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The Beginning of the End
should present sacrifices before Him, but Saul commanded, “Bring a
burnt offering,” and he approached the altar and offered the sacrifice.
Saul’s Presumption
“Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the
burnt offering, that Samuel came.” Samuel saw at once that Saul
had violated the clear directions given to him. If Saul had fulfilled
the conditions for the promised divine help, the Lord would have
worked a marvelous deliverance for Israel, but Saul was so well
satisfied with himself that he went out to meet the prophet expecting
approval rather than criticism.
Samuel asked, “What have you done?” and Saul offered excuses
for taking such liberties. “When I saw that the people were scattered
from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and
that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, then I said, ‘The
Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made
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supplication to the Lord.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a
burnt offering.”
“And Samuel said to Saul, ‘You have done foolishly. You have
not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He com-
manded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom
over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The
Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord
has commanded him to be commander over His people.’ ... Then
Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin.”
Either Israel must cease to be the people of God, or the monar-
chy and the nation must be governed by divine power. In Israel
no monarchy could prosper that did not acknowledge the supreme
authority of God in all things.
In this time of trial, Saul’s failure showed that he was unfit to be
the representative of God to His people. He would mislead Israel.
His will, rather than the will of God, would be the controlling power.
Since he had failed, God’s plans must be accomplished by someone
else. The government of Israel must be committed to someone who
would rule according to the will of Heaven.