Broken Kingdoms: WK1 - THU
Kingdoms of Compromise - 1 Samuel 13:5-11
The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore! They camped at Micmash east of Beth-aven. The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns. Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead.
Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.
Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?”
Over the course of his reign as king, Saul transformed from a fearful, self-doubting novice into an impulsive, power-hungry leader, and eventually into an arrogant, self-interested ruler. Along the way, he embraced his life of privilege and began cutting corners on what he knew was right. God’s patience eventually ran out, and Yahweh chose a replacement.
During the late 1800s, British historian Lord Acton famously stated, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Often, this corruption in a leader starts with small, seemingly insignificant compromises. However, even a moral compass that is one degree off from true north will eventually lead you thousands of miles astray.
1 Samuel 13 recounts one of the early stories of Saul’s reign. The Philistines have assembled a large army determined to defeat the Israelites. While many of his fellow Israelites fled in fear, the new king of Israel gathered a small force and waited, as instructed, for the prophet Samuel to arrive with a message from God about their next move.
Waiting is tough. Delays can be difficult for us today. It was torturous for Saul in 1 Samuel 13. The prophet had promised to arrive by the seventh day of waiting. On that day, Saul was overwhelmed with frustrated fear. In a moment of impatience, he chose to lead the religious service, seeking guidance from God without the prophet. After all, he was the king. Surely, he should be considered an appropriate substitute for the prophet. Every moment of delay means more of his countrymen slipping away in fear to hide. He had waited seven days as instructed. More specifically, he had waited most of the seventh day without the prophet showing up.
Wouldn’t you know it, at the last minute, as Saul led the sacrifices meant for the prophet, Samuel shows up. “What have you done?” he asks. Saul deflects, “I waited, and you didn’t come.” Ah, but he had come, just not on the timeline convenient to Saul. If the king had answered honestly, Saul might have said, “I got scared that the people were going to leave, and I’d be fighting the Philistines alone. I didn’t believe God would rescue us. I grew resentful that you hadn’t shown up. I panicked. I tried to rescue the situation by doing things my way. I decided to compromise.”
On that day, Saul adjusted his compass by a degree. One compromise led to another, as the King of Israel gradually steered the nation further off course. He saw these compromises as a privilege owed to his position. In doing so, God became a nuisance rather than his leader or partner. Yahweh had been removed from His throne.
The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore! They camped at Micmash east of Beth-aven. The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns. Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead.
Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.
Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?”
Over the course of his reign as king, Saul transformed from a fearful, self-doubting novice into an impulsive, power-hungry leader, and eventually into an arrogant, self-interested ruler. Along the way, he embraced his life of privilege and began cutting corners on what he knew was right. God’s patience eventually ran out, and Yahweh chose a replacement.
During the late 1800s, British historian Lord Acton famously stated, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Often, this corruption in a leader starts with small, seemingly insignificant compromises. However, even a moral compass that is one degree off from true north will eventually lead you thousands of miles astray.
1 Samuel 13 recounts one of the early stories of Saul’s reign. The Philistines have assembled a large army determined to defeat the Israelites. While many of his fellow Israelites fled in fear, the new king of Israel gathered a small force and waited, as instructed, for the prophet Samuel to arrive with a message from God about their next move.
Waiting is tough. Delays can be difficult for us today. It was torturous for Saul in 1 Samuel 13. The prophet had promised to arrive by the seventh day of waiting. On that day, Saul was overwhelmed with frustrated fear. In a moment of impatience, he chose to lead the religious service, seeking guidance from God without the prophet. After all, he was the king. Surely, he should be considered an appropriate substitute for the prophet. Every moment of delay means more of his countrymen slipping away in fear to hide. He had waited seven days as instructed. More specifically, he had waited most of the seventh day without the prophet showing up.
Wouldn’t you know it, at the last minute, as Saul led the sacrifices meant for the prophet, Samuel shows up. “What have you done?” he asks. Saul deflects, “I waited, and you didn’t come.” Ah, but he had come, just not on the timeline convenient to Saul. If the king had answered honestly, Saul might have said, “I got scared that the people were going to leave, and I’d be fighting the Philistines alone. I didn’t believe God would rescue us. I grew resentful that you hadn’t shown up. I panicked. I tried to rescue the situation by doing things my way. I decided to compromise.”
On that day, Saul adjusted his compass by a degree. One compromise led to another, as the King of Israel gradually steered the nation further off course. He saw these compromises as a privilege owed to his position. In doing so, God became a nuisance rather than his leader or partner. Yahweh had been removed from His throne.
- What types of compromises do you see people regularly making in our society or communities today?
- What differentiates negotiating a fair compromise with a friend or family member from making a moral compromise?
- What kinds of compromises have tempted you recently? How did you respond? Is there a compromise you should reconsider or “walk back"?
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