The Lord has sought out a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over His people because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.
1 Samuel 13:14
Goodly people sometimes do ungodly things
Saul was a king, but not a priest. He was goodly, but not godly. Why did this matter? Because it was unlawful and ungodly for a king to offer burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord. I understand that some of this is ancient and a little difficult to comprehend because we do not live in a time when burnt offerings and peace offerings still exist. In simple terms, a burnt offering could be offered at any time and was to request a renewed relationship with God, and a peace offering showed thanks for His deliverance in a time of extreme need.
The Philistines were close and ready to overtake the Israelites, and Saul felt it was time to offer those specific offerings to the Lord. However, Samuel, the one anointed by God to perform these sacrifices, did not show up at the appointed time to offer the sacrifices. So Saul took matters into his own hands. He displayed a lack of patience and a disregard for God’s plan for offering sacrifices. These offerings were ungodly and cost Saul much.
Goodly people make excuses for their ungodly actions
It is interesting to note that Saul began to make excuses as soon as Samuel enters the scene. There were three excuses he made. First, “the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal” (1 Samuel 13:12). While the Philistines were definitely on the prowl and the Israelites hid in rocks, holes, tombs, and caves, Saul did not trust the Lord with this situation. Why was Saul nervous? Maybe it was because the Philistines had 6,000 horsemen and troops and the Israelites had 600. That would have made me nervous.
The second excuse Saul made was that he had not sought the favor of the Lord. I’ll give him some credit on this one. He knew God needed to be actively present if Israel were going to win this battle. However, it was still Samuel’s job to offer sacrifices. Saul was impatient.
The third excuse Saul made was that he “forced” himself to offer the burnt offering (1 Samuel 13:12). Can you imagine? Saul took the place of God’s servant, Samuel. He overstepped his authority, even as a king. God expects godly behavior by those in authority. In fact, God expects godly behavior by everyone who loves Him.
Excuses for ungodly behavior never excuses ungodly behavior.
Goodly people receive God’s punishment and discipline
In this case, Samuel could not have been more clear. He called Saul’s actions foolish (1 Samuel 13:13). He called Saul a lawbreaker (1 Samuel 13:13). Samuel gave Saul a glimpse of what the future could have been for him. He told him that God would have “established his kingdom over Israel forever” (1 Samuel 13:13). Then Samuel broke the bad news to Saul when he said, “But now your kingdom shall not continue (1 Samuel 13:14).
Those words pierced Saul’s spirit. It wasn’t long before God’s plans began to nurture another king who would assume the throne.
Godly people receive God’s favor
Since Israel demanded a king, and since God relented and established this monarchy, a new king needed to be ready to assume Saul’s role. The Bible says that the Lord “sought out a man after His own heart: (1 Samuel 13:14). This man was David, Jesse’s son.
God does not look at the outward appearance, but the heart. And David’s heart was following after the heart of God. There it is. Do you see the difference? Saul was selfish and impatient while David was selfless and patiently seeking God’s heart. It was not about David wearing a “WWJD” bracelet and following some religion. It was about a real heart change and pursuit for David.
The Lord was David’s Shepherd. Is the Lord your Shepherd?