1 Samuel 28: Grasping at Straws"I am in great distress," Saul said. "The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do."
Things had gone badly for King Saul and Israel ever since Saul had rejected the Lord. Enemies, especially the Philistines, pressed hard. On this occasion, the Philistines planned a major invasion of Israel. Beside himself with worry, Saul tried to seek advice from God, but he had severed the authorized line of communication back when he executed the Lord’s priests. Committed to evil, he had done nothing to repair the breach between him and God. So now, when he asked for God's advice, God was silent.
Deeply distressed, Saul apparently decided that if God wouldn't talk to him, maybe Satan would. He asked his staff to find him a spiritist — absolutely against the Lord’s law. Saul disguised himself — one wonders how, since he was a foot taller than the other tall men — and set out for the town of Endor, where the spiritist lived. He told the woman to raise the prophet Samuel, long dead now.
Samuel told Saul that the Lord refused to help him, and he wouldn't help him either. Saul had rejected the Lord’s leadership, and the Lord had rejected Saul as king. Saul would die in the coming battle, and David would become king.
Towards the end of the book of 1 Samuel, Saul is wounded in battle by Philistine soldiers. Unable to escape, and afraid of being captured and tortured by the enemy, Saul urges his armor-bearer to kill him. Afraid, he refuses. So Saul falls on his own sword and dies. Seeing this, his armor-bearer does the same.
Life Question: What lesson do you think we can learn from the tragic story of King Saul?
Saul’s demise as king is tragic because he makes very common human mistakes. Like all tragic heroes, Saul possesses a fatal flaw: he is more concerned with earthly objects and human customs than with spiritual or religious matters. True leadership requires you to place an unquestioning faith in God, and to listen to his Word- regardless of whether it may go against popular opinion.
2 comments:
There's much to learn here; and when I say that, I guess that I am saying that there is a lot to "clearly evident". We have to allow our hearts to change if we are to learn.
In a sense, I see Saul struggling with this. To an extent, he's trying to be obedient by "doing" things that he knows he should (expelling the spiritist's and such), but (perhaps) in his heart, we see that he's more talk than walk, as his heart is not bent towards trusting God. This seems to be a pattern for this lukewarm leader...
Am I any different at times? It's easy to go to church, pray and read the Bible.., but where is my heart. Of course God knows - and I know, but how often do I find myself struggling with trust? The maker of Heaven and earth has called me "friend" and "son", and I sometimes can't even trust him with something like an unexpected car repair bill.
PANIC, STRESS, ANXIETY...
I often catch myself (sometimes too late), and realize how difficult this pilgrimage is when I try to live this life on my own strength, with God as my handy co-pilot.
I bow down in my heart and recognize my need for God...
When times seem stressful; When life seems to have lost it's purpose; When God seems silent...
Restore that fellowship. Confess the sin of selfishness (and any other particulars), recognize your need for Him to LEAD, and trust him.
Then the walk matches the talk. You're spiritual leadership will be more David-like than Saul-like.
(Even David had his pitfalls, but he pursued God's heart)
Rich Mullins said it best, "We are not as strong as we thing we are."
Trust Him
Saul's story is a warning to each of us who live this life of faith in Christ. Anyone who gets their life in a mess does so one "small" bad decision at a time. With each new disobedient act, the way is cleared for even greater things. Eventually all these choices add up to a lifestyle shift, that brings sadness beyond repentance. All of us sin daily in thought , word , or deed; but we have the power of the Holy Spirit to keep us in check. Lord....Keep me sensitive to the "small" issues of life that are not your ways; keep me whole and holy in your constant presence.
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