June 2

1 Samuel 13:10-14

New Living Translation (NLT)

 ¹⁰ Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, ¹¹ but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?”
   Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. ¹² So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”
 ¹³ “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. ¹⁴ 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.”

When I read this last night, my initial thought was that Saul did the wrong thing for the right reason.  Certainly God would have him seek His help, however, not at the expense of a direct command.  But I was curious about it because again the punishment seemed harsh for seeking God.... I looked at the notes in my Study bible, and the explanation there was "Saul's words are a rationalization for his actions.  Humans have a common tendency to offer reasons for not following God's directives."

Once again the theme of how seriously God takes our obedience is completely clear.  And once again I realize how important Christ's sacrifice is for me because of my inability, in spite of effort, to keep God's law.  Obviously God is not satisfied with our effort, but only with adherence.  I am thankful for the miracle that because of Christ, when God looks at me He sees His son and not my sin.