I Samuel 13:13
‘”You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.”‘
Sin can change the trajectory of one’s life. An example is when one disobeys the boss at work. This can lead to being fired. This changes lives. This doesn’t mean that one isn’t a christian and isn’t going to heaven. Forgiveness is always available. Saul’s actions ended the monarchy in his family. It would be given to another.
Why does one do wrong? It could be greed or self indulgence. Sometimes we feel the pressure and want to repair it. This desperation can lead to wrong actions. This was Saul’s situation. His nation was at war and the odds weren’t good. Samuel planned to show up in seven days. Some had fled across the river. Saul was with them. The people were panicked, hiding in the brush and caves.
Saul’s case was sympathetic. He felt his actions were preferable to waiting. Yet, it wasn’t his place to offer the sacrifices. That was reserved for the priest. Also, he was told to wait for Samuel. He did wait the seven days, but Samuel was late. While Saul’s predicament was understandable, he was to wait for him. Some could see how Samuel could hold some blame. However, divine timing is usually different than ours.
The bible speaks much about waiting for the Lord. Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.” While waiting is often difficult, the Lord brings renewal. He rewards our trust with strength and/or a resolved problem. That which was stressing us out no longer is.
Saul could handle waiting no longer. His selfish impulse would be seen repeatedly for the rest of his life. It’s tragic. While he’s known as Israel’s first king, he’s seen as a self serving, murderous one. He didn’t submit to the Lord. Even after this mistake, he wasn’t remorseful. While it wouldn’t have restored his kingdom, it would have made him right with the Lord.
We’re only one step away from getting right with the Lord. At any time, Saul could have cried out to the Lord and repaired that relationship. However, we was committed to his kingly position. He wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardize that. His commitment to his chosen path was torturous. Later in this book we’ll see how evil spirits are sent to torment him. He hires young David to play the harp to settle him down.
Waiting for the Lord is part of our submission to Jesus’s lordship in our lives. Sometimes the situation is a moral one in which our waiting is complying with scripture. Sometimes it’s a hunch about something that we sense the Lord wants us to do (or not do). We give these times up to Him in prayer which can mean we wait to act.
We rarely know with 100% certainty (unless it’s spelled out in scripture). We have a hunch, so we pray and wait. Some times I will pray, “Lord, I’m going to do this. If it’s a bad idea could You interrupt it?” He’s faithful and helps.
Lord, help us to wait on You. Help us to comply with Your Word, but also to sense the leading of Your Spirit in our circumstances.