“God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” — James 4:6
Success, promotion, advancement, even a fulfilled promise from God can offer an opportunity to disconnect just a hair from the rich dependency that the Father desires.
So, it was with Saul. Saul was chosen by the people of Israel as their first king. Maybe it was because, at his choosing, he had some attributes the people admired. He was tall and handsome. He was strong and capable, but he was also lowly in self-aggrandizement. He didn’t think of himself great but rather saw himself as small and from the smallest tribe. This may have held a certain appeal. Unfortunately, this inferiority (fear within the soul) continued to influence his life and also became a stimulant that brought forth pride.
After many years of leading Israel, and after many victories over the Philistines, he began to show the traits of pride—pride rooted in fear but potentially galvanized by many successes. The first instance is recorded in 1 Samuel 13. Here, he failed to wait for the prophet to come and give the blessing with an offering before God. Instead, in his fear, he offered a sacrifice to himself. This was disobedience to God and presumption.
1 Samuel 13:7–14
Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. So, he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
“What have you done?” asked Samuel.
Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So, I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”
“You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, He would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler of His people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
Here we see that humility is staying under authority, even when we are tempted by fear. The fear of the enemy, the fear of losing the people, and the fear of not leading well or being honored by the people all played into Saul making his own sacrifice.
Notice that this happened at Gilgal. Gilgal is the first place of circumcision when Joshua led the people into the Promised Land. It represents the cutting off of the flesh. It was here that Saul was tested. It is under pressure that the “flesh” we need to cut off and die to is triggered. It was here, under pressure, that Saul acted in insubordination, disobedience, and arrogance.
Holy Spirit, show us where we move when You are not moving—where we move in haste, where we presume upon Your timing and Your will. Holy Spirit, show us where fear moves us into haste. Reveal all pride, all fear, and where the two work together to lead us into disconnecting from You. I want to be knit to Your heart, and I pledge myself to You now, in Jesus’ name.
Can you think of where fear has led you to act in disobedience?
Can you think of where pressure has caused you to veer away from the Father’s Word?