Once You spoke in a vision to Your devoted ones and said, I have endowed one who is mighty [a hero, giving him the power to help–to be a champion for Israel]; I have exalted one chosen from among the people.
Psalm 89:19 AMPC
Samuel pronounced God’s verdict concerning Saul’s failure in 1 Samuel 13. As he did this, he pointed out a very important matter. The matter of the sole purpose of Saul’s ‘testing’ with the delay of Samuel, the deserting army and the nearness of the enemy. He condemned Saul for offering the sacrifice.
Samuel said, “You did a foolish thing. You did not obey the Lord your God. If you had done what he commanded, the Lord would have let your family rule Israel forever. But now your kingdom won’t continue. The Lord was looking for a man who wants to obey him. He has found that man—and the Lord has chosen him to be the new leader of his people, because you didn’t obey his command.”
1 Samuel 13:13-14 ERV
Let’s consider the summary of Saul’s actions with this simple statement. “You did not obey the Lord your God”. It did not matter whether there was a direct instruction for Saul not to offer that sacrifice. The conclusion was that the root of the totality of his actions was disobedience, not to man but to God. This is also a call for personal reflection. Consider your life, whether or not you are disobeying God’s instructions. Obeying the instructions of God is as simple as ‘whatever He tells you to do, do it’. The key is not sacrifice but obedience.
Meanwhile, it is also very important to consider that God did not assume Saul’s office as king over His people as the office of an obedient one. He did not assume that the default behaviour of a king is obedience. God does not use the status of a man to gauge him. A king is human; therefore, he is also liable to fail like every other human being. So, we hear Samuel saying: “The Lord was looking for a man who wants to obey him.”
When God needed a man who would obey Him, He did not choose an angel or send one from heaven. Instead, He searched from among His people here on earth. So, when He says: “I have exalted one chosen from among the people.”, it is important to note that the chosen one was the one found who will obey Him.
Though Saul offered sacrifice unto God, we must realise that that sacrifice did not achieve their victory. Saul was still cowering in fear even after his sacrifice. Meanwhile, Jonathan, who trusted God for victory, became the mighty one, the hero who was helped to be a champion for the people of God at that time. Making a mighty man out of an ordinary man is God’s responsibility, and He does not do favouritism. So, prepare yourself for God to find you and it is by living a life of unwavering trust and obedience to Him.
