Theological Commentary: Click Here
Discipleship Focus: Approval
- Approval: We all need to feel as though we are accepted. When we seek the approval of God, our Up is in the right place. But when we seek the approval of other people besides God, we open the door to pursuing false gods and risk putting someone or something other than God in our Up position.
Saul displays a horrible perspective of decision making here in
this chapter. He makes a rash vow that
ultimately places his son in jeopardy.
When his son – who knows that the vow his father made was silly – is found
to be guilty, Saul demands justice. Saul
could have acknowledge how poorly timed his vow was. After all, what general starves his soldiers
the day of a big battle? But rather than
admit how foolish the vow was, Saul demands that his vow be executed even if it
means that His own son must die.
Saul is after approval in this passage. Saul wants the people to see how seriously he
takes his own words. Saul wants the
people to take their own words as seriously as he takes his words. He wants the people to look at him and admire
him for being willing to have the “law” apply to himself as much as it applies
to everyone else.
But Saul is in the wrong.
The vow he made was foolish. It
was foolish on many levels. If Saul
wanted approval, he should have repented of the foolish vow and shown the
people what repentance looks like. That
would have not only gotten him the approval of the people – who ransom Jonathon
back from death anyways – as well as gotten him the approval of God.
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