WHAT HAST THOU DONE? 1st Samuel 13 Sometimes, it is hard to figure out exactly what certain scripture passages mean, and the first verse of this chapter is one of those places. Some versions of the Bible take the vague Hebrew words to mean 31 years when Saul started to reign, and he reigned for forty-two years. What we do know is that Saul was a young man when he was anointed king of Israel, and we know that by the time of the writing of this chapter, Saul’s son, Jonathan, was a grown man and a skilled soldier. So perhaps there must have been nothing important to the Lord that Saul did for most of his reign.
Much of our lives are forgotten by ourselves, and very little is remembered by other people. But important events and lessons learned along the road of our lives stand out. We remember the details, the people involved, the location, and the outcome of the event. In those special times, the Lord often changes us to become more yielded to His will, and we learn our own lack of ability. The necessity of faith becomes more real to us, and we learn more about God. Through His grace and patience, we learn more about ourselves.
Perhaps the brief statements in verse one tell us God’s view of what was important to Him in Saul's life and reign. This may have been why the last part of the narrative of Saul’s reign is all that is recorded. As long as Saul kept the Israelites satisfied with the status quo and didn’t offend their enemies, he and the people he ruled were okay—just please don’t rock the boat.
When the leadership of God’s people departs from the plain teaching of the Bible, and the people of God are content to compromise truth for expediency and acceptance by those around us, there will be no opposition or confrontation. The complacency that allows departure from the furtherance of the Gospel and “lifestyle evangelism” takes the place of “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel,” there will be a decline in the commitment of believers to live by faith.
An act of faith by a young believer like Jonathan stirs opposition to the public outreach of the Gospel and disturbs the calm and quietness we have become accustomed to and really like. Stepping out in faith and obedience to the Lord will move each of us to act with courageous faith or contagious cowardice. The contrast is clear—do we live by faith, or are we going to organize our lives and the life of an assembly to be what we believe is most suitable?
The flesh is self-confident; Saul raised an army that simply stood by until he thought it was needed. To be organized is not wrong, but when it takes the place of faith in God, the energy of the flesh does not see beyond itself to our need for God in every circumstance in life. The flesh is self-assertive but waits until it can perceive a weakness in the opposition before taking action. Then, it glories in its own “victory.” Faith is content to either go ahead or wait for the Lord to guide. When God chooses to work through a humble person who is not looking for credit, then instead of self-exaltation, the one who glories “glories in the Lord.”
There will be times in our lives when we are faced with a crisis and have to decide how to face this issue and act in the right way. A man of the flesh doesn't take time to pray and seek God's will. Behind this attitude is self-confidence; in self-confidence, the fleshly man acts like other people expect him to. At least three "perils" are found in 1st Samuel. In chapter 4:3, ritual and formalism are perilous. In this chapter, Saul's peril was impatience. Late in chapter 15, we learn the peril of partial obedience. In chapter 13, we learn that impatience leads us to organize our response to a matter rather than agonize in prayer over a serious matter. Doing this will limit us to human plans and shut God out of our decision-making process.
The flesh has a mind of its own and often chooses to use religious organizations' words and ways and works to accomplish its own ends. When we have everything organized into committees and groups, we need to be careful that faith in God is not put aside and that a “majority rules” attitude replaces the will of God. It is a concern of mine that I may talk of the importance of prayer and shut God out of what I actually do by making my own arrangements. The same can be true of an assembly of God’s people.
Saul's son, Jonathan, was different from his father and acted in faith, counting on God to bring about the necessary victory and the best possible result to the enemy's pressures. He knew God's will and acted in faith, leaving the outcome to God. He knew what needed to be done and trusted God to accomplish the best result. In faith, instead of cautious fear like Saul, who depended on human forces, Jonathan did what needed to be done, and the battle was done. Saul, in pride, took credit for the victory Jonathan had won.
Jonathan’s faith in God acted for the welfare of the Israelites and the glory of God. His actions contrasted with Saul's caution and provoked the enemies of God’s people. In faith, he left the outcome of his actions with God. He knew what should be done, did it, and opened the way for victory. He had received grace and power from God, and God had made him a gift to His people.
The flesh asserts itself and glories in what others have done as if they were the ones who have done the work. The devoted servants of God labor for years in the Gospel in a local assembly, and then a Gospel series is held, bringing forth “much fruit.” If they are not careful, preachers will be the ones who are credited for the blessing of souls being saved, and the focus is on the spokesmen rather than on where, who, and when the real work was done that produced the harvest of souls.
Pride has a way of growing and destroying. Taking credit for what others have accomplished is evidence of pride in taking control of one's life. A manager of a truck sales company said to one of his salesmen who made a good deal, “Never mind who gets the credit, as long as the firm shows a profit.” The only way to deal with that tendency is to give credit where credit is due and, whatever the outcome, to give God all the glory.
Saul blew the trumpet instead of waiting on God for guidance regarding the time and action to take. When the flesh asserts itself, it starts a chain of events that cannot be stopped without divine intervention. Saul was given and took the honor of having “smitten a garrison of the Philistines.” All the people of Israel heard was that Saul had done what Jonathan really had done. When a work of God is done among His people or in an assembly of gathered saints, let us always give God all the glory!!! To think one will profit by claiming credit and prominence will leave one alone without God.
It seems like the flesh has a mind of its own. Saul wanted to "let the Hebrews hear" about his self-proclaimed victory. This simple phrase exposes his inner attitude toward the Lord's people. As far as he was concerned, God's people were just "the Hebrews." He looked at the nation over which he was king as just another one of the nations to be identified by the same name the tribes around them called them. The contrast between Saul and the godly leaders before him is very plain. Those previous leaders who interceded for the nation of Israel knew these were the people of God - a special people, not just Hebrews.
This same attitude is held by many religious systems who call themselves by the names of human leaders or religious forms. The flesh is also very self-centered and wants everything that happens to focus on enhancing its reputation. Because of that mindset, the people were called together "after Saul." When the people who gathered “to Saul” saw what they were up against, they melted away. When people gather together unto a name or a man, they will not necessarily stay because their commitment is only to a mortal man. The only One who can keep the people of God together is the Lord Himself when we are gathered unto Him.
Years before, Joshua had met the Captain of the Lord's host at Gilgal. Israel had cut off the flesh at Gilgal. Now, at the same place, Saul calls the people to him, but he has no moral strength to keep them together. There was nothing spiritual about Saul's attempts at leadership. He did not have what was needed to give the people courage or vision as to what God could do through them, even though they only had tools to use to defend themselves. God can use a hoe, a shovel, a mattock, or a goad, and He can use a sword. The uncertainty of the leader led to uncertainty among those who followed him. The same thing happens today to God's people when difficulties arise. Discouragement sets in, and they stay away from assembly meetings to hide in their own sheltered caves of disappointment rather than meet with others who depend on the strength of the Lord.
Some who once gathered with God's people give up the walk of faith and light to go back "across Jordan" to escape and blend in with the world. The flesh is impatient. Saul could not wait seven days for the man of God had instructed him. The few still with Saul trusted him instead of the Lord. Instead of waiting and doing things God's way, Saul, in the flesh's energy, took matters into his own hands and disobeyed God. He tried to do spiritual work in the flesh's energy, which always fails. The sin-polluted works of the flesh may have the appearance of a spiritual work or have the name of something spiritual, but that does not make it a work of God.
When we trust in ourselves and feel we are losing control of an event, we are in danger of being impatient with God's timing. The flesh doesn’t want to wait, so it seems like it is “forced” upon us to take action without clear guidance. Faith waits until there is nothing to do but trust. The flesh takes matters into its own hands and, in the case of Saul, thinks that ritual is all that is needed. He substituted ritual for God, and God rejected both the burnt offering and Saul, who was entirely out of his place.
Even God's people can be careless about the commands of the Lord and be willing to have false forms of religion. We may substitute religious acts that appear outwardly right, but instead of blessing God's people, they are a hindrance to them. Outward appearances that look like service for God result in God's people forfeiting the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the prompting of their own consciences. Excuses for disobedience include blaming others for things that go wrong, even though I am responsible for that work. It is not uncommon for some people to complain about the circumstances in their lives and say that their failure is due to a unique situation.
When Samuel confronted Saul about taking the place of a priest as he had done in offering burnt sacrifices, which was a priest's work, he made it plain to Saul he had disobeyed God because he had not kept the command of the Lord, and there were serious consequences for that. The penalty of disobedience could not be avoided. In the very place Saul was crowned, he hears the words of his condemnation. We cannot disobey God and think He will overlook our willfulness and that there will be no consequences. It is our responsibility to act on what God says for us and not impose ourselves on another person's place of responsibility.
"What hast thou done?" was the question Samuel asked Saul. Saul foolishly attempted to excuse himself and to justify his wrong action. When we are tested and fail, we learn that the flesh "profiteth nothing." God wanted a man after His own heart to lead His people, and that man would truly believe in Him and wait for God to guide him before he acted in the flesh. The place of victory when Israel first entered the land of promise was also the place of circumcision where the flesh was cut off years earlier, now becomes a place of judgment when the flesh took control. Our greatest victory may have taken place in the very spot where our greatest defeat will come. We need to be on our guard against the actions of our flesh.
Samuel left Gilgal, where the sinful flesh had taken over, and went to Gibeah, where faith was still active, and Saul followed him there, though there had been no evidence of repentance or recovery. He numbered the people, so he still trusted in the flesh and the army of men, not in the Lord. In the sad picture of a helpless nation who would not trust God and was in no position to fight in their own strength, the "Israelites went down to the Philistines." With God, they could have won victories without swords or man-made weapons.
When the patience of flesh is gone, faith begins without any sign of visible support. The knowledge and assurance of God's control can quiet a restless soul and spirit. Wherever reason takes the place of faith and forms take the place of spirituality, God's people are in a place of defeat. If we find ourselves in such a state, we should ask, "What has thou done?"
It doesn’t take long for pride to assert itself over a man who thinks much of himself. When humility is set aside, and you believe your own press reports, it won’t take long for the Lord to put you on a shelf and find someone else to do His work in His way. Two years doesn’t seem all that long when we look back, but much happens in a short time that’s beyond reversing. There can be times of blessing when God shows Himself strong and blesses His word that has been preached, and souls are saved, and within two years, things can get much worse.
To offer a “burnt offering” is valueless when it is done in the energy of the flesh and for any reason other than for the glory of God. Our sacrifice of burnt offering is our Lord Jesus Christ, who went to the cross and offered Himself without spot to God on our behalf. His acceptance by God is the basis of our communion with God. Then, the peace offering we share with the Triune God and His people is offered and partaken in happy fellowship. Faith, not the unbelief or disobedience of the self-centered impatience of the flesh, is what brings glory to God, not the mere forms of worship.
When a person takes his eyes off God and looks only at men, there are serious consequences because that is not faith. Once a wrong practice or action has started and a downward course begins, a person lives by sight, ignoring what God says in His word. God is looking for one who loves the Lord so deeply that he will not turn aside, no matter what other people do. Such a man can be trusted; he loves God supremely and will, even under pressure, commit himself to what is true. We can learn to think like God when we obey His Holy Word. We can learn to act like God by following what Jesus did when He was living among human beings. We can learn to love like God when our hearts are assured and God’s great heart of love is revealed to us through all Christ has endured.