One has to appreciate the succinct brevity with which the author of 1 Chronicles 11 sums up the demise of Israel’s first King – Saul. Vs. 13 reads: “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance, and he failed to inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.”

By any account, Saul is a tragic figure. Chosen by God to be Israel’s first King, he is set in place by God’s prophet – Samuel. Samuel was a faithful priest – though himself displaying weakness in his failure to discipline his sons. But as weak and fractured as both of these men were, God was working out his plans with his nation through them. They were a formidable pair.

What happened?

It all began with Saul’s need to solidify his leadership at a time when his men were losing heart. The account is found in 1 Sam. 13. Because he was over-anxious, instead of waiting for Samuel to arrive and offer up the burnt offering which was the responsibility of the priest, not the King – Saul overstepped. Samuel tells him he had “not kept the command of the Lord.” Samuel tells Saul that because of this foolish act – going beyond the bounds God had set, that his dynasty will end in but this one generation, and be given to another, viz, David.

And so we are back to our text: “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD.”

Disaster ingredient #1 – Stepping outside of God’s boundaries in his Word, because we are under pressure from circumstances.

If we do not cherish the commands of God and adopt some form of situational ethics – we have begun the descent. When we know what God’s Word has spoken clearly, we use that as the supreme guide for life and practice. It trumps everything else. So Jesus will counter Satan in the desert by answering: “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matt. 4:4) Yes, my stomach pinches after a long fast – but God’s Word stands above my uncomfortability. I can trust the Father fully with my pain.

Disaster ingredient #2 – Having rejected God’s Word as the supreme authority, Saul sought supernatural help elsewhere.

This can be true even for Christians – failing to trust that God’s Word is sufficient in revealing what we need to know in living rightly unto him, we can turn to impressions, omens, signs, oracles like modern day prophets, chills, twitches, and maybe even horoscopes. Other means to divine God’s will above what he has provided in his Word, with the illumination of the Spirit.

No, I’m not suggesting we do not draw from the wisdom of other Godly men and women. We have teachers appointed by God in the Church. And we have each other with our shared experience in how the Lord has dealt with us over the years – and how we understand the wisdom of his Word.

The issue here is the need to sort of peek behind the curtain, to get inside information into the heart, mind and will of God that he has chosen not to reveal. To get divine direction, so that in effect, we do not have to actually trust him with the unknowns, but take power over them with special, hidden knowledge. Something that borders on, if it doesn’t actually cross over into occultism.

Knowing God’s Word that seeking after such counsel was sin, nevertheless, Saul pursued the medium at Endor because in his unrepentant sin, God had ceased communicating. Not altogether. He still had the Law. But facing the Philistines in this instance, and with Samuel dead, with himself separated from God by unrepentant sin – he sought a way to get over on God and get the assurance of victory from some other source. Rather than repent, he rebelled yet further.

Disaster ingredient #3 – “he failed to inquire of the LORD.”

Now 1 Sam. 28:6 tells us that Saul inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.” How do we reconcile these 2 accounts? As Saul had continued his murderous assault on David, knowing full well David was to succeed him, he put himself in the place where God would not answer – while he remained in his rebellion.

When we pretend to want to know God’s will and enjoin his help, while living in unrepentant sin – the heavens grow silent. It is like the volume and tuning dials on a radio. If I don’t like what’s playing on one station, I can either change stations, or turn the volume down. There are problems with both. If I don’t like God’s counsel, and switch to another station, I end up consorting with his enemies. But if I turn down the volume, I turn down all means of receiving counsel, from his Word, or his people.

Saul sought the Lord, but not to seek the Lord in repentance and reconciliation so as to obey, but merely to get assurance of the course he was pursuing.

Nope.

He had mixed these three together, with the end result that he lost his and his son’s lives on the same day, in shameful defeat before the enemies of God, and even lost possession of the Ark of The Covenant.

How dreadfully, dreadfully sad. And unnecessary.

And how do we avoid such disaster ourselves? How do we un-bake this cake?

Cherish God’s Word.

Reject attempts to get secret knowledge, even in the face of dire circumstances no matter how supernaturally attractive they seem. “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.” (Deut. 29:29)

In all things – inquire of the Lord in his Word. Learn it. For in learning it, you learn of him. Hear it. For in hearing it, you hear him. “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” (1 Pet. 1:3)

For if your pursuit is a life lived unto him in godliness – you can be assured of all of his mighty provisions placed at your disposal.

He is SO good!