King Saul’s Deadly Failure.
Saul had been called from an ordinary life to be the first king of Israel. His only extraordinary attribute was that he was taller than most. He was not a man of faith in God. He had no fear of God. Saul was the type of man Israel wanted when they asked the Lord to give them a king like other nations.
Saul was unfaithful to the Lord (13). He did not keep the word of the Lord (13). He did whatever he believed was best for himself. From a human point of view, he was successful. Yet his character shortcomings led him to pursue the unwise. Saul did not pray (14). He did not seek the Lord. He even consulted a medium for guidance (13; 1 Sam. 28:3-15). His lack of faith and trust in the Lord led to his suicide (4).
Life often gets hard. Times come when all is unbearable. Waves of despair and disaster endlessly pound us, like we’re a hurricane beach. We feel and believe we’re worthless. We want to give up. Times like these test a soul’s character. Will I trust God? Will I believe in his grace and mercy? Will I do the right thing? Saul did not do the right thing because he relied on himself. He had not made it his custom to seek God in all situations, whether bad or good. When tested, he drowned in self-reliance.
