Then we read these words in verses 8-14:
[Saul] waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, "Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings." And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.' So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering." And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart...because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you."
Saul grew impatient with God's timing, and took matters into his own hands. His intentions may have been okay--he wanted to offer sacrifices to the Lord, time was getting short, and the prophet didn't come on time. But only a prophet/priest is authorized to offer sacrifices; that is not the place of the king. Saul should have waited, and trusted the Lord during the wait.
Rushing God's timing, offering a sacrifice by his own hand, turned out to be one of two sins that cost Saul his crown (the other is recorded in 1 Samuel 15). The consequence seems harsh, but whenever one of God's appointed leaders disobeys Him, it's a big deal.
As I read this, I think of the times I have grown impatient with God's timing. Several times I have been tempted to rush headlong into whatever course of action I thought was best, before I patiently waited for God's direction. I have successfully fought this temptation many times, but I have also failed at times and gotten ahead of the Lord's perfect plan AND perfect timing.
A good friend once told me that when we seek the Lord's will, He will always show us. So the only way we can mess things up is to rush into something. That is good advice which I have passed along to many others over the years.
Yes, we have to beware of the opposite extreme as well. Sometimes we can wait too long and delay obeying the Lord after He has spoken, and in these cases we just need to get up immediately and go where He has led.
But as for me, my greater problem is patiently waiting for the Lord's timing. I understand Saul's impatience and his fall into sin in this passage. In our culture we are not good at waiting, which is why we have microwave meals, instant messages/text messages, and so many other things that require little time or patience. (Have you ever gotten frustrated when a friend didn't text you back within fifteen seconds?)
In contrast, with the Lord, we often need to wait a bit longer than we think we "should." David waited years between being anointed king and actually sitting on the throne. Moses waited decades between God's call and the time he actually confronted Pharaoh to free the Israelites. Sarai, Rachel, Hannah, Elizabeth, and many others waited excruciatingly long for children. But...oh, the blessings of doing things God's way! God is always at work on behalf of His people, when we patiently wait for Him.
If you, like me, have trouble waiting on the Lord, take time to read and meditate on these most excellent scriptures:
Psalm 25:4-5
Psalm 27:14
Psalm 37:7-9
Psalm 40:1-3
Psalm 62:1-2, 5-7Isaiah 64:4
Psalm 104:27-28
Psalm 130:5-6
Isaiah 30:18
Isaiah 40:28-31
As we wait on the Lord, we will know His greatest blessings in our lives. The waiting place is a good place to be, because we know the Lord has a most perfect and wonderful plan for each of us as His children.
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