A Word about Self-Destructing

 

Today I want to share a word about how Saul self-destructed as I comment on verses from 1 Samuel 13, 14, and 15.

In our last episode, we saw Saul rising to the occasion to lead the Children of Israel to overcome the cost of their compromise with the world, at least temporarily.  Saul rose to the occasion because he didn’t cut himself off from God’s wisdom and power. If he had relied on his own abilities, the battle he fought for Jabesh could have been, and probably would have been, a disaster. Instead, Saul stayed close to God, and thus the Children of Israel enjoyed a tremendous victory. But . . . what would Saul do next?

When you hear the words self-destruct what do you think of?  Some of us older folks might think of the old Mission Impossible television show in which Mr. Phelps and his team got their assignments from a tape recording that then self-destructed. Others might think of how the Blues Mobile virtually exploded at the end of the chase scene in the Blues Brothers movie.

I also might think of a good idea that had unintended consequences.  One of the most dangerous man-made items to birds and small animals is the plastic rings that hold six-packs of drink cans together. The plastic in them lasts virtually forever, and these little creatures often get the discarded rings wrapped around their necks and they die.  One inventor came up with a plan to solve this problem.  He developed plastic rings that would bio-degrade after exposure to sunlight.  The rings would essentially self-destruct after a few days in the Sun.  This was a great solution, but there was a problem.  Many convenience stores make displays of their six-pack drinks in the front of their stores where they are exposed to sunlight.  Customers would grab a six-pack to buy it, and the plastic rings would self-destruct, and the cans of soda would spill to the ground.

A self-destructing tape or a self-destructing plastic six-pack ring might cause some mild amusement, but when a life self-destructs it is a disaster.  Today we are going to stare wide-eyed at a train wreck of a life as it happens.  We will see it coming, but we will be powerless to stop it.  We can learn from it, though, and be warned. As we continue to study the Kings of Israel and Judah let’s read God’s Word and see how the life of King Saul self-destructed. We will begin by reading 1 Samuel 13:1-7,

Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty-two years over Israel. He chose three thousand men from Israel for himself: two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in Bethel’s hill country, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the troops away, each to his own tent. Jonathan attacked the Philistine garrison in Gibeah, and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!” And all Israel heard the news, “Saul has attacked the Philistine garrison, and Israel is now repulsive to the Philistines.” Then the troops were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal. The Philistines also gathered to fight against Israel: three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Bethaven. The men of Israel saw that they were in trouble because the troops were in a difficult situation. They hid in caves, in thickets, among rocks, and in holes and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul, however, was still at Gilgal, and all his troops were gripped with fear.

Saul Was Rash:

We have seen how Israel wanted to be like the other nations that were around them and amongst them. They had lost their purpose and their focus. They had become just like other nations in their hearts. They wanted to be like other nations with a king. They got what they wanted; God made Saul king. Now, Saul began to act like a human king. What did kings do in that day? They made war.

Saul decided to attack the Philistines. Like other kings, Saul enlisted a standing army, and he felt like he had to put it to use. Several wars had already been fought with the Philistines. There was hatred between the two peoples, and since they were a popular target among his people, Saul decided to attack.

This was a rash move on the part of Saul. First, the Scriptures do not record that there was any direction from God at this time to go to war with the Philistines.  At that time, there was no active conflict with the Philistines, and Israel had the opportunity to be redemptive in their relationship with their enemies. Remember, the Scriptures tell us that sometimes God tells us to fight, and sometimes He tells us to flee, and sometimes He tells us to wait on Him. Saul chose to fight, when God may have been telling him to wait.

This was also rash because Israel was unprepared. As we noted in the previous episode, 1 Samuel 13:19-22 reveals to us that their previous compromises prevented Israel from being equipped for battle. In fact, only Saul and Jonathan had proper weapons for battle. This was almost literally like bringing a knife to a gunfight. As some experts in self-defense will quip, “The first rule of a gunfight is to have a gun.”  Likewise, the first rule of warfare is to arm yourself. This Israel could not do.

Saul’s rashness scared Israel to death. When the two spies had gone into Jericho, Rahab told them that everyone in the city was quaking in their sandals because of the reputation of the God of the Israelites. The opposite was true now, as Israel adopted the ways of the world. Some Israelites ran away, and some even joined the Philistines.

Saul decided he needed to act kingly, and so he exceeded his authority!  When he did this, he ruined his role as leader of God’s people. Next, let’s read 1 Samuel 13:8-14,

He waited seven days for the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the troops were deserting him. So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” Then he offered the burnt offering. Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. So Saul went out to greet him, and Samuel asked, “What have you done?” Saul answered, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me and you didn’t come within the appointed days and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash, I thought, ‘The Philistines will now descend on me at Gilgal, and I haven’t sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering.” Samuel said to Saul, “You have been foolish. You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. It was at this time that the Lord would have permanently established your reign over Israel, but now your reign will not endure. The Lord has found a man after his own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over his people, because you have not done what the Lord commanded.”

Saul Was Impatient:

In ancient Israel, a separation of powers existed among the leaders of God’s People. God worked through three different types of leaders to guide and nurture His people: prophets, priests, and kings. Prophets revealed God’s heart to His people. Priests interceded with God on the behalf of His people. Kings were to rule His people righteously. If each one did their part properly, the nation would be blessed.

In this case, Samuel was both prophet and priest, and Saul was king. They each had a role to play, and the well-being of Israel depended upon fulfilling their roles. Saul got impatient, and he sacrificed to God instead of waiting upon Samuel. This was an act of arrogance and rebellion. Saul took unto himself power and authority which God had not bestowed upon him.

I remember well the story of a pastor who caused havoc at a covered-dish supper at his church. The serving line was set-up to have servers on one side of the table, while those filling their plates were supposed to do so from the opposite side of the table. So, this was a one-sided serving line, and it was organized that way for a reason. This pastor (who wasn’t me!) became impatient with the slow serving line and he grabbed a plate and utensils and began serving himself from the wrong side. He got in the way of the servers who were bringing in dishes from the church kitchen, and he inspired others to follow him on the wrong side of the table. The result was a confused mess! Not only did he act impatiently, but he also forgot the leadership principle that, leaders eat last!

We must be careful to understand our calling from God so that we can fulfill it. To exceed our calling is to be arrogant. To fail to go the distance is a lack of faith.

When Saul got impatient, he forgot his calling, and he ruined his relationship with God. Next, let’s read I Samuel 14:24-30,

The battle extended beyond Bethaven, and the men of Israel were worn out that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath: “The man who eats food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies is cursed.” So none of the troops tasted any food. Everyone went into the forest, and there was honey on the ground. When the troops entered the forest, they saw the flow of honey, but none of them ate any of it because they feared the oath. However, Jonathan had not heard his father make the troops swear the oath. He reached out with the end of the staff he was carrying and dipped it into the honeycomb. When he ate the honey, he had renewed energy. Then one of the troops said, “Your father made the troops solemnly swear, ‘The man who eats food today is cursed,’ and the troops are exhausted.” Jonathan replied, “My father has brought trouble to the land. Just look at how I have renewed energy because I tasted a little of this honey. How much better if the troops had eaten freely today from the plunder they took from their enemies! Then the slaughter of the Philistines would have been much greater.”

Saul Was Foolish:

Despite Saul’s failings, God protected His people. He showed Jonathan how to infiltrate the Philistine camp and cause panic among them. All that was left was for the Israelites to pursue them to destruction. That’s when Saul had a foolish thought.

We all say things that we should not say. For example, when we say, “I’m about to starve to death,” we are certainly exaggerating. Likewise, we probably don’t mean it when we tell a child, “If you don’t be quiet, I’m going to pinch your head off.” One of my favorite foolish sayings that I have ever heard was, “I’m going to rip your arm off and beat you to death with it.” The outrageous eloquence of that statement is just above and beyond!

When we say these things, people know we don’t mean them. However, when the king says such, people take him seriously. As an example, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director J Edgar Hoover once wrote on a report, “Watch the borders.”  In response the FBI sent hundreds of agents to surveil the borders of the USA.  What Hoover meant was to widen the margins on the format of the reports sent to him! In Biblical terms, David once said he was thirsty and his so-called Mighty Men risked their lives to acquire a drink of water for him. When a king says something, his people take it seriously.

Saul made a foolish oath. It was unnecessary. It was unhelpful. It was unwise. It did nothing to motivate Israel. When he was head coach of the Washington Redskins football team, George Allen was pilloried by some commentators, because he would give prizes like TVs or clock radios to his highly paid athletes to help motivate them to win. So, did Saul even mean what he said? Let’s read I Samuel 13:42-46,

Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan,” and Jonathan was selected. Saul commanded him, “Tell me what you did.” Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the end of the staff I was carrying. I am ready to die!” Saul declared to him, “May God punish me and do so severely if you do not die, Jonathan!” But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die? He accomplished such a great deliverance for Israel! No, as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he worked with God’s help today.” So the people redeemed Jonathan, and he did not die. Then Saul gave up the pursuit of the Philistines, and the Philistines returned to their own territory.

Apparently, Saul was not a man of his word. When his son Jonathan was caught, he tried to enforce his oath, but the people shouted him down. Because of his impetuousness, Saul put himself between a rock and a hard place. If he had enforced his oath, he would have been foolish. When he didn’t, he made himself a liar. Jesus later would tell His followers not to take frivolous oaths, but He also said, “Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.”

Saul’s tongue wrote a check that his integrity couldn’t cash and he ruined his character. That was not the last of his folly, however. Let’s read I Samuel 15:1-3,

Samuel told Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now, listen to the words of the Lord. This is what the Lord of Armies says: ‘I witnessed what the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they opposed them along the way as they were coming out of Egypt. Now go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have. Do not spare them. Kill men and women, infants and nursing babies, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

 Saul Was Disobedient:

The vast majority of God’s revelation to us is easily understood. Some areas of His Word are more difficult for us to engage with, like the Doctrine of the Trinity, but the vast majority is easily approachable by us. For example, The Ten Commandments are quite straightforward, as are The Greatest Commandments and The Great Commission. Usually, our trouble with God’s Word stems from when we deliberately obfuscate it to give ourselves an excuse. Our model for this type of manipulation of the plain meaning of words is former President Bill Clinton, who tried to defend his actions by debating the meaning of the word, is.

Saul had been given some explicit instructions from God. Before, Saul was free-lancing, but now God told him what to do. Saul was told to attack and destroy Amalek. He was told to kill all the people and all the animals. While we may not understand the motive behind this directive, we can understand the mission very clearly from what Saul was told. So, what did Saul do? 1 Samuel 15:7-15 tells us,

Then Saul struck down the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is next to Egypt. He captured King Agag of Amalek alive, but he completely destroyed all the rest of the people with the sword. Saul and the troops spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and choice animals, as well as the young rams and the best of everything else. They were not willing to destroy them, but they did destroy all the worthless and unwanted things. Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, “I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned away from following me and has not carried out my instructions.” So Samuel became angry and cried out to the Lord all night. Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but it was reported to Samuel, “Saul went to Carmel where he set up a monument for himself. Then he turned around and went down to Gilgal.” When Samuel came to him, Saul said, “May the Lord bless you. I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.” Samuel replied, “Then what is this sound of sheep, goats, and cattle I hear?” Saul answered, “The troops brought them from the Amalekites and spared the best sheep, goats, and cattle in order to offer a sacrifice to the Lord your God, but the rest we destroyed.”

Saul deliberately disobeyed God. Instead of destroying all of Amalek, he allowed Agag to live. Instead of destroying all livestock, he allowed Israel to keep the banned cattle and sheep. Saul deliberately did what he was told not to do. What were the results of this? Again, Samuel 15 tells us, this time in verses 22-23.

Then Samuel said: Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.

In the end, Saul was disobedient to God, and he ruined his role as king over Israel.

Conclusion:

Are we like Saul? Are we rash and impatient? Are we foolish and disobedient? Have we ruined our walks with God? Have we self-destructed? There is hope that Saul didn’t have!

God sent Jesus to be prophet, priest, and king. He sent him to help us when we could not help ourselves. If you’ve made a mess of your life today, turn it over to Jesus! If you have ruined your walk with God, repent and come back to Jesus who said: “all that the father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me, I will by no means cast out.”

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt