1 Chronicles Chapter 13: Verses 2-3 (NIV)
He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of it during the reign of Saul.”
I have often pondered how Israel’s first king, Saul, started off so promisingly, yet in a relatively short time had fallen from grace. Certainly, he very quickly got caught up with what people thought about him, but surely there was more to it than that? Today these verses really struck me. As David prepares to formally take up his role as king of Israel, he directs his people in a way that it appears Saul did not.
“If it is God’s will…” he tells them, and then continues by saying that they should “enquire of the Ark” which they had neglected to do during Saul’s reign. And I think therein lies the problem. Saul did not seek the direction of God as he should have done. As difficulties and changes arose during his reign, these should have driven him to seek out God’s mind on these things. But he got further and further away from God and in the latter years of his reign, he appeared to be eaten up by jealousy and paranoia. How very sad.
We too can start off on a positive manner on our Christian walk, but we need to be careful to seek God’s counsel and direction along the way, and not neglect to do so. It’s also worth noting that Saul’s choices impacted the whole land. Today whilst we might not have the same sphere of influence as Saul, nevertheless we do cross paths with people who are impacted by the way that we live and the choices that we make. A sobering thought.
Dear Lord,
Thank You for the example set by David at the start of his reign by seeking your direction and will, and encouraging others to do the same. Help me to do likewise, I pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.