SAUL, THE REBELLIOUS

"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king". (1 Samuel 15:23)

Even though rejected by His people as their king (1 Sam 8:7), the Saviour, whose mercy knows no bounds, ever honouring man's free-agency, ensured that the king that was appointed over Israel was the best that could be found (1 Sam 9:15,16), so He chose Saul, 'a choice young man' for 'there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he' (1 Sam 9:2). By all accounts Saul, a Benjamite, was the perfect candidate for the first king of Israel. When he was chosen, Saul was: obedient (1 Sam 9:3), diligent and reliable (1 Sam 9:4), full of faith (1 Sam 9:10), humble (1 Sam 9:21, 10:16, 10:22) and forgiving (1 Sam 10:27, 11:13). It took Saul just two years to lose who he was and become a proud, vindictive man with exaggerated opinion of his power and importance. Through his disobedience he repeatedly showed lack of faith in God and disregard for following God's instructions with exactness. From this disobedience grew pride and from pride came reliance on his own wisdom and power to solve problems. You might say the power 'went to his head'.

Saul is the perfect example of someone who makes serious blunders when they rely on their own wisdom and importance rather than relying on God in matters that really matter. Saul's blunders were not just blunders but outright disobedience that cost him the throne and the kingdom the Lord had given him to rule. There were two acts of disobedience that were proportionate to the cost Saul paid for his disobedience. The first involved Israel's long standing warfare with the Philistines. The Lord chose Saul for the express purpose of saving Israel 'out of the hand of the Philistines' (1Sam 9:16). When he had reigned over Israel for two years, Philistines had 'gathered themselves together to fight with Israel' (1Sam 13:5) yet again. Their army was so formidable that Saul's men scattered in fright into caves and thickets and in rocks and in high places and in pits (1Sam 13:6). Saul watched as his army diminished from 3,000 to 600 men. He waited seven days for Samuel to come as he indicated he would, to offer a burnt offering ensuring success in battle. As Samuel showed no signs of appearing Saul decided that as he was king he would take matters into his own hands by offering the burnt offering himself. Not only was this a grievous sin as he did not hold the priesthood authority to do so, but he clearly showed no trust in God that He would assure Israel's victory no matter what. So Saul decided to trust in himself instead. As Samuel appeared and  asked him what he had done, Saul offered a feeble excuse that many of us offer when caught in the act of disobedience. He said 'I forced myself' (1 Sam 13:12). In other words, my hand was forced, the Philistines twisted my arm. This sounds like a lot of us who blame others for the choices that we make.

His second major act of disobedience occurred when Samuel sent him on a mission to destroy the Amalekites. There was no ambiguity or complexity in the instructions given to Saul: "Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass" (1 Sam 15:3). One could understand if he had perhaps spared the children but "Saul and the people spared Agag (the king), and the best of the sheep and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good and would not utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly" (1 Sam 15:9). What was his excuse for not obeying with exactness? Saul thought he knew better than the Lord and reasoned with Samuel, "We kept the best of the animals for sacrifice and the rest we have utterly destroyed" (1 Sam 15:17). In other words, we thought we would do one better than what the Lord commanded so "we almost kept the commandment". Samuel's reply was classic, "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice" (1 Sam 15:22). The Lord would rather have the obedience than excuses which would in the end have to come to repentance. Saul's excuses did not end there, he went on to blame the people who 'took of the spoil' (1Sam 15:21) "because he feared the people and obeyed their voice" (1 Sam 15:24). This is not a leader who would master a kingdom and lead others to God for he feared the people more than he feared God. Much like our politicians who want to please the people so they would be kept in power. And much like us today who like Saul offer excuses all day long as to why we 'almost' kept the commandments: someone twisted my arm, I thought this would be better, I didn't want to offend my friends, I almost obeyed.

Saul stands in sharp contrast to his son Jonathan and his friend David. Both of the youths surpassed Saul in their faith in God of Israel and they acted according to that faith. Fearless, Jonathan attacked Philistines' garrison of 20 men with just his armour bearer and slaughtered them sending trembling amongst the people and caused the earth to quake (1 Sam 14:12-15). His reasoning? "....there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few" (1 Sam 14:6). In other words, it doesn't matter who many the Lord has to work with, the power is His and He'll get it done. Even before he charged at the garrison, he knew the victory was assured and that if the Lord worked with them, the two of them could defeat the entire Philistine army for he said to his armour bearer: "Come up after me: for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel" (1 Sam 14:12).

David, a mere shepherd boy, already chosen by God and anointed by Samuel to be the next king, was amazed, like Jonathan, that the army of the living God could fear anything. When sent to the Israelite camp by his father to deliver victuals to his brothers who served in Saul's army, David witnessed Goliath proposing a single combat with Israel. David's courageous response to the fear that was gripping skilled soldiers around him was one of derision: "For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (1 Sam 17:26). When his brother accused him of pride rather than recognizing his bravery, David responded valiantly: "Is there not a cause (in Israel)?" (1 Sam 17:29). Where did David get such courage? Firstly, he was very skilled with the sling. "In defense of his father Jesse's flocks he had taken down a bear and a lion. The sling was a deadly weapon in the ancient world: it was said that the secret weapon of Hannibal of Carthage was his 1,000 Spanish slingers who could spray an enemy with bullets from a hundred yards. Saul probably knew the power of the sling, or he would not have allowed David to put the entire kingdom in jeopardy in single combat with Goliath. David was prepared for this encounter". (Breck England, Old Testament Lesson 22, Meridian Magazine). So David was skilled to take down Goliath but his fundamental source of courage was his trust in the Lord. His retort to Goliath who was offended that a mere youth was sent to slay him affirmed that faith: "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou has defied" (1 Sam 17:45).

Back in the beginning before Saul became king, when he was a 'choice young man', as a tall, strapping youth, he was sent out one day by his father to find his lost donkeys (1 Sam 9:3). Saul searched with his servant but could not find them anywhere. When he was just about to return home, his servant told him that Samuel the prophet lived nearby and that they should seek him out for advice and help (1 Sam 9:6). So Saul went to Samuel and thereby fulfilled the Saviour's promise of the previous day that He would send Samuel the man who should be king (1 Sam 9:15,16). This story has great meaning. In ancient Near East "kings were often depicted as riding donkeys. In its stubborn refusal to do its master's will, the donkey symbolized the king's errant subjects - and therefore the necessity for a strong royal hand. The stubbornnes and disobedience of Israel were legendary. They had already in a sense rejected the kingship of the Lord by demanding a mortal king, so it is appropriate that the Lord sent a man like Saul to seek out the 'donkeys' - that is, to corral them and rule them. It is also appropriate that Saul should ask for the prophet's help to find them." (Breck England, Old Testament Lesson 22, Meridian Magazine).  If Saul had only lived true to the symbolism of this incident in his life he would not have lost his throne. Instead Samuel's warning to the people rang true as he failed in his stewardship. One thing he did do well though. He proved that there is only one true king worth following. This true King entered the holy city of Jerusalem riding on a donkey a week before the Crucifixion. A great crowd laid palm leaves before Him symbolizing submission to royalty. By this they acknowledged in Him the great King who would master Israel as a man masters the stubborn animal he rides. The symbolism of the Lord riding upon a donkey was not lost on the people of Jerusalem and it should not be lost on us for He truly is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Like Saul, if we are not ever vigilant, we stand to lose the throne by our disobedience. The Lord has said: "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." (Rev. 3:21) We stand to gain the whole splendor of eternity by being obedient. If we have erred, all is not lost for there is hope. The Lord stands with his hand outstretched, in His never failing mercy, willing to take us back: "For all this His anger is not turned away but His hand is stretched out still" (Isaiah 10:4) We have been bought with a great price for our worth is great in the sight of God. If you have wandered, know that you are loved still. He awaits and beckons: "Be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, and I will encircle thee in the arms of my love". (D&C 6:20)