Day 28- Lip Service
Today I wanted to go back and visit
Saul’s rash decisions in chapter 14. Yesterday
I talked about Jonathan’s example of trusting
God even in a scary situation, like sneaking into
an enemy camp that outnumbers you 50 to 1. After God
delivered those Philistines in the hands of Jonathan
and his armorbearer, the rest of the Philistines started
to panic and scatter creating mass chaos. When Saul
sees the enemy scattering and chaos breaking out,
he calls roll to see who is missing and discovers
that Jonathan and his armorbearer are gone.
The Lord used that chaos that broke
out to save Israel that day. I would think that would
be a time of celebration, or at least relief. But
Saul was more concerned about his enemies than his
people because he had placed them under an oath in
verse 24, “Cursed is the man who eats
any food until evening, before I have taken vengeance
on my enemies.” It sure sounds like
Saul has a bone to pick with these enemies. Saul isn’t
acting on any command of God, just his own ego. And
apparently he thinks his ego is big enough to sustain
his people while they fight constantly without food.
Jonathan never heard this oath from
his father, and indulged in some honey he found. The
people warned him about his father’s oath, but
Jonathan, who had been led by Lord to save Israel
that day, says that his father has troubled the land.
He said it would have been better if the people had
eaten freely of the spoil of their enemies because
they would have had more energy to fight with.
The people after having driven the Philistines
over 18 miles away were faint without food. So after
hearing Jonathan, being famished, the people rushed
on the spoil and began eating everything in sight.
Word got back to Saul that the people were not only
disobeying him by eating, but they were eating in
a manner violating God’s law.
So Saul, probably very angry that all
the people are disobeying his oath, tries to save
face since he can’t curse every one of them
like he promised. He sets up a stone so they can slaughter
the animals and drain the blood properly. Then he
decides to set up an altar to thank the Lord for their
victory. Wow, just 11 verses before Saul was set upon
no one eating and only focusing on taking vengeance
on his enemies; it didn’t sound then like he
was very thankful to God. But I think he’s scared
that by starving his people and driving them to the
point of eating in violation of God’s law, he’s
going to be in trouble with God.
Then in the very next verse, Saul is
ready to go slaughter the Philistines that night.
It’s only when the priest suggests to seek God’s
counsel first that Saul decides to consult God on
his actions. Even when Saul seeks God’s counsel,
it’s not like he’s asking what God would
have him do. Saul basically says, “I want to
go down after the Philistines right now, so will you
deliver them to me?” Not should I go Lord? Or
what would You have me do Lord? Guess what God’s
answer is… silence.
So of course not hearing an answer that
grants Saul’s desire, instead of waiting on
God, he just starts to blame the people for their
sin. Saul is angry and acts out in another rash oath
saying that the guilty party (who he knows is his
son Jonathan) will surely die. Saul singles Jonathan
out and makes him admit what he’s done wrong.
Jonathan comes right out and admits he ate a little
honey, but you can tell he’s shocked and upset
that for eating honey his father is saying he must
die. I think I’d be a little freaked out, too!
I can see this scene in my head, a father and son
both angry yelling back and forth…
Saul: Tell me what
you’ve done!
Jonathan: I just ate some honey.
You’re gonna kill me for that?!
Saul: You’ll be lucky if
that’s all God does to you Jonathan!
But the people realized that God led
Jonathan that day to deliver Israel, so God was not
going to let anything happen to him. So they rescued
him and he did not die.
Saul is so blinded by his own ambitions
and goals that he doesn’t realize and doesn’t
care what he’s doing to those around him. He
doesn’t bother to consult with God until he’s
worried he’s not going to get his way. Then
when God doesn’t answer him immediately with
what he wants to hear, he gets angry and again takes
it out on those around him.
What scares me a little, is that I see
some of Saul in myself. I am very driven, goal-oriented,
determined and ambitious. Sometimes I get tunnel vision
when I’m chasing after these goals. Sometimes
I invite God along for the ride, but most of the time
I’m guilty for not consulting with Him to see
if this is even something I should be doing. There
haven’t been very many times when I’ve
willingly hopped in the passenger seat and just enjoyed
the ride that God was taking me on. I know I’ve
made the mistake of knocking people down that seem
to get in my way, most of the time without even realizing
it. Usually it’s the people closest to me that
are trying to help me that end up getting hit during
my hot pursuit of my goals.
I know I’ve given God a lot of
lip service, too, much like Saul’s lame attempt
at putting up an altar to honor God that was really
about him feeling guilty. Many times I don’t
bother to ask God or consult Him on what I’m
doing, but when I’m done I try to give Him credit,
like I’m checking a box on my list. God doesn’t
need my extra credits to Him, and He certainly knows
if He was the one responsible. He’s glorified
simply by who He is. He will accomplish amazing things
with or without me. I need to worry less about appearances
and more about what God really wants me to do.
Sometimes I get upset like Saul when
God doesn’t answer my prayers the way I want.
But God is not a genie in a bottle, here to grant
our every wish and desire! God is holy and righteous
and just. We have done nothing to deserve a relationship
with Him, but yet He offers it freely to us through
Jesus regardless of who we are or what we’ve
done. God doesn’t have to listen to us, but
He does. 1 Peter 5:7 says we should cast our anxieties
on Him because He cares for us. God doesn’t
need us or have to do anything for us, but He loves
us and desires a relationship with us! I know I need
to work on redirecting my prayers towards my thankfulness
to Him and away from the to-do list I always seem
to give Him.
Abba (Daddy),
Thank You for being You. The Alpha and the Omega,
the Author and Finisher of my faith. The fact that
You love me is more than I could ever hope for, and
You’ve loved me since before I knew You. Your
gift of grace for me to have a relationship with You
through faith is above and beyond anything I could
ever ask for, and You have already given it. “Thank
You” does not express fully my debt of gratitude,
my depth of love and my eternal hope that I have found
in You. Thank You Abba for the way, the truth and
life I have in Your son, Jesus, that allows me to
have a relationships with You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
