The Danger of Rash Judgments and Unchecked Power | 1 Samuel 14:43-46

Have you made a rash judgment lately?

Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller.

This week, we are in 1 Samuel 14. I've titled this chapter "A Contrast Of Leadership Between Jonathan and Saul."

In the latter part of Chapter 14, we are surveying Saul's leadership and comparing it with Jonathan's. There is this hangover from that bad vow of Saul, and because of the vow, Saul does not hear from God. Saul is now hunting down the problem within his camp, and the lot has fallen to Jonathan. Now we pick up with what Saul does when he finds out he is not hearing from God because his son broke the vow he established that Jonathan had not heard in verses 43-46:

Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I will die.” And Saul said, “God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan.” Then the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.” So the people ransomed Jonathan, so that he did not die. Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place. — 1 Samuel 14:43-46

This underscores the kind of man and leader Saul is: insanely selfish to the point of injustice. And not just any injustice. Injustice that is willing to kill his son. This is sheer insanity. I cannot ever imagine saying something like this to any of my children, regardless of how sinful they were, and Jonathan has not sinned against God. I guess we know why Saul did not hear from God, and the Philistines were allowed to escape. It was the selfish rage within Saul's heart.

This text holds three essential lessons for us. First, we see that there are limits to the king's power in the newly founded monarchy. He is allowed to institute an oath or curse, but he is not allowed to enforce it if the extent of it is unjust. Second, this chapter summarizes the picture of Saul's leadership for the next 40 years. Third, and most importantly, the people stand up against Saul and for what is right to ransom Jonathan from Saul's unjust judgment.

This third point is important. We as believers have a responsibility to speak up for injustice when those in faith are served injustice. This may require us to stand against authority, which is risky but righteous. The saving grace of this chapter is Jonathan's faith. His faith fights two fights: first, a fight for Israel's saving the 600, and second, a fight for his own life before his father.

So, let's go back to yesterday's devotional. We talked about how to hear from God when he was silent. As we see, God was not silent. God, in the end, spoke. And he spoke through 598 godly voices who spoke up for one righteous man of faith and against one unjust judgment of a king. Thus, the sin has been found. God was silent to Saul because of his sin against his son and all of Israel, and God delivered his judgment in the silence.

As we close this chapter, let's remember that sometimes sin lies within us. If you are a leader of any kind, please deal with the sin and selfishness that live within your heart. Don't carry on with sin to the same level of stupidity as Saul. But if you do, or when you do, make sure and listen to the godly people around you. Righteous people will only follow you so far; at some point, you might need to follow them because they might be the voice of God.

#LeadershipLessons, #FaithInAction, #RighteousStand

Ask This:

1. In what ways might unchecked selfishness or pride be impacting your leadership or relationships? How can you address it before it leads to greater consequences?
2. When faced with an unjust situation, how can you discern when it’s time to speak up or take a stand, even if it means challenging authority?

Do This:

Test your heart and discern your judgments.

Pray This:

Lord, help me to recognize any selfishness or sin within my heart and give me the courage to address it. Grant me the strength to stand up for what is right, even when it’s difficult or risks challenging those in authority. Amen.

Play This:

Heart of God.