The Punishment

12. June 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

Today in our text, we will discover what happens when Saul offers up the burnt offering instead of waiting for Samuel to come and do it.    Let’s look at the text:

I Samuel 10 Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him. 11 ”What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, 12 I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.” 13 ”You acted foolishly,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

15 Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred. 16 Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Micmash. 17 Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual, 18 another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboim facing the desert. 19 Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!” 20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plowshares, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened. 21 The price was two thirds of a shekel for sharpening plowshares and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads. 22 So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them. 23 Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Micmash.

As you can see in the text, Saul messed up.  There was a certain way that the sacrifice was to be offered and by a particular person which was the priest of God.   Saul did not hold the office of priest and was not allowed to offer sacrifices in that manner.  That was Samuel’s job.   Samuel was angry and told Saul that if he had just obeyed then his kingdom would have been established for ever but now God has sought out another man to replace him as king over Israel for all time.   

I think we all know that this man would be David.   I am amazed at the strategy of God.  Of course, we know that God knows all things but God did not miss a beat.  While Samuel did not know what he was about to encounter with Saul, God put the word in his heart instantly that a new king would soon reign.

Samuel leaves Saul and the Israelites will now struggle for a season against the philistines.  The story goes on to tell us that the Philistines made sure that they were the only ironsmiths that existed to keep the Israelites from making weapons.  When the Israelites needed their iron devices sharpen they would have to pay their enemy for the service.   WOW!!!!!   All kinds of things just get crazy when we disobey or try to do things our own ways.   Saul panicked and he thought that he was losing the battle because he had not honor God with a sacrifice so he offered it himself.    But we know the scriptures teach us that obedience is better than sacrifice.

We just need to obey and even though things may physically get worse from our steadfast stand and our obedience to do it God’s way, it is still the best and right course to follow because at least we will know that we are in the will of God and that is the safest place to be.  After all, God will work it together for our good.   

Have a great weekend.   See ya on Monday.

Stay encouraged and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »