By Philippe R. Sterling
On October 22, 2012, the International Cycling Union stripped Lance Armstrong of the seven Tour de France titles he won from 1999 to 2005 and banned him from competitive cycling for life. He was guilty of repeatedly using illicit performance-enhancing drugs and blood transfusions. He had influenced some of his Tour teammates to dope in order to help him win races. It was a dramatic fall from grace for the global cycling icon who had inspired millions of people after surviving cancer, then going on to become the most dominant rider in the history of the arduous French race.
Armstrong lost his title as a result of dishonesty. Much more seriously, Saul was rejected as Israel’s king by Yahweh in response to his unfaithfulness. Sin has serious consequences.
REJECTION OF SAUL
Disobeyed Samuel (1 Samuel 13:1-23)
In the year following his victory over the Ammonites, Saul formed a standing army of three thousand men of Israel (13:1-4). He kept two thousand with him and put one thousand under the command of his son Jonathan. Jonathan then raided a garrison of the Philistines. Anticipating a response from the Philistines, Saul sounded a ram’s horn to summon the army to Gilgal.
After Saul failed to follow Samuel’s instructions in preparation for conflict with the Philistines, Samuel told him that the kingship would be taken away from him (13:5-14). At his anointing, Samuel had instructed Saul to wait for him for seven days at Gilgal until he came to offer the sacrifices (10:8). The Philistines assembled a large military force, which terrified the Hebrews, who began to scatter and hide. After waiting seven days for Samuel, an anxious Saul assumed Samuel’s priestly prerogative (Lev 6:8-13) and offered the sacrifices himself. Samuel’s delay may have been a test of Saul’s obedience.
Samuel soon appeared and asked Saul, “What have you done?” Yahweh had posed a similar question to Eve (Gen 3:14). Saul sought to justify his deed to Samuel: The army was scattering; Samuel was late; the Philistines were set to attack; he felt compelled to act since he wanted God’s favor. These were excuses and not valid reasons. Samuel informed Saul that his foolish act in disobeying Yahweh would result in the loss of his dynastic line. Yahweh would establish a new dynastic line “with a man after His own heart.” David would be that man with a spirit sensitive to Yahweh’s will (Acts 13:21-22).
Believers should acknowledge sins instead of making excuses (e.g., Luke 15:11-24; 1 John 1:9).
In the face of Philistine aggression, Israel was helpless and in need of a deliverer (13:15-23). Saul’s army dwindled down to six hundred men. The Philistines sent out raiders to harass Israel. The Philistines were forgers of iron. While Israel would later develop iron technology under David (1 Chron 22:3), at the time of Saul’s reign, Israel was dependent upon the Philistines for agricultural iron implements, for which they were charged exorbitant prices for sharpening. Only Saul and Jonathan had weapons of iron; the warriors with them would have had bows and arrows, slings, and perhaps bronze weapons. The Philistine army gathered at the pass of Michmash.
Acted Rashly (1 Samuel 14:1-52)
As Saul acted rashly, Jonathan emerged as a deliverer of Israel (14:1-15). Jonathan decided to try a daring raid against the Philistines without telling his father. Saul was at Gibeah with the six hundred remaining men of his army and Ahijah––a member of the rejected priestly line of Eli––who was wearing an ephod that contained the Urim and Thummim which was used in a yes or no manner to determine God’s will (Exod 28:30; 1 Sam 23:9-12). Jonathan proposed to his armorbearer that they cross the pass to attack “these uncircumcised” Philistines who did not share the distinctive mark of God’s covenant with Abraham (Gen 17:10-14) and who were attacking the army of God. An armorbearer worked in tandem with a warrior in battle, using a shield defensively as the warrior wielded a sword or spear. Jonathan said, “It may be that the LORD will work for us.”
Today believers can, in the strength of Christ, engage together in their spiritual struggle, putting on the full spiritual armor of God, using the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and praying for each other (Eph 6:10-20).
With confidence in Yahweh and with the fulfillment of a sign of His work on their behalf, Jonathan and his armorbearer attacked and killed twenty Philistines in a small field. Their plan succeeded as they submitted each step to the outworking of God’s will. Their victory, along with a providential earthquake, put the Philistines in a state of panic.
The Philistines scattered (14:16-23). Saul became aware of the scattering and realized that Jonathan may have been the cause. He rightly summoned the priest to seek Yahweh’s guidance through the Urim and Thummim, but upon hearing the sound of the fleeing enemy, he told the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” He decided there was no time to consult God. A lack of consistent concern for God’s guidance characterized Saul’s leadership. Saul and all Israel joined the battle, and Yahweh saved Israel that day.
Saul acted rashly (14:24-46). Unfortunately, Saul had distressed Israel by foolishly placing the warriors under oath, forbidding them, on pain of death, to eat until evening before he had taken vengeance on his enemies. He viewed the battle as his instead of Yahweh’s. Jonathan, unaware of Saul’s foolish order, ate honey from a honeycomb that had dripped onto the ground. Informed of his father’s curse, he perceived that Saul had troubled the land.
The people drove back the Philistines but were faint from lack of food. They began to eat captured livestock without first draining the blood in accordance with God’s Law (Lev 17:10-14). Saul understood the serious violation and called for a large stone upon which the animals could be slaughtered and properly drained of blood. He then built his first altar to Yahweh to atone for the wrong.
Saul, wanting to complete the victory over the Philistines, sought the guidance of Yahweh. Yahweh did not answer him and Saul, by the use of the Urim and Thummim, discovered that Jonathan had broken the oath not to eat. He compounded his first foolish oath with a second oath calling for Jonathan’s death. The people refused to allow Jonathan’s execution. Saul ceased to pursue the Philistines and they went back to their cities.
In summary, Saul ruled over Israel and delivered the nation from enemies on every side, adding valiant men to his staff (14:47-52). Saul established his rule over Israel and gained victories over Moab and Ammon to the east, Edom to the south, the Arameans to the north, the Philistines to the west, and the nomadic Amalekites south of the hill country.
Disobeyed Yahweh (1 Samuel 15:1-35)
Through Samuel, Yahweh commanded Saul to destroy Amalek (15:1-3). God said, “I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel.” The Amalekites were descendants of Esau (Gen 36:12) who lived south of Judah. They had attacked Israel from the rear as the tribes were making their way from the land of Egypt (Ex 17:8-16). For that reason, they had incurred God’s divine judgment (Deut 25:17-19). They were under cherem, a ban in which every person and possession was devoted to complete destruction (Josh 6:15-21). The cherem, if carried out, would protect Israel from an inveterate enemy. Disobedience to God in the matter would be disloyalty to God.
Saul defeated the Amalekites but spared its king and the best of its livestock in contradiction to Yahweh’s instructions (15:4-9). Saul gathered the fighting men of the northern tribes of Israel and the southern tribe of Judah. He also told the Kenites to separate from the Amalekites. The Kenites were a tribal offshoot of the Midianites and were continuously supportive of Israel. Moses had married the daughter of Jethro, a Kenite. Saul attacked and defeated the Amalekites. He put to death all captives but spared the life of Agag their king and the best of their livestock. He may have kept Agag alive as a trophy of his victory (v 12). All of this violated Yahweh’s clear command.
Yahweh told Samuel that He regretted making Saul king (15:10-11a). The Lord explained, “he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.”
A grieved Samuel prayed all night, then confronted Saul, telling him that Yahweh had taken the kingship from him because of his disobedience (15:11b-23). Samuel’s first response was to cry out to Yahweh through the night. Our disobedience grieves God and the people in our lives.
Samuel got up early to meet Saul. Saul had gone to Carmel in the Negev, which was near his route home, and there had set up a monument for himself. From Carmel he went down to Gilgal.
Saul greeted Samuel and said, “I have performed the commandment of the LORD.” This was the exact opposite of Yahweh’s evaluation of him. Samuel sarcastically asked Saul concerning the bleating and lowing of the livestock. Saul passed the blame on to the people. He also justified his sparing the best of the livestock to offer as sacrifices to Yahweh. Samuel told Saul, “Be quiet!” so that he could relay what Yahweh had told him when he prayed through the night. Saul said to Samuel, “Speak on.” When confronted with our sin, the best response is to be quiet and listen. Samuel reviewed both Saul’s anointing as king when he was little in his own eyes and his recent assignment from Yahweh to destroy the Amalekites. He then asked him why he had disobeyed. Saul continued to assert his innocence and blame others. When confronted with their sin, believers should acknowledge the sin and accept the consequences (2 Sam 12:1-23).
Samuel explained to Saul that worship that pleases God must include obedience and that disobedience is tantamount to witchcraft and idolatry. No act of worship can substitute for obedience to God.
Samuel declared to Saul that because he had rejected the command of Yahweh, Yahweh had “rejected you from being king.” A sin may be so serious that the most severe consequence has to follow (1 John 5:16-17). Believers can disqualify themselves from ruling with Christ (1 Cor 9:24-27; 2 Tim 2:11-13).
Saul belatedly confessed his transgression, but it was too late to keep his position (15:24-31). He said to Samuel, “I have sinned,” and asked Samuel to pardon his sin and worship Yahweh with him. Samuel refused since Saul had rejected the word of Yahweh and Yahweh had rejected him from being king. As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. This accidental tearing symbolized the kingdom of Israel’s being taken away from Saul and given to a neighbor who would be better than he. That neighbor would be David (16:11-13). Yahweh’s decision was irrevocable. Saul again confessed, “I have sinned,” and asked Samuel to go with him to worship Yahweh. Samuel acquiesced, and Saul worshiped the LORD. Saul was a believer who, in spite of all his failings, worshiped Yahweh.
Samuel killed Agag as Yahweh had commanded (15:32-33). Samuel did what Saul had failed to do. He executed Agag in accordance with God’s judgment.
A grieved Samuel separated from Saul, whom Yahweh regretted making king over Israel (15:34-35). Samuel went to his home in Ramah and Saul to his in Gibeah. Samuel never took the initiative to go see Saul again.
Saul could have been a great king, but his self-focus obstructed this. He exalted himself. He sinned and made excuses. He was a believer who followed his own heart. His disobedience disqualified him and his line from ruling over the nation. Yahweh will choose David and his line, ultimately leading to Jesus, the Son of David.
____________________
Philippe Sterling is the pastor of Vista Ridge Bible Fellowship in Lewisville, TX. He and his wife of 45 years, Brenda, live in Denton, TX, near their daughter, Sarah, son-in-law, Ben, and grandkids.