Is Saul Also Among the Prophets

Today's reading - 1 Samuel 8 - 12

The story of Saul as king over Israel is a curious one. The people had demanded a king after Samuel had aged out and his sons were acting improperly. So, God allowed them to have a king, they had rejected His leadership and sought to be like the peoples around them. Saul was selected and Samuel made it official through his anointing and so he ruled as king over Israel.

Many things are noteworthy as we read the history of Israel's transition from judges to kings. One of which is the idea that God's people can reject Him as their leader and all the ramifications that come from disobedience. God warns them that rejecting Him and demanding a king would take away their freedom and that they would become slaves to the king. (8: 17,18) God tells Samuel to solemnly warn them about what the king will do to them and their families, but the desire to be like others was too strong and they chose slavery over freedom. (this sounds familiar)

Another interesting thing to consider is that God changed Saul's heart and he began to prophesy with the other prophets. The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you. (1 Samuel 10:6,7) It would seem that God had taken control of Saul's life and he would do and act just as God demanded. But everyone who reads on a little further quickly recognizes that Saul was still free to exercise his will over the will of God. Not only is he free to do it, he does it... repeatedly. How can God change a man's heart, yet the man still be free to chose to live wrongly? And what is God's response to this kind of choosing?

Two good questions, with very complicated answers.  What does it mean that Saul was "changed into a different person" and that "God was with" him? Could he now do "what he wanted to do" and still be God's chosen one? Did "what he wanted to do" change when he became a different person? Some would say that "we always do what we want to do" and that some want to do right because they are God's chosen, while others choose to do wrong because they are not of the elect. The story of Saul gives this concept a difficult time. Saul was God's chosen, yet he rebelled and God rejected him. (1 Samuel 15: 10-35) He disobeyed God's instruction and God "tore the kingdom away from him". Saul still had the ability to chose what to do and in return for those choices he received justice from God.

I have known many who came to God through His Son and saw in them a changed heart. They were a new creation, a different person and lived lives that brought glory to God. But then, for whatever reason they chose to leave God and return to a life of sin. Isn't that what the parable of the sower is all about.

Then he told them many things in parables, saying: A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop— a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. (Matthew 13:3-8)

Every person chooses to be one of these soil types. Some of us will choose to reject Jesus outright. Some of us will accept Him and quickly fall away because we are shallow. Some will accept Him and be faithful for years only to allow life to push Him out. But some will decide to come to Him and never leave and they will bear fruit for life. That is the story that Jesus tells about us. That is the story of Saul, his heart changed and he served God, but life caught up with him and he chose to please others rather than God. Saul paid a big price for his rebellion and we face the same outcome if we willfully chose to live a life without His leadership. God will reject those that reject Him.