1 Samuel 13

Chapter 11 and 12 present Saul at his best, as a man, as king and in the spiritual and moral sense. These next three chapters, 13, 14 & 15, reveal the very different moral characteristics and spiritual depth of two men: King Saul and his son, Jonathan. These chapters begin to flush Saul out as a man more interested in how he comes across as a great leader, his use of God and religion is a stamp of approval on what he wants to accomplish, and his elevation of himself as the ultimate king (more like the nations around them) rather than as an obedient earthly proxy for Jahweh on the earth, the heavenly and ultimate king.

Saul’s short-sightedness and misuse of God and divine things for his own political and self-glorification goals begins a a processes that gradually disconnects him and his reign from being a channel of divine blessing to Israel. At one point his son Jonathan even says that his father has brought trouble on Israel (14:29), his foolish actions and words limiting what was supposed to be a quick and total victory over the wicked Philistines. This brought lingering military trouble that David has to deal with over the long-haul, later. In fact, Saul’s disobedience to God eventually results in the loss of his rulership, it not being transferred to his son Jonathan as would normally be the case, and the eventual death of Jonathan in battle along with his own miserable  and ignoble death. The later event of David and Goliath is a case in point of the great contrast between the depth and quality of faith between Saul and David.

Disobedience to God has serious consequences. Let us not be like Saul, half-heartedly faithful. Let us be like Jonathan, heeding the word of the Lord and taking action on it! God is faithful. Let us trust Him.