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Saul experienced his first indwelling of the Holy Spirit
when he heard that an Israelite city had been surrounded by enemies. In righteous indignation, he cut up two oxen
and had the pieces delivered to all Israel as a call to arms, at the same time
warning that any who did not come would face a similar fate. “So the people became very afraid of the
Lord.” That “afraid” is akin to our word
“dreaded”. Maybe not the best way to see
God.
My commentary said that “the Lord condescended to reach down
to their level of unbelief…. In His grace, God gave Saul an opportunity to
prove himself and consolidate his authority.”
God gave the victory and Saul gave God the glory. My commentary also said, “The will of God
will never lead us where the grace of God can’t keep us and use us.” Saul had never led men in battle, but at
least this time he trusted the Lord to show him how.
Samuel then gave his farewell speech, pointing out that God gave them what they’d asked for (a king), but Israel lost something in the transaction. “Then you will know what an evil thing you
did against the Lord when you asked for a king.”
Finally, Samuel said, “I will surely not stop praying for
you, because that would be sinning against the Lord.” That’s something we all need to be reminded
of today. Not praying is sinning!
Father, again You remind me of the importance of prayer –
constant communication with You that will help me to discover Your will and the
way that You work in this world. And
again, I ask You to help me become more fervent and focused and disciplined in
my prayer life.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
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