The LORD has chosen Saul to rule as the first king of Israel. They wanted a king to rule over them as the other nations did, and God allowed it. But Samuel isn’t out of the picture yet and is still serving as judge and prophet.
In 1 Samuel 12, in his farewell address to the people, says,
If you will fear the LORD and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God, it will be well. But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and your king.
1 Samuel 12:14-15
It echoes the words of the LORD through Moses in Deuteronomy 11,
See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.
Deuteronomy 11:26-28
The people of Israel were constantly reminded of these things along with all the LORD had done for them in setting them apart for himself as a people, freeing them from the bondage of slavery in Egypt and delivering them into the Promised Land…but their hearts were very quick to wander. We see Saul’s disobedience in the very next chapter as he offered sacrifices instead of waiting for Samuel.
Our hearts are no different. For those who have trusted in Jesus as Lord and Savior, we still have sin dwelling within our hearts. We are often easily led astray by our own sinful desires. We tend to justify our sin and disobedience much like Saul did when he was called out by Samuel.
It ought not to be. Though we can rest in the fact that Christ has paid for our sins, and we are justified before the LORD, having been judged according to Christ’s righteousness – it is not a license to forget the Lord and all he has done. It is why we must preach the gospel to ourselves day by day. We must continually remind ourselves of the grace given to us in Christ. This is what leads us to repentance when we feel the conviction of sin. We don’t justify it. We confess it and repent of it.
There is much to be learned from Israel. Their behavior is a reflection of our own hearts outside of Christ. thanks be to God that we live on this side of the cross and can have the blessed assurance of our salvation because of him.
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