Notice in 1st Samuel, how King Saul consistently referred to God as “Your God” when speaking to Samuel.
It was never “our God” or “my God” but “your God”…
Just like Pharaoh referred to Adonai as Moses’ God.
This reveals everything about Saul’s relationship (or lack thereof) with the Lord.
It also brings up some tough questions.
Is only knowing and believing in God the same as actually trusting and doing what He says?
And what about knowing and believing in Messiah Yeshua—does that mean you trust Him and follow His teachings?
Saying you believe in God by walking down the aisle at some evangelical gathering but then not living like you do—is that really believing?
As I said earlier, King Saul is the perfect Biblical example of the false believer and the consequences of that false belief.
The Pharaoh in Egypt knew that Israel’s God existed because his kingdom was ruined by that God.
But it never occurred to him to surrender his life to and worship Israel’s God.
He just wanted mercy from this powerful deity so the plagues would end.
And the same could be said of King Saul.
He had no doubts that God existed.
He was well aware of his Israelite heritage…
He knew about God’s promises to the Hebrew people, and how Israel inherited the land of Canaan.
Yet on a personal level, he never connected his identity to part of God’s plan for Israel.
He thought of the Lord as Samuel’s God, not his own.
He followed God because that was the cultural norm, not because he felt a personal connection.
Does any of this sound familiar to you?
I’d say there are a lot of folks who go to their houses of worship every Saturday or Sunday who do not possess a personal and saving relationship with the living God.
It’s just a social custom for them, a place where they can go to show off their kids and drink coffee and eat cookies
Ya feel me here?
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“What good is it, my brothers,
if someone claims to have faith
but has no actions to prove it?
Is such ‘faith’ able to save him?
Suppose a brother or sister is
without clothes and daily food,
and someone says to him, ‘Shalom!
Keep warm and eat hearty!’
without giving him what he needs,
what good does it do?
Thus, faith by itself,
unaccompanied by actions, is dead.
But someone will say that
you have faith and I have actions.
Show me this faith of yours
without the actions, and I will
show you my faith by my actions!
You believe that ‘God is one’?
Good for you!
The demons believe it too-
the thought makes them
shudder with fear!
But, foolish fellow, do you
want to be shown that
such ‘faith’ apart from
actions is barren?”
-James 2:14-20
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