Saul Rejected
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defects of character, and to all who seek His aid He will give strength
to correct their errors.
But Saul presumed upon his exaltation, and dishonored God by
unbelief and disobedience. Though when first called to the throne he
was humble and self-distrustful, success made him self-confident. The
very first victory of his reign had kindled that pride of heart which
was his greatest danger. The valor and military skill displayed in the
deliverance of Jabesh-gilead had roused the enthusiasm of the whole
nation. The people honored their king, forgetting that he was but the
agent by whom God had wrought; and though at first Saul ascribed the
glory to God, he afterward took honor to himself. He lost sight of his
dependence upon God, and in heart departed from the Lord. Thus the
way was prepared for his sin of presumption and sacrilege at Gilgal.
The same blind self-confidence led him to reject Samuel’s reproof.
Saul acknowledged Samuel to be a prophet sent from God; hence he
should have accepted the reproof, though he could not himself see that
he had sinned. Had he been willing to see and confess his error, this
bitter experience would have proved a safeguard for the future.
If the Lord had then separated Himself entirely from Saul, He
would not have again spoken to him through His prophet, entrusting
him with a definite work to perform, that he might correct the errors
of the past. When one who professes to be a child of God becomes
careless in doing His will, thereby influencing others to be irreverent
and unmindful of the Lord’s injunctions, it is still possible for his
failures to be turned into victories if he will but accept reproof with
true contrition of soul and return to God in humility and faith. The hu-
miliation of defeat often proves a blessing by showing us our inability
to do the will of God without His aid.
When Saul turned away from the reproof sent him by God’s Holy
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Spirit, and persisted in his stubborn self-justification, he rejected the
only means by which God could work to save him from himself. He
had willfully separated himself from God. He could not receive divine
help or guidance until he should return to God by confession of his
sin.
At Gilgal, Saul had made an appearance of great conscientiousness,
as he stood before the army of Israel offering up a sacrifice to God.
But his piety was not genuine. A religious service performed in direct