Just a single line of scripture details the end of Israel’s first king: 1 Chronicles 10:14 “And inquired not of the LORD:” While King Saul had every opportunity to find the Lord, his heart was divided and he did not seek after the Lord. Not only did he not pursue the missing Ark of the Covenant, but the bulk of his reign featured self-preservation and personal ambition. Maybe his position caused him to think that he was above submission to the prophet. Perhaps the scepter was too heavy in his hand: he held all the power . Whatever the cause, the end result was death and the loss the monarch.
Remember, Saul had been anointed. He was chosen and established. Yet, all of those initial elements, both coveted and precious, were not enough to overcome his independent spirit. Herein lies the fault line of those who have been called. The post-modern church saw the rise of self-sufficiency through material gain. Conveniences blanketed daily life as they made their way into the church. Real measures of sacrifice were removed as vain philosophies were propagated leading people to think that their gifts or positions removed them from submission and accountability. While our national independence is woven into the American mind, the state of spiritual autonomy has been our undoing.
Saul needed the voice of the prophet, but he rejected it. He needed to hear “thus sayeth the Lord” from an authority other than his own. He was not meant to be sovereign or self-determined. In the end, all those who join Saul will crumble. It is set in stone. The biblical account has declared it so: Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
I offer these words for your benefit. To ignore them would only lead us into humanistic thoughts cloaked as spiritual enlightenment (which it is not). At the end of it all… we must inquire after the Lord. His book allows us to do just that. The preached Word ushers us into the same. Therefore, I write to remind you to consider the need to inquire of the Lord. Of all the voices and things we pursue, nothing rises higher than to inquire of the Lord.
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole
