COSTLY CONSEQUENCES (11 OF 27)
by Keith Krell
Scripture: 1 Samuel 13:1-22
This content is part of a series.
Costly Consequences (11 of 27)
Series: Calling All Leaders
Keith Krell
1 Samuel 13:1-22
Pressure has a way of making fools out of people. When people feel pressure they are capable of doing strange things and succumbing to sin. You may be in a pressure cooker situation right now. Perhaps you've been given a deadline at work and you're panicking. Your job is tenuous and there are some coworkers who would love your job. You're tempted to worry and not trust God. Maybe you experience chronic physical pain and you're considering using alcohol or prescription painkillers to numb your suffering. You're tempted to assume that God's strength in weakness is insufficient. Perhaps you're a teenager who feels the urge to sleep around or party with your friends. Or maybe you feel incredible pressure from your parents to get good grades. You wonder if anyone will really love you for who you are. Maybe you feel pressure to provide for your family-to give them a better life than you had. Your mentality is that happiness can be found in wealth and possessions. I don't know your particular pressure, but we all experience pressure. Yet, the Scriptures are clear that God wants us to obey His Word even when we're in an intense crucible. However, pressure is no excuse for disobedience.
1 Samuel 13 begins a new section in 1 Samuel that carries through chapter 15. The purpose of these chapters is to document the deterioration of Saul's reign and Yahweh's rejection of him as Israel's king. The dominant feeling in this section is not success, but failure. Of course, when it comes to leadership, we can frequently learn more from a leader's failures than his or her successes. Chapter 13 divides into three scenes: 13:1-7 and 13:16-22 are pressure notes on the conflict with the Philistines. These two sections provide a narrative framework for the middle section of 13:8-15, which articulates a stunning theological verdict on Saul.
1. Saul is threatened by the Philistines (13:1- ...
Series: Calling All Leaders
Keith Krell
1 Samuel 13:1-22
Pressure has a way of making fools out of people. When people feel pressure they are capable of doing strange things and succumbing to sin. You may be in a pressure cooker situation right now. Perhaps you've been given a deadline at work and you're panicking. Your job is tenuous and there are some coworkers who would love your job. You're tempted to worry and not trust God. Maybe you experience chronic physical pain and you're considering using alcohol or prescription painkillers to numb your suffering. You're tempted to assume that God's strength in weakness is insufficient. Perhaps you're a teenager who feels the urge to sleep around or party with your friends. Or maybe you feel incredible pressure from your parents to get good grades. You wonder if anyone will really love you for who you are. Maybe you feel pressure to provide for your family-to give them a better life than you had. Your mentality is that happiness can be found in wealth and possessions. I don't know your particular pressure, but we all experience pressure. Yet, the Scriptures are clear that God wants us to obey His Word even when we're in an intense crucible. However, pressure is no excuse for disobedience.
1 Samuel 13 begins a new section in 1 Samuel that carries through chapter 15. The purpose of these chapters is to document the deterioration of Saul's reign and Yahweh's rejection of him as Israel's king. The dominant feeling in this section is not success, but failure. Of course, when it comes to leadership, we can frequently learn more from a leader's failures than his or her successes. Chapter 13 divides into three scenes: 13:1-7 and 13:16-22 are pressure notes on the conflict with the Philistines. These two sections provide a narrative framework for the middle section of 13:8-15, which articulates a stunning theological verdict on Saul.
1. Saul is threatened by the Philistines (13:1- ...
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