The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 13:14:,
"But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord's command."
Saul is told by Samuel the Lord has rejected him as king over Israel. The kingship will pass from him and his descendants to another, someone who would be "a man after his own heart".
What was it that Saul did that was so bad, that resulted in him losing the throne over Israel? The decision by God to remove Saul was a result of Saul offering up the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings, because, as he told Samuel later, "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."
That doesn't sound bad, does it? However, Saul's actions demonstrated his lack of faith in the Lord. Saul was not qualified to offer these offerings and he did so because of his observations and fear of the Philistines. He didn't have the faith to wait for Samuel as he was instructed, and it was out of fear he made the offerings, demonstrating his lack of faith that God could and would deliver Saul and his army from the Philistines in spite of Samuel's delay.
Saul gets replaced by David, a man of great faith. Of him Paul observed a millennium later, "God testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'" Acts 13:22. We read in Hebrews 11:6, "without faith it is impossible to please God."
Saul did not and would not embrace the Lord in faith. Rather, he reacted to the circumstances he was confronted with and proved himself unworthy of the throne.
How about us today? Do we please the Lord by embracing him in faith? Not so doing can be very costly! Saul proved himself unworthy of the crown as monarch of Israel - may we not prove ourselves unworthy of the crown of eternal life! "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial ["testing of your faith", verse 3] because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him." James 1:12.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord's command."
Saul is told by Samuel the Lord has rejected him as king over Israel. The kingship will pass from him and his descendants to another, someone who would be "a man after his own heart".
What was it that Saul did that was so bad, that resulted in him losing the throne over Israel? The decision by God to remove Saul was a result of Saul offering up the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings, because, as he told Samuel later, "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."
That doesn't sound bad, does it? However, Saul's actions demonstrated his lack of faith in the Lord. Saul was not qualified to offer these offerings and he did so because of his observations and fear of the Philistines. He didn't have the faith to wait for Samuel as he was instructed, and it was out of fear he made the offerings, demonstrating his lack of faith that God could and would deliver Saul and his army from the Philistines in spite of Samuel's delay.
Saul gets replaced by David, a man of great faith. Of him Paul observed a millennium later, "God testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'" Acts 13:22. We read in Hebrews 11:6, "without faith it is impossible to please God."
Saul did not and would not embrace the Lord in faith. Rather, he reacted to the circumstances he was confronted with and proved himself unworthy of the throne.
How about us today? Do we please the Lord by embracing him in faith? Not so doing can be very costly! Saul proved himself unworthy of the crown as monarch of Israel - may we not prove ourselves unworthy of the crown of eternal life! "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial ["testing of your faith", verse 3] because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him." James 1:12.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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