Israel continues to be at war with the Philistines. Saul is preparing for battle, but it would seem God is not with them, for many of the men flee, and Saul takes matters into his own hands.
“Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come… and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, ‘Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.’ And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he had finished… Samuel came. Samuel said, ‘What have you done?’ And Saul said, ‘I have not [yet] sought the favor of the Lord. So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.’ And Samuel said to Saul, ‘You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God… now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart… because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.’ ” (v7b-14 abr)
King Saul, who has ruled for several years now, gets impatient and doesn’t wait for Samuel to offer the sin sacrifice (burnt offering). Saul makes the offerings himself with his unclean hands (and heart), tainting the entire process. We need someone clean to cleanse us from our sin – in the Old Covenant this was the duty of priests/prophets, holy people set apart for God; in the New Covenant this is Jesus, the sinless Son of God whose one-time sacrifice paid the penalty for all sin for all time.
Samuel rebukes Saul, informing him his kingdom will not endure (ie. his descendants will not retain the throne) and that God has found someone else. Of course we know he’s talking about David, “a man after God’s own heart”. This is actually a double-rebuke, since it states that Saul’s line is unfit to rule, and it also implies that he is not pursuing God’s heart and will.
Why were Saul and his soldiers fearful, leading them to panic and do something foolish? I would suggest that they were not earnestly seeking God. One of the amazing attributes of those who earnestly seek God is boldness – the courage to obey, and stand one’s ground, facing life’s trials head-on, without fleeing or shaking with fear.
How does one seek God earnestly, and gain such boldness? It requires humility, faithfulness, and keeping close to God. “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” (Ac 4:31) “And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Since we have such a hope, we are very bold,” (2 Cor 13:3-4,12)
Saul and his troops did not humble themselves, and earnestly seek God. In turn, God was not with them, so they became fearful. Samuel devoted himself to a relationship with God, and God made him bold. I encourage us to faithfully seek God, and give Jesus lordship over our lives. In doing so, we will have the indwelling Holy Spirit, a closeness with God, through which He makes us bold. By remaining faithful to God, He will remain faithful to us, empowering us to face all of life’s trials.
Can we still experience fear when we are with God? Yes. The difference is, we won’t be overcome by our fear if we remain rooted in God’s power and strength. God’s power and strength enable us to deny temptation and stand firm on our faith and beliefs, even when our weak, sinful nature wants to run away screaming.
Father God, our abundantly Mighty and Fearless Lord, holy, holy, holy is Your name. Thank you for blessing us with Your Holy Spirit. Through Him we are given the courage and strength we need for each moment. We do not need to be frightened or dismayed, for You O Lord are with us wherever we go. All honor, glory and praise be to You, our Strong and Unmatched Lord, forever and ever, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training