Only God's Way Works

“And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.” (1Ch 10:14 AV)

Speaking of Saul here.  The specific time of this failure was when he sought counsel from the Medium of Endor rather than the LORD.  What is interesting about this was Saul felt he had to turn to the Medium because God was not speaking to him.  It begs the question.  Why kill Saul for seeking another venue of guidance if God wasn’t speaking to him anyway?  It would have been one thing to kill him if the LORD would have spoken to him.  But the LORD was silent.  So, why kill him for something he felt he was forced to do when he had no other option?  Suffering Mediums to live was against the Old Testament law.  Those who practiced with familiar spirits were to be stoned.  But I cannot help but get back to that phrase above.  It is suggested Saul should have inquired of the LORD.  Why?  God wasn’t answering him and Samuel was dead.  What would inquiring of the LORD do for him?  It is assumed nothing.  It is assumed that if Saul went to the LORD, there would only be silence.  In fact, according to 1Sam 28:6, the very reason Saul went to the Medium of Endor was that God did not answer him when he inquired.  The answer appears to be how Saul inquired.  Old habits die hard.

According to 1Sam 28:6, Saul inquired by Urim and by prophets.  The problem was, Urim and Thummim must be done with the High Priest.  Since Abiathar the priest carried off the Urim and Thummim from Nob after Saul slew all the priests there and was with David, the Urim which Saul used was of his own making.  This habit goes way back to Saul's first fatal mistake.  It wasn’t but a few days following his ordination unto the throne when Saul offers an offering upon an altar because he thinks Samuel will not show up on time.  Saul usurps the office of prophet and priest because of a lack of faith.    Now we see him making and using his own Urim to inquire of the LORD.  He again uses the means ordained for someone else and is surprised the LORD doesn’t answer.  It is further suggested the LORD might have answered if Saul would have inquired correctly.  This is why the solution to go to the Medium of Endor was so wicked.  It was another one of Saul’s schemes to force God into his way of doing things.  Saul’s problem was Saul was his own greatest authority.  He refused to worship God the way God demanded.  In creating his own Urim, Saul felt he could force God to answer on his own terms rather than God’s terms.

Saul inquired of the LORD.  He just didn’t inquire of God the way God required.  Therefore, he didn’t really inquire of the LORD at all.  The saint that thinks he can work out his own salvation his own way rather than with fear and trembling (Php 2:12) is pushing the envelope of God’s grace.  But that is the majority of what we call Christian today.  Most of God’s people have their own idea of what they will do.  I find it interesting our Sunday School classes are shrinking and sincere searching of the word of God for the purpose of conformity is sorely lacking.  I was saved in 1982.  We live in a different world now.  One of the best ministries my home church offered was discipleship classes.  These classes trained the new believer in the principles of the word of God for daily living.  There was a balance between doctrine and practical application.  These classes sought to ground the new believer in basic Christian doctrine so as to not be swept away by cults.  But it also had as an objective to teach us the basics of godly living.  As we went through the classes men’s hair length got shorter, rock music was cast into the burn pile, we began to dress modestly and appropriately, and we gave to the church.  We learned how to study the word of God and pray.  We thirsted for more and more principles by which we might conform to the image of Christ.  Today, we are more interested in the frosting rather than meat.  It is no more studying the word of God to do things God’s way.  Now, it is more about finding out how much we can do while still calling it Christian.   Saul was killed because he would not respect God’s law.  The same is happening in our churches.  We are dying because we want to walk with God according to our generous interpretation of God’s word rather than strict adherence to it.