“And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the LORD your God, with which he commanded you. For then the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you (1Sa 13:13-14).”
I drive forty minutes to work each morning and then back to home when I am done. I’ve just recently been using that time to listen to my daily scripture reading through my bible app and the ability to connect through Bluetooth to my car’s audio system. Until recently I had been reading a daily scripture and then spending some time in prayer. With recent changes, however, I have had to adjust my plans. I thought I could take advantage of the drive and then go immediately to prayer upon my arrival at the office. What I hadn’t counted on was the number of distractions that would arrive at my office door the moment I entered. As a result, my prayer time has been neglected. Listening this morning to the plight of Saul caused my heart to skip a beat. The anointed of God had, “done foolishly.”
Jonathan, Saul’s son, had attacked a Philistine garrison at Geba (1Sa 13:3). Naturally, the Philistines were not pleased and mustered a force to put the Israelites back in line (1Sa 13:5). The Israelites fled in fear and Saul, knowing that he needed to consult the Lord, waited seven days for Samuel, Israel’s prophet at the time, to arrive (1Sa 13:8). When Samuel failed to arrive after seven days Saul took matters into his own hands and offered the required sacrifices (13:9). This is what lead to Samuel’s rebuke of Saul. But what had Saul done?
Many commentors remark that Saul had assumed Samuel’s role in offering the sacrifice (Long 2020, 146-147). But V. Long points out that there are cases in which other kings offer sacrifice without condemnation (14:33–35; 2 Sam. 6:13, 17; 1 Kgs 8:62–63) suggesting that Saul went awry somewhere else (Long 2020, 146-147). Long suggests that the command Saul had violate lies in his anointing, “Now when these signs meet you, do what your hand finds to do, for God is with you. Then go down before me to Gilgal. And behold, I am coming down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, until I come to you and show you what you shall do (1Sa 10:7-8).” The command wasn’t to wait seven days, “but that he should wait until Yahweh’s prophet arrived and provided further instructions (Long 2020, 146-147).”
This is why my heart skipped a beat. Not that I am called to wait on a prophet of God to provide instruction but that I am called to wait upon the Lord. The Psalmist writes, “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD (Psa 27:14)!” And in Proverbs we find, “blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors (Pro 8:34).” Now, don’t get me wrong. We must be about the Lord’s work with a diligence that comes from knowing our master can return at any time but is it right for a pastor, or anyone else, to be so busy even about the Lord’s work that he is unable to find time to wait? Ask Saul. Was Saul not about the Lord’s work at this time in his calling? I think this is the foolishness for which he was condemned.
The other day I was corresponding with a coworker from my previous job. He asked me how my new job was going, and I told him that there are things about being a pastor that are surprising. Among them is that I found it easier to find devotional time before I became a pastor. I think it is a trick of the Devil to convince us that our jobs are so important that there is no time for the Lord. But I don’t think that this is a lie that the Devil sells only to pastors.
How is your devotional time? Are you waiting on the Lord? Has life overwhelmed you to the point that you no longer have time to spend with your Father? He loves you so much that He has made for you robes of righteousness so that He can, “present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy (Jud 24).” You were the joy set before Him as He went to the cross (Heb 1:2). He sent His son to reconcile you to Him that you might be able to enter His presence. In all of history there is nothing more significant than this. And yet, we can convince ourselves that our jobs and our responsibilities are more important than His presence. What foolishness indeed!
Long, V. Philips. 2020. 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 8, in Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, edited by David G. Firth. Downers Grove: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press.