The LORD has anointed Saul as king of Israel. In yesterday’s reading we had seen Saul’s disobedience in offering the sacrifice to the LORD instead of waiting for Samuel. For this reason, Samuel informs Saul that because of his disobedience, he will lose the kingdom.
Today we see the continued downward spiral of Saul. Making a rash vow that would eventually put his son’s life in the balance, we then see him once again go in direct contradiction to the LORD’s command when it came to the battle with the Amalekites. The LORD had declared war on the Amalekites clear back in Exodus 17:1-16 and Deuteronomy 25:17-19. The instructions to Saul were to devote the Amalekite people and everything they had to destruction – everything. But we see in 15:9 that Saul and the people spared the king, Agag, along with the best of the sheep, oxen, fattened calves, lambs and everything else good. Things didn’t end well – Saul is rejected by the LORD, and Samuel hacked Agag to pieces.
So, did God screw up in his choice of Saul as king? Did he pick the wrong guy and now has to come up with plan B in David? We might be led to believe something like that, especially when we see in verse 15:11 when God tells Samuel that he regretted making Saul king. But that would go in direct contrast to what we know to be true about God’s sovereignty. This “regret” is translated as the fact that God was genuinely sorrowful about Saul’s sin. But he knew it beforehand. So why would he appoint Saul king if he knew what was going to happen? And this is where faith comes in.
I don’t know God’s reasons for doing things like this. But what I do know and trust in is this:
He knows all things. He knows the beginning from the end. He is Creator, Sustainer, King, and Ordainer of all things. He is perfect in his wisdom and knowledge. He is holy and righteous. He does no evil. He has plans in purposes in all of history which will be accomplished according to his will. And because I believe these things about him, I can trust that even things like this that I don’t fully understand have purpose.
We would do well to remember these things about the LORD as we look at the world today.
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