Apr
14
Written by:
Route 365
4/14/2010 6:41 AM
written by Mary Ayala
I couldn’t resist. After reading this passage about Saul’s shameful end, I had to go back and read about his beginnings. As I read some of the earlier chapters in I Samuel, I was reminded of the fact that Saul would never have been king if it weren’t for the fact that the Israelites insisted that Samuel appoint a king to lead them so that they could be like the other nations. Their short-sightedness failed to acknowledge all the evidence of God’s guidance and protection of His chosen people, and so the Israelites looked to outsiders for direction. What a mistake. I know that every time I pursue my own course of action before seeking God’s leadership, I end up with second best. The situation or solution might appear to be acceptable, but it is always inferior to God’s intended outcome. I don’t want to settle for second best. I was curious as to Saul’s credentials. Why was he selected to be Israel’s first king? In Samuel 9, he’s described as “an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites – a head taller than any of the others.” In I Samuel 10, the prophet Samuel anoints Saul with a flask of oil and says that “The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power…and you will be a changed person.” So, here is Saul, physically imposing and spiritually equipped to step into this new role of king. It certainly seems like a recipe for success. And yet, here in this passage we read of his defeat, his suicide, his beheading and defamation. What went wrong?
I noticed in this selection that there is no mention of God. By this time in his tenure as king, it appears that Saul had been abandoned by God (I Samuel 28) and left to his own devices. It’s a deadly lesson for Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer and the Israelite army. It’s always costly when we choose to intentionally or unintentionally exclude God from our decision-making. I’ve learned that it’s not so much a matter of asking to see the way forward as it is knowing the One who has designed the path. When my relationship with God is grounded in intimate fellowship with Him, I don’t struggle with those next steps; I just move forward, trusting my Guide.
Your Fellow Traveler,
Mary
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1 comment(s) so far...
Re: 1 Samuel 31:1-13 : Trusting Our Guide
Thanks for your helpful comments Mary on a difficult passage. I am particularly struck by your challenge to seek to know God and trust him to direct our paths (compared Proverbs 3: 5-6), which is what Saul failed to do.
By Bill Schneider on
4/14/2010 8:25 PM
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