Joseph: The Story of Reputation

The First Presbyterian Church of Hemet

When God Didn't Answer

Dr. Larry Thorson
July 11, 2010

I Samuel 14:23; 24-30; 36-46; 52

1. Summarize the biblical text:

King Saul orders his troops to not eat until the Philistines are completely defeated. His son Jonathan, not knowing his father's command eats some honey. God goes silent for Saul and Saul decides someone must have disobeyed his command and through drawing lots learns that it's his own son. Saul decides Jonathan had to die but the troops defy the king and Jonathan lives.

2. What is the main point of this sermon?

Practice listening each day to God,to people and to nature, asking more questions and drawing fewer conclusions. When God is silent in your prayers, it is always for a reason and that reason will be revealed.

3. What action could readers take as a result of this sermon?

Be bold enough to practice listening exercises everyday by asking what, when, how, where and who trusting that you will be able to handle what it is that you learn.

Introduction

This summer we're studying the leadership styles of Israel's first two kings; King Saul and King David. So far we've seen that Saul got his job basically because he was tall, handsome and wealthy, the characteristics usually favored for leaders by the masses in most cultures. But on the job we have seen that Saul has managed to a) become impatient waiting to do things God's way leading to a big mess, and b) retreated from seeking a plan in how to face an impending major war but hey, he was still tall, handsome and wealthy, right?

Last week, we saw how Saul's army was just about to be crushed because they were outnumbered by the Philistines 20,000 to 600. To make matters worse, the ruling Philistines had deported all the blacksmiths so they didn't even have any weapons. But those are the kind of odds that God seems to like because just when we thought it was probably over for Saul and his army, God sent a most unusual spirit of confusion to fall on the Philistines and then followed it up with an earthquake so that the enemy turned on one another and Israel was able to defeat them. Amazing story.

How Saul Wrecked a Good Party

That's why we read in I Samuel 14:23 “So on that day the LORD saved Israel, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven.” You can imagine their excitement. They've gone from being dead men walking to victorious warriors in one day because of God. Now is the time to celebrate, right? For me that means bring out the southern barbeque. Forget the calorie count, it's time to celebrate.

But instead of celebrating, we read in v.24: “Now the Israelites were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, "Cursed be anyone who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!" So none of the troops tasted food.”

What's up with that? Why was he going to send his troops into battle hungry? Besides they should be celebrating the victory God clearly gave them. What, so the king could avenge himself on his enemies? What does that even mean?

I'll tell you what I think it means. I think he was embarrassed that he had been sitting under a pomegranate tree and not doing anything about winning the battle while his son put his own life on the line. His troops knew that. We saw that last week. So now he wanted to show that he and not his son was the big guy who made the decisions around there. The Bible doesn't say anything about how Saul was going to do all this for the glory of God or the rescue of God's people. It's all about him getting revenge from the enemy for embarrassing him. Somehow a leader has to move beyond his own personal agenda and look out for the agenda of the larger following. As a leader, Saul apparently couldn't do that.

Now let's see how his son Jonathan responded to his dad's command starting in v.25: “The entire army entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground. 26 When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out; yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. 28 Then one of the soldiers told him, "Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, 'Cursed be anyone who eats food today!' That is why the men are faint."

29 Jonathan said, "My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. 30 How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?"

Obviously father and son didn't agree. Also, obviously, Saul hadn't talked to his son about what he was going to do beforehand. Which leads me to think that Saul made his decision to ban food for his troops a little fast without concurring with either God or his advisors. Again, it appears that his personal agenda was the driving force rather than the good of his people.

So how long did Saul actually think he would be able to starve his soldiers? In v.32 it says after striking down the Philistines the soldiers ...”pounced on the plunder and, taking sheep, cattle and calves, they butchered them on the ground and ate them, together with the blood. Then someone said to Saul, “Look, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating meat that has blood in it.”

In what should have been a huge victory celebration causing the people to really rejoice in what God had done for them, Saul has managed to turn it into a demoralizing chaos. This is chaos so strong that the soldiers don't even care that they were disobeying God's law's which forbid them from eating blood. They were hungry. Saul's ridiculous power play actually caused people to abandon God's laws.

How Saul Tried to Get Right With God

But Saul was smart enough to know that it's not good to be on the bad side of God. So he sets up an altar right there on the spot to sacrifice the animals and drain the blood. That kind of reminds me of a guy who gets drunk and wrecks his car but then goes to confession believing that everything will be ok. Then he goes out and does it again figuring he can always confess it. There's no repentance on Saul's part.

        Now, having felt like God was appeased through the sacrifice, Saul comes up with a plan as we read in v.36 Saul said, "Let us go down and pursue the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive."
       "Do whatever seems best to you," they replied.
       But the priest said, "Let us inquire of God here."

Hmm, what a novel idea, inquire of God. I want you to notice how Saul, up to this point, has never asked questions of anyone. He doesn't seek counsel. He hasn't even inquired of God. In his mind he probably thought that asking questions would look like a sign of weakness just like repentance would be.

How many times do you stop in a day and inquire of the Lord what you should do? Think about it. For example you have a busy day ahead of you and you know that you have more to do than hours in that day. What do you do? I recommend that you pause for a few minutes. Take some deep breathes. Pray the Jesus Creed like this: “I love you Lord with all my heart, soul, strength and mind and my neighbor as myself.” Say it a few more times slowly. Allow God's Spirit to prioritize your day based on that Jesus Creed. Don't rush it. It's only a few minutes in a day that has 1,440 minutes in it. Take your time.

What do you think Saul did? In verse 37 we read: So Saul asked God, "Shall I go down and pursue the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel's hand?" But God did not answer him that day.

With silence from God you have some choices: confess, blame or wait. Let's see what Saul did as if you couldn't guess. 38 Saul therefore said, "Come here, all you who are leaders of the army, and let us find out what sin has been committed today. He assumes that the silence from God indicates someone in the camp has committed a sin. But who? 39 As surely as the LORD who rescues Israel lives, even if it lies with my son Jonathan, he must die." But not one of them said a word.

Interestingly, Saul doesn't indict himself. He never takes responsibility that he might have messed up with his command to not eat until the enemy was defeated. He never takes responsibility. It's always someone else's fault. That's a sign of a poor leader.

There are two responses to blame: one is to blame yourself for everything that's wrong and the other is to blame everyone else. Both approaches are deadly. The former leads to depression and the latter leads to abuse.

Saul was blaming the silence of God on someone disobeying his command. That's like equating his commands with the commands of God. That was like putting himself up there as an authority equal with God. I wonder how many abusive dads have done just that to their children and/or wife: “Do it because I say so” followed by a slap on the face. That's a sign of a poor leader.

Saul doesn't even address the issue that his men disobeyed God's actual written law to not eat blood. That's not even on his radar. He's more concerned with the men disobeying his command. No wonder God was silent. God will always be silent when you're trying to replace him. God is also silent when you're lording your authority over someone. God was and is the only authority over Israel's army, it's just that Saul wouldn't acknowledge it.

        40 Saul then said to all the Israelites, "You stand over there; I and Jonathan my son will stand over here."
       "Do what seems best to you," they replied.     41 Then Saul prayed to the LORD, the God of Israel, "Why have you not answered your servant today? If the fault is in me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim, but if the men of Israel are at fault, respond with Thummim." Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared. 42 Saul said, "Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was taken. 43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done."
       So Jonathan told him, "I tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now I must die!"

The Urim and Thummim were sacred stones kept with the Ten Commandment tablets in the Ark of the Covenant. Somehow they thought these stones spoke God's wishes. On this occasion, because God had been silent, it may have been more like flipping a coin. God was silent.

44 Saul said, "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan." 45 But the men said to Saul, "Should Jonathan die—he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God's help." So the men rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death.

As a leader Saul has now lost the respect and the following of his army. The saddest part is what follows in verse 46: Then Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and they withdrew to their own land. And in verse 52 we read: All the days of Saul there was bitter war with the Philistines, and whenever Saul saw a mighty or brave man, he took him into his service.

At a time when God would have helped Saul totally defeat the enemy, he had so badly demoralized his team that he let the enemy go. For the rest of his career as king he had bitter war with the Philistines. How sad when it could have gone so differently.

A Better Way: Not Being Afraid to Listen

There's a better way. It's true whether you're an elder leading a church, a parent leading a family or someone your neighbors look up to. The better way is really quite simple: stop talking and start asking questions.

In the movie, Used People, the daughter - rapidly approaching middle age, divorced, and the mother of two children - is leaving home and heading for California to make a new life for herself and her children. Her mother objects and as mothers sometimes do, tries to lay a load of guilt on her daughter in order to force her to reconsider moving. The daughter, however, has learned a few tricks from mom over the years. She tries to turn the tables and put mom on a guilt trip for a change. She accuses her mother of never being interested in what was going on in the daughter's life unless it was something that posed a threat to her mother's need for control. At this point, the mother, played by Shirley McClain, makes an interesting comment, expressing an attitude that is fairly common today. She says, "I knew everything about you that I wanted to know." In other words, there were enough things over which I had no control that hurt me as it was. So why should I open myself up to more hurt by finding out about more things over which I have no control? The mother obviously believed in the theory that says if ignorance is not bliss, it is at least less painful than full knowledge of the situation would be.

But, you know, I have found it to be just the opposite, at least for me. Ignorance rarely produces anything vaguely resembling happiness. To the contrary, ignorance is constantly frustrating, often embarrassing, sometimes costly, and always regrettable.

A seminary professor, Paul Worley, used to say often: "I have six honest serving men; They taught me all I knew. Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who." It's too bad King Saul fired those guys. What about you?

When God is silent take a look at what is going on in your own life but don't draw quick conclusions. If you're doing something that you know God doesn't want you to do then stop, confess it, accept God's forgiveness in Jesus Christ and don't do any longer with his help. Remember that there is no sin that Jesus didn't die for. There is no problem that Jesus can't solve. There is no care that Jesus can't give. Remember that silence from God doesn't necessarily mean that you've done anything wrong.

But be bold enough to practice listening exercises everyday by asking what, when, how, where and who. Don't worry about the why, because that may not be revealed until heaven. But trust that you will be able to handle, with God's help, what it is that you learn.

Small Group Ice Breaker Questions

What do you do to celebrate?

Describe a decision you made that you later regretted. What factors led you to make the decisions?

Discussion Questions

1. Saul put his troops under a serious oath. Oaths always invoke God's involvement. Read Matthew 5:33-37. What does it say about oaths?

2. Why did King Saul give his command to his troops to not eat until they defeated the Philistines? What may have been some reasons behind that decision?

3. Read Genesis 9:1-5. What does God say about eating blood? Why?

4. Read Leviticus 17:14. What's significant about blood according to this verse?

5. In I Samuel 14:37 asked the Lord for direction but all he heard was silence. What alternatives could he have done instead of what he actually did? What were his actual options?

6. What techniques do you use to help you listen better?