1 Samuel 13
It has been around 7 days since Saul has been anointed as king and his faith and leadership are already being tested.
Think back to a time when you were on a spiritual high. Maybe you had an emotional encounter with God during worship. Perhaps the Spirit convicted you while reading the Bible or praying. Maybe the words of a friend encouraged you to pursue a calling, or you stepped into a new leadership role.
Go back to that moment. What did you feel? How did that experience affect your relationship with God? A week after that moment, did you feel the same way? Or did the emotions fade? Did you experience resistance to what God was inviting you into?
In chapter 10, Samuel said this to Saul: “Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.” (1 Sam 10:8)
Samuel was one of Israel's priests, and the one that God has authorized to make such sacrifices. Samuel was also a prophet, and was instructing Saul in God’s will. Samuel’s instruction is going to be a test for Saul’s leadership and dependence on God. Will he wait on Samuel to intercede on his behalf through the sacrifice? Or will he try to take matters into his own hands?
It’s clear to see that Saul did not wait for Samuel. Yes, the seventh day had come, but instead of trusting Samuel and the sacrifice system God had set up, Saul made the offering himself before the seventh day was over. Samuel calls him out on his disobedience and lack of trust. Just like many of the judges before him, Saul has failed to obey God and tried to take matters into his own hands.
Look again at Samuel’s words in verses 13 and 14:
“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 ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
Just 7 days after his first assignment as king, God is already working to replace Saul with someone who truly seeks God’s heart.
As followers of Jesus and members of His church, all of us are leaders in some capacity. This story shows that true, godly leadership means depending on God. It means that we also come under the leadership of our brothers and sisters in Christ, as they shepherd us towards God’s heart.
Though Saul was king, he still needed to listen to Samuel. Though Saul was the ruler of Israel, God was and is the true authority, mediated through the Law and prophets like Samuel. In the words of Samuel it was “foolish” for Saul to not keep the commandments of the LORD (verse 13), and it screwed up Saul’s shot to be the king Israel truly needed.
Reflect on your own leadership. Do you receive wisdom and instruction from others? Or do you tend to try to do things your own way? Are you a leader dependent on God? Or do you find yourself taking things into your own hands? 1 Corinthians 12:7 says, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” As the church, we are to serve and submit to each other, for all of us have the Spirit of God within us.
As you continue to read this book, I encourage you to look at Saul’s leadership. Like all kings and leaders before Jesus, he is imperfect. Does Saul let the title of “King” go to his head? What is his character like? How can we learn from his failures and successes? Samuel says in verse 14 that “God has sought out a man after God’s own heart” and appointed him to lead next. Will this new leader truly seek God’s heart? Or will he fail like Saul? Is it that black and white?
As we read this narrative, it is important to remember that these stories are not neat and tidy moral tales. They are messy and complicated and full of imperfect people. Yet even through these failing leaders, God is working to raise up a new King who will never fail and will fully reconcile people to God.
May we be people like Jesus, the perfect leader, who leads by sacrifice and humility. May the story of 1 and 2 Samuel help clarify the true qualities of godly leadership.
