Rēad to Read …Again
Daily Reading: I Chronicles 9-11
I Chronicles 10:13
So Saul died for his transgressions which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;
It all seemed so logical, it seemed like the Lord blessed Israel with abundance of sheep, oxen, lambs, and all that was good in the land. This was on the occasion of Israel’s decisive defeat of the Amalekites all the way back there in I Samuel 15. They took those spoils of victory and relished in them. That was their thinking, but it was not God’s Word to them. His Word was to utterly destroy all including the sheep, oxen, and lambs. But they thought of a better plan. They, led by their king, Saul, took the best of the land for their enrichment.
Then there was Saul’s act of going to that wicked witch of Endor’s house to conjure up the spirit of Samuel (I Samuel 28). The king knew this was opposed to God’s Law, but he thought he knew better.
Now, with the retelling of Saul’s life, the end of his life, the Holy Ghost reveals clearly that Saul not only lost the kingdom over that Amalekite situation, he also lost his life for these other two transgressions. Evidently, not obeying the clear Word of God and dabbling into the spiritual realm improperly was the cause of the king’s death. But it all seemed so right to him at the time.
Let’s face it, Saul did some horrible things in his life. He was impish, petty, violent, prideful, immoral, hateful, a murderer, and unrepentant. Yet, the two reasons for his death were not obeying the Word of God and asking counsel of a witch. Both of these demonstrated Saul’s sin nature of not honoring God, not putting Him first. Basically, he was unfaithful to the Lord God of Heaven.
He didn’t know it on those two momentous occasions, but those decisions cost him his kingdom and his life. If one thinks about it, his story teaches four sobering truths. One, just as Moses said in Numbers 32:23 …be sure your sin will find you out. Two, no one is above having to answer to God (no matter their lofty position) for their personal sins, see Revelation 20:11-15. Three, God remembers. Four, the wage of sin is still death.
But thanks be to God that there is a way of escape! The Gospel of Jesus Christ is our refuge from sin. Receiving His death, burial, and resurrection by faith is the only way to escape death. Yes, every person will die a physical death because of sins committed, but that eternal death, that second death, that lake of fire death, that is ended once Christ is accepted. Praise His Holy name!
In life sometimes we may think we know better, or that God will excuse us because of who we are, Saul’s story teaches us otherwise.
Dr. William T. Howe