February 25, 2024

It must take more than a year to learn to be a king. After choosing three thousand soldiers and sending the rest home, Saul took on the Philistines by sending Jonathan, his son, with a thousand men to invade their garrison, killing them. They had stirred up a hornet's nest of Philistines who were now preparing to come against them. The people of Israel scattered, hiding in caves and running away by crossing the Jordan. Then Saul, smitten with his power as king, decided that he would offer a burnt sacrifice to God and an offering for peace, which was completely unlawful because he was not a priest or prophet. About the time the offering had finished burning, Samuel arrived and was not too happy about what he had done. Samuel told him he was foolish and his kingdom would not stand, and that the Lord sought a man to take over that was after his own heart. He left. Saul counted his men and had six hundred, but they had no weapons because the Philistines had removed all the blacksmiths from the country so that they couldn't make swords. 

The lesson in this passage is that we must wait on God. Things will not end well if we try to do things independently without consulting Him. God has perfect timing, and if we try to push it without Him, we will create a mess. In other words, you will make things worse for yourself. Quiet yourself and wait for God; His plan is always the best and most fulfilling. 

But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee. 1 Samuel 13:14