Do not imitate king Saul ! (1)

24.02.2022

Thursday February 24, 2022

"Saul said : I have sinned... I have behaved foolishly and have committed a great error." 1 Samuel 26. 21

Saul had started well. God had endowed him with certain qualities. He was young, handsome, intelligent and tall (1 Samuel 9:2), as if God wanted all Israel to recognize him by his physical appearance. But in addition, He had granted him undeniable spiritual qualities : “The breath of the Lord will take hold of you... and you will be changed into another man” (v. 6) ; “As soon as Saul had turned his back... God changed his heart, and all these signs took place the same day” (v. 9). He had surrounded him with worthy advisers: “Men of worth, whose hearts God had touched, accompanied him...” (v. 26). However, years later, he wrote his own epitaph : “I sinned... I behaved stupidly...” What mistakes did he make in the meantime to fall so low ?

1- He became arrogant. Humble in his beginnings (1 Samuel 9. 21), he prided himself on his victories to the point of disobeying Samuel, his mentor and usurping his role as priest by offering the sacrifice himself (1 Samuel 13. 9- 10). Later he erected a monument to his own glory (1 Samuel 15:12).

2- He was invaded by jealousy. The first sign was when he claimed to have won a victory that his son Jonathan had actually won (1 Samuel 13. 3-4). Very quickly he became jealous of David's successes (1 Samuel 18. 6-12).

3- He became selfish and heartless. Because God had not answered him, he did not hesitate to condemn his son to death for not having obeyed one of his absurd orders (1 Samuel 14. 24-29; 37-45). Only the intervention of the people saved Jonathan. The same mistakes, arrogance, jealousy, lack of compassion can bring down each of us. The solution : confess our faults without delay to God because “if we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us their sins and to cleanse us from all evil” (1 John 1.9). What Saul did not want to do. Also, let's not imitate him !

Source (His Word for Today)