November 17, 1898

The First King of Israel—No. 2

EGW

The Presumption of Saul

To prove them, the Lord brought Israel into strait places. The Philistines gathered themselves together to fight against the Israelites, “thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth-aven. When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.”YI November 17, 1898, par. 1

The people realized their sin in choosing a king, and they dared not put their confidence in him as they had trusted in the Lord as their ruler and authority. The new king was not God, and they were learning the meaning of defeat, even before the battle had been entered upon.YI November 17, 1898, par. 2

Samuel had given directions to Saul: “Thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt-offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and show thee what thou shalt do.” And Saul “tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.”YI November 17, 1898, par. 3

The Lord designed this as a test for Saul. As head of the nation, he must follow implicitly the counsels of God. Under all circumstances he must obey the orders given him through one who received his instruction from heaven. But appearances were discouraging, and Saul looked at these appearances, instead of looking to God, trusting in him, and waiting for Samuel. He became impatient, and took upon himself responsibilities which the Lord had not laid upon him. He attempted to do a work which he could not acceptably perform.YI November 17, 1898, par. 4

“And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt-offering to me, and peace-offerings. And he offered the burnt-offering.”YI November 17, 1898, par. 5

When the Lord exalted Saul to be king of Israel, he did not invest him with the sacred office of the priesthood. But as Saul saw the people terrified at the immense armies of the enemy; as he saw them fleeing to the caves, and hiding among the thickets and rocks, climbing to the tops of mountains, and down into the pits, he took upon him this office.YI November 17, 1898, par. 6

This was Saul's time to act his faith, to show his respect for the special directions given. A few hours of waiting was the test that the Lord gave Saul; but Saul did not bow his knees and his heart before the Lord, and trust in the God of Israel. He did not manifest the faith of Gideon, and of the Hebrew generals whom God had appointed. In the place of becoming humble and self-distrustful, he grew passionate and presumptuous, and knowingly transgressed in assuming the office of priest. He could have offered humble prayer to God without the sacrifice; for the Lord will accept even the silent petition of a burdened heart; but instead of this, he forced himself into the priesthood.YI November 17, 1898, par. 7

As the king “made an end of offering the burnt-offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt-offering.”YI November 17, 1898, par. 8

And Samuel declared: “Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.”YI November 17, 1898, par. 9

In detaining Samuel, it was the purpose of God that the heart of Saul should be revealed, that others might know what he would do in an emergency. It was a trying position in which to be placed, but Saul did not obey orders. He felt that it would make no difference who approached God, or in what way; and, full of energy and self-complacency, he put himself forward into the sacred office.YI November 17, 1898, par. 10

The Lord has his appointed agencies; and if these are not discerned and respected by those who are connected with his work, if men feel free to disregard God's requirements, they must not be kept in positions of trust. They would not listen to counsel, nor to the commands of God through his appointed agencies. Like Saul, they would rush into a work that was never appointed them, and the mistakes they would make in following their human judgment would place the Israel of God where their Leader could not reveal himself to them. Sacred things would become mingled with the common.YI November 17, 1898, par. 11

Saul did not bear the test. He showed just what he would do under the pressure of circumstances. The Lord saw that if Saul pursued such a course in an emergency, the people would follow his example, and thus no distinction would be made between the sacred and the common. By his example he would leave it open for the men of war to assume the priesthood on any occasion or in any emergency.YI November 17, 1898, par. 12

Therefore he declared to him, through Samuel: “Thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.”YI November 17, 1898, par. 13

Mrs. E. G. White