8 “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
Some of God’s hardest tests for us may involve just waiting!
Samuel had just anointed Saul with a flask of oil as Israel’s first king and Saul had soon gone to the rescue of the people of Jabesh Gilead, who were surrounded by the Ammonites. But then he’d gone to face a much larger Philistine army at Gilgal and his men began to desert him.
Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. 8 He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter.
Saul had waited for the set time of seven days, but Samuel hadn’t come and he was desperate.
9 So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering. 10 JUST AS HE FINISHED MAKING THE OFFERING, SAMUEL ARRIVED (If only he’d waited a little longer, so near and yet so far), and Saul went out to greet him.
11 “What have you done?” asked Samuel.
Saul had stepped into another office, that of prophet/priest, something he should never have done. We should never step into an office to which we haven’t been called, THERE’S NO GRACE FOR US IN IT. King Uzziah was probably the most severe example of someone who usurped the position of the priest and was struck with leprosy and excluded from both the palace and temple for the rest of his life. 2 Chronicles 26:21
God never functions on men’s timetable, GOD IS OUTSIDE OF OUR TIME! I have heard two significant quotes recently regarding God and ‘time’.
The first I heard was when the Lord spoke to someone and said, ‘He would never be governed by time’. Jesus is the Lord of all things including time.
On Elijahstreams last night someone said, ‘The most powerful weapon is waiting on God UNTIL PEACE COMES’. Saul was in turmoil when he offered his unlawful sacrifice, staying in the Peace of God is a powerful weapon for the believer. Often the circumstances around us are screaming at us to do something, but staying in Peace and Trusting God may be our best hope.
Saul could have had generations of his family on the throne, but his rule was shortened when he stepped into the role of priest. Samuel told him God had already chosen a successor, a man after His own heart.
Wait upon God until His Peace comes. Don’t be pushed into a response where there’s no Grace for us.
God bless and keep you today.