So often, Saul had gotten the wisdom of God through the prophet Samuel. Now, Samuel was gone and God was no longer speaking to Saul because of his sin. That didn't stop him from trying though. In 1 Samuel 28, Saul needed some information. He saw the Philistine camp at Shunem and felt surge of fear and panic inside. He needed advice. Should he fight them or not? So he inquired of the Lord, seeking God wisdom and guidance.
And God said nothing.
So, Saul had a choice. He could repent of his sin and seek God's mercy and grace. Saul had sinned grievously and repeatedly - that was the reason that God would no longer guide him. But God responds to repentance. David had been anointed to the next king, but if Scripture teaches anything it is that those repent before God find mercy.
Saul chose a different path. He went to the foot of Mt. Tabor to a village named En-dor where a medium still resided. In his better days, Saul had removed those who practiced the occult from Israel, but now he sought one out - how far had he fallen.
The strange encounter raises more questions than it answers - if Samuel was "absent from the body and present with the Lord" how on earth did he appear to the medium? It seems this might have been an anomalous moment in which God allowed what was normally either fake or satanic to be used to accomplish his purposes. But what is clear is that Saul had once again chosen the dark path of sin.
In Saul's folly, he ignored this basic truth - you cannot gain God's wisdom unless you first seek God's mercy. You cannot bypass repentance and obedience and still hope to experience his hand of blessing. Yes, we relate to God on the basis of his grace but we cannot expect to know the joys of God's mercies while walking in rebellion and sin.
Duh!
Saul, like so many since him, have forgotten that basic truth. Our God is gracious, loving and merciful, but those who flaunt his grace in rebellion and refuse to repent cannot expect to know that love!
Father, I come to you in repentance for my sin, which is so great. Show me your way, your grace and your wisdom.
Dave, many years ago in one of your sermons similar to this post when I was 11 years old, I think, your sermon was about either Saul or Solomon, and this is when I had a time of realization to seek the Lord rather than sin. I had already trusted in Christ, but not realized fully how much I needed to seek Him for all things in my life. It made a great impact on my life- the words would come back to me all of the time when I was growing up. This post reminded me of that- Thank you for your words! -Becca N.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Becca!
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