Results Of Rebellion Series

A drunken sailor falls off the boat. His mother was devout Christian. His father was a rebellious sea captain. When his mother died, he followed the ways of his father. He strayed so far and had no fear of the Lord.

His life was total moral bankruptcy. He reached such a low point that one day he was drunk on the ship fell overboard and no one wanted to dive in to save such a wretch. They only harpooned his leg and drug him back on the boat.

The life of King Saul is one of the tragic stories of what happens when a leader rebels against God. His failure is one of the massive failures of history. Saul had so much potential, and he wasted that potential.

Saul is the story of how sin can destroy anyone. Nobody should think that they are exempt from sins destructive power. Saul shows the collapse of a man who looked to be the greatest leader of all time.

The story of Saul begins with Israel wanting a king. It was the end of what we know as the period of the Judges. Samuels sons were taking the realms of leadership and they were corrupt. Israel was looking at the other nations and how a king unified the people and they asked for a king.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 8 we read that Israel demands a king. The Lord warned Samuel that there would be negative consequences of a monarchy. They would be cruel to Israel. Rehoboam even boasted that he would be a more cruel king than his father. But Israel wanted to be like the other nations.

Whenever God’s people seek to adopt the world’s standards, then look out for trouble coming. Despite the warning of the Lord through Samuel then Saul became the first king of Israel. He was a young man of stature standing head and shoulders above everybody else. He had a good family background coming from a family of wealth. He looked good he was tall, rich and handsome.

The people wanted a king despite the warning. God told Samuel to anoint Saul King of Israel. The period of the Judges ended. The period of the monarchy began with the anointing of Saul as King.

His downfall has been so complete that it seems hard to remember that when King Saul started out it seems like he would be the best king of all times. The story found in 1 Samuel chapter 11of how he rescued Jabesh Gilead by uniting the nation was phenomenal. The Ammonites would have disfigured and disgraced Jabesh and the disgrace would have been the disgrace of all Israel.

Saul rallied the nation as one man and routes the Ammonites. He did so with a humble spirit and gave all the glory of the victory to God. He does not take revenge on those that opposed him as king, even when some called for revenge.

This is where Saul’s downfall begins. In Chapter 13 Saul is to wait for Samuel 7 days to make a sacrifice to the Lord. Saul disobeys the command because he is not willing to trust the Lord and wait the prescribed time. His son Jonathan was used mightily by God to win victory but Saul’s victory days were short lived and behind him now. Saul’s sin results in his descendants no longer being on the throne of the monarchy.

In chapter 15 things go from bad to worse for King Saul. He disregards the command of the Lord and sets up an altar to himself. This is when Samuel tells him, obedience is better than sacrifice.

But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices

as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice,

and to heed is better than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22)

In other words, sacrifices are meaningless from a disobedient heart. Going to church does not cut it when you recklessly disobey God. What a downfall for King Saul. With his potential the only thing that could prevent him from being the greatest leader of all time was his disobedient heart.

Saul brought on his own destruction. Saul became a person who feared man instead of fearing God. Every leader needs to know that no matter what height they obtain that their position is from God, and they never are above keeping God’s law.

Saul fortified his kingdom, but from here on out the focus in on David. Saul was outwardly impressive with a heart far from God. David is the opposite. He is the man after God’s own heart and even his own father could picture any of his sons as king, but not David.

The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)