“May the Lord be with you as he used to be with my father.”
1 Samuel 20:13
These words Jonathan spoke to David tragically define Saul’s life…the Lord used to be with him.
When we first heard of Saul, he was a young man looking for sheep, not for a kingdom. In fact, when Samuel told him that he would be Israel’s first king, Saul’s humble response was Why? My tribe is the smallest, and my family is least important. (9:21) And later when the people gathered to crown him king, Saul shyly hid among the baggage. However, GOD gave Saul a new heart…and His Spirit came so powerfully on Saul that he even prophesied.
Certainly, God WAS with Saul. But then Saul chose to disobey God multiple times, he set up a monument to himself, and then he begged Samuel to honor HIM. Even though God had given Saul a new heart, his actions made it obvious that he was filling that heart with himself!
As king of Israel, Saul sat on an earthly throne, but it seems Saul wanted to sit on the throne of his heart as well. Only one problem—there wasn’t enough room on one throne for two kings. So, Saul simply took over the throne where God used to be.
If God does not seem to be with me as He used to be, perhaps I need to get off HIS throne!
