The Philistines aren’t a
nation to take defeat lightly. They
raise up a massive army and make plans to attack the Israelites.
How do the Israelites respond?
“The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in;
and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves,
thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns.
Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad
and Gilead...” 1 Samuel 13:6-7 (NLT)
That’s right, the people of
God cower in fear of their enemies. They
forget about God’s deliverance from their previous battles.
What about their king? What’s he doing? He’s waiting for Samuel, the priest, to show
up. Samuel is to make a sacrifice to God
and ask for His help in battle.
Waiting on God and relying on
Him to guide the army into battle is what Saul should do. The problem starts when he gets impatient
waiting for Samuel.
“…Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were
trembling with fear. Saul waited there
seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still
didn’t come. Saul realized that his
troops were rapidly slipping away. So he
demanded, ‘Bring me the burnt offering and peace offerings!’ And Saul
sacrificed the burn offering himself.” 1 Samuel 13:7-9 (NLT)
Samuel arrives just as Saul
finishes the sacrifices. He questions
Saul about what he’s done. Saul’s answer
is filled with pride.
“…The Philistines are ready to march against us at
Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help! So I felt compelled to offer the burnt
offering myself before you came.” 1 Samuel 13:12 (NLT)
What did Saul do wrong? Offering sacrifices is the specific work of
the priest. His comment, “I felt
compelled to offer the burnt offering myself…” indicates he feels he is just as
capable of performing the holy sacrifice as the priest; when really he’s
breaking God’s sacred law.
What's the result of Saul's pride-filled decision?
“How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. ‘You have not kept the command the Lord your
God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord
would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord
has sought out a man after His own heart.
The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of the people,
because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” 1 Samuel
13:13-14 (NLT)
It’s humbling when pride leads you to think you can do someone else's job better than they can…and
you fail. Sadly, I speak from experience
on this one. My foray down the
pride-filled road only cost me a lesson in humility, but Saul’s costs him the
kingship of Israel.
Saul’s Leadership Lesson #2…
Don’t let your pride allow you to think
you know better than everyone else on your team, so you try to do their jobs as well as your own.
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