Tuesday May 13

1 Samuel 14

John 7:31-53

Psalm 109:1-31

Proverbs 15:5-7

Saul's Foolish Oath

In today's reading, this part of 1 Samuel 14 stood out to me. Saul was so concerned with making oaths and with following them exactly and with making sure his men were following the letter of the law. But yet something was wrong. He asked God whether or not they should continue pursuing the Philistines and there was no response. Saul was quick to blame this on someone else. Someone had to have sinned in order for God to remain silent. He discovered that his son Jonathan had eaten some honey during a time when Saul had placed them under oath to not eat anything. In Saul's mind this had to be the reason for God's silence. He was prepared to kill his own son and he would have. But the people intervened and protected Jonathan from his father. 

I find it hard to believe that the real reason God was not responding to Saul was because Jonathan ate some honey when he wasn't suppose to. At the time, Jonathan was not even aware of the oath, so he broke it unintentionally. 

Based on what we have read of Saul, I think God's silence was because of the condition of Saul's heart. Saul believed in God. Saul followed God's rules. Saul made vows to God. But did he really surrender his whole life to God? Were these vows for God's glory or for his own? Did he really allow God to have complete control? Did he really love God with all his heart and soul and mind?

I think God was silent when Saul asked him about the Philistines because Saul was still trying to run his own life.

If you feel distant from God or if you feel like He's not working in the way you want Him to, don't be quick to blame someone else or even to blame God Himself. Look at yourself and ask God to reveal the areas that you need to surrender.