And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.
Saul had been commanded to wait seven days at Gilgal for Samuel to offer the burnt and peace offerings and show him what to do, but when Samuel was held back to the last moments and his people scattered and trembled before the Philistines, he ordered the offerings brought to him and forced himself to offer the burnt offering himself. As king he had never been invested with the sacred office of priesthood, for only those consecrated and appointed by God were to present sacrifices. His act came from impatience, unbelief, presumption and self-trust instead of humility, prayer and unquestioning obedience to God's word, seeking divine aid by sacrifice rather than waiting to obey God's instruction. It mingled the sacred with the common and dishonored God and His ordinances, and because it directly opposed God's command it weakened him and put him beyond the help God was willing to give. He thus proved he could not be trusted to obey heaven under pressure and lost his right to the kingdom, warning all against rushing into work God has not given in one's own authority instead of constantly looking to the Lord and waiting to learn His will.
Test and Trespass at Gilgal
At Gilgal Saul was put to a decisive test of character and fitness to lead, for he was commanded to wait seven days for Samuel to come and offer the burnt and peace offerings and show him what to do. Samuel was held back to the last moments of that appointed time in order to reveal Saul's heart. The issue to be decided was whether he would depend on God and wait patiently, or prove vacillating and unworthy to lead God's people in a difficult crisis.
The pressure was acute, for the Philistines were gathered at Michmash while his own people were scattering from him, hiding themselves, trembling, and fleeing over Jordan. Instead of looking to God and trusting Him and waiting, Saul fixed his eyes on the discouraging outward appearances.
What he seized was no mere formality, but part of a solemn act of seeking God in which the people were to examine their hearts and repent, so that the sacrifice would be accepted and God's blessing would attend their effort against the enemy. Those sacred ordinances pointed forward to the sinless sacrifice of God's Son.
Only those consecrated and appointed by God to the office were to present sacrifices. Saul as king was never invested with the sacred office of priesthood.
Yet he ordered the burnt offering and peace offerings to be brought to him. He forced himself and took the offering into his own hands. He offered the burnt offering himself before Samuel arrived. In doing so he disobeyed God's express command when pressed, though responsibility for that priestly work had not been given to him.
He need not have offered at all, for he could have made supplication with his whole heart. God would have accepted even silent petition without sacrifice.
Heart, Guilt, and Loss
Saul's act at Gilgal revealed impatience, unbelief, presumption, self-confidence, self-complacency and self-trust in place of humility, self-distrust, prayer, unquestioning trust in God's word and obedience to God's commands. He grew passionate, presumptuous and energetic rather than humble, self-distrustful and prayerful, choosing to act on discouraging outward appearances instead of looking to God, trusting Him and waiting patiently. His earlier success had led him to take honor to himself and lose sight of his dependence on God, so that self-confidence moved him to take honor and responsibility that belonged to God.
He fretted over Samuel's delay and decided to move independently of him, rushing into a work God had not given him to do. Instead of waiting to obey God's instruction, he sought divine aid by sacrifice, feeling it made no difference who should approach God and in what way. In doing so he mingled the sacred with the common, dishonored God, God's service and the sacred ordinances, and committed sacrilege. By example he opened the way for men of war to assume the priesthood in any emergency, risked teaching the people to treat the ordinances lightly, set a ruinous example for Israel, and led the people to look to their king for help rather than to God, instead of preparing them to trust in God.
His sacrifice was an apparent display of conscientiousness, but his piety was not genuine, and because the religious service directly opposed God's command it weakened him and put him beyond the help God was willing to give him. When Samuel reproved him he defended his conduct, stubbornly justified himself, and blamed the prophet instead of admitting his sin. He thus proved he would not obey orders from heaven under pressure and could not be trusted as head of the nation, vacillating and unworthy of leading God's people. His sin cost him his right to the kingdom and the honor of leading Israel's armies against the Philistines, which the Lord withheld so Israel would not credit victory to its own righteousness, valor or wisdom but would magnify God alone.
Warning and Instruction
Saul grew impatient when Samuel did not come at the expected time, fretted over the delay, and decided to move independently of Samuel by rushing into the performance of a work God had not given him to do. Though king, he took upon himself what God had not assigned him, relying on his own authority and plans instead of waiting for God's direction. His course warns of the danger of not constantly looking to the Lord for instruction, and teaches the need to wait on the Lord and learn what He wants rather than making duties for ourselves and being full of our own schemes and plans.
His failure came after he was exalted to be king of Israel, when though tall, well proportioned, and prepossessing in appearance, he was unfitted by experience and character for the work. The Lord changed his heart by His Spirit and made him a converted man with influence with the armies of Israel, set right in the work on condition that he cultivate humility and the fear of God, trust in God, learn His will, and refuse to exalt himself. He failed by presumptuously following his own judgment instead of doing God's will.
His example teaches those entering the ministry who are as inexperienced as Saul that they will not fail as he did if they receive the Word of the Lord from old faithful standard-bearers and do the will of God. Men must not be chosen for the ministry for appearance, and unprepared, inexperienced men must not be set apart without close seeking of the Lord to know His will. Those entering the ministry need the same Spirit to change their hearts, to stand together one in heart and mind without exalting self above a brother, and to obey in order not to fail as Saul did.
Saul had been commanded to wait seven days at Gilgal for Samuel to offer the burnt and peace offerings and show him what to do, but when Samuel was held back to the last moments and his people scattered and trembled before the Philistines, he ordered the offerings brought to him and forced himself to offer the burnt offering himself. As king he had never been invested with the sacred office of priesthood, for only those consecrated and appointed by God were to present sacrifices. His act came from impatience, unbelief, presumption and self-trust instead of humility, prayer and unquestioning obedience to God's word, seeking divine aid by sacrifice rather than waiting to obey God's instruction. It mingled the sacred with the common and dishonored God and His ordinances, and because it directly opposed God's command it weakened him and put him beyond the help God was willing to give. He thus proved he could not be trusted to obey heaven under pressure and lost his right to the kingdom, warning all against rushing into work God has not given in one's own authority instead of constantly looking to the Lord and waiting to learn His will.
Test and Trespass at Gilgal
At Gilgal Saul was put to a decisive test of character and fitness to lead, for he was commanded to wait seven days for Samuel to come and offer the burnt and peace offerings and show him what to do. Samuel was held back to the last moments of that appointed time in order to reveal Saul's heart. The issue to be decided was whether he would depend on God and wait patiently, or prove vacillating and unworthy to lead God's people in a difficult crisis.
The pressure was acute, for the Philistines were gathered at Michmash while his own people were scattering from him, hiding themselves, trembling, and fleeing over Jordan. Instead of looking to God and trusting Him and waiting, Saul fixed his eyes on the discouraging outward appearances.
What he seized was no mere formality, but part of a solemn act of seeking God in which the people were to examine their hearts and repent, so that the sacrifice would be accepted and God's blessing would attend their effort against the enemy. Those sacred ordinances pointed forward to the sinless sacrifice of God's Son.
Only those consecrated and appointed by God to the office were to present sacrifices. Saul as king was never invested with the sacred office of priesthood.
Yet he ordered the burnt offering and peace offerings to be brought to him. He forced himself and took the offering into his own hands. He offered the burnt offering himself before Samuel arrived. In doing so he disobeyed God's express command when pressed, though responsibility for that priestly work had not been given to him.
He need not have offered at all, for he could have made supplication with his whole heart. God would have accepted even silent petition without sacrifice.
Heart, Guilt, and Loss
Saul's act at Gilgal revealed impatience, unbelief, presumption, self-confidence, self-complacency and self-trust in place of humility, self-distrust, prayer, unquestioning trust in God's word and obedience to God's commands. He grew passionate, presumptuous and energetic rather than humble, self-distrustful and prayerful, choosing to act on discouraging outward appearances instead of looking to God, trusting Him and waiting patiently. His earlier success had led him to take honor to himself and lose sight of his dependence on God, so that self-confidence moved him to take honor and responsibility that belonged to God.
He fretted over Samuel's delay and decided to move independently of him, rushing into a work God had not given him to do. Instead of waiting to obey God's instruction, he sought divine aid by sacrifice, feeling it made no difference who should approach God and in what way. In doing so he mingled the sacred with the common, dishonored God, God's service and the sacred ordinances, and committed sacrilege. By example he opened the way for men of war to assume the priesthood in any emergency, risked teaching the people to treat the ordinances lightly, set a ruinous example for Israel, and led the people to look to their king for help rather than to God, instead of preparing them to trust in God.
His sacrifice was an apparent display of conscientiousness, but his piety was not genuine, and because the religious service directly opposed God's command it weakened him and put him beyond the help God was willing to give him. When Samuel reproved him he defended his conduct, stubbornly justified himself, and blamed the prophet instead of admitting his sin. He thus proved he would not obey orders from heaven under pressure and could not be trusted as head of the nation, vacillating and unworthy of leading God's people. His sin cost him his right to the kingdom and the honor of leading Israel's armies against the Philistines, which the Lord withheld so Israel would not credit victory to its own righteousness, valor or wisdom but would magnify God alone.
Warning and Instruction
Saul grew impatient when Samuel did not come at the expected time, fretted over the delay, and decided to move independently of Samuel by rushing into the performance of a work God had not given him to do. Though king, he took upon himself what God had not assigned him, relying on his own authority and plans instead of waiting for God's direction. His course warns of the danger of not constantly looking to the Lord for instruction, and teaches the need to wait on the Lord and learn what He wants rather than making duties for ourselves and being full of our own schemes and plans.
His failure came after he was exalted to be king of Israel, when though tall, well proportioned, and prepossessing in appearance, he was unfitted by experience and character for the work. The Lord changed his heart by His Spirit and made him a converted man with influence with the armies of Israel, set right in the work on condition that he cultivate humility and the fear of God, trust in God, learn His will, and refuse to exalt himself. He failed by presumptuously following his own judgment instead of doing God's will.
His example teaches those entering the ministry who are as inexperienced as Saul that they will not fail as he did if they receive the Word of the Lord from old faithful standard-bearers and do the will of God. Men must not be chosen for the ministry for appearance, and unprepared, inexperienced men must not be set apart without close seeking of the Lord to know His will. Those entering the ministry need the same Spirit to change their hearts, to stand together one in heart and mind without exalting self above a brother, and to obey in order not to fail as Saul did.