I Samuel 10:1-8, 13:1-14
I don’t know if you have this same phenomenon in the Wesleyan church, but in the Nazarene churches where I grew up, you were pretty safe if you saved yourself some energy and simply carried a New Testament to church. There are places where the Old Testament is hardly ever referred to, and even more seldom preached directly from.
However, throughout my life I have developed a real interest and pull towards the Old Testament. I believe the kingdoms and the leaders of those kingdoms provide us with a great deal of wisdom and understanding on how the people of God are to live today.
One such example is found in the book of I Samuel. If you will turn there with me. It is the ninth book of the Old Testament. If you get to II Samuel, you are real close. I Samuel 10. I want us to look at two rather lengthy, but important passages, which will provide us with a fundamental lesson as we launch into this new time period and history together here at Stonewall Wesleyan Church. I Samuel 10 (read through v. 9). Then turn over to chapter 13 (read through v. 14).
In these passages, we find Saul making one crucial error, which leads to others. What Saul has done, the one crucial error he has made the way I see it, is that he has placed God on a timetable. And to be more specific, he has placed God on a human timetable.
The results are not very pretty. In fact, this is just one example of Saul’s behavior, and the beginning of the demise of Saul through his disobedience, and lack of respect for the authority of God over the people of Israel.
Samuel has told Saul what will take place up to the time at Gilgal. As he has described this time to Saul he has said to him “surely I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and make sacrifices.” Surely I will. I guarantee it. You have my word. He then tells Saul he will wait seven days before coming. But when you read all of verse 8 in chapter 10 you realize an important truth.
The issue Samuel was communicating to Saul was not that he should wait seven days for him, but that he should wait “till” Samuel comes to him and shows him what to do. Samuel is the priest, he offers the sacrifices. Wait for him. It appears that will only be seven days, but even if it isn’t, he is to wait till the arrival of Samuel.
Are you with me? Well, that is easier said than done for Saul. In fact, he has chosen 3,000 men for himself. He has divided them up for battle, and is waiting for Samuel when he hears that the Philistines have gathered together with 30,000 chariots, and 6,000 horsemen. In fact, the people are described as numerous as the sand on the seashore.
Now, understand that 36,000+ against 3,000 are not very good odds. And in fact, we read that Saul’s people begin to scatter, so that by the time Samuel’s visit is completed he is down to 600 men. He is looking at a slaughter. His death, along with that of the people would appear immanent. So rather than waiting around for old Samuel to show up, Saul decides it is time to act.
You can almost see him waiting with the stopwatch. “Come on Samuel. Hurry up. Okay, seven days are over, I’m taking matters into my own hands.” Now, what I want us to understand today is really one simple truth. Here it is: When we put God on a human timetable, when we begin to rush God’s timing, when we get impatient and in a hurry, when we decide to take matters into our own hands, the consequences will be disastrous.
Let’s look at them together. I have five for you, I am sure there are more, but let’s examine five of them together.
First, we see that we will focus on people rather than God. Notice verses 7 and 8 (read). Then verse 9 begins, “So.” Saul was not offering a sacrifice to God out of worship. He was not offering a sacrifice to God out of obedience. He was offering a sacrifice to God because the people were scared to death and scattering from him, and he didn’t like it. “So” he moved forward on his own. He was distracted by his circumstances rather than focused on his Father.
Now, I don’t believe God operates that way, but when we get in a hurry, we will focus on the people and circumstances around us, rather than on God. We will focus on the work, the bills, and the deadlines. We will loose our focus of God.
Second, we will not only focus on people rather than God, but the second thing we will do is that we will turn and blame those very people. Dave McClung was a layperson at a large denominational church. And his pastor was elected to the Board of General Superintendents for his denomination, so he became the pastoral coordinator at the church. And after a few weeks on the job, he said, “The largest surprise I have experienced is how much time pastors spend:
1. Calming members who have become upset over something
2. Making sure that others don’t get upset
3. Tracking down rumors about people who are supposed to be upset, but really aren’t.”
You see, when things don’t happen on our timetable, we get our focus on people, and begin to blame each other. Verse 11 (read through v. 12). “The people were scattering, you were late, the Philistines were gathering. It wasn’t my fault. If you would have been here on time. If the people would have stuck together. If the Philistines could have just backed off, I wouldn’t have had to do any of this. It is all your faults.”
Now, I’m sure none of you have ever responded like that, but I probably have on occasion. Frustrated, and operating on my timetable rather than God’s.
Third, and this is an important one, we will confuse conviction with control. Saul says in verse 12, “Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.” Saul is trying to say once again that he felt compelled, convicted to worship God. He felt compelled and convicted to pay the due respect to God. But that is not truly what Saul felt. What Saul felt was the ever-pressing need to take the situation into his own hands.
Saul had been placed in a position of authority, and felt that it was time to exercise that authority. But think about this quote, “Since true authority is built upon love, its goal is to liberate, not dominate. Therefore, before one can truly move in spiritual authority he must be delivered from fear and its desire to control; he must be rooted and grounded in love.” How’s that for a good reminder for a new pastor.
Before one can truly move in spiritual authority, he must be delivered from fear and its desire to control. It was true in Saul’s day, it has been true in the church throughout history, and it is true at Stonewall Wesleyan today. To truly move in spiritual authority, we must be delivered from fear and its desire to control.
Now, tell me this, does Saul strike you as a man that was compelled to offer a sacrifice to God free of fear and the desire to control? Or as a man that can no longer trust God’s timing, and is grabbing the steering wheel, and taking charge?
We will begin to focus on people, we will begin to blame those people, we will confuse conviction with control, and fourth, we will begin to break the commandments of God. Verse 13 (read). You see, not only was Saul taking control into his own hands, but also in so doing, he was violating the laws of God. Only the priest was to offer the sacrifice. Not the king. In fact, Numbers tells us that the priesthood was a gift from God given to certain individuals. Any outsider that violated that priesthood was to be put to death.
Turn over to the right a couple of books to II Chronicles 26:16. This is a powerful passage of what happens when a king, in this case Uzziah, acts in the manner that Saul has chosen to act (read verses 16-21). Wow!
You see, when we take matters into our own hands, we begin to write our own rules, play our own game, serve our own interests, and violate the commands of God. Which will very rapidly lead to the final consequence. . .
We will see our kingdom begin to crumble. Verse 14 (read). Turn over to I Samuel 31. From chapter 13 to 31 you have some of the greatest victories and triumphs of the people of God in the entire Bible. You have the story of David and Goliath, but you also have 18 chapters documenting the demise of Saul. It is a sad, and sorrowful example of what happens when a man of God turns his own way. When you come to chapter 31 you read (read through v. 6).
A man once anointed king of Israel by God. Once placed in one of the highest earthly seats that God could place someone in. And his life ends by his own hand because very early on in his life and rule, he chose to rush God, and live by his own timetable.
So, what is the solution to the problem? As we join together with enthusiasm and anticipation of what God is going to do among us. As we desire to see great things happen, and find ourselves ready to shoot right out of the starting blocks, and become a church of dramatic impact. How do we avoid the pitfalls of rushing God’s timing?
It is actually quite simple, and yet so difficult, wait on the Lord. Isaiah 30 tells us that, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” Chapter 40 tells us that, “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Chapter 49 says, “They shall not be ashamed who wait for Me.” Wait on the Lord.
There is a passage of scripture I like to read when I start to loose my focus, and rush God’s timing. I have often wondered if Saul would have held to it had the apostle Paul written it before his day. Listen to it from “The Message”, II Corinthians 4. . .(read card).
Seeing things in eternal eyes. Having a vision from God’s point of view. Patience, not rushing God’s timing.
As we, as a church on the doorstep of great things, seek out who God would have us to be and how He would have us to minister in this community, trust Him. Wait on Him, and trust Him. Don’t direct, or question, or yank the steering wheel out of His hands. Our job is to pray and wait. Nothing more is necessary. Nothing more is needed.
I obviously do not know what we will face together, and what our unique challenges and opportunities will be. But I do know this. God has a plan for us. He has a blueprint. A roadmap. He even has a timetable. And I don’t know where God’s timetable will take us, but I do know where rushing it will: improper focus, the blame game, control, disobedience, and God forbid, destruction of all the progress we have made to this point.
So let’s commit together that we will not rush God. “When we don’t know what to do, we will sit tight till God does His thing.”
There is a simple little chorus we sang growing up in the church. Maybe you know it. It simply says, “In His time, in His time. He makes all things beautiful in His time. Lord please show me everyday, as You’re teaching me Your way, that You do just what You say, in Your time.” Let’s sing that together.
