Have you ever known someone who seemed to sabotage their own success? Saul was a capable king, but he had a blind spot…or a weakness. How much different would the story be if he could have addressed that?
My first thought as I read this morning is “this can’t be right”. We begin by talking about Saul and Jonathan going into battle. But if Saul was 30 when he became king, Jonathan would be 10 years old at the most. If Saul was married before he became king, I wonder why it wasn’t mentioned. In fact, there is almost nothing written about Saul’s wife, or his other children. Saul had 5 kids! Only Jonathan and Michal are familiar to me. Until today, I always envisioned Jonathan as an only son…not that he was, but there aren’t any other “faces” in the narrative. I wonder what sort of woman Saul’s wife was? On one hand you would think she spoiled her kids, based on how Michal acts…but then Jonathan seems to turn out pretty well. I wonder why I never wondered about Saul’s wife and other kids before….
Anyway.. The account we read about first today didn’t happen immediately. We know that because Jonathan is there, and leading troops. Because of that, we know that Saul isn’t a rookie by the time this happens. If this were his first battle, you might understand why he became impatient and offered sacrifices on his own. Sometimes when we are young, we become impatient. Actually, sometimes when we are older we become impatient…and generally impatience leads us into making the wrong decisions…or making the right decision at the wrong time, anyway.
Bottom line: by now, Saul should know better. He should have waited for Samuel, regardless of how long it took. He expected him in seven days, but Samuel didn’t show. In another day or two Saul would have only a handful of men left, his whole army would have deserted him. He did what he had to do, in order to preserve the army to fight for the Lord, right?
Wrong.
God didn’t need a big army. He didn’t need Sauls wisdom or insight or initiative. God wasn’t worried that their wouldn’t be enough soldiers to win the day. In fact, God only wanted one thing…Saul’s obedience. Obedience would have won the day. If Saul would have waited for Samuel, because Samuel represented God’s favor (or the national connection with God) then God would know that Saul truly put Him first. By waiting, Saul would have proved that God was the most important thing in His life. When he took matters into his own hands and offered the sacrifices, he put his desire to win ahead of his desire to serve God. That single act cost him the kingdom. God didn’t leave him forever, he still won many victories…but that act revealed that Saul’s heart wasn’t completely devoted to God above all else. In this moment, we realize that Saul still has an impulsive, selfish streak that he has not surrendered to God’s control. And that character flaw will sabotage his success. In fact, I think it already has.
Perhaps God had revealed this to Saul before, we can’t know for sure, since the narrative only gives us this one moment. I have to believe that Saul knew about this and had failed to correct it.
The author gives us another clue to Saul’s rashness. He swears an oath to punish anyone who eats before the battle is over. This is a ridiculous and ignorant statement to make…these battles could rage for days. His impulsive decision to place the whole army under this restriction created weariness and fatigue, and probably destroyed morale. Saul is uncovered here as a poor leader…even his son realizes it. Remember, this isn’t Saul’s first battle….he’s been at this for a while. You want the enemy to skip meals while you refresh….good grief Saul, what are you thinking, man?
Impulsive. Hey, that sort of describes Jonathan, I’ll bet he got that from his dad..the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, you know. But in Jonathan’s case, there is a complete reliance upon God. Jonathan recognizes that God doesn’t need a large army, He is capable of destroying the enemy on His own, or with one or two. All that is really needed is God’s favor, and if you have that, you will be successful.
I wonder today, are there areas of you life in which you resemble Saul more than Jonathan? I think the difference between them was the difference between being impulsive and taking the initiative. Initiative is good, impulsiveness…not so much. Taking the initiative relies upon God, seeks His favor, but leaves the comfort of the secure position to do battle with the enemy. Those who take the initiative are the ones who seek to restore relationships, share their testimony, serve in a variety of ways and spend time in prayer and study. Those who take initiative are like the Apostle Peter, upon whom God said “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it”. Read about it in Matthew 16.
Those who take the initiative climb the steep cliff, reasoning that God will give them victory. They take advantage of the refreshment they find along the path, that restores their energy.
Those who are impulsive find fault, and make broad statements that prove to be inaccurate or unhelpful. Saul was willing to sacrifice his own son, who had just won the battle for them. That’s how blind he was becoming. While Jonathan was advancing the cause, clearly with God’s blessing….Saul was trying to find out what was going on. He had no idea where his own son was, who was probably commanding part of the force at the time. Maybe impulsiveness grows out of selfishness, or conceit…or something like that. Because it seems to me like Saul has become a little full of himself.
Lord, help me never to make the mistakes that Saul made. Keep me humble, but encouraged at the same time. May I always serve you faithfully, as Jonathan’s armor bearer served him. Make me to be a man of initiative, not impulse.
Faithfully,
PR