Good morning and happy Saturday. Today we read 1 Samuel 12-14.
Leadership
Reading through these verses, considering all that is happening in America these days, brings me some concern. I love President Trump and believe he is doing a great job. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is also completing its assigned tasks. There is the potential of great days ahead for the United States and the world.
The cycle
The similarities to the days of Samuel and Saul, however, are notable. God had delivered the people of Israel, and then they rebelled.
He allowed the natural course of things to bring them to their knees. Without His protection, they were no match for the surrounding tribes. Israel cried out, repenting of their sins, and the Lord rescued them again.
This repeats so often it sounds like a broken record.
We wear out
They had the greatest King of any, God Himself, and yet, to be like the cool countries, they ask for an earthly king. God loves them, and even though it breaks his heart, he gives them over to their wickedness.
Samuel had served diligently. He had taken no bribes, acquired no benefit the Lord had not provided, and was innocent of any wrongdoing. Now he was tired.
You can give your all to the people for the sake of God, and it is fulfilling. Witnessing people’s lives change and sensing their devotion to God encourages you.
Then you realize it is a show, and they are still walking with the world. So you try harder, and call on the Lord to give you more wisdom and strength.
There comes a point where you have gone to the well too many times, the bucket comes up dry.
Shiny outside
Saul was at this place in his life. He had given his all, but the people kept cleaning themselves up on the outside, while allowing their hearts to rot. Despite tearing down their altars to Baal and Ashtoreth, their hearts remained filled with wickedness and idolatry.
America has turned away from the sinful self-indulgence of the last few years. We’ve suffered through pandemic and inflation. The DOGE looks into the corruption and realizes they were robbing the taxpayers blind.
We asked for a new leader, and God delivered.
The question remains, where is our heart? Have we repented of our selfish entitlement and returned to the Lord? Or are we still worshipping the same sins we had before?
God, let them go
I can sense God saying, “you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’ – even though the Lord your God was your king. Now here is the king you have chosen.” (1 Sam 12:12-13)
President Trump can only do so much. He can seek God, and I pray he is, and lead. But, if the people’s hearts remain corrupt. If we continue to worship the idols of self, wealth, health, and sinful self-indulgence, nothing will change.
We will see temporary improvements, but God knows our hearts. He will see through the deception.
Prayers needed
The people went to Samuel and asked him to pray to the Lord for them. (1 Sam 12:19) This is what America must do.
Samuel rebuked them and told them they had not repented. They needed to turn to the Lord and serve Him with all their hearts.
He warned in 1 Sam 12:25, if they “persisted in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.” (NIV)
Saul’s mistake
We see in 1 Sam 13 that Saul was acting on his own. He was getting things done, but it was making Israel obnoxious to the Philistines. (vs 4)
Because of this, Israel retreated and was running and hiding in caves.
You can defeat giants when you know God is with you. Knowing you have lost His presence, all you can do is live in fear.
Saul makes a crucial mistake in 1 Sam 13:11-14. I pray President Trump does not repeat this.
He panics and determines to offer the sacrifice himself. This should have only been done by Samuel.
He does not wait upon the Lord’s timing, but takes matters into his own hands.
Samuel tells him he has done a foolish thing. (v13). God would have established his kingdom forever if he had waited, but now his kingdom is doomed by his actions.
No fair trade
Because of their obnoxious actions, the Philistine blacksmiths were gouging them on the price of sharpening their weapons and even their plows for farming. Therefore, when they needed to go to battle, they were not prepared. (v22). Only Saul and Jonathan possessed weapons.
The Lord is our strength
Jonathan still has faith, and in 1 Sam 14:6 acknowledges that it is not by strength, but because of the Lord, they can prevail.
This was true in those days, and still is.
Saul makes the right correction in verse 18, in bringing the Ark of the Covenant of God. All the weapons in the world will not help without God. With God, having two armed men can be enough.
Opposition imploding
Because God is with them, the Philistines in v20 get confused and start attacking each other.
We are seeing many of the people who had caused the problems for America turning on their own. They don’t have to worry about the actions Elon Musk is recommending. They are condemning themselves.
Jonathan’s mistake
Those following President Trump must take warning of what happens with Jonathon.
Because he had not heard Saul’s edict, Jonathan felt entitled and ate some honey. No big deal. It was just a snack, and it was there for the taking.
But, because the king issued the edict, it was a big deal. According to the rule of law, they should execute Jonathan for disobeying the king. If their king was the Lord, as it should be, he would have been.
Because Saul is not God, the people override his decision and defend Jonathon. Further showing the weakness of an earthly king.
Escalation
Sin always leads to greater sin, so the next thing we see in vs 32-33, the people are eating meat with the blood still in it. They have broken faith.
Saul then sins again. He builds an altar.
Then he calls on God, and there is no answer. This happens when people take upon themselves the actions which God has not directed them to do.
There’s still time
We are in the middle of this story.
Israel is about to get a new king, David. He will bring the people back to God, because he has a heart for the Lord.
America has a new leader, but if we put him above the Lord, we will suffer the consequences.
If that leader does not seek the Lord in all he does, we will have trouble and no one will be there to rescue us.
We, as Christians, must be praying for our leaders and imploring them to seek God in all they do.
The opportunity is there, but we must wait on the Lord for His timing and His delivery.
