Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 13

Saul's Folly

Motives of worldly expediency are not to be weighed against the express commandment of God.  Anytime you deliberate on a matter and then willfully disobey the commandment of God based on your own assessment, you are doing foolishly. God's ways are best. God's ways are right. For Saul to presume that he could improve on God's ways was sheer foolishness. Saul thought his way was better than God’s way.

Saul, the king of Israel, disobeyed the LORD on at least three different counts.  First, under the Law of Moses, kings weren't supposed to offer sacrifices on behalf of the community. Kings could offer sacrifices for themselves, but never for the nation. That was to be done only by priests. Saul acted foolishly by ignoring this holy precept of God's Law.  Second, he was explicitly commanded by the LORD to wait for Samuel to come before offering the sacrifice. But he didn’t wait.  He got nervous about his dwindling army and decided to take matters into his own hands.  Rather than waiting upon God, he felt it would be more expedient to rush into the sacrifice.  To him it was a matter of utmost “expediency” in order to bolster his own position. Third, and most important, Saul made the foolish decision to trust himself and his “common sense” rather than trust in the LORD whose ways are not man’s ways.

Saul’s decision may have looked very pragmatic and practical in the moment.  After all, he really couldn’t afford to lose any more support from his people and his armies.  Many may have looked and thought, this was a good practical decision (from a human standpoint).  But the reality is that obedience to God, although it may not look practical or pragmatic to others, is always the right thing to do.  Even if it looks foolish.  Even if it looks like it is against your own best interest.  Even if another course of action would "improve" your position.  Obedience to God is always the right course of action.

Saul’s punishment may appear excessively severe at first. Stripped of his kingdom. However, the king of Israel was the Lord’s lieutenant. Any disobedience to his Commander-in-Chief was an act of insubordination that threatened the whole administrative organization of God’s kingdom on earth. Saul failed to perceive his place and responsibility under God. 

Remember, any time you think you can improve your position by disobeying God, that's sheer folly.  It may seem the right course of action to your “common sense,” but God’s sense is not always common, and His way is always the right way.