Introduction
Saul was the 1st king of Israel (i.e. 1050 BC; His account
is in 1 Samuel 9-31 and a short summary in 1 Chronicles 10:1-14).
Well, the 1st human king, anyway. Prior to Saul, God was the
king of Israel (c.f. 1Samuel 8:7; 12:12; Isaiah 43:15) and during
this period, for 3 centuries, at times of crisis, God would nominate a
judge who would free people from oppression (c.f. in fact, when the judge
Gideon is offered the monarchy, he replies, ”You have no king but
Yahweh“ - Judges 8:23)
Samuel was the last of the judges. The Israeli's didn't like the God-as-king
situation because one of their many enemies, the Ammonites. They were
so afraid and so dubious about God's ability to save them that they asked
for a human king. . .thus, rejecting God's leadership (1 Samuel 8:4-22;
they wanted a visible standing army not an invisible God 8:20 &
12:12). God told Samuel to go ahead and give them the king they wanted—Saul.
Now we don't have time to review Saul's entire life but I think it will
be useful to zoom in on a few episodes in his life to get a 'feel' for
the kind of man he was
- Saul was the GQ man of the decade in 1050 B.C. (c.f. 1 Samuel
9:2 incomparably handsome and head and shoulders above the other
men in height).
- When Saul was nearly 40 he went looking for his Dad's lost donkeys
(1 Samuel 9:1-14; 40 years old 13:1). He's about to give up when he
decides to ask Judge Samuel if he, by the power of God, can find his
fathers assets.
- Samuel tells him the donkeys are back home and then, unexpectedly,
anoints him king of Israel in a private ceremony (9:15-10:1) and again
in a public ceremony (10:17-24).
- We begin to smell something stinky at the time of his public installment
as king (10:21-22). . .you might think. . .OK, he's a little
shy. . .Well, check this out.
- (13:5-14). . .Philistines had them out-numbered & out-gunned.
. .dwindling troops (3000 to 600), he was afraid. . .so he offers the
sacrifice (13:8-14). . .his dynasty is rejected
- (15:1-24). . .Amalekites. . .takes a while for us to find out his
motivation (v.24) he was afraid of his own people. . .so he disobeyed
the commandment (15:13-16; 20-21; 24). . .his own kingship is
rejected.2
- (17:11,24). . .he was afraid of Goliath
- (18:12,15,29) David b/c he was a threat to his dynasty. . .so he
tried to kill him. (18:10) David held a harp. . .Saul held a spear.
- (28:5,20). . .he was afraid of the Philistine army (28:4-7; 15-20)
and so he sought occult insight.3
Saul was driven by fear most of his life. The irony is the Hebrews
got the king they wanted (i.e. a handsome warrior) but he was just like
them (i.e. fearful) (1 Samuel 16:7 God looks at the heart). He was afraid
of his family, his nation, his enemies, Samuel, David and so on and so
on.
The problem, of course, wasn't that he was fearful, it's that he let
his fear drive him to opt for the bag of tricks he'd used from childhood
(e.g. hiding, controlling, manipulating, lying, falling apart, raging
& destroying). . .INSTEAD of looking to God as the one he should trust
with his fears.
Don't Let Fear Enslave You
Is it that hard to relate to Saul? I don't think so. We
all experience fear. Some are afraid of failure, success, people, people's
opinions, real dangers, imagined dangers (“I have been through
some terrible times in my life, some of which actually happened.”
Mark Twain), the unknown and death.
We fear. . .some more. . .some less because of our nature, nurture, culture
or personal circumstances.
I'll bet that underneath much of our busyness, obsessive
entertainments, outbursts of anger, manipulations, dishonesty and loneliness
is fear. Fear can keep people working, manipulating, playing or hiding
for their whole lives (caveat: not saying that all work, play or
retreat derives from fearfulness; just that some does).
Working
e.g. Functioning to avoid the messiness and difficulty of people.
e.g. Obsessive work to avoid failure
Playing (if it's for self-soothing purposes)
e.g. Shopping when anxious. . .relationship btw. materialistic culture
and our personal definitions of success.
e.g. Sexual addiction via fear of real relationshiPsalm
e.g. Substance abuse. . .chronic TV watching. . .
Controlling
e.g. Anger (like fear-biting dogs) seeking peace by intimidation, force,
or violence. (1Sam.22 - killing Ahimelech, the priests of Nob (85 of them)
and all the women, children and animals too; c.f. ch.21 for background;
19:10ff vindictive; duplicity).
e.g. Queen bee girl gangs
Hiding
Fear makes us lonely. . .we're driven inward. . .lying, blaming and hiding.
Seeking peace at the expense of honesty. Some of us don't want
praise we just want to avoid critique and so we blend in. . .lay low
and don't take on anything that we know we can't accomplish in our own
strength (1 Samuel 10:16 not telling his uncle; 1 Samuel 10:21f hiding
by the luggage)
Some of us have serious personal failure that we're hidden from others
today, partly b/c we're afraid of what the very people God intends
to help us, will think of us. . .fearful of their opinions we stay
enslaved to. . ..(1 Samuel 15:13 deny; v.21 blame shift)
Not being honest about our faith.
Not being honest about our worries (contrast Jonathan 20:14-17 with
Saul 18:17, 20-24).
Seeking peace at the expense of love. Seeing problems in our
spouse, children, parents, co-workers or friends . . .but never directly
telling them what's bothering us.
I run across lots of situations where people tell me how unhappy
they are with another person, sometimes for years. . ..and have never
taken one step to work it out because the love of peace is greater
than love for that person.
Seeking peace at the expense of justice. Fear makes us complicit
in evil.
Keep in mind, it's not fear, it's our refusal to examine and act upon
those fears from God's perspective that makes us slaves to fear like Saul
was enslaved to his fears. So, how do you avoid slavishness to fear?
A critical issue for Saul and for us is whether we'll make an important
shift in perspective from what we're afraid of to whom we belong. . .is
God is bigger than our situation?
God is Powerful
God can do whatever he wants to do (Genesis 18:14; Jeremiah 32:17; Isaiah
40:15-18, 21-23, 26, 28; 43:13).
It's implicit in his names—“I am” (YHWH I am here
is what I am); “I am your provider” (YHWH raah (aka jireh);
“I am your peace” (YHWH Shalom)—(the name Gideon
gave to an altar he built b4 fighting the Midianites; Judges 6:11-24);
“Almighty God” (El Shaddai) (Genesis17:1-3); “I
am the God of Armies” (YHWH Elohim seba'ot {hosts, armies
or masses}) It emphasizes his power over everything in the material and
spiritual universe. All is under his command; “God most high”
(El Yoh) (Genesis 14:17-20); “God who sees” (El Roi);
(Psalm 9:10) And those who know Your name will put their trust
in You; For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You
The miraculous is no more impossible for God than the non-miraculous.
These are distinctions that we make, not God. Both are equally possible
for him.
God is able to forgive any and all sin. There is no one so lost that
God is not able to convict/draw/forgive them (John 16:8). EVANGELISM
God is able to change our characters, no matter how big our problems
are (Ephesians 1:18-20; 3:20; Philippians 4:13). SANCTIFICATION
God is able to use you to accomplish his purpose (2 Corinthians 3:6;
12:10). MINISTRY
If this is true. . .what's the most reasonable response to God? Awe,
humility, submission and anticipation of his actions on our behalf and
on behalf of others.
The problem with Saul, was not that he felt weak. . .it's that as weak
as he felt, he saw God as weaker still (1 Samuel 9:21).
Respond in Faith
Cultivate “fear of God.” The primary meaning is awe
and respect but it also includes the realization that He is overflowing
with unlimited and potentially fatal power.
y-r-' (yir'ah- fear), nora' (awe) are the natural
outcomes of YHWH's rule on earth (47:2; 65:5-8; 68:35; 76:7,12); p-h-d
(pahad)—dread, tremble with fear; the natural result
of rebellion (53:5; 14:5);
Those who haven't taken God's power and justice seriously should feel
dread (Hebrews 10:31).
Those who have asked for God's mercy are free from this sort of fear
(1Jn.4:18) but ought to feel awe & respect.
The godly fear (y-r-' & p-h-d) the Lord (Psalm
119:120, 161) and yet have nothing to fear (27:1,5; 3:6)
“Aslan is not safe—but he's kind” from The Lion,
the witch and the wardrobe by C. S. Lewis.
This concept doesn't first appear in wisdom literature. Earlier scripture
makes it clear that 'fear of YHWH' is the appropriate response to trust
in the Lord (Genesis 22:12; 42:18; Job 1:1, 8-9; 2:3; Exodus 1:15-21;
14:31; 20:20; Leviticus 19:14, 32; 25:17; Deuteronomy 4:10; 5:26; 6:2,
13, 24; 8:6; 10:12, 20; 13:4; 14:23; 17:19; 28:58; 31:12-13).
The fear of YHWH has to be learned (Deuteronomy 4:10; 14:23; 17:19;
31:12-13; Psalm 34:11)
Regularly meditate on & pray about this attribute of God (i.e.
including application to your situation).
Recall God's faithfulness in the past (historically, personally &
in the lives of others).
Since YHWH is inclined to come to the aid of his children when
they turn to him, his mighty actions in history are important subjects
of meditation in times of need (77:11-12) and add to the weight
of evidence at times of deliverance (26:7)
Saul had seen the power of God (1 Samuel 10:10-12; 26; 11:6-7, 13;
14:47; 15:1-7; 19:23f). . .he just failed to apply those experiences
to the new scary situations.
Jonathan (14:6) was near the home town of Gideon who'd been forced
by God a century earlier to make his army smaller and smaller so Israel
would understand this very point. . .I'll bet anything he remembered
this history when he said what he said.
Ask for and expect God's intervention with submission. Ask for
& expect (pray in faith)
“. . .the central core of sin in our personalities is not pride
or sensuality but unbelief.” Lovelace, p. 133
“Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue
my ways before Him. Job 13:15
This honesty & responsiveness often produces a fruitful clash between
God and man (Saul didn't have to consult a necromancer. . .he already
knew what was going to happen. . .he just didn't like it - 28:16. What
would have happened if Saul had seceded as soon as Samuel anointed David?).
I hope you will use this to increasingly express uninhibited praise,
gratitude, anger, anxiety, sadness, longing, confidence and joy to God.
I think as you're open with Him you'll find he has a lot more elbow
room to transform you into His own image.
Submission.
Attitude. This part goes to the last few weeks' principles.
. .that God is truthful and good. That he's powerful is rarely enough
to engender our confidence unless we realize that he uses his power
to accomplish good, even if it means that we suffer loss for a time.
For instance, it's clear that God intends great spiritual growth
to accompany and follow trials (James 1:2-5, 12; Hebrews 12:4-13;
2 Corinthians 4:7-18). This spiritual growth includes increased confidence
in and dependence on God's provision and increased commitment to God's
goals.
Action. Do the scary thing that best accomplishes God's will.
Note: expect incremental progress. . .Don't expect an absence of
fear expect instead to make incremental progress toward learning to
respond to your fears biblically (e.g. You may need to wade back into
the conflict if you realized you chickened out the last time)
Avail yourself of the resources he's given. In Saul's case. . .The
Holy Spirit, Samuel, Jonathan, David Notice how Jonathan shared his
worries with David (20:1-17; especially vv. 13-17)
Acknowledge God's help. 1 Samuel 7:12 Ebenezer - “the stone
of help“
Footnotes
2
The ethics of the “Ban”
According to scripture, not all violence is sinful.
If certain acts are deserving of death, and God employs
human agency in judgment, then to take part in the judgment of a nation
(which God has specifically commanded) is not sinful.
- This is what happened in the case of the conquest
of Canaan.
God had waited for over 400 years for the Canaanites to
repent (Genesis 15:16). Because of their utter wickedness, He decided
to judge them by removing them from their land (Deut. 9:5-6), thus preventing
the rest of the world from being polluted by their wickedness (Deut.
20:17-18).
In the conquest, strict commands were given against exploitation
and cruelty (see Deut. 20:19)
The Canaanites were given the opportunity to surrender
and stay (Deut. 20:10-16).
- This is also what happened in the case of the Amalekites
but we have much less biblical & extrabiblical information.
Israel was not permitted to fight in order to expand their
territory, only to defend it. There was always a strong prophetic voice
against war for exploitation (Is. 10:13; Amos 1:11,13).
The Amalekites were 'cousins' of the Israelis through
Esau, Jacob's brother. Amalek was Esau's grandson.
They were marauders and had a long history of attacking
Israelis. The Amalekites settled in the Sinai Peninsula, and were the
first nation Israel encountered when they left Egypt. As they came out
of the land of bondage into freedom, Amalek struck them from behind.
They attacked the rear of the column where the women and children were,
and they inflicted great damage upon Israel.
After this incident God says to Moses, “Write this
in a book as a memorial and
recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek
from under heaven.” And Moses built an altar, and named it The
Lord is My Banner; and he said, “The Lord has sworn; the Lord will
have war against Amalek from generation to generation.”
Later on, in Deuteronomy 25, when Amalek comes into the
picture again, the Lord says to Israel, “Remember Amalek. When
you come into the land, exterminate the Amalekites.”
3
A biblical view of the occult
God's against the occult (Dt. 18:10-11; Lev.19:31; 20:6; Isaiah 8:19ff;
Acts 19:18f) because it's either energized by demonic beings with evil
intentions for the participants (Dt.32:17; Psalm 106:37 1 Corinthians
10:20 connects demons with idol worship) or its fake and thus of no
value. In both cases it's a rejection of God's benevolent leadership
in favor of self-aggrandizing efforts to manipulate the spiritual realm.
Note that God did not reject Saul as an individual; he
rejected him only as king. When Saul failed to deal with the Amalekites
according to the word of God be thereupon lost his ability to reign
as king. He still was the recipient of God's love and care but he could
no longer be king. In verse 19 that Samuel says Saul will be with him.
. .implying that he would not be in a place of judgment.