1S13-11: The Consequences Of Treating God’s Commands In A Lighthearted Manner

“‘But as it is, your kingship will not be established. Adonai has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and Adonai has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you did not observe what Adonai ordered you to do.’  Then Sh’mu’el left Gilgal and went up to Giv‘at-Binyamin.”-1 Samuel 13:14-15

Isn’t Saul’s response to Samuel’s severe judgment against him interesting?

He treated it like it was no big deal…

Like it was just some personal skirmish between him and Samuel that would simmer down with time.

Saul’s attitude towards his sin might have been frivolous, but the consequences would not be.

Samuel told Saul the Lord had already chosen his replacement.

It would be a king after God’s own heart…

And a man whose mission would be one and the same with the Father in heaven.

Now, a couple of things here.

First, remember the word “heart” didn’t mean the same thing to the ancients as it does to us today.

The Biblical perspective is that the heart functioned the way we know the brain does today.

In other words, it was considered to be the seat of rational thought.

So when Samuel said “God will choose a man after David’s heart”, he really meant the Lord would choose a man whose own thinking will be patterned after His.

Next, notice the word “prince” Samuel used to refer to the man who will replace Saul.

The original Hebrew is  NAGID.

This is an important word because it’s associated with the Messiah and is prophetic.

It specifically means a “king in waiting”, one who is chosen to be king but has not yet assumed the throne.

We will soon find out that this NAGID will be David.

And the New Testament tells us the ultimate royal successor will be Messiah Yeshua who, wouldn’t you know it, comes from the royal line of David.

So what’s the takeaway for today?

Simple, take a look at Saul’s flippant attitude towards his sin, and resolve NOT to be like that.

Saul might have thought what he did was no big deal…

But in God’s eyes, it was a huge deal…

So devastating was Saul’s transgression that he would lose his throne because of it.

The lesson is to never treat God’s commands in a light-hearted manner…

Whether they be one of the big commands such as “Do not murder” or “Do not commit adultery”…

Or commands that may seem insignificant to you…

Such as eating unclean foods for instance…

Ya, feel me?

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

“Do not think that I have come
to abolish the Law or the Prophets;
I have not come to abolish them
but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you,
until heaven and earth disappear,
not the smallest letter,
not the least stroke of a pen,
will by any means disappear
from the Law until everything
is accomplished. Therefore anyone
who sets aside one of the least of
these commands and teaches others
accordingly will be called least in
the kingdom of heaven, but whoever
practices and teaches these
commands will be called great
in the kingdom of heaven”
-Matthew 5:17-19

P.S. Today is Tuesday, October 10th, 2023, and my heart goes out to my spiritual home country Israel which is now at war with the terrorist organization Hamas.  Let us be in prayer for the many lives that have been taken, as well as their families.  Pray that God be with Israel’s leadership, and the Israeli army as they seek to get the situation under control.  In Yeshua’s name.  Amen.