“The men of Israel saw that they were in trouble” (1Samuel 13:6a).

Ya’ think?!?

Jonathan had poked the Philistine bear (13:3a), and now the bear was preparing to poke back. Three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore had gathered to fight against Israel (13:5). It was a massive, massive, military buildup.

To King Saul’s credit, he didn’t run but was ready to lead as a king should. He “blew the trumpet” (13:3b), mustering the fighting men of Israel, and was ready to go before them into battle. But when his fighting men saw the amassing hoard, they weren’t so sure they were ready to follow. And so, they started to scatter, some hiding “in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns” and some high-tailing it as they “crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead”. And those who stayed with Saul? Well, they “followed him trembling” (13:6-7).

And still, by faith, believing he had been called by God and that God would be true to His promise (12:22), Saul was ready to battle the enemy. Though, day by day, his army was shrinking, both in numbers and in courage.

So, why did Saul delay, day by day? Because Samuel needed to come and to offer the appropriate sacrifices and inquire of the Lord. But Samuel didn’t come. Seven days were appointed to await his arrival and the clock was ready to “strike midnight” on the seventh day with God’s prophet and priest nowhere in sight (13:8).

So, whaddya’ gonna do in a situation like that?

So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. Samuel said, “What have you done?”

(1Samuel 13:9-11a ESV)

He offered the burnt offering . . . Of course he did!

What choice did Saul have? The enemy is formidable. The battle is inevitable. Samuel is seemingly unavailable. And Saul’s army is quickly becoming less and less viable. And still Saul knows that God must be sought first so that His favor would be favorable (13:12). And so, by his own admission, Saul did was practicable.

“So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.”

(1Samuel 13:12b ESV)

He offered the burnt offering . . . What else was he going to do?

Seems to me there’s something here about wanting to do the right thing but going about in the wrong way. Something about the ends not necessarily justifying the means. Something about circumstantial pragmatics tempting even sincere followers of God to take matters into their own hands rather remaining faithful to His sovereign principles. Something about being cornered into feeling you have no choice actually being God’s crucible to test what’s in your heart.

So, whaddya gonna do in a situation like Saul’s? Whaddya’ gonna do when, for all the right reasons and because you’ve rightly assessed the situation, you feel like you have no choice but to take action, even when you know that action goes against God’s command?

I think the answer has to be: Wait! By faith, wait.

For the will of God will always be in accord with the ways of God. So, wait.

Easier said than done? Yeah. But it’s not left to me alone. For it’s no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me (Gal. 2:20).

O’ to be faithful . . . even when I feel like I have no choice but to take matters into my own hands.

Only by His grace. Always for His glory.