1 Samuel 13:9 So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering.
Fear can speak to us in ways that no other emotion can. It can sometimes give us good advice, like stay away from people coughing and sneezing! But often fear speaks messages that are not that helpful to the situation. Fear has us cowering in the corner and immobile.
And anyone can succumb to fear. Saul was chosen by the LORD to be king. He was head and shoulders taller than everyone, and everyone thought he looked the part. And he had begun with such hope. Things seemed to go pretty well with his leadership for a short while.
But then, fear enters the situation. Israel is outnumbered and out gunned. The military strength of the Philistines was unparalleled at that time. They had the most advanced military might of the day. And they had soldiers “as numerous as the sand on the seashore.” And on top of that they had horses and chariots, the Bradley Fighting Vehicles of that day. They could not be stopped by regular soldiers.
And regular soldiers are all Israel had! So Saul caught the fear virus. The whole army hid in caves and thickets and anywhere they could hide. Not a pretty sight. Some even ran for safety to other countries.
Saul was supposed to wait for the prophet Samuel to come and mark the presence of the LORD among His people. It was to be a celebration and a consecration. And Saul got impatient! He just couldn’t wait. And Samuel was late!
What is interesting is that just as Saul is finishing up his rebellious act of religiosity, Samuel shows up. Saul’s rebellion is exposed and his heart is exposed. There was rebellion deep in his heart and the fear brought it to the surface.
So Saul’s replacement is put in the pipeline. Saul’s downfall as king is announced. It doesn’t happen immediately, but it will come.
Rebellion has a cost. Even the most promising leaders are human. Even the best of us stumble (a polite word for sin). But all this could have been avoided. We don’t have to follow Saul’s example and give in to fear.
We can instead recognize the Lordship of Christ and submit to His leadership. We can fully obey what we know. Then our actions will have the blessing of the Lord and the world will see Him at work. He will get the glory due His Name.
The Arnold Journey 