Why Not Ask?

“And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul.” (1Ch 13:3 AV)

Last night, I mentioned Saul had a history of undervaluing the office of priest.  This comment came in the context of Saul ordering the death of all the priests at Nob.  Doeg the Edomite slew all the priests, their families, and destroyed their city.  All because they dared to give old tabernacle bread and Goliath’s sword to David as he fled from the face of Saul.  Saul, from the very start of his reign, showed no respect for the office of priest or prophet.  His first official act as king was meant to unify Israel under the leadership of God by offering a noon sacrifice with Samuel.  This gesture was meant to show to Israel the office of priest and prophet had not diminished just because they choose a king.  When Samuel did not come with enough time to make Saul comfortable, Saul offered the sacrifice in the stead of Samuel.  He usurped the authority of priest and prophet.  Just days after his coronation, Saul lost God’s hand to lead the people.  It is no wonder the statement is made above.  The people knew what kind of king they had.  He, nor the people, approached the priests for guidance as they would approach the ark for God’s word.  The statement above is very sad.  But I fear it is all too common among God’s people today.

My father is an amazing man.  He is self-taught in many skills.  He is a ferocious reader.  It didn’t matter what the subject material was, he read it.  Because he read a lot, he was not afraid to tackle certain skills that others learned through hands-on experience.  We lived in an old farmhouse that survived an urban sprawl popping up around it.  We had the only house in the neighborhood with lathe and plaster walls.  He undertook completely renovating that house from top to bottom and never once hired a skilled craftsman to help him.  From electrical to plumbing to drywall and beyond, my father accomplished it all.  He did so by reading his collection of DIY Time-life books.  He would read all about running electrical and installing it.  Then he would go do it.  He would read all about re-roofing.  Then he would go and put a new roof on.  He would read how to hang and finish sheet rock.  Then we would all do it.  There was nothing my Dad could not read and conquer.  But it started with reading and studying.  The unwise way of doing what my father did was to jump into a project without any knowledge at all and only consult the books when something wasn’t working or the laborer got stuck.  It would be foolish to head down that path not knowing what great harm could come from ignorance.  Pride, stubbornness, and an inflated sense of self-reliance would doom such an endeavor.

But this is exactly what God’s people do.  This is exactly what Saul did.  He only consulted Samuel when he had no other option.  God’s people use the word of God as a source of comfort.  Not as a source of knowledge and wisdom.  We go to the word of God when we messed up big enough to regret the circumstances.  We first go to it to feel better.  We want to hear of God’s grace and mercy.  We want that hug.  What we don’t want is to hear that we have messed up big time and if we had simply consulted with God’s word before a choice was made, we wouldn’t be in the mess which we find ourselves.  We do not consult the ark.  We do not go to our High Priest.  It is there as a source of convenience.  It is our magic eight ball.  It is our horoscope, our poem, our lyrics.  What it is not is the guide by which we live day in and day out.  What it has ceased to be is our necessary food.  Saul, because he didn’t value the voice of God, lost it.  God’s people are in the same boat.  Not until we return to the importance of God’s word will we ever be led by His Spirit.