“So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance.” – 1 Chronicles 10:13
King Saul is an interesting little dead-end path along Israel’s journey to being a kingdom. The first king of Israel, Saul is the perfect illustration of what happens when God removes His restraining hand of grace to give sinful people exactly what we ask for. Israel rejected God’s kingship over them and demanded a king like all the neighboring countries. So, God literally gave them a king just like those of their neighbors. Tall, good looking, good at fighting, eager to grab more and more power and wealth for himself and his family. Oppressive. Mentally unstable. Paranoid. Disobedient to God’s Law. Spiritually bankrupt. Willing to dabble in demonic spiritual powers rather than submit to God. Just like neighboring kings!
Saul wasn’t intended to start a long-term dynasty. Genesis 49 makes it clear that the kings of Israel would come from the tribe of Judah, not Benjamin, where Saul came from. Saul was an object lesson to Israel. A reminder of the importance of seeking God’s will rather than demanding that their will be done. A temporary punishment who helped Israel understand the difference between their ideas and God’s. Between a man with a human-centered heart and a man after God’s heart.
And yet, it took decades for all this to sort out and for King David to gain the throne of Israel. Decades! Sometimes, God will discipline His people by giving us exactly what we ask for, then require us to live with that for an extended period of time. Getting what we demand from God can be one of the hardest things to endure! So, if you find yourself distant from God in a place of unrepentant sin, be careful what you demand from God. He just might give it to you! Rather than chase the disordered desires of a sinful heart, simply #FollowJesus