Mighty Presumption (How the Mighty Fall Pt. 1)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

Saul was a tall, handsome young man from a wealthy Israelite family (1 Samuel 9:1-2). He was the prototypical eligible bachelor, the B.C. Ryan Seacrest. And God chose him to be the first king of Israel.

The prophet Samuel anointed Saul and gave him an incredibly detailed list of signs to confirm his calling (1 Samuel 10:1-7). His parting words were, “Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do’” (1 Samuel 10:8).

Flash forward a week later and Saul and his troops were stationed in Gilgal. Tens of thousands of Philistines troops had gathered like storm clouds less than ten miles away. The Israelites were scattering in fear, literally hiding under rocks and inside tombs (1 Samuel 13:6). And the appointed time for Samuel to arrive had come and gone. So Saul took matters into his own hands and sacrificed the offerings reserved for Samuel himself (1 Samuel 13:8-9).

As soon as Saul had finished offering the offerings, Samuel arrived. The prophet rebuked the king saying, “How foolish! You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command’” (1 Samuel 13:13-14).

How the Mighty Wait

There was a very important lesson that God was trying to teach Saul in this situation, and that was the importance of waiting on the LORD. As leaders, we are taught to be proactive, not reactive. We are taught to do, not wait. But waiting is exactly what God wanted the newly elected king of Israel to do.

Psalm 27:14, a Psalm written by the “man after God’s own heart,” says a very peculiar statement, “Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.” Sometimes the most courageous action we can do is wait. Insecure leaders need to control every situation. They think that if they don’t do something, everything will fall apart. But secure leaders know that God is faithful. They believe that when God said He is “good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him” (Lamentations 3:25), He meant it.

How the Mighty Submit

The second important lesson that God was trying to teach Saul was the importance of obedience. In 2012, UC Berkely conducted a study that verified that the rich and powerful are more likely to break the rules than those of lower social economic classes. They believe they’re above the law, the ones who set the rules of the game rather than obey them.

This same mindset applies to many leaders. Saul knew the command he received from the prophet Samuel. God said wait, but Saul thought he could be the exception to God’s command. But no leadership exists apart from the LORD, who we all must submit to (Romans 13:1).

Conclusion

Wait and submit. People don’t usually associate these two verbs with good leadership, and clearly these two guidelines don’t apply to all situations. But the greatest leaders know when to wait, and the best guides know when to follow.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

(Proverbs 3:5-6)