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 When
the Israelites desired a king the prophet Samuel was told to
anoint Saul, a Benjaminite. This "goodly young man"
stood head and shoulders above the people (I Sam. 9:2), and was
at that time a very humble man (v.21). But soon after he began
to reign God indicated displeasure with Saul, and directed
Samuel to say, "Thy kingdom shall not continue: Jehovah
hath sought him a man after his own heart" (1 Sam. 13:14).
David, of the house of Judah, was to be the new king. These two
men give us opportunity to examine, from a negative as well as a
positive viewpoint, the type of person who is "after God's
own heart."
Saul's
reign began with an up-beat of courage and success in battle.
But he was told to tarry seven days at Gilgal, and Samuel would
come there to offer sacrifice unto Jehovah. The prophet was
late, and Saul decided to make the offering himself — although
he had no authority to function in this capacity. When Samuel
arrived, and questioned his activities, Saul excused himself
with situation ethics and a passing of the buck. "The
people were scattering," he said. "Thou camest
not," "the enemy was close, and I had not entreated
the favor of Jehovah," and so "I forced myself"
to make offering.
Note
particularly, he did not hesitate to presume a holy office; and
seemed more concerned for the rite than for strict obedience to
Jehovah. He excused his flagrant violation of God's laws with
protestations concerning his pious desires to serve God.
A
bit later (1 Sam. 14:) Saul built an altar unto Jehovah, but
Jehovah would not counsel him. He would have killed Jonathan, his son,
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to enforce his own curse, had
not the people rescued him. Yet, when God placed a curse upon a
people, he changed the penalty to suit his taste.
God
sent him to "utterly destroy" the Amalekites (1 Sam.
15:). "But Saul and the people spared Agag the king.. and
the best of the sheep... etc." He blamed this upon the
people, and said he had saved the flocks "to sacrifice unto
Jehovah." And Samuel said, "Hath Jehovah as great
delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the
voice of Jehovah?" This man who was strong on ritual and
outward service, but who changed the rules to suit his own ideas
of "good works," was rejected from the kingship.
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When
God sent Samuel to anoint a successor He said, "Jehovah
seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward
appearance, but Jehovah looketh on the heart" (1 Sam.
16:7). The trust of that heart was shown when David went forth
to meet Goliath, armed only with a sling, but saying,
"Jehovah saveth not with sword and spear; for the battle is
Jehovah's" (1 Sam. 17:47). In contrast to Saul's priestly
presumptions, David showed great respect for God's anointed —
even though they were enemies at war (1 Sam. 24:3-7). Unlike
Saul, who excused his rebellious heart that he might have flocks
to sacrifice; David refused a gift of a place to build an altar,
saying, "Nay; but I will buy it of thee at a price; neither
will I offer burnt-offerings unto Jehovah my (continued next
page)
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