3 things cost King Saul the throne of Israel and led to his rejection by the LORD God and the throne being given to another.
The Israelites wanted to be like other nations around them and asked Prophet Samuel for a King who would rule over them like other nations. All the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel.
“Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”
Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the LORD for guidance.
“Do everything they say to you .” the LORD replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.” 1Samuel 8:1-9
In 1 Samuel 8:10-21, Prophet Samuel passed on the LORD’S warning to the people of Israel who were asking him for a king. But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. Even so, we still want a king they said. “We want to be like other nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.
The LORD albeit how He felt about the decision of His people, told Samuel; “Do as they say and give them a king.” He choose Saul the son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin.
Saul was the most handsome man in Israel, head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land.
A meeting was arranged by the LORD between Saul and Samuel. After the meeting where Samuel confirmed that Saul the son of Kish was the LORD’S choice for Israel, Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it over Saul’s head. He kissed Saul and said, “I am doing this because the LORD has appointed you to be ruler over Israel His special possession.
Upon anointing Saul as king, Samuel told him some signs to watch out for as a confirmation of his kingship and gave him an important instruction;
“… At that time the Spirit of the LORD will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them, You will be changed into a different person. After these signs take place, do what must be done, for the LORD is with you. Then go down to Gilgal ahead of me. I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings. You must wait for seven days until I arrive and give you further instructions.” 1 Samuel 10:6-8
All of Samuel’s signs were fulfilled. Then Samuel said to all the people.,
“This is the man the LORD has chosen as your king. No one in all Israel is like him.”
And all the people shouted, “ Long live the king!”
The people of Israel rejoiced greatly on the anointing of their new and first king in Israel.
But King Saul did not last for long on the throne of Israel because the LORD rejected him and tore the kingdom from him and gave it to someone else.
Why?
1 . King Saul Failed To Obey The LORD’S Instructions :
The LORD is a God of instructions. The Holy Bible which is our manual for living as believers and followers of Jesus Christ is a book of instructions.
God does not joke with His instructions. Failure to keep His instructions as simple or complex as they may seem or be attracts consequences.
King Saul lost the throne of Israel because he disobeyed the ‘ Two ‘important instructions given to him by the LORD through Prophet Samuel. What are these instructions?
a)“…Then go down to Gilgal ahead of me. I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings. You must wait for seven days until I arrive and give you further instructions.” 1 Samuel 10:6-8
Jonathan the son of Saul attacked and defeated the garrison of Philistines at Geba. the news spread quickly among the Philistines. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land. saying, “Hebrews, hear this! Rise up in revolt.” All of Israel heard the news that Saul had destroyed the Philistines at Geba and that the philistines now hated the Israelites more than ever. The entire army was summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots,6000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore! They camped at Micmash east of Beth–aven. The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because the enemy hard-pressed them, tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes and cisterns.
Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. He waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away, So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.
But just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?”
Samuel replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. So I said, the Philistines are ready to march against us at a Gilgal and I haven’t even asked for the LORD’S help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”
“How foolish !” Samuel exclaimed. “ You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. Had you kept it the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom must end, for the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart. The LORD has already appointed him leader of his people because you have not kept the LORD’S command.”
Beloved, when God says ‘Wait!’ I beseech you, Wait! even if the time He gave you has elapsed, Wait for Him.
Waiting on God is not easy.
However, your obedience to the instruction ‘Wait!’ might be all you need for your desired promotion and elevation in your career, ministry, purpose and business.
King Saul’s failure to wait for Prophet Samuel’s arrival because people were leaving him cost him the throne of Israel.
While waiting there is every possibility that people will leave you, while some might mock you as being slow and stupid because you know what to do but refuse to do it because you are obeying the LORD’S instruction to you. As long as you are sure that it is the LORD God who has asked you to wait, Wait!
Do not in a bid to make people stay, do what you are not supposed to do. Saul offered the sacrifice he was not meant to because of the people and he lost his kingdom.
God’s instruction to you must always come first no matter who leaves you or stay. His instruction must be obeyed to the full stop.
If you must go far in life, you must watch out for how you react when people leave you.
It’s better to lose people’s support than to lose God’s support.
“One with God is with the majority.”
b) “Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation- men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.” 1Samuel 15:3
Prophet Samuel said to Saul, this is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt. Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation- men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.
King Saul mobilized his army at Telaim. There were 200,00 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah.
He slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else.
Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs – everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.
The LORD said to Samuel, “ I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command,”
Samuel was deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the LORD all night.
Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul.
When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. “ May the LORD bless you,” he said. I have carried out the LORD’S command!”
“Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?” Samuel demanded.
“It’s true that the army spared the best of the sheep, goats, and cattle,” Saul admitted. “But they are going to sacrifice them to the LORD your God. We have destroyed everything else.
But Samuel replied,
“What is more important to the LORD:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
And submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
And stubbornness as bad as worshipping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the LORD,
He has rejected you as king .”
Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the LORD’S command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they commanded. But now, please forgive my sin and come with me so that I may worship the LORD.” 1Samuel 15:1-31
Samuel replied,” I will not go back with you! Since you have rejected the LORD’s command, he has rejected you as king of Israel .”
As Samuel turned to go, Saul tried to hold him back and tore the hem of his robe. And Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else – one who is better than you.
Beloved, Instruction simply defined is the detailed information about how something should be done or operated.
God’s NO 1 measurement tool for promotion in life, purpose, career, ministry, vision and assignment
is an individual’s ability to obey and follow His given instructions (command) in that which he has committed into your hands.
Scripture tells us, “ If you listen to these commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today, and carefully obey them, the LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom.” Deuteronomy 28: 13 (NLT)
Any man or woman, who doesn’t obey and follow the LORD’S given instructions, can never go far in life, purpose, career and ministry.
The LORD through His servant Samuel gave king Saul two instructions for his assignments as the king of Israel, Saul failed to obey the two instructions and the LORD tore the kingdom of Israel from him and gave it to someone else.
This cost him the throne of Israel.
The LORD God doesn’t take disobedience to His instructions lightly.
Most of the time we accuse and blame the devil as being behind our challenges and problems in life, but it’s ourselves we should blame.
Our failure to obey God’s given instructions about our life, assignment, career, marriage vision and purpose is the reason why we are not making progress as we should.
We keep praying and asking God for divine promotion when we have not even obeyed His past instructions.
So I ask;
- What are the instructions given to you by the LORD about your purpose, vision, assignments, and career?
- Are you following His instructions as you should, or are you doing it the way you feel it should be done as Saul did by sparing the life of Amalekite king Agag, keeping the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs but destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality when the LORD instruction says, “Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation- men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys?” ?
- If the LORD God were to evaluate you right now, would He promote you, or would He regret and feel sorry for choosing you to occupy that position you are serving in now as He did in the case of king Saul?
I leave you to evaluate yourself and answer.
TO BE CONTINUED…
