Many of us are familiar with the story of Saul. Not the New Testament Saul; Saul, the Benjaminite. Saul, once king of Israel… that Saul!

The Israelites had demanded a King for so long and the Lord caused Samuel to anoint Saul. The circumstances that preceded the anointing of Saul was nothing short of “God-engineering”. However, that’s a discussion for another day.

The focus today is on 1 Samuel 13. 

Something interesting occurs in 1 Samuel 13. 

Jonathan, Saul’s son had attacked and destroyed the Philistine base at Geba. The news had travelled very far and obviously, the short-tempered Philistines had been triggered. 

They boiled with rage and wanted revenge so they assembled an army so mighty they are described in 1 Samuel as being as numerous as sand on the seashore. 

This sent shivers down the spines of the Israelites. Many of them run for cover: in caves, thickets, rocks and cisterns (1 Samuel 13:6 NLT)

Samuel, the prophet, had sent word to Saul (who was with his trembling army) to wait for seven days before doing anything. Hard as it was, Saul complied. He went day after day after day waiting for the seventh day to receive further instructions from the prophet Samuel. 

Can you imagine how increasingly difficult it must have been for the Head of the Army, Saul to stay seven days without engaging in active battle?

The Philistines must have been loud and arrogant and would certainly have been calling the Israelites out. They must have taunted them to death and baited them all day long but Saul stood still. 

They must have fired warning arrows and chanted in Micmash, where they were camping. 

Yet Saul stood still for seven days.

All through these long dreadful seven days, Saul’s men must have been persistently questioning Saul. “What do we do?”, “The Philistine are getting under our skin, do we attack?”

Many of Saul’s men started to doubt his ability to lead. The Bible actually says some of his army started to fall away.  His men demanded that Saul did something. 

I can imagine them appointing a spokesperson to speak to Saul asking him to be a real leader! They might have given him an ultimatum and threatened to boycott the camp if Saul did nothing. 

Yet Saul stood still!

On Day 7, Samuel had not yet shown up. Saul’s men had been mounting enormous pressure for a week. “Captain, you need to do something! Are you not the King! You asked us to sit still for seven days! Today is the seventh day! Can you man up?”

“So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.”

1 Samuel 13:9 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/1sa.13.9.NLT

Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offerings, Samuel arrived. Samuel, knowing fully well what had ensued, rebuked him.

Saul answered, “When I saw I was losing my army from under me, and that you hadn’t come when you said you would, and that the Philistines were poised at Micmash, I said, ‘The Philistines are about to come down on me in Gilgal, and I haven’t yet come before God asking for his help.’ So, I took things into my own hands, and sacrificed the burnt offering.””

1 Samuel 13:11-12 MSG

https://bible.com/bible/97/1sa.13.11-12.MSG

The NLT version puts it this way, “I FELT COMPELLED TO OFFER THE BURNT OFFERING”

Samuel described Saul’s actions as FOOLISH.

It’s incredible the things the pressures of men can compel us to do. Men (and women) would insist you do something when you are faced with a situation. Many counsellors would arise when we have a decision to make. 

It’s incredible the things the pressures of men can compel us to do. 

DELA TSAGLI

Oh, the incessant pressures we face on a daily: at work, in our homes, in our schools! Many a times, we feel compelled to act to bring calm to the situation. We feel obliged to take an action we are not very comfortable with. 

For fear of “losing our army”, we have offered “burnt sacrifices” we should not have. We have acted “foolishly” like Saul. 

The text that ensues after Samuel’s rebuke is nothing short of heart breaking!

““How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.”

“But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.””

Saul buckled under the pressures of men and had the Kingdom stripped from him. 

FEAR MEN, when they try to make you act contrary to what God has told you or what you know is right.

FEAR MEN, when they COMPEL you to do something!

Men will always be men. They will always have suggestions and opinions and will always believe their counsel is the best for you.

Men will compel you to do! Be wary of them. “Fear” men.

But I pray that God will grant us grace to withstand the pressures of men! 

I pray for us and I pray for me. Amen.