Like later prophets too, Samuel contrasted the inner reality of religion with its outward trappings. While all too many kings of Israel (though not Saul) were guilty of idolatry, an equally persistent fault was to maintain an elaborate sacrificial system in Yahweh’s honour, while allowing or even fostering the wholesale breach of covenant laws. It is all too human to suppose that, so long as we habitually attend church and carry out our regular devotions, God will applaud our piety and turn a blind eye to faults of character and wrongful actions. The prophetic message is clear and unequivocal: direct and wholehearted obedience to God’s commands is the only basis of a devout life. It is implied that God’s commands have already been made known; this was and is generally the case, even if in some specific situations we may not always be sure of God’s will for us. Obedience will of course include, not eliminate, the proper outward observance of inward piety. [“Has Yahweh as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obedience to the voice of Yahweh? Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.], then, is the key verse of the chapter. It presents a challenge to everybody, great or small: to obey is better than sacrifice. Above all, however, it was intended as a challenge to Saul, and to all his successors on the throne of Israel and Judah. Kings are used to demanding obedience, not yielding it, and it goes against the grain for them to acknowledge the superiority of anyone else, even God [personally]. Besides, in practice obedience to [God] meant obedience to [God’s] prophets; the word of God which Saul rejected was the command issued to him by Samuel[]. To some extent the history of the Israelite monarchy was a story of tension between king and prophet, in which the king had the political power but the prophet had the religious and moral authority. No amount of public religious observance and ceremony would allow the kings to turn a deaf ear to the prophets with impunity. Probably Saul himself was no hypocrite, but it must have been a temptation to some kings to gain a reputation for piety by lavish religious ceremonial, in order to hide the fact from the people at large that behind the scenes they were wilful, greedy and unjust. To such later kings the story of 1 Sam. 15 presents a solemn warning: disobedience to God resulted in loss of the kingship, sooner or later. More than once this chapter states that God repented of making Saul king. This is the language of human analogy; as [Samuel] plainly states, God is in reality no fallible human being who makes mistakes and is obliged to change [God’s] mind. Perhaps the best perspective for seeing God’s dealings with [mortals], especially in the Old Testament, is under the analogy of a chess game. God allows [mortals] such as Saul full freedom of choice and action; but [God] constantly responds to their moves, and will at appropriate times change [God’s] strategy, technique and approach. Saul is in some respects a foil for David; the wrong king shows up in better relief the right king. But Saul was no straw man, no automaton; God gave him the chance to prove himself a worthy king, and the failure was his own. Not till then did God “repent” and take steps to remove the kingship from him. --D. F. Payne, I & II Samuel. Daily Study Bible Series
Posted on: Wed, 10 Jul 2013 06:48:41 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015