I Samuel 13-14

Going back to yesterday's reading, Samuel's address to the people of Israel at Saul's coronation is an important reminder of the conditional nature of God's covenantal love and renewed call to fear and love the LORD with all your heart. 

I Samuel 12:20-22,24 (NKJV) "Yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name's sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people...Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you."

In an act of presumption, feeling compelled Saul unlawfully disobeyed the LORD's commandment that Samuel gave Saul to wait seven days for him to arrive at Gilgal to offer up a sacrifice. Instead Saul impulsively offered an unauthorized burnt offering, as soon as Samuel arrived and saw this he stripped Saul of his new kingdom. Presumptuous acts are foolish and disobedient, men who seek after the heart of God and obey His commands do not operate in a presumptuous manner. Since man is imperfect and prone to sin because of his fallen nature and because of the work Jesus did on the cross bridging the chasm between man and God, through repentance, faith and obedience man is restored to right relationship with God. This is because God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity. Seek after God's own heart, for He has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, man should never take this for granted. 

I Samuel 13:13-14 (NKJV) "And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which he commanded you. For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you."


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