shoulders above the people.
Saul, despite his good looks, towering height, intelligence, courage, and ability, is one of the great disappointments of the Bible. When the Israelites demanded that God provide them with a king to lead their army, free them from Philistine harassment, and create an independent nation, he gave them Saul. The young man had the courage of a warrior and the natural abilities of a commander. Fighting men flocked to join him and he led many successful campaigns against the hated Philistines. They were well on their way to freedom and independence, the blessings God had promised.
Despite his reluctance to appoint any king, the Judge Samuel recognized him immediately as the right man for the job, and just as quickly recognized his failure. Saul accepted the LORD's anointing as king, but he would not let himself be governed by God's law. He supposed that God must agree to whatever he decided, and would ignore what did not please him. After one successful campaign he looked the other way when his soldiers kept their captured plunder; God had decreed that it should be burnt as a sacrifice. When Samuel rebuked him for it, Saul blew off the old man's concerns.
His final sin was to summon the miserable spirit of Samuel from the underworld to tell him what he already knew, that he and his army would be destroyed the following day. Moses had forbidden necromancy, Saul had driven its practitioners from the land, but in a moment of panic he consulted a medium. He and his son Jonathan died the following day; his family would be destroyed by David's supporters, and his royal line disappeared under David's ascendance.
The story serves as warning for those who suppose God must forgive their sins and ignore their impiety. As I read the lives of the saints, I see how they practice a healthy suspicion about their own pet ideas and projects. Just because they have prayed intensely and seen the very best and most obvious way to serve the Lord, they nonetheless submit when the religious superior ignores or dismisses their ideas. Some wait for years until another leader is chosen who likes the idea. And we hear those stories!
But we don't hear about their bad ideas that, fortunately, were allowed to wither and die. (I could tell you about a dozen of my own good ideas that went nowhere!) Obedient saints must occasionally feel useless, like Isaiah's Servant who complained,
He made my mouth like a sharp-edged sword,
concealed me, shielded by his hand.
He made me a sharpened arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
In the service of God we often feel unused and unappreciated. But we learn if the Lord doesn't want something, there's no use in throwing ourselves into it. If we built a pyramid in Egypt we'd be wasting our time if it doesn't serve God's kingdom. Whether in life or in death, in work, play, rest, eating, or sleeping, we serve the Lord. In him is our delight.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.