1 Samuel 13:8

SAUL DISOBEYED THE LORD AT GILGAL

"He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, "Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings." And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and Salute him. Samuel said, "What have you done"? And Saul said, "When I saw the people scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, `Now the Philistines will come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of the Lord'; so I forced myself and offered the burnt offering." And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which he commanded you; for now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart; and the Lord has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you." And Samuel arose, and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin."

"He waited seven days" (1 Samuel 13:8). There is no reference here to a similar command given to Saul in 1 Samuel 10:8.

"Although not mentioned again in this connection, the commandment to wait seven days had been lately repeated with reference to this particular occasion. It is clear enough that Saul himself understood it as a commandment from God Himself that he should wait until Samuel came; otherwise he would not have made so many excuses for his disobeying the divine commandment."[8]

"Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offering" (1 Samuel 13:9). The text here definitely leaves the impression that Saul himself offered the sacrifices, but the great majority of scholars accept the view advocated by Keil that, "The cooperation of the priests in performing the duties belonging to them is taken for granted, just as in the case of the sacrifices offered by David and Solomon (2 Samuel 24:25; 1 Kings 3:4; 8:63)."[9] That this view is probably correct appears in the rebuke of Samuel which made no mention of Saul's usurping any prerogative belonging to the priesthood.

"As soon as he had finished ... Samuel came" (1 Samuel 13:10). Thus Samuel came on the day appointed, arriving just as the burnt offering had been offered and before the peace offering had been offered. Saul had not waited seven days, because the seventh day was not over when he decided to take matters into his own hands. "It is evident that Samuel came on the seventh day, and that Saul in his impetuosity could not stay the whole day out."[10] "Saul lost his kingdom for want of two or three hours patience."[11]

"And Saul went out to meet him, and salute him" (1 Samuel 13:10). Saul's interruption of the proceedings here (the peace offering had not yet been offered) in order to honor Samuel with a special greeting indicates a guilty conscience on Saul's part. He evidently hoped that by special politeness to Samuel, he might avoid the condemnation that he deserved.

"When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come ..." (1 Samuel 13:11-12). Here begins the list of Saul's excuses for disobedience. There are a number of these.

(1) His army was dwindling because of the people's leaving him, and he felt he must do something to stop it.

(2) Samuel did not come as soon as Saul expected him.

(3) The mustering of the Philistines at Michmash was a threat.

(4) He did not wish to go into battle without entreating the Lord.

(5) "I forced myself and offered the burnt offering." The meaning of this is that Saul acted reluctantly. This last excuse, especially, indicates that Saul's conscience opposed his rash and presumptuous action.

CONCERNING EXCUSES

Sinners of all generations have sought to justify their disobedience of God's commandments by making excuses similar to the ones enumerated here. That threatening, inconvenient, dangerous, uncomfortable or perplexing situations confront the child of God cannot justify disobedience of God's plain commandments. The fact of one's violating God's law reluctantly, or even sorrowfully, does not endow the violation with any acceptability. The final word that must be written over every man's record is, "Which one of them did the will of the Father"? (Matthew 21;31).

"You have done foolishly" (1 Samuel 13:13). This is the ultimate verdict that appears against all sinful deeds. The virgins who provided no oil for their lamps were foolish. The rich farmer who had nowhere to store his goods was foolish. The man who says in his heart, `There is no God,' is called a fool. The man who built on the sand was foolish. Unbelievers professing to be wise are fools (Romans 1:22). The Galatians who turned back to Judaism are called "foolish Galatians." ... The list is endless.

"But now your kingdom shall not continue" (1 Samuel 13:14). This did not mean that Saul would be removed at once from his throne. The reference is to his dynasty.

"The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart; and the Lord has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you" (1 Samuel 13:14). These words are a prophecy and not a report of what had already happened.

What a terrible penalty for such a tiny little sin! That human reaction to what God did here, while perfectly natural, from the human standpoint, is totally in error. No deliberate violation of the word of God is "a tiny little sin." On the contrary, every sin is a soul-killing destruction. Can anyone think of a smaller sin than that of Adam and Eve in their sampling of the fruit of the forbidden tree? Yet all the wretched sorrows, miseries, diseases, bloodshed, violence, starvation and death which have dogged the steps of mankind ever since that "tiny little sin" should warn every man that there is no such thing as a `little sin.'

Another problem that surfaces here is that of that man "after God's own heart," who appears prophetically in this passage and who must, of course, be identified as King David. Was not his sin of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband a lot worse than what Saul did here? Where is God's sense of justice? In reply to such sinful allegations as these, we should remember that God is eternally true and righteous and that, "God can choose David and reject Saul for his own reasons without any obligation to explain his actions to men."[12]

It is also evident that in the character of David, despite his weakness and sins, there was an invariable purpose of honoring God as the true king of Israel. He submitted in penitence to the rebuke of Nathan; he acknowledged the justice and lovingkindness of God in all of the shameful punishments heaped upon him as a consequence of his sins. Even in the rape and incest that fell upon members of his family and in the rebellion of Absalom - in all those `divine punishments,' (and that is what they were), David acknowledged the justice, mercy and lovingkindness of God. In the light of all the facts, any thoughtful person can easily understand why God chose David and rejected Saul.