Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Thoughts on King Saul - Part 1

My Bible reading has been in 1 Samuel recently.

The people of the nation of Israel want to be like the other nations and have a monarchy form of government. God tells them that's a bad idea and even provides reasons why. They ignore God's advice. So He chooses Saul to be the king.

Really I think this is so revealing about both God and man.

Why do we have this desire to be like everyone else?

Also, on the human side I find it amazing that we treat God's advice with such arrogant disdain. I guess it isn't just God's advice either. We all joke about how our parents get smarter the older we get.

On the God side it is amazing to me that He is so respectful of us. And that's especially true given the disdain we exhibit. If it were me in the same place I would be inclined to slap people upside the head.

Next I find it interesting that sometimes God gives us what we want even when what we want is not a very good idea.

I think that's an extreme case of "be careful what you ask for because you might get it."

I know doggone well that I've prayed for things that I didn't get and later figured out I owed God a great big thank you. And, yes, there are some answers I've received that I was so happy to get that turned out to be undesirable.

I admit that I find the story of Saul to be puzzling but I think I am beginning to grasp a few things.

2 comments:

Lori1955 said...

I really don't get the story of Saul at all. God chose him to be king and yet it seems like it was the wrong choice. I suppose there was a reason behind it but I just don't get it.

I do agree that often the things we want and the things we need are two very different things. It works out so much better if we just let God give us what He knows is best. :)

Unknown said...

Yeah Lori that was (is) my dilemma, too. But what I am coming to understand among other things is that Saul is God's choice based on human desire and standard.

That contrasts later with David who is God's choice based on God's own standard.

So the way I see it right now is that God thought a human king was a bad idea to begin with but since that's what you want here you go.

And behind door number 1 is Saul who fits perfectly what you said you wanted.

I'll write more later about this.

Today is more helping mother-in-law day as was yesterday. And that's a story in its own right.