Saul’s downfall comes from a series of wrong decisions.

1 – Saul embarks upon a war of aggression against the Philistines (1 Samuel 13:1-6)

Saul acted independent of the Lord’s will. Saul’s stratagem was at first successful. First strike attacks against unsuspecting targets tend to be cheap victories. E.g. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. War seems so glorious and exciting to the young especially. To those who have experienced war there is the anticipation of bloody battles at the cost of many lives. Israel began paying the price almost immediately. The Philistines advanced to Saul’s base at Michmash in overwhelming strength and Israel melted away. They were forced to hide from the enemy. How humiliating!

2 – Saul decides to offer the sacrifice without waiting for Samuel (1 Samuel 13:7-22)

Saul could not wait on the Lord’s will. Saul was fearful of the Philistines massing against him with their chariots and men; he was restless at Samuel’s delay to meet him at Gilgal and threatened by the desertion of all his men. He offers a sacrifice to the Lord. Saul’s sin was not his sacrificing. David and Solomon offered sacrifices without being censured. (2 Samuel 24:25 & 1 Kings 3:4; 8:63). No sooner had Saul offered the sacrifice than Samuel strode into the camp. His sin was disobedience to a particular command of Samuel to wait seven days. The Lord is not pleased when people are disobedient to His commands. Excuses such as blaming others have its roots in the disobedience of Adam and Eve. We each have an individual responsibility.

Did Saul’s offence deserve such severe punishment from the Lord? Saul was deprived of a dynasty. Israel became a demilitarised zone under Philistine occupation. Was this fair? Matthew Poole (17th century) said “Men are very incompetent judges of God’s judgments because they see but very little, either of the majesty of the offended God, or of the heinous nature and aggravations of the offence, men see nothing but Saul’s outward act, which seems small, but God saw with how wicked a mind and heart he did this, with what rebellion against the light of his own conscience, with what gross distrust of God’s providence; with what contempt of God’s authority and justice; and many other wicked principles and motions of the heart, unknown to men.” “Situation ethics” is no substitute for obedience. God wants men and women who are “after His own heart”. The fear shown by Saul and the people was unnecessary. God was on their side. Likewise we have nothing to fear – If God is with us, who can be against us.

3 – Saul fails to exterminate the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:1-35)

Saul disregarded the Lord’s will. We can please the Lord only if we heed His Word. We are not at liberty to disregard the commandments of God. We must be humble before God, remaining “little in our own eyes”. God is not interested in excuses, when we sin. He wants TRUE repentance.

4 – Saul resorts to occultism (1 Samuel 28:3-25)

Saul perverts the Lord’s will. To consult a medium was against the commands of God. To use one to try and find out God’s will (i.e. to contact the spirit of Samuel) was perversion of the highest order. In the battle that follows this event, Saul will be killed by the enemy.

5 – Reasons for the downfall of Saul

• His missing personal relationship with the Lord – Saul did not have a personal relationship with the Lord. Only what he knew through Samuel. (1 Samuel 15:15) There is a danger in many churches today of people only “knowing” him through others or established religion. (Priests, ministers, Catholic Church, Orange Order, etc.)
• Following the will of men – Saul followed the will of the people rather than the will of God. (1 Samuel 15:24) Saul was supposed to lead the people of Israel in following the Lord. Rather, he became a weak example of leadership and led them to embarrassment and destruction. We need strong biblical leadership that will follow the voice of the Lord and not of men. How many Christian leaders follow the path of men and allow the people to “keep the spoils”, rather than destroying the things of the world that would entangle us. Israel failed this test in the battle of Ai, when one man kept of the spoils and caused the defeat of the entire army. (Joshua 7:1-5).
• Sin of pride – Saul was prideful and more concerned about how he looked to people than how he looked to the Lord. (1 Samuel 15:30) Pride always comes before a fall. Saul couldn’t bring himself to repent and deal with his disobedience. Right before stating he had sinned, he asked Samuel to “honour him” before the “elders of my people and before Israel… that I may worship the Lord your God”.
• How can we truly worship God when we are unclean before Him? We must take the holiness of God seriously. Sin is never a simple matter; it spreads and corrupts everything it touches. When we fall we must earnestly seek the Lord’s forgiveness and restoration FIRST, BEFORE we seek the honour of men. Perhaps more people would be saved if they saw Christians for what we are, “sinners saved by grace”.
• Disobedience – God is looking for those who are obedient servants. Otherwise he will use someone else who is. (1 Samuel 13:13-15) Saul is now rejected as king for David who is “a man after God’s own heart”. A sad indictment on Saul. A warning that we should heed and ignore at our peril! Great blessings are a reward to those who obey. Esther is an example of a woman who obeyed God’s call. The Lord used her to save Israel from being totally exterminated. But if she had not been obedient then God would have raised up another.

Categories: 1 Samuel