No sooner does Saul become king over Israel before we start to see the cracks in his personality. Just as Israel has rejected the LORD as king, the nation will suffer under times where its kings abandon the LORD. Through the many cycles of the kings, we will see that God values humble obedience and a contrite hard much more than gold and silver, military triumphs, or grand display of power. In short, God views the kings much in the same manner that He looks at you or me: He looks at the heart. Indeed, God will anoint and empower some rather unlikely leaders in Israel's history, starting with Saul. Saul comes from the Benjamites, who had risen up in rebellion at the end of Judges, perhaps a generation ago. His selections stand in the face of earthly wisdom and bring to mind two treasured verses:
1. 1 Samuel 16:7: "But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
2. Romans 4:16-18: "Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring -- not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: 'I have made you a father of many nations.' He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were."
With obedience as our guide of true greatness, we can see how Samuel retains a voice over the new king Saul. In Chapter 13, we read about an upcoming battle, in which Saul has chosen an army of 3,000 men but the Philistines approach with a far larger army: "three thousand chariots, six thousand chariots, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore." The Israelites begin hiding in fear, and Saul grows nervous himself as the men begin to scatter. In order to curry the Lord's favor in this desperate situation, Saul makes an offering to the Lord, in place of Samuel, who appears to have been delayed. Samuel rebukes Saul for his jumping the gun, and we can see in Saul's words that his motives may not have been completely pure. (This exchange sets a strong precedent: You don't want to have to explain yourself to a prophet! They have already read your heart.) Saul then learns that his family will not rule over Israel in perpetuity because of his willful disobedience. Even for the king, sin has strong consequences.
Saul's son Jonathan then shows great valor and leadership in starting a rout of the larger Philistine army, ostensibly through the empowerment and leading of God. Jonathan's faithfulness and trust in God stand in contrast to Saul, and he will later become one of David's strongest companions, even as Jonathan's father Saul pursues David. Saul appears rattled by Jonathan's leadership (he feeds the hungry army) and military exploits, and we may see further evidence of Saul's jealousy and concern for his own power. These selfish motivations will ultimately lead to mental illness (paranoia), but he brings the conditions on himself through his sin. Jealousy brings nothing but a sick heart and a defeated spirit because we are rejecting the unique creation that God has made in us.
QUESTIONS
1. Who is your king today? Why have you chosen to serve Him?
2. If you were in Saul's position with the larger Philistine army gathering around you, how might you have approached the situation differently?
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